Gifted Connections 1

“Well, clothing can be optional for her,” Mike leered at me.

“Think again, buddy,” Remy said. It was clear he wasn’t a huge fan of Mike’s abrasive nature either.

Noah chuckled. “You’re barking up the wrong tree there, little man.” His lips were smiling but his eyes were deadly serious.

It would appear that my guys had no qualms if I got attention from one of them, but any other male, better think again.

Mike bristled. He had the true definition of little man syndrome. He was maybe five feet four at the most but strutted around and peacocked like a man twice his size.

“Rachel and I already have her outfit picked out,” Jemmy clearly was trying to diffuse the situation. She gave me wicked grin and it didn’t help that Rachel had an evil glint in her eyes too.

“I won’t wear it if I don’t like it,” I huffed at them.

Jemmy snorted. “Relax, have I ever steered you wrong?”

“It’s the only driving Jemmy’s good at,” Jaxson laughed as he winked at me.

“I’m a superb driver,” Jemmy stated crossing her arms across her chest.

“Who has only been in four accidents in the last year and totaled two vehicles,” Noah added with a smile.

“Three of those accidents were not my fault,” she declared with a petulant smile.

“And you guys let me ride in the same car as her?” I asked in mock outrage.

“Keep it up,” Jemmy pointed a fork at Noah, Jaxson, and I threateningly.

“Putting on her makeup is very important. It was the other person’s fault that they stopped for the stop sign.” Ben chimed in.

“Finding her cell phone that fell on the floor, running off the side of the road, and hitting a parked vehicle, was not her fault,” Jaxson added.

“Slamming on her brakes for the turtle crossing the road and getting rear ended, wasn’t either,” Rick smiled winking at Jemmy.

“Enough, enough!” Jemmy stood up. “I’ve had enough. Want to go swimming, girls?”

“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!” Noah yelled at her retreating back.

Jemmy made sure the girls were in front of her as she turned holding up her pointer finger, middle finger, and ring finger. “Read between the lines!”

The guys and Rachel laughed as she hurried the girls along.

“I’m going to hop in for a little while too,” I said as I stood up laughing. “Thank you, Sue, everything was delicious. Rachel, wanna join?” I asked knowing I had been neglecting my roommate, although she didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Sounds good, any of you boys want to ru

b some sunscreen on me?” Rachel said suggestively.

I giggled.

Mike looked really confused. “But it’s an indoor pool.”

It was Mike’s turn to be the butt of the joke.

The afternoon sped by too fast. Noah, Stacey, Remy, Jaxson, and Drake had also joined us in the pool and the guys had put up a volleyball net in the shallow end. We had separated in to teams of five, splitting up Ella and Nadia, and played volleyball most of the afternoon. It was really fun, and I liked watching my guys in all their athleticism. They proved to be distracting, even Remy who still refused to take off his shirt. With his blond hair and bluish grey eyes, I assumed he was fair underneath the shirt and didn’t want to show his fairer skin.

Rachel had shamelessly flirted with them all and I stopped letting the ugly green-eyed monster rear her head. She was my friend and those were my guys. I knew they had no interest in her. She annoyed Stacey to no end, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. Rachel had flirted openly with Noah as well. Noah seemed to preen under the attention, but Stacey was becoming increasingly catty.

Drake finally hopped out of the pool, “Time for me to throw some sandwiches together,” he called. He towel dried his hair and I hopped out next to him.