Love on Leave

by Leah McDonnell

  Confused, I shake my head. “Apologizing to me?”

  “For the note. The whole bitch comment.”

  “No. We deserved it.”

  He shakes his head. “No, you didn’t. No matter what the situation, there was no cause for that.

  It was a dick move. Davis actually wrote it, but I should have stopped him. I’ve felt like shit about it all day.”

  “Davis wrote it?”

  “Well, I wrote the part about driving the car into the ocean. Which we did consider,” he chuckles. “But he added the rest.”

  His joke lightens the moment and my nerves relax a little. “We came by your hotel today.”

  “I know. I was there,” he admits.

  “You were?”

  Guilt floods his voice. “Yeah, we both were, but asked Davis to cover for us.”

  I look away. Embarrassed to know he heard me rambling and didn’t come out.

  “It was terrible, I know. I had convinced myself you two had sent those guys to get rid of us. Even though deep down, I knew you didn’t. By the time I came to my senses you were gone.”

  I smile, thankful to know the rest of the story.

  I say “I’m sorry,” one last time, hoping he fully understands how much I mean it.

  He steps close and wraps his arms around my waist. “I’m sorry too.”

  When we pull out of our embrace it’s as if someone pressed the play button and the world began to spin again. I’d been so focused on Max, I hadn’t noticed Drew and Lana talking and all appeared to be forgiven on their end too.

  The night’s young and I don’t want to assume Max and Drew want to spend another night hanging out with us. Especially in a place with beautiful, half-dressed, women. All breaking their necks to look at these gorgeous men, who definitely stand out in a crowd.

  I climb into my chair. “You know I’ll understand if you guys want to go back downstairs.”

  “You don’t want to hang out with us?"

  “No. It’s not that, I promise. Nothing would make me happier. It’s just… I know you all were having a guy’s night out and I don’t want to interrupt.”

  Without speaking, he walks off. I watch as he grabs an empty stool from another table and drags it over. He pops up on it. “The only reason I’m here is because I was looking for you.”

  I smile as my heart melts like butter. “It was?”

  “Yes, silly woman! Lana mentioned you might be coming here last night, so I took a chance.”

  I’m blushing and I’m sure he can tell.

  Over his shoulder, I spot Davis walking up. His presence captivating the ladies around us. They stop mid-sentence to turn and stare.

  He smirks. “So I guess you four kissed and made up.”

  I arch my neck. “It appears so.”

  Max jumps up to grab another chair. Davis takes a swig of beer as his chestnut eyes scan the room.

  “You know you kind of remind me of Lurch from the Addams Family.”

  “That’s a new one. I typically get Goliath.” He wipes his hand with his shirt and holds it out. “I guess I should officially introduce myself. I’m Davis.”

  I grab it. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Bitch 1 and this is Bitch 2,” pointing to Lana with a smug grin.

  He laughs. “Heard about my extra little line I guess.”

  I snatch my hand back. “I did.”

  He eyes a group of girls a few tables over. “I got a date with a pair of gymnasts from Jacksonville while we were out joyriding in your car. So I guess I should thank you.”

  “Is that them?” I dare ask.

  He flashes his smirky grin again and it makes my skin crawl.

  “Nope! Those are sorority sisters from Ole Miss.”

  “Well, maybe you should take the Hotty Toddy sisters for a spin on the dance floor.”

  Although he’s ridiculously hot, I’m not in the least bit amused by his charm.

  I hoped he’d get the hint and leave. But instead, he keeps lurking around, making dumb jokes and interjecting his arrogance into the conversations. Girls ask him to dance every few minutes, giving Max and me a small reprieve. But it’s never quite long enough. My patience is wearing thin. Between the loud, silly girls vying for his attention and his vain ego, I could hardly stand to be around him a second longer.

  My focus is on Max and relishing every precious moment we have. Not playing who has the biggest dick with Davis.

  “Your friend’s a douche,” I say to Max as Davis heads to the dance floor with yet another drunk girl.

  Max laughs. “He can be. But he’s actually a decent guy when he wants to be.”

  “Well, he needs to follow one of these silly ass girls back to their hotel because he’s getting on my last nerve.”

  “I don’t think he knows quite how to take you. He's more used to girls throwing themselves at him.”

  “Ick!” I shutter. “He’s a vain, pompous, smart-ass. And frankly, I’m a little disappointed in my fellow sisterhood for not picking up on it.”

  He laughs, taking the last swig of his beer. “You want to get out of here?”

  My shoulders relax. “Yes! Music to my ears!”

  As I search for James to tell him we’ve found our own way home, Max rounds up Lana and Drew. We’re starving and decide to make a late-night Waffle House run. While Max brings the car around, the three of us shoot the shit while we wait.

  “Oh my God, Drew. You’re going to die when I tell you what Lana did today.” I crack up thinking about it.

  “She got in a huge fight and came running out of our hotel room completely…”

  “Hey! Where you guys goin’?”

  I cringe as Davis’s voice bellows behind me.

  Drew waves him over. “We’re headed to Waffle House? You in?”

  Please don’t want to come! Please don’t want to come! I scream in my head.

  “Hell yeah! Scattered, smothered, covered, baby!” He high fives Drew as he approaches.

  “Wonderful,” I mumble, straight-faced.

  “Oh, come on… I said I was sorry about the bitch thing,” Davis slurs, throwing an arm around me. Too drunk to notice my disdain for him.

  I crawl out from under his arm. “No. Actually, you didn’t.”

  Max pulls up to the club entrance in Jackson’s mustard yellow, hooptie.

  I screw on a forced smile. “Look, Max. Davis is here. He’s joining us. Isn’t that fantastic news?”

  “I could see you doing cartwheels as I pulled up.” he teases.

  The Waffle House is packed with drunks on the hunt for a good meal and a chance to sober up. We’re stuffed in a tiny booth with Davis’s gigantic ass in a chair at the end. Although we’re packed in tight, we make the best of it. Enjoying the food, laughter, and antics of all the different characters throughout the little diner. We even get quite a hoot watching our server hit on Davis.

  Max reaches over and grabs my hand, sending those electric tingles through my body again. He’s gorgeous, but it’s his kind heart and his undeniable charm I find myself more and more attracted to. I’m so thankful I’ve been given the chance to make things right. Even though our time together will soon be coming to an end, I’m going to cherish every second of this.

  I’m outside with Drew and Davis, while Max pays the check and Lana uses the restroom for the hundredth time. I overhear them mention something about heading back early. I try to piece the conversation together, but I can’t make out if he meant to head back to the room early or back to Fort Benning.

  “You guys aren’t leaving tomorrow are you?” I interrupt.

  Disappoint fills his eyes. “Yeah, it looks like we’re going to have to.”

  “All of you?”

  “Yep.”

  My stomach drops. “I thought y’all were here until Monday?”

  “We were supposed to be, but Jackson’s our ride. His girlfriend’s in a tizzy about our guy’s trip, so he wants to go home early to calm her down.”

  Davis
snickers. “Which is exactly why you should never have girlfriends.”

  My eyes narrow and bite my lower lip to keep from saying something rude.

  “I mean…after the first night they should be rendered useless,” he adds.

  I’m unable to hold my tongue any longer. “Your asshole must get jealous of all the shit that comes out of your mouth.”

  Drew laughs. “Damn Davis! I believe that was code for shut the fuck up!”

  “What’d we miss?” Max asks as he and Lana walk up on the tense conversation.

  “They were telling me you guys were leaving tomorrow.” I dismiss the whole Davis part.

  Lana grabs her chest and gasps. “WHAT!? Y’all can’t leave early!”

  “We won’t have a way home if we don’t,”

  “What about Santo’s car?”

  Drew gives a frustrated kick. “It’s a four-seater Mustang and there’s seven of us. There’s no way we’ll all fit.”

  I let out a disappointed sigh. “I knew the sand would eventually run out of the hourglass. I just thought we had one more day before it did.”

  Max grabs my hand. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mention it earlier because I’ve been wracking my brain to figure out a way to stay. I thought maybe we could rent a car.”

  “Dude!” Davis says behind a toothpick. “It’s a holiday weekend. There’s no way in hell you’re going to find a rental.”

  It irks me, knowing he’s right.

  “You would do that to stay a little longer?” I ask.

  “Of course I would,” he replies as we pile in the truck to head home.

  Davis is meeting the Jacksonville gymnast, so he has us drop him off at their hotel on our way back. It helps calm the added irritation his overall presence adds. Although we’re all trying to make the best of our last few minutes together, there’s a sense of sadness amongst the four of us.

  “You know what? If this is our last night together, I say we go out with a bang!” I blurt.

  Max shakes his head. “Hell yeah!”

  “What did you have in mind?” Drew asks.

  I laugh. “I have absolutely no idea.”

  Lana’s voice explodes from the small backseat. “Skinny Dipping!”

  There is an old abandoned house on the bayside of Panama City. Lana’s dad would take us there to fish when we were kids. It has a long pier and a perfect view of the bay bridge.

  Not too many people know about it and we were glad to see the driveway empty as we pull up.

  Lana and I have been out here several times over the years when we needed a break from the madness. I love the idea of spending more time with Max, but the idea of getting naked in front of him terrifies me.

  “You just had to suggest skinny dipping, didn’t you,” I whisper as we walk the overgrown path to the water.

  She knows my anxiety about my body, she knows exactly what I’m referring to.

  “Relax, Kate. You’re beautiful! Besides, it’s too dark to see your baby boobies anyway,” she teases.

  I kick her in the butt. “You’re such a bitch!”

  We make our way to the water, where I only have the courage to strip to my panties and bra and thankful to see Max has kept his boxers on.

  “Cannonnnn Balllll!” Drew shouts, running across the pier buck naked; his Johnson flapping in the wind.

  “You need to put that thing away before you poke someone’s eye out!” Max shouts.

  “Impressive!” Lana adds with a devilish grin.

  The four of us goof off like a bunch of school kids. After a cannonball competition, a game of chicken and a race to see who could swim to the shoreline the quickest. We relax and watch the traffic cross the long suspension bridge. The lights from the cars twinkling like Christmas.

  The moon peeks from behind a heavy cloud, casting a stormy grey across the water.

  “I can’t believe this is almost over,” Lana pouts.

  “Yep,” I sigh. “The sun will be up soon.”

  “It doesn’t have to be,” Max says, pulling himself from the water.

  I shrug. “I know, I know. It’s only a month. But the Fourth of July feels like an eternity away.”

  “No. I mean this weekend. Y’all could come back to Post with us tomorrow. Stay the night…see our world.”

  Lana’s face beams. Immediately jumping on board with the idea. “Holy shit! Yes! That would be so cool!”

  He can’t be serious? I’m still processing why this wonderful, perfect, sweet man is spending his entire vacation with me. Now he wants me to go home with him? We haven’t even kissed yet! Something's weird about this. “I don’t know, Max,” I say, hesitantly.

  He reads my face. “If you’re uncomfortable with it, I’ll completely understand. I thought it might be nice to spend a little more time together.”

  “It would be… I just…”

  Lana waves off my concern. “Pay her no mind. She’s being a nervous Nelly! As long as Drew’s good with it, count us in!”

  “Hell yeah, I’m good with it!” Drew says, swimming over to plant a wet kiss on her cheek.

  “Lana, we need to think this through first.”

  She flips her hands. “What’s to think through? We aren’t supposed to be home until Tuesday, so it’s not like anyone will be looking for us. And our first shift at work isn’t until Wednesday. Besides, it’s not like we’re driving across the country. Fort Benning is practically on the way home.”

  I process what she’s saying and must admit, she does have valid points. “Ok, for argument’s sake…say we do this. I thought you guys lived in a barracks? Where the heck will Lana and I sleep?”

  Drew and Max both chuckle. “It’s not like the movies, where everyone is piled in a room packed with bunks. We all have our own rooms,” Drew says.

  “Less barracks, more college dorm,” Max adds.

  I chew on a nail as I let the idea roll around in my head.

  They all glare, waiting for an answer.

  “Errrrr! Fine! Ok. You win!” I reluctantly cave.

  “Are you sure?” Max asks.

  “Yes, I’m sure. As long as you promise to keep Lurch as far away as feasibly possible.”

  He laughs. “Oh, I was thinking you two could bunk together.”

  I nudge him in the side playfully and as I do, he pulls me in close. The laughter shifting to desire.

  He places his hands on my cheeks and whispers, “Thank you.” I close my eyes as he slowly leans in. The tip of his nose grazing mine.

  Lana gasps loudly. “What the hell!?” We follow her pointed finger as floodlights pop on behind us.

  Max huffs an exhausted breath. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  Shadows appear on the rickety porch, followed by the sound of faint sirens in the distance.

  “FUCKKKKKKK! Someone called the cops!”

  “Runnnnn!” Drew screams, springing his naked body from the water.

  In a frenzied panic, we gather our clothes and shoes strewn throughout the pier and make a run for it. The sirens are getting closer as flashing blue lights reflect off the trees.

  Max races through the front lawn. “I thought you said the house was abandoned?” he yells over his shoulder.

  “Clearly someone bought it!” Lana yells back, trying to hold her clothes over her boobs.

  “Go, go, go!” Drew shouts, coming up behind us.

  We make it to the truck in record time. Lana’s the last one in, flinging across me in all her birthday suit glory. We speed away seconds before the cops arrive.

  We’re speechless. Only the sounds of huffs and puffs as we look back to make sure we’ve made a clean getaway.

  It’s only after we know the coast is clear, the four of us break out in side-splitting, uncontrollable, laughter.

  Drew grabs his heart and collapses into his seat. “Oh my God, I think I shit my pants!”

  “Well, I guess it’s a good thing you aren’t wearing any then.” Max teases.

  “Yeah, I’v
e had Lana’s lady bits in my face twice in one day. This has to be a record,” I say as tears stream down my cheeks.

  “At least I had her all groomed up this time!”

  Drew raises an eyebrow. “I can vouch for that!”

  “Well, I must admit ladies… There’s never a dull moment with you two around,” Max says.

  We make the short drive back into the city just as rain moves in. We’re still laughing about our near brush with the law and know we’ve all made a memory that’ll stay with us forever.

  “I can’t remember the last time I’ve had this much fun,” I admit.

  “Me either.” Max grabs my hand kisses it. “Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to kiss you without the entire world interrupting us.”

  I look at him, looking at me. “Stop the car!”

  “What? Here?” he questions.

  “Yep! Pull over. Right over there.”

  I point to a small beachside pull off and as soon as the truck’s in park, I jump out. Max is already out as I make it to his side of the truck. He reads my mind and knows why we’ve stopped. He grabs my hand and pulls me gently through the dunes and across the sand, not stopping until we’ve made it to the shoreline. With the rain falling and flashes of lightning electrifying the night sky, he pulls me into his arms and presses his soft lips to mine. There’s no time to be gentle, as two days of pent-up desire is finally released. Passion erupts, sending us into a fiery charge. His tongue and mine in perfect sync. He moves his lips to my neck, causing my body to go weak in his arms. I’m unable to tell if the pounding I hear is the sound of thunder or my heart.

  We finally find the strength to pull our lips apart. With his chest rising and falling, both of us drenched to the bone, he whispers in my ear, “That was worth the wait.”

  He wraps his arms tightly around me as my head falls into his chest. We stay there holding each other as the sun begins to rise. We watch as the orange sliver peaks across the water, bringing an official end to the most amazing night of my life.

  A sleeping Lana and Drew don’t flinch when we start the truck and make our way back to the hotel. “So do you still want us to go home with y’all tomorrow?”

  He grabs my hand. “Of course I do.”

  “What time were you wanting to get on the road?”

  He senses my concern. “I know you’re a little freaked out about this whole thing, so if you want to back out.”