bug
bites.” Todd laughed.
“It’s the newest in less invasive surgery.” I informed
him grandly.
“Those three small incisions have put you out of action?”
Hicks scoffed with a smirk.
I considered Hicks a friend of a friend, Derek’s friend
actually; I never hung with him personally. He was tolerable, but there just
wasn’t a connection for us to be anything more.
I gave him a ‘what the hell do you know about it’ look.
“Think of them as three small bullet holes in my gut. Does that give you more
perspective?” I mean, shit! It still hurt to stand up and sit down.
Todd laughed. “Nothing like making a mountain out of
three mole hills.”
“Where’s the sympathy?” I mumbled, going back to the
game.
“If you wanted some of that you should have told us to
bring some girls over. They would have been all over you, simpering and cooing. Oh Landon, you poor baby. Let me take care of you. Should I rub your feet
for you? ” Derek mocked in a high voice.
“He’d probably want something besides his feet rubbed.”
Todd snorted.
An image of Maya instantly popped into my head. She
could rub anything she wanted on me.
I scowled at having my distraction of all thoughts Maya
interrupted, and at the added thought of females invading my home. “The last
thing I want is a gaggle of females surrounding me when I can’t move that
speedily. It’s too close to one of my nightmares.”
Todd burst out laughing. “Some people would call that a
wet dream.”
“Yeah, boo-fucking-hoo for you Landon.” Hicks looked,
and sounded like he was holding back a sneer. I ignored him. Hicks had always
shown a slight case of resentfulness around me. It just went to show that even
those who had money envied those who had more.
Maya didn’t seem to envy me.
And there I went again.
“I’m looking for a couple hours of guy time. When you three
get sick of me you can go find those girls and make your own wet dreams come
true.” I grumbled, thumbing the buttons on my controller. “You asshats hungry?”
For the next hour the four of us played Call of Duty on a ninety inch television screen. It was like a small television set for
each of us. Rita rolled us in some food on a pushcart, and I was unaccountably
pleased in this instant that she was hiding Maya away. I didn’t want the other
guys drooling over her.
“I need a piss break.” Hick suddenly announced.
“Down the hall, on the right.” I directed since he’d
never been to the house before.
We continued to play while he was gone, and after about
ten minutes I noted that he was taking a long-ass time. It wouldn’t have
bothered me any other time; I would have just assumed he was checking out the
house or having a hard time shitting. But Maya was somewhere in the house, and I
didn’t like the idea of Hicks running into her.
“I’m taking my own piss break.” I declared.
Moving as quickly as I could I headed toward the
lavatory I’d directed Hick’s to. He wasn’t there so I widened my search, hastening
from room to room, until I finally heard low voices coming from my closed
bedroom door. Twisting the knob I stepped into the room. The scene that met my
eyes had my muscles instantly tensing and my blood boiling. Hicks was holding
Maya’s wrist, a leering grin on his face, while she was attempting to jerk away
from his hold, her expression was both angry and anxious.
“Come on, sugar, I’m packing way more than Landon,
and…”
“Let her go.” I commanded in a hard tone, striding
forward.
Both their necks swiveled in my direction. Maya looked
relieved and gave one last jerk of her wrist, freeing herself from Hicks hold. Hicks’s
eyes narrowed and I could see him trying to think up an excuse.
“Hey, Landon, if