I took extra time with my hair and makeup the next day and it had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I was meeting Jackson to go over his notes. I also put perfume between my boobs because you never know where a man's nose might end up. I chose my highest wedges so that I looked the height of a normal human being plus for reaching tallboys whose neck I might want to grab. Earrings were dangly, the tank top was moderately see-thru, and I had manhandled my hair to the point of being tame.

Florida heat was, however, putting up an excellent offense.

I had to ensure the boys did not see me before my little rendezvous. I knew what they would say, and I knew they would notice. I avoided them entirely by arriving an entire hour before they did, and I hid in the upstairs computer lab. It was a 100% quiet space where web chatters went to meet their digital paramours. The boys hated that area so I knew I'd be able to avoid them entirely. I there in between classes and I even ignored when Victor called me my cell. Then he called me again and I hobbled outside to pick up the call.

"Hey what's wrong?" I whispered.

"Are you here?"

"Yes, big project, I'll see you tomorrow," I said and hung up.

Yes, I felt rather guilty but honestly, I knew they were just going to make fun of me, I looked like I put an effort. I had to look nothing like I had looked in the 5K, all sweaty and dying. I found Jackson in the library, he was setting down his things, waiving at some people that passed by him when I arrived.

"Hey gorgeous," he smiled.

"Hi!" Too bright. Too desperate. Be alluring. Count to three before speaking.

He sat down and gestured to the seat next to him which I calmly took, making sure my back was straight. He pulled out his notes and I watched his arms. He was fit, not fit like Victor was, but a soft kind. He was talking and gesturing to his notes. His handwriting was chaos, a mess, not messy like mine but harsh lines jutting out in various directions, no rhythm, no sense. For a moment I wished his letters were neat and tidy like Victor's. Wait why was I thinking about Victor? I had a guy who liked me three inches from my boobs and I was thinking about my best friend?

"So, I'm thinking the final project is going to be the really important bit of this class," he said and I nodded.

"Right, worth 60% of the grade," I said.

He smiled then he touched his hair, scratching at the buzzed hairs by his ears. "So, I'm glad you're no longer good friends with Manning. That was really bizarre."

The brilliant, flirty smile dropped from my face. "What do you mean of course we're still friends."

"Oh," he looked away. "Hadn't seen you guys this week together, I figured that was finally over."

"I don't understand," I said.

"I mean, I'm not looking for anything serious to begin with," he said, scratching his eyebrow making him look a little arrogant. "But even if we were just messing around, I wouldn't be comfortable with that friendship."

I stared at him, trying to process what he was saying. What he was insinuating.

"Are you..." I sighed. "Are you saying that if you were ever to mess with me, even a casual grope in the back of the building, I would not be able to be friends with Victor because..."

"It's strange, babe. It just is," he shrugged.

I handed him back his paper and stood up, he looked up at me stunned. "Oh my god. You're an asshole! Like a real one." I laughed and zoomed my eyes on him. "I cannot believe I straightened my hair out for you. Go to hell."

I stormed out of the library, my chest rising and clenching, I was so angry, my veins felt they would explode. I had spritzed perfume between my tits for that asshole.

"Whose car are you going to write asshole on?" Victor was sitting on the couches by the Atrium as I stormed out. He was staring at me with a slight smile.

"I'm starving," I snapped.

"Burger King?"

"You drive."

"I always do," he said.

He was quiet and so was I as he drove, my fingers slamming against the door like Led Zeppelin drummer. I could not believe these would be the conditions for a relationship with a guy. No Victor. That thought burned an awful hole in my stomach and I cast a glance at him when we pulled up on the parking lot. It was nearly empty, we always seemed to miss the lunch rush.

"Victor," I said and looked at him. He turned off the car and stared at me. "Do girls tell you shit about me. Like not about me but about us. You and me?"

His eyes darkened and I watched as his jaw tightened. The little freckles he had on the apples of his cheek twitched.

"Rule number one, don't listen to stupid people," he said but his voice was low.

I nodded but his scent was all over the car, all over me, and I felt this sudden tightening and desperation. So, without preamble, overthought, or plan, I reached out and grabbed his head and pulled him to me. He was willing. He was pliable. And I kissed him. My lips mauled at his mouth and within a passing of a breath, his arms were around me, pulling me to him. My legs scrambled over the gears, my hands grasped his hair, his ears, any part of him I could touch. The heat was so intense, so overwhelming the little desperate mewls from my mouth could not capture sufficient air to live so I pulled back.

Oh my god.

I scrambled off him.

Oh my god.

I stared at him, he stared at me. He looked like he'd been attacked by a wild and desperate woman. His hair was sticking up in all directions, lipstick was all over his mouth and neck (when exactly had I sucked his neck dear god), his t-shirt had been yanked and stretched from his neck, and his eyes... his wide brown eyes were staring at me in utter confusion.

"I'm sorry!" I hid my face in my hands. "Oh god, I fucked everything up!"

The heat in the car was intense and I heard him turn the car and AC on, blowing it full blast. When I looked back at him he was staring straight ahead, his elbow on the door, his head on the palm of his hand. The vent was in his face, making the hair on his forehead flutter.

Ok. Victor was good looking. I would admit to that. I was a mature woman. He was fuckable. He was... oh god, he was my best friend I had just kissed my best friend, not just kissed but basically rode on his lap until... my eyes went between his legs.

Oh. Oh.

"Victor –"

"Don't say a word."

He was breathing slowly, eyes closed, and I sat there, pulling my eyes from him and staring straight ahead. I had to fix this. I could not believe I had just let go of my entire body. The minutes ticked by in the silence and finally, I heard him release a long breath.

"What was that?" His voice was deceptively calm. I admired it. There was not a milkshake in McDonalds that was more shaken than I was.

"Impulse? Momentary insanity? Me fucking everything up?" I felt the tears choking the back of my throat.

He held a finger up and I stared at him, his eyes were intense on me. "Don't you cry."

"I won't," I swore, pulling myself together.

"I assume this all has to do with Jackson," he remained calm.

"No."

He waited.

"Yes."

He looked at me.

"I don't know. He said he would never do anything with me because of you."

Victor's brows furrowed. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Because of our friendship. He said it was strange, our friendship. That if he were ever to 'mess with me'," I air quoted. "You and I could not be friends."

Victor raised a brow as he looked at me incredulously. "So, you climbed on my lap?"

I opened my mouth but then I had no defense.

"First I called him an asshole. And told him to go to hell. Regarding the lap dance, I don't know why I did that."

He nodded slowly.

"Can we forget that it happened?" I whispered and my right leg shook up and down.

He let out a long breath and then pressed a tight smile on his lips.

"I'm not. I'm going to remember it."

I stared at him, mouth open.

"C'mon, let's pretend it didn't happen and get some food."

We must have looked quite the sight ordering food because our usual guy looked at us rather curiously. When I slipped into the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror I saw what Victor had seen. A completely unhinged individual. My hair was a messy halo around me, my lipstick was in my teeth and all over my mouth. My blouse was nearly sideways, and I looked utterly and positively rumpled.

I could still taste him in my mouth. I would still smell him there. Between my tits. I had to fix this. I had to. Then, unbidden to me, came Crystal's face. He had liked Crystal. Why had I forgotten about Crystal? What better way to make peace and bring things to normalcy than to offer pretty, sweet, Crystal as an option. Yes. This was the best course of option. Tomorrow was operation introduce Crystal to Victor. I had the best plans. No more kissing cousins. Or best friends, this wasn't Alabama.

a/n: ANNND there it is. :)

Recommended 90s Playlist (will grow with each chapter)

1. Gettin' Jiggy With It - Will Smith

2. Kiss The Rain - Billie Myers

3. Come Baby Come - K7

4. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba

5. Bitch - Meredith Brooks

6. Something to Talk About - Bonnie Raitt

7. WannaBe - Spice Girls

8. Miami - Will Smith

9. Ghetto Supastar - Pras

10. All Cried Out - Allure

11. The Way - Fastball

12. Walkin' on the Sun - Smash Mouth

13. Can't Get Enough of You Baby - Smash Mouth

14. Stay (I missed you) - Lisa Loeb

15. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) - The Offspring

16. Sex & Candy - Marcy Playground

17. Lullaby - Shawn Mullins

18. Inside Out - Eve 6

19. My Way - Usher

20. Last Kiss - Pearl Jam

21. She's So High - Tal Bachman

22. Slide - The Goo Goo Dolls

23. Y Hubo Alguien - Marc Anthony

24. Here's to the Night - Eve 6

25. I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis

26. You Sang to Me - Marc Anthony

27. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down

28. Best I Ever Had - Gary Allan

29. Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer