Straddling The Edge

by Julie Prestsater

  “Nope. He cheated on me.”

  Shel falls back into her seat, shaking her head.

  “I know you’re thinking it too,” Summer speaks again. “That I deserved it. But really, I didn’t. No one deserves to be cheated on. Neither one of us did.”

  She looks out the window, grinding her teeth into her thumbnail.

  “Let’s get a beer first before we say anymore.” Shel reaches forward and places her hand on Summer’s shoulder. My best friend is such a better person than I am. My first thought, when hearing the news, was to burst out laughing and begin taunting, “Ha ha, that’s what you get beeyotch.” But not Shel. Her first thought is to comfort the woman who stole her fiancé. What the hell is wrong with her? Or me? One of us is messed up.

  “So where are we going?” Summer asks.

  “Yardhouse?” Shelly never wastes a chance to throw out her favorite restaurant—the place where she picked up her husband and took him home with her for the very first time. Well, he took her home because I pretended to be sick and left her ass there with him. If I hadn’t, they’d probably still be eating Rice Crispy treats together for lunch and playing footsie under their desks rather than getting busy every night. Forget what I said earlier. I am a damn good woman. My best friend is married to a wonderful man and they have an adorable baby boy because I was bitch enough to force them together. Ha. They should thank me.

  “No, no, no. If I’m going to go out with you guys and spill my guts so you can both laugh at me, then I’m going to drink a good beer in a place where I’m comfortable. Make a right at the next light, Mel. And step on it. We only have a little over an hour before it closes.”

  “What kind of a bar closes before midnight?” This is supposed to be a girls’ night out. I didn’t plan on going home earlier than my high school curfew.

  She turns to me and barks out, “A good one.”

  Chapter 4

  Summer

  What was I thinking? Bringing them to my happy place? It will never be the same. Sure, they’re being nice to me now. But eventually, they’re going to remember we’re not friends and my place will be ruined. They’re going to love it. They’ll bring Matt and Tyler back and it will never be my refuge ever again. It’ll be overrun by people from work, and I’ll have to search for some place new to hide out.

  “Hey, girl. Here to celebrate the end of the school year?” Jessie calls out.

  “Wow, she knows the bartender,” I hear Mel murmur from behind me.

  “Beertender,” I say over my shoulder.

  “Huh?” Shelly questions.

  The three of us come to a stop in front of the bar. Jessie places my dark ale in front of me. “What can I getcha, ladies?”

  “What do you have?” Mel asks.

  “Beer.”

  She looks at Jessie like she’s just sprouted a third eyeball.

  Deciding to save Jessie the aggravation, I explain. “This is a tasting room for the brewery.”

  “Brewery? Like real beer is made here?” Shelly sounds interested. Excited even.

  “Yup, real beer,” Jessie teases, and she and Mel snort at the same time.

  “So yeah, they only serve beer. No liquor. No drinks with an umbrella or sugar on the rim of your glass. Just good old beer.” I hold up my pint and take a sip.

  “What do you recommend …” Shelly seems to be searching for a name tag for Jessie.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Let me introduce you.” When the introductions are complete, Shel and Mel decide to get a taster of all eight brews. I warn Mel about getting her own round of samples. If she really plans on drinking that much beer, she may as well text her hubby to let him know we’re definitely going to need a driver.

  We leave the bar and take a seat at my regular table.

  I’m working on my second brew, an amber lager aged in old bourbon barrels, that’s so damn tasty I keep licking my lips to enjoy the flavor. It has a crazy alcohol content that’s making my teeth feel a little tingly already. It’s also making my mouth a little loose because before I can stop myself, I begin blabbing. “So you wanna know who broke the news to me about Chase?”

  “It’s about time you started talking,” Mel says, tossing back a sample of beer as if she’s taking a shot. I want to smack her. We’re not racing here. This isn’t some cheap crap. This is hand crafted, flavorful sauce that you should savor. Not throw back like you’re at a frat party tapping a keg of Coors Light.

  The scowl I can feel on my face relaxes after another sip of my drink. “Keesha told me. She and Josh saw Chase kissing a woman at the movies. I still don’t know who she is. He didn’t deny it, but wouldn’t give me the complete details. All I know is that she doesn’t work with us, thankfully.”

  “Wow, those two can sure keep a secret. We had no idea,” Shelly says.

  I smile. Keesh said they weren’t going to tell anyone. I didn’t doubt it but it’s nice to confirm that they’re just as trustworthy as I expected.

  “So when did this happen?” Melissa asks.

  I hesitate wondering how much I’m actually going to give up. “It’s been about a few months.”

  “Did Chase move out?” This time Shelly asks the question.

  I go on to explain how I left and got a new place. They seem pleased that I’m not sitting around begging Chase to take me back or agreeing to stay with him while he indulged in a little sideshow.

  “Wow,” Shelly says, fanning herself. “This is some good shit. How come I’ve never heard of this place before? And I thought I knew my beer.” She holds up their signature dark ale and calls out to Jessie. “Can I get a pint of this one? It’s yummy.” Jessie gives her a thumbs-up and pours her a glass. When Shelly returns, beer in hand, she locks her eyes on mine. I can almost see her mind working out what she wants to say. “Summer, I really don’t think you deserved to be cheated on. It’s not like I’m saying its karma or something. No one deserves to be cheated on. Or to be treated like shit by the one you love.”

  My throat squeezes a bit at her words. My hand is shaky as I take another sip of my brew. “Thank you. I really appreciate you saying that. But you’re too nice. I’d say karma’s a bitch if I were you.”

  “Oh shit, did Summer just curse?” Mel almost spits out her beer. She covers her mouth with the back of her hand. Smart ass.

  “Yes, I did. It happens.”

  “You’re just full of surprises. First, the brewery. Then the foul language. What’s next, Summer?”

  Mel cracks me up. When she’s not being crass, she’s actually pretty funny. I’m not really all that uptight. I just don’t see the point in using a curse word every other word in a sentence like she does sometimes. It’s like she and Shelly speak their own language. And as much as I’d like to feel like I’m in on their inside jokes, I don’t think I’ll ever use the word fuck like it’s a million dollar adjective.

  “Well, here’s another one. If you choose to believe me.” Both women lean forward in their seats, interested in my next shocker. I look Shelly in the eye. “I’m really sorry about being the other woman when you and Chase were together. I truly believed that you guys were broken up. He pursued me for quite some time and I kept putting him off because he was with you. Then, one day he came to me and told me you guys were done. Even after that, we still didn’t get together for a while. I believed him. I didn’t find out until much later that what he said and what actually happened didn’t match up. By then, he’d already charmed his way into my heart and I didn’t want to let him go.”

  I can feel the tears beginning to sting my eyes, and I so do not want to cry. Not here. Not in public. Not while I’m finally having a decent conversation with Mel and Shelly. A real heart-to-heart. For so long I’ve wanted to apologize and it never seemed like the right time. Now that I’ve finally gotten it off my chest, I feel so much better. But her pained expression is making me nervous. She probably thinks I’m full of crap.

  “I truly am sorry,” I tell her again, trying to fill the awkwa
rd silence.

  She downs her pint and lets out a long “Ahh” sound. “I believe you, Summer, I do. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I loved a man who is such a big fat liar and overall dick. I tried to be the bigger person and remain friends with him. I mean, come on, we have a really long history. He was my friend and boyfriend since we were kids. But the more I see what kind of man he’s become, I really don’t want to try anymore. He’s just not worth my time.”

  Mel lets out a loud dramatic sigh. “It’s about time, Shel. I swear you were killing all of us trying to be nice to that asshole. I couldn’t stand it. I know Matt is going to be just as relieved as I am.” I can’t help but chuckle at her admission. “And so will Ty. I thought he was going to kick Chase’s ass tonight. Hey, what was that all about?” she asks me.

  Ugh. Not exactly what I wanted to talk about.

  “That was just another example of Chase being a certified douche,” I tell them.

  I should know better than to think that will satisfy Mel. “Details.” She demands.

  “He thinks I’m already seeing someone. Earlier on in the night, he was getting riled up about the thought. Then, he accused me of sleeping with Josh.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Shelly yells.

  “That’s what I said.”

  “So why would he think you’re seeing someone?” Mel asks. My cheeks heat up just thinking about it. Picturing Sexy Guy sitting right there at the other table. “That’s why. You’re blushing. You really do have another guy already.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Shelly eyes brighten. “Tell us. Who is he? Your face isn’t bright red for nothin’. Spill it.”

  I let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. But I’m not seeing him. Sexy Guy is just someone I spotted. I’ve only seen him once. But once is enough for my heart to race and my panties to get damp every time I think of him. He’s fucking hot and absolutely adorable all wrapped up into one nice package.”

  “She said fuck,” Mel says to Shelly, pointing at me.

  “We’re rubbing off on her already.”

  “Shut up. It’s probably this bourbon beer. I think I need another.” I tip my glass at Jessie and almost instantly I have a freshly poured brew in my hands.

  “So tell us. What is Sexy Guy like? I want to be able to picture him as if he was here standing right in front of me.” Mel is hilarious. She gestures to herself with the palm of her hand within an inch of her face.

  I almost giggle like a little girl just thinking of him. “Oh my, I feel like I’m at a junior high sleepover.”

  “Okay. Okay. Just tell us already.” Mel’s eyes are a little glazed over. She definitely needs to call Ty for a ride.

  I take a quick swig of my beer, set it on the table, and then pull one of my legs underneath me to get comfortable. “Okay, he’s about a half a foot taller than me, so maybe just shy of six feet. He has the most gorgeous dark chocolate brown hair. It’s really thick. Like, so thick and messy that you just want to run your fingers through it and grab fists full of it.” Mel wags her brows at me, and Shelly rubs her hands together. “Totally kissable lips. Not too big, not too small. Just pouty enough to make you want to make out like teenagers. And then his eyes. Oh my. His eyes. I could get lost in them as if I were out at sea. They’re crystal blue. Like someone plucked a sapphire out of a ring setting and placed them in his eye sockets.”

  “Love the imagery. You should’ve been an English teacher,” Shelly says, obviously impressed by my description. “Oh, I love dark hair and colored eyes.”

  “Me too. I swear he was dreamy. And he was rugged too. He didn’t look afraid to work and get dirty. He was wearing a denim button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He has really nice forearms. He wore it open with a t-shirt on underneath that hugged his chest. He wasn’t bodybuilder muscular, but there was definition. Oh my. Sexy Guy was just stunning. But we’re not seeing each other like Chase thought. I just ogled him from afar. I’ve never even met him.”

  “That’s too bad. Where did you see him?” Mel asks.

  “Here. It’s been over a week and I still have his image imprinted in my brain. It’s silly. It’s not like I’ll ever see him again.”

  “Hey, Mel. Look, it’s Dean.” Shelly waves at someone behind me. “Hey, friend. What are you doing here?”

  I turn around and almost swallow my tongue. Again. It’s Sexy Guy. It’s like a flame sets fire to my face and it burns straight down to my core. Just looking at him makes me hot. Or maybe it’s the beer. He smiles at me. Oh my. It’s not the beer.

  Sexy Guy holds up a growler—a two-liter beer jug. “I came to get a refill of the bourbon beer. It’s delicious. Did you try it?” Sweet jeezus. His voice is like music to my vajayjay. The deep rumble of his vocal chords gets me going.

  “Summer did. She loved it,” Shel points to me. “You know Summer, right?”

  “You know what? I thought you looked familiar the other day. But now that I see you with these two trouble makers, I get it. You teach at Carver too, right?”

  When I suddenly become mute, Mel answers for me. “Yeah, she teaches science. You’ve never met?”

  He shrugs. “It’s a big campus. I don’t know half the staff. I’ve only been there a year.”

  “Well, Dean,” Mel says, “this is Summer. Summer this is Dean. He teaches woodshop. I hear he’s very good with his hands.”

  He offers his hand to me and, mentally, I have to pinch myself out of my stupor so I can take it. Damn. Their goes that zing again, an electric shock with just his touch.

  “Hi,” he says. “I knew I’d seen you somewhere before. You just looked different the other day. Your hair was pulled back in a ponytail, right? And you were wearing a hoodie. You’re usually all dressed up at work.”

  Mel snorts. “You were wearing a hoodie?” She laughs.

  So does Shelly. “And a ponytail?”

  “You are just full of surprises.” Mel winks. “Hey, Dean, I never noticed you have blue eyes.”

  “Kind of like sapphires,” Shelly says. “And your hair is really thick too.”

  He looks at them confused. Then glances my way. I take this as my cue to check my manicure.

  “Yeah, like a Willy Wonka river of dark chocolate,” Mel says, rolling her right arm like a wave. Oh my. I’m going to kill them. “Hey, are you busy tonight? Where are you going after this?”

  “Home. Why?”

  “Well, as you can see, the girls and I are a little tipsy. I was going to call Ty to pick us up but if you wouldn’t mind giving each of us a ride home, that will save him the hassle of bringing my baby girl out. Would you mind?”

  “Not at all. Let me just fill this up. Be back in a sec.”

  When he’s gone and I see him chatting with Jessie, I whisper shout at them. “What the hell was that?”

  “Sexy Guy,” Mel says in a sing song tune. “You’re right. He is hot.”

  “No kidding,” Shel says. “But I always thought that. You don’t even have to look at him. You could just close your eyes and listen to him speak. His deep voice could melt the panties off a nun.”

  Tell me about it. “You guys need to cut it out,” I tell them. “Mel, I know what you’re up to.”

  “Just go with it. You’ll thank me later, I promise. Ask Shelly what happened the last time I made a cute guy take her home.”

  “What happened?”

  A cheesy grin spreads across Shelly’s face. “I married him.”

  Chapter 5

  Summer

  Oh shit. Oh my. I’ve only spent two hours with Shelly and Mel and I’m cursing. These women are lunatics. We’ve—and by “we”—I mean Dean and I, dropped both of them off at Mel’s house where Ty, Matt, and the babies were waiting for them. The two couples do everything together. Shelly and Mel have been best friends since they were in elementary school, and Mel married Shel’s older brother, Tyler. While they’re all grown adults, they often spend nights at each other’s
houses. Mel says it reminds her of when they were young and had sleepovers.

  And for the first time ever, I kind of felt like part of the pack. It was nice.

  Even if Mel did set me up.

  I can’t believe I was going on and on about Sexy Guy and his gorgeous hair and piercing blue eyes, only for him to walk through the door minutes later. Come to find out that not only do they know him, but he works with us too. And then, they go on telling him oh what thick hair you have and look at those blue eyes. I swear, if I were him I would have run. They sounded like something out of a Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. Although, I’d like to be the wolf in that story if he’s Red because I’d sure like to get a taste of him.

  Damn bourbon beer. And damn hormones.

  “So do you want to give me directions, or am I taking you home with me?”

  Dean’s husky voice startles me at first before it jacks up my awareness of him about another thousand notches.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, go ahead and take me back to school. I can pick up my car.”

  He glances over at me with a smirk. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, especially if you were drinking the special sauce. It kind of hits you hard since its alcohol content is so high. I can always take you back in the morning to pick up your car if needed.”

  “That’s really nice of you. I guess you’re right. I really shouldn’t drive.” I rattle off the directions to my new apartment while a million questions flash in my head. Do I invite him in? Is my house clean? Did I shave my legs? Oh my. I have granny panties on. Feeling less than sexy lately, I’ve opted for my cotton briefs with little pink flowers sprinkled on them. The comfort and security of them was feeling really nice … until now.

  “This is cute,” he says, as he pulls up to the curb in front of my complex. “Very Melrose Place.”

  I chuckle inside. “You don’t even look old enough to know about that show.”

  “Neither do you.” He nudges his elbow into mine, and my eyes lock on his. “Wow.” He rubs his arm softly. “It’s kind of crazy we never met before now. I’ve seen you at the brewery several times but never connected the pieces. My buddies and I go there all of the time.” He kills the engine with a press of a button to the dashboard. Interesting. I guess the night isn’t over.