She also met Trevor and Dean. Seeing Trevor and Mandy together, Jasmin could easily understand how Mandy had been blind-sided by the faux illusion ofThe One. They were perfect together. Dean, as Sandy described, was very yummy. Thick black hair and smoldering brown eyes, he was an incredibly sexy hunk of a man.
They chose to do the bus tour, hopping on and off at different stops to explore. They went to the Hard Rock Hotel, Treasure Island, the Hawaiian Marketplace and stopped for lunch at the Fatburger Bar. It was non-stop action. Her feet were still aching from the night before, but she didn’t let that dull her enthusiasm. And after she and Sandy got a tattoo together, she was even more hyped, not at all deterred by the pain. The rest of them were a very close-knit group of friends, however, she still felt like she’d bonded with them (tattoos were always a great way to bond). She didn’t feel out of place once.
Maybe that was also because Dean decided to take it upon himself to be her personal tour guide. He was a great guy, sweet and very funny. Quite refreshing after all the grumpiness she’d been exposed to in the last few days. He was so laid back about life, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He was respectfuland charming, constantly making her laugh, the type of person that others were automatically drawn to. But despite all of the qualities that made him undeniably attractive, he seemed to lack that…tingle factor.
Being with him was sort of mellow. He didn’t make her heart race with anticipation. He didn’t needle her with rude, sarcastic comments. He didn’t make her tingle every time he touched her. And he touched her a lot. His hand was on her back as they walked through the stores, his fingers caressed her shoulder as they sat on the bus. He was a very touchy guy. It didn’t make her feel uncomfortable, but that was the problem. It didn’t make her feel anything. She realized that it wasn’t inexperience that made her body react like that to a guy. It was Kevin.
She spent the entire day with them and they went to another wild party that night. Still hesitant to wear the black dress, she settled on a pair of jeans and a baby doll top that flared down to mid-thigh. As the night went on, Dean’s advances became more than just light touching. He tried to kiss her a few times. After his third attempt, she decided that if she felt even the slightest tingle, she would let him be her firstrealkiss.
It never happened.
November, 13
Las Vegas, Nevada
Kevin stared at the whirling drum in front of him, watching his clothes tumble behind the glass with every turn. They’d decided to do laundry today, a slow-paced close to a very busy day. Yesterday he’d been all by himself. He didn’t want to socialize with people he didn’t know and chose to stay at the hotel the whole day. However, there was only so much solitude he could bear. It gave him too much time to think and his thoughts always went back to one night.
Eventually, he’d put an end to his self-inflicted suffering and gone down to the hotel pool. Swimming had always been a calming escape for him. Genetically, he wasn’t built for football or basketball. Team sports in general were not for him. The solitude of swimming was what held appeal. He’d been on the swim team in high school, even won a few medals. There had been some inclination to pursue it further in college, but when his study schedule became too demanding, it tapered down to a mere hobby.
Now it was just a way to clear his head, and yesterday he’d done laps for three hours, allowing the water to soothe him. It worked…but only for those three hours.
Today was a lot better, because Jasmin never really gave him any time to think. He sort of missed her over the last two days (sort of). They went to the amusement park and despite his constant protests, she made him go on every ride with her. Entertainment for kids rather than young adults and, just like the Leonardo museum, it seemed to appeal to her more than drinking and partying.
She’d gone out for an early dinner with theAndysto say goodbye and that was her last bit of Vegas madness. Now they were sitting all alone at the laundromat, watching their clothes swirl and tumble.
Well, at least he was. She couldn’t shut up about the party she went to last night.
“And the dancefloor was massive. There was this black marble across the whole thing. Sleek and beautiful, just not great if you’re wearing heels and you’re a little drunk. They were playing all this feel-good music. Black-eyed Peas and Bruno Mars. And the DJ did a whole set from the eighties. He played thatGreasemedley and—”
He turned to his right to look at her. “If I wanted to know, I would have come.”
She ignored him, as usual, and carried on. “And I know all the moves forGrease Lightning. I watched that movie a thousand times. I know I’ve only been to one party, so maybe I shouldn’t compare, but Rachel’s party was nothing compared to that. That’s a bit unfair to say, ’cause Rachel obviously didn’t have the awesomeness of Vegas, but even the music wasn’t that great. And I’m not dissing her party, it’s just…I didn’t know parties could be like that. I’m sure it wasn’t because of the alcohol…though that did make it more fun.”
“Wait. Just hang on,” he said, lifting a finger to silence her. “I have something for you.” Shifting his hips forward a bit, he reached into the pocket of his jeans. He took out what he needed, then grabbed her hand and placed the contents of his pocket into her small palm. “There.”
She looked confused, glancing between him and her empty hand. “Uh…what’s this?”
“It’s all the fucks I give.”
“Ewww!” She immediately flung her hand, tossing his fucks over her shoulder. “That’s gross!” She rubbed her hand downhis arm, smearing the remaining residue over his sweater. “You can’t go around putting shit like that in peoples’ hands, Kevin. It’s unsanitary.”
He tried, he really tried to keep a straight face, but a laugh bubbled out of him before he could stop it. She was so odd and the aftermath of their fallout a few days ago told him that there was a sensitive soul beneath her exterior of indifference, yet she didn’t really take anything he said seriously. He had an abrupt way of speaking; it was the way he was, but she got him.
When Perry first introduced him to Shandré, she’d hated him because she couldn’t understand his abrasive sarcasm. It took almost six months before she warmed up to him. His ex-girlfriends had been the same, though it never lasted six months for them to get to that point of understanding. But Jasmin just got him. He wasn’t sure if he liked that or not, but it made their relationship less volatile.
And now that harsh words were no longer an option, he mentally made peace with the fact that they’d reached a point where there was nothing he could do to shut her up.
Except…
Except maybe kissing her. That worked well for a few hours. That, however, was a dumb idea and he wasn’t going to try using that tactic again. Kissing her was supposed to be a joke, a joke mixed with a healthy dose of curiosity. If he had to be honest with himself, it was more curiosity. Her lips begged to be tasted and he’d wanted to know what it was like. It was just supposed to shock her a little, but the joke was on him. As soon as his mouth touched hers, it stopped being funny. Now every time he was around her, it was all he could think about. Those full, thick lips between his teeth, against his tongue. They were made to be sucked on. Soft enough to be kissed all day and fleshy enough to withstand any type of abuse inflicted by a ravenous mouth…his mouth. And every now and then he had visions about them wrapped around his…
He stopped that thought right there. The last thing he wanted was a hard-on in the middle of an empty laundromat. He needed to get that shit out of his head. His life was already complicated and he could do without having more complications. He didn’t want anything, fling or otherwise, with anyone. Especially not Jasmin. She was all issues, and he didn’t want to be one of them. He’d gotten a taste of those plump lips and that would just have to do.
“You’re cute when you laugh,” she said offhandedly, “but getting back to my original point, I can now tick off number one from my list. I have tried a mind-altering substance.”
He would probably regret asking, but he was intrigued to know. “What list?”
“I made a list of objectives for this trip and so far I’ve ticked off three.”
