Cheaters Always Prosper

(SU Rules! No. 23)

*****

The soft breeze of the late afternoon gently wafted through the open window causing a deliciously soft coolness to stir through the large kitchen-slash-dining area of Nathan Reid's house. The stirring was more than welcome given the heat outside made the house feel more than warm but it was still not enough to stop Jennifer Carnell, Nathan's girlfriend of a year and a half, from flapping her t-shirt to try to cool down, even though she wasn't the one re-centring the kitchen table. That job was left to Nathan and one of his housemates, Cory MacKenzie, who were both struggling to lift the large wooden table and slide it to a more centred position in the dining space.

Why they were moving the thing Jenni, as she liked to be known, had no idea. It had been perfectly fine where it had been and they were only going to play a game of poker on it, why couldn't it have been left where it was? But Nate had been adamant that the thing had to be moved, all for the right feeling of a poker night. 'You couldn't have it against the wall, it just didn't feel right when playing', he had said. So the two of them were moving the table and trying to appear all manly about it as if it were no big thing. Even while they lifted the thing barely two inches off the ground each time they picked it up.

Jenni, on the other hand, was standing watching the pair from the doorway to the lounge with a small secretive smile on her beautiful face as she tried not to laugh at them.

"You could just give us a hand rather than standing there." Cory said over to her good-naturedly as he glanced at Nate and then looked at the table.

"And miss all of this fun?" Jenni replied with a hint of the laughter she was trying to hide, "Besides, you two are strong, masculine men, I'm sure you can handle one little old table."

Cory whispered something about the table not being little and Nate told him to shut up and just move the thing then, which almost made Jenni laugh full out. However before long the table was sitting in the middle of the floor and Nate was staring at it proudly. Cory, on the other hand, was looking more than a little disgruntled and staring at the table as if he would never touch the thing again. That just made Jenni's lips curve even more as she watched the pair.

"This better be worth it, Nate." Cory half-said and half-muttered as he flexed his toned arms, easing out the tension that had built up in them from moving the table.

"Oh, it will be. This is perfect." Nate replied with a bright grin before he looked over to Jenni for her opinion.

Smiling and nodding the beautiful blonde girlfriend leaned against the doorframe and tried to look encouraging. If this was something Nate wanted done the least she could do was appear interested. Even if she had told him she saw no reason in moving the thing.

The handsome grin her boyfriend gave her in return was more than worth the cost and for a moment Jenni just stood there admiring his features and how defined he looked in his tight t-shirt. Cory's grin as he looked between the love sick pair was lost on Jenni until the other guy cleared his throat and brushed back his hair.

"Do you guys need a moment, or..." He trailed off and Jenni's cheeks went bright red.

Nate, on the other hand, wasn't in the least bit flustered.

"Plenty of time for that later, ah?" He said and Jenni would have slapped him if he had been closer. Not that she was a prude. Far from it. But she didn't want to flaunt their sex life in front of Cory either.

"Well it's a good job you'll be leaving the game early. Ricky and I will keep your money warm when you're out." Cory jibed with a smirk and this time Nate did react.

"With how you play? You'll be lucky to make it passed the first round." Nate retorted good-naturedly and made as if to sit down to show Cory how unthreatened he was by him.

"Me? I play better than you do. Unless you've been practising without telling me? You'll be out before Jenni gets bored of us playing." Cory replied and Nate did sit down then with a chuckle, crossing his legs as he leaned back and folded his arms.

"Well it just so happens that I have been practising actually. And I have a good feeling about tonight. Prepared to go home lighter in the pockets, my friend." Nate responded with a confident grin.

Glancing between her boyfriend and Jenni, Cory almost laughed as he smiled amusedly.

"Your boyfriend's about to bet all of your money away. Are you going to let him be this reckless?" Her boyfriend's housemate asked her.

"If he's confident he'll beat you, I'm sure he will." Jenni replied siding with her boyfriend once more. She wasn't anything of the sort despite him claiming to have practised. Even she could beat him normally. But she wasn't about to let Cory know that and not back Nate up. In a less confident voice she added with a look at Nathan, "Besides, he's on a budget. And strictly his own money tonight."

Cory grinned at that as if she had confirmed his belief in his friend. Nate just sat there confident and grinning at both of them, with a playful wink for her to boot.

"Well, if you're alright with him losing his money then I'll be alright taking it." Nathan's housemate said cockily and Jenni flashed a look between him and her boyfriend.

Both men were equally confident and grinning and for a second Jenni felt her stomach flutter. Had Nathan been practising? He must have if he felt this confident. And he certainly looked self-assured. But still that meant that if he did lose like normal then he was going to be even more difficult to console afterwards.

Staring at the two men as they looked haughtily at each other Jenni could only think that the two of them were two of the most competitive people she had met. They were always like this though, trying to one-up each other on things. Whether it be what phone they had, playing poker, or even what girl they had. Jenni knew that for sure. There had been many times when Cory had brought home a girl only for him to show her off in front of Nathan as if to show that he too could get a hot woman. That was one area where Cory always came up the loser though, as with Jenni at his side none of the women had compared to her and Cory had known it.

But still, the two of them were always competing at things and now was no different. This may be a friendly game of poker on the surface tonight but it would still be as competitive as if the two friends were really rivals when things got down to it. The only one who wasn't was Ricky who was so laid back and focused on his own thing that Jenni wasn't even sure the other housemate noticed what went on most of the time.

"Just don't expect me to go easy on you, bro." Cory added, breaking the swaggering staring match first for a change before he looked over to Jenni once more. "Are you going to be joining us tonight?" He asked, and the way he looked at her suddenly put another bit of colour into Jenni's cheeks.

She wasn't wearing anything sexy at all, just jean shorts and a t-shirt, one that wasn't even low-cut, but the way he smirked at her told Jenni that Cory was flirting a little with her as much as if he had leered over her slender body.

"I might pop in a little bit." She replied as nonchalantly as she possibly could while he was staring at her with lit up eyes. "Just to see how well Nate is doing." She added to make sure he didn't think she was being flirty back or anything.

"Well if you're going to check on a winner, looks like you'll be sitting on my lap." Cory joked. Well, flirted, but Nate took it as a joke even if Jenni knew better. Her cheeks coloured just a little more at that.

"In your dreams, bud." Nate responded, meaning it for Cory winning rather than his girlfriend sitting on his friend's lap.

Jenni felt a little nervous flutter in her stomach at that. Nate was so blinded by winning that he didn't even pick up on his friend hitting on his girlfriend. Overtly, at that.

The beautiful girlfriend didn't have time to think, however, as Cory jumped right back in with a smug response.

"We'll see who has who on the ropes, Nate. You might just have to be careful what you bet tonight. You don't want to lose anything important." He replied with a sly wink at Jenni.

Nate just stood there and grinned as if he hadn't realised what his friend was implying. And likely he hadn't. He was a little too trusting when it came to his friends. Jenni guessed he had to be to live with them. But still, anyone could have told what Cory had been thinking just then! Jenni certainly could. But then she had seen him wink at her.

"You'll see. You'll see." Cory continued confidently as his friend just stood there self-assuredly, before he turned to glance at Jenni again. "It's a shame you're not going to be our waitress tonight."

Nate laughed out loud at that, once again missing that this was his friend hitting on his girlfriend rather than just being his joking self.

"I have the perfect costume for you upstairs." He finished with a grin and Jenni felt her cheeks colour more, mostly due to the lecherous look on his face.

Trying to compose herself, after all she was used to how Cory behaved!, Jenni tried to focus on what a douche her boyfriend's friend could be when he tried hitting on her. That seemed to help a little, enough for her to stop blushing like a virgin anyway.

"You think I would wait on you three?" She asked and then gave a little laugh, "I'm not your maid."

"You could be." Cory winked in a way that told Jenni just exactly what kind of outfit he had for her upstairs. He probably had bought it for one of his many women 'friends' that he had. To think he would want her to use it! "You'd make a pretty sexy maid."

Jenni shuddered gently at the thought of dressing up as a maid for Cory. She knew exactly what he would be like. Not that he was a disgusting guy or anything. But he did have a way of hitting on her all the time despite her being in a relationship with his friend that made Jenni feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately, this time even Nate couldn't miss what his friend had said. And although he didn't seem to take it as Cory hitting on his girlfriend he did seem to think some line had been reached.

"Whoa there!" Jenni's boyfriend said as he lifted up his hands to his friend, "She would make a sexy maid, you're right, but that's for me to see and you and Ricky to imagine about."

He said it good-naturedly and so Cory only laughed with him as he held up his hands as if to say 'ok, you got me'. Jenni, on the other hand, thought not for the first time that she would never understand guys. One clearly hit on the other's girlfriend and instead of getting mad Nate almost took it as a source of pride rather than being defensive. Not possessive. She wouldn't want him to be that. But at least protective of what was his.

Before she could think any more however the two guys were suddenly chatting about how they would fleece Ricky of his money first, then they started talking about the different ways you could play poker as if they were some kind of experts on the game. Jenni shook her head as she listened to them, trying not to yawn, before finally she couldn't take it any longer and straightened from her place against the doorframe.

"Well if you boys are done struggling for no reason, I'm going to take a shower. I'll leave you to your fascinating discussion." She said with just a hint of playful smarminess but Nate and Cory didn't seem to notice her tone.

Her boyfriend only looked around as if suddenly remembering that she was there and smiled warmly at her, gave her a loving look, and then said, "Alright, babe. Hope it's nice and cool for you." Whereas Cory only gave her a look up and down, his eyes travelling up and down her bare legs, up her baggy t-shirt-covered waist and chest, before settling on her face. No doubt he was imagining what she would look like in the shower. Jenni's cheeks turned a little pink at that and she turned to focus completely on her boyfriend.

"I'll leave you two to get your game ready." She replied to Nate with an equally loving smile that made his eyes glow brightly and a little flutter start in her pussy. God he was so good-looking.

"Miss you!" Nate called as she turned around, the feel of his...and Cory's...eyes on her tight shorts-clad ass.

Giving a little wave as she walked away Jenni tried to ignore that her boyfriend's friend was watching her ass sway as she made her way through the lounge. Fortunately she had been around Cory enough to know the feeling well and so she just focused on her boyfriend and did her best to ignore Cory's attention. He would never change, that one. But she would never let him see how he got to her either.

The bathroom was situated at the top of the stairs, between Nate and Cory's rooms, with Ricky's room being a little off to the front of the house. Slipping into her boyfriend's room Jenni looked in the wardrobe at the clothes that she left there, flicking through them before finally pulling out a hanger with a beautiful blue sundress on it. Pulling out a towel and a pair of matching pink underwear and bra, Jenni piled the clothes together and padded down the hallway to the bathroom.

Stepping inside she locked the door behind her and turned the shower on before stripping out of her t-shirt and dumping her shorts on the floor. Her current underwear joined the pile before she stepped in to the lukewarm water. The temperature felt like heaven. Not too cold as to be having a cold shower but not hot either and it was cooler than the warmth outside.

Feeling refreshed as the cool water rained down on her, Jenni began to lather up her hands and wash her smooth, 21-year-old body. After the heat of the day the water was perfect and soon Jenni had forgotten everything other than running her hands over her body. Her long, smooth legs dripped with water, as did her large, heaving breasts as rivers ran down her soft flesh. But soon she was clean and ready to go, however for a few more minutes the busty blonde stayed under the soothing rain fall of the shower enjoying the coolness before she finally turned the shower off and stepped out.

Taking her clothes she slowly got dressed and then looked at herself in the mirror. Her long blonde hair hung towel dried over her shoulders and down her back, covering her bare shoulders and the thin straps that held up her clinging blue sundress. The material hugged her slender body perfectly, the low-cut top showing off her full, 36D breasts and the flowing skirt highlighting her toned thighs and her succulent ass. Swirling from side to side for a moment to get the best look at herself Jenni smiled happily and turned to the bathroom door, picking up her laundry and dumping it in the basket as she went.

Opening the door she padded out into the hallway and turned towards Nate's room, listening to the banter still going on downstairs as it drifted up to her. Walking into her boyfriend's room she left the door open because of the heat and threw herself onto his bed, turning on the television as she got herself comfortable.

For a while she just enjoyed one of her favourite shows forgetting what time it was as she leaned back on the pillow she had set up and ate a few chocolates she had left on the bedside table. Time passed and the beautiful blonde changed shows to another of her favourites, paying little heed to the sounds downstairs of her boyfriend and his friend talking nor of the heat of the day that gently began to pass.

Finally, after a few hours, the sounds downstairs changed into laughing and the sound of bottles clinking and Jenni's mind began to wander as she flicked through the shows she could watch.

"That was just a practice hand. Wait till we play for real, I'll show you how good I am." Came the voice of her beloved boyfriend from downstairs.

"You still owe me another beer, even if it was a fake hand. Come on, maid, serve me." Cory jibed in response before laughing and Jenni sat up and listened, the good-natured joking pulling at her in her boredom of looking through the television listings.

For a few more minutes the blonde girlfriend sat there listening to her boyfriend and his friend play a few hands of poker, laughing and joking with each other as they played, before finally she turned the television off and threw the remote down. Standing up she straightened her dress from where she had been lying down and made her way out of Nate's room.

In a few steps she was making her way downstairs to see what her boyfriend was up to and join in the fun.

"Looks like it's your turn to get me a beer." Nate exclaimed as Jenni made her way into the lounge and finally saw the pair at the table in the kitchen.

Cory looked a little put out and confused as he stared at the cards on the table.

"How did you...You really have been practising, haven't you?" He asked, not moving.

Nate just sat there and grinned before motioning towards the fridge.

"Come on, maid, serve me." He said, mocking his friend's earlier words and Cory grimaced again before he stood up to grab a beer.

It was then that Nate noticed Jenni walking towards the kitchen. Grinning still he held out his hand to her.

"Here she is! My beautiful girlfriend ready to share in my well-earned spoils." He said happily and Jenni felt a flush run through her at how handsome he was.

"Spoils? You haven't won anything yet. We're still not playing yet, remember." Cory replied as he came back to the table with two beers, placing one in front of Nate and drinking out of another as he sat back down.

Jenni made her way to her boyfriend's side slowly, her ass swaying beneath her short dress as she moved, before lowering herself down onto his one knee as he made space for her.

"I've won a beer..." Nate responded smugly as he placed his arm around her and squeezed her waist gently.

"So have I." Cory replied smugly as he took another sip from his beer.

"So it's all equal so far. But it won't be for long." Nate joked confidently before looking at her as he too drank from his beer.

Jenni just smiled warmly at her boyfriend and grabbed his beer from him, taking a deep swig before she placed it back on the table with a cheeky grin.

"We'll see. I'll just have to step up my A-game." Cory responded with a focused look on his face as he stared at the cards on the table before Nate picked them up and began to shuffle them. Awkwardly, anyway, with Jenni sitting on his knee.

Before her boyfriend could respond, however, another movement in the lounge announced the arrival of Ricky. At first Jenni couldn't tell what it was about him that made her think he looked odd, and then it hit her after Nate spoke.

"Ricky! Just in time, dude. Are you ready to lose all of your money tonight?" Her boyfriend jibed.

"To me!" Cory chimed in with a mischievous glance at Nate.

"Sorry guys, not tonight. I'm going to have to cancel. I've got a big date." Ricky replied and it was at that moment that it hit her why he looked odd.

Ricky was dressed up to go out, not in his usual kind of outfit, and he clearly didn't plan on staying long.

"What? Aw, man, come on!" Both Nate and Cory chimed in at the same time.

"Sorry guys. You know I'd love to play but..." Ricky replied, before stopping what he had been about to say as he glanced down at Jenni, then finished, "...when you've got a date you've got a date."

Jenni almost smiled wryly at that. She knew what her boyfriend's friend had been about to say; pussy comes before poker, or some such vulgarity. She had heard it enough from all three of them. She had no idea why Ricky was trying to appear decent in front of her now.

The other two guys shared a look as if they had heard the unspoken words as well and, much to Jenni's chagrin, they both nodded as if they perfectly understood and agreed. Jenni had to stop herself from slapping her boyfriend for his crassness. Cory she could understand, he was a horn-dog but she thought Nate had more respect than that.