Page 22 of His Secret Santa
“Oh, God,” Jamie grimaced, lowering his voice. “You drew her name? Oh, man, I’m so sorry for you.” He frowned. “So, you’re really going to spend that kind of money on your nemesis?”
Holden smiled and shrugged.
“You’re a better man than me.” Jamie clapped him on the back and laughed.
• • •
Lincoln found McKenna and the others hanging out in their hallway, the girls tittering about something. He thought he knew what. McKenna confirmed it when she waved the small piece of paper in his face.
“Is this why you didn’t want to tell me who it was?” She smirked dryly.
“You stole it out of my pocket?” When? While she was comforting him on the field?
“What do you care?” She looked at the name. “This is actually kind of great.” Her voice adopted a shrewd tone. “We could have some real fun with this.”
Lincoln snatched it away and stuffed it in his pocket. “We? You drew your own name. Worry about them.”
“Seriously, bro,” Troy snickered. “What’re you gonna do? We all know what he wants from you.”
“Really?” Lincoln stared at him, unamused. “And what is that, bro?”
“Hey, don’t get pissy with me because you got stuck with the fag boy.”
Greg Sanders busted up and then waved his hand. “Sorry, Linc. It’s just how that sounded. Got stuck with him.” The others laughed.
“Come on.” McKenna nudged him when he didn’t share their amusement. “It was funny, admit it. And your drawing his name is a golden opportunity. Oh!” She squealed. “I know! You should take him out on a date, get him all worked up thinking you really like him, get him to take his clothes off—then we’ll all come out of hiding, recording him on our phones.”
Troy nodded, a dark smile forming. “Now, that is a fucking awesome idea.”
“I know.” McKenna scrunched her nose, pleased with herself.
“I’m not doing that,” Lincoln muttered.
“Why not?” Troy asked. “It would be epic.” He grinned. “Hey. Invite him to your birthday party if you don’t want to be seen with him on a date, we could do it there. Take him up to your room… get him naked on your bed.”
Lincoln flinched when his cock jumped. “I’ll deal with it myself,” he mumbled. “I don’t need anyone’s help.” He sniffed and brushed lingering dampness from his eyes.
The others sobered. “Sorry, man,” Greg said. “We were just trying to cheer you up.”
Were you? Lincoln had his doubts. The look on McKenna’s face confirmed those doubts. For her, Lincoln was merely a tool to wield in further humiliating the gay boy.
• • •
“He was crying?” Jamie seemed doubtful.
“Yeah, I think so,” Holden murmured. “He looked really upset. From where I was sitting, anyway. Then McKenna came out and hugged him.”
“Comforting him?” Jamie shook his head. “Doesn’t sound like her.”
“Maybe she’s a better girlfriend than a…”
“Human being?” Jamie chuffed and looked at Abby. “What’re your thoughts?”
Abby hesitated. “She never struck me as the nurturing type.”
Stretching back on the bleachers at the edge of the gym floor, Jamie asked, “How is she with Lincoln? Is she good to him?”
“I don’t know, I guess. I mean, she likes to get her way. I’ve seen her bitch at him when he didn’t go along with whatever she wanted.” She shrugged. “But he stays with her, so… I don’t know… maybe she’s different in private—or he likes bitches. Some guys do.”