Free Throb (Club Grit) by Brooke Jaxsen

so, he was cute as usual, but we didn’t really click. He talked more about himself than I expected and I guess that away from work, bouncers are just normal guys and I want something...more,” said Emma, but I could tell it was a lie. Something had probably gone wrong. “We took a pic.”
    The pic confirmed my suspicions. It was too posed, too artificial, not awkward enough. “You guys make such a cute couple...but if you’re not feeling it, I guess you’re just not feeling it,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
    “You invited DeAndre tonight, right?” asked Samantha.
    “Wait. Wait. Wait...Kim let her invite DeAndre?” I was shocked. Sam knew as well as I did what DeAndre had done just a few weeks before.
    “Uh, yeah, why?” said Emma.
    “Well, you know DeAndre gets...handsy, right?” I didn’t want to put him on blast but Emma had a right to know what DeAndre was capable of.
    “Yeah, I know, I kinda got handsy back with him on Thursday, at Pub Night.” Emma had no idea how handsy he could get, though.
    “Oh, well, as long as you know,” said Samantha.
    I shot Sam a glare. “I’ve got to go,” I said, pulling out my phone. It was true. I did have something to deal with.
    I texted back Keanne.

Chapter Six:
    I N THE LIMO, I didn’t want to sit near Emma. She was all over DeAndre and I had my own problem to deal with that night, texting Keanne. He’d been texting me back within minutes but I was still playing it cool, only answering a few hours after I received his texts, so he didn’t think I was as desperate for attention from him as I was. I’d missed him so much over the past school year that I didn’t want him to think that I was needy or clingy or any other word that a guy like him would attach to someone who showed emotion and affection.
    However, it was Keanne that had suggested we meet up sooner rather than later, that I accompany him on a trip to New York City. He said it’d be like old times and that he had something he wanted to discuss with me. Although my heart was pounding at the thought of Keanne asking me to get serious, to be his girlfriend, I didn’t tell anyone at the sorority about it, not even Kim or Sam, because I wanted to see how things in New York went first.
    As usual, we headed straight to the VIP, but as soon as the pledges were down on the dance floor and I’d had three shots of tequila, no salt, no lime, I took Kim aside with Sam. “I don’t know what the two of you are thinking, but you have to keep DeAndre away from the girls,” I said seriously.
    “What are you talking about?” said Sam, coyly.
    “You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I said. “There have been complaints from people about him getting too physical, pressuring girls into doing things they don’t want to do, and a few weeks ago, there was the attempted rape.”
    “Rape? That’s a strong word,” warned Kim.
    “Well, it’s the right word. What would you call it? He took a drunk pledge into the coat room, tried to undress her and have his way with her, and got caught. That’s somehow not rape now?” I asked rhetorically. “I thought the club president was going to talk to the pledge about pressing charges.”
    Of course, Sam had to try and weasel DeAndre out of it. “I’m sure he had a lot to drink too, and people do stupid things as freshman. Is it really worth ruining someone’s life over it? He’s just a freshman, and freshman make mistakes. It’s not a big deal.”
    “Well, unlike the pledges, DeAndre is seven foot two, weighs over two hundred and fifty pounds, and is mostly muscle. The damage he can cause them is more than what they can cause him, so try telling it to our pledge that it’s not a big deal, Sam,” I said sarcastically.
    “That pledge is no longer a member of Omega Mu Gamma,” said Kim, pointing to a black line on her clipboard that rendered a name unreadable.
    “So it’s come to this, Kim? You’re willing to protect a practical stranger over