Ho Ho Hennessy

“And you let her keep getting away with it?”

“Why not?” Viper grinned. “I’d be a broke man if I bought every fucking thing she thinks her students need. I’m generous, but I’m not a charity.”

“That’s just sad.”

Viper’s grin widened. “You’re only upset because you’re afraid you’re going to lose. Where did all the confidence go that had you saying you would be fa-la-la-ing to Florida with my money?”

“It took a dive into the shit tank when Arin heard.” Never one to be down for too long, especially in front of The Last Riders, Hennessy said, “I’ll apologize, and she’ll get over it.”

Viper tilted his coffee at him. “That’s right; be positive. It can’t hurt,” he said encouragingly.

“Fuck off.”

Viper laughed. “Could be worse. Arin could have told them you had a small dick instead of a big one.”

“You’re not helping.”

“I’m supposed to help? I must have missed you asking.”

“Never mind. The day a black brother needs to ask a white one how to sweet talk a woman into bed, I deserve to lose the bet.”

Getting up to grab a coffee, he nearly tripped over his own two left feet when both Arin and Jewell came out of the dining room and went behind the counter to start cleaning.

“You’re right; you don’t need my help,” Viper mocked as Hennessy managed to catch himself. “You need a fucking miracle.”

Chapter 7

Arin contained her stormy emotions until she was back in the privacy of Jewell’s bedroom. The other women had followed in from their rooms.

“He’s the most arrogant man I’ve ever met in my life!”

Jewell huffed out a puff of air. “I’ve met worse.”

Having expected her friend to agree with her, she stood in shock as Jewell simply went to her closet to grab a plastic bag before going to her bed to sit down.

“I told you I overheard Hennessy betting Winter that he could hit a home run with me.”

“You were more upset last night when he didn’t.”

“That was last night. I wouldn’t give him the time of day now.”

“Be real. Your pride wasn’t so hurt that it kept you from eye-fucking him when he wasn’t looking while we were making breakfast.”

Arin unhappily plopped down on the bed to watch Jewell go through the bag.

“Why do good-looking men have to be such jerks?”

“Because women like you let them,” Jet volunteered.

“That’s harsh.” Silently she agreed with Jet, though the truth still stung.

Jewell tossed a flimsy peach thong toward her. “If the thong fits, wear it.”

Arin started to toss it back, but it was so pretty and still had the tag, so she laid it down next to her.

“Why would Winter make a bet like that?”

“Winter suckers bets out of the whole club when she decides she wants something for her school, and she can get inventive. I should know. Three years ago, she suckered me out of twenty-six iPads to give as graduation presents. I never bet her during Christmas time—she doesn’t take prisoners. You and Hennessy are fresh meat.”

“She got me last year,” Ember said as she curled up at the bottom of the bed. “She bet me that I couldn’t go a week without fucking Moon. I thought it was a safe bet since he wasn’t even in the club—he was in Ohio. He ‘mysteriously’ ”—Ember raised two hands up, making air quotes—“showed up the next day. I lost the bet within ten minutes and had to volunteer for a month to organize and stock new books in the library.”

“She got me, too,” Sasha said, taking the pile of thongs from Jewell to go through them. “She bet me that, if I didn’t eat lunch for a week, I wouldn’t have to do kitchen duty for two months. She even let me pick the week I wanted to do the bet. I chose the week that I was making lunch, knowing I could win by not making anything I wanted. I should have won that one, right?”

Arin felt the beginnings of amusement break through the fury that had her planning to put Hennessy’s dick in a nutcracker if he made a move on her.

“You didn’t?” Arin tried to maintain her anger and failed miserably when Sasha shook her head, nabbing a bright green thong and stuffing it into her jeans pocket.

“Fuck no! The first day, she ordered pizza, saying Viper hated hamburgers, which we all knew was a fucking lie. But I was strong. I didn’t cave … unlike other people who gave it up in two fucking seconds.”

Ember made a comical face. “Yeah … you’re so fucking strong. Fucking tell her how you lost.”

“Fucking microwaved popcorn.” Dejected, Sasha gave the rest of the thongs back to Jewell. “I’m not in the mood to hang out. I’m going to eat my stash of chocolate.”

Before she could leave, Arin couldn’t help asking, “What’d you lose?”