by Adele Huxley
“You know a lot of that was bullshit.” Kayla always defended him. Ever since he’d been put away, Rick had been a real matter of contention between the two of us. I never thought she defended him out of loyalty, but more because he was the best meal-ticket she’d ever found. As far as she was concerned, he’d never treated us badly or abused us in any way, as long as we made money. She didn’t see what he’d done as psychological manipulation or abuse because she wanted to think she’d always been in control.
“So what do you want to get in town?” I asked, desperately hoping to change the subject.
Kayla sighed, familiar with my not-so-subtle tactics. “Can I ask just one more thing?” she said as she sped towards a pretty sharp turn.
“Can you slow down?” I replied, bracing myself against the dash and gripping the handle above my head.
“What did Kyle say when you called him?”
I gritted my teeth, not wanting to answer, wishing I could delete the question from the air. “He told me Rick’s lawyer was able to reduce the sentence and he was let out on probation because none of his charges were violent in nature.”
“There you go. If the courts said he could get out, then what are you complaining about?”
I blinked at her, wondering if she were deliberately trying to pick a fight or if she really were so unaware. “He’s still on probation. He presumably got out, went looking for us, and paid Kyle to tell him where we are. On top of that, he’s not supposed to leave the state, which means he paid Kyle to not turn him in. Not to mention you guys are in business again.” I wasn’t about to tell her what he’d actually said.
The reality of the situation seemed to hit her, but like any deluded person, she swiftly explained away any of her concerns. “I’m sure that’s not what happened. Why would Rick risk going back to jail like that?”
“I had to tell Kyle that I was leaving the state and you think Rick doesn’t—actually, never mind. I’m done talking about this right now.” I shifted in the bucket seat, crossing my arms over my chest. We would never agree when it came to Rick and I wasn’t willing to lose our friendship over it. She could be so stubborn about him though.
“So…what did you want to get in town?” I started in an overly perky voice.
Kayla didn’t reply, her eyes straight ahead on the road. As glad as I was that she was practicing safe driving, I knew silence meant she wasn’t saying something. And knowing Kayla, if she didn’t get a chance to say it, she’d make me miserable the entire day.
“What?” I huffed.
“You could’ve gone to visit him,” she replied meekly. Again, her tone was enough to set me off but the implication was the last straw.
I snapped. “Listen, you and Rick have your own relationship. I never asked about it, I don’t need to know, but you can’t keep guilting me over the fact I never saw him in jail. He wasn’t my boyfriend, he wasn’t anything to me towards the end.” She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and glanced at me. We’d had this fight a half-dozen times. I just prayed she didn’t push it too far. I tempered my voice and continued, “I’d really, really like to stop talking about him, okay? I just want to have a nice day out with you and try to forget the whole goddamn thing. So, for the last fucking time, what do you want to get in town?”
At least this made her laugh. “I saw a pair of mittens and a matching hat in one of those stores on the main street.”
I sighed dramatically, crossing my legs back to the center of the truck. “Well good, now we’re getting somewhere.”
“Can we eat first? I think the Gritty Cask does a lunch during the week.” She pouted at me like it’d do her any good, but this time, it actually did. The girl’s body had been put through enough in the last day. I’d feel better knowing she at least had a hot meal in her stomach. Kayla was prone to living off Diet Coke and coffee.
“Sure,” I replied curtly.
“I’ll get you a drink,” she said in a sing-songy voice.
I sighed, smiling at her. “Alright, it’s a deal.” I glanced out the window as we passed the spot where I’d met Bryan, my mind already spinning a web of ulterior motives.
____________
Lunch was great. Despite the drama, I think Rick’s reappearance made us both a little nostalgic, although we both deftly danced around any stories involving him. Before the food had even arrived, we were doubled over in laughter. We’d been reminiscing about past parties we’d been to, the good and the bad. Kayla reminded me of a themed frat party from freshman year I vaguely recalled, for good reason it seemed.
“Holy shit, I do remember this now! It was a stoplight party or something, right?”
Kayla nodded, wiping a tear from her face. “And you were supposed to dress in either green, yellow, or red to show if you were looking to get laid.”
“Yes! And I thought I was clever as hell and went dressed completely in red.” Memories of the night floated to the surface, memories that should’ve stayed buried. I rubbed my forehead and cringed.
“You got so drunk. All I remember is you walking around, going up to every guy who would listen to you for more than a minute and saying, ‘I’m red, motherfucker. That means you stop. Stop!’ and then walking away.” She leaned on the table, resting her forehead on her hand as she tried to catch her breath.
I could only shake my head. “That’s actually a perfect example of how guys that age think. I started declaring myself unavailable to everyone because, like some trick of psychology, they all thought red meant to just try harder. Like they could turn me on or something.”
“Guys of any age. Oh! That actually reminds me. I owe you a drink,” Kayla declared, hopping off her barstool. She strolled right over to a couple local-looking guys sitting at the bar. Moments later, she had an arm slung over each of their shoulders. They all turned as she pointed in my direction, so I flashed a fake smile and a half-assed wave. Within five minutes, she was strutting back with two bottles of beer in her hand, leaving the guys scratching their heads. If I hadn’t seen it happen a hundred times, I would’ve been surprised.
“You said you’d buy me a drink,” I chuckled as I took the beer.
She waggled a finger at me. “No, I actually said I’d get you a drink. Get. And,” she said clinking the tops together, “I delivered.”
“What did you say to them?”
Kayla took a slug of the beer and shrugged. “Told ‘em we were single, had a party coming up, house on the hill, yadda yadda. They’re married anyways, not like we have to blow ‘em or anything. Oh, and get this! One of them told me there was a big party last night where someone OD’d. Isn’t that hilarious? I didn’t even know that’d happened.”
I didn’t find it nearly as funny. Running my tongue along the inside of my teeth as I thought, I sighed. “Don’t you ever feel bad about it all?
“Bad about what?” she said defensively. “Look at you getting all judgy.”
“I don’t know, all of it.” I couldn’t look her in the eye, so I focused on picking the label off the neck of my beer. “Drugs, conning, all of it. Someone could’ve died last night because of the party we threw. There was literally a bowl of pills on the counter.”
“And they would’ve had the best time as they went,” she giggled. When she saw I wasn’t finding the humor in the situation, she switched tactics. “Listen, sometimes I feel a little guilty, sure. But it’s life. It’s nature. There are wolves and there are deer. We just happen to be the sleek, sexy wolves. I don’t see the point in apologizing for doing what a wolf does.”
“I guess…”
“Look,” she said grabbing my hand, “I know Rick showing up has screwed with your head but—”
“I really don’t want to talk about it,” I replied insistently.
“Okay, okay. I just wanted to say, I know you’re out of it all and I respect that, like seriously. Whatever business I have going on with Noah, it doesn’t matter. Rick or no Rick, whatever. I don’t want anything to come between us, oka
y? You’re my best friend.”
I nodded, finally meeting her gaze. “Me too, sweetie. I haven’t said it enough, but it’s been really good being here with you. It’s been too long.”
“Totally,” she grinned.
By the time we left the bar and picked up her mittens, life was feeling pretty normal again. I’d originally thought about stopping in Freddy’s to see if Bryan was working, but chickened out. Fate had another idea. Well, fate and Kayla’s credit card. I was ready to keep on walking but like a kid at Christmas, Kayla practically pressed her nose against the shop window as we passed.
“Ohhh, check this place out. It has everything.” I nodded, knowing at least one thing that was in there. “Do you think we have enough time on the meter for one more place?”
“I’m pretty sure the town doesn’t even have meter readers, so yes,” I laughed. “But I’m feeling pretty tired. I’ll go sit in the car and ward off any tickets, okay? Take as long as you want.” She was half way in the door before I finished my sentence. Kayla plus money was a dangerous combination.
I wandered back to the Jeep, only a few spaces down and across the street, imagining Bryan watching me from the window of the shop. That same excited, giddy feeling flickered in my chest. I’d originally thought about popping into the shop to surprise him, but decided to play it cool at the last minute. I didn’t want to appear too eager and I was still exhausted from the night before. A little secret about me…I get terribly horny when I’m tired or stressed. Made studying for finals in college hell.
Climbing into the passenger seat, I switched on the heat and leaned back, closing my eyes. I imagined him on the sofa back at the cabin, shirtless, his arms flung over his head. His eyes would flicker to mine, green and burning with the same intensity I’d seen at the bar that first night. He’d look me over quickly, his eyes scanning my body with a slight smile, before reaching a hand out. Scrunching further into the car seat, my skin tingled as I imagined him pulling me on top. The heat of his skin, his firm muscles, ugh…the way he kissed me like I was essential for living.
He’d slide his hands along my back, waiting for just the right moment and then in a swift movement, flip me under him. The sweet weight of his body, the cool leather on my back, his hot mouth on my neck. I’d spread my legs wide to give his hips room, hooking my ankles around his waist. I pushed my head back against the car seat, nearly smelling his scent, almost feeling his neck as I nuzzled in.
Suddenly, my fantasy shattered to pieces. Back in the real world, my eyes flew open as Kayla knocked on the window.
“Can you help me?” she gestured with gloved hands.
My heart pounding from fright, I chuckled a little to myself. My daydream had become so vivid, my panties were soaked. I glanced across the street, wishing Bryan had carried everything over.
I helped Kayla load her brand new equipment into the Jeep, piling it in the back with the rest of her shopping bags. The flowery skis and matching white boots certainly completed Kayla’s snow bunny outfit.
“You definitely scratched that itch, didn’t ya?” I said, shutting the back.
“I’m just supporting local businesses,” she laughed.
“So good of you.” I climbed into the warm seat and clicked my seatbelt into place.
The sun had already fallen behind the mountain range, the town bathed in a deepening shadow. Kayla jumped into the driver’s seat and backed out of the parking spot, her arm slung over my head rest to look behind. “Your mountain man was in there,” she said with an unreadable expression, almost like it was an afterthought.
“Oh yeah?” I stared at the door of Freddy’s as we passed, my fantasy still fresh in my mind. Screw eager…there was something enticing about the guy I still hadn’t been able to put my finger on. As we drove to the end of the street, I made up my mind to figure it out. “I’m calling him.”
“Who’s stopping you?” I ignored Kayla’s snarky response, the excitement coursing through me. The phone rang a couple times, each ring spiking my nerves even higher.
“Hello?”
“Hey you.” I cringed at how perky I sounded. “Kayla told me you were in the shop, so I thought I’d catch you.”
“Ah, did she? She barely acknowledged my existence when she was in here.” He sounds so weird, I thought glancing at Kayla. Did she say something?
I nervously laughed. “Well, I’m really calling for two things. One, to thank you again, from the both of us. It was really cool what you did last night.”
He breathed into the phone, grunting a little as he stood, the sound of an old wooden chair scraping against the floor in the background. “It’s really no big deal. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“Well, it wasn’t much of a first date though, I feel bad about that.”
“And is that the second reason you’re calling?”
I smiled at the flirtation in his voice. “Maybe. I was thinking you could come up? I’ll cook you dinner, we could chill in the hot tub…” Kayla groaned and started making retching sounds. I smacked her leg and shifted the phone to my left ear, staring out the window as we drove. “Whatever you want, really.”
“How about I cook you dinner at my place? I can pick you up and drive you home. I guarantee no crazy exes will show up.”
“Ohhh,” I laughed, “nice dig. Fair enough. Alright, can you cook? ‘Cause I was actually going to make you something—”
“What the hell is this guy doing?” Kayla said. The alarm in her voice stopped me cold. Bright lights flooded the interior of the car. I caught a glimpse of her staring in the rear view mirror before the Jeep started skidding. “Holy shit, hang on.”
I braced myself against the dash, turning in my seat to see a large truck driving within inches of our bumper. He flashed his high beams on and off while honking his horn. Kayla recovered from the skid, thankfully correcting just the right amount so we didn’t fishtail down the embankment. “What does he want? Maybe there’s something wrong with the car?”
“Do you think we should pull over or something?” she asked, her eyes wide with concern.
“What’s going on?” Bryan’s voice was deep and urgent in my ear.
“I’m not sure. Some guy in a big truck is fucking with us, driving really close, hang on.” I moved the receiver from my mouth. “Kay, there’s the gas station, pull over so he can pass.”
“You okay?” Bryan asked.
“Yeah, I think so. We’re stopping and at least there are other people there,” I replied, then spoke to Kayla. “Did you cut him off or something?”
“No! He came out of nowhere.”
I turned in my seat, squinting into the bright lights behind us. I couldn’t see a thing, but every cell in my body screamed Rick. “Why is he so close?” Kayla moaned, eyes flicking to the mirror every second or so.
Gravel crunched under the Jeep’s tires. She pulled the car away from the fuel station into the larger area of the lot, the truck still on our tail. As we came to a stop, she moved to put the car into park. I quickly stayed her hand. “Just wait. Let’s see what’s going on first.”
For several long, agonizing moments, nothing happened. The Jeep rumbled with the idling engine, the vents blowing hot air, but nothing happened. My heart thudded against my ribcage, every piece of me wanting to run, but I was frozen in place. When will I learn to listen to my instincts?
“You’re at the Texaco station, right?” Bryan asked.
“Yeah, the one just a couple minutes from the cabin.”
“I’m coming, don’t hang up.”
“You really don’t have to—”
We heard the door of the truck slam shut and both of us turned to see two shadowy figures approaching the driver’s side. Kayla’s delicate hand slipped to the console and locked the doors. A gloved fist rapped heavily on the window and we both jumped. Then, washed in the light from his truck, Rick’s smiling face appeared at the window.
Kayla let out a relieved groan, which I wanted to slap her fo
r. Even though she didn’t have any reason to fear him, she left the doors locked and chose to roll down the window, slipping the car into park. I quickly dropped my phone to my leg but didn’t hang up, hiding the glow against my jeans.
“You guys!” Kayla yelled. She was hanging out of the window, waving at the truck. Two figures walked in front of the lights, Rick and Noah. “You scared the shit out of me,” Kayla exhaled.
Rick inserted himself into the open window, resting his arms just inside. His dark eyes were locked on me as he replied and I instantly got the feeling he’d been expecting me to be the one driving. I could almost see him recalculating. Noah hung back, watching the scene unfold like he’d orchestrated the entire thing.
“Sorry Sin,” he said. “I didn’t get your new number last night at the party.”
My whole body tensed as he used her Rick-name, short for ‘Assassin.’ She’d been his primary dealer for nearly two years, her unassuming demeanor allowing her to slip into all sorts of untapped markets. Sororities, high schools, he’d point and she’d make a killing.
“God, yeah. I don’t know what happened. I do remember being really glad to see you, though,” she said, touching his arm. During their entire conversation, he’d yet to look at her, his eyes trained on mine. I glanced down long enough to see the time ticking away on the screen, indicating Bryan hadn’t hung up.
Hoping my voice wouldn’t shake, I spoke up loudly. “Rick, what do you want?”
His creepy smile widened, the corner of his mouth shifting with the curl of his lips. “Just to see my two favorite girls, is that a problem?”
“Of course it isn’t, right Lizzy? She obviously freaked out last night but I think she was just surprised to see you.” Kayla sounded like a child caught in the middle of a divorce, doing her best to keep mommy and daddy from fighting again.