A little later, however, - Jenni had no idea how long it was - another snippet of conversation from the other room caught the stunning blonde's ears.

"...So, what would you take for it?" Nate was asking somewhat calmly.

"I'm not sure it's worth it, man. You haven't got enough to cover it. And you've got nothing that I want. Why don't you just admit that you're done," Cory replied just as calmly and surely.

"I've got nothing, have I? Well...what about Jenni sitting on your lap again?" Nate asked, and Jenni's ears perked up to points.

He was betting her again! That strange mix of annoyance and exhilaration flooded through her once more as she sat and listened. What her boyfriend's friend said, however, was surprising.

"What? No way. You got me with that before, and I'm not falling for it again. The bet would have to be way more than that for it to be worth the risk," Cory replied firmly, and Jenni felt a little shocked that for the first time she actually felt more respect for Cory than she did for her boyfriend right then. He was at least acting like a decent guy. Unlike her boyfriend.

To her surprise, though, Nate wasn't finished.

"Well, what would make it worthwhile? And don't say a blowjob, because that's not happening!" Jenni's boyfriend responded, and for a second the busty blonde had no idea what her reaction was going to be.

At first, she thought she would just sit there stunned. Then she thought she may jump up and slap her boyfriend for what he had just said. Asking his friend what would be worth the bet for him, about his own girlfriend!

Oh, he had drawn the line at a blowjob - both of them found those stories where a girl is bet in a poker game for a blowjob funny. As if they would be real! - which was good for him as she may just punch him if he had gone that far. But everything up to that was still on the board. His own girlfriend!

Despite the anger, however, a part of Jenni still felt that odd little fizzle in her stomach at the thought of being bet. This time both Nate and Cory sounded certain of themselves, as if they both thought they were going to win. Well, Nate sounded more confident with his betting than Cory was about the bet, but with twice losing when Jenni was brought up it was no surprise.

"I don't know, man. I'm not sure anything is worth the risk. I've got you if you can't call," Cory said slowly.

"Oh, come on, man. Don't be a chicken shit. There's got to be something you'd want from Jenni," Nate said, stoking his girlfriend's fury even more.

She downed what was left in her glass and put it aside before she smashed it.

"Oh, man, I don't know," Cory laughed, "No blowjobs?" he asked as if he hadn't really thought that, but Jenni could bet he had. Nate shook his head and Cory sat thinking as he eyed his cards and Nate, sizing both up.

Jenni's boyfriend just sat there. Eagerly awaiting his answer as if he could barely sit on the chair. The size of the pile in the middle was the largest yet, and with how he normally lost Jenni knew her boyfriend was dying to win a game for the first time. Especially with how lucky he had been tonight already. Even if he was seemingly losing again.

"You don't give up, do you?" Cory asked amusedly, and Nate shook his head. Sighing as if put upon, which Jenni could tell even from there that it was false, Cory shrugged, "I tell you what, for a strip lap dance I would do it."

"Done!" Nate replied before Jenni had even had a moment to blink at what her boyfriend's friend had suggested.

The quickness of her boyfriend's agreement, and what he had agreed to, instantly stoked Jenni's anger to a fever pitch and she couldn't hold back any longer. Standing up she stormed into the kitchen and grabbed her hips before she throttled her boyfriend where he sat.

"What!? You're going to bet me, me!, your girlfriend!, to your housemate? What are you thinking Nate!? You're going to bet that I'll give him a strip lap dance? How could you!?" She seethed.

When he could finally get a word in edgewise Nate looked up at her, half defensive and half cowed by her sudden furious entrance.

"Babe, I can't lose, so I'm not really betting you at all!" Nate replied, feeding Jenni's fury even more at the shadow of her own thoughts.

"It's a fucking game of chance, Nate, of course you can lose! And then, what, you'll let your girlfriend give your friend a strip - a STRIP! - lap dance?" she almost bellowed as she shook.

That feeling of tingliness only sparked a little wilder inside her at the thought of such a bet. Why she should feel any exhilaration, Jenni had no idea, but right then all she could think of was how angry she was.

"It's a game of skill, babe, and trust me, I wouldn't make this bet if I wasn't absolutely sure," the confidence in his voice cut at the anger within Jenni as it had earlier. He did sound certain, even more so than Cory did. Taking his advantage, he lowered his voice as he added to her alone, "It's just to get Cory to agree so I can win. He won't agree to anything else. Trust me, babe, there is no chance he'll win."

"Famous last words," Jenni replied as her anger still simmered inside her. But the confidence in his eyes and voice did press home his advantage. And he had won the last two times he had bet her. Would he bet her if there was a chance he would lose? For a strip lap dance? Jenni didn't think so. But then Nate's new found luck couldn't hold forever and he never normally won.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, and the longing in his eyes said he would be hurt if she didn't. He seemed so sure of himself.

That look smothered a little more of her anger and Jenni found herself reluctantly nodding.

"You know I do," she said in a more calm tone, "But Nate..."

Not letting his advantage be lost, Nate broke in.

"Trust me, babe. I've got this. I can't lose," he said before smiling his winning smile at her, "Ok?"

For a long moment Jenni just stared at him as her anger boiled up inside her. But at the same time that small spark of exhilaration still tingled inside her stomach and nerves too, and she found herself thinking of how confident her boyfriend was and how he would never make a bet like this if he thought he'd lose. And slowly, ever so slowly, Jenni nodded.

"Great, so we're on?" Cory asked with barely contained excitement, no doubt at getting to see her strip for him, "Beautiful!"

Whether he meant that for the bet or her, Jenni had no idea, but she only turned around to look at the tabletop as both men resumed their game.

"So, you accept the call?" Nate asked anticipatorily.

"To get a strip lap dance from Jenni? That's too tempting to pass up!" Cory almost bounced in his chair.

"Alright, three, two, one..." Nate announced and then both of them placed their cards down on the table.

Jenni's heart sank as she looked over at Cory's beaming face. A straight flush. He had been confident for a reason, and by the look on his face he knew it too. Nate couldn't have beaten that unless he had gotten...

...And there it was. A royal flush sitting in front of Nate.

Relief so sudden washed through Jenni that she almost collapsed onto her ass on the floor. Nate had won. He had been sure. Certain, even. But with a straight flush Cory could have easily beaten any other hand he had.

A tingle ran down Jenni's spine at the thought and her stomach fluttered. She had come as close as she ever wanted to being a plaything for Cory MacKenzie. And now she felt utterly drained. Yet oddly excited.

That last didn't register, however, as Jenni's annoyance at her boyfriend for putting her in that situation in the first place resurfaced. Even if he had known he would win - though how he would know she had no idea! - even if he had he had still bet her. And bet a strip lap dance at that! This was all too much for the sexy blonde girlfriend as she turned to her boyfriend.

"You are going to be too cocky one of these days," she said a little breathlessly, "He almost had you. And then what? I'd have had to strip for him. Your girlfriend, Nate."

"But he didn't. And you don't. I knew I had him, babe, or I wouldn't have made that bet," her boyfriend replied calmly and confidently, "I told you he couldn't beat me."

"And if he had had a royal flush as well?" she asked stubbornly.

"We'd have split the pot with the majority going to him so you wouldn't have to do it," Nate responded almost nonchalantly, "I told you I knew what I was doing."

His calmness, almost arrogance, annoyed Jenni.

"Well, that's it for tonight. No more betting me, you hear me?" she told him angrily, and after a moment of looking at her Nate finally - and reluctantly at that! - nodded.

With a look at Cory for good measure Jenni stormed off into the lounge and deposited herself on the sofa, feeling grateful for being off her weak legs.

For a while Jenni couldn't settle. Her stomach kept doing flips at the thought of what had almost happened - both from nervous disgust and anger, and also from that odd tingling excitement at being the bet - and her head kept spinning.

She had been right to be upset. How could Nate have been so confident? Of course, he had had the best hand in the game, and even tying he would not have lost her, but still. To bet her. Just to win some money! And this wasn't even the first time that night!

For a while, Jenni just sat and stared past the television, lost in her own thoughts and feelings. However, even as she couldn't settle, she couldn't stop listening in on the guys either. To make sure Nate didn't break his word and bet her again.

Finally, she began to settle and finished the rest of her wine off from the bottle. She was almost feeling somewhat stable when Nate and Cory came walking into the lounge. They couldn't have entered more differently from one another. Nate was all proud and grinning, whereas Cory looked confused and bummed out.

Looking over to them Jenni decided against waiting for Nate to speak first. She was annoyed but she wasn't childish.

"So, how was the night?" she asked with only a tinge of how she felt shining through. Nate didn't seem to notice anything.

"I won," Nate announced with a grin and a look for Cory, slapping his friend on the shoulder before making his way over to wrap his arms around her over the back of the sofa and kiss her head.

Both Cory and Jenni shared a confused look. Nate never won at poker, and he had been losing except when he had bet her. How had he won?

"I...guess that practice really paid off?" she half said and half asked, giving Cory another look before leaning back to look up at Nate.

"Yep. Couldn't have gone better. And Cory here is out of pocket to prove it," her boyfriend answered with a smirk towards his friend.

"So, something nice for me then tomorrow?" she asked. It was the least he could do given what he had put her through tonight.

"Something nice for you for the whole week! Cory lost big time," Nate replied, and laughed as he looked over to his friend's dejected face once again, "Don't worry, buddy, there's always next time."

"Yeah. I guess," Cory responded, not seeming to know what to say. For once he wasn't ogling Jenni, which showed just how confused he was at having lost to Nate that he was.

Nate only laughed softly to himself at that, before he jumped over the back of the sofa and landed next to Jenni, clearly feeling good about himself.

"Alright then, I'm going to crash," Cory finally announced as it was clear he was the third wheel all of a sudden. He still sounded perturbed, "I'll catch you guys tomorrow."

With that Jenni's boyfriend's friend walked off through the lounge door and headed up the stairs, while Jenni and Nate sat watching the television.

Jenni thought that now was the perfect time to bring up how annoyed she was at Nate. However, when she looked over at him, he was too happy for her to broach the subject. She didn't want to spoil his night, even if he had bet her. How she felt could wait until the morning. Then she would let him have it. But first she would let him know how annoyed she was by not saying anything.

And so, she did. Sitting in silence until both of them went to bed, and even there she rolled over after a quick kiss goodnight. If Nate thought he was going to get lucky with her after how he had been tonight he had another thing coming.

The next day rose like a gilded candle as the sun poured through the bedroom window, already promising that the rest of the day would be as beautiful as it was the previous day. As peaceful and serene as the weather should have made the day, however, Jenni woke up still as annoyed as she was the day before. Even so the beautiful blonde lay silent in bed, not saying a word how she felt, until Nate stirred and woke up with a kiss on her cheek.

That one kiss on her cheek was all she allowed him to have before she threw her covers off and stood up in just her t-shirt and underwear, looking out of the curtained window. Jenni waited there for a moment, waiting to see if Nate picked up on how irritated she was. But that hope was dashed as she heard the ruffle of him getting out of bed and the sound of him stretching before he padded to the wardrobe.

Turning around Jenni looked at her boyfriend as he pulled a t-shirt over his head, getting dressed so he could go to the bathroom down the hall, and began pulling on his jeans as if he had no idea what she was feeling.

A part of her wanted to clear her throat to let him know something was wrong, but if he hadn't noticed already, she wasn't going to give him a clue how deep he had dug himself. He should have noticed after getting nothing from her last night or this morning, let alone her stony silence. But he just kept getting dressed as if he had no idea she was upset with him.

Finally, the silence, and Nate's obliviousness, wound Jenni up too much and she snapped.

"So, you're not going to say anything about last night?" she said finally in a tone as terse as she felt.

"What about last night?" Nate asked innocently. He really had no idea that she was upset! Or why she would be! The bastard!

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe about betting your girlfriend to your housemate!" she replied tartly.

"What..." Nate began and then suddenly realisation seemed to dawn on him, "...Are you mad about that?" he asked, and Jenni's eyes shot open.

"Mad? Why would I, your girlfriend, be mad that you bet me to your friend. Not once, but three fucking times. And to strip for him and give him a lap dance as well!" she said in a dangerously quiet tone, barely keeping herself from shouting the house down.

Nate looked at her for a moment, seeming not to understand the problem, before a look of realisation passed across his face and his cheeks heated.

"You mean the bet I made with Cory?" he asked, and Jenni nodded sharply, her arms folded beneath her heavy breasts, "Babe, that wasn't a bet. There was no way I could lose. I just needed him to have incentive enough to bet against me. There was no way I could lose you to him."

Nate was so sure of himself he laughed and sounded as laid back as ever, as if what she was annoyed about really was nothing to him. That only sparked Jenni's heat even hotter.

"Nate, it's a game of poker. Even when you had the best hand you still can't know what will happen. And more than once you could have been beaten! And you have been so many times in the past. How could you bet me like that!? Your own girlfriend!" she replied, a little more of the anger she felt coming through.

"Babe, I couldn't have lost. Really. I would never have bet you if there was even a slight chance of me losing you. I just needed to reel Cory in so I could take his money," her boyfriend replied, and Jenni stared at him with amazement.

She didn't know what was more offensive, that he had bet her and didn't seem to see why it was a problem or that he had used her as bait when he did know he couldn't lose her!

"Nate, you don't know that! Twice you could have lost me. And even when you had the best hand you still bet your girlfriend to strip for your friend and give him a lap dance!" she replied, her voice rising a little more. She didn't care if anyone heard at that point.

"Jen, I couldn't have lost you. There was no chance. Not even a little bit. I wouldn't have made the bet otherwise," Nate replied sounding confident and calm, almost amused as he straightened his t-shirt and came around to where she stood.

"There's always a chance. But even if there wasn't, you still bet me to your housemate," she said with anger scouring her voice, "Do you know what that looks like? You betting your girlfriend to your friend?"

"But I couldn't lose..." Nate began again, sounding as if he had explained this before. This time Jenni didn't let him finish.

"How do you know? How could you know!? And then what? You would have had me sitting on your friend's lap? Stripping for him?" she snapped, and Nate took her hands.

"I know because I made sure I wouldn't lose," Nate replied comfortingly as he looked into her eyes. As she stared at him confused and still livid he continued, "I didn't just get better at playing last night. I cheated. I had cards hidden away that I could take out whenever I wanted."

He said, and suddenly Jenni felt like she had been punched in the stomach. All the wind left her. "I played to lose to let Cory get a false sense of security and so he wouldn't get suspicious. But I knew I had better hands than him any time I bet you. I just needed you to draw him in to the bet so he would lose his money and feel like he had done it legitimately. I won and lost enough not to make it strange, and then had to make a big bet he would go for when he thought he had me."

For a moment Jenni stared at her boyfriend dumbfounded. He had cheated? Against his friend? Wait. He had bet her just so he could get Cory's money? Even if he had known he would win by...cheating...he had still thought it was ok to bet her to his friend? He didn't seem to realise how that looked! What must Cory think of their relationship that Nate would bet her to him?

All of that passed through Jenni's mind as she looked at her boyfriend and took in what he had said. And her anger only grew more.

So, he hadn't risked losing her. That was not how it had looked to Cory or to Jenni. And he had still bet her! And to make money too! And even knowing that he could cheat twice he still could have lost to a better hand if Cory had had it! Cory must think that Nate would risk her on the chance he might win, so he might get her at some point too! It was hardly better. And to top it off, he had cheated his friend out of all that money. And he had used her, unknowingly, to do it.

To say that her anger only grew worse was to say that a hurricane was only a more potent storm. She was furious. Even if he hadn't risked her what he had done was worse almost. Or at least as bad. And he had made her a part of it unwittingly.

"Nate...you cheated?" she asked rhetorically, but Nate nodded anyway as if he were completely innocent, "And you used me? You still bet me? And you think anyone other than you would know that you hadn't risked me? You could have lost me twice still, without asking me. And think of what Cory must think of us now. That you'll bet your girlfriend to strip for him on some...some game!"

"Babe..." Nate began, but Jenni was too annoyed to let him get more than one word in.

"No, Nate. That is...well shitty! You cheated your friend out of his money and bet your girlfriend, even if you knew you couldn't lose, we didn't know that! And you didn't have the best hand every time you bet me, so he could have won. You couldn't have known that. How could you treat your friend and me like that? All for some money," Jenni replied as she threw his hands down out of hers, her fury and outrage welling up inside of her.

"Babe, I couldn't have lost you on any of those bets. I made sure of that," her boyfriend responded calmly, smiling at her as he leaned down to look in her eyes, "And after all the times Cory has beaten me it's only fair that I win something back, right? You're always saying that he needs to be taken down a peg or two. What's the harm? Cory isn't going to find out."

The cold logic of it was clear in Jenni's mind and she had to admit that she could see where her boyfriend was coming from. Cory was too cocky, and he always strutted after he won a game with Nate. Especially if she was around. And Nate hadn't really bet her if he had known he would win.

But still the anger wouldn't abate and the reasoning she had had for her fury remained true inside her. He HAD still bet her. How would that look to Cory? He still could have lost her twice. And no one but Nate had known she was safe. Not to mention that he had cheated his friend out of all of his money, all for a game, and to just have the chance of winning for once. Because that's what it was, no matter what Nate said.

Nate's words were like a blanket trying to smother a raging inferno. As much as they made sense there was too much anger inside her to let her calm down. But for a brief moment she did hesitate, and Nate pounced on that moment like he was a predator.

"You see, babe, I wouldn't risk you for anything," he said smoothly as he moved closer to her, "And I wouldn't have bet you without something up my sleeve. Literally in this case."

Despite his words trying to soothe her they just inflamed Jenni's mood even more. He just wouldn't see what he had done. Or what it looked like. But at that point she could tell from the way Nate was being that yelling at him would be as productive as shouting at a brick wall. He just wouldn't see. He had his own point of view, and he thought he was right.

She had already explained it to him twice. Well, more than twice, but he still thought that his cheating had made it all ok. So, despite how she felt, Jenni bit back what she had been about to say. It would do no good at this point. Not when he was so thoroughly convinced he hadn't done anything wrong.

"So, you're ok?" he asked with a loving smile, and Jenni let her lips curve in the briefest, and most clearly sardonic smile she had ever given before she wrapped her arms around herself.

She was quite clearly not ok, but Nate being Nate took her lack of snapping back as at least a positive sign. Accepting her silence as an acquiescence at least, Nate kissed the tip of her nose. Jenni on the other hand thought that last night and this morning weren't the only times Nate was going to miss out on her. He would know she was annoyed for some time and only slowly come around just to appease her.

That wasn't what Jenni wanted, nor what Nate should do, but there was no point in yelling when nothing would come of it. Still, she was fuming.

"And what about cheating your friend out of all of his money?" she asked with barely hidden heat.

"He won't know. And like I said, he needed to be brought down a peg or two. That's what you say anyway," Nate answered, and Jenni felt her annoyance tighten within her at her boyfriend using her as an excuse for what he had done. She let it slide like the rest though and just felt her gut tighten more with anger.

"You don't feel bad?" she asked.

"Not when it's his fault in the first place. I've lost enough to him, and he just laughed about it. Turnabout is fair play for once I say," Nate answered, and Jenni just stared up at him for a moment.

She felt a little guilty for what her boyfriend had done. More so because he had used her as both the way to win and as his excuse for why it was ok. She felt as if somehow she had been a part of it, even when she hadn't known a thing. But still she remained quiet, even as her insides churned. She would just need time to cool down and deal with this another way. Arguing was just not going to be the way forward here.

And so, reluctantly she nodded, more to pass the subject on and give her time to cool down before she exploded again. Nate just smiled at her as if he were confident that he was right. And from the look in his eyes, he was sure of himself. He didn't seem to have any remorse in him at all and believed everything he had said.

Pushing her anger down Jenni moved away from him and walked over to the wardrobe before she couldn't contain herself any longer.

"I think you should get ready. Before Cory or Ricky beat you to it," she said, referring to the shared bathroom, and Nate smiled broadly.

After he left the room Jenni just stared into the wardrobe looking at her clothes for a long time feeling the fury bubble within her. Her thoughts rioted in her mind, but she just couldn't get them to calm down. Nor could she rationalise what Nate had done, like he had seemed to. Despite what he had said.

Finally, she pulled some clothes from the shelves and hooks before grabbing a towel and then sat down on the bed and waited for Nate to come back. When he did, she gave him a quick, cold peck on the lips as he turned to her before she headed out to the bathroom herself and the shower that waited there.

The relatively cool water - at least in comparison to the warming day - seemed to soothe away some of Jenni's anger. However, the moment she stepped out of the shower it all came rushing back to her. And so, she donned her clothes a little more roughly than she otherwise would have.

On went her matching white lace underwear and bra followed quickly by her tight blue jeans that clung to her wondrous ass enticingly. Then came her low-cut white t-shirt that clung to her curves hotly, followed by her thin pastel blue and white hoodie which she zipped up three-quarters of the way.

Turning to look at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door, Jenni straightened her clothes and ran her hands over her flat stomach, pulling the hoodie down so that it hugged her figure deliciously around her waist and large, heavy, 36D breasts.

Picking up her other clothes Jenni took a deep breath before she headed out of the bathroom and back into Nate's bedroom. Her boyfriend wasn't there, obviously he had gone downstairs for some breakfast, which suited Jenni just fine as she dumped her clothes in the washing bin.

She was annoyed at him enough as it was without seeing him right then. Annoyed and feeling guilty over what he had done and how he had excused himself. And that latter only annoyed the buxom girlfriend even more.

However, as angry as she was it wasn't long before Jenni's own stomach called her to the kitchen and so with another deep breath, as if getting ready for a battle, she made her way out of the bedroom.

Jenni was too caught up in her own mood to notice anything as she walked out into the hallway, especially the door to the room next to Nate's. As she turned to walk towards the stairs, she just about caught sight of movement before she walked into Cory as he came out of his room.

Jumping back with a startled yelp the beautiful blonde girlfriend raised her hands to her throat as she looked at her boyfriend's housemate as he stood before her grinning as if he found the whole situation funny.

"Sorry, Cory, I didn't see you there," she said when she could finally breathe again.

"That's alright, Jen. I don't mind you walking into me," Cory replied with his usual cockiness and charm.

That brought Jenni quickly back down to earth from where her heart had soared, and she gave him a long-suffering look as she folded her arms beneath her breasts and tapped one foot. She always gave him short shrift, even if she had no idea how the way she was standing emphasised her large tits and slender, curved waist.

"Well, I'd mind walking into you," she responded firmly and dismissively.

It was then that Jenni noticed that he was wearing nothing but a towel. Obviously, he had been heading towards the shower when she had walked into him! Keeping her eyes locked on his face and not his chiselled body, Jenni tried her best not to look discomfited.

"Too bad. Could be fun," Cory replied smarmily, and Jenni tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"I don't think so," she responded neutrally, her tone matching the look on her face as if she had no interest in anything he was saying. Being anything other than dispassionate with Cory led him to think you were somehow flirting with him, "I was just heading down to meet Nate."

A sudden flicker passed across her boyfriend's friend's face at the mention of her boyfriend, a look as if he were disappointed, but it was gone before she could barely register it was there. And then he was back to ogling her as she stood before him with him halfway in his doorway.

"I hope Nate has got something planned for you after last night," Cory said, and instantly Jenni felt her anger at her boyfriend froth up inside her. And the guilt for what she knew Nate had done to his friend.

Cory looked his usual smug, cocky self but something about what he had said made her think he was joking about the way her boyfriend had bet her as much as he meant about Nate having winnings to spoil her with now.

Whether he had meant it that way or not that was how Jenni's mind took it, and so before she could think of what to say given how she felt, she spoke.

"We're going to have a good day. I'm sure he's got something planned," she replied a little out of sorts.

"Shame. That could have been us," he replied with a wink that spoke volumes. Clearly, he meant the strip lap dance he had nearly 'won', and that just stoked Jenni's anger at her boyfriend twice as hot.

It also made the hot blonde a little flustered in what she would say in response. And so, before she could think clearly, she gave Cory a withering smile and said, "What are you going to be doing today? Are you going out?"

Not responding dismissively to his comment had been a mistake. Jenni knew it before the words finished coming out of her mouth. Cory would think she was letting him get away with it, or that he could push further with that kind of line of discussion.

However, much to her surprise Nate's housemate didn't try to smugly say 'something that wouldn't be as fun as if I had won you' or anything like that. Instead, his face grew more neutral, and he shrugged his shoulders as if he had not liked what he had thought.

"I've got no idea," he replied honestly, and for once he didn't seem to ogle her but rather look inward as if searching for something, "I was going to head out to town and do some spending. Maybe meet up with this girl I met the other day. But that's all gone out of the window now. With your boyfriend taking all of my money and all."

He said it like he thought it was a shame but that there was nothing to be done about it. Down about it, but accepting. That just doubled the sudden guilt that Jenni felt as she thought of how Nate had cheated Cory. He couldn't even do anything today because of what Nate had done. And Nate had done it unfairly. And he had used her to make it seem ok. Her stomach twisted at the thought of that, and she shifted uncomfortably as she stood looking at him.

"I'm sorry about that," she said honestly, and almost winced as Cory shook his head.

"Nothing for you to be sorry about. It's not your fault," he replied calmly, and in such an accepting way that Jenni felt even worse. She hoped her face covered up any sign of what she was feeling, or else Cory would know she was hiding something.

"Well, I'm sorry anyway," she responded. It was then as she was, for once in her life, beginning to feel comfortable around Cory that her eyes dropped and caught sight of his bare, toned chest that led all the way down to the lowly-tied towel around his hips.

Clearing her throat, she looked up and was relieved to see that Cory hadn't noticed her moment of discomfort, even as he had noticed her glance down.

"I...should let you have your shower," she said a little nervously.

Grinning suddenly for a moment Jenni thought Cory had picked up on why she was suddenly feeling awkward, but as he spoke she almost visibly sighed in relief. At least until she heard what her boyfriend's friend had to say.

"Yeah, I guess I should go. You could come with me if you'd like?" Cory replied with a smirk, and Jenni felt herself stiffen.

She had let herself become too flustered and had gotten away from being neutral with Cory, and as always he had taken that as a sign to flirt. And so quickly regaining what composure she could, Jenni steadied her voice and blanked her face.

"I'm going to see Nate," she said simply, sure that there was nothing Cory could do to twist her words.

Sure enough her boyfriend's housemate didn't say a word. He just watched her with a smirk on his face as she said 'see ya' and walked on down the hallway to the stairs, not daring to look back in case Cory said...or worse, did...something.

Jenni forgot Cory MacKenzie the moment she got downstairs and found Nate in the kitchen. Instantly upon seeing her boyfriend her anger welled up, but at the same time so did guilt. Both fed each other as much as burning on their own, and they only got worse when Cory came downstairs in his jeans and white, clinging tank top, and Nate began to brag about his winning the night before. That and Cory explaining to Nate that he wouldn't be able to head out today because he had no money.

Jenni looked at her boyfriend for any signs of guilt or empathy for his friend but found none, only smug satisfaction. And no sign of feeling bad for anything he had done with her last night either. And that just fuelled Jenni's anger and guilt even more. She was glad when Cory left to head up stairs and Nate went to his room as well, leaving her alone to swill her juice as she sat thinking at the counter.

She couldn't get the anger or guilt out of her and both had only grown since she had found out how broke Cory was now, and since she had saw how her boyfriend bragged - bragged! - about winning, and how he had won, last night.

Soon Jenni began to feel sick from how she felt. Somehow, she felt like she was enabling Nate's behaviour and his cheating. Enabling how he had acted about her and how he had treated his friend. His friend who now couldn't do anything for being broke.

Thoughts and feelings kept swirling through the beautiful blonde girlfriend's mind and stomach, her heart began to pace, and she felt her belly twisting. Finally, after twenty minutes of going over everything in her head and feeling angry and guilty, she made a decision and stood up, heading towards the stairs.

Making her way up she turned down the hallway. Seeing Nate's room she made her way towards it and stopped outside of the door she had been looking for. Cory's door. The door next to her boyfriend's room. Feeling a little flutter pass through her at what she was about to do and to whom, Jenni raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Yeah? Come in," came the reply a few moments later, and Jenni took hold of the door handle, pushing the door open until she could peek around the edge.

"Hey. Cory. It's just me. Mind if I come in a sec?" she asked cautiously.

"You coming into my room? You never have to ask, Jen," Cory replied cockily, and Jenni tried to push down her distaste for the guy. She had known this was a bad idea.

Pushing the door the rest of the way open the beautiful blonde made her way inside, pushing the door shut behind her. The click of the door closing sounded like warning bells to Jenni, but she had come here for a reason. And she wasn't going to let the way Cory was put her off.

Cory was lounging on his sofa that sat tight against the wall connecting to Nate's room. His bed, unmade as always, sat snugged in the corner not far off, the headboard resting against the same wall.

Nate's friend was lounging with his feet on a coffee table in the middle of the room watching a wrestling match on his television. But his eyes were all for Jenni as she came to stand somewhat in front of him.

"Now what can I do for you?" he asked, the 'pretty lady' or 'sexy' vibrating in the air although he hadn't said either.

"I've come to talk to you. About Nate," she answered honestly, and watched the slimy, ogling smile slip from his lips.

"Nate? Why do you want to talk to me about Nate?" he asked confusedly. Then added with a little more of his usual charm and expectation, "Did he do something?"

"What? No, no, nothing like that," she answered quickly. The glistening in his eyes only sparkled more at the potential of getting her because something had gone wrong with the two of them. Jenni had to fight the feeling within her not to walk back out the door. She really didn't like being alone with him. Especially in his room, "I wanted to talk about yesterday. Last night to be exact."

Putting his feet on the floor, Cory sat up and eyed her confusedly.

"What about last night? You mean the poker game?" he asked, seeming to be a little more serious now for a change, "If this is about Nate betting you, that was all his idea. I had nothing to do with that."

Jenni felt her annoyance for her boyfriend spark within her once more at being reminded of that. But she wasn't here to talk about that. At least, not exactly.

"Not that. But thanks," she replied as if it had to be dragged out of her, "It's about you not having any money to do anything today. I felt bad, and a little angry about what Nate did...to you, and about me...and I thought I had to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Cory asked looking puzzled but serious as he watched her.

"Cory, Nate cheated to win yesterday. He didn't beat you fairly to take all of your money. He had cards hidden on him, or something," Jenni told him all in a rush, but her anger at Nate only fuelled her on.

Cory, however, only blinked and leaned back against the sofa, not saying a word. For a little while Jenni didn't say anything either, thinking that he just needed to let that sink in as he was no doubt pissed at her boyfriend now. But after a while she spoke up when he didn't.

"Are you going to say anything?" she asked.

"I kind of figured he was up to something. There was no way he would bet you otherwise. And although he lost a lot he always seemed to win when it counted. But to know he cheated...son of a bitch..." he replied, folding his arms behind his head.

"Yeah..." Jenni agreed, "He took all of your money unfairly. And it's not really a good way to treat a friend."

"You must be pretty pissed at him to come and tell me this," Cory responded, and Jenni nodded.

"I was when I found out he cheated; you don't do that to a friend. But he also bet me yesterday, and I'm way more pissed about that. Figured he shouldn't get away with either thing," she replied with a little hint of her annoyance at Nate seeping through as Cory nodded in understanding, "I figured you could call him out. Get your money back. Get to do something today. It's the least he could do after last night."

Her anger at Nate bubbled up inside her. Use her as a betting chip, would he? Cheat his close friends? He wouldn't get away with it!

"Nah, I've got something better in mind," Cory said with the hint of a darkly smug smile spreading on his lips, "I'm going to let everyone else know what he did. See how pleased with himself he is when everyone knows he's a cheater."

The sudden self-satisfied sound in Cory's voice instantly froze everything that Jenni was feeling, as what he had said hit home. He was going to spread around to all of Nate's friends that Nate had cheated him. Had taken all his money without caring that he was cheating his friend. That kind of response would have everybody not trusting Nate, probably outraged at him and maybe even asking how he could treat a friend that way until they chose not to be friends with him any longer.