Page 108 of Playing Games

“It’s kind of weird not seeing Lexi here, running the show,” Scottie says, looking up at me with a smile. “Though, I guess it’s not that weird for you now, huh, Blake? You see your girl all the time.”

“Damn straight,” I say with a big smile. “I seemy girlall the time.”

Finn laughs. “Man, I still can’t believe, over a year ago, I thought you had lost your fucking marbles when you said you were going to marry the girl who didn’t give you the time of day. And now, look at you.”

“When you know, you know.” I give his shoulder a hearty pat. “Right, Finn?”

He looks down at Scottie and gently squeezes her shoulder. “Right.”

“I wonder what tonight’s big event is going to be,” Julia muses, but before she can say anything else, Ace squeezes her shoulders playfully and looks at all of us.

“I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay, weirdo,” Julia says, rolling her eyes and laughing at the same time.

But when Ace walks away from our little friend group that’s gathered in the center of the rest of the Double C society, I don’t miss the fact that he doesn’t head to the dingy bathroom near the entrance or to the center of the crowd to chat with all the people he knows.

Instead, he makes a beeline for the makeshift stage at the front.

And then, he hops onto the stage and grabs the microphone.

What is he doing?

“What the fuck?” Finn questions.

But the answer comes from the smiling man with the mic. “I’d like to welcome everyone here tonight. This is our first official Double C event of the year, and while I think we can all agree that filling our previous president Lexi’s shoes is quite the big responsibility, the secret chairs of our even secreter society have chosen me to take on that role.”

Several hoots and hollers come from the crowd at his announcement.

“They made a good choice, right?” Ace muses into the mic. “I mean, if there’s one person who knows how to have some fucking fun, it’s me.”

“Hell yeah!”

“President Acer!”

“This is going to be a good fucking year!”

It’s clear he has the approval of the crowd, and I swear I can see his ego grow right along with his smile.

“Holy shit,” Finn mutters. “Ace Kelly is president of Double C.”

“This is awesome!” Scottie says through several amused laughs.

And I can’t disagree with her. If there’s one guy who should be running a secret society, it’s Ace Kelly. Though, I’m a little scared to think about the events he’s going to be tossing our way. Fingers crossed, none of us ends up in handcuffs.

Ace continues to schmooze his constituents with jokes and commentary, and as I look around the room, taking in all the smiling, entertained faces, I’m shocked to find Julia standing there with a furrowed brow and her lips set into a firm line.

She’s not smiling or laughing or enjoying the fact that her best friend is standing on that stage. Instead, she looks…upset.

“You good, Jules?” I ask her, and when she meets my eyes, the smile that follows on her lips feels off. It feels forced.

“Of course,” she says, clearing her throat. “Just surprised, you know?”

“You didn’t know about this?”

“Nope.” She shakes her head, and her throat bobs a little as she swallows. “I just found out right now…with everyone.”

Of all the people in the world Ace talks to, Julia Brooks is his go-to girl. They’ve been best friends their whole lives, and even in college, they’re basically attached at the hip.

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