by A. M. Wilson
My mind conjures two exes from my past that I thought could have been “the one.” Neither relationship lasted more than a year. After the messy breakups of moving back into my own place and separating possessions, I only felt relief that I didn’t make the biggest mistake of my life. Times two.
Also, one of them looked like he was howling at the moon when he climaxed, and I just couldn’t picture having to live with that face for the rest of my life.
Cami and Law are the lucky ones. The kismet. The star-crossed lovers who eventually found their happily ever after. They went through hell and back to find their way to each other and can rest easy knowing what they have is solid. Rather than finding my “one,” I spent my adulthood loving myself enough for two.
A knock on my window startles me from my thoughts. Crap. How long have I been daydreaming in my car when I should have driven back to work?
Through the window to my left stands none other than Nathan in full uniform, hands braced on his hips, looking hot as sin.
The hiss of air conditioning kicks on when I twist the keys. The window whirrs down, and I slip my shades over my eyes then lean slightly out.
“Hey.”
He crouches down from his six-foot height and rests his forearm on the sill, forcing me back inside.
“You all right?”
My brows crease behind my mirrored rims. “Uh, yes? Why wouldn’t I be?”
He jerks to his rig idling on the side of the alley. “We were passing by, and Cami got a bit freaked when she saw your car was still here.”
Evidently, my daydream lasted a lot longer than I thought.
“How long ago did she get back?” I ask, fully realizing it makes me sound like a back-alley crackhead who’s lost track of time.
“About ten minutes.”
I squeeze my hand in the tiny space beside his broad shoulder and my doorframe, giving Cami a sharp wave. The ambulance is too far away for me to see her, but I know she’s spectating this exchange. Probably has her face plastered against the glass so hard she leaves behind steam with every breath. Why she didn’t come check on me herself is beyond me, but I’d presume she’s orchestrating something.
And failing with a capital F.
“Oops. You can tell her all is well here. I spaced out, I guess.”
His expression isn’t swayed, but I’m not one for lying, especially about something as insignificant as this. I trail my fingertips along his exposed forearm in front of my face.
“I’m fine. But I appreciate the special stop just for me. You guys are the best.”
Nathan rolls his tongue around in his mouth. “We were on our way back after our call was canceled.”
I bristle slightly, jerking my hand back as if his arm beneath mine turned to flames. “Oookay then. If you don’t mind, I have to get back to work myself. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Hey, I was teasing. Well, not about the call, that was real, but we both wanted to check and make sure you were okay. Cami said things got a little heavy at lunch.”
I exhale a deep breath through my nose. “I’m fine. You know me. I’m not fazed by much.”
Nathan looks across me to my empty passenger seat, and I swear I see his jaw clench.
“Yeah.” He grunts. Slapping his palms once on the frame of my open window, he returns to his full height. “See you around.” Without waiting for my farewell, he stalks back to the ambulance.
“Ugh, men are weird,” I mutter under my breath as I pull out of the lot in the opposite direction. We’re going to the same place, but I take the long way around to avoid being stuck behind him at the one stoplight in town since it turns red at the most inconvenient times.
Cami better not invite Nathan this weekend. Our friendship is settling back to normal, but it isn’t quite there yet. Until the awkward tension dissipates, we should avoid close interaction with one another.
Also, I don’t deserve to be subjected to him walking around shirtless in a pair of boardshorts with washboard abs on full display now that I know how skillful he is in bed.
That just wouldn’t be fair.
3
Kiersten
By the time Saturday rolls around, I’m desperate for a day of lounging in the sun while sipping secretly mixed alcoholic beverages. When Cami texts me that they’re on their way by nine, when I’d normally be asleep or at the minimum just brewing my first cup of coffee, I’m already perched on my front steps with a beach tote by my side. Wearing my swimsuit—a two-piece with leopard print bottoms and a black top that wraps once around my rib cage before tying in the back—a floppy hat, and big mirrored shades, I slipped on a simple red tank and jean shorts to cover me until we arrive. Black strappy sandals serve as footwear until I plant my ass in a lounger for the day and kick them off. Oh, and my tote is full of miniature bottles of booze.
Today is going to be the perfect day. I can just feel it.
Fifteen minutes after sitting outside, Law’s black extended cab F150 turns into my short driveway. I swipe out of the coloring app I was tinkering around with and tuck my cell phone into my tote bag before climbing from my steps. The side door behind the driver flies open, followed immediately by shouts of, “Aunt K!”
“Hey, sweetheart! Are you girls ready for a fun day?” I hoist myself in beside them. Evelyn scooches to the middle of the bench seat, and Maggie is already buckled into the far right behind the passenger seat. Cami twists around from the front passenger and smiles at me with a finger wave, and Law gives me a stern look through the rearview mirror.
“Hey there, old man. Thanks for driving today.” I clap him on the shoulder before buckling in and securing my huge tote between my legs.
“Old man,” he grumbles quietly and fights the smirk on his lips. We both know it’s a joke because I’m older than he is. He just acts like a grandpa sometimes by throwing a wet blanket on Cami’s and my shenanigans.
Besides, I can admit he’s fine looking in that hot dad sort of way. Built and broad, he has small threads of gray in his dark hair that give him the edge of a sexy older man.
“How about you, Cam? Ready for some fun today?” I wiggle my eyebrows and grin.
“After the week we had, ugh. I’m glad I already had this planned, or I may have changed my mind about going. I’m beat,” she groans and rolls her head back against the headrest.
“Me too. Some R&R is exactly what we need.”
What seemed like on Wednesday to be a quiet workweek ended up the exact opposite. Our lines blew up with emergency calls ranging from my neighbor’s cat won’t get out of my yard to a four-car accident on the highway. I felt so bad every time I had to dispatch Cami and Nathan’s rig, knowing they weren’t all easy calls.
After thirty minutes of driving and bobbing along to a few of the girls’ favorite songs in the back of Law’s truck, we pull into the half-filled parking lot at the theme park.
Everyone piles out, including Law, which surprises me. I figured he’d drop us off and go do whatever manly task he had planned for the day, like chopping down trees or slugging beers. Instead, he leads us to the ticket window.
Cami’s elbow gets caught in my palm, and the younger girls pass us.
“What?”
“Is he staying?” I don’t conceal the suspicion because something is suddenly fishy.
I hit my mark because Cami looks away and chews on her bottom lip. I shake her arm.
“What did you do?” I hiss and step around her, forcing her avoiding gaze to meet mine.
“Um, don’t be mad, okay? I may have invited him.”
My brow wrinkles. “Why would that make me mad?”
She sighs. “Because I invited both of them.”
“You did not.” My growl is an unladylike rumble. “Cami, please tell me you didn’t.”
She has the decency to appear remorseful. “I’m sorry, but you said it yourself. After the week we had, we all could use some R&R, him included.”
I toss up my hands in exasperation and
stomp to Law and the tickets. “Why do I feel like you’re trying to orchestrate something? Because I can tell you now it’s not happening.”
She catches me easily and tugs me to a stop. Her nose is crinkled, and I hate she can make it look cute, but when I do it, I look like I smelled a fart. “What’s not happening?”
“Nathan and I are not happening.”
“We already happened, baby.” His cocky chuckle slithers through me, both enraging and exciting me at the same time.
My eyes close, and I inhale an exceedingly slow, deep breath as his amused voice sounds behind me. When I pop them open, I turn my glare to Cami, who looks as if she’s trying desperately not to laugh.
“Next time, a warning would be appreciated.” The clench makes my jaw ache.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers in a strangled voice.
“I hate all of you. Except those two beautiful girls here. You guys ready to have some fun today?” I shoulder past Cami and hook arms with the tweens I’ve been entrusted to show a good time. Together, we march to Law for our tickets, and the three of us make our way to the gate, leaving the others in the dust.
My eyes wander to Nathan for a half second. Long enough to confirm he still looks like sinful temptation and bad decisions.
“Where to first?” I ask after we’ve been wanded and stamped at the gate. Thank god they don’t do bag searches. How embarrassing would it be to explain to my fourteen-year-old niece why her aunt has so much booze in her bag?
The girls enthusiastically discuss a roller coaster new to the park this year, so we trek in the general direction of it, and stop once for me to discard my tote and hat in a pay-by-the-hour locker. I’ll find it again when I’m ready to plop myself by the pool.
After a relatively short wait in line, the three of us board the new coaster, Persephone, and we’re off. The two younger girls have a seat together, and I occupy the row behind them. The operator didn’t force a stranger beside me, so I spread my legs a bit and wave my arms without worrying about whacking someone across the face.
I laugh and scream my way through the ride, loving how no matter my age, I still get that thrill in my stomach as we navigate the twists and turns. Wind blows through my loose hair, surely tossing it into a snarled mess, but I couldn’t care less. My stomach bottoms out as we cascade over one last drop before plunging into a dark tunnel. The ride ends mere minutes after it took off, and the three of us clamber out with smiles plastered across our faces.
“We want to go again!” Evelyn cries and takes Maggie’s hand to drag her back to the line that has grown exponentially.
“You girls go ahead! I’ll stay here to watch,” I call after them and follow at a much slower pace. It warms me completely to see Maggie smiling right along with us. Today will surely be a hard one for her. It may not hit her until later, or even next week, but she’s going to think about how her mom couldn’t be here with us. I hope whenever the thought strikes, she can remember this moment and know she is so loved.
I tip my face to the sun, chasing away the suddenly chill in my bones, and will away the tears pricking my eyes.
“Kiersten!” Cami’s voice rings out over the screams of the riders. Turning in search of her, she and the guys appear trudging off the main path.
“Hey,” I greet, glancing at Nathan from behind my shades.
“Where are the girls?”
I point at the line. “We already had a turn. They wanted to go again.”
Law joins us then and wraps Cami in a one-armed hug, kissing her temple. “You girls go get your drink on. We’ve got ’em.”
Cami presses up on her toes to give Law a hasty kiss on the mouth. “Thank you, baby.”
I toss the guys a peace sign. “Catch you all later.”
We retrieve my tote and hat and then claim two lounge chairs in the direct sun at the edge of the water park. I smooth out our towels while Cami runs to get us something to pour our alcohol in. Stripping off my tank and shorts, I adjust my bathing suit to make sure everything is covered as it should be. The last thing I need is an accidental nip slip in front of a park full of children.
“They have a lot of good options. I got orange juice to start. I hope that’s okay.”
I lean forward and accept the white plastic cup she offers me. “I’d take just about anything. This is perfect.”
We stealthily pour shots into our cups. I’m sure every adult in the vicinity knows exactly what we’re doing but are grown enough to mind their own business. We clank. We drink. We relax and turn every twenty minutes like good little sun worshippers. And every time we need a refill, we stop to hop in the pool to cool off before one of us runs to the concession stand. We pass the hours in a relaxed, buzzed bliss.
After so many flips on the lounger I’ve lost count, I rest my head on my folded arms and face Cami.
“This is so nice. I could almost pretend I’m in Mexico,” I slur, blinking stinging sweat from my eyes.
She sighs and stretches, mirroring my position. Reaching below her chair, she retrieves her cup from the concrete. Her tongue chases the straw around before she tilts the entire cup and sips from the side of her mouth. A bit dribbles down her chin.
“I’m with you. Somehow, the guys have managed to keep the girls occupied. I haven’t heard ‘mom’ or ‘help’ in hours. I think it’s a new record.”
“I don’t know how you moms do it. I’d miss my autonomy.”
“Easy for you to say. Once you have a kid, the world spins on a new axis.”
That must be true or else people would cease procreating, and the human race would become extinct.
“Are you almost out? I think I need a refill.” I drag myself into an upright position. Whoa. I haven’t been vertical in a while, and the whole world tips like a spinny top.
“Sprite this time please! Thank you!” As I pass by, she open-palms me right on the ass with a resounding smack and falls into a fit of giggles.
“Shh,” I scold. “People are looking at you.”
She drops her face down into her towel to muffle the sound, but instead of hiding her drunkenness, she just looks like a corpse.
My smile turns inward as I hop into the pool for my hourly dip. The sun glitters like diamonds across the clear water. The smell of chlorine invades my nose. Water cools my sun reddened skin, pulling a contented sigh from my lips and rinsing away the salty dew of sweat. Without drying off, I tug my sarong back on to cover my bikini bottoms. The line at the concession appears to have grown with the afternoon heat, but I trudge that way in search of more to drink.
An afternoon of slugging back beverages by the pool has my bladder about to burst. With no other choice, I ditch the drinks and take a detour to the restroom fifty yards farther. The bathroom gods have looked down on me today because there isn’t a wait. The scent of mildew and stale paper towels overpowers the damp concrete room. I make quick work of taking care of business and wash my hands, using one extra second to flip my straps over to admire my new tan lines in the grimy mirror.
The buzz hums just beneath my skin. We might have to call it quits soon if we want to make the drive home without getting sick all over Law’s truck. He’s an awesome guy, but I’m guessing he wouldn’t take too kindly to me ralphing all over his back seat and his stepdaughter.
I trek back to the concessions on legs reminiscent of a newborn fawn, not paying attention to where I’m going, and slam into another person. My fingers instinctively clench the first thing they touch, which happens to be their shirt.
In the laws of gravity and alcohol, alcohol will always win.
Wait, that doesn’t make sense. Gravity wins over alcohol. Oh, whatever. An overwhelming urge to scream the word, “Timber!” grips me.
My eyes squeeze tightly, and I clench my jaw as if either of these things will brace my skull for impact. Strong arms wrap around me protectively at the last second, and the two of us crash to the asphalt. With my strong buzz, I can’t tell which way is up and feel myself flip
ping around until I land on top of someone, suffering a minor scrape to my knee that I barely feel.
“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” I push frantically to climb off them. The sunglasses fly from my face in my intoxicated scurrying and plummet right on the eye of the person below me.
“Shit, that hurt.”
“Nathan?” I peer closer, convinced my alcohol-sloshed brain deceives me.
“I don’t mind you topping me, but do you mind not blinding me while you do it?”
“Perv.” Pushing off his chest with both hands, I come to a standing position and end up straddling over his torso in my bikini. His gaze flicks to the scrap of leopard cloth covering the apex of my thighs.
“Even better.” He plucks my shades from the asphalt and drags himself into a sitting position that puts him inappropriately at eye level with my crotch.
“There are children here,” I hiss and retreat a step.
He grins a salacious tilt of the lips, the dimples denting his cheeks alluringly, and springs from the ground.
“Hey, are you two okay? That looked like a pretty bad spill,” a passerby, who saw the entire thing and more than likely recorded it for social media, checks on us.
I fight a sneer while Nathan waves back good-naturedly. “All good here.”
“Okay, she’s bleeding, man. Might want to get that taken care of.” The guy points at my legs and walks off with a wave.
Nathan halts his inspection of my face when he catches my expression. “Wipe that look off your face. He was just being helpful.”
I school my features and display my leg for him. “What can I say, alcohol turns me into a scrapper.” I steady myself on his shoulders as he scrutinizes my wound with the intensity of a trained medical professional.
“I know. You can be a hellcat when riled.” A shadow crosses his face as he grins up at me. “We should clean this up. Are you okay to walk?”
I touch my foot to the ground again and tilt my head. “I am feeling no pain, my man. Lead the way.”