by London Casey
“I’m not flustered,” I said.
Lacey walked into the bedroom and dropped the towel. She looked over her shoulder at me.
I growled deep in my throat. Then I sighed. “Okay, now I’m flustered.”
Lacey
PRESENT DAY
Tate had a hell of a house. It was almost like a rock star’s palace. A large wrap-around driveway with landscaping in the middle adorned the front. I half-expected to see a water fountain in the middle of it, but there wasn’t one. But there were cars and motorcycles parked everywhere, nothing fancily parked by some valet.
“Um, how rich is this guy?” I asked River.
He laughed. “He’s not exactly rich. Just smart with his money. Don’t let the size and strength confuse you. Tate is a smart guy. He’s worked his ass off all his life. He got this place on the cheap after the previous owner fucked up with his own money. It took a lot of work to get it into this shape though.”
River took my hand after I got out of the truck, and he led the way to the front door and just led us inside without knocking. The interior was really nice, but really different. Nothing laced with marble and gold. Nothing glittering and shining with the aura of wealth. Instead, it was just a laid-back kind of house on the inside. The walls were graced with framed pictures of tattoos, St. Skin, famous people who had come into the shop to get some ink done.
When you opened the front door, there was a straight shot all the way to the back of the house. A hallway led the way, stairs on the left, a wall on the right. That gave way to a kitchen that had almost cathedral ceilings. The ceilings were angled with four skylights.
“Hey, there they are,” Prick said as he lifted a cup and winked.
“Prick,” River said. “You remember Lacey?”
“How can I forget?” he said with a wink. “What do you want to drink? I’ll make you one of my signatures.”
“Don’t take it,” a voice said as the door opened. It was Axel. He was holding a bottle of beer. “All he does is mix straight booze. You drink it and your liver just cries in a pain.”
“But it’s so worth it,” Prick said. He turned and stumbled, hitting the counter.
“How many have you had?” I asked.
“Three or four,” Prick said.
“Two,” Axel said. “He’s had two. And he’s half-shot. Tate’s ready to drown him in the pool.”
“Fuck off,” Prick said.
“Hey Prick,” Axel said. He put his beer bottle down. Then he cupped his hands around his mouth. “Drink water!”
He yelled it loud and Prick put the cup down. “Fine. I’ll go get water. From the pool.”
Prick left the house and Axel shook his head. “He’s a prick.”
“Fits the name,” I said.
“Let’s get something to eat,” River said.
“Um, if this is unprofessional, let me know,” Axel said. “My mother…”
“Ah, come on, man,” River said.
“No, it’s okay,” I said. “Why don’t you go get us a beer?”
River looked at me. I nodded and smiled.
There was no turning things off when it came to dealing with a loved one who was going to pass away.
River walked by and paused at Axel. He gave him an evil look, then slipped outside.
“What do you want to know?” I asked.
“He’s pissed, huh?” Axel asked.
“He’s fine,” I said. “This is supposed to be a no-work-talk party.”
“Tattoos versus my sick mother,” Axel said bobbing his head left to right.
“I get it,” I said.
“I didn’t get a chance to swing by there the last couple days,” Axel said. “Been busy. And…uh…”
“Axel, it’s hard to watch, I know,” I said. “But if I can give advice as a friend? Don’t miss out on this. No matter what. If you do, you’ll look back and regret it.”
“She’s doing okay, though?”
I swallowed hard. I could see it in Axel’s eyes. He wasn’t willing to accept the truth. Or fate.
“She’s as comfortable as we can make her,” I said. “I promise you that, Axel.”
Axel rubbed his cheek. “Fuck. It’s just…that’s not the person I know.”
“I understand,” I said. I heard the roar of laughter outside through the thick glass of the door. “Just please, don’t sacrifice this time you have.”
“What does…”
The door opened, and in came River holding two beers. Behind him came Max, Maddox, and Cass. Cass was holding a beautiful little girl who had the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen. She was in a little bathing suit and a bucket hat that matched. The cuteness was on overload.
“What’s going in here?” Max asked. “Tate wants us all outside.”
I stepped out with River, his hand slipping into mine. There was a large concrete patio outside that was rounded. On one side, there was a large fireplace, and on the opposite was an outdoor kitchen. Tate manned the grill. He turned around after shutting the lid, grabbing a drink and lifting it up. Then he stuck his fingers into his mouth and whistled as loud as he could.
Everyone stopped and looked at him.
I took stock of everyone there. River whispered in my ear, naming those I didn’t know. There was a guy named Gonzo. He owned the local auto garage. There was a cop there, but he was drinking water. A guy named Pecker, who was a bartender at a local dive. Cass handed the little girl off to a beautiful woman with dark hair and dark eyes. River whispered that she was Diem, Cass’s woman.
Tate looked around, making sure he had everyone’s attention.
“Food is ready,” Tate announced.
Everyone started to cheer.
He waved a hand. It got quiet.
“I just wanted to thank everyone for being here,” Tate said. “I couldn’t be here without you all. St. Skin started as nothing but an idea. A drunken idea at that. Somehow, between shots of whiskey, I shook hands, made deals, and instead of waking up from a one night stand, I woke up with a building and a name. You guys and gals are the best I’ve ever met. Here’s to another wild year for St. Skin.”
A few cheers and claps echoed around.
“Now,” Tate said. “I expect everyone to drink. To laugh. To swim. To cause trouble, but not too much. The police are already here.”
There was a rumble of boooos.
Tate laughed.
“As I look around, I realize this is becoming a little more of a family party than the rock star vibe we used to have,” Tate said. “And I like that. So, eat the food. Drink the booze. Love life.”
Tate threw his drink back, and everyone cheered again.
“He loves giving speeches,” River whispered to me. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” I said.
“Good. Come on.”
We all lined up and got our plates.
I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Axel slipping back into the house. He was looking down at his phone.
I felt bad for him. I could only do so much. After all, in my eyes I had lost my parents a long time ago and there was no love loss involved with it.
“Hey, you okay?” River asked as he put a hand to my back.
I looked up at him. The only man I ever loved.
“I’m perfect,” I whispered.
“Good. Now let’s get you fed, drunk, and naked in that pool.”
I laughed.
River didn’t.
He was serious.
And it was going to happen.
It was me with my head against River’s shoulder. Then there was Tate, Axel, and Maddox. Prick was on the stone ground, curled up like a baby, almost sucking his thumb. He somehow kept all his food down and decided to just sleep off whatever was in his special drinks.
Tate flicked a cigarette into the fire pit. “Remember the first time River met Dirt?”
“Dirt?” I asked. “Is that some joke…”
“Oh, no,” Axel said. He was good and drun
k. “You haven’t lived in this town until you met Dirt.”
“Is Dirt a…person?” I asked.
“He’s an asshole,” River said.
“That he is,” Tate said. “Shit, how many times did Cass get arrested fighting him?”
“Cass got arrested?” I asked.
“More than once,” Tate said. “Meeting Diem toned him down a little. She was raising his daughter. That’s a whole other story though. Probably not my place to tell it.”
“Agreed,” Maddox said. “So, about River…”
“What the fuck is this?” he asked. “You trying to embarrass me?”
Maddox laughed.
“I want to hear,” I said. “Did he fight Dirt?”
“He knocked him clean out,” Tate said. “With one punch.”
“Then he kicked him under a pool table so when Jonesy and the cops arrived, they couldn’t find Dirt.”
“What?” I asked.
River looked down at me and winked. “He ran his mouth, and I wanted to show how cool I was to the guys.”
“Real cool,” Axel said. “He was a bum.”
“Who?” River asked.
“You,” Axel said with a laugh.
“Lacey,” Tate said. “You remember those cartoons and shows where the bum would have the scruff on his face? His big toe sticking out of his shoe? Carrying broomstick handle with a handkerchief balled up with some cans of beans in it? That was River.”
“Wow,” I said. “A bum.”
“Not a bum,” River said. “I was in a transition part of my life.”
“Yeah,” Axel said. “The one where you said you had no money, no job, nothing.”
I thought about what River had told me. How some woman said she was pregnant with his kid. And how the kid turned out not to be his. And that he sold his shop and gave her everything and then split.
I had to bite my tongue a little as the guys poked fun at River, trying to get a rise out of him in front of me.
I just grabbed at River’s hand and squeezed tight. I knew the truth. That was all that mattered.
After everyone got done laughing, it got really quiet. We all just stared at the fire for a while. Tate leaned forward and tossed another piece of wood to it. The flame died down a little for a minute before the wood crackled and popped, and the fire came back to full life.
Then he looked at me. “So, you’re the one. Finally.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Tate, what are you doing?” River asked.
“No, it’s okay,” Tate said. “From the day I met River, his life revolved around you, Lacey. He never got close to a person like he got close to you. He never brought anyone to my parties. Ever.”
“Okay,” River said. He stood up. “You guys done here?
“You built her a damn cabin,” Axel said.
I looked up at River.
“Richie wanted the cabin,” River said. “I just helped.”
“Because you were always up there,” Axel said. “Looking for her. Waiting for her. Shit, I had been married once in my life, and I’m not sure I loved her as much as that.”
“Jesus, man,” River said. “Can we let this go?”
“Sorry,” Tate said. “I just think this is good. The two of you. It works. You seem happy, River.”
I stood up and slipped my arms around River. “I know I’m happy. It’s been a long and crazy road for us.”
“Well, with that said, I’m coming to the end of the road for the night,” Tate said. He put his feet up and leaned back in his chair. He put his head back and looked up to the sky.
“I’m going in, then,” Axel said.
“I’ll follow you,” Maddox said.
“What are you going to do with Prick?” I asked.
“Screw him,” Maddox said. “He’ll wake up tomorrow and feel like hell.”
“This was really fun,” I said as the small group broke apart.
Nobody was listening to me, though.
River grabbed at my hand. He tugged at me and nodded.
“What?” I asked.
He leaned down and put his lips to my ear. “How about we get you in the pool?”
River
PRESENT DAY
She had her jeans rolled up and her feet in the water.
The whole naked thing didn’t work out so well, not that I could blame her. There were still a few people lingering around outside, finishing up their night. Most of everyone had crashed at Tate’s. I made sure to pace myself so I could get Lacey home.
She gently kicked her feet in the water. There were white lights along the side of the lining of the pool. I noticed that her toenails were a light blue color. I liked it.
“This is my last one,” I said, grabbing my beer. “Then we head out.”
“Great. Are you sure you don’t want to stay? Wake up and have breakfast?”
“Trust me, there’s no breakfast here, darling,” I said. “They wake up, take pills for their headaches, drink coffee, and move on.”
“Thanks for inviting me,” she said. “I like this. I mean, this part of your life. The town. St. Skin. Everyone who works there.”
“I guess you could say it’s my family,” I said.
“You’re a lucky man, River.”
I looked down at her and kissed her. “Now I’m a lucky man. Being next to you. Kissing you. Loving you.”
“It can’t all be about me,” she said.
I touched her chin. “Lacey. Yes it can. Everything is about you.”
“I love you, River.”
I leaned back to my elbows and pulled Lacey down to me. “Look up at the stars, darling. Tell me what you see.”
“Can I tell you the truth?”
“That’s all I ever want from you, Lacey.”
“I haven’t seen a night this clear in a while.”
“That’s what you wanted to tell me?”
“No. The last time I saw a night this clear…was when Kyle died.”
“Oh,” I said. “Car accident, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m really sorry that happened.”
“So am I,” she said.
I kissed the top of her head. “Tell me about it all, Lacey.”
“I left everything behind, River. I was a mess. I was lost. Kyle was just…there. It’s funny, I think I was the perfect girlfriend for him. I never talked about being serious. I never questioned where he was or what he was doing. I was just there, like he was. We weren’t close, but we weren’t distant. You know?”
“Trust me, Lacey, I know. I did it for years.”
“I never felt totally right with him,” she said. “I had planned on telling him the truth. But I just got stuck in this rut, River. Working all day with people who were barely hanging on. And when they would pass, it hurt so much. I couldn’t stand to go home to an empty apartment. So, it was comfort. I think it was that way for both of us. And then one night, he went out with some friends and never came home. The craziest part was that his mother called me to tell me. I walked outside and looked up to the stars. It was clear, just like this. I was crying,. Yeah, I was definitely crying. I felt bad for Kyle and his whole family. I felt bad that I lost someone I cared for. But I felt bad for Kyle. Because in that moment…I started to feel free. Oh my gosh, River, that sounds so evil.”
“No it doesn’t,” I said, stroking her hair. “You’re being honest with yourself.”
“I told myself right then that next year, I would go to our spot and see what would happen. I just wish it didn’t happen that way. I wish I could have told Kyle the truth. Maybe he wouldn’t have gone out that night…”
“Oh, Lacey, you can’t do that. You didn’t chase him out that night. He had plans. Whether it was with you or someone else. That’s just how life-”
“I get it, River,” she said. She looked up at me. “I’ve seen a lot of death in my time of not having you in my life. Maybe my heart’s a little worried.”
“Well let me u
n-worry you,” I said.
“I don’t think that’s a real word.”
“I just made it a real word.”
“Can we go home now?”
“Of course,” I whispered. I kissed her.
She grabbed her socks and shoes. Instead of letting her put them back on, I just lifted her up, cradling her as I walked her toward the house.
I carried her to my truck.
Then I stood there and looked up the stars again.
I never once believed in dreams or fate or understanding what it meant to have things work out the right way.
Right then, I fucking got it.
I had everything I ever wanted. Everything I ever needed.
“What are you doing?” Lacey asked me.
“Never forgetting this moment,” I said.
And I never would forget it.
Because we were just days away from being ripped apart again.
I held her perfect body tight to mine. She was panting, short on air, her lips kissing against my neck. Each time she exhaled, she groaned. My fingertips trailed down to her perfect ass. She jumped and groaned. I was still inside her, ready to have her again. My hands kept going. I stopped at the back of her legs and pulled, bringing her knees forward. My hands then moved up to her hips and I held her tight.
“I fucking love your body, darling,” I said. “I can’t get enough of you.”
“I can feel that,” Lacey whispered. She gently rocked her hips forward and back.
I was instantly brought back to life.
“Oh, River,” Lacey said, biting her lip.
Her hands moved from the bed to my chest. I felt her nails dig into my skin.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Nice and easy.”
She started to move her hips again. Fuck, she had this little seductive move where she would start moving at her upper stomach, almost like she was belly dancing. Only she was making that wicked move with my thickness inside her. As she sheathed me, the space began to fill up. The fuller I got, the better it felt.
“Oh, yes,” she whispered.
She shut her eyes and lowered her head. Her hair tickled at my face. I inhaled the smell of her hair as my hands came up her body some more. I cupped her breasts with both hands, feeling the hard nubs of her nipples against the palms of my hands.