Catching Kate: The Acceptance Series Read online

  “I know. It was wrong and I have no excuse. It started to get real and I couldn’t deal. I’m not ready. I’m an asshole.”

  “I’m not going to argue with you there. Do her a favor, get her some water and take it upstairs. Don’t let her know you’re down here avoiding her. Whatever you do tomorrow, that’s on you, but don’t abandon that girl tonight. She isn’t one of your conquests. She just did what all girls do and thought she could fix what’s broken inside of you. It happens to the best of us.”

  It sounds like he’s speaking from experience but I don’t dare ask. I follow his advice, though, because it’s the only thing tonight that has made the slightest bit of sense.

  “Thanks, Daniel.”

  “Anytime, Mike. I’ve always got your back, brother, no matter what.”

  I THINK REALITY is starting to sink in a little more as dawn approaches and these memories wash over me like a cold shower. I’ve spent the past few years being a self-absorbed man whore, never looking past the here and the now.

  I’ve been given the best friends possible and I’m teetering on the brink of destroying each one of them. Is it worth it? In the end, we’re all going to be hurt in one way or another. You can’t mix this many lives together, this many loves, and have everyone escape unscathed. It’s just not possible.

  Do I value my friendship with Daniel enough to let go of Kate? Does he value his friendship with me enough to let her come back to me? How am I even involved in a love triangle with my best friend? This is something that should have never happened and I only have myself to blame.

  There are only two things in this world I value more than my friendship with Daniel. Kate and Jess. I thought the Vanessa situation was bad, but this is so much worse.

  As I lie here and continue down memory lane, there’s one thing that is constant in my mind. I’ve got a chance to get Kate back and I don’t care what the end result is as long as that’s the outcome. I’m not ready to give up my friends, but if it gets my life back on track with the woman who owns me mind, body and soul, it’s a pretty fair trade. Isn’t it?

  Chapter 11

  And Then There Were Four

  “WHAT IN THE hell do you need all those pickles for, Daniel?”

  He laughs as he pours what has to be the tenth giant jar into a huge tub. “Aimee and Julie are doing some sorority thing tonight. They can explain it better than I can. It’s like bobbing for apples but with pickles. They’re calling it ‘Pickle Pimping’ and I’m sure it will be the highlight of the night. Julie was very specific that no ‘little’ pickles are allowed.”

  Looking down into the tub, I see he’s right about that. All the pickles are huge, like the ones they sell individually at liquor stores. Explains why the jars are so big. I can imagine the sexual thoughts and gestures that will ensue tonight. It could be lots of fun.

  “Okay, so I get the pickles I guess, but what’s with the pile of sombreros over there?”

  He just shrugs his shoulders. “I’m not exactly sure, but we’ll find out. Aimee just said they needed enough sombreros for every guy coming tonight to have one.”

  “Pickle pimping women and sombrero wearing men. Ladies and gentlemen, the theme of the evening, come one, come all to the greatest sombrero laden, pickle pimping orgy around. Fuck, dude, this could get really interesting. I’m game, but I’ve got dibs on the best pickle pimper. Well, as long as she’s hot and not a repeat.”

  He laughs and just shakes his head. “I don’t know, Mike, I think Julie could win that one and since you’ve already had her, you might have to settle for a few down the line.”

  Holy shit! This mother fucker knows that Julie could win which can only mean one thing.

  “When?”

  He looks up at me, confused. “When what?”

  I’m staring him down big time, but I really don’t think he realizes he just slipped up. This is going to be fun. He never talks about this kind of stuff. “When did you fall into the threesome with Julie and Aimee?”

  His cheeks flush and he tries to back pedal, “Don’t even bother denying it, Daniel, you just said Julie could win. You would only know the depth of skill that woman has with a dick in her mouth if you’ve been there. Why the hell didn’t you say anything? I’ll tell you, there are still days where I wish I could go back to them and have a do over. I know a hell of a lot more now than I did then.”

  Daniel taps the keg, fills up a couple beers, and leans against it, passing a beer to me. “Alright, I don’t want to be a bitch and make you pinky swear or anything, but I just don’t want anyone knowing this. Especially Connor…he gossips like a little girl.”

  “Understandable, some things are shared between certain brothers and not others. You’ve got my word.”

  “It was last weekend. Connor and Jake were up at their parents’ and you were up north at that job site. I came down for the weekend while my house was being fumigated. Julie and Aimee came over to watch movies, nothing out of the ordinary. We started playing truth or dare which really turned into a whole lotta shots with whatever truths or dares were asked. I found out that their biggest fantasy is for you and me to team up with them for some fun. By then, we were all pretty drunk. I told them I could see the logic in that so they could both be satisfied at the same time. Julie pounced and said she can’t have a foursome with someone that they haven’t had a threesome with yet. At the time, that made complete and total sense to me. Anyway, I’m not going to go into details, but I will say that my mind was blown and that was the hottest sex of my life.”

  Once I finish choking on my beer over the foursome comment I can respond, “They are something, aren’t they? I mean, just the way Julie can get Aimee to come by sucking on her clit and the sounds they make. Fuck. It’s so hot.”

  A slow smile spread across his face and I know he’s replaying that in his head. I replay it all the time and probably always will.

  “So, what did you tell them about the foursome?”

  “Dude, do you even have to ask?”

  “Well, with a normal guy, no. But, Daniel, my man, you are far from normal. It took you how many years to finally go for it? I’m game if you are. I don’t care if you watch me fuck as long as we’re not fucking each other.”

  I watch as his gaze trails over my shoulder and a huge smile appears on his face. Suddenly, I’m flanked by the girls, one on each side, each kissing me hello on the cheek.

  “So Mike, Daniel and Aimee and I were talking the other night.”

  I’m not going to let them know he told me. I want to hear them ask for it. “Oh yeah? What about?”

  They glance at Daniel, but he just shrugs his shoulders. He knows my game and I can tell by the way his eyes are all lit up and shit, that he’s down for it, too. Our night just got a whole lot more interesting.

  Aimee steps in front of me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down so close that my lips are just a whisper away from hers. “Mike, we want you and Daniel in our bed tonight. We want to feel you both, experience you both at the same time.”

  Her lips brush against mine, her tongue gliding across my top lip as I open to give her access. I easily pick her up, she wraps her legs around my waist, and I back her up against the tree next to me. I take control of the kiss, biting her lip and grinding against her so she feels how hard my dick is.

  “I’m game, but this time I know some new tricks, and if we do this, we do it my way. This time the men are in control. If you can get Julie to agree to that, I’ll take you places you’ve never been before, sunshine.”

  Her heart is racing against my chest but a smirk flashes across her face. “Your wish is our command…Sir.”

  Now, we’re getting somewhere. Fuck me. With a quick glance over my shoulder, Daniel has Julie in a similar position. This is going to be an interesting night.

  I gently place Aimee back on the ground as Julie and Daniel come over to us. “Okay, boys, you know we usually don’t care who knows who we fuck. However, tonight is a f
antasy fulfillment, so if you don’t mind can we just keep this between us? When you guys are ready, just head over to our house, but don’t come too late. We want to experience this fantasy to the hilt.”

  Daniel exhales a sigh of relief. I know he doesn’t want anyone to know about last time, so he really doesn’t want anyone to know about this.

  “Of course, you have our word. Just remember my stipulation, ladies. We’re in control tonight, not the other way around.”

  Julie shoots Aimee a ‘what the fuck’ look but Aimee just smiles sweetly at her and pulls her into a very slow and passionate kiss. I’m somewhat envious of them. They’re so in love and yet so willing to explore their sexual desires with other people together, without any jealousy. I would have never been able to handle something like that. Just seeing Katherine talk to another guy, especially Marc, used to set me off. I never thought being possessive was a bad thing, but looking at these two, I wonder what side of love possession falls on. The good side or the bad?

  ~~~***~~~

  If you would have told me when I got here tonight that not only would I be turned on watching girls ‘pimp pickles’ from a tub, but also realize that I’d fantasize over it for a long time to come, I would’ve told you that you were crazy. Watching these girls lick, bite, and suck those giant pickles into their mouths is so fucking erotic.

  There’s a cute little blonde that’s been trying to get my attention all night. I would almost say she’s shy, but honestly, she rubs me the wrong way. Calculated would be the word used to describe her. I won’t lie though, the way she locked eyes with me while she was sucking that pickle into her mouth had my dick perking up a bit.

  And did I forget to mention that the sombreros were our outfits for the night? Yeah, every guy in this place is wearing nothing but his underwear and a sombrero. They were even prepared with extra boxers in a variety of sizes for those who showed up commando. What’s hilarious is that you can tell which guys are aroused. More than a handful are covering their junk with their sombrero. Hell, I don’t give a fuck who sees my dick at attention. I could hang that mother fucking sombrero off the tip of my dick like a hat rack. Some of these other guys probably aren’t as lucky.

  “Damn, Mike, that blonde girl has been eyeing you up all night. Are you going to hit that or what?”

  “Nah, Connor, that girl gives me some serious bad vibes. I’m not sure what it is about her, but I’m not going anywhere near her.”

  “Dude, you’re trippin’, but I’m going to hail to the pussy master and back the fuck off that one. You typically have a sense about those girls that bring trouble and I don’t want to be stuck in a shithole again.”

  I’m laughing so hard I’m about to lose my sombrero. Daniel is heading our way and it’s almost time to make our exit. The earlier we leave, the more fun we get to have.

  “What’s so funny?” Daniel asks as he pours himself a beer.

  “Connor seems to think I’ve got some interesting skills.”

  “It’s true! You’re a mother fucking pussy master! No joke, it’s like you’re one of those snake charmers. You just flash a look and girls are all over your jock. Don’t get me wrong, I get my share, but I have to work for it.”

  “He’s right. There is something about you that brings the girls running.”

  “Okay, first of all, you don’t have to work for it, Connor, you choose to work for it. Even if you don’t realize it, that’s what you’re doing. You could have any of these girls, anytime, but you feel like you have some reputation to uphold so you throw parties and entice the girls further. You’re rich, and you’re not ugly, but even if you were, rich trumps ugly. Stop being such a pleaser and you won’t have to work for it. Truth is, my man, you like working for it. It’s part of the game for you, and that’s cool. Whatever gets your dick wet. Secondly, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve never approached a girl. I’ve never initiated a conversation. I’m always indifferent. I’m not looking for anything other than a random hook-up. Girls have that radar, they either want to fix me or know they can get their dirtiest fantasies fulfilled by me because I’m indifferent. It’s what gets my dick wet. Call it what you want, I’ll be the pussy master if you want me to. At the end of the day, I’m just looking to stay away from drama. I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.”

  Speaking of drama, the cute little blonde has finally worked her way over here. She’s hot up close—curves in all the right places, nice tits, tight ass—but I still can’t shake my gut feeling on this one. Daniel, on the other hand, seems to be very interested. She introduces herself as Vanessa, and even though she’s friendly with us all, she’s flirting with me. I’m not interested. Eventually, she gets the hint and starts putting her attention into Daniel. Poor guy is falling for it hook, line, and sinker. He’s so into her he doesn’t even notice she’s still giving me looks. Connor took off already and I really want to get next door to the girls. I’m hoping to get Daniel out of here unscathed.

  “Daniel, we gotta go take care of those favors we promised the neighbors.”

  A quick flash of excitement shows in Daniel’s eyes. Thank god, at least he isn’t completely lost to this girl yet. I’m going to have to talk to him about her.

  “You’re right, I completely lost track of time. It was so nice meeting you, Vanessa. I hope we’ll see you again soon.”

  She flashes him the world’s biggest smile, “I would love that. Here, what’s your cell number? I’ll call you so you can save my number. We should definitely get together again soon.”

  After they exchange numbers she hugs Daniel goodbye. His back is to me but she looks right at me, licks her lips, and mouths ‘later Mike’ to me. I knew she was flirting, but she has some serious issues if she’s flirting with me behind his back like that. I don’t want to wreck his mood tonight but decide to have a talk with him about it later.

  Chapter 12

  The Devil Wears Louboutins

  “CONNOR, YOU KNOW on any given day I would be at your party in a heartbeat but I just can’t be around Vanessa. I’ve tried so hard to make her understand I don’t want anything to do with her and she’s still flirting with me. Making inappropriate comments to me behind Daniel’s back. It sucks donkey balls being in the middle of this shit.”

  He exhales loudly before speaking, “I know, Mike, and I get where you’re coming from, I do. I can’t stand that vicious bitch, either. I need you to be my wingman tonight. We’re going to get one over on Vanessa. I met this girl, her name is Debbie and I swear, Mike, she is the spitting image of Vanessa. I told her I have a friend I want her to meet tonight so you have to come.”

  I groan and shake my head, knowing he can’t see me.

  “Come on, Mike! I know it’s not your thing to be set up, but this is going to make Vanessa lose her shit. Think about it, you won’t be with her, won’t even give her the time of day and yet here you are with a girl that could be her identical twin. She’s going to breathe fire she’ll be so pissed, and maybe Daniel will finally see her for what she really is. A money grubbing, dick sucking, friend fucking twat.”

  “Hey, she hasn’t fucked me yet so please don’t group me into her nastiness.”

  “Yeah, not yet, but she would if she could.”

  I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. He’s right and this could be a way to make Daniel finally see her for what she really is.

  “Okay, fine, I just hope this Debbie girl isn’t as crazy as her twin.”

  ~~~***~~~

  On the way to Connor’s, all I can think about is the night we met Vanessa. If I would have just spoken up then and told Daniel what I thought of her we wouldn’t be in this mess. Instead, I waited until the next day. After our absolutely exhausting and unforgettable night with Aimee and Julie, we passed out. When the girls and I woke up, Daniel was long gone. I found out after checking my texts that he was so excited and felt such a connection with Vanessa, he woke up in the morning and took her out for breakfast. I didn’t see him again unt
il late that night. Unfortunately, by then he was really crushing on her and as he told me about their day I just didn’t have the heart to tell him my suspicions or what she did. I’ve regretted that choice every single day since.

  Vanessa treats Daniel like shit. I’m pretty sure she’s only with him because he’s rich. She’s always getting him to buy her expensive shoes. I know he’s got the money but that isn’t the point. Vanessa is demanding and condescending to everyone, even him at times. Yet every once in a while, when she thinks she’s alone with him, you can almost believe she’s human and really cares for him. If she wasn’t constantly hitting on me and trying to get in my pants I would almost believe she loves him. Almost.

  Vanessa has put a damper on everything. No one likes her. Even sweet April can’t stand her. If April can’t find something to like about you, there is definitely something wrong with you. I’ve got a bad feeling about tonight. I wish I had never agreed to come. There was traffic, so now I’m late and Connor called already to tell me Debbie is there and waiting. I was hoping I would get there in time to have a few drinks, loosen up, and relax before meeting her. Now I’m stuck having to go in with my game face on. I just hope we know what we’re doing. Thankfully, Daniel and Vanessa left after I did. Vanessa needed new shoes; she couldn’t possibly wear the same pair she had on at the last party. I really wish Daniel would put her in check. I know he’s getting fed up. I saw the look on his face when he paid off his last credit card bill; he wasn’t happy. Even so, he’s a class act. He’s never said a bad thing about her. I guess that’s what happens when you’re head over heels in love. It’s just sad it had to be Vanessa to take his heart. He deserves a girl like April or Katherine.

  I’ve been thinking more about her lately, and about Jessica. I miss them. I think they would fall into my new life seamlessly and easily make friends with mine. I know I’m getting closer to trying to make amends. I’m just not there yet. I’m not ready to explain what I’ve done and I’d have to explain. I’m sure they’re happier without me in their lives anyway.