The Game Changer The Final Score - By L.M. Trio Page 0,78

such a great time together while we were home for Thanksgiving. There were so many times when I felt so close to him, more so than usual. Well, a different kind of close, I guess. There were times when I really thought something was about to happen between us.

If he really wanted to give JJ and Luke space, he could have flown anywhere for a few days to get away. Hell, he could have flown to Arizona and hung out with me for a while, but he didn’t; he flew back to her.

I tell him about Jeffrey only because I’m jealous that he’s in LA. Yet now, it only leaves me upset at the way he ends the call. He sounds angry with me.

I guess it’s for the best, it’s not like Jeffrey and I are completely over.

***

(Mikey)

As the elevator reaches her floor, I can hear the music from her apartment rattling the walls of the hallway. I knock on the door and some messed up, model lookin’ chick answers it. I’ve seen one too many of these nights at her apartment and it’s getting old. The alcohol and drugs are being passed around the room as if they are giving out candy. Lora Rae spots me from the couch, surrounded by a roomful of people. She jumps up to greet me, wrapping her arms and legs around me and kissing me deeply.

“Finally, you’re back,” she says.

“Yeah, just got it in.” I taste the tequila from her mouth and already regret walking through the door.

She pulls me to the couch and sits down on my lap, pouring a shot of Patron into a glass. I down the shot and she pours me another. The guy to my left passes me a joint that is being passed around the group. I ignore him and knock his hand away from my face.

“Sorry, dude, you don’t have to be rude about it,” he slurs.

I give him an intimidating look, no words are needed. Lora Rae passes it up as well, but I can see that she’s already messed up. She stands up, taking me by the hand and grabs the bottle of tequila from the table and two glasses before leading me to her bedroom.

“If I knew you were coming tonight, I wouldn’t have had a party,” she says.

“Why? It’s fine,” I answer, acting as if it doesn’t bother me.

“I don’t need all of this when you’re around. I like spending time with you alone,” she purrs, pouring me another large glass.

“Me, too,” I lie, downing the drink as I lay back on her bed, propped up on my elbows. The tequila is kicking in.

She begins to strip off her clothes while I watch, enjoying the show. I have to admit, she looks pretty damn hot as she seductively strips down to her sexy lingerie. For not knowing I was flying in tonight, she sure looks a hell of a lot ready to please someone. The hell with that, what do I care? Since I’m the one who’s here, it might as well be me that she’s pleasing and God knows, she does it well. I think as she straddles her body over mine while unbuckling the belt on my jeans.

***

(Deanna)

I squint my eyes, trying to see the time on my alarm clock as I reach for the off button. As my hand hits the top, I realize it’s not my clock that’s ringing, it’s my phone. Who the hell is calling me at two in the morning? I clumsily reach for my phone and hit the talk button without looking at the number first.

“Hello?” I whisper sleepily.

“You asked me what I think. If someone actually has to think about whether or not they want to stay in a relationship with you because you are far away from him… Well, I don’t think he’s worth keepin’ around,” Mikey slurs in a whisper.

I sit up straight in my bed. It’s not like Mikey to do something like this. I can tell he’s been drinking. “Where are you? Are you okay?” I ask with concern.

“Missin’ home, that’s all.”

“Me, too.”

“I gotta go, talk to you later?” he asks quietly.

“Sure, call me tomorrow.”

“I miss you,” I hear him whisper before the phone goes dead.

I can’t fall back asleep after his call. I feel more home sick after hearing his voice. A few more weeks and we’ll all be close to each other again.

***

(Mikey)

I awake a little after noon with a pounding headache from a night of one