Lust Meter System: Conquering Beauties-Chapter 154: Hidden Numbers

The house was packed.

Music thumping through the walls. Bass so heavy you could feel it in your chest. People everywhere. In the living room. Spilling out into the hallway. Crowded around the kitchen island where someone had set up rows of red cups and bottles.

Liam and Kelvin walked up the driveway, weaving past cars parked at weird angles. A group of girls was standing near the front door, talking and laughing. One of them looked up as they passed.

Her meter appeared above her head immediately.

[48/100]

She smiled at Liam. He nodded back but kept walking.

Kelvin noticed. "Already starting, huh?"

"Shut up."

They stepped inside.

Noise hit them like a wall. Voices layered over music. Someone shouting about a bet. Laughter coming from upstairs. Sweat and alcohol and something sweet in the air. Probably weed.

Liam scanned the room.

People packed in tight. Dancing. Talking. A few guys near a couch playing cards. Someone with their phone out recording something in the corner.

And then people started noticing him.

"Yo, Liam!"

He turned. Some guy he’d never met and would probably never remember — tall, buzzcut — was waving at him from across the room.

Liam lifted his hand.

Another voice. "Liam! What’s up, man?"

A girl this time. Standing with two friends near the stairs. All of them holding drinks. She smiled at him.

[52/100]

Liam nodded.

Kelvin leaned closer, grinning. "Look at you. Mr. Popular now."

"Don’t start."

"I’m just saying. You went from invisible to everyone knowing your name. That’s character development."

Liam shook his head.

’Kelvin wasn’t wrong. Any other day i wouldn’t even be here — let alone popular.’

They moved deeper into the house. Someone bumped into Liam’s shoulder. Another person stepped back without looking and almost spilled their drink on Kelvin.

"Packed as hell," Kelvin muttered.

"Yeah."

They made it to the kitchen. Less crowded here but still plenty of people leaning against counters, pouring drinks, talking. Bottles everywhere. Vodka. Tequila. Rum. Beer cans stacked in a cooler on the floor.

"Liam! Kelvin!"

Drew’s voice.

Liam turned.

Drew walked toward them, grinning wide, red cup in one hand. White tee. Dark jeans. Hair pulled back in that messy bun.

"You guys made it!" He dapped them both up. "I wasn’t sure you were actually coming."

"We said we would," Liam said.

"Yeah, but you also said you’d think about it." Drew laughed. "So I hedged my bets."

Kelvin grabbed a cup from the counter and filled it with something amber. "What’s the vibe tonight? Just drinking or you got something going on?"

Drew’s grin got wider. "Actually, yeah. We’re doing something outside. You two want in?"

Liam and Kelvin looked at each other.

Kelvin raised an eyebrow. "What kind of something?"

"Game. Assassin Cup. Winner gets the pot. We already got a few people signed up." Drew gestured toward the back door with his cup. "Come on. You can join the next round."

Liam frowned. "Assassin Cup?"

"You’ve never played?" Drew looked genuinely surprised. "Bro, it’s simple. I’ll show you. Come on."

Kelvin shrugged and started following. Liam went after them.

They stepped outside.

Backyard was big. Wooden deck stretching out from the house with a railing along the edge. Beyond that was open space with grass and trees lining the sides. String lights hung between branches, casting everything in warm yellow glow. Firepit off to the side, surrounded by chairs.

But the main setup was in the center of the deck.

A long folding table. Eight plastic cups arranged in a wide circle on top. Each one filled with different colored drinks. Vodka. Rum and coke. Something bright red. Something that looked like straight tequila.

People gathered around. Maybe twenty of them. Some standing close, watching. Others sitting in chairs with drinks. Energy was loud. People talking. Laughing. Someone arguing about rules.

Drew walked over to the table and clapped his hands twice. "Alright, next round. Who’s in?"

A few hands went up.

Drew pointed at people one by one. "You. You. You." He looked at Liam and Kelvin. "You two. That’s six. We need two more."

"I’m in." A guy stepped forward. Short, stocky, wearing a red hoodie. Dark skin. Fade.

"One more," Drew said.

Chase stepped forward.

Grey hoodie. Black joggers. Arms crossed. Expression flat. When he saw Liam, his eyes locked on immediately. Didn’t look away. Just stared.

Drew grinned. "Perfect. Alright, we got eight." He looked around at the crowd gathering closer. "Everyone’s dropped out except our finalists here. And I know what you’re all thinking. Everyone’s favorite matchup. Liam and Chase." He gestured at them both. "Last time Liam absolutely dominated Chase in that pickup game. But the question is, would it happen again?" He paused, grinning. "There’s only one way to find out. Let’s get this game started."

The crowd reacted. People shouting. Whistling. Someone yelled "Let’s go!"

Drew picked up a small coin from the table. "Here’s how it works. Everyone gets one of these. You stand around the table. You throw your coin at someone else’s cup. If their cup falls off the table, they drink what’s in it and they’re out. Last person with a cup still standing wins the pot."

Someone in the crowd shouted, "How much is the pot?"

"Two hundred right now. Twenty to enter."

Liam pulled a twenty from his wallet. So did Kelvin. Drew collected from everyone and stuffed the cash in his pocket.

He handed each player a small object. Liam got a bottle cap. Kelvin got a coin. Guy in the red hoodie got a washer. Chase got a quarter.

"Alright," Drew said. "Stand around the table. Don’t touch the cups. If you knock your own cup off, you’re out and you still gotta drink."

They spread out around the table. Liam stood across from Chase. Kelvin was to his left. Guy in the red hoodie was to his right.

Drew stepped back. "First person to go is..." He pointed at the guy in the red hoodie. "You. Go."

Guy didn’t hesitate. Wound up and threw the washer hard.

It sailed across the table and smacked into Kelvin’s cup. Cup rocked but didn’t fall.

"Damn!" someone in the crowd shouted.

Kelvin laughed. "Nice try."

Next person went. Threw their coin at a girl standing next to them. Missed completely. Coin bounced off the table and hit the deck. People laughed.

"That was terrible," someone said.

Girl went next. Aimed at the guy in the red hoodie. Throw was weak. Coin hit the side of his cup and fell.

It went around the table. Most people missed. A few came close. One guy hit his own cup by accident and had to drink. He cursed the whole time. Crowd was loving it. Shouting. Trash talking. Placing side bets.

Then it was Liam’s turn.

He looked at the table. Scanned the cups. Picked his target.

Guy in the red hoodie.

He threw the bottle cap.

It flew across the table and hit the cup dead center. Cup tipped. Wobbled. Fell.

Hit the deck and the drink spilled everywhere.

Crowd erupted. People shouting. Kelvin laughing so hard he had to lean on the table.

Guy stared at the spilled drink. Then looked at Liam. "Damn it!"

He bent down and picked up the cup. Still a little bit left in it. He drank it, made a face, tossed the cup aside.

Then Liam heard a voice.

"Babe, calm down."

A girl walked over. Moved slowly. Hips swaying with each step. Long auburn hair falling in loose waves past her shoulders, catching the light from the string lights overhead. Tan skin. Tight white crop top showing off her stomach. High-waisted jeans hugging every curve. Full lips. Hazel eyes.

She walked up behind the guy and slid her hands over his shoulders, down his chest. Fingers moved slowly. Deliberately. "Let’s go. You did good."

Guy exhaled. His whole body relaxed. "Yeah. Okay, babe."

Liam looked up above her head.

No meter.

Nothing.

He blinked. Looked again.

Still nothing.

Girl turned her head and looked directly at Liam. Didn’t say anything. Just smiled.

Then she turned and walked away. Guy followed beside her, hand in hers.

Liam stood there for a second.

’Why can’t I see her number? Everyone has a number. Always. What the hell is going on?’

He almost stepped forward. Almost followed.

But he stopped himself.

’I can’t just leave right now. Middle of the game. Everyone’s watching. It’d bring up questions. Make a scene.’

He stayed where he was.

"Liam, you good?"

He turned. Kelvin was looking at him.

"Yeah," Liam said. "I’m good."

Game kept going. More people got knocked out. Cups falling. Drinks spilling. Crowd getting louder with each round.

Kelvin got knocked out next. Someone hit his cup with a perfect throw and it went flying off the table. He drank, laughed, stepped back into the crowd.

It came down to three people.

Liam. Chase. And some other guy.

Guy missed his throw. Coin bounced off the table without hitting anything. People booed.

Chase went next. Aimed at Liam. Wound up. Threw hard.

Quarter flew across the table and hit Liam’s cup. It rocked. Wobbled.

But didn’t fall.

Crowd reacted. Some people groaned. Some laughed.

Chase’s jaw tightened.

Now it was Liam’s turn.

He looked at Chase’s cup. Took his time. Crowd was watching. Waiting.

He threw.

Bottle cap hit Chase’s cup perfectly. Cup tipped. Fell. Hit the deck.

Crowd exploded.

People rushed forward. Kelvin grabbed Liam’s shoulder, laughing, holding him in place. Drew was grinning, pulling the cash out of his pocket.

’I need to find her.’

But Kelvin’s hand was still on his shoulder, and Drew was already pushing the cash into his hand.

"Two sixty, man. You killed it."

Liam collected it with a smile and slipped it into his pocket. Then his eyes began scanning the yard. Looking for her. But she was already gone.

Chase stood there. Staring at the cup on the ground. Then he bent down, picked it up, drank what was left. His face was tight. Controlled.

He stood up and walked towards Liam. Leaned in slightly. Just close enough that only Liam could hear.

"I’m going to embarrass you," he said quietly. "Just like you did me."

Then he turned and walked away.

Liam watched him go.

’Did nobody tell him it’s just a game?’

Crowd started to disperse. People heading back inside. Music getting louder again.

Liam pulled away from Kelvin. "I’ll be right back."

He turned and headed toward the house, weaving through people, eyes scanning the crowd. Looking for auburn hair. White crop top. Anything.

He stepped through the back door into the kitchen.

And walked straight into someone.

Zara.

She was standing near the corner of the deck, half-hidden by a group of people. She had her phone out, talking to some guy.

Guy handed her something small, folded. Cash, probably. She slipped it into the pocket of her oversized black hoodie without looking at it, then handed him something back.

Exchange was fast. Smooth. Guy walked away like nothing happened.

Zara looked up and saw Liam.

Her whole face lit up. She grinned and walked over, hands shoved back in her pockets, oversized hoodie hanging loose on her. Underneath she was wearing denim shorts that barely showed beneath the hem. Dark hair was down, messy, falling around her face.

"Liam!" She said his name like she was surprised to see him. Like it was the best thing that had happened all night. "I wasn’t expecting to see you here."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same thing. What are you doing here?"

She shrugged, grinning. "I know the host. Drew’s a regular. Parties like this are good for business." She glanced around, then back at him. "Everyone thinks I’m just another student hanging out. So I blend in. Make some money. Have some fun."

Liam nodded.

Zara tilted her head, still grinning. "But seriously. You. At a party. I didn’t think you did this kind of thing."

"I don’t usually."

"So what changed?" She stepped closer, eyes scanning his face. "Wait. Why haven’t you been around? Every time I asked Shay, he kept blowing me off. Saying you were busy or whatever."

"I was injured."

Her grin disappeared immediately. Her eyes dropped. "Show me."

Liam hesitated. Then he lifted the hem of his shirt. The wound was healing, though not fully.

Zara stepped even closer. Her fingers hovered near the scar but didn’t touch. She just stared at it. Expression shifted. Serious now. "Shit. That looks bad."

"It’s better now."

She looked back up at him. "That explains why he wouldn’t call you."

Liam frowned. "What do you mean?"

Zara’s expression changed again. Like she’d said something she wasn’t supposed to. She looked away for a second, biting her lip, then back at him.

"Is something wrong?" Liam asked.

She looked at him for a long moment. Then she nodded.

"Yeah."