Page 1 of The Jackpot Screwer
“Lollipop, open the damn door.”
“Go away, you pickle stealer.”
I swung around to face my best friend. “What the hell is she talking about? Why is she going on about me stealing some damn non-existent pickle?”
Hunter shrugged but had a huge, teeth flashing grin on his face, which was totally unwarranted. We were outside my girlfriend's house because only an hour ago she ended our relationship. In the local bar of all places. I had no idea why, only that she’d accused me of being a pickle stealer and said we were over – she doesn’t even eat pickles!
What made it worse was that it had all happened in front of my sister and best friend, who’d recently started going out. They were sickeningly loved up and had just returned from a quick sex session. Where they’d had sex, who the hell knew, but while they both had satisfied and smug grins, I was shrouded in misery and trying to reason with Bronte.
“This is not funny, dick head,” I hissed at Hunter. “If my sister ended things with you because you’d stolen her invisible pickle, I doubt you’d be smiling like that.”
“One, I would never steal Ellie’s pickle, and two, what the fuck? Lollipop?”
“And?” I asked, frowning at him. “You don’t have a cute nickname for Ellie?”
He colored a little and moved to bang on the Jackson’s door. “Bronte, just come out and speak to him.”
“What is it?” I asked giving him a wink, my misery momentarily forgotten as I tried to work out what nickname he could have for my sister. “Tell me, I won’t repeat it.”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “Yeah right. It’s marginal who’s the biggest gossip in this town you or Mrs. Callahan at the gas station. Anyway, if I have a nickname for Ellie, and that’s a big if, it’d between me and her.”
At that moment, my sister walked out of the house. She looked a little mystified and was shaking her head. “She won’t come out and she won’t tell me what you did.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I protested. “Not a damn thing. I even told her how good her tits were looking.”
“Well, that’s a little bit caveman and not the most romantic of compliments.” Ellie sighed. “But even for Bronte, it’s a little harsh to dump you on your ass for praising her assets.”
“Exactly.” I threw my hands into the air. “She’s definitely hormonal, like I said.”
Ellie’s eyes hardened as she widened her stance. “You did not?”
“Yeah, she was being bitchy, so I said I didn’t realize it was that time of the month.”
Hunter winced. “Shit man, that was totally the wrong thing to say.”
“No wonder she dumped you.” Ellie glared at me before turning to Hunter. “Let’s go. I can’t deal with his stupidity any longer, plus remember Dad took Mom away for the weekend, so we have the house to ourselves.”
My best friend grinned like he was the fox who’d stolen the fattest chicken from the coop. “Okay, let’s go.”
“So, you’re not going to help me?” I asked as they both turned and practically ran for Hunter’s truck.
“Sorry, but your sister needs my full attention.” He took Ellie’s hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing the back of it.
“You disgust me,” I called. “You know that?”
Hunter flipped me off over his shoulder without even looking back.
“Hey, Ellie,” I shouted.
“What?” she asked with a sigh, pulling up short and turning toward me.
“What’s Hunt’s cute little nickname for you?”
She shrugged her shoulders and answered, “Cutie pie, why?” at the same time as Hunter shouted, “Don’t tell him.”
“Why’d you tell him?” Hunter asked as he dragged her away.
“He asked.” Ellie sounded a little frustrated.
