The Big Play

They navigated the crowded room, Philip moving with a newfound purpose. He didn’t weave through the crowd, he parted it. When they reached the corner, Ryan looked up. His gaze landed on Jack first, appreciating Katy’s athletic frame, before sliding to Philip.

His eyebrows went up. “Vanessa. Katy. I was wondering whether you two would make your way over here.”

Ryan’s voice was deep, smooth, and dripped with the kind of confidence that usually made Philip roll his eyes. Tonight, it made his knees weak.

“We heard you were holding out on the goods,” Philip said. He was surprised by his own boldness. He stepped into Ryan’s personal space, resting a hand on the back of the leather sofa. He felt the heat radiating off Ryan’s arm.

Ryan smirked, swirling the ice in his glass. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The gold tokens,” Jack said, leaning against the armrest, projecting Katy’s cool, slightly aloof vibe. “We need them. You have them. Let’s make a deal.”

Ryan laughed softly. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a single gold token. He flipped it over his knuckles like a magician. “These aren’t for charity,” Ryan said, his eyes locking onto Philip’s. “These are for exceptional performance.”

“We’re exceptional,” Philip said, his voice trembling slightly. He leaned closer, letting his hair fall forward, exposing the curve of his neck. He knew, instinctively, that it was a sensitive spot for Vanessa, and likely a visual trigger for Ryan. “What do you want, Ryan?”

Ryan’s gaze dropped to Philip’s lips, then lower, to the swell of his breasts in the tight black top. The hunger in his expression was raw.

“It’s too loud in here,” Ryan said, standing up. He towered over Philip, his height intimidating and thrilling in equal measure. “If you want the gold, you have to earn it. Upstairs. In private.”

Philip felt a cold splash of reality. Upstairs. Private. That meant sex. Or something close to it.

Jack looked at Philip, a silent question in his eyes. Are we really doing this?

Philip looked at the gold token in Ryan’s hand. Then he looked at Ryan’s mouth, feeling Vanessa’s nipples tightening at the thought of having them on her body.

“Lead the way,” Philip said.

The second floor hallway was dimmer, quieter. The air was cooler here, but Philip felt feverishly hot. With every step, the ****-induced fog cleared just enough for the magnitude of what was happening to hit him. He was about to go into a room with a man. He was about to do… things. Sexual things. To get a piece of plastic.

Philip stopped at the threshold of the bedroom, gesturing for Ryan to go inside. His feet felt like they were nailed to the floor.

Suddenly, the Vanessa filter flickered. He was Philip again. Philip, who liked girls. Philip, who was Jack’s best friend. Philip, who was currently wearing a skirt the size of a belt and contemplating a threesome with his teaching assistant.

Panic clawed at his throat. What am I doing? This is insane.

“Hey.”

Jack’s hand was on his shoulder. Philip jumped. Jack had stopped beside him, keeping his voice low so Ryan wouldn’t hear from inside the room.

“You okay?” Jack asked. The playfulness was gone from his face, replaced by genuine concern. He searched Philip’s eyes. “We can bail. Seriously. We have twenty-four points. That should be enough to scrape by. We don’t have to do this.”

Philip looked at Jack. He looked at Katy’s face. The soft features, the concern, the way her hair fell over her shoulder. Then he looked down at himself. He saw the curve of Vanessa’s breasts. He felt the phantom ache between his legs, the emptiness that felt like it was begging to be filled.

He realized he wasn’t scared of the sex. He was scared of how much he wanted it.

He’d spent the last few hours experiencing the world as Vanessa. The touches, the glances, the sensitivity of his skin, the way his body responded to stimuli he’d never understood before. He was curious. Morbidly, intensely curious.

He wanted to know what it felt like. Not just the teasing, not just the grinding on the dance floor. He wanted to know the rest. He wanted to feel what Vanessa felt when she looked at Ryan. He wanted to surrender to the sensation that had been building in his gut all night.

“I’m not bailing,” Philip whispered.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. The fear transmuted into something sharper. Excitement.

“Okay. If you’re sure. Just follow my lead, I’ll take care of you,” Jack said.

Philip paused, looking at the open door. “I don’t want to just go along with it. I feel like I’ve been fighting her body all night. Trying to steer it. But maybe I should just drive it.”

Jack tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Philip said, a sudden surge of confidence straightening his spine. “I want to be in charge. If we’re doing this, I’m leading.”

Jack’s eyebrows shot up. A slow grin spread across his face, one of pure delight and a hint of pride.

“Damn, Phil,” Jack whispered. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Neither did I,” Philip admitted.

He adjusted the strap of his top, smoothed his skirt, and stepped through the doorway.

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