I joined a group of friends from Collinsville and made small talk about my car while I waited for race time. As I stood with my buddies, I occasionally looked in the direction of Jessie’s friend and was disappointed to see that she wasn’t checking me out.

“Bets will be closing in three minutes,” I heard my brother, Jake, yell out and I knew that was my cue to start heading to my car.

I had to walk by Doll Face on the way and I couldn’t resist speaking to her so I could look into her honey eyes again. “I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I’m Nick Hawke, but all of my friends call me Hawke.”

She didn’t give me the polite return of telling me her name so I prompted her. “And you are?”

I think she was seriously contemplating how she could withhold that information from me but came up empty handed so she finally answered, “Payton Archer.”

I smiled as I mentally repeated her name in my head. “Well, Payton Archer, it’s almost time for the race. How do ya’ feel about a good luck kiss?”

I saw a gleam enter her eyes. “I think a good luck kiss is an excellent idea."

Wow. That was easy and her receptive response was completely unexpected but then I figured out why. I watched her walk over to my opponent and tap him on the shoulder. When he turned around, she put her arms up over his shoulders and kissed him hard, causing the crowd to erupt into cheers and cat calls.

When she finished, she turned back to me. “I figured it was only fair for Dane to have a good luck kiss since you got a good luck hump on the hood of your car.”

This girl was unbelievable and like nothing I had ever come across. I watched her strut to the roadside in her short skirt and jacked up heels and I knew winning this race had nothing to do with the money anymore; I had to win this race so I could have my night with her.

I got into my car and watched all the spectators take their places at the finish line. Jake stood between our cars with a white flag in his hand and I watched for him to lower it as a signal to take off.

When the white flag dropped, I slammed my foot onto the accelerator a little too suddenly and briefly got sideways, giving the Porsche a jumpstart on me. It was a stupid beginner’s mistake on my part but once I got straightened out I laid the hammer down and we were neck and neck for the next 700 yards until I flipped the nitrous switch. With only 100 yards to spare, I cruised ahead of the Porsche and crossed the finish line as the winner.

When I got out of the car, a congratulatory crowd rushed toward me and I was so bombarded I couldn’t find Payton in the sea of faces. I searched the crowd, but knew she wouldn’t be pushing through to find me, so I shoved my way toward Dane since I suspected that was where she would be and I was right.

She saw me coming toward her and tried to escape by mixing into the crowd, but I was faster. With her back turned to me, I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close until her back was pressed against my chest. In her hellaciously tall heels, her ear was level with my mouth and I leaned forward to whisper, “Not so fast, Doll Face. We had a bet and you owe me.”

God, she smelled great. It was some kind of fruity mix I couldn’t identify so I placed my nose in her hair and breathed in deeply, but then I quickly pulled away because she turned to peer at me over her shoulder. “First of all, it’s Payton, not Doll Face. And second, you misrepresented yourself when you made that bet with me. You did not tell me you were Nick Hawke, therefore you tricked me into making that wager.”

“You're cute when you're mad.”

She tried to pull away. “Then you’re about to see me look downright adorable."

I pulled her closer. “I may not have told you who I was, but there was no trickery involved. I would have given you your two-hundred bucks if I had lost. This was an upstanding bet whether you like it or not, so are you going to give me the night you owe me?

I decided I faired a better chance of her feeling guilty and saying ‘yes’ if she was looking me in my eyes, so I spun her around to face me. “Tonight works for me.”

She dropped her face, but I watched it closely as she thought about her answer. I saw a hint of a smile and then she lifted her eyes to mine. Just as she opened her mouth to give me her verdict, I felt Samantha’s arms slide around my waist again.

“Hey, Hawke. You ready to go so I can give you your grand prize?” Samantha blurted out and then not so innocently added, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Who’s your friend here?”

I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut tightly. I might not know Payton Archer well, but that wasn’t a requirement for me to predict that Samantha had just blown this deal for me.

“Hello, my name is Justa Leavin’ so feel free to put your grand prize up on Poppycock here.” She shook her head in disgust and I watched her back as she walked away.

It was probably useless to attempt any kind of damage control after what Samantha just pulled, but I couldn’t help myself. Payton Archer wouldn’t be swayed easily so I had my work cut out for me, but I was prepared to do it because I was going to have my night with this girl.

3 Long Nights and Long Islands

Payton

Ugh! How humiliating was that? I was about to tell that jerk that I would keep my end of the bargain and go out with him and then that ‘ho’ started haunching on him all up in my face. I adamantly reminded myself that it was a stupid bet he tricked me into, so technically I didn’t owe him anything, right?

Jessie and Claire were busy talking to some of Jessie’s old classmates and I wanted to be alone, so I took the opportunity to hide out in my car and lick my wounds. I sat in my car and looked toward the direction of the finish line but all I could see was a crowd of people looking to collect their earnings and I definitely didn’t fall into that category.

I reached for my iPod and turned on “All The Same To Me” by Anya Marina and then rolled my windows down because it was a little stuffy in my car. I shut my eyes after I leaned my head back against the seat and I tapped my index and middle fingernails against the armrest to the beat of the music as I waited for Jessie and Claire.

I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t manage to stop thinking about the way that girl had her hands all over Nick Hawke. She looked so familiar with his body. It was disgusting how he was so obviously screwing her, yet he pursued me openly for her to see. Jessie was right about him. He was a full on Playah.

I was three songs in when Claire opened the passenger door and startled me. “Finally! I thought you’d never come on. I’m ready to blow this popsicle stand.”

“Anxious to get out of here, are we?” Jessie asked as he slid into my backseat and I heard the amusement in his voice. I bet Nick told him about the whole bet thing and how he tricked me.

I refused to look at either of them and didn’t respond to Jessie because I didn’t want to have that conversation. I pulled out of my parking place onto the road toward the only way out and turned the music up loudly as we fell into the line of traffic leading away from ‘The Strip.’

Tap. Tap. Tap. I was startled and jumped when I heard knuckles knocking on my driver’s side window. I turned to see Nick Hawke motioning for me to let my window down. My brain screamed for me to drive away but my insides pleaded for me to lower the window. I’m positive I chose wrong, but I sided with my guts and pushed the button to lower my window a few inches.

“What?” I rudely asked through the three inch crack in my window.

He motioned with his head toward the back door. “Unlock it. I’m riding with you.”

I did that forehead scrunching thing my mom always told me not to do because it would cause me premature wrinkles. “Riding where with me?”

“To the club in Franklin,” he answered.

How did he know where we were going? I looked from Claire to Jessie and gave him my What the Hell look. “What’s he talkin’ about, Kimosabe?”

“I invited Nick to meet us at Shenanigan’s.”

“Say it isn’t so,” I gritted through my teeth.

“Jessie hasn’t seen Nick in a while,” Claire explained. “They want to catch up.”

Yeah, right. I knew what he wanted to catch and it didn’t involve anything with his long lost pal. Against my better judgment, I unlocked the door and he smiled victoriously at me before getting into my backseat.

Nick and Jessie made small talk on the drive to the club and I listened as they laughed and talked about old times at Collinsville. I could hear the amusement in Nick’s voice as he recalled a particular stunt Jessie pulled on the librarian when they were in sixth grade. I knew I would be able to see his dimples again if only I lifted my eyes to look in my rearview mirror, but I forced myself to not do it because I refused to expose myself like that.

We entered the club and found a table near the dance floor. It only took a minute for my eyes to find ex-hole, Cooper, dancing with Allie Bumphis and I felt my heart speed like a rocket. Why had I agreed to come here with Jessie and Claire? I knew they would be here together.

Claire saw the happy couple on the dance floor and placed a supportive hand on my arm. “Do you want to leave?”

Yeah, I did but I wasn’t going to ruin Claire and Jessie’s good time because of my own stupidity. “No, I want to stay because I need to have a good time. I think it will take my mind off what happened.”

I looked up to see Cooper and Allie coming off of the dance floor in our direction. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to visit the ladies’ room for a minute.”

I pushed my way through the crowd and into the bathroom. I stood in front of a mirror and pulled my lip gloss from my bag and gave my lips a fresh coat of shine as I thought about the ultimatum Cooper had given me. It was humiliating and hurtful, but I’d never admit that to anyone but Jessie and Claire.

I perfected the gloss on my cupid’s bow with my finger and then stood a little taller. “I can do this,” I said to my reflection. I didn’t have a choice; I had to do it.