Stud Muffin

by Lauren Landish

  “That’s probably your upper lip you’re smelling,” I say offhandedly, taking off my pants. “Maybe someone got a pain relieving hot beef injection from Caleb on the way back?”

  “Oh, hell no! Don’t make me go get Mo Mo!” she threatens. “You know she and I aren’t messing around!”

  I laugh. “You’re a total nut.”

  “And you’re a—”

  Cassie’s cut off by the ringtone on my cell, and I pick it up to see who it is. It’s Myra. Oh, now she wants an update?

  Anxiety twists my stomach as I answer the call.

  “How’s the competition coming along?” Myra asks. Before I can answer, she drones on. “Everyone’s getting antsy. They’re worried about securing the property. After running the numbers, they say this thing is too huge to lose. Please tell me you girls have got this thing in the bag!” The panic in her voice causes my heart rate to speed up, and I admonish myself for letting my focus slip, even if I do want to do it all over again.

  My mouth runs dry and I suddenly feel a huge weight on my shoulders. I part my lips to reply before closing them, unsure of what to say. Myra will flip out if I tell her things aren’t going too well. Even worse if I tell her I slept with Tony. “Good,” I say finally, trying to inject enthusiasm in my voice with sweat beading my brow. “We’re doing awesome!” I give her a quick rundown of what Wesley has us doing, not letting on that we’re still two points down after this morning and I have no idea how many games Wesley has left in his little bag of party favors.

  “Thank God!” Myra exclaims, her voice awash with relief. “I knew I could count on you! What did he say when you presented our offer? Any idea of when he’ll make a decision?”

  “Well, he took our offer and the contract paperwork, but didn’t let me discuss it with him. Just said he’d read over it. I’m not sure on his deadline, but it can’t last much beyond the end of the week,” I tell her. “But he hasn’t told us everything. He seems to like to spring things on us unexpectedly. Like I said, things are looking good and we’re doing our best, but it’s going to be close.”

  “I don’t care about close, I care about you closing this deal! Make sure he reads the offer thoroughly, go over it with him personally if you can.”

  I nod, wishing I felt more confident than I sound. “We’ve got things under control here! Listen, I gotta go, I’ll talk with you tomorrow.” I hang up the phone, not knowing how to feel. I just lied to my boss and I feel conflicted and confused. Tony needs this, too, just for more personal reasons.

  “I can’t believe you just did that,” Cassie says, looking at me like I’ve committed a cardinal sin. “You totally lied to her!”

  “I didn’t know what else to do,” I say. “What should I have done? Tell her the truth, that we’re down with who knows how many chances left?”

  “But there’s a chance we’re gonna lose. How’s she gonna react then, if we don’t pull this off? How can we win when you're sleeping with the enemy?”

  Her words cause my skin to prick. Is that what I’m doing? Sleeping with the enemy . . .

  Well, when the enemy can make me feel like he does . . . damn it, I’ll gladly sleep with him.

  “I am not!” I object, my cheeks turning red. Technically, I’m not lying. We haven’t slept together yet. “Besides, Wesley doesn’t seem like he’s going to go strictly by the numbers anyway. I think my passing up the blue flower today is what salvaged us a point. We definitely need to be at our best for the challenges, and that means not fraternizing with Tony and Caleb. I’ve got to find a way to discuss the actual offer with him too. We need to figure out how to direct this deal back to the business of selling, not just the games, even if they are fun. We’re not on vacation here!”

  There’s a now familiar soft knock at the door. It’s Alani. “My husband wants to see you in the main room in fifteen minutes.”

  We nod, and she leaves, closing the door gently behind her. I sigh and change clothes quickly, pulling on dry underwear, some new shorts, and a t-shirt. I also put on the Nikes I packed, knowing with Wesley, I need to be prepared for anything.

  I like it here, but always being in the dark is starting to feel less like an adventure and more like a joke on us,” Cassie grumbles, rolling over and pulling on socks and shoes. She stands up, wincing but eventually nodding. “Just make sure I don’t faceplant. Knowing my luck, we’re going to be doing a three-legged race over a crocodile infested lagoon.”

  We go down to the main room, and once again, I’m struck by how peaceful Wesley’s home is. There are mats laid out in rows, and the breeze is trickling through the windows, cooling the room and making it seem even airier. Wes smiles when he sees us and applauds Cassie as she limps in, a determined set to her eyes. “Come in, free spirits of our wonderful world. I must seem like such a bad host, making you always arrive second.”

  I smile, looking around the place until my eyes meet Tony’s. Like a flash, the connection we had at the waterfall is back, and it’s like I’m looking inside his mind. It’s so strong I almost feel like we have telepathy. I remind myself of the conversation I just had with Myra and tear my eyes away as Wesley continues.

  “I understand you’re sore and tired. So this afternoon, I’ve decided to lead all of you in some guided meditation. Before you start to worry about your ankle Cassie, the practice is not meant to stress your body, but to help it reconnect with the restorative powers of nature, and the healing power within yourself. We all share a connection, just like how each of the Hawaiian Islands share a common base underneath the waters of the Pacific. This isn’t a challenge, just something for us to do as one.”

  He goes over to the mat at the front of the room and spreads his hands, indicating for us to sit. I glance at Cassie, who nods, and we all arrange ourselves on the mats. As we do, I notice that Tony and I are seated next to each other, with Cassie and Caleb on our outsides. I feel heat creep up my neck as Tony glances over, and I hurriedly work on taking off my shoes and socks. “Is Mo Mo going to be joining us?” I have to ask as I undo my knot. “I saw yoga with baby goats on YouTube. Adorable, but um, don’t get me wrong, but she isn’t as quite as cute as a baby goat.”

  Wesley smiles and shoos Mo Mo away. “No, she won’t be joining us today.” She leaves his shoulder and flies over to a stand in the corner, where I see there’s a small cup of seeds for her. “She’ll be preoccupied for a while.”

  I sit down cross-legged, swallowing as I force myself to keep my eyes on Wesley and not on Tony, and put my hands on my knees. I’ve been to a few yoga classes before. I want to be respectful to Wesley even if this isn’t a challenge. I realize with a start that even more than Wesley, I want to be respectful to this place, which with every breath means more and more to me.

  “Now, imagine yourself as a pure ball of energy, and think about how everything around you is also energy. Reach out with your mind and look for that connection with the air, the water, the trees, and the earth itself around you.”

  Wesley takes a deep breath, a soft smile coming to his face. “Please, everyone, concentrate. Feel the earth, the wind, the water, and the sun around you. Feel the network of threads creating a web containing all that exists. The sun warms the earth, making the plants which we and the animals eat, giving us energy which we return to the earth.”

  I try to focus on Wesley’s words, but the only energy I can think of is Tony’s. My mind flashes back to the magical glow in the small cavern and how his hands caused my body to come alive. I imagine his hands caressing my body now, making me feel like a new person. Forget becoming one with nature. I’m becoming one with Tony.

  “Hannah,” a voice says, followed by an annoying squawk.

  “Big booty ho!”

  I barely hear either voice, my mind on Tony and how his cock felt in my hand, and how he felt with his fingers inside me . . .

  But I’m forced to open my eyes when Cassie complains loudly, “Okay, I can’t concentrate with Cookie Monster moaning and groaning
over here!”

  “Cookie Monster!” Mo Mo squawks.

  Heat burns my cheeks. I’m so embarrassed. I had no idea I was moaning.

  I clear my throat, trying not to look at him. Then everyone will know who I was moaning about. “Sorry,” I say. “I, uh, thought we were supposed to be ohm’ing. I was really getting into it.”

  “Oh, you were into it, all right,” Cassie mutters.

  “Quiet, ladies,” Wesley scolds us, irritation in his voice. “Close your eyes and focus. Concentrate.”

  Looking at Wesley, I can see he’s trying to do something genuine here. Sucking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and try my hardest to concentrate. I listen as Wesley has us focus inward, trying to shut off our minds. It’s hard, though, and Cassie grumbles. “It’s like a convention going on in my head.”

  “Then like a convention hall, try to focus on one voice,” Wesley says quietly. “I want you all to focus on your dreams, your future. Build in your mind that one image, the thing you want most in your future.”

  I take a deep breath, breathing along with Wesley as I try to focus. But still . . . “It’s all so staticky.”

  “That’s because you’re trying to force it,” Wesley says. “Don’t think. Feel. Let it go, let it flow over you.”

  I try again, and as the minutes pass, I’m aware of a growing presence next to me. Tony. In my mind, I don’t see myself winning the competition. I don’t see myself living in a penthouse or driving a fancy car. Or with millions of dollars. I see . . . Tony. I see him, a few laugh lines in his face, a little bit of softness to his chiseled abs, but a look in his eyes that still burns with more warmth and love than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. “Oh, my God.”

  “That’s good,” Wesley says, clapping his hands lightly. “Now, I won’t ask you to reveal what you saw in your mind. Just reflect, and I’ll see you in a few hours. I hope you feel more refreshed. This evening will be more recovery for you.”

  He gets up quietly and leaves, the four of us following behind him. I don’t say anything, forcing myself to look down and not face the question that’s tearing through my brain. How am I supposed to win this competition when I’m starting to have feelings for my opponent?

  Chapter 15

  Anthony

  After we finish the meditation session, my body feels relaxed even as my mind whirls. I’ve spent the last thirty minutes trying to clear my thoughts, to let it happen, like Wesley said. Instead, the whole time, my thoughts keep going to Hannah. Feeling her presence next to me, I had to stop myself from reaching out to take her hand. So while my body is ready for whatever we’re going to do next, my mind is a jumble of thoughts, most of them about how much I want Hannah. I kept feeling the pulse of our hearts as we were in the lagoon, how she looked in the sunlight both before we went in the cave and after. Most of all, I remember how she felt, how soft her skin was, how her eyes widened the first time I slipped my fingers inside her. I remember what my orgasm felt like, and how I wished there wasn’t a condom to get in the damn way. I’m surprised I’m not tenting my shorts like a teenage Boy Scout at this point.

  “Meet outside after dinner,” Wesley says, getting to his feet. “I’m going to be introducing you to the clearing house before bed.”

  “The clearing house?” Hannah asks, getting her shoes on. She glances at me, and I can see the way her t-shirt molds perfectly to her body, my mouth going dry again in an instant. “What are we clearing?”

  “You’ll be clearing yourselves,” Wesley replies. “It’s special to me. It’s a place meant for the cleansing of both mind and body.”

  “Wash your ass!” Mo Mo screeches, although for a moment there, I thought the bird said watch your ass. Good advice either way.

  Wesley leaves with a smile, ignoring Caleb, who keeps trying to stammer another question. Cassie follows him out, saying something about how she’s glad she doesn’t have to listen to Cookie Monster anymore.

  Hannah shakes her head, and after a glance my way, she leaves the room.

  I want to follow her, but I control the urge.

  “Any idea what the fuck he’s talking about?” Caleb asks as we leave and go back to our room. “Any company I’ve ever worked for, he’d be out on his ass after failing a piss test, I’m sure of it. And the bird thing is just . . . shiver me timbers,” Caleb jokes as he covers an eye with his hand as a makeshift patch.

  I laugh at him. “Actually, in some ways, I like the bird. It gives him character.”

  “I don’t know,” Caleb counters. “Cindy Crawford having a mole gives her character. The Rock having a bionic eyebrow gives him character. Wesley Mobber having a foul-mouthed parrot that uses his shoulder as a perch for most of the day just means he’s probably got a lot of parrot shit in that hair of his.”

  We both laugh. “I know you think he’s—”

  The ringing of my phone interrupts my thought, but seeing that it’s Oliver, I answer. In the background, I can hear babies crying and Mindy singing to them, trying to calm them down. While she’s not bad, Roxy definitely inherited the singing genes in the family. “Hey, what’s the progress?”

  “Consider it handled,” I say simply. Oliver doesn’t need to know about what Hannah and I got up to. I had enough problems dealing with Caleb’s looks during our break. “We’re winning his games, but he hasn’t said how many there are.”

  “That’s good fucking news!” he exults. I can hear Mindy saying something to him, and he chuckles. “Sorry, honey, you’re right.”

  “What is she saying?” I ask, smirking.

  “She’s not happy,” he says. “With both my language, and also . . . she’s been talking to Roxy about all of this. She thinks someone’s going to get hurt with Hannah being practically family and friend.”

  “Then what do you want to do?”

  “Just do your best, but be fair. We’ll figure something out to make it right if you win,” Oliver says. “Call me if anything changes. I’ve got to go give Mindy a hand.”

  Oliver says farewell, and after he hangs up, I let out a sigh. Mindy’s right—someone could get hurt.

  “What was that for?” Caleb asks. “Never, in all my life, have I seen someone so sad to be winning. I would’ve thought you’d be ecstatic.”

  If it were anyone besides Hannah, I would be happy. But the thrill of winning and competition is starting to fade away, replaced by a need to see Hannah smile, to hear her softly call my name as I kiss every inch of her body. It’s being replaced with a need to have her with me, to make her mine.

  I can’t tell Caleb that, though. He wouldn’t understand. “I just want this to be over. Hopefully, this cleansing or whatever we’re doing works. I need a total mind wipe and the meditation wasn’t working one bit. I kept focusing on how my little toe was falling asleep.”

  Caleb chuckles. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Me, I’m hoping it’s like those bathhouses, some nice girls who know how to give a great lomilomi massage and a very happy ending.”

  I can’t help it, I laugh. “You’re a pervert, you know that?”

  “I’m just kidding, man. You know I’m not like that.”

  Dinner is, for the first time since we got here, very quiet. I try to keep my eyes off Hannah while we eat, but it’s impossible, especially as she starts giving me glances too. My body is tingling, my cock growing in my shorts and a burning ball of something I’m not ready to acknowledge in my gut.

  After a quick washing up, we meet outside. The sun is setting, and I’m reminded just how late sunsets are in summer. The girls changed during their prep time, both of them wearing bikini tops and light skirts, while Caleb and I are wearing tropical weight shirts and cargo shorts. Just the sight of Hannah has my blood boiling and my mouth watering. She snaps a few photos of Cassie striking a pose in the sunset, but the one being photographed should be her.

  “Follow me,” Wesley says, heading off in the twilight. The girls stay in front this time, close to Wesley while Caleb and I hang in the back.
Caleb is enjoying the evening breeze while I’m trying not to spend the whole walk staring at Hannah’s ass. We turn at the road, wrapping around past the village and up the side of what I think is the same mountain we climbed this morning, just the other side. As we get closer, I see what looks like a Japanese style bath house, except that the roof is thatched. “Welcome to the clearing house.”

  Wesley leads us up a stone path, and as we get closer, I can smell the unmistakable scent of volcanic waters. It’s not the stench of Sulphur, but the rich mineral scent of something else. “Hot springs?”

  “Very good,” Wesley says with a small smile. We reach the front door, which slides open to reveal a beautifully organic wood-paneled room, and the scent coming from them is rich and heady. It’s like a small, beautifully decorated spa, with flowers growing in pots and bonsai trees in alcoves along the walls. There are two curtains, and down the halls for each, I see what looks like rooms for massage tables and more. Sadly for Caleb, I don’t see any cute spa attendants.

  “Alani named this place for me when it was built,” Wesley says, turning to us with a smile. “To her, it became a place of purification, of cleansing and cleaning. So she named it after the ancient temple near Holualoa. So, welcome to Puʻuhonua. this will give you a chance to clear your body of toxins and a chance to cleanse your spirit as well. Enjoy the cleansing offered freely by the baths, let it wash away your worries and open your mind and heart to a path pure in its creation from the very waters that spring from deep within the island. Through the curtains, you’ll find changing areas, towels, and showers. It’s tradition that you shower first, then go to the steam rooms naked.”

  “Naked?” Hannah gulps, and Wesley nods. She gives me a look, then nods.

  “What about lomilomi?” Caleb asks, and Wesley chuckles. “What? I could use a rubdown after hauling Cassie’s butt down the hill. She weighs a ton!” he exaggerates.