Pushing His Luck

I scramble backward, putting the coffee table between us. "Look, Eric, let’s be reasonable here. You didn’t have to ask her. I literally told you not to."

"You shouldn’t have made that disgusting bet in the first place," he says, his voice a low, vibrating rumble. He advances on me, shoulders rolled back, his broad chest puffed out. "I can't believe you'd actually pull a stunt like this. Maybe my mom was right about you all along."

"Yeah? Well, why did you accept it? And why the hell did you actually go through with it?" The sheer absurdity of the situation spikes my adrenaline, giving me a sudden burst of nerve. "I’m not the only one to blame here! I mean, if I made a bet for Jenny’s nudes right now, would you accept that too? Would you make her send them to me?"

I don’t actually think pointing out his own twisted compliance is going to help, but it's all I have. To my shock, it works. Eric stops dead in his tracks. The murderous glare doesn't leave his face, but his jaw locks so tight I can hear his teeth grind. He looks like a man wrestling with an invisible straitjacket.

"What's the bet?" he growls.

My brain completely stalls. The entire defense speech I’d been preparing evaporates. "I'm sorry... what?"

"If you win, I'll get Jenny to send you nudes." Eric forces the words out, his voice dropping into a harsh, strained whisper on the last syllable. "What are we competing for? And what do I get if I win?"

I stare at him, completely dumbfounded. "Are you serious right now?"

"Depends on what I get."

The only reason I believe him is because Jenny's panties are still clutched in my left hand. I have absolutely no idea why he’s engaging with this, why he’d follow through if he lost, or why Jenny—who isn't even in the room—would ever agree to pay the price for her bother's loss. But the prospect of seeing Jenny's perfect, unclad body flashes through my mind. Not years from now on some high-end modeling site, but right here, tonight. It overrides every ounce of common sense I have.

I lift the baby-blue silk, dangling them by the lace trim. "It sounds like you’re going to have to do a hell of a lot of groveling now that you’ve cost her these. If you win them back, maybe she’ll forgive you faster. Let’s do another round of Black Ops. We each lead a team of nine bots, split-screen. First team to completely wipe the other wins."

Eric doesn't say another word. He lumbers over to the couch, sinking into the cushions with a heavy, fuming thud. "Fine."

I slide into the armchair off to the side, keeping as much distance between us as the basement allows. I watch warily as his thumbs fly over the D-pad, setting up the match with a violent, jerky intensity.

The countdown hits zero, and the moment the match begins, the world feels... tilted.

It isn't that my aim suddenly improves. It’s more like the universe itself has decided to actively sabotage him. My AI teammates move with the terrifying synchronization of an elite **** squad, cutting down anything that breathes. Eric’s bots, on the other hand, spend the match staring blankly at walls or tossing frag grenades directly into their own feet. Eric himself is a disaster. He fumbles the buttons, accidentally swaps his primary rifle for a sluggish pistol, and repeatedly walks straight into my crosshairs like a lamb to the slaughter.

When the bright green VICTORY screen flashes across my half of the monitor, I don't cheer. A cold, unsettled feeling pools in my stomach. Something is very, very wrong, but getting my prize takes priority over pinpointing what.

"So..." I clear my throat, when Eric doesn't move. He's just staring blankly at the TV. "Are you going to get me her nudes?"

"God, you're such a fucking pervert. I can't believe I didn't see it before." Eric climbs to his feet, his movements stiff and mechanical. He looks down at me, his eyes dead and hollow. "I hope ruining your oldest friendship over a pair of titties—something you can look up anytime on the internet, Jake—is worth it."

If I actually get the pictures? It absolutely is.

My heart hammers against my ribs as Eric trudges toward Jenny’s bedroom door. He hesitates at the threshold, stalling for three long seconds, before he gathers his courage and knocks. Softly at first. When there's no response, he knocks again, much harder.

The door yanks open. Jenny stands there, her eyes narrowed into sharp slits. "What is it this time?"

Eric leans in, whispering something too low for me to catch. Jenny’s eyes instantly widen in sheer shock, rapidly morphing into a wave of visible horror. She fires back a furious, breathless whisper, her jaw rigid. Eric quickly raises his hands—halfway between a surrender and a silent plea for mercy—and whispers something else.

Whatever he says, the resistance completely drains out of her. Jenny shoots a glance over his shoulder, locking her eyes onto mine with a look of unadulterated, venomous loathing. But she doesn't argue. She turns on her heel and storms back into her bedroom, leaving the door open just enough for Eric to slip in behind her.

The heavy click of the lock snapping into place echoes through the basement.

The next few minutes are the longest of my life. I sit frozen in the armchair, cycling frantically between Snapchat, Instagram, and text messages, waiting for the screen to light up.

Finally, the phone vibrates violently against my palm.

Unknown Number: This is Jenny. Don't save my number. Download the pics if you have to and then delete this thread.

Unknown Number: And don't share these anywhere. If you do, I'm telling my dad.

A cold weight drops straight into my gut, instantly pulling me out of the fantasy.

Peter, Jenny and Eric's dad, is a literal mountain of a man. He’s exactly what you’d expect the guy who married Samantha and sired a supermodel to look like—massive, with broad shoulders that perpetually threaten to rip the seams of his polo shirts, a jawline carved from granite, and a thick mane of salt-and-pepper hair. He looks like the kind of guy who spends his weekends wrestling bears for fun. If crossing Eric meant a trip to the hospital, crossing Peter meant a trip to the morgue. The man could turn my skull to pulp with one hand.

The threat keeps me frozen for three long seconds. Then, the actual pictures load. Any thought of my imminent demise completely evaporates.

In the first image, Jenny is sprawled across her silk duvet, one arm draped over her forehead in a pose of practiced boredom. Her legs are spread just wide enough to reveal what the baby-blue panties in my pocket had been hiding. She’s pink, smooth, and glistening in the soft lighting of her bedroom.

My thumb swipes the screen.

The second photo catches her completely naked, balanced on all fours in the center of the mattress. The shot is taken from behind, obscuring her chest but highlighting the smooth, lethal curve of her hips. She’s looking back over her shoulder, her lips parted into a teasing, sultry smile. The vixen knows exactly what she’s doing, playing to the camera like she’s on a professional shoot.

I swipe one last time.

It’s the exact payoff I was hoping for. Jenny is sitting on her knees, her heavy, bare breasts swaying slightly over a tight, completely flat stomach. She’s biting the tip of her manicured index finger and throwing a playful wink at the lens.

The image of her, naked on her knees, triggers a familiar fantasy: Jenny kneeling on a cold stone floor with her hands bound tightly behind her back. My fingers are knotted into her silky blonde hair as I violently face-fuck her. Tears stream down her perfect face as she looks up at me, despair etched on to her face.

My mouth is completely dry as I lick my lips. Ignoring her instructions, I immediately save the number to a new contact. My thumbs tremble slightly against the glass as I type out my reply: Hi, this is Jake. I'll do you one better. If you’re up for a bet, I'm willing to delete the pics if you win.

I hit send. While waiting for the text to clear, I quickly open my browser and upload all three photos to my secure ProtonDrive cloud backup. Just in case I lose.

The three typing dots appear almost instantly.

Jenny: What’s the bet?

Me: I’m going to flip a coin. Heads, I delete the photos and the thread right now. I’ll even let you watch me do it so you know they’re gone for good. Total peace of mind.

Jenny: And if it’s tails?

Me: I'm supposed to sleep on the basement floor tonight. If it’s tails, I sleep in your bed with you instead.

I stare at the screen, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. It’s a step below what I ultimately want from her, but it still feels like I’m pushing my luck to the absolute breaking point. I track the blank space beneath my message, waiting for the typing bubbles to return.

I’m so hyper-focused on the glowing display that the sharp click of the bedroom door catching against the frame catches me completely off guard.

The door swings open.

Jenny walks out into the basement first. She’s wearing the oversized Taylor Swift shirt again, but after what I just saw on my screen, the fabric might as well be completely transparent. Right behind her, Eric steps into the dim light of the hallway, his shadow looming massive over her shoulder.

"Fuck you, man," Eric spits, his voice shaking with a raw, vibrating hatred. "Fuck you."

"Hey, I’m being fair," I say, holding my hands up and leaning back. "A coin toss is fifty-fifty. We have the exact same odds."

My confidence is completely armored by the fact that those files are already locked away in my secure ProtonDrive. Even if she wins, I’m not actually losing anything.

Before Eric can lunge across the coffee table to kill me, Jenny steps directly into his path.

"Fine," she snaps, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "I want those photos gone, and if a coin toss is what it takes to make this freak delete them, let’s just get it over with."

"But Jenny—" Eric starts, reaching a heavy hand out toward her shoulder.

"Shut up, Eric. You don't get to speak," she says, whipping her head around to burn him with a freezing glare. "Not after your total incompetence got me into this mess in the first place."

A smug, ugly grin spreads across my face. "Yeah, Eric. Listen to your sister. Keep quiet while the grown-ups are talking, okay?"

A choked, animalistic sound cuts out of Eric’s throat. His knuckles turn white, his veins bulging against his neck. If looks could kill, I’d be buried under the foundation of this house. I ignore him entirely, focusing all my attention on the scowl marring Jenny's perfect face.

"Do you want heads or tails, princess?"

"Heads," she demands, her chin tilted high.

I reach into my pocket, pull out a shiny quarter, and toss it across the short gap between us. "Here. I'll let you do the honors so you know everything is legit."

Jenny catches the coin out of the air with a fluid, effortless grace. Without a second thought, she flicks her thumb, sending the silver spinning under the dim basement bulb before slapping it firmly down onto the back of her left hand. She pauses for a fraction of a second, biting her lower lip, and then slowly peels her palm back.

I lean forward, the air completely leaving my lungs.

The eagle stares back at us.

"Tails," I croak.

"Ugh, of course!" Jenny groans, tossing her head back in pure irritation and brushing a stray lock of blonde hair out of her face. "I swear, this entire night is a literal disaster."

She turns on her heel toward her bedroom, gesturing for me to follow with a limp, deeply annoyed wave of her manicured hand. "Fine. You can sleep in my bed. But if you even think about touching me, I’m calling the cops. I’ll tell them you broke into the house, and Eric will back me up. Right, Eric?"

"I'm willing to do that even if he stays on his side of the mattress," Eric growls, tracking my every move like a predator.

"Good boy." Jenny starts to walk away, her long, bare legs flashing beneath the hem of her oversized shirt.

I know I should just shut up and follow her. This is already lightyears beyond anything I’d ever imagined when I walked down here tonight. But watching her retreat, a heavy, insatiable urge takes over. Just sleeping next to her—lying fully clothed under the same blanket after holding her warm panties and looking at those raw photos—isn't going to cut it. It feels like winning a multi-million dollar lottery and only being allowed to hold the giant novelty check without ever being able to cash it.

"Wait," I call out.

Jenny freezes at her doorway and looks back over her shoulder, her face twisted in absolute loathing. "What now? I’m exhausted, Jake."

"Double or nothing. Best two out of three." My heart is thumping so hard I can feel the vibration in my teeth. "You really don’t want me sleeping in your bed tonight, right? So let's raise the stakes. If you win the next two flips, I’ll sleep on the basement floor, delete the photos right in front of your face, and even give you back your panties."

Jenny tilts her head, her interest piqued. The prospect of getting her way—and getting rid of me—is clearly tempting. "And if you win?"

"And if you win?" she asks.

I take a deep breath, throwing caution entirely to the wind and going for broke.

"If I win... I get to fuck you until the sun comes up. I get to touch you however I want, as much as I want, for the rest of the night. And neither of you are allowed to tell a single soul about what happens down here, or try to hurt me over it. If you accept this and lose, you take full responsibility. No running to mommy or daddy when things don't go your way, and no hitting me over a bet you accepted knowing the consequences."

Eric’s face drains completely, shifting from deep purple to a sickly, ash-grey. "This really doesn't seem like a good idea, Jen," he mutters, his voice cracking as he physically steps between us, his massive frame literally trembling. "Don't do this."

"I want to do it," she says, her sharp tone instantly shutting him down. She shifts her weight to one hip, her eyes locking onto mine with supreme, arrogant confidence.

Eric turns to her, his posture ****. "You're willing to risk... having to sleep with him?"

"I don't want to spend all night awake making sure his gross hands haven't slipped across the mattress," she says, her lip curling in disgust as she gestures vaguely toward me. "Or worrying that he'll leak my photos online the second he gets to California and we can't reach him. Or thinking about the fact he's going to jerk off into my panties." She steps right around her brother, completely dismissing his panic. "I'll take your bet. Best of three it is. Since you already 'won' the first, this flip is for the tie."

She doesn't even give me a chance to prepare. With a sharp, aggressive snap of her thumb, she sends the quarter soaring. It hits the low basement ceiling with a loud, metallic clink before tumbling through the air and slapping hard against the dusty carpet.

We all drop our eyes.

Tails. Again.

The silence that follows is so heavy it feels physical. My ears are ringing, the blood roaring in my veins. I won. I just won the right to have my way with the girl I’ve been obsessing over for years.

"Two out of three," I say, my voice dropping an octave, losing its nervous edge entirely. "I won the bet, Jenny. Are you going to hold up your end?"

Jenny stares down at the eagle on the carpet, her jaw dropping in pure, offended disbelief. "This is so unfair." She kicks the quarter across the floor with the toe of her bare foot. Tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder, she looks at me, her lip curling into a massive, entitled pout. "Whatever. I'm not a liar, so don't look at me like that." She turns on her heel, marching toward her room like a queen **** to deal with an annoying peasant. "Come on then, pervert. Let's just get this over with so I can sleep."

I glance back at Eric one last time. He is standing completely still, vibrating with a terrifying mixture of helpless fury and profound grief. His eyes are hollow, staring at the floor like a man watching his entire world burn down in front of him. Our friendship is dead, but I can't bring myself to care.

Without a word to him, I turn and walk after his supermodel sister, stepping into the soft lighting of her bedroom. I reach back, grab the doorknob, and click the heavy lock into place behind me.