Saturday
I spent Saturday morning studying physics, and then began to prepare for the party. Ariel was nice enough to buy some beer and other booze, and I got some chips and other snacks. We were veterans of the high school party, and it didn't take long for us to have everything set. Mom helped out a bit, and I could tell that she was nervous about her date with Mr. Davis. Ariel and I tried to calm her down, and we spent some time rooting through her closet, until we found an outfit that she looked great in, and wasn't too desperate looking.
After lunch, Ariel left, presumably to go to Jack's, and I forced myself to look happy for her. The house was mostly ready, and I was feeling a little pissed off at Ariel, so I decided to go to the gym. I called Lisa, and suggested that a workout would be good for her anger. She agreed to pick me up and work out with me. I put on my workout clothes, and waited until she came. I got into the car, and she started telling me about how pissed at Hank she was, and what she was going to wear to the party to make him crazy.
"All good ideas," I said.
"What's your problem?" Lisa asked.
"Me? I'm just nervous about physics," I lied.
"But isn't your tutor helping calm you down, in more ways than one?"
"He is, actually," and I laughed.
We got to the gym and had a good workout. I sweated and felt good. We went for a cup of coffee, and continued to discuss Hank's stupidity, and thinking of guys who would be at the party who might be good for Lisa.
At one point, she asked, maybe jokingly, "Should I try to get a shot at your buddy Jack? You seem to be enjoying him."
It took significant control for me to simply laugh, and say, like I had to Emily, that it would be awkward for us to be sleeping with the same guy, and she agreed. Instead, we identified a couple of guys who had graduated last year, who were invited, and who I actually knew from personal experience were pretty good in bed. Lisa and I left the coffee shop, and she dropped me off at home.
Mom was beginning to freak out about the date, and had started to drink, and I convinced her to calm down, and to slow down her drinking. Ariel wasn't home yet, and I started to imagine her and Jack together, which didn't help my mood all that much. I showered and laid out my clothes for the party. My plan was to play it cool with Jack, see what happened, and make sure that he was with me at the end of the night. All without making it obvious to everyone else at the party.
I continued to arrange things for the party, when Ariel came home. Her hair was wet, and she was smiling.
"Have fun?" I asked, trying to sound upbeat.
"Yeah," she said. "It is nice to know that all guys aren't assholes."
"I guess," I said, noncommittally.
"Everything under control here?" she asked, "because Mom wants me to stick around to make sure you are O.K."
"Yeah. It's all good right now."
"Great," she said, and went upstairs. I heard the shower go on and assumed that Ariel was showering. It was strange thinking that I was sharing Jack with Ariel, but I also knew that if and when I told her to back off, she would. And he did seem to make her happy. I thought about the fact that if my plans worked out, Jack would have screwed both me and Ariel in the same day, which was a little weird. But it didn't make me want to do it any less.
A little before 7, Mom came downstairs, looking great. She was nervous, but excited. Ariel was watching TV and I was straightening up when the doorbell rang. I opened it, and Mr. Davis was there.
He introduced himself, and when I told him I was Dana, he said, "Jack's friend, right?"
I smiled and said, "yes, he's been such a great help."
Mr. Davis said hello to Ariel, who spent time at his house with Sarah, then approached Mom, saying, "Linda, you look beautiful. Thanks for agreeing to do this."
He was tall, like Jack, but dark, more like Sarah. He was kind of handsome, and had a similar charming awkwardness as Jack. I hoped Mom would have fun with him.
Mom responded, "No, Mark, thanks for asking. Shall we go?"
He took her arm and led her out the door.
Ariel discussed how cute they were, and I got up to shower and dress. Ariel went to the bar area and poured herself a tequila and started drinking it as I went up the stairs. I guess she was going to get drunk while we partied. I showered and put on the tiny, sheer bra and panties that I had chosen, and a skin tight, short black dress, sheer black stockings and boots. I fixed my hair and did my makeup. I looked hot, and if Jack didn't want me, I was confident that I could find someone else. Of course, I knew most of the guys who were invited, and really wasn't interested. But that could change.
As we had arranged, Emily arrived a little early, and we went over how she was going to seduce Jack's friend Fred. I knew that in reality, it wouldn't take much, but I wanted Emily to make it look real, and make Fred feel good about it. I gave her a few flirting tips, and she helped me make the final preparations for the party.
We turned the music on, and people started to show up. I grabbed a beer, and Emily and I went out into the back yard. The crowd started growing, and my group of closest friends gathered around me to drink and talk. I kept scanning the crowd for Jack, but didn't see him. I was talking to Lisa, who did, in fact, look incredible, when I noticed that Jack had quietly joined the circle, with his soon to be lucky friend Fred, and that he had positioned Fred to stand next to Emily. I was impressed.
I saw that Jack had gotten a good haircut and was looking at me, and appreciating how I looked. Good, I thought. I said, coolly, "Hey, Jack, I'm happy you could make it." I leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, and whispered, "Play it cool, enjoy yourself, the night is young. And, by the way, I like the haircut."