Futures and Frosting (Chocolate Lovers 2)

“I’m so glad I downloaded the theme from “Golden Girls” to her phone right after that occurred,” Jenny says to Drew.

“It really was a stroke of brilliance,” he replies.

I roll my eyes and try not to think about the events from last night that Drew and Jenny regaled me with on the ride over. Some things are best left forgotten—or lost in a drunken haze that no one should ever speak of again.

As we walk through the doorway of the room, Carter turns and we make eye contact. I suddenly don’t want to kill the two people behind me. Everything is momentarily forgotten when I look at him.

I can do this. Parents love me.

He excuses himself from the discussion and hurries over to us, scooping Gavin up in his arms and peppering his face with kisses. He reaches out and grabbed my hand to pull me in close and place a soft kiss on my lips.

“Mmmmm. You don’t taste like vomit and desperation anymore,” he whispers with a smirk as he pulls his face away from mine.

“Remind me to never drunk dial you again for a booty call,” I reply with mock irritation.

“Don’t worry,” he says as he turns and pulls me over to his parents. “If that’s your idea of a booty call, I’m never taking another call from you again at two in the morning from the kitchen while you’re down the hall in the bedroom. My penis can’t handle another rejection like that. Or should I say projection?”

Drew and Jenny start giggling behind us.

“Alright, get it all out of your system now you guys. We are never, ever speaking of what happened last night again. We all need to pretend like it never happened,” I state firmly as Carter wraps his arm around my waist and hefts Gavin up higher.

“Yeah, about that,” Drew says sheepishly, “you might want to check Facebook when you get a free moment.”

My mouth dropped open, and I could do nothing but stare at his back as he pushes us out of the way and drags Jenny up to greet Madelyn and Charles and give them a hug. I barely paid attention as Drew introduces Jenny to them. Before I know it, all eyes are on me and Gavin.

“Say hello to your grandparents, Gavin,” Carter prompts him.

“Hi, I’m Gavin. When I’m ten I can drink beer and mow the lawn,” he states with a smile.

Nothing like a little tension breaker.

“Well, isn’t that sweet,” Madelyn says in a voice that clearly states it's anything but.

“It’s good to finally meet you Clarissa,” Charles says distractedly as he stares at Jenny’s ass when she bends over to pick up her lip gloss that she had dropped.

“Dad, it’s Claire,” Carter reminds him in a low voice, giving me an apologetic look.

As Gavin and I are pulled in for impolite hugs and air kisses, all I can do is try and think about what I may or may not have put on Facebook. The fact that I am pretty sure Carter’s mother hated me on sight and his father is too busy ogling my friend’s assets to get my name right doesn’t even touch a nerve. If I had put a picture of my boobs on Facebook, I'd throw myself off of a bridge anyway, so their judgments won’t matter.

Under normal circumstances, I own who I am. I like to have fun and go crazy, occasionally, and when that happens, it usually involves alcohol. I don’t drink and drive and I don’t spend my money on hookers and crack. I don’t waste my paycheck every week filling up entire shopping carts with bottles of Jack like Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas, and sometimes my shenanigans are broadcast on Facebook either by my own stupidity or by the stupidity of my friends. Typically, this is only slightly embarrassing, and we would all have a good laugh over it for months to come. However, in a moment of insanity a few days ago, I had decided to friend-request Carter’s mother and a few other members of his family on Facebook. I really should be supervised anytime I go near social media. There should be an actual human being whose only job is to sit next to me and say things like, “Do NOT post that,” and “You should seriously consider removing your tag off of that picture,” or “No, dick does not rhyme with delicious, and you are not good at poetry when you’re drunk, contrary to what you’ve been told,” and “That comment sounds a lot better in your head than it will under her picture. And that’s not how you spell c**k sucking whore anyway”.

After we conclude a few minutes of small talk, Madelyn and Charles whisk Gavin away and begin spoiling him by letting him order anything he wants on the menu, even if it's five different desserts. I turn to glare at Drew as Carter moves behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.

“Why the hell do I need to check Facebook?” I practically screech at him. “What did you let me do?”

“Well, the word ‘vagina’ may have been used in several posts last night,” Drew informs me seriously. “As well as a few words even I’ve never heard before.”

I can feel Carter’s rumble of laughter as his chest presses up against my back.

“Oh this should be good,” he says absently as he rests his chin on my head.

I shake my head in denial, completely horrified at the fact that I drunk Facebooked last night.

How can he be so calm? God only knows what I did that his mother might have seen.

“No wonder your mother isn’t very impressed by me,” I state.

“Nah, don’t take that personally. Madelyn Ellis was born with a stick up her ass,” Drew reassures me.

“It’s true, she was,” Carter agreed. “And they love you so stop it.”