"What's that supposed to mean Joe?" Lance asked.
"All I'm gonna say is I'm gonna make good use of being single...and ready to mingle", he replied with a wicked smile.
"And what about me Joe?" a female voice asked. Joey spun round to face Kari, who'd just arrived. Wearing a flattering outfit, her hair and makeup looking immaculate, Kari began to look worried as the four guys in the room stood speechlessly staring at her.
"What? What is it?" she asked worriedly. The guys continued to stare.
"What I think they'd like to say is that you look gorgeous, girl", Ali spoke up.
"Uh..yeah, Kari you...ah...you look.."Lance began.
"Hot!" Justin finished for him. Ali and Kari began to laugh.
"You don't look so bad yourselves guys" Kari laughed, as she playfully ran her finger down the bridge of Justin's nose. "So where's Chris then?"
"Out...picking up his hot date" Joey answered.
"Hot date? He's...." Kari began but was cut off by Chris' return.
"Hey everybody, I have someone for you all to meet", Chris beamed, gesturing to the tall, blonde woman standing by his side.
"Reid? Baby, you home?" Kari heard muffled sounds coming from the bedroom. "Honey, I have the best news", she called, walking toward the bedroom. "I just talked to Danielle and she said I have a good chance of....." Kari stopped dead in her tracks as she stared in disbelief at the scene before her. Her boyfriend lay naked in their bed, a look of shock and guilt on his face. As the tears began to well in her eyes, Kari look at his companion, a tanned, blonde woman stared smugly back at her,not an inch of guilt in her expression. Kari turned and ran, tears blurring her vision, trying to block out the scene of betrayal she'd just witnessed.
"Everyone, this is Tia" Chris announced. "Tia, this is Lance, Justin, JC, Ali, Joey and Kari. Ok people, are we ready to go party?"
As Tia glanced toward Kari, Kari was certain she glimpsed a trace of a wicked smile on Tia's lips, and she sat in disbelief as the group filed out the door.
"C'mon girl! Are you comin' or what?" Justin exclaimed excitedly as he grabbed Kari's hand and led her toward the door.
The dancefloor was packed with people dancing to the thumping music that blared from the night clubs sound system. The group sat round a large table in a corner of the club. Tia had been the centre of conversation the past half hour they'd been at the club and Kari stared out at the dancefloor looking for some means of escape as she nursed the drink in front of her.
"I'm serious, I've never had a relationship with a man that hasn't led to sex" Tia laughed flirtatiously. "It's simply impossible for a man and woman to have a purely platonic relationship" she added matter-of-factly. Kari's attention was diverted back to the group's conversation.
"Chris and I have been friends for 15 years and we've somehow resisted the urge to jump into bed together" Kari challenged defiantly. The wicked smile Kari had seen earlier returned to Tia's lips and she coolly replied "Well, no offence honey, but I can understand that in your case". Kari's eyes narrowed to glare at Tia, as she stared defiantly back.
"Do I know you from somewhere Tia?" Kari asked flatly. Chris frowned across the table at Kari, his brow furrowed in annoyance. Justin sensed the tension at the table and grabbed Kari's hand. "C'mon, let's go dance!" he exclaimed as a new song began.
"Who does she think she is?" Kari said to Justin, straining to be heard above the loud music. Justin pulled Kari close and began to move his body with hers in time to the music, trying to divert her attention from the table where Tia was now placing kisses along the length of Chris' neck. Kari couldn't help but smile at Justin's attempt to distract her and began to enjoy the song. Two songs passed before the chords of a slower song filled the club.
"May I have this dance?" Joey asked with a cheeky grin.
Kari took his hand as he led her to the dancefloor and wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her close. She began to laugh at Joey's cheesy grin.
"Now that's more like it", Joey said, pleased that his attempt to cheer her up had worked. She rested her head on Joey's chest as they moved slowly in time to the music. As she looked over to her left she saw JC and Ali, their arms wrapped around each other, staring into one another's eyes. Kari's smile widened and she moved her gaze further across the dancefloor. Her eyes settled on Chris and Tia, entagled in a close embrace, sharing a deep, passionate kiss. Kari's stomach sunk as her smile disappeared and she pulled away from Joey.
"I'm sorry Joe...I..." she trailed off as she moved off the dancefloor toward the exit, pushing forcefully past Chris and Tia.
"Hey!" Chris called angrily after her as he watched her petite figure stalk towards the door.
"Excuse me for a minute Tia" Chris said quickly, before following his best friend out to the street.
"Hey!" Chris repeated, catching up to Kari."What's going on with you?" Chris asked angrily, grabbing Kari's shoulder to turn her to face him.
"Hey, what's the matter?" he asked, softening as he saw her tear-stained face, her eyes still welled up with fresh tears.
"She's the one that.....no, you'll never understand", she said pushing him away.
"Hey, don't pull that crap on me Kari", he said, the anger returning to his voice.
"Why don't you just run on back inside to the precious, waiting Tia and stop wasting your time out here with me?" she replied bitterly.
"What's gotten into you? Why are you acting like a jealous girlfriend all of a sudden?"
"Oh screw you Kirkpatrick" she spat out before turning and walking hastily down the street; leaving Chris behind her as he watched her walk away, his brow furrowed in confusion and anger.
"I had a really great time out with you tonight" Chris said softly, leaning in towards Tia as he pulled his jeep up outside her house.
"Yeah, me too Chris" she said unconvincingly as she reached for the door.
"So I'll call you tomorrow then?"
"Sure" she replied callously.
Chris slammed the front door hard, ignoring his friends sitting in the living room, before storming up the stairs to his room.
"Does anyone recall a certain someone telling everyone smugly not to wait up for him before driving a certain hot date home? Is that not the same dude that arrived home 10 minutes later?"
"Justin, drop it", JC warned.
"That'll teach him to be so...."
"Drop it".
Chris slammed his car keys onto his dresser and stripped down to his boxers. Pulling the sheets up around him, Chris settled back against the pillows and stared blankly towards the ceiling.
'Thanks for ruining my night Kari' he thought angrily to himself.
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