Snapchat Stories

I got my nails done on Saturday. I never really go to a nail salon, either leaving my nails unpolished or doing them myself, but the winter is reeking havoc on my hands. Also, I wanted a distraction from imaging Scott at a roulette table with some girl in a short skirt sitting on his lap. Not that I've ever been that girl in Atlantic City or anything.

Scott and I had talked earlier in the morning, but they were going to spend a few hours in the casino and the people there are really strict about having cell phones out while at the tables. It's like, "Chill, I'm not trying to count cards. I just want to Instagram this black jack table real quick."

Anyway, by the time I was done with my nails, I still didn't have a text from Scott. I honestly wasn't that concerned with what he was doing, but I missed him. I went home and relaxed for a few hours before leaving to meet my friends. As I was walking out the door, I finally received a text from Scott. "Hey there! Sorry I haven't texted you. We just got back to the room. Gonna head to dinner soon and then probably out. How's your Saturday?"

I smiled and tucked my phone away in my purse. I didn't want it to seem like I was waiting by my phone to answer, even though I kind of had been, and I had to drive to pick up my friends anyway. Once I picked up all my friends and we arrived, I quickly wrote back to him. "Hey! It's pretty good, getting drinks and appetizers now. Winning big?!"

"Haha. Not really, but we're having fun. I kind of miss you :-p."

At this point, Darlene, Anna, Jessica, and I were sitting at a high top table at a gastropub. I smiled like an idiot at Scott's text and Darlene totally called me out.

"Why are you smirking like that?"

"Nothing," I laughed. A few seconds passed and my friends were still silently looking my way. "Just a text from Scott," I admitted.

"Aw," Jessica cooed at me. "So are you guys like, a couple now?"

I was kind of tired of thinking about it, to be honest, so I shrugged and changed the topic. "Maybe, we'll see. So, what're you guys up to for Thanksgiving?"

Darlene began telling us about her planned trip to Chicago. We chatted for an hour or two, during which I texted Scott a little bit more. Once he said they were leaving the room, I told him to have fun and I'd talk to him tomorrow. I didn't want him to feel obligated to text me while he was out with his friends.

I was really glad to have a chill night with my friends. I've been so stressed with graduate school and it felt nice to spend a drama free night with my friends. I went home that night and instantly fell asleep. I was exhausted and didn't wake up until around eleven the next day. When I woke up, I had a text from Anna.

"Have you seen Martin's story on Snapchat?" I let out a heavy sigh. I obviously wasn't Snapchat friends with Martin. Why would I even have his phone number? But now, I had to know what pictures he had up.

"No! What is it?"

"I'm at Starbucks. Meet me."

I was so annoyed as I rolled out of bed and threw on yoga pants. My mind was involuntarily going wild. Was it a picture of Scott making out with a girl? Why would she care if I had seen it and then insist I meet her to look at it?

When I got to Starbucks, I saw Anna squinting at her computer. When I got closer, I saw she was editing her resume. She told me she was applying to a few jobs at various schools.

"So let me see the story," I insisted.

"Okay, it's nothing bad."

I tapped through Martin's one hundred second story. At first, it was a lot of blurry pictures of various guys that I didn't know, which I'm assuming are Scott's out of town friends. Then, I saw one of Scott, looking really handsome in a modest gray button down shirt and his hair slicked back. I hadn't realized how long it had gotten since I met him a few weeks ago.

Once I got to the last few pictures, I saw what Anna must have wanted me to see. There were pictures of girls in revealing blouses and short skirts. It also looked like the guys, or maybe their new female friends, had a reserved table with bottle service. By the end of it, though, I didn't see anything that upset me. Scott wasn't kissing another girl. He wasn't even touching a girl in any flirtatious way.

"I can't believe you made me drive all the way here for this."

"I said it wasn't bad!" Anna protested. "I really thought you were friends with him on Snapchat. Besides, I had a class junior year with the barista. I'll go get you a latte for free."

I took her up on the latte offer since she lured me there under false pretenses. My mind did wander to the girls they were with, but I wasn't concerned. Scott and Martin were with a big group of guys, so of course they were going to talk to girls. I wondered if Anna knew something I didn't. Was she trying to give me a hint? Did she know something about Scott through Martin that I didn't? I spent the next half hour with her as I sipped my latte and looked over her resume a little. Scott and I had arranged to meet Tuesday night for dinner, so I figured I'd see what he told me about Atlantic City. I wasn't concerned, though. Scott is a good guy. Why should I worry?

Out of the Loop

"You're such a prude!" Anna yelled at me from the elliptical next to me. I was happy we were at the farthest end of the gym so nobody could hear. Anna had just joined my gym. and we agreed to motivate each other to work out so that neither of us gained any, or too much, holiday weight.

This was the first chance I had to tell her about my weekend with Scott. The news was now about a week old, but Scott and I didn't even get a chance to see each other much over the past week. We talked a little bit each day, but we were both so busy that we didn't even make plans in advance for the weekend.

"I'm not a prude," I said, lowering my voice so she got the hint. "I don't want to just sleep with him right away. I really like him." I began to blush at the end. It was hard to admit, even to Anna.

"It seems like he feels the same way," Anna replied before taking a sip of water and trying to catch her breathe.

"Has Martin said anything?" I eagerly asked. Anna and Martin had been occasionally hanging out, but it wasn't in the same way as Scott and me. They were more in the "friends with benefits" area and that seemed to make Anna happy so I was all for it.

"No, we don't really talk about you guys," she answered.

I let out a slightly nervous laugh. "No, I figured you guys didn't." I increased the resistance on my machine. "I feel like I should ask him about the 'girlfriend' comment, but I don't know. I do kind of feel like he was just shutting his sister up. She totally thought I was some random whore."

"That's what I would've thought," Anna laughed. "No offense."

"None taken," I shot back. "Anyway, I just don't know how to bring it up again. Do I ask him what we are? Do I mention what he said to his sister? Maybe I should just wait it out?"

Anna took another sip of water. "Well, maybe he'll say something before they go to Atlantic City."

I almost fell off my elliptical. "Atlantic City?" I asked, trying not to sound completely out of the loop.

"Yeah, they're going next weekend." Why did she know this and I didn't? "Martin said some of their friends who moved are coming the following week for Thanksgiving, so they're meeting them on the way in Atlantic City."

"Oh," I replied, slightly embarrassed. "Scott didn't mention it."

"Martin only mentioned it last night, because he wanted me to know he wouldn't be around. I'm sure Scott is going to tell you when you see him this weekend."

I nodded, but didn't tell Anna that Scott and I didn't have any plans to see each other that weekend. We actually didn't even end up making any plans. I was committed to catching up on my school work and Scott had a stressful week at work, so he seemed content with a quiet weekend at home. We didn't end up seeing each other until Tuesday night. I hadn't seen him in almost a week and a half and I have to admit, I definitely missed him.

Scott and I had agreed to meet at a Chinese restaurant near my house. I was happy when he suggested it, because I had been craving sweet and sour chicken. When I arrived at the restaurant, Scott was waiting in his car. I saw him in the parking lot and pulled my car in next to his. Tuesday night was the coldest night Long Island has seen yet and I could barely manage to give him a quick kiss before he grabbed my hand and ran with me into the restaurant.

Once we were in the restaurant, Scott pulled the hood of his Calvin Klein jacket off. He looked so cute with his cheeks flushed from the cold. As I took my gloves off, I put my hands over his since he hadn't been wearing gloves. His cold hands sent an almost painful chill up my arms, but it felt nice to know I was warming him in some way.

"Thanks, beautiful," he said with a smile. The hostess walked over and we were immediately seated.

At first, we caught up on our weeks and some of the more in depth stories that we weren't able to share through text messages. Even though we hadn't seen each other in almost a week and a half, I still felt very comfortable around him.

Our food came and Scott still hadn't told me about Atlantic City. "So," I began, deciding it was now or never. "Want to do something this weekend?"

Scott didn't answer right away because he was chewing, but I saw a look of confusion consume his face. "I'm not going to be here," he replied with no further explanation.

"Why not?" I innocently asked.

"I'm going to be in AC," he replied. "I thought I told you."

"No, I don't think so," I casually replied, even though my insides were screaming that he definitely had not.

"Oh, well yeah," he responded. He proceeded to tell me the same basic details that Anna had told me a few days before.

"Cool," I said with a smile. "That sounds fun!"

"Yeah, we'll have to go one weekend."

My stomach fluttered. "I'd like that," I responded. Scott suggesting that we go away together put my mind at ease a bit. The rest of dinner was very casual and fun. We caught up on our respectively busy weeks and it felt really adult. Things with Scott felt very mature. I didn't worry as much about playing games or making sure to see him every possible second. I decided not to bring up the girlfriend comment and figured we'd be texting a little bit while he's in Atlantic City. How bad could it be?

Hungover Weekend Update: Part Three

"I don't want to be here right now," Scott said as he leaned down and nuzzled my neck. I didn't blame him. I heard the shower begin to run. His sister definitely seemed like the type who would be a pain until she left to go wherever she was headed that night.

"Let's go get frozen yogurt," I spontaneously spout out. "My treat," as he pulled his head away from my neck.

Scott's eyes widened. "That sounds so good right now."

I drove us to a frozen yogurt place close to his house. He got some type of vanilla and added chocolate sprinkles. "Geez, you are boring," I teased as I piled brownie bites onto my cup, which had three different flavors in it. What's the point of self serve if you're not going to get creative. Am I right?

He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "I'm anything but boring." I bit my lip as I turned red. I'm sure the teenage boy behind the counter hadn't heard Scott, but the thought that he could have was enough to turn me a bright crimson.

I placed my yogurt on the scale and then Scott followed suit. While he took out his wallet and was insistent on paying, I refused. "I said it was my treat!" I playfully argued.

We sat in my car listening to the radio for a while as we ate our treats and talked about what kind of music we liked. I was surprised to learn Scott is actually a big country fan.

"I would've never guessed," I replied.

"Too boring for you?" He asked as he arched an eyebrow my way.

I smiled at him before taking another bite of my yogurt. We chatted for another few minutes before we were both done. "So, should I drop you off?" I asked with uncertainty. It was after eleven and I wasn't really sure where his mind was at after the encounter with his sister.

"Uh," he thought aloud. "Just drive in that direction."

I was confused but I complied. I couldn't really figure out what he was thinking, but figured all would be revealed soon enough. As I neared his house, he began dictating different directions. After a few rights and lefts, he told me to park in front of a park. I could tell we were close to his house, but since I didn't know his area that well, I wasn't exactly sure how close.

"What park is this?" I curiously asked. I didn't really feel like going for a walk in a park, especially at night.

"I don't know," Scott replied. He leaned over and shut my car's engine and lights off. Before I could ask him what he was doing, he put his hand behind my ear and begin passionately kissing me. Scott really seemed to be getting comfortable with me and even better, he seemed to be showing me much more affection than usual.

I kissed Scott back, trying to match his intensity. He began moving his hand down my neck and let it linger near the top of my shirt. He gripped the clothe of my shirt, so I could only feel a light touch form his fingernails against my skin.

"Let me know if you want to stop," he said as he paused from kissing me. He was breathing a little heavy and it was such a turn on. I nodded before continuing to kiss him. I found it really sweet how he remembered that I told him I wanted to take it slow earlier that night. He pulled down my shirt and bra. As he moved his way down my neck, kissing me lightly, I couldn't help but look around. Sure, we were parked in front of a park and the spot seemed surprisingly convenient since the closest house was still pretty far away. If someone were to look in our direction from in front of a house, we'd probably be hard to make out in the distance. Regardless of all of this, I was a little nervous to get caught. It did make it kind of hotter, though.

As Scott teased my nipples with his tongue, I began moaning. It felt so good and I really wanted to just jump on his lap right then. "Be patient," I thought to myself.

Scott and I began kissing again. I began rubbing his thigh for almost a minute before I ran it over his penis. He was so hard and I had to repeat my mantra about being patient. Why was I waiting, though? I guess I just figured that I told myself earlier in the night that I wasn't ready and didn't want to do anything in the heat of the moment that I'd regret. Scott really seemed like the type who would respect waiting.

"Fuck, you're hot," he whispered in my ear as he began kissing my neck again. I was rubbing him through his sweatpants, which almost seemed better than taking them off because they were so soft. As he went to  reach for my pants, I realized if I didn't stop then, I wouldn't be able to stop.

"Um," I mumbled. "Do you mind if we, um." I couldn't even physically get the words out because I didn't really want to stop.

"Yeah," Scott said with a light laugh, knowing exactly what I meant. "Let's head back."

I fixed my shirt and I caught Scott taking a few deep breaths as he rolled his neck. Once he directed me back to his house, we kissed for a few minutes before he headed in.

All in all, it was a pretty awesome weekend. My school work seriously took a back seat, but it was totally worth it. I really like where things are going with Scott, but I'm still unsure where we stand. I know he told his sister I was his girlfriend, but did he really think we were there? Or at least headed there?

Hungover Weekend Update: Part Two

Scott's eyes got big and I don't think I've ever seen him look that shocked. He shot off the bed and began fixing his sweatpants. I went and grabbed my shirt from the floor. Once it was on, I was proper to face whatever stranger was lingering.

"Who is that?" I quietly asked. Nobody lived with Scott besides his parents and they were away. Could they have come back early? Even if they did, the voice sounded like it belonged to a younger woman.

"Jenna," Scott replied and I swear my heart sank. Scott wasn't looking at me as he slipped a pair of sneakers on. When I didn't say anything for a few seconds, he looked up at me. "Fuck, no," he began when he saw my blank express. "Not that Jenna, my sister. My sister's name is also Jenna."

I let out a sigh and dramatically clutched my chest. We smiled at each other. Scott walked over and grabbed my hand. "This might get a little intense. Can you handle that?"

"What do you mean?" I curiously asked.

"My sister's a little, well," he began as he scrunched up his face, trying to search for a delicate word. "Assertive," he finally landed on.

"Oh, boy," I replied. He grabbed my hand and guided me out of his bedroom.

"Jenna," Scott said with clearly fake enthusiasm. "What're you doing home?"

Jenna stared at Scott, then back at me in silence, and then back at Scott again. Scott and Jenna were clearly siblings, with similar cheekbones and lips, but Jenna did not have manly features. She was short, petite, and was rocking an unnatural blonde messy bun on the top of her head. She looked about twenty-years-old.

"Can't I come home for a weekend?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"Of course," Scott said. He seemed to be getting annoyed, but was maintaining his composure. It was actually really sexy. "But why would you come home on a weekend when you know mom and dad are away? You're not planning on having a party are you?"

"No," she responded. "But it seems you're treating this place like a frat house."

Wow, Scott wasn't kidding when he said his sister was "assertive." The conversation between these two had been so intense, I didn't blame Scott for neglecting to introduce me. With Jenna's comment, though, I suddenly felt like I was in middle school and a boy's mom caught us making out. I grabbed my left elbow with my right hand as I tried to disappear.

"Jenna," Scott sternly responded. "This is Caroline. She's my girlfriend."

Girlfriend? Was I Scott's girlfriend? I made a mental note to jump up and down with my friends once I wasn't in the line of fire.

"Whatever," Jenna said, instead of congratulating us. "I'm going to take a shower and head out."

While Jenna basically ignored my existence, I made sure to call out, "nice to meet you" as she pranced down the hall.

Hungover Weekend Update: Part One

I didn't know if I was going to make it through this excursion my mom sent me on; she insisted she needed shrimp from the good supermarket.

We were having my grandparents over for dinner Sunday and if it wasn't bad enough that she woke me up with the loud sound of the vacuum going, she also began yelling my name around ten.

"Caroline!" I heard from the hallway. My head was pounding and the smell of her cleaning supplies only made it worse.

"Enough sleeping," she said as soon as she opened my bedroom door. She proceeded to ramble off a list of things she needed to get done that day and I let out a sigh.

I still can't believe how much I drank Saturday night. Scott, Anna, Martin, and I all decided to hang out and watch college football. This was obviously at the suggestion of the boys. Anna and I hung out beforehand to get ready together. I also wanted to get updated information about her and Martin.

"He's nice," she said, the way she would also describe her neighbor's strange dog. "I just don't think I want a boyfriend, you know? I really like being alone."

"Anna, having a boyfriend isn't like giving birth to triplets," I teased. "You'll still have plenty of time to be alone."

Anna shrugged. "I know, I know. I guess we'll see." I could tell she just wasn't that into him.

We went to Martin's house and began playing a drinking game that involved first downs, touch downs, penalties, and lots of other football landmarks. The night started to get blurry around 10, but I can distinctly remember sloppily making out with Scott, getting picked up by my sister, and eating Taco Bell.

Saturday night was actually the second night in a row that Scott and I hung out. There wasn't a gray cloud in sight and I felt oddly optimistic about things. Friday night, he asked if I wanted to hang out at his house, order in food, and watch a movie. I was a little nervous but I agreed. We all know what "watch a movie" means. He seemed like a really stand up guy and I don't know, something in my gut told me he would respect me more if I didn't sleep with him right away. We had been on a couple of dates so I figured I could give in just a little. So that's exactly what I did.

When I arrived, Scott opened the door in a nice pair of gray sweatpants. I could tell they were designer, but I had no idea what brand. They were paired with a Hanes white crew neck shirt. He smelled good. He had definitely just got out of the shower and I could even smell that he had just used mouth wash. So sexy.

"Hey," I softly said. He always brought out my timid side.

"Hey, yourself," he said back with a smile that made me melt. "I'm glad you're here. I'm starving! How does sushi sound?"

"Heavenly," I said as I looked around his place. He lived with his parents but they were away for a few days. He had a modest sized house but everything inside was obviously new, unlike my house which hadn't been updated in years.

We ordered sushi from a place near his house and since they had a ridiculously long delivery time, Scott asked if we could take the ride to pick it up. I wasn't thrilled to be venturing out in the cold, but it clearly wasn't anything I dared to complain about.

Once we got back, we talked about our weeks over spicy tuna rolls and miso soup. Scott was fidgeting a little bit, which is very out of character for him. It made me begin to wonder if something was on his mind.

Almost immediately upon finishing, Scott got to his feet and began cleaning up the table. I got up to start helping me and he put his hand on my shoulder. "No, you just sit there and look pretty. I got this." With that, he kissed my forehead and walked into the other room with our dirty plates.

I sat back and let out a sigh. I wasn't overly full, which was good since I didn't want to feel bloated as Scott and I "watched a move," whatever that would inevitably entail.

Scott was back within a few minutes. I was just about to ask him what he wanted to do next when he leaned down next to me and kissed me. Hard.

I slowly stood up as I kissed him back, attempting to match his intensity. He placed his hands on the sides of my face, while somehow guiding me to his bedroom. The room was immaculate and I wondered if it was always like that or if he cleaned it for me. I didn't think about it much, though, because at that moment Scott reached at the bottom of my shirt and guided it over my head.

"Hey," I reluctantly interrupted. "I just, um, want to take things a little slow. You know?" The truth was I wanted him inside me more than anything, but this was the first time we would do anymore than kiss and I didn't want to jump right to the end.

"Of course," Scott said with a look that resembled guilt in his eyes. That was the last thing I wanted him to feel.

I got on my tippy toes and whispered in his ear. "But I want to make you feel good." Once I leaned back down and looked him in the eyes, I saw the intensity reappear.

I reached my arms around Scott's neck and lightly guided him back onto the bed. I reached for his sweatpants and began teasing him when my heart stopped. I had just heard a door slam.

A woman's voice loudly made its way from the living room. "Scott? Are you home?"

Burger Mix Up

I walked out of the stall and walked to the sink to wash my hands. The sinks at school are pretty much the most deranged sinks I’ve ever encountered. The water doesn’t have enough pressure but then, out of nowhere, the water splashes out at me.

This was especially frustrating on Wednesday, the first day I was going to be teaching Professor O’Conner’s class. I pulled the bottom of my shirt away from my body and held it under the hand dryer. After a little while, the specks of water began to dissolve and I felt an instant relief. I wouldn’t look like an uncoordinated moron to kids who were only a few years younger than me. Well, at least not because I had water all over the bottom of my portofino shirt from Express.

I walked into class after taking a few deep breathes during the walk there. I had to ooze confidence. Otherwise, these kids would never take me serious. Then what would Professor O’Conner say? I just had to do well.

“Good morning, everyone,” I loudly announced as I placed my bag down on the chair behind the big, brown desk in front of the classroom. “I’m Ms. Lancer and I will be taking over for Dr. O’Conner while he’s out of town.” I could see a look of shock across most of their faces, but not disapproval. Phew, thank goodness there was no disapproval.

I went through the power points and only had a few questions. I was luckily able to answer most of them with ease, while I had to remain vague about the ones I didn’t know the answers to, saying things like, “well, the research might be inconclusive on that, but I’m sure associations could have been found between those two factors.”

When class was over, I felt really good about the upcoming week of classes. I checked my phone and had a text from Scott. “Hey there, professor ;). Wanna grab a bite tonight? I’m dying for a burger.”

I wrote him back and we agreed to meet at a burger place by his house later that night. I went home, took a long, well deserved power nap, and met him at the restaurant around 7.

Scott looked so good, still in his work clothes consisting of a button down, grey striped shirt and navy slacks. I felt like a tramp in my lace-sleeved black top and jeans.

“I didn’t know you were going for fancy tonight,” I said as he gave me a peck on the cheek.

“Sorry, the trains were delayed so I didn’t have time to stop home.”

He put his hand on my lower back and led me to a table near the window. We were chatting about our days when a waiter came over.

“Scott Crammer?” He loudly asked with surprise. I was mid chew on a piece of bread and my mouth kind of hung open in shock. I swallowed the piece of bread as I saw Scott’s eyes light up with recognition.

“Mark Sailor, how the fuck are you?” It was a good thing that I was done with that bite of bread, because if I hadn’t been, I would’ve choked at that very moment. I had never heard Scott curse before. It seemed like this friend of his brought out a different side to him.

“Not much, man. I’m still in school and working here for money,” Mark began. Scott started telling him about the accounting firm a little bit when his eyes averted back at me. I was politely sitting there but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little uncomfortable.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Scott said, reverting back to his gentlemanly ways. “Mark, this is…”

Mark cut him off in the worst possible way. “Jenna! So nice to meet you,” he did that awkward thing where instead of putting out his hand and waiting for me to shake it, he grabbed it from the table so I didn’t even have a chance to ignore the shake, or not to mention, ask who the FUCK Jenna is.

I tried to be polite and forced a smile on my face before darting my eyes over to Scott. He looked mortified, with a slight rouge taking over his cheeks, and it made me even more curious. His mouth hung open a little and his hand went out like he was going to say something, but didn't know what.

"Oh, fuck," Mark said looking over at Scott. I thought he picked up on his mistake, but instead he said, "you guys don't even have menus, yet. Let me go get them and I'll be back in a minute."

He walked away and Scott looked me in the eyes. "Listen, I'm so sorry," he began. "Jenna's my ex-girlfriend. I guess Mark just figured we were still dating."

Scott stopped talking as Mark approached our table with the menus. "I'll give you guys a couple minutes."

As he walked away again, I decided to interject. "Scott," I began as I smiled at him. "Listen, we both have pasts. Don't feel bad." Sure, I was curious about Jenna, the ex-girlfriend, and why Mark would think I was her. Wouldn't Mark have met her if Scott and her were dating that long? Maybe Scott just told Mark about her a bunch? How long had it been since they broke up? How serious was it? But I shook those thoughts from my mind. "Really," I said to Scott when I could tell he still felt bad about it. "It's not a big deal."

"Thanks, I'll correct him when he comes back to get our order," Scott said. I actually found it cute how Scott was desperately trying to make things right.

"That's not necessary," I insisted. Scott didn't argue the point and seemed to appreciate just dropping the subject. I ended up having a really nice evening with Scott. I definitely think I'm going in the right direction with this one.

Halloween Party

I pulled my sister's Ugg boots up over my black leggings before standing up to get the door. Darlene did an awesome job on her vampire costume. Anna looked good, too, in her Rosie the Riveter costume.

"You killed it," Darlene said to me.

"Thanks!" I exclaimed. I have to admit, I was impressed with myself. I came up with the idea to be a "basic bitch" a few days before Halloween. In addition to the Uggs and leggings, I was sporting a white t-shirt with a bunch of odd number stickers and holding an old Starbucks cup.

"I don't get the shirt, though," Anna said.

I pulled at the bottom to display it more clear. "I can't even," I replied. It took another couple of seconds before Anna cocked her head back and laughed.

"Oh," she replied. "Clever!"

Scott's friend was having a costume party on Halloween. He invited me and told me to "bring whoever." Anna already knew about the party through Martin, but I invited Jessica and Darlene also. Jessica wasn't feeling well so she wasn't going to make it.

To my surprise (but delight), the party was bumpin' when we arrived. I figured most people would just be arriving, but when Scott came outside to greet us, he was also carrying out a huge bag of empty beer cans.

"Land mines is getting intense in there," he laughed. I involuntarily grimaced. The idea of that drinking game made my stomach squirm.

"Don't worry. You don't have to play," Scott said as he enveloped me in a bear hug. He said hello to Anna and Darlene and walked us in.

Scott was dressed like a wrestler from the 90s and when I saw the rest of his friends in similar outfits, the costume seemed even cooler. I could tell a lot of coordination went into the process.

We drank in the kitchen with all of Scott's close friends as they told animated stories about past Halloweens. I learned that one year, when Scott was in college, he almost got into a gang fight because he was painted blue like a smurf.

"I'm not going to lie," he began. "I was pretty fucking terrified."

"I bet!" I exclaimed. "You were a frat boy about to get murdered in a gang fight."

"Were you Papa Smurf?" Anna asked as she sipped her gin.

"Nah, just a regular one," he casually replied. I took a sip of my beer and looked over at Anna to check her body language. She didn't seem to be acting too flirty, so I just crossed my fingers that she didn't get too drunk and change her tone. I figured since Martin was right next to her, she couldn't really cross the line too much.

Darlene and I decided to play a round of beer pong against Scott and a random college friend of his. We were pathetically behind and about to lose when Anna came over to me, gin in hand.

"So, do you mind if I go upstairs with Martin?" she loudly whispered in my ear. My eyes widened and I caught Scott furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"What are you going to do up there, little lady?" I asked with a smile. Anna wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Okay, are you sure you're not too drunk?" I asked.

"No, I barely drank anything," she replied and I could tell she was basically sober.

I looked over at Scott. He was so damn hot, even with his ridiculous costume on, and I was really glad with how things were going at this point. I know I kind of made a thing out of asking Anna not to sleep with Martin right away, but Scott knew me a little better now. I figured Anna's actions would no longer influence his perception of me anymore.

"Have fun," I replied.

Anna scurried off and within minutes, Scott sunk the last cup. Darlene and I dramatically sighed but the truth was, neither of us cared.

Scott came over to me and gave me a hug. "How does it feel to hug a winner?" he asked.

I laughed into his chest. "Amazing," I said.

He laughed. "Well, I didn't just win at beer pong. I got the prettiest girl to come to this party for me." I felt a flutter in my stomach. There were a lot of girls at the party and most of them had sexy costumes, so it made me feel good to be told I was the "prettiest girl" at the party.

"So, what's going on with Martin and Anna?" Scott quietly asked me.

I let go of our embrace and innocently shrugged. "How would I know?" I asked before smiling with guilt.

"Good for them," he replied without addressing my fib. "Come on, let's head back to my friends."

We walked over to Scott's friends where Darlene was talking to one that I didn't recognize, but he was totally her type. They seemed to be really hitting it off so I didn't intrude.

Anna eventually came downstairs and she looked pretty sleepy. She insisted that they actually fell asleep after fooling around for a little bit and I believed her because they were literally upstairs for almost three hours while the rest of us drank beer, played some drinking games, and ordered Dominos.

The friend Darlene was talking to hadn't been drinking and offered to drive us all home around two when Darlene insisted that she had to be up early for a family engagement. Scott was going to crash at the friend's place, so he walked me out and gave me a passionate kiss in front of everybody. I was ready to rip off his clothes right there, but I restrained myself (but kicked myself for it). I truly don't know if I could've asked for a better Halloween with a guy who I kind of, sort of, really like. I went home and passed out until about noon the next day.