Payback's A Bitch (Awkward Love 6)

She giggles, but I’m not laughing, because this has gone way too far.

Inviting her to my apartment so she can see me wearing a dress is one thing, but I’m out in public. And it’s not even the first time. She coaxed me into going to a restaurant last week. I know I’ll do nearly anything to win, but there has to be a line somewhere, right? I’m pretty sure I crossed it days ago—probably that point where I’d throw on my lacy undies in the morning, without a second thought.

Tonight, when we get back to the hotel, I’ll tell her everything.

I’m sure she’ll see the funny side to it eventually, right? God, I hope so, because I love spending time with her.

It’s just that I’d much rather to do it without the lace rubbing on my balls.We show our tickets to the door guy, then Darcy takes my hand and drags me through the doors. We follow the signs down to the end of the hallway, to another door. Darcy grins at me. She looks way too excited about this. I’m terrified because I’ve got no idea what to expect from a festival that calls itself weird as fuck.

“Are we going in?” she grins at me.

I shrug and motion for her to go first. “You can do the honors.”

She walks in, with me behind her. I look around and begin to feel sick.

What the fuck is this place?

While I am looking around my gaze eventually landing on Darcy, but not before I share an awkward moment with a naked guy bound in rope, hanging from the ceiling about a meter in front of me. Darcy stares back at me with wide eyes. She’s trying so hard not to laugh that all I have to do is narrow my eyes at her and she loses control.

“A festival, you say?” I murmur.

“I guess it is?” she says, her voice trembling between laughing spells.

I look around in dismay, ducking sideways to give the dude with his naked boyfriend on a leash, more space to get past. I look away, avoiding eye contact, about the same time he smirks at me.

“I think he likes you,” Darcy hisses. “Is it just me, or are not many people wearing clothing?”

She’s right—unless you count the group of people standing near the door, wearing animal costumes. I grin at her.

“You sure you won’t feel more comfortable over there?” I tease her.

“Very sure. Thank you,” she says in a clipped tone.

“Where did you say you got these tickets?” I ask smirking at her.

I jump when someone slaps my ass—hard. I spin around, just in time to see a large, hairy man wink at me. I shudder, because I don’t even want to know what he’s thinking.

“From a friend from work,” Darcy explains. “Well, as it turns out, he's a client not a psychologist…”

“You accepted tickets to a random festival, from a mental health patient, and didn’t think to question it?” I say, chuckling at her.

“Oh, shut up.” She glares at me. “Linton’s a friend.”

“Yeah? Then why did he lie to you?” I ask.

She raises her eyebrows at me. “Because you’ve never lied to a friend before, huh?”

“Is that what we are?” I ask. “Friends?”

She’s right, though. I’m lying to her right now, after all.

“The way you’re hassling me? I’m not so sure anymore,” she teases.

“Harsh,” I say, laughing.

I look around, confident that I have no desire to venture any further into this festival. I’ve seen enough already to know it’s not my thing.

“What do you say we get out of here?” I suggest.

“Sure.” She smiles at me. “We can go back to the hotel. It’s a shame to let that go to waste…”

“Sounds good,” I grin.

I take her hand and we turn around, and head toward the exit, nearly smacking into someone coming the other way.

“Shit, I’m sorry—”

I stop, my eyes widening when I find myself face-to-face with someone I know. Judge Winston and my father have been friends since I was a kid, and I have to say, I’ve never seen this side to him…

All the blood drains from his face. His eyes connect with mine, but then he looks away. I don’t know where to look so I fix my gaze on Darcy. That’s a mistake, because she’s nearly in tears from holding back her laughter. I'm not sure who's more embarrassed, me in my dress or the judge, who’s standing there in a leather thong and not much else.

“Judge Winston,” I say. “Good to see you. You’re looking well. Have you been on vacation? You’re looking very tanned.” I ramble out.

Darcy clasps her hand over her mouth and turns away, her shoulders shaking. Yeah, I’m not handling this very smoothly. I turn back to the judge, a smile plastered on my face. All I want to do is get out of here and pretend this moment never happened.