Timeline - November 11th | ( 2 Days Later )

The dinner had been the highlight of their week for the group of four, and the restaurant owner—who knew Jesse like family—was over the moon when the girls started their night early. They handed over the headmaster's credit card as their security bond, signaling that this was definitely going to be one of those nights where the restaurant owner would only charge the card in the morning.

By nine o'clock, they had left the restaurant and headed to Hassel's for their weekly bonding session and some much-needed girl time. At Hassel's, they planned to unwind with a few more rounds of drinks before Richie was set to pick them up. Meanwhile, Toni and Matthew were still tied up at one of the newly constructed academies, deep in board meetings. For Eko, spending the evening indulging in drinks and the company of loved friends was the perfect distraction from both missing Matthew and the worry she felt whenever he was away.

Stumbling up the stairs into the establishment, the girls were guided to their usual corner booth, where a fresh round of cocktails eagerly awaited them.

"Tequila shots as well!" Jasmine exclaimed, settling enthusiastically into the booth.

Eko slid in next to her, making space for Jesse and Mya to join. Amid the booming music and pulsating lights of the club, the girls huddled close to catch up.

Mya raised her glass in a toast to Jasmine, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Meanwhile, Jesse gingerly pushed her own shot glass aside. "The last time we did these shots together, we had no clue where we ended up, and the guys took ages trying to track us down! Remember, Jasmine? We ended up in a Harlem."

"A Harlem? Like an actual orgy house?" Eko laughed, her dark eyes wide with amusement and her smile lighting up her face. "H-how is that even possible? Why, how?"

"Jaz always finds a way," Mya chuckled, her fingers curled around her cocktail before she took a sip.

"It's hardly even a memory," Jasmine said to Jesse, her sun-kissed skin and sparkling eyes reflecting the club's vibrant lights. "We had fun, didn't we?"

"I don't have any real recollection of that to know."

"Don't be a sourpuss, drink your alcohol like a big girl," Jasmine teased, her playful smirk highlighting her full, glossy lips. "Besides, you randomly were calling the shots 'jiggle juice' for some unknown reason."

Mya and Eko howled with laughter, their infectious energy blending seamlessly with the club's pulsating beat.

"Oh, stop it, you children," Jesse said with a scowl as she took a sip of her cocktail. "I wouldn't have called it that."

"Speaking of children, did you hear Cynthia's transferring from Tech to Clara Ace?" Jasmine interjected, reaching for the cocktail menu to order another round.

"No way," Mya responded, surprise evident in her tone. "I thought she loved it here; she's so good at Tech!"

"Hmm," Jasmine nodded, still engrossed in the menu. "Cynthia caught CJ and Stacie hooking up. She said she couldn't stay after that."

"Didn't everyone already know about that?" Eko added with a sheepish grin. "We stumbled into them in one of the communal areas after training one night. They were in the shower and got really, really carried away. I'm talking full-on barnyard animal noises, their bodies just clapping together, I was totally mortified! Like you know when two people should just not have sex, this was them."

"Wait, wait, wait! You and Matthew actually saw them?" Mya asked with raised eyebrows, clearly intrigued. "Because you were about to do the same thing?"

"Yes, Mya, are you satisfied with the details of my sex life now?" Eko giggled. "And just to be clear, incase anyone was thinking, we do not make barnyard animal noises, okay? Not our vibe."

"We never even thought it but thanks for the images," Jesse smirked before rolling her eyes as she took a sip of her drink. She then raised an eyebrow in mock judgment. "Seriously, is there anywhere you two haven't done it?"

Eko grinned at Jesse, who rolled her eyes in annoyance. Undeterred, Eko continued with a playful sparkle in her eyes. "You know, speaking of places," she began, raising her glass and taking a small sip, "remember how I told you we were doing it in that lingerie shop before that attack broke out? And I mentioned Connie being pregnant and everything?" She paused, her grin widening for dramatic effect. "Did you guys find out how?"

"Whoa, what's this?" Jasmine sat forward, eyes wide with curiosity. "Connie got herself pregnant! With who?"

"Tom," Eko shrugged.

"Tom?" Jasmine gasped. "Spear's little brother?"

Jesse scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Connie lodged a complaint with the HQ board about the implants. We had to go through a full investigation. Mya had to provide a statement along with a few of the head doctors. It's all sorted now, though. No negligence on our part."

"So," Eko asked, wide-eyed, "what actually happened?"

Mya grinned. "The idiot forgot her top-up shot. Missed it by three weeks and now she's trying to blame us for negligence and wants compensation for the baby."

"Wait, what?" Eko's eyes widened in disbelief. "She wants money?"

"Mmhmm," Jesse nodded. "Hasn't Matthew told you? That's been adding to his stress. Most of his recent meetings have been with lawyers and doctors, checking if there were any defects in the implants and what that means for the rest of the soldiers. These are patented implants."

"But everything's okay, right?" Eko asked, her tone tentative.

"Oh, totally!" Mya laughed, shaking her head. "The implants are fine. Honestly, she's the one who missed her shot, despite being reminded regularly to see the onsite doctor for a booster."

"And they get a reminder on their comms device every single day until they get it," Jesse added, "but it's also why the Allegiant board and teachers emphasize using protection. Nothing's 100% guaranteed. It's not a free rein to fuck each other all the time, like you and Matthew do." Jesse leered.

Eko nearly dribbled the wine out of her mouth as she tried to suppress her laughter.

"You know, you bring up my sex life quite a bit for someone not interested in it. Why, are you needing tips, Jesse?" Eko teased, raising an eyebrow.

A brief silence settled over the group as Eko's smile grew wider. She took a leisurely sip of her drink, holding Jesse's gaze with confident ease. Jesse scrunched up her face in exaggerated disgust and shook her head. "You guys are so disgusting."

"No, honestly you know what is disgusting? It's when someone gets off sucking your toes," Jasmine said with a smirk, glancing around the table. "He doesn't have any weird fetishes like that, does he? I hear all sorts of rumors from the Fanclub, but nothing like that.""

"Who the hell have you slept with that has wanted to suck your toes!?" Mya gasped, horrified.

"Interestingly, he also prayed over my vag before eating it,"  Jasmine shrugged nonchalantly, flipping through the drink menu with practiced ease.

The conversation abruptly stopped as the waitress arrived, overhearing Jasmine's last comment. The waitress hovered awkwardly, while the other three stared at Jasmine in stunned disbelief.

"Darling, we're going to need two jugs of sangria, four violet sunsets, eight tequila shots, and eight wet pussies. Oh, and tell Raoul to bring that vodka I had last time," Jasmine commanded with a flourish. Then, turning to the table, she added, "Girls?"

"Um," Mya said, shaking her head as if to clear it, and then pointed to her cocktail. "Another round of this."

"Four glasses of the White Russian," Eko added.

"Actually, make that three White Russians and one Black Russian for me," Jasmine amended.

"Three White and one Black," Eko adjusted her order, tapping the menu.

"I'll have a Rosé Pinot," Jesse said, lifting her glass with a nod, "and could we also get the Ambrose bottle?"

The waitress nodded, her smile brightening as she made a note. "Would you ladies like anything else? Perhaps a cheese platter? I could arrange for some desserts to arrive in the next hour as a little snack."

"You're a sweetheart!" Jasmine said with a beaming smile, handing the menu back. As the waitress walked away, she settled back in her chair and took a leisurely sip of her cocktail.

"Okay," Mya settled into the booth,  "what's the weirdest thing someone has done to you during sex?"

Eko laughed, her rich, unrestrained laughter almost causing her to spill her cocktail. "Trying to figure out how kinky Sawyer really is on the scale?" she teased, a mischievous smirk dancing on her lips.

"Or how disturbing you guys really are?" Mya winked, her tone playful and challenging.

"Alright, alright," Jesse conceded, tossing her hair back and preparing herself for the story. Her hands animatedly mimicked the absurdity as she recounted, "Fifteen years old and second time I had sex, met this guy that tried to put a small pointy action toy figure up my butt. Shocked when I said no, kept trying so I punched him and knocked him out."

"What in the actual fuckery?" Eko laughed, taking a large gulp of her cocktail.

"Mya?" Jesse turned her head to look at the woman.

"In the middle of sex, he asked me if he was doing good. I said yes, and then he put his hand up for a high five. I laughed and it was game over."

"Was that Richie?" Jasmine playfully prodded.

"No," she responded with a straight face, "It was Charles before Richie."

Laughter echoed around the table.

"Eko?" Mya raised her glass, sipping it leisurely.

"He made me wear a dinosaur outfit and wanted me to put on a strap-on." She shrugged.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Jasmine burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Did you!?" Mya and Jesse looked mortified.

"I was seventeen, of course I did... was not how I imagined my night to go, but you know, you only live once!"

Amidst the high-pitched laughter and vivid mental images, the waitress arrived with two assistants, their arms laden with trays of drinks and food. The tantalizing aroma of freshly cooked dishes filled the air as the waitstaff carefully set everything down on the table.

As the group started distributing drinks, clinking glasses and taking a few shots, giggles erupted around the table. Eko lifted her White Russian towards Jasmine with a mischievous grin. "Back to you!"

Jasmine knocked back her entire Black Russian in one swift motion, savoring the pleasant burn in her throat. She settled back in her seat, setting the empty glass down with a satisfied clink. Reaching for the Sangria, she poured generous amounts into glasses for everyone, the rich, fruity scent blending seamlessly with the other aromas.

"He climaxed and screamed his own name," Jasmine said, her voice dripping with amusement as she handed the glass to Mya across from her.

"The next time, he screamed my entire name... JASSMMINNNEEE... DELACOURT..." Jasmine said, her smirk widening as she poured another glass. She passed it to Jesse, whose jaw dropped open in disbelief.

"You went back for thirds?" Eko laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she took in the scrunched-up expression on Jasmine's face.

"I did, and what finally ended things was he stared into my eyes, and told me how they looked like his mother's."

Mya nearly sprayed sangria across the table as she covered her mouth with her other hand, her eyes widening with shock. Meanwhile, Jesse struggled to keep her composure, almost spitting out her drink in a fit of laughter.

Jasmine extended the drink towards Eko, whose mouth hung open in stunned disbelief. "Nooooo!"

"Yep, Mya, back over to you!" Jasmine said, raising her glass in a playful salute.

"How do I top that?" Mya laughed awkwardly, "Okay, um... let me think here... oh, it's disgusting though... so, you remember Kelvin, after Richie and I broke up?"

Jasmine and Jesse nodded in agreement, while Eko playfully mimicked the motion, her eyes sparkling with eager anticipation for more juicy details.

"I hadn't been with anyone for a while at this stage. Anyway, he popped a popsicle in my vjayjay, let it melt, and, well... drank the juice coming out."

"KELVIN!" Jesse roared with laughter, shaking her head, clearly recognizing the name with a mix of amusement and disbelief.

"I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WERE DOING THESE DAYS!"

"He did the same thing to me when I was sixteen," Jasmine shrugged. "I think I actually gave him the idea... He tried it with ice cream the next time we did it."

"JASMINE!" Mya exclaimed, her face flushed with mortification as she shook her head slowly, clearly overwhelmed.

Eko slammed her hand on the table, laughter bubbling up uncontrollably; it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. Her drink lay forgotten as she struggled to wipe away the tears of amusement streaming down her cheeks.

"I don't recommend it," Jasmine said with a smirk, "at least not with ice, and definitely not with bananas."

"Bananas?" Eko tilted her head, her curiosity piqued.

"It took forever to wash out," Jasmine admitted with a wry smile, shaking her head.

"Okay, okay—Jesse, your turn! Enough about fruit and condiments up our wahoo," Mya said, blushing that she had brought it up.

In fits of laughter, Jesse grabbed the shot of Wet Pussy and downed it in one go, hoping the alcohol would help erase this conversation come morning.

"Someone accidently used hand sanitizer as lube and burnt the fuck out of both of us."

"AIDEN!?" the three girls unified in their responses laughed.

Resigned to her shame, Jesse nodded and said, "Couldn't have sex for days. Anyway..." She turned to the brunette beside her, her gaze expectant. "Eko?"

"I've grape fruited someone because they had an enormous dick."

"Urm," Jasmine raised her hand, her eyes wide with curiosity. "What is grapefruiting?" She was clearly intrigued, eager to learn about this new adventure.

"So, it's the act of giving a blowjob with a grapefruit. You hollow out the middle and run it up and down the shaft while sucking on the head."

"What the fuck, Eko!" Mya exclaimed, her face a picture of shock and embarrassment.

"Wait, wait," Jesse said, holding up her hand as she tried to process it all. "I don't get it."

Eko took a sip of her sangria before explaining with a smirk, "It's like giving a blowjob that feels like he's having sex with an incredibly wet vagina. It helps if he has an enormous dick, so you don't choke to death. I don't have a gag reflex, but I knew a girl who needed to do it because her reflex was super sensitive."

"So, you make a hole for the penis and slide it up and down while you're sucking him off?" Jasmine clarified.

Eko raised her Sangria, taking a long sip before smirking at the girls. "Exactly."

"You and Matthew are fucked up," Mya began, trying to stifle her laughter.

"He enjoys it, and he's never done it before either," Eko winked at Mya. "Besides, he's the first guy I've actually done that with. A friend of mine from the royal elite—her servant told her about it. I didn't believe her at all, until, well, you know," Eko grinned, winking, subtly implying her and Matthew. "You guys need to try it." 

"Oh god," Jesse muttered, her face scrunching up in disgust. "Jasmine, seriously, back to you." She shook her head, mortified at the conversation and the details about her so-called 'brother' and Eko's sex life.

"Okay, A, totally will," Jasmine winked at Eko as she raised her glass. "And B, we stayed in this weird hotel while we were away in Fartook for academy training. Anyway, this guy in our cadet year roared super loud, literally like a lion. Imagine it for for a second here, right? He was so bloody loud that the cadets next door came running to our room, knocking on his door because they thought they heard a girl screaming!"

Swinging back another drink of Sangria, Jasmine turned to Mya. "Your turn."

"Kept saying he was going to put a baby in me... clearly that happened." she raised her glass.

A moment of stunned silence settled over the three as they stared at Mya. Eko, still grappling with the shock, downed one of the spare tequila shots before speaking.

"Was it like a girlly kind of 'gonna put a baby in you' or a real stalker that's why you dated him 'gonna put a baby in you?"

Mya burst into laughter, waving her hand dismissively. "The normal kind, you know, when you're engaged and planning to get married. The 'gonna put a baby in you' type."

Stunned by this revelation, Eko leaned forward, eyes wide. "You guys were engaged?"

Mya finished her White Russian and nodded, as if it were no big deal. "Yeah, we were for a while."

"Then?" Eko pressed, eager for more details.

"Then... well, shit happened, and we broke up."

"Right, is this a story for another time?" Eko asked, sensing the need to tread lightly as both Jesse and Jasmine grew quiet, realizing it might be a conversation still too tender to delve into.

"Definitely not the night for that shitty, depressing conversation," Mya said with a smile. "Besides, it's Jesse's turn now."

"Right!" Jesse perked up, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Okay... urm... this is embarrassing, but he wanted me to pee on him."

"It's only embarrassing if you did," Jasmine waved her hand around, but instantly stopped when she noticed as Jesse reached for the one shot, she swore she wasn't having that night.

"WAIT! YOU PEE'D ON HIM!" Jasmine shouted when there was no response.

"Eko, go" Jesse looked at the brunette.

"Who was it!" Mya was quick to interject.

"Eko," Jesse nodded, "go."

"No, no who was it? Aiden again?" Jasmine pressed.

"God it wasn't Aiden, I was seventeen."

"Brad?" Mya was quick with the names.

"Marco? Ben? Kai? Lucas? Ment? Kero?" Jasmine rattled them off.

"No, leave it, drop it! – Eko go!"

"Been choked while having sex," Eko said suddenly, pivoting the conversation with a playful grin.

"Sex with Matthew doesn't count," Jesse deadpanned, giving her the evil eye.

"He's into that?" Mya tilted her head, curiosity evident. "Really?"

"Honey, you have no idea," Eko said dreamily. "And he's so good at it. It's just the right amount of pressure when you're hitting your peak. He's the only person I know who can pull it off perfectly while also fucking you. But no, unfortunately, when I say choked, I mean someone didn't know how to do it right and I blacked out."

"I've had that," Jasmine added, "then he cried, and we continued with sex and he just kept fucking crying."

"What kind of men do you sleep with?" Jesse's mouth was agape in shock.

Jasmine shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. "Clearly, the ones with the red flags. Mya, it's your turn."

"Nopeee," she took a glass from Jesse's Pinot bottle, "doesn't count, that was off the back of Eko's admission."

Exhaling she took another drink, "threesome with a married Crochella couple."

"Come on!" Mya berated her, "really Jasmine? Really?"

She shrugged again raising her glass to Mya, "your turn babe."

"Fine... got busted by Mackenzie doing it."

"That doesn't count, who hasn't been caught by a kid?" Jasmine protested.

"Urm I haven't," Eko raised her hand.

"Me either," Jesse shook her head, a bit mortified that Jasmine had been.

"Fine, Sawyer likes his balls squeezed when coming," and only after did it come out of Mya's mouth did her eyes widen at what she had let loose.

"Fuck... fuck... SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!" Mya pointed at the girls around the table, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh fuck, that doesn't leave this table!"

"Did you stick your finger up his butt as well? I heard that's where their G-spot is," Jasmine leaned forward, her expression serious.

"Jesus, Jasmine!" Jesse scrunched her face in disbelief.

"What?" Jasmine defended, shrugging at the astonished looks she was getting. "You guys are so uptight. It's just sex." She shook her head with a smirk before turning to Eko. "Your turn, and it better be good with all this ball-squeezing, finger butting talk."

"That does not leave this table!" Mya insisted, her gaze fierce as she looked at everyone.

"Look, if it helps," Eko shrugged, "Matthew said one of the girls fucked him in a graveyard once." She hoped the new topic might ease Mya's embarrassment. But the comment only drew horrified stares from the group, intensifying the awkwardness.

"I mean, I've done that too, don't get me wrong," Eko added, trying to ease the tension. "It's not a deal-breaker between us. We don't really get off on that type of thing. The guy I was with, though? He was totally into it. He wanted to actually reenact me being dead while he was fucking me. I got the hell out of there after that."

"And you say I go for the men with the red flags?" Jasmine pointed at herself, trying to lighten the mood.

"Eko, you're going to hell for that... you know that, right? So is Matthew," Jesse said, her mouth agape in disbelief.

"I fully realize that," Eko giggled, taking another sip of her drink. "Long before I met him, I knew I was headed for hell. I thought I'd lighten the mood, and since I spilled, Jesse, it's still your turn."

"I'm running out of things," Jesse said with a grin. "Clearly, I don't have a long list like you and Jasmine do."

"What did Aiden do that you like?" Mya asked, eager to keep the conversation rolling.

Jesse's grin widened. "He was fantastic with his tongue. Like, really, really good."

"The best?" Jasmine pressed, eager to draw out more details from her usually reserved friend when it came to her sex life.

Jesse laughed, taking a sip as she winked at the group. "Absolutely."

"Okay, okay, your turn," Mya said, turning to Jasmine. "What's one of the best things, not the weirdest, a guy has done?"

Jasmine grinned. "The very clichéd whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and strawberries porn scenes you see... I tried it out with this guy. We were high as fuck when we did it. He'd gotten some Tibetan mushrooms, smoked them, and I swear I came five times that night... it was incredible. Like fucking incredible being that high and orgasming."

The table erupted in laughter and delight as they downed another round of drinks. The food was left forgotten, and when dessert arrived, they hungrily devoured it along with the condiments.

Mya was next to admit what she loved most from a sexual partner.

"It was the love part," she confessed. "When you truly love someone, and it's just this pure act of intimacy. I swear, there's nothing else on earth like it. No drug can compare to the experience of genuinely making love to someone."

"Eko?" Mya offered, looking at her with a hint of curiosity. She knew that, like Matthew, Eko often used sex as a way to mask her deeper emotions. It's why those two idiots were perfect for each other also. 

Eko met Mya's gaze, the playful glint in her eyes dimming slightly. "Oh, me?" she said, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. She understood the depth Mya was referring to—when sex transcended mere physicality and they had truly made love instead.

"I mean, Matthew can take you from the height of pleasure to another world," Eko begun, almost reminiscing back on those moments that consumed her and set her soul on fire. "But there's also this dominance in the sex. I mean, there's sex, and then there's something else entirely that I've never had with anyone else..." She took a sip of her cocktail and continued, "I send him nudes all the time, we've filmed ourselves, done it in a million different places, and tried some really weird sex toys—"

"—Eko," Jesse interjected with a facepalm, looking exasperated. "He's like a brother to me; I really don't need the details."

"Seriously, you can't tell me you haven't heard the fan club go on about it?" Eko deadpanned.

"I tune it out. They don't come gushing to me like you are," Jesse replied.

"Anyway," Eko rolled her eyes, smirking, "he sets the bar high for all the guys I've slept with, and yea, like Mya said, its the love part. Like when you love someone, you really just love someone, I don't think anything comes close...you're just connected in a different way. It changes your whole relationship."

"That's because he has an enormous dick," Jasmine chimed in with a smirk, sipping her cocktail.

"That too," Eko grinned like a love sick idiot again forcing Jesse to cover her ears, again trying to block out the ongoing giggles from the group.

"La, la, la—I'm going to the bathroom; I don't want to hear about you and Matthew anymore," Jesse announced, rising from the booth.

"Boo!" Eko yelled, throwing a napkin toward her as she shuffled out of the booth, leaving the girls to continue their lively chatter.

As Jesse made her way toward the ladies' room, the pulsating music and lights caught her off guard. She nearly tripped over her own feet when a pair of strong, steady hands caught her.

Jesse looked up, startled to see Aiden. His rugged good looks—tousled dark hair, striking blue eyes, and a chiseled jawline—gave him the charm of a quintessentially handsome, outdoorsy type. His presence was as magnetic as ever.

"Whoa, ma chérie, easy there," Aiden said, his voice smooth and teasing with a slight French lilt. "Didn't expect to run into you."

"A...Aiden?" Jesse's eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I just got transferred back, et voilà, here I am, out for a drink," he replied with a charming smile. "And it looks like I got really, really lucky tonight."

Jesse felt a mix of nerves and old feelings stirring. "I didn't expect to see you. It's been a while."

Aiden leaned in slightly, his gaze lingering on her with a hint of mischief. "I know. I've missed running into you like this. You always had a knack for showing up when I needed you."

Jesse blushed, trying to keep her composure despite the warmth of his gaze. "Well, I'm actually headed to the bathroom."

Aiden grinned, stepping aside but keeping his hand lightly on her arm. "I'll be right here when you get out. Mon Dieu, I've missed your smile."

**** *****

The evening stretched well into the early hours of the night. Eventually, Jasmine, Mya, and Eko, stumbling around the club in fits of giggles, finally set out to find Jesse, who was supposed to be heading out as Richie waited for them outside. They found her near the back of the Hassel's, completely absorbed in making out with a ruggedly handsome man. Jesse's tongue was deep in his mouth, and their hands were roaming with an intensity that left no doubt about their level of involvement.

"Um, ladies, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Mya clutched at Jasmine and Eko's arms.

"Is that fucking Aiden?" Eko pointed, disbelief evident. Jasmine and Mya nodded, their mouths agape.

"Oh man, this is gonna break Toni's heart," Mya said, shaking her head. Both Jasmine and Eko nodded in agreement. "Just when we thought this dickhead was out of her life."

"It was the love talk," Jasmine leaned in, frowning. "You and your love-making talk, and look what she goes and does! Thinks with her freaking Vagina instead of her head." Disappointed, Jasmine shook her head and turned back toward the bar. She was going to drown this part of the night out.

Eko leaned in to Mya, her eyes narrowing with determination. "So, what's your smart plan to get these two to admit their feelings for each other now, huh?"

Mya squinted, her brow furrowing as she thought. "It'd be way too suspicious to just kill him, right?"

"Way too suspicious," Eko agreed, her tone dry. "Besides, our real problem is getting Jesse to see Toni as more than just a brother. Let's tackle that first, and then we can figure out the rest. Aiden is totally not permanent!"

"God damn it!" Mya nearly gagged as she watched Jesse and Aiden. They were completely absorbed in each other, their hands exploring every inch of skin they could reach. Jesse's back was pressed against the wall, her lips locked with Aiden's as his fingers tangled in her hair. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, almost as if they were trying to merge into one. The intensity of their kiss was palpable, and Mya could see the heat radiating off them.

"Look at them!" Mya's voice dripped with disgust as she shook her head, eyes wide.

"I am," Eko faked a vomit-like grimace, "God, this is worse than the fan club drooling over my boyfriend." With a dramatic sigh, she turned on her heel and yanked her phone out from her bra. Mya could hear Eko's voice rise as she spoke into the phone.

"Mattie... you will not believe what I'm seeing. It's the grossest thing ever— you can't tell Toni..." Her voice trailed off as she walked back toward Jasmine, who was waiting near the bar.

Mya stood there, arms crossed, her face a portrait of frustration. This was supposed to be the night Jesse finally admitted her feelings for Toni. Now, this jerk has shown up, and Jesse's completely distracted. What a mess. Her thoughts churned with disappointment and utter irritation.

Looks like the bet was back on with Richie on who could crack Jesse first. Given their current strike rate with Matthew and Eko, what's the worst that could happen with Toni and Jesse?