“No,” I defensively say, trying to hide the truth.

“Baby, look at me.” She waits until I comply. “I will never ever cheat on you, especially with Kris. She’s my friend; nothing more.”

“I don’t think she knows that,” I grumble.

“Who? Kris?” Ashley starts to laugh. “She broke it off with me.”

“She obviously still has feelings for you. I saw her in there throwing herself all over you.”

“Nah,” she says, leaning in the window, resting on the car.

“And what was that back there when she was laughing at me? I want to know what you told her!”

“Well, I didn’t exactly tell her anything,” she states, dancing around the question.

“What exactly happened?”

“She sat down on the couch and kind of… found your thong.”

“From last week? I’ve been looking for those.” I pause. “But why were they on the couch?”

She blushes furiously and rubs the back of her neck self-consciously. “Uhmm… that doesn’t matter,” she stutters.

Then it hits me.

“Ashley Davies,” I command in a playfully serious tone, “were you getting off on my panties?”

She coughs an almost inaudibly yes. “She wouldn’t give them back until I told her whose they were.”

“You couldn’t have lied or something?”

She opens the car door and straddles me.

“Actually, I think it was hot.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she breathes against my neck, sending chills down my spine.

I capture her lips in mine, initiating a long make out session. We probably would have kept going, too, had it not been for Ashley leaning against the horn and scaring us out of our minds.

“So will you forgive me for being so critical?”

“Only if you forgive me for being insensitive.”

“Let’s go back in. I’m sure Kristal is wondering what we’re doing. Plus, our coffee is getting cold.”

We walk back in, hand in hand, and sit on the loveseat.

“So what brings you here, Kristal?” I ask casually, trying to make conversation.

“Actually, nothing in particular. I had a lot of off time and I figured I’d come enjoy it in the Cali weather and visit Ashley.”

She looks straight at me, challenging me. “You don’t mind, do you?”

I bite my tongue and she gives me a cocky side glance.

“I thought you’d disappeared off the face of the planet once you’d moved. No emails or phone calls to any of your old friends…”

“I wanted a fresh start, so I had to distance myself from them for a little while. I‘ve been working, too, Kris. It’s not just surf and sand like we thought.”

“You work?” she practically yells.

“Sure. Why not? I need to do something to keep me distracted.”

“Where do you work?”

“King High. I’m a gym teacher.”

“And what do you do, Spencer?”

“Actually, I’m a full-time student.”

“Oh, do you go to UCLA? No, no wait. You look like a Trojan.”

“Uh…neither.”

“Neither? Do you go to a small college?”

I look to Ashley for help. Thankfully, she helps me out.

“Kris, before I tell you anything, you have to promise me that what is said here will not be shared with anyone and that no matter what I say, our friendship will not be altered in any way.”

“Whoa, Ash. Calm down. I’m sure it’s not that serious. I promise not to tell and yada yada.”

“Well…Spencer actually attends King High.”

“Oh. Well, that’s all you had to say,” she says apathetically. “So this whole thing is like a teacher-student tryst? That’s kinky.”

Ashley smirks.

“So how old are you anyways, Spencer?”

“Eighteen. I’m legal.”

“Sure thing, kiddo.”

Just when I was starting to not hate her…