The Ultimate Compromise （20）

"Yo: Rook's toasted again," Tyler pointed to where he was dancing completely alone on the floor to Madonna. He was a little better of a dancer than Tyler, but that wasn't really saying much.

Amara had tapped out a while ago and joined Tyler at the table. Osi has since retired to their room with a girl he'd met up with on Tinder and had informed Tyler he'd text him when it was safe to come up.

"You've got room to talk. You can't even open your eyes all the way," Amara said, staring at him slumped over in his chair.

"I may have partaken in some herbal enhancements as well," he said, waving his pen and sticking it back in his pocket.

"That explains it. You're supposed to be quitting, remember?"

"Yeah, well, I don't want to right now," he replied petulantly, sticking his tongue out at her and checking his phone again. "Guess I'm the designated homeless tonight." He tossed it on the table and folded his arms.

"Nothing yet? I'm sure he'll be done soon. He has to be. They've been up there for over an hour."

"Osi isn't a sprinter. That Russian motherfucker is a marathon runner. It could be another two hours. Kid fucks for days at a time."

"Wow, who'd have thought? Good for him though!"

"Good for who?" Ryan yelled, grabbing her shoulders from behind and startling her. "Sorry, that was loud. Good for who?"

"Osi. He's been up in their room for over an hour with some Tinder chick and he's not responding to any of Ty's messages."

"Ooh, you don't think she killed him, do you?" Ryan asked, sitting down and stuffing an entire cookie in his mouth.

"I hope not, or we're all gettin' called in for questioning," Tyler said. "Anyway, that was the last song. Apparently, the DJ quit after watching this dickbag try to dance." He pointed at Ryan, who promptly flipped him off. "I'm gonna go find Nick and say goodbye, and then go sleep in my fuckin' truck, I guess."

Ryan leaned over to Amara after Hayes had walked away. "You look smokin' tonight. Did I tell you that yet?"

"About eight times," she laughed, grabbing his hand. "Thank you, again."

He sat back in his chair. "I'm just so lucky. I can't stop thinking about the other night and how hot it was sharing you with someone else but knowing that you're still all mine after."

Judging by the slight slurring, she assumed he was caught in the middle of a whiskey-fueled ramble, so she indulged him. "Yeah, it was pretty hot. She was…talented."

"I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, but I fuckin' loved it."

"Yeah, it was kinda fun. I guess."

"You know, I've had a few drinks."

"You don't say, Ry?" He was definitely drunk, but not sloppy, slide-down-the-wall drunk, for which Amara was eternally grateful.

"And," he leaned in and whispered into her ear, "I'm feeling pretty generous again right now."

"OK. Well, in case you haven't done a once-over, it's slim pickin's around here. Hardly any women, and the guys that are here wouldn't really be barking up this tree if you catch my drift." She grabbed her phone and stuck it in her purse. "Wanna head up to the room?"

Ryan motioned over to where Hayes was standing and talking to Mark and Nick.

"Yeah, we'll stop and say goodbye on the way out."

"No, Amara. I mean, Hayes?"

"Yes, Ryan. That's Tyler Hayes, your teammate."

"No, I mean…you know. Hayes?"

"I'm not picking up what you're putting down, stud."

"Did you wanna maybe, I don't know…invite him up to our room and play around with him a little.

She rolled her eyes. "You're hilarious. Really. Come on, let's head up."

"Amara, I'm not kidding."

"Thought our little arrangement didn't include him?"

"It didn't. But you look hot. He looks hot. I'm drunk. And I want...I mean, I know you want him. You should get what you want."

"What's the catch? You wake up tomorrow regretting it, blame me, and I've gotta find a new home? No thanks, Ry. I've seen how your brain works." She stood up.

"Well, that's a lie, because my brain doesn't work." He stood up and put his arm around her. "Come on, let's go talk to him."

"Ryan, are you positive? I mean positive, because if this gets chucked back in my face, or if this is some kind of test that I'm supposed to pass…"

"Amara?" he brought a finger to her lips to "shush" her, then whispered in her ear. "Do you wanna ride his cock tonight or not?"

She felt her heart begin to race and her legs turn to gelatin. "Yes," she said quietly, biting her bottom lip.

"That's what I thought. So, let's go talk to him."

"It has to come from you," she told him.

"And why's that?"

"Because I sorta filled him in on everything today, and he already knows he's persona non grata."

Ryan exhaled, annoyed. "You really do tell that little fucker everything, don't you?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's kinda…my best friend."

"Welp, let's go toss a wrench into those spokes, shall we?"

They approached Nick and Mark, said their goodbyes, and the newlyweds soon wandered off to some of the other guests who were leaving as well. That left Ryan and Amara standing with Hayes, who was checking his phone again.

"Nothing yet?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Man, that's crazy. Ryan?" she nudged him in the ribs. "Did you have something…"

"Oh, right. So, did you wanna come upstairs and help me fuck the shit out of my girlfriend?"

Amara and Hayes shot each other a look, both of their eyes practically bulging out of their skulls. They turned back towards Ryan, who shrugged.

"What, Amara? You said you thought it was hot when Hayes didn't sugarcoat things, right? So, I'm giving it a shot. Why play games? That's the plan, Hayes. You down for a little two-on-one scrimmage? Couple of sticks, one net?"

"Who the fuck are you right now?" she asked Ryan, staring at him and running her fingertips up his arm, decidedly turned on by his boldness.

"Whoever you want me to be," he responded, staring directly at Hayes. "Come on, kid. You like to make all that noise all the time, so here it is. You DTF or what?"

He shoved his phone in his back pocket and shrugged. "Alright. Let's fuckin' go then."

"Super," Ryan said, as he led the trek to the elevator, with Hayes and Amara in tow.

"What the fuck happened?" Hayes mouthed to Amara as they followed Ryan.

"I have no idea," she mouthed back. "It was totally his idea though. Are you OK with this?" she whispered.

"Um. What the fuck do you think? Do you remember me literally begging you earlier?"

"Even with him there?"

"I can handle Rook, don't you worry. Oh, he's gonna regret this shit. He's about to see how his girlfriend is supposed to get fucked."

"You better watch yourself," she warned him. "Don't sleep on him. Ryan's a fucking dynamo. He's the best I've ever had."

"Yeah. That's about to change."