Present Day   JB wasn’t exactly sure of how he had gone from complacently swearing off dating, to sitting in Mercedes Avila’s apartment with Mercedes Avila straddling his lap, but the one thing he knew for certain was that Mark Tuan was behind it.   He hadn’t wanted to go to the party at the University of Miami apartment building on 27th Avenue, but Mark and Jackson hadn’t been in the mood to take no for an answer; he’d gone from sitting in his room and watching a movie to somehow being showered, dressed and dragged on the fifteen minute trip to the building, where a party was in full swing. He didn’t think much of  it, deciding early to hide out in a corner somewhere until Mark was distracted enough not to notice when he left (Jackson, whose attention was trained on Iris anyway, was already distracted); he learned quickly that that would not be the case. Mark would never be distracted enough; he had taken on the job as supplier of women, sending a new one JB’s way every time he e down. JB wasn’t stupid; he knew what Mark was trying to do. In his own promiscuous way, Mark was trying to cheer JB up, but all JB wanted to do was go home and stay home, not distract himself with a bunch of nameless women.   Finally his tolerance ran out, and he decided to leave, whether Mark saw him or not; in the interim between the last girl and the next JB left his corner and headed for the door, pulling his phone out to call Junior to give him a ride back to his dorm.   “JB!” At the sound of his name JB reluctantly looked over his shoulder, finding Mark approaching him with olive skinned, dark haired Mercedes Avila in tow, her frame dressed in a white crop top and denim shorts. “You’re heading out now?” Mark inquired. Immediately, JB was suspicious; Mark was entirely too gung-ho about this.   “Yeah…”   “Hey, can you walk Mercedes back to her place, please? She’s ready to go, too.”   Mark Tuan was a manipulative genius, JB was convinced. He knew how rude it would look if JB asked him why he couldn’t do it himself, and JB was not a rude person. He sighed inwardly.   “Sure,” he responded, turning his attention to Mercedes. “Let’s go.”   Mercedes’s dorm was in the same building as the party, but JB kept his complaints to himself; sticking his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans and plotting revenge on Mark as he walked.   “Why don’t you come in?” JB was pulled out of his thoughts by her words, blinking as he took in his surroundings; they were in front of an open apartment door and Mercedes held the doorknob, her dark eyes intent on him – he didn’t even remember getting off of the elevator.   “Uh, that’s okay,” he told her once he had caught up. Mercedes pouted.   “Come on, please?” She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him inside the dark apartment. He stood in one spot as she went about turning on the lights, her walk slow and seductive. “Do you want something to drink?” she inquired of him as she emerged from the bedroom. “I think I have some bottles in the refrigerator.” JB shook his head.   “No, thanks,” he responded. “I don’t drink.” Mercedes shrugged.   “Okay.” With a smile she walked over to him, grabbing his arm again and pulling him over to the couch. “Come on, talk to me.”   “Okay…” He lowered himself to a seat on the couch beside her, watching as she tuc