I shook my head. “I’ve only had one serious girlfriend...in secondary school. I ended up cheating on her. I was too young for a relationship at the time. I wouldn’t stay with someone today if I were going to do that. But back then, I was just a stupid teenager.”
“And beyond her you haven’t had a girlfriend?”
“I’ve dated a lot, but nothing serious, no.”
“You’re a playboy. Am I right?”
“I was. But it’s not a bad thing if you’re not leading anyone on, right?”
“You said you were…in the past tense. You don’t consider yourself a player anymore?”
“Since arriving here I’m not living the playboy lifestyle, nor do I care to at the moment.”
“You seem to care so much about what your parents think. They don’t care that you play the field back home?”
“There’s an unspoken rule where I come from that anything you do before marriage, while it shouldn’t be spoken of in great detail, is fair game. But the closer I get to thirty, the more pressure there is to settle down.”
“Why thirty, specifically?”
“It’s always been a magic number in my family. Every man has gotten married by the time he was thirty. My father seems to expect the same from me.”
“Thirty is still so young.”
“The thing is, I don’t believe I’ve told you this, but my father has been battling cancer for several years. He doesn’t think he has all that much time left. I sometimes feel this pressure to get settled in case something happens to him, so that he’ll die in peace, knowing things will continue as they should.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know.” She paused. “Why does he care so much whether you’re married as long as you can continue to do his work for him?”
“It has to do with continuing the family name. He wants to be assured that I will, in fact, marry and have a male child someday. It seems to be all he cares about. My father’s entire side of the family is adamant that there’s no use for me if I don’t procreate. Not to mention, one of my father’s sisters and her kids are very bitter that the family inheritance will go to me and not them. It’s just the way it’s written, not my choice. So they try to make my life miserable when they can.”
“Like how?”
“One of my cousins is a real pill. She tipped off the press once when I was on vacation, and they printed photos of me tanning naked.”
“Ugh.” She cringed. “That’s not Sig’s family, is it?”
“No. Sigmund is my cousin on my mother’s side. A much nicer, but crazier, bunch.”
“I’m sorry you’ve got to deal with that.”
“There are worse lives to live. I know I’m privileged. I don’t have a right to complain.”
“No, but it’s your personal struggle. Even if it doesn’t compare to what many people have to go through in this world, you have a right to be angry or frustrated, especially when it comes to your family betraying your trust.”
“Thank you for always making me see things in a different light.” I reached for her hand. “It’s why I can’t help wanting to be around you.” I considered asking her to dinner tonight, but didn’t want to overwhelm her, since we’d spent the entire day together. I pulled my hand away. “Today was a long day. I’m sure you’re dying for a shower, just as I am.”
“Are you saying I need one?” She chuckled.
“No, you smell delicious even when you’re sweating.” I’d lick every ounce of sweat off her body right now, if I could.
When we pulled up to Felicity’s, I ached to lean in and kiss her. But it had been a weird day with her ex showing up and all, and I didn’t want to push anything right now. So as much as I yearned to taste her lips again, I simply said, “I’ll call you.”
“Uh…okay.” She flashed a hesitant smile.
Is she upset?
Her eyes fell to my mouth, and it occurred to me that maybe she’d expected me to kiss her. But before I could rectify anything, Felicity exited the truck. I waited to make sure she was inside before taking off.
Sigmund was in the kitchen when I entered the house. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been texting you all day.”
“Sorry. I’ve been busy and didn’t check my phone.”
I’d forgotten that he was returning today from his trip to Newport.
“Busy? What the hell have you been up to?” he asked.
For a split second, I considered keeping my reconciliation with Felicity to myself, but my astute and annoying cousin would figure it out soon enough.
“I was with Felicity.”
His eyes went wide. “Ginger? She’s back in the picture?” He rolled his eyes. “I should’ve known.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, clearly you were on the verge of insanity before I left, what with your painting and taffy consumption. I knew you wouldn’t go much longer before giving in and groveling for another chance with her.”
“I actually hadn’t planned to see her again. We ran into each other at ShopRite yesterday, and one thing led to another.”
“You shagged her?”
“No. That’s not happening. She made that clear. But we had a moment. We kissed—in the carpark.”
“For Christ’s sake, you couldn’t have picked a different place to lay one on her?”
“It was like spontaneous combustion, really. I hadn’t a moment to contemplate whether it was appropriate or not. And I didn’t give a fuck. That was amazing. It was the best kiss I’ve ever experienced. Then she invited me over for dinner. I met Mrs. Angelini. And today, we spent the entire day helping renovate a local foster mother’s garage. We’re turning it into a therapy space for her special-needs son.”
“Well, that’s a noble way of getting into her pants.”
“That’s not what it’s about.”
“All right. If you say so.” He smirked. “In any case, that’s certainly a lot to have happened in one weekend. I hope you know what you’re getting into.”
“What I’m getting into is none of your concern.” I opened the fridge and grabbed a lager. “Anyway, how was your trip?”
“It was wild.”
“Yeah?” I took a sip. “You had a good time with… What was her name?”
“Maria.”
“That’s right.”
“Yes. I had a great time with Maria…and Maria.”
“There were two Marias there?”
He wriggled his brows. “Her friend.”
“They’re both named Maria?”
“Yes. Apparently, half of the Portuguese girls out here are named Maria. I had an equally good time with both of them.”
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. “Wait, you messed around with her friend, too?”
“We all messed around together.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Or even better, Ave Maria.” He winked.
I rolled my eyes. “And you accuse me of moving fast?”
* * *
Felicity
Track 10: “Maria” by Blondie
Driving home from work at the restaurant, I thought about the past few days. Because I’d had to work the last three nights, I hadn’t gotten to spend any real time with Leo, aside from working over at Mrs. Barbosa’s during the day.
Matt had only shown up again one of those days. I got the impression that working alongside Leo wasn’t what he’d had in mind when he volunteered to help. Leo had also seemed uncomfortable around Matt, so it was just as well that Matt skipped out. I doubted I’d see him again before he returned to Pennsylvania.
Each time Leo drove me home from Mrs. Barbosa’s, we’d say goodbye, and I’d hope he’d kiss me. I’d longed for that since that day in the parking lot and wondered why he hadn’t tried it again. Was it because I’d told him I wouldn’t have sex with him? Did he think I meant all physical contact was off the table? And did I even mean what I’d said about not sleeping with him? Or was I just scared that taking that step would mean feeling e
ven more hurt when he left?
I was pretty sure it was the latter, considering sexual fantasies of Leo had been keeping me up at night. I wanted him so badly. More perplexing than him not kissing me was the fact that he hadn’t asked me to hang out after my shifts. Maybe he assumed I’d be tired? I sighed.
It was 10 p.m. by the time I got home and showered. Sitting alone in my room, I itched to see him. Looking out the window in my bedroom, I could see the lights at Leo’s house were on across the bay. Feeling restless, I opted to take a chance and head over there. If I delayed long enough to change into something nicer, I knew I’d change my mind. I looked down and cringed: a Hello Kitty T-shirt and denim shorts. But this getup would have to do because I had no time to think this through.
Grabbing my keys, I ran down the stairs and out to my car. Mrs. Angelini had already turned in for the night, so I didn’t bother letting her know where I was going.
My pulse raced as I pulled up to the front of Leo’s house. Exiting the car, I looked up at the dark night sky and got goose bumps. I knew what showing up here unannounced at this hour would look like. Can you say booty call? But the message I sent didn’t matter; I just needed to see him.
I knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, it opened. But the person greeting me was neither Leo nor Sig.
“Can I help you?” A petite brunette tilted her head.
I swallowed. “Is Leo here?”
“Yeah. He’s upstairs taking a shower.”
My stomach churned as my eyes found another dark-haired girl sitting on the couch. What exactly had I interrupted here? I wasn’t about to stay and find out.
Completely at a loss, I was about to turn around and head back to my car when the sound of Sig’s voice stopped me.
“Ginger! Where are you going?”
I turned around to face him. “Uh…home. It looks like you guys are pretty busy.”
He smirked. “Just dinner and an orgy.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Felicity!” Leo came down the staircase. He wore a T-shirt and jeans and his hair was wet.
Our eyes locked. “I can see you guys are busy, so I’m going to get going.”
Leo shook his head almost frantically. “Wait, what? No. Busy? I’m not busy at all. These are his friends, not mine.”
I looked over at Sig, then back at Leo. “He said there was an orgy tonight, so I didn’t know what to—”
“What?” Leo’s eyes shot daggers at his cousin. “What the fuck did you say to her?”
Sig turned to me. “There is an orgy happening tonight. Just not involving Leo. You didn’t give me a chance to clarify, Ginger.”
His friends laughed.
“Have you formally met the Marias?” Sig asked.
I blinked. “The who?”
He wrapped his arm around one of the girls. “This is Maria Josefina.” He turned to the other one over on the couch. “And that’s Maria Isabel.”
I nodded. “Nice to meet you both.”
Sig laughed. “I’m sorry to have alarmed you, Ginger.”
“Is that your permanent name for me now? You’ve just used it three times in a row. Are you getting lazy about coming up with new ones?”
“I think Ginger suits you. Yeah. I quite like it.”
Rolling my eyes, I conceded. “I guess it’s better than Freckles.”
Leo continued to glare at Sig as he placed his hand at the small of my back. “Let’s go out onto the deck, Felicity.”
Once outside, he pulled at his hair. “I’m so fucking sorry about that. I’d been outside taking a dip in the bay when he arrived with these girls, so I escaped upstairs to take a shower, and when I came downstairs, there you were.”
“I’m not gonna lie. I had a mini panic attack, thinking I’d interrupted something.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can only imagine what that looked like.”
“Especially since you haven’t asked me to hang out the past few days. I didn’t know what to think.”
Leo placed his hand on my cheek, sending chills through my body. “You think I haven’t wanted to see you?”
“I don’t know.”
He exhaled. “Felicity... The moment you agreed to spend time with me this summer ended any chance of me hooking up with anyone else. I know we’re not technically exclusive or anything, but I wouldn’t do that to you. Is that clear?”
His words, while comforting, still left me with questions. “You’re a self-proclaimed playboy—at least you said you were in the past, so...” I covered my face. “Never mind. I feel stupid. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He reached for my hand and threaded his fingers with mine. “I’m happy you came over. I wanted to see you tonight, but I assumed you’d be too tired after a long day. I didn’t want to overwhelm you, since we’ve been spending our days together at Mrs. Barbosa’s. I’ve been trying to pace myself, but I’ve been fucking dying to spend more time with you.”
“I really wanted to see you, too, so I figured I would chance it and just come by.”
“And then as luck would have it, Sigmund has his harem over.”
“Is he really with both of those girls?”
“Apparently, yeah—the Marias. He started seeing one of them, and she brought a friend along to their weekend getaway in Newport. That was Maria, too. And the next thing you know, it’s a party of three.”
“Are you sure he’s not hiding a third Maria somewhere?” I chuckled.
“With Sigmund, anything is possible.”
We laughed, and I narrowed my eyes. “Have you ever had a threesome?”
Leo’s pupils flared. “Okay, that came out of nowhere.”
“It really didn’t. We were on the subject.”
“True.” He hesitated. “Yeah. I’ve had one. Once.”
Jealousy coursed through me as I pulled my hand away from his. “I see.”
“I won’t lie if you ask me something. I’ll always tell you the truth.”
Taking advantage of his promise, I added another question, a slight bitterness in my tone. “Did you enjoy it?”
“You may not believe this, but I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. It was too much choreography—worrying about pleasing them equally. And I found myself gravitating toward one girl over the other. It was awkward. The experience made me realize I much prefer being able to give my everything to one person.” He brushed his hand along my cheek, studying my face. “And Jesus, you’re turning so red. Did I upset you?”
“No, it’s not that.” I breathed out. “When you mentioned giving more attention to one girl, the visual of you in that situation just made me a little... I don’t know.” I stopped before I could vomit out the rest.
He moved a step closer. “A little what?”
“Flustered, I guess. Jealous, maybe.” I chewed my bottom lip. “Never mind.”
A few moments of awkward silence passed. “Did it turn you on?” he asked in a low voice. “To think about me fucking?”
My nipples hardened. God, that word coming out of his mouth.
“Not the thought of you with other girls...just the thought of it.”
“Of course. That’s what I meant.”
“The idea of you, yeah.”
He moved closer. “The idea...of me and you…”
“Maybe,” I admitted, feeling hotter by the second.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “It’s warm out tonight, yes?” He looked toward the water. “Let’s go sit on the boat. We can go for a ride, if you like. I’ve never taken it out at night. The lights on it are supposed to be awesome, according to the guy who rented it to me.”
I nodded. “That sounds nice.”
“We should grab water from the kitchen, in case you get thirsty.”
I followed him back into the house. As we entered the kitchen, both Marias were hanging off of Sig as he cooked.
“Are you two joining us to eat?” Sig asked.
“No, we’re
going out on the boat,” Leo said, pulling two waters from the fridge.
“This late? You can’t even navigate that thing during the day, Leo.”
“We’re not going far. Just getting out of here.”
“Very well, then,” Sig said as he turned to me and winked. “Goodbye, Kitty.”
Kitty? “I thought you called me Ginger now.”
He pointed to my shirt. “Hello Kitty? Goodbye, Kitty. Get it? Also...are you twelve years old with that shirt?”
His girlfriends snickered.
“Bugger off,” Leo said, placing his hand at the small of my back to usher me out of the house. “I’m so sorry about my fucknut of a cousin,” he said as we made our way back outside.
“I actually find him entertaining. It’s fine.”
“He’s even worse when he’s pissed like he is tonight.”
“What’s he upset about?”
Leo looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“You said he’s pissed.”
He laughed. “Pissed where we come from means drunk.”
“Ah.”
We stepped onto the boat, and he turned on the lights. He didn’t turn on the boat, though. We just sat on opposite ends of the bench seat and floated.
Leo’s gaze landed on my chest. “Fuck whatever my cousin says. You look adorable in that shirt.”
“I’m sure people look at the way I dress sometimes and roll their eyes. They would never know I graduated from Harvard and am about to enter law school. But I like cute and whimsical things that make me smile. So sue me.”
“It’s all part of what makes you unique. You don’t give a fuck. At the same time, you look amazing in whatever you wear—even with a cartoon kitty face on your shirt, all I see is the beautiful woman inside of it.” His eyes moved over me before he looked out toward the water. “Do you want to take a ride, or…”
“I think we should just sit here. I want to be able to talk, and we can’t do that if the motor is running.”
“Okay.” He smiled.
I looked down at my shirt. “So…there’s a bit more to Hello Kitty, actually, than just me liking it.”
“What’s that? Tell me.”
“It reminds me of my mother…before she died.” I looked up at the stars. “There was a Sanrio store at the mall. She’d take me there and let me pick out Hello Kitty trinkets. That’s one of the few memories I have with my mother. Whenever I look at this cat, it reminds me of that innocent time in my life. You’d think it might make me sad, but for some reason, it doesn’t. It takes me back to those simple moments before everything changed.”
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