Awkward after-afterparty breakfast

Nicole showered quickly this time, with no sexy distraction behind her she was much more utilitarian in her actions, she cleaned Tom’s latest load out of her hair and gave her body a quick once over before hopping out again. Throwing her clothes on once more (still going commando) she then headed downstairs alone, Tom thankfully having already gone on ahead. When she arrived on the ground floor she could hear faint sounds of chatter and laughter on the other side of the kitchen door. Taking a deep breath to steel herself for a certainly strange morning she opened the door and stepped inside.

“Heyyy sleepy head!” Sarah greeted her warmly, triggering a chorus of heys and hellos as the others noticed her too. “Good morning.” She returned the greeting as she made her way to the empty seat at the table, opposite Tom. Surveying the room as she sat she saw the others were not so subtly paired up, John and Miranda’s hands were brushing against each other on the table, toying with the idea of holding each other. Meanwhile Sarah and Matt were practically sharing a seat, her body pushed against his and her legs undoubtedly climbing his under the table. Nicole was very glad that Tom didn’t try anything like that with her, her knee apparently having taught him a valuable lesson about discretion.

Sarah, ever the gracious host, had prepared a small pile of toast, plates, a jug of orange juice and some glasses, things Nicole quietly partook in while the others talked. Nibbling on her meagre breakfast she listened to the others discuss the nights events, how crazy it had been, how they couldn’t believe who had done what. She just quietly nodded and laughed along, more than happy to be a passive participant since she was still tired from last nights activities.

At some point Tom made some stupid, sexist remark, one almost designed to rankle her and she couldn't resist taking the bait. She laid into him just like she always did, slipping back into their bickering groove like it was a comfy pair of slippers. Even though she thought Tom was as sharp as a box of hammers she did enjoy arguing with him, perhaps he was good for two things after all. As Nicole closed off the debate with what she felt was a particularly witty remark she noticed that she was even more exhilarated than usual, and that there was a growing warmth between her legs. Now there were definitely two things she enjoyed besting Tom at. With their arguing settled, at least for the moment, the others continued talking about the game.

When the conversation inevitably got to the nights conclusion she tensed a little and felt both Sarah’s and Miranda’s eyes on her. Fortunately Matt and John didn’t notice, both of them still too happy from their own personal conquests to notice a quiet look between girls. Glancing up from her plate she saw Tom looking at her too, he shot her a quick wink before looking away again. Looking back down herself she kicked him beneath the table, not hard enough to hurt him but just enough to remind him to stay quiet. With that wordless exchange unnoticed the conversation carried on, everyone laughed when Matt describing coming back to find everyone gone only to be ambushed by Sarah, and John and Miranda took another moment to quietly thank Nicole for that last dare.

"Sorry you missed out mate." John taunts Tom smugly, wrapping his arm around Mirandas shoulders as he does. “Haha, yeah. I guess you can’t win every time huh?” Matt adds, laying a hand on Sarahs thigh. “Hey, I got something neither of you two dorks got.” Tom states, making Nicoles blood freeze in her veins as he sits back confidently in his chair. “No way a bit of teasing is going to make him snap already, right?” Nicole thinks, noticing that the other girls have frozen too, clearly thinking the same thing. “I got to see all these hot babes naked.” He brags, triggering a quiet sigh of relief from said babes. John and Matt laugh, understandably unimpressed since, as far as they know, they got to touch what he just looked at. "I stand by what I said last night Nicole, you do have a cute butt." Tom adds, locking eyes with her. "Too bad you're never gonna touch it." John quips, laughing again but Tom mostly ignores him, still looking at Nicole. "You never know." He states simply. "Pfft, in your dreams." She replies, rolling her eyes while she taps her foot on his, to thank him for not spilling the beans, and maybe to tell him he might be right.

With the night thoroughly discussed and breakfast eaten everyone begins making final preparations to leave. Miranda goes first, giving a sweet parting kiss to John in the doorway. Then Matt hops in his car, running late for some extra class he had almost forgot about. Soon it's time for Nicole to leave with John, the pair of them planning to walk home together. When they were just out the doorway Nicole made an excuse to grab something she "forgot". Instead she returned to the kitchen and slipped Tom the scrap of paper from the hat with her name on it, now with her phone number scrawled on the other side. Sarah watched this all with a proud grin, but otherwise said nothing, something Nicole was very grateful for. With that final, slightly shameful, act done Nicole rejoined John for the walk home, part of her nervously wondering even then when Tom would contact her.