Straddling The Edge

by Julie Prestsater

  “I’m good. Thank you.” I’ve had enough as well and I don’t even have an infant waiting for me at home.

  When Mike leaves, Shel starts up the discussion again. “I really don’t know what his deal is, but what I did notice is that once I made it clear that I was done with him, he moved on. Maybe that’s what Chase needs to hear from you too. It isn’t enough for him to see you with Dean or any other guy— he needs to know you don’t have the slightest bit of feelings for him before he’ll stop torturing you. I think what I’ve learned on ‘As The World Turns Around Chase’ is that he loves feeling wanted. It doesn’t matter if he wants you back. Most of the time, he doesn’t. He just wants to know that you want him because then he feels better about himself. It’s fucking wicked but I think we’ve all decided the bastard is evil.”

  Shelly makes absolute sense. “But I don’t think I’ve given Chase any reason to believe I still have feelings for him. I’ve tried to stay away. He keeps coming to me. And when I tell him to go away, that’s when he gets aggressive.”

  “Maybe he’s pissed that you’ve gotten over him so quickly. You are over him, right?” Mel questions me, lowering her eyes like a mom to her child.

  “Yes. I am actually. I haven’t said that aloud until now. But it feels good. I no longer have feelings for Chase Marino. I’m free.” I hold up my glass to the girls. “Cheers, ladies.”

  We take turns tapping glasses and it occurs to me, I just might have made two friends. I can’t describe how good this feels. I was always the odd girl out. Always with a nose in my books, girls thought I was a dork because I was too smart or that I was easy because I had big boobs. And I never did or said anything to make them think otherwise. I was always that girl who thought, screw them. If they didn’t want to take the time to get to know me then that was their loss. Having that attitude sounded like a good plan at the time, but it didn’t make me happy. It left me with a lot of lonely nights and bad relationships starting with Jeff in college and now, Chase.

  I thought things would be different in college, a time to reinvent myself. But my roommate was just as reclusive as I was and wasn’t looking to make friends with anyone. I guess when you fill out those housing questionnaires they match you up pretty well with someone who shares the same interests. In my case, I bubbled in the areas that would least likely get me a roomie who liked to party and have guys over every night. So I guess I shouldn’t have been shocked when my roommate was practically mute. Instead of trying again, I just got an apartment on my own for the next three years and kept to myself.

  Sure, I had talked to other girls. Went out for coffee with some. Studied with others. A few girls from down the hall in my building convinced me to go to a party with them one time and that’s when I met Jeff. We hit it off. Well, at least, I thought we did. I was content spending time with him and didn’t worry about getting mani-pedis with girlfriends like I’d overhear girls in class talking about. As long as I had a good romance novel and Jeff to snuggle up to at night, I was good.

  Wrong.

  When I started teaching at Carver and met Mel and Shelly, I understood just how much I was missing in the friend department. Their loyalty and sisterly relationship made me so damn envious it hurt. It also made me lonely. I know I’ll never have what they have with each other, but I must say, it feels really sweet to have two crazy girls to share this new experience in my life with. It feels really good to talk about Sexy Guy. I love calling Dean that because he sure is sexy.

  And hot.

  And gorgeous.

  And everything in between.

  “What’s with the cheesy grin?” Mel asks. “Thinking about your Sexy Guy?”

  My head hangs low with embarrassment at being caught. “Can you tell?” I touch my palms to my cheeks. “Are my cheeks all rosy?”

  Shelly smirks, holding her thumb and index finger close together. “Just a little.”

  “I can’t help it. I know it’s fast. I mean, so soon after Chase and I broke up, but this guy makes my heart rate speed up just thinking about him. And he’s so sweet. Isn’t he? Am I wrong? You’ve known him a lot longer than I have, right?”

  Shel and Melissa exchange a weird look and then Shel starts talking. “Dean went to Carver too. When we did. We’ve known him since we were kids. You’re right. He’s really sweet. And have I mentioned that deep voice?” She fans herself with a chuckle.

  “Watch out, Shel,” Mel tells her. “You’re hubby’s gonna get jealous.”

  “Forget Matt, I might get jealous,” I tease.

  “Neither you or Matty have anything to worry about. Dean’s deep and smooth tone may tickle my belly, but Matty’s the only man for me. With Matty, he doesn’t even need to say anything. He could be standing in front of me dripping with dog poop and I’d still want him.” Mel and I both give her looks of disgust. “Okay, maybe that was a bad example. But you get what I mean. The man is perfect for me. Always will be.”

  How beautiful is that. I hope to share even half the love Mel and Shelly have with their husbands with the perfect man for me. You know what? Forget half. I want the whole enchilada. I want the kind of love they have. Why shouldn’t I? I deserve to be happy too. I deserve to be loved and cherished and looked at the way Tyler and Matt look at their wives.

  I want it.

  I want it bad.

  “So tell us what happened after Dean kicked Chase to the curb?” Mel digs for more details and I’m happy to share.

  The way Mel and Shelly lean forward on the edge of their seats makes me want to get them some popcorn and Raisinets. These women are ruthless when it comes to gossip. They want every detail. I love it.

  I start by telling them how cold I was last night after the ceremony and Dean offered to warm me up.

  “I bet he did.” Mel wiggles her brows and bounces in her chair.

  I describe our first sweet kiss, how it was just a perfect union of our lips pressed together for just a brief moment before we fell asleep.

  Shelly clasps her hands under her chin and lets out a long breathy sigh. “Aww … that’s so sweet.”

  “Like hell it is. You just fell asleep on the couch? That’s it? I finagle this whole thing where he takes you home and you don’t get lucky?” Apparently, Mel is less impressed.

  “I hate to break it to you, but Matty and I didn’t sleep together that night you threw us together and look how that turned out. Just perfect.”

  “Thanks, Shelly.” She nods at me as if to say don’t sweat it.

  Mel lets out a humph and falls back into her chair. “You both are torture. I’m going to have to deal with another cutesy courtship between you and Dean before you get to the good stuff. Why not cut the bull and get to humpin’ since that’s what you both want anyway?”

  She definitely has a point.

  “So what happened this morning? You went to breakfast, right?” Shelly asks.

  “We talked a lot and really got to know each other.” He held my hand across the table while we talked for a full two hours after stuffing our faces with biscuits and gravy and sharing a ham and cheese omelet. It was sweet really. We chatted about everything under the sun. How we ended up teaching at Carver High School, what our college experiences were like, our parents, what it’s like to be the only child. I learned more about him in one sitting than I’d ever known about Chase and Jeff put together.

  Mel leans back in her seat and puffs out a breath of air, causing her bangs to fly up. “They talked.” She looks at Shelly, rolling her eyes. “You guys are boring. How about when he dropped you off?”

  “There were kids around. Can you believe that?” Dean had to take me back to work to pick up my car. I left it there after the graduation ceremony. But when we got there, students were still everywhere. The last day of school was yesterday and I guess they didn’t get the message. “He was a total gentleman. He held my door open and said he really wanted to kiss me but he obviously couldn’t.”

  “Damn kids,” Mel snickers.


  “They ruin everything,” Shelly adds, with a soft laugh.

  “So what now?” Mel digs further.

  “He’s taking me out tonight.” I turn my wrist and glance at my watch. “Oh my. I need to go. I have to get ready.”

  “Yeah,” Shelly says, “And I need to get home. Matty and I are going to take Noah out in the jogger. He loves it.” Her eyes beam with emotion at the mention of her son.

  “And I need to get home to my Mia. We have a date for some belly time. You should see her wiggle around like a jumping bean. She’s so cute.” Mel smiles like she won the lottery. Well, I guess she kind of did. Ty is great and their daughter is beautiful.

  When I get into my car to leave, Mel and Shelly demand I call them with every detail about tonight’s date. I have to agree before they will step away from my car long enough for me to drive away. Those two seriously crack me up.

  I’m not even out of the parking lot before my mind ventures back to Dean and the goofy confused look he gave me earlier today when I said, “See ya later, Sexy Guy.” He had no idea why I was snorting while I said it, but he was definitely amused.

  I can’t wait to see him again tonight.

  He said it would be a date I wouldn’t forget.

  Somehow, I don’t think I could forget anything involving Dean Michaels.

  Chapter 9

  Summer

  There’s a knock at my door just as I’m finishing up with a spritz of light perfume on the insides of my wrists and behind both my ears. My insides flutter with nerves, the good kind. The kind that makes me feel like a giddy thirteen year old who just got asked to her first school dance.

  I swing the door open and I almost faint. The man is absolutely gorgeous. He’s wearing khaki cargo shorts, a white collared shirt with the sleeves folded up to his elbows, and a pair of brown surfer flip-flops. He looks amazing against the backdrop of the setting summer sun. Like he walked off the pages of a freaking magazine.

  “Is everything okay, Summer?” Dean looks around as if he’s missing something.

  “Yeah, it’s just.” I pause, trying to let my brain connect signals to my mouth. “You’re gorgeous.”

  He takes the step up to my door and stands in front of me. Our faces line up perfectly. “You stole my line.”

  “Oh did I?” I arch a suggestive brow at him, my eyes fixed on his.

  “Yes, you look absolutely gorgeous.” He reaches up with his right hand and brushes a stray hair out of my face. Then he slides his long fingers around the back of my neck, pulling me toward him. “I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

  “Me too.” The words spill out of my mouth is a breathy whisper.

  “I’m going to kiss you now.”

  My eyes flutter closed as I meet him halfway and his mouth presses to mine. His soft lips are gentle at first, and I give myself time to sync to his rhythm and memorize the feel of his touch. I lean into him, allowing my hands to hold on to his hips and when he opens his mouth and nips at my bottom lip, I can’t help but grasp onto his sides and squeeze. As he traces my lips with his tongue, my mouth falls slightly open and within seconds his tongue tangles with mine. The slow, sensual glide of our tongues sweeping past each other is enough to make me whimper. I have to squeeze my thighs together to control the desire that is bursting through me. Not only does this man look delicious, he tastes delicious. With a few sweet pecks to my closed mouth and sprinkles of kisses along my jaw, Dean slowly backs away, only to come forward and press his forehead against mine.

  “I meant that to be just a quick hello kiss. But I got carried away.” He’s as breathless as I am.

  “Fine by me. Get carried away all you want, please.”

  His low chuckle tickles my insides. “We should probably go or we’ll never make our appointment.”

  When we hit the freeway and start taking exits toward the beach, I’m convinced he’s taking me for a stroll along the ocean. But that wouldn’t make sense. He specifically said appointment. Maybe dinner? No, that would be a reservation.

  “So we’re going to the beach?”

  He looks over at me and smiles. “Kind of. The place we’re going is in a beach city. When we’re done, I guess we could hit the sand if you’d like.” He reaches over and takes my hand in his. I look down at our laced fingers and love the way it looks. And love the way it feels.

  Warm and safe.

  I’m quiet the rest of the ride, listening to Dean sing along with classic rock tunes that I haven’t heard in ages. People would be surprised but I’m kind of an old school rap junkie, but just the female rappers. My playlist is filled with Salt-n-Pepper, TLC, and Queen Latifah. Every once in a while, I get in the mood for some Eazy E or Dr. Dre, but it doesn’t happen often. I know my classic rock though because that’s what I listened to growing up. My dad was a die-hard fan of The Who and Led Zeppelin. Who his age wasn’t, right? Dean’s voice is soothing and I find myself tapping my foot to the beat and joining him on some of the choruses.

  If I thought I was nervous when he picked me up, I have no idea how to describe how I feel right now. Dean pulls into a long driveway lined with palm trees and fancy water fountains, a stunning resort like you’d see in a movie.

  “Uh,” I begin. “I thought you didn’t want to rush things.”

  He squeezes my hand before pulling into the valet. “I don’t.” He releases my grip and pats my thigh. “Come on. I have a surprise for you.”

  In a five-star resort? What could that be? He comes around to my side of the car as I’m releasing my seatbelt.

  “Come on, slow poke.” He holds out his hand to me. “You’ll see in just a minute so stop trying to figure it out.”

  I crack up at this. We’ve officially known each other for a little less than twenty-four hours and he already knows how my mind works.

  We walk into the hotel hand in hand. Women stop to stare at him; he’s that good looking. Instead of being jealous, I feel proud. That’s a new feeling for me. He doesn’t even notice the gawking sets of eyes. He just guides me down a long hallway toward an elevator.

  “Aha,” I tell him when he hits the floor to the Spa. “We’re getting our toesies done?”

  “Not on your life,” he says. “I could never show my face at a construction site again if I got my toes painted like a girl.”

  I look down at his exposed feet. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you get them done once a week. You have nice feet.” And he does. It sure looks like his toes are perfectly manicured and his heels look soft. Thankfully.

  We reach the front desk of the Spa and he does the talking. “Dean Michaels. I have an eight o’clock appointment.”

  “Welcome, Mr. & Mrs. Michaels.”

  “Oh, we’re not married,” I blurt out, holding up my left hand.

  Dean chuckles and shakes his head letting the receptionist know I’m right. She smiles at him and then quickly types away on her keyboard. “Sorry about that. Well, Micah and Frieda will be right with you.” She turns to me. “You’re going to love this treatment. It’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever experienced.” And then she adds, “He’s definitely a keeper,” along with a wink.

  “Romance, huh?” I murmur. Dean places his hand on the small of my back and guides me toward the big window with a stunning view overlooking the beach.

  “You have something against romance?”

  “Not at all. When do you plan on telling me what we’re doing?” I’d like to mentally prepare myself for whatever is about to happen.

  “This morning you were talking about missing going out with the girls for manicures and pedicures. It was something that you didn’t get to be part of.” I nod, remembering the conversation and surprised at how at ease I was telling him about my lack of girlfriends, until now. “Well, I thought I’d do something to make up for those lost experiences. Just not a mani-pedi thing, because I’m a dude.”

  “Guys get manicures and pedicures, you know?” I laugh at his machismo.

  “Not thi
s one. I can cut my own nails. Anyway, how does a couple’s massage sound to you?”

  My eyes widen, and tears sting my eyes at his thoughtfulness. “That sounds fantastic.”

  Micah and Frieda come out to meet us, dressed in white and looking like they could be part of the Cullen coven, they’re so beautiful and flawless. They lead us down a long candle lit hallway, and I can almost see the big hearts bugging out of my dreamy eyes as if I’m part of a cartoon. The romantic mood has definitely been set. They show us to separate dressing rooms where we are supposed to disrobe down to our undies, or completely nude if we choose. They let us know that bathing suits are provided, to which Dean suggests I wear. It’s comforting to know he’s not trying to get me naked. Not now, at least, in front of other people.

  The dressing room is jaw-droppingly fancy. I’ve had a massage before. I’ve been to places that could never compare to this exquisite room full of fountains of spa water, fruit bowls full of green apples, plush towels and bathrobes, hair products, wooden hangers and garment bags, just to name a few of the luxuries. I chuckle inside thinking I hope Dean knows he’s setting a precedent.

  After changing into a black two-piece bathing suit, a halter on top and boy shorts on the bottom, and pulling my hair up in a clip, I slide my arms into a spa robe and make my way outside the room. I feel like Paris Hilton or a Kardashian, being spoiled like this. What did I ever do to deserve such pampering?

  “You ready?” Dean says, reaching out to hold my hand. The sparks zip up and down my arm and all over my body. You’d think I’d tamper down the flutters already, but I can’t. His touch makes me feel so alive. “I know you wanted a day at the spa with the girls, but I hope I’m a decent substitute.” He tugs me to his side and places a kiss on my temple.

  “I’ll let you know when we’re all done,” I tease him. “If it doesn’t go well, we’ll just have to keep trying.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Heck yeah. I could get used to this.” I ruffle with the collar of my robe. “I feel like a princess.”