Hold Me Now

Chapter 25: Amazing And Different

'Twas the night before the tournament and all tired out of practicing, the Cobras got in the mood by drinking. They went out for a pre-tournament get-together, back at the dive bar on the beach. The one with the karaoke. 

Initially, they wanted to invite their girlfriends but things are super strained between them. After drawing straws to see who the DD would be, they got their drink on. This time Tommy was the DD and did he complain or what? Every few minutes was a complaint. "This sucks. Bobby should be DD, not me." 

Bobby, who started to down another beer, said "Man, I was DD last time. You drew the straw, so suck it up." He laughed at his own pun. 

Tossing a handful of peanuts, Tommy grumbled again. Talk turned to girls. "I made it to third base with Charley," Jimmy admitted. He seemed pleased with himself. Dutch high-fived him.  Tommy patted him on the back and shared his sexual plights too. 

But then Dutch blurted out "You know who's not getting any? Bobby." Heads turned his way and Bobby's face turned tomato red.

"Look, I'm fine," he told them. He downed another beer. 

Dutch pointed at him. "Liar." He drank and then stated "You are the worst liar. You haven't had a girl since that horrible chick last year. You need to date a good girl. Someone sweet and kind like you." Where the hell did sweet and kind come from? Booze always loosens his lips.

Eating a handful of peanuts, Johnny agreed. Bobby gazed off in the distance. "I'm working on it. There's someone I want to ask, but I don't know if she'd say yes."

Johnny shook his head. "No, Man. Stop asking out idiots. You need to ask Ava's friend, Rachel. She's kind and sweet and would be good for you."

Before Bobby could respond, Tommy pointed at Johnny. "You're not getting any either."

Staring at his friend, and peeling the wrapper off his beer bottle, he reminded him "I'm in a serious relationship. I don't need sex. There's more to having a strong relationship than sex. There's plenty of time for that later."

"You're such an old fart, boring, boring, boring," Dutch accused. He downed another beer. His buzz is getting bigger.

Rolling his eyes, Johnny proclaimed "If I'm such an old fart can I do this?" He proceeded to chug three beers.

By the time the guys were ready to call it a night, they were drunk (except Tommy). He piled them into Jimmy's mom's SUV and drove them all home. First, he dropped off Johnny at the Malibu house. Ava met him at the door and took him off his friend's hands. 

She helped her boozed boyfriend up the stairs, but not without tripping (twice). "Kreese will kill you if you're hungover tomorrow," she reminded him.

"I'm not drunk, completely. I'm semi-drunk. Just buzzed enough to be calm, but more than enough to not drive." He laid face down on the bed. He then felt his girl take his socks and shoes off. Helping her along, he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down his hips. She finished pulling them off the rest of the way, in a swift move. 

Tossing them into a chair, she told him "Shirt." He sat up and took his shirt off, then laid back down. Once he was situated, she walked to the door. 

Turning his head to look at her, still laying down, he wondered where she's going. "Why are you leaving?" 

"Because you need rest and sleep, for tomorrow." Her hand reached for the doorknob, but his voice stopped her.