Fate Interrupted 3

by Kaitlyn Cross

Dean honed his pointed gaze, steam nearly visible from his ears.

  “Brooke would bust my balls and you know it.”

  “What the hell is this, Shaun?” Dean yelled.

  “This is a party, baller! Let’s live it up a little.”

  “This is bullshit,” Dean grumbled, watching Jon pass the girls cans of beer.

  Shaun punched a button on the boat’s dash, bringing Jay-Z to life, and hoisted his beer can into the air. “Gentlemen, start your boners!”

  The girls squealed with drunken laughter and started twerking against anything that moved while Dean hit Shaun with a look that could kill.

  Chapter Eleven

  Evy stared at her empty glass, replaying the last fifteen minutes in her head, afraid to look up. Afraid Megan would be standing there when she did, waiting to dig in even deeper. If she could, Evy would teleport herself back to Dean’s condo with the blink of her eyes. She tried it. But nothing happened. Her glass was still empty, the bar still too loud. She inhaled a sour tasting breath and held it, finally daring to look up. Relief washed over her and she released the pent-up breath. Megan was still gone.

  “I can’t believe you threw your drink in that bitch’s face,” Tasha said, wide-eyed and bushytailed. “That was incredible!”

  “I can’t believe Dean slept with her,” Evy replied dully.

  “If his standards are that low, he must’ve…” Tasha trailed off a little too late. She saw the hurt flicker across Evy’s face, and began twisting her fingers. “I’m sorry, Evy, I didn’t…”

  “It’s okay.” Evy’s shoulders slumped as she released another tight breath. “Maybe we should just go home.”

  “What?” Brooke’s face wrinkled. “We just ordered new drinks.”

  Tasha set a hand on Evy’s. “Don’t let that crazy bitch ruin your night, Evy.”

  “Too late.”

  “Come on, Ev,” Brooke pleaded. “That’s exactly what she wants. Don’t give that to her. You’re stronger than that.”

  “No matter what I do, I’ll never completely get rid of her.”

  Brooke snorted. “Girl’s a lot like crabs.”

  “You’re rid of her,” Tasha affirmed. “You’re getting married and she’s not.”

  “It’s not just Megan. Last week, we ran into some blond named Lisa who I know Dean had sex with.”

  “Where?” Brooke asked.

  Evy grunted. “Probably on her kitchen table.”

  “No, where’d you run into her at?”

  “The movie theater. Girl barely noticed I was even there. Kept going on and on about how they needed to catch up.”

  Brooke drummed her red nails against the table, her eyes scanning the place for the same thing Evy’s were. “That’s not awkward.”

  “Exactly.”

  Tasha nodded. “And the more awkward it is - the more freaky the sex was.”

  Evy shivered at the thought. “Oh, and it doesn’t stop there. The week before, we were having dinner at Braise and he knew the waitress!”

  “Fucking waitresses!” Tasha said, pounding the table with her fist. “They will screw anything bipedal.”

  Brooke pursed her lips. “Hey, sometimes waitresses need to be held, too.”

  “Not by my man!” Tasha shook her head in disgust. “That’s the problem, waitresses have no moral compass. It’s like they’re on a permanent vacation or something.”

  Evy sighed. “I wonder what they’re doing right now.”

  Tasha screwed her face up. “The waitresses? Who cares?”

  “Not the waitresses, the guys.”

  Tasha stared dully at Evy. “Fishing. Remember?”

  “What if…” Evy said, pinching her eyes together. “What if they really didn’t go fishing?”

  Brooke frowned. “Why do you say that? Did you find something on Dean’s Facebook page?”

  “What? No.”

  “Well, I know how you like to troll your boyfriends’ Facebook pages.”

  “I do not!” Evy said sharply, sitting up straighter.

  Brooke cocked her head to the side. “How quickly you forget about Richie’s little apology tour on Facebook.”

  “He left that open; I wasn’t snooping.”

  Tasha leaned closer to the candle. “Did you find strip club matches in Dean’s car or something?”

  “No, I just don’t trust Shaun and Jon. I mean, what if we found out they went to some skanky strip bar instead?”

  Brooke lifted a shoulder to her ear. “Then Ben would be horny as an Arizona cactus when he got home and we’d have some hot baby making sex.”

  Tasha’s lips pulled down in a reverse smile. “Arizona cactus?”

  Evy leaned back as the waitress dropped off their drinks, her thoughts spinning out of control. She knew that was exactly what Megan wanted because girls like Megan lived by a strict motto: If I’m not getting any, you aren’t getting any. Evy shook her head, blurring her new drink into a red blob as the waitress grabbed their empties and went back to the bar.

  Tasha sensed a need to change the subject. “So…where should we go after this?”

  Brooke watched her sister. “Evy?”

  Evy continued spacing out on her drink, a knot in her stomach.

  “Ev!” Brooke yelled, stirring her from her thoughts.

  She pushed the glass away. “I think we should call it a night.”

  A deadpanned expression slid over Brooke’s face. “You’re serious?”

  “I’m tired and I’m embarrassed.”

  “You’re just going to go back to Dean’s place and wait for him like a little lap dog. Live it up a little, goldilocks!”

  “Yeah, come on, Evy,” Tasha said, lifting her glass into the air. “This is your night and nothing is going to stop it from being amazing.”

  “Here’s to Evy!”

  Evy’s gaze bounced between them, uncertainty brimming in her eyes. She knew she would end up seeing Megan everywhere they went tonight, whether it was her or not. A longwinded sigh rolled from her lips and she raised her drink to join theirs. “Fine.”

  They held their glasses over the candle.

  “Stop worrying about everything and just have some fun already. Everything is fine.”

  Evy smiled at her sister, suddenly feeling silly for letting doubt creep into her bones like a cold black wind. Dean was nothing like Richie and she knew it. “You’re right.” She clinked her glass against theirs and tipped it back, draining half of it in two large gulps. “Let’s at least go somewhere else. I can still smell her cheap perfume.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ben stared bleakly at Jon, watching Sky spray whip cream onto his junk before licking it off. “I feel so gay watching this,” he whispered.

  “You?” Shaun laughed. “I’m hard as a rock!”

  Dean stepped in Shaun’s face, blocking his view. “This is fucking bullshit! You knew this is exactly what I didn’t want.”

  Shaun stumbled backwards, spreading his arms. “I didn’t know you meant just looking.”

  Dean thumbed behind him. “Does that look like just looking?”

  Shaun craned his neck around him to see Sky’s head rising and falling in Jon’s lap while Kat twerked against the captain.

  “This was supposed to be my night, not yours, Shaun!”

  Shaun’s eyes flicked back to Dean. “It is your night, man. We just wanted to give you one to remember.”

  “Oh, I’m going to remember it all right. Last time it was Clay Crawford trying to drive us apart and now it’s you!”

  “Relax, no one will ever find out,” Shaun lowered his voice. “We’ll hit the marina, drop the girls off with Mikey and hop in the limo. I promise. No pictures, no loose lips, nada.”

  Dean’s face hardened, a vein pulsating in his neck.

  “All right, all right,” Shaun said, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, Dean. You’re right; I fucked up.”

  “Fix it.”

  “How?”

  “Call
your buddy back here and get them the hell off this boat.”

  Creases slithered through Shaun’s forehead. “We already paid him.”

  Dean balled his hands into fists, causing his biceps to stretch his short sleeves.

  Shaun dug his cell phone from his jeans. “I’m on it.”

  Dean let out a heavy breath that deflated his chest. “Un-fucking-believable.”

  Kat sashayed over with a can of whip cream in her hand and a sinister smile on her red lips. “You’re next, sexy.”

  Dean pushed her hand away. “I’m good.”

  “Aw come on, don’t get shy on me now.” She held the can up. “It’s all-inclusive.”

  Dean returned his glare to Shaun just as a loud bang rocked the boat. Kat stumbled into Dean as the boat tipped sharply to the left. Her finger hit the can’s trigger, spraying Dean with a stream of whip cream from his crotch to his face.

  Dean staggered back and caught his balance. He stared down at the white, sticky mess and looked back up, repulsion warping his face. “What the fuck!”

  The lights flickered and then went out.

  The music died with them.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Brooke crossed her legs and swirled her cosmo in its glass. Light jazz spilled over them from a small three-piece tucked into a darkened corner. “Feel better?”

  Evy nodded, surveying the smaller bar. “I felt like she was going to come waltzing back into that place any minute.”

  “If she had I was going to punch her right in the boob.”

  Tasha winced. “That would hurt so bad. I got hit in the boob with a volleyball last summer at The Sands and almost peed myself.”

  Evy took a slow drink of her cabernet, unable to stop watching people come and go through the front door.

  Brooke traded an uneasy look with Tasha and changed the subject. “I can’t believe my big sister is finally getting married!”

  Evy watched the bar’s dim lights glimmer off her engagement ring. “I finally found my Mr. Right.”

  “That’s an old wives’ tale,” Tasha said bluntly, tipping back a bottle of Miller Lite.

  Evy frowned. “What is?”

  “Finding Mr. Right.”

  Brooke laughed. “You won’t be saying that when you run into him.”

  Tasha lowered her voice. “I don’t mean to be a beacon of gloom and doom on your bachelorette party but there is no happily-ever-after. There is no Mr. Right. There’s only a Mr. Right now and his time is running out faster than oversized sunglasses.”

  “Hey!” Evy said, leaning back like she had just been slapped. “I still wear those.”

  “You are going to love being married, Evy.” A dreamy smile floated on Brooke’s red lips. “It’s like a never ending sleepover with your best friend.” She stopped. “But with hot sex.”

  Tasha sipped her beer. “What do you guys miss the most about being single? I think I would miss the thrill of the hunt the most. There’s nothing like locking eyes with some hot guy across the room before he has a chance to open his mouth and ruin it.”

  Brooke laughed and swirled her drink some more, watching the pinkish red liquid inside. “I miss having full control of the remote, especially during football season.”

  Evy chuckled, the alcohol beginning to take the edge off. “We’ll have two flat screens, but I don’t want to end up one of those couples always watching TV in different rooms.”

  “When I get married that will never happen.” Tasha adjusted the lavender top showing off her toned arms. “If I ever get married.”

  “You will…if that’s what you want.” Evy sipped her wine and swallowed with a thoughtful sigh. “Sooner or later, fate has a way of finding us all.”

  Brooke nodded in agreement. “I also miss not having to get up and leave the room every time I pass gas.”

  Evy laughed harder.

  “You’re still doing that after how many years of marriage now?” Tasha asked, bewilderment written on her face. “This is why I’m never getting married.”

  Brooke laughed sharply. “You’re never getting married because you’re dating the wrong guys, Tash. You need to broaden your horizons.”

  Evy snorted. “I’m not sure broaden is the right word.”

  “Do you want to end up a spinster?”

  Tasha giggled a little. “God, Brooke, you act like I’m seventy.” She held up a hand. “Trust me, I’m in no hurry.”

  “That’s the attitude, Tash,” Evy interjected. “Take your time finding the right one and never settle for less.”

  Tasha pressed her lips together, examining Evy’s ring. “When did you know Dean was the one?”

  Evy crossed her legs and swung her high heel back and forth through the air like a pendulum. “I knew Dean was the one the first time we kissed. It was like...the Fourth of July.”

  “Aww,” Tasha cooed. “That’s so cheesy.”

  “I so thought he was going to play you.”

  Tasha turned to Brooke. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because the boy was a playa! I was sure he would move on to the next bimbo after he banged you on the kitchen table at work.”

  Evy’s eyelids peeled back. “Hey!”

  Tasha inhaled a quick breath and covered her mouth. “Oh my God, I just ate a bear claw on that table this morning!”

  Brooke and Evy giggled wildly and then grew quiet, catching their breath as the world went on around them. People came and went. A girl with long blond hair jump-started Evy’s heart but it was only another false alarm.

  “How do you know that he won’t…”

  Evy’s eyes darted over to Tasha. “How do I know that he won’t what? Go back to his old ways?” She flashed a pretty smile. “I just do.”

  Tasha placed a soft hand on Evy’s. “I know he won’t, sexy. Some guys just aren’t meant to be with one woman and some are. I think Dean definitely falls into the latter category.”

  “He better,” Brooke muttered, knocking her drink back.

  “He does.” Evy met their hushed gazes but couldn’t hold onto them for very long. She looked across the bar to a small jukebox attached to the wall and let her eyes stray from focus. “And I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing right now.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dean reeled his jaw in, his eyebrows slanting at a downward angle. “Somebody get me a towel, and turn this goddamned boat around! This party is over!”

  The others steadied themselves as the chartered vessel settled back into place. Small waves licked at the moss covered sides of the boat, the quiet returning to haunt them once again. No one spoke, daring only to exchange questioning glances they could barely see in the sliver of moonlight sparkling off the water’s surface.

  “What the hell was that?” Will asked in a cold whisper.

  Captain Taylor flipped on a flashlight, illuminating their frightened faces, and scurried across the peeling deck. “We hit somethin.”

  “Like what?” Jon asked, hurriedly buckling his jeans.

  The captain leaned over the starboard side and waved the light around. “Rock maybe, or a dead tree.”

  Will frowned, gazing across the vast body of thick blackness stretching into the night on all sides. “Way out here?”

  “Aye. Used to be islands out here back in the day. May’ve just nicked the top of one.”

  Sky wiped white stuff from her chin with the back of her hand. “What islands?”

  “Most’re submerged now.” The captain shone the light around the rear of the boat, lighting up nothing but water. “Could’ve been the mast of a ghost ship.”

  Will swallowed the lump in his throat. “Ghost ship?” he said, his voice cracking.

  “Water is low this year. Real low.”

  Kat took Dean’s arm and snuggled up next to him, heat flushing his side. He shook her off and grabbed Shaun with both hands, crumpling Shaun’s North Face into his fists. “Get Mikey back here, right – fucking – now.”

  “All right, Dean! Relax
!” Shaun frantically dug his phone from his khakis and tapped at the screen, peering around Dean’s angry fists to see the contacts list. Shaun paused, tapped some more and then slowly looked up. The screen’s light painted a desolate look across his freshly shaven face. He lowered the cell, groping for words. “There’s no signal, boss.”

  Dean balled Shaun’s jacket up tighter and then shoved him away. “You have got to be kidding me!” he said, pulling his cell from his worn jeans.

  “You won’t get a signal way out here, lad,” Captain Taylor called out, lighting a propane lantern and shutting off the flashlight. “We’re several miles out.”

  Sky latched onto Jon in the darkness as Dean tapped at the cell’s bright screen just the same. He put the phone to his ear, his eyes darting from the girls to Will. Everyone watched him, anxiously awaiting his report. Dean squeezed his eyes shut hard enough to see stars and, grudgingly, lowered the cell phone. “Shit,” he said under his breath. This wasn’t happening. He opened his eyes and found the captain. “Try the radio.”

  Captain Taylor was already holding the lantern above the boat’s dash, lighting up a VHF marine radio mounted to the side wall. Taylor pushed buttons and twisted knobs that should have lit up the darkened radio but didn’t. He clicked the handset and said things that none of them understood.

  Then he said mayday.

  And everyone understood that.

  A few more seconds passed and he released a defeated breath, racking the mic and turning to them with a grave look in his eyes. “Power’s out.”

  “What?” Jon gasped, prying Sky off his arm.

  “What about a generator?” Will asked.

  Captain Taylor dangled the lantern over the side of the boat and took another good look around, checking for damage. He came back up, a mystified expressing increasing the wrinkles around his eyes. “No genie.”

  Something jumped in the water behind the boat.

  Will’s bloodshot eyes got as big as saucers. “What the hell was that?”

  “A fish,” Taylor grunted, fiddling with some wires under the dusty dash.

  “Sounded like a pretty big fish.” Will pulled his backpack closer. “What’s the biggest fish out here?”