For The Least Of These

by Jennifer Davis

I ignored Adam’s insinuation that Rick was going to take advantage of me. I could take care of myself. I wasn’t blind to the fact that Rick had a reputation with the ladies. If I decided to sleep with Rick, I would be using him as much as he was using me.

  Before I could come up with a snappy reply, Rick and Alicia came running back across the street. Rick was carrying a bag in his hand. “Let’s go check out the beach,” he said with a grin.

  We all left our shoes in Adam’s car. I placed the keys to Sam inside one of my shoes so I wouldn’t lose them in the sand. Adam locked the car and we all headed towards the sound of the gulf. Soon, we were all walking down the slope that led to the beach. Huge sand dunes rose on either side of the trail and sea oats stuck out of them at weird angles. As we stepped out from behind the last dune, the moon-glow revealed white-capped waves crashing on the beach. The moon was full and its light seemed muted and hazy as clouds passed in front of it.

  We looked around until we found an old driftwood log. It wasn’t rotted, so Rick and Adam carried it and put it down about fifteen feet from the shore line. It wasn’t big enough for everyone to sit on, so Rick sat on the sand directly in front of me, and Adam sat beside him in front of Alicia. I tried to be excited at having Rick so close, but instead, I found myself preoccupied with Adam’s closeness to Alicia.

  Rick pulled a chilled bottle of Merlot out of the paper bag. Luckily, it had a plastic cork, and he popped it open.

  “Where are the cups?” Adam asked.

  “Damn,” Rick grumbled, “I knew I forgot something. I guess we’ll just have to drink it from the bottle. Like old times, eh Adam?”

  I suddenly had a vivid memory of Alicia and me sitting on the beach sharing a bottle of some kind of cheap wine with two sailors we had met earlier that day. We were about sixteen at the time. Alicia had pulled out a roll of SweeTarts and started eating them with the wine. She had insisted that they enhanced the taste of the wine, so the rest of us tried it. We – with the exception of Alicia – had spent the rest of the evening taking turns throwing up.

  I was brought back to the present by Alicia’s voice, “SweeTarts, anyone?”

  Rick put his hand out, and I shouted, “Don’t do it, Rick!”

  Everyone looked at me as though I were crazy. “Sorry,” I said, a little more calmly. “Those things just don’t go well with wine.”

  “So says you,” Alicia said dismissively. “Come on, Rick, try it.”

  Rick took several of the little candies in his hand. “I don’t need to try it. I’ve ate them with wine before. It’s a weird taste, but I like it.” Just watching him made me want to gag.

  Adam said, “That is really disgusting.”

  Everyone was quiet for several minutes. I didn’t know what to say, and it seemed that the others didn’t either. Naturally, it was Alicia who broke the silence.

  “So what are we doing here anyway? Don’t get me wrong, I always prefer quiet, uneventful evenings – shrouded in apprehension – to noisy, exciting, fun-filled parties hosted by superstar entertainers. But I was hoping that we might have a conversation or something.”

  Rick spoke up. “Alice is absolutely right. We need to get past this awkwardness that has invaded our get-together. What do you say we go skinny-dipping?” Alice?

  With that, Rick was up and taking his shirt off. Alice – I mean Alicia – jumped up too and exclaimed, “Oh, boy! Now you’re talking!”

  “Alicia, sit down,” I scolded. “You aren’t going skinny-dipping. It’s the middle of the night. Don’t you remember that girl in ‘Jaws’?”

  “Come on, Alice. Let’s show them,” Rick dropped his trousers and headed into the gulf wearing only his briefs.

  “My name is Alicia. And here I come!” Alicia threw off her shirt, jeans, and bra and followed Rick into the water.

  I looked over at Adam. He wasn’t moving, and neither was I. Finally he said, “Rick is a crazy man. What’s her excuse?”

  “She’s always this way,” I sighed.

  “Aren’t you worried about the two of them out there alone together? She’s topless, you know.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about. Alicia isn’t attracted to Rick. She just wanted to have a good time. She’s not thinking about being topless. It’s dark, so she figures he can’t see her very well. Especially since she’s in the water.”

  “You sure do trust her.”

  “She’s my best friend, and she would never do anything to hurt me. Not intentionally, anyway. Isn’t it that way with you and Rick?”

  He hesitated then said, “Yeah, sure.”

  At least we were being cordial again. I decided to try to lighten things up, so I said, “Let’s join them.”

  He looked at me like I had truly gone insane. I stood up and grabbed his arm. At first he resisted, but then he finally stood up. As we stood there toe-to-toe, he looked into my eyes and I felt a shiver through my body. He was definitely handsome, but there was so much more in his eyes and his expression. I thought for a moment that he might kiss me, but instead, he pulled his shirt out of his jeans and started undressing. I was embarrassed to undress in front of him, but he turned his back so I stripped down to my panties.

  Before he could turn around and see me, I ran down to the beach and went into the water. The cool salt water felt good on my inflamed skin. I looked around for Rick and Alicia, but the blackness of the night had engulfed them. I could hear them laughing and talking, but they sounded far away. The crashing of the waves further muddled their voices and prevented me from determining their location. Adam, however, had no trouble finding me. He was almost on top of me before I realized he was there. I glanced down to ensure that my breasts were hidden by the water; then I said, “Where are Rick and Alicia?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I followed you, and I didn’t see them.”

  “The water is nice.” I didn’t know what else to say to him.

  “It’s not as bad as I thought.” We were so close together, and he was looking at me the same way he had on the beach. Even though the water wasn’t that cold, I was shivering. Whatever Adam was stirring in me was making me a wreck.

  “Hey, you two.” It was Alicia. She had found us.

  “Hey,” Adam said. He sounded disappointed.

  “I never thought an old wet blanket like you would go skinny-dipping.” This was Rick, and he was addressing Adam. “Especially with girls.”

  “That’s cute,” Adam said. I thought it was mean.

  “Brandy is like that, too. I’m always calling her a party pooper. She never does stuff like this.” What Alicia said wasn’t mean, it was true.

  Alicia moved over beside me. “Brandy, you don’t have any clothes on!” she shrieked.

  “Neither do you,” I reminded her.

  “Yes, but…you and I are not the same. You don’t do things like this.” She seemed genuinely shaken by my actions.

  Rick said, “I think we’d better get back to the beach. It probably isn’t safe to be swimming in the dark.”

  Alicia asked Rick if he’d bring our clothes to the shoreline so that we wouldn’t have to run naked across the beach. It hadn’t seemed to bother her when she was going into the water, so I assumed that her new found modesty was for my benefit. Rick deposited the clothing on the beach and then left us to dress alone.

  “He likes you, you know,” Alicia said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “He really likes you.”

  “He told you that?”

  “He didn’t have to. I can see it every time he looks at you.” She sounded disheartened when she added, “I wish he’d look at me that way.”

  “Alicia! You’ve never for a moment been interested in Rick. Why would you want him to like you now?”

  “I don’t. I couldn’t care less what Rick thinks of me. He’s about as deep as the water in the mud hole in my driveway back home. I’m talking about Adam. He’s the one, Brandy. Get all the glitter out of your eyes and forget about Rick.” />
  “I don’t know what on earth you are talking about. Adam and I don’t get along. All we’ve done is argue since the moment we met. Besides, you know how I feel about Rick.” I hoped Alicia knew because I was totally confused about my feelings.

  I was dressed and about to walk away, but Alicia grabbed me by the arm. “Brandy, just pretend for one moment that these are two guys we met at a bar or somewhere. They aren’t celebrities. Just two guys. Which one would you be after? It wouldn’t be Rick, and you know it.”

  “I’ve loved Rick for all these years, Alicia. I’m not letting him go now that he’s so close. Anyway, if Adam really did like me, why would it bother you? Adam isn’t the kind of guy you usually go for either.”

  “I’m not physically attracted to Adam. I can just tell that he’s a really good guy. And I just wish someone would look at me the way he’s been looking at you. If you could have seen how concerned he was for you at the hospital. I don’t know what made him fall for you so quickly, but give it a chance. He might be the one. Listen to your heart, not some dream you’ve been carrying around for twenty years.”

  I pulled away from her and walked back to where Adam and Rick were sitting. They were talking quietly, and they stopped when I approached. I sat down on the log behind Rick and took the bottle of wine from him. I swallowed two mouthfuls and gave the bottle back to him. Alicia emerged and joined me on the log.

  “Boy, that was fun,” Alicia said. “So, what now?”

  “Anything you’d like,” Rick responded.

  “So Rick,” Alicia began, “did you know that Brandy has been in love with you since she was twelve?”

  I shot her daggers with my eyes, but of course she couldn’t see them in the dark. I wasn’t sure what she was up to, but I was certain it had something to do with our previous conversation. Rick responded. “Twelve? That must have been about ten years ago, right?”

  He was either drunk or trying to get brownie points. Of course Alicia wasn’t going to let it go. “More like twenty,” she informed him.

  “Thanks, Alicia,” I said sarcastically.

  “So you love Rick Hartwood for his beautiful voice. Just like a million others.” The derision in Adam’s voice was apparent. I didn’t feel compelled to argue with him this time. In fact, I just wanted the conversation to be over.

  “No,” Alicia defended. “She loves Rick. Not just his voice.” I wished Alicia would just shut up. She was only repeating things I’d said about Rick my whole life, but now I could see just how stupid it all sounded.

  “And how, pray tell, did she love someone that she didn’t know and that she had never even met?” Adam asked.

  “Oh, Brandy knows Rick. She knows him better than anyone. Just ask her.”

  I just sat there. Alicia was somewhat right. I knew every fact there was to know about Rick, but I didn’t want to talk about that. I’d already had this conversation with Adam and it hadn’t ended well.

  “So you think you know me?” Rick said directly to me. “What is my mother’s name?”

  “Oh, Rick. That is way too easy,” Alicia interrupted. “I’m not even a fan of yours, and I know that your mother’s name is Mrs. Hartwood.”

  I thought Adam was going to wet his pants from laughing so hard. He said, “She’s got you on that one, Rick.”

  Rick ignored both of them. “Her name, Brandy. First and last.”

  “Come on, Rick. I really don’t want to do this.”

  Rick looked back at me with big puppy dog eyes. I felt my defenses breaking down. Rick could still get to me. “Fine. Her name is Francis Hartwood.”

  “Wrong,” said Adam. “Some fan you are. Stumped on the first question.”

  To hell with it, I knew Rick and I would prove it. To Alicia, Rick, and especially Adam.

  “You didn’t let me finish. Her name is Francis Hartwood. But her maiden name is Wilson. And of course, Hartwood isn’t really her last name – or Rick’s, for that matter. Your real name, Rick, was Richard Harwell. When you decided to change your name to Hartwood, your mother adopted the name as well.”

  I couldn’t stop now. I was like a walking Rick Hartwood Encyclopedia. I continued to spout out fact after fact about Rick’s life and career. Rick was obviously eating it up, but Adam and Alicia seemed bored. I finished up by saying a number of things about how Rick and Adam had joined together to make Rick a star.

  “You seem to know as much about Adam as you do about me. Are you in love with him, too?”

  Rick’s question took me by surprise. Even more surprising was how the question made me feel. I looked at Adam and tried to respond. “No, I’m not in love with Adam. But I do have a deep respect for him.” Somehow, that didn’t really describe the feeling inside of me. A feeling that I was fighting with everything I had.

  Adam remained quiet. Alicia looked completely defeated. Apparently she had hoped for a different outcome.

  Rick asked me a few more questions but even I was bored with the subject by now. Finally, Alicia spoke up, “I just can’t tell you how exciting this is. But you know what? I think we should change the subject. If we keep this up, Rick is going to get a big head.” I could almost see the light bulb appear over her head when she added, “Adam, how would you like to take a walk down the beach?”

  Adam seemed surprised. “Are you trying to get rid of me?” he asked.

  “With me, silly,” Alicia laughed.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I was really thinking about heading back to the hotel. I’m exhausted.” Adam stood up and brushed the sand off his jeans. “You can come with me if you want. Rick and Brandy seem to be having a love fest that doesn’t include us.”

  “Great idea, Adam,” Alicia said. She stood up and said, “Let’s go.”

  I should have been excited that Adam and Alicia were leaving me alone with Rick, but I wasn’t. “Maybe we should all head home. It must be well past two a.m. by now.”

  Adam held up his arm and I noticed for the first time that he was wearing a watch. I saw the watch light up with a little blue glow and Adam said, “Actually, it’s not even one yet.” Was it really possible that we’d only been on the beach about an hour?

  “Then why don’t you stay a little longer? We can all take a walk down the beach.” I wondered if I sounded as desperate as I felt.

  “Thanks for the offer, but tomorrow’s going to be busy. I’m sure I’ll see you at the concert.”

  I was out of ideas, so I didn’t try to stop them. “Just be careful,” I said.

  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” Rick called over his shoulder as Adam and Alicia disappeared into the darkness. Rick’s words didn’t sit well with me. Would Alicia seduce Adam? I tried not to think about it.

  “So, are you jealous? “Rick said unexpectedly. Why would he think that?

  “Of Adam and Alicia? Hardly. Why would I care if Adam and Alicia hook up?” Why indeed – but I did.

  “No, I meant are you jealous of Alicia and me. We went to the liquor store without you and then we went skinny-dipping together. I thought you might be jealous.”

  “No, I trust Alicia. And besides, she’s not attracted to you. She has always wondered why I like you so much. She likes guys like Skylar.”

  “Beefcakes, huh? I should have known. So why is she coming on to Adam? He’s less of a beefcake than I am.”

  “I think she just wanted to give me some time with you.” I wished that was all it was. I was still unsure why I wished it.

  “Sure. Whatever you say.” I could see that Rick didn’t believe that explanation at all. He thought I was naïve and stupid. I hoped that I wasn’t.

  Still trying to get Adam and Alicia out of my mind, I quickly drank several more mouthfuls of the wine. I didn’t really care for the taste, but the buzz I was getting felt pretty good. I started feeling excited about being this close to Rick. Or maybe the wine was just arousing me and Rick was the only man around. I still hadn’t forgotten Adam, so I took a few more swallows and fini
shed off the bottle. I was in a surreal world and I felt like I was floating. Rick pulled me down beside him off of the log. He slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. I felt that dreamlike quality coming over me – the one I had experienced so many times in the last twenty-four hours. I was so afraid I was going to wake up in my own house back in Pensacola and discover that this whole adventure had been only a dream. I looked up into his face and when I saw his beautiful smile, I knew it was all real. I marveled at how handsome he was. His grip on my waist tightened, and he looked into my eyes and smiled again. I felt like a giddy teenager as I remembered how devoted I had been to Rick all these years. The wine had finally helped me move Adam to the back of my mind.

  Rick tossed a few SweeTarts in his mouth. He offered me some, but I still wasn’t drunk enough to take them. Then he said, “Brandy, I’d really like to get to know you better. You know all about me, tell me about you.”

  In my drunken stupor, I let myself tell Rick all about my parents and how I had come to be called Brandy. He liked that story a lot, and he knew the song well. Then I told him about my ho-hum job and my house near the bay. I even told him how Alicia and I had followed his tour bus to Biloxi. Rick thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. He smiled that half-smile that I loved so much, and I found that I couldn’t say another word. I was getting lost in a dreamy fog of moonlight, Rick’s charm, and inebriation.

  I waited for Rick to speak, but he remained quiet. After a few minutes, Rick brought his lips close to my ear and began singing softly. My heart melted when I recognized the words: “Brandy, you’re a fine girl…What a good wife you would be…” At that moment, there would be no turning back. He had all of me now.

  Rick pushed me down into the sand, and I felt a rush in my head. I managed to ignore the feeling, and Rick leaned down over me. I soon felt Rick’s warm lips pressing against mine. This was the moment I had always dreamed of. Rick and I together. We would be lovers, and I would be his forever. As he slowly moved his tongue to separate my lips, I noticed a strange twang in my mouth. Too late I realized that it was the tart and tangy taste of his SweeTarts mixed with the flavor of the wine I had consumed. I lost all control.