by Lucy Gage
Chapter 5
Somerville, Massachusetts, six years ago…
Setting the last box on the porch, Meg collapsed in exhaustion. How had she accumulated so much crap in such a short time? The boxes had multiplied like horny bunnies since she’d moved back to New England from Miami last May.
Carlos handed her a sweating glass of water. “You look hot.”
Meg wiggled her brows as she held the glass against her temple before downing the ice-cold liquid. “These are my sexy clothes.”
He laughed. “You joke, Mojito, but I saw the neighbors checking out your ass in those cutoffs. And I know you’re always complaining about the size of your chichis, but they’re gorgeous in that tank top. Besides, you have the sexiest legs I’ve ever seen outside a runway. Why didn’t you ever model?”
Meg snorted. “As if. I like food. Starving myself is not an option.”
“You wouldn’t need to starve. You’re perfect.”
“Stop kissing my ass. What is it you want?”
“You got me. I need help with an after-school program.”
“Of course, I’ll help.”
“It’s volunteer.”
“Fine.”
“In Roxbury.”
“Jesus, are you kidding me?”
“Por favor? These kids need it. Some of them have nowhere to go. I don’t want to see them in gangs.”
That did it. Meg knew how important it was to Carlos to keep kids out of gangs. He’d come from a good home and had still gravitated to a gang in Miami for a very brief time. Moving to Boston had been the only way he could truly get out from under the gang’s influence.
She sighed. “For you, anything.”
He smiled his megawatt grin. “Anything?”
Meg rolled her eyes. “What now?”
“Nico is coming to town in two weeks…”
“Carlos…”
“What?”
“You know what a bad idea that is.”
“Come on, Mojito. Why won’t you give him another chance?”
“It has nothing to do with chances! I’m not in love with him!”
“But he loves you, novio. Can you try again?”
“No. I can’t. Not now. I’m still not at that point in my life.”
“He said he’d wait for you to be ready.”
“Carlos, we’re friends and I adore you. Don’t make me wish I hadn’t moved into your place. You know I care very deeply for Nico, but I wasn’t in love with him. I’m not going to date him from afar when I’m not in love with him. Is he moving to Boston?”
Carlos sighed. “No.”
“Then it’s a moot point. I’ll be civil. I do like him. But I’m not jumping back into a relationship with him. Period. Please don’t ask it of me. Did he put you up to this?”
“No. He’d be cabreado if he knew I mentioned it.”
“Drop it, then, okay? For all our sakes. If I’m ready to try again with Nico, I’ll let him know,” she said, bumping hips with Carlos.
“Si. Lo siento, mi amor.”
“I’ll forgive you, just this once. Now help me finish moving these boxes into my room.”
He grinned and bowed. “At your service, carina.”
**********
Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, six years ago…
When his alarm blared at 4 a.m., Neil sighed, squeezed his eyes shut, threw the blanket over his head and prayed for more sleep. Not happening, jackass, he thought. Just because you were stupid two nights ago and got obliterated, it doesn’t change the fact that you have to drive to Kentucky today.
He stumbled out of bed and stepped into an increasingly cold shower. In his towel, he wandered to the kitchen and started the coffee, adding an extra scoop of grounds to give it a kick. Back in his room, he pulled his Army duffel from his closet and finished packing.
He locked his apartment behind him, knowing his roommate, Phil, would take care of the place for the summer. Bag tossed in the back of his Acura, Neil sat in the driver’s seat and dialed Owen’s cell.
“Murph,” Owen’s sleepy voice grumbled. “You headed this way?”
“Shouldn’t you be awake?” Neil said.
“Uh, yeah.” A woman’s voice uttered, Hang up, and Owen said, “I have to go. I’ll see you when you get here. Call the Wonder Twins.”
“Will do. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said.
Owen laughed. “No worries there.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised…”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Owen asked.
The girl said, louder this time, Owen, I’m getting out of bed in one minute.
“Gotta go. You better tell me later.”
“Yes, sir. Bye.” He shook his head. Owen loved the ladies and they loved him. One day, he’d find himself the right girl.
Neil dialed Jack. He liked Tiger, but they’d never been as close as he was with Jack. Whether it was their unrequited love for a childhood crush, or the fact that Jack was the other pea in the pod with him and Owen, Neil couldn’t say. It might have been that John’s aristocratic upbringing set him apart, even when he didn’t mean for it. Whatever it was, Neil and Jack were the closer friends and he rarely called John.
“Murph!” Jack said, far more chipper than Owen had been.
“Hey, Strongman. You sound a lot more awake than Nichols.”
“Yeah, well, he took a girl home from the bar last night. I s’pose he’s still getting acquainted with her.”
Sensing a long conversation, since Jack liked to talk, Neil donned his hands-free earpiece and shifted the car in reverse, getting his trip underway. This would help pass the time and keep him awake until the coffee did its job.
Neil laughed. “I hope so for his sake. She sounded ready to walk because he was talking to me and not paying attention to her.”
Jack laughed. “She seemed like the type. You know, needy.”
“Owen does like to rescue damsels in distress.”
“That he does. You on your way here?”
“I am. Did John stick around?”
“Nah. He kept going. Headed home early, so he could see his parents. He has big news to share with them. Did Owen tell you Sarah moved into our place? She’s living in Cali with us.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. She’s stayin’ at our place while we’re deployed.”
“Shit, Jack, that can’t end well.”
Jack blew out a breath. “If I thought I could do somethin’ about it, I would. But I can’t. You know Tiger. He wants to take care of her, insisted she stay at our place and get hooked up with the wives and girlfriends, so she can have a support group. He flew home and drove back with her, so he’d know she was really coming for good. Bought her a new car. Set it up with the dealer for service so it’s charged to his account. Has the bank giving her an allowance every month.”
“Jesus. What, is he proposing?”
“Already bought the ring. Had it custom-made in California. When we get back, he’ll ask her before we leave.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Doesn’t matter what I think.”
“Matters to me, Jack.”
“It fuckin’ sucks. I still love her, Murph. I’ll always love her. But I love him, too. He’s my brother, you know? Just like you and Owen.”
“You’ve known him longer.”
“Yeah, and you two didn’t steal my first love. We all got shit to bear in this life. Lovin’ Sarah when she don’t love me back, that’s my shit. Shouldn’t affect her and John. That boy loves her desperately.”
“And you don’t?”
He sighed. “I don’t know, Murph. If I did, then maybe I’d have fought him for her a long time ago. I never felt like goin’ after Sarah was worth ruinin’ my friendship with John. I ain’t a monk, livin’ a life of quiet desperation while my best friend fucks the girl I love. If he didn’t love her or I knew she didn’t love him, it’d be different. But that’s not the case.”
“When are we getting inked?”
“You sure you want another one?”
“Hell, yes. I have the whole trip to think about what I want. You know what you’re getting?”
“Yeah. Soaring eagle.” Jack’s accent had calmed a little, which meant he had relaxed a bit.
“You draw it?”
“‘Course. Want me to draw yours?”
“I haven’t said what I want.” Neil was teasing him. He’d gladly have Jack draw all his tattoos. The guy was seriously talented, but he refused to believe he was an artist.
“Got any ideas?” Good. Jack sounded better already.
“I’m thinking about a quote or a saying.”
“Where?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“What kind of quote?”
“Something to remind me to be smarter.”
Jack laughed. “You’re one of the smartest guys I know, Murph. What happened?”
Neil sighed and relayed the events of the frat party and its aftermath as best he could. At the end, Jack laughed and laughed.
“Holy shit! So, let me get this straight, you can’t be positive, but you think you might have fucked two girls at once? And you’re unhappy about that.”
“Would you be happy?”
“Well, I’m a one-woman kind of guy, too, but I don’t know that I’d have freaked the way you did. What’d Owen say?”
“Didn’t tell him yet. His fling wasn’t keen on our conversation.”
“As you’d expect. You’ll have to wait until you get here, I guess. Now, what kind of saying will best commemorate such an occasion?”
“Something to remind me to be less stupid next time.”
Jack laughed. “No doubt.”
**********
Orono, Maine, six years ago…
After two weeks of misery, when she couldn’t get Travis out of her mind no matter what she’d tried, Meg went home for a visit. Knocking on Em’s apartment door, she felt like such a fool.
“Meggie! What are you doing here? Come in!” Emily said.
“Hey, Emma Bean. Mind if I crash here tonight?”
“You can always stay with me, Meggie. But what are you doing here? Why aren’t you in Boston?”
“I’m such a fool,” Meg said, tears in her voice.
Emily hugged her and rubbed her back. They sat on the little sofa in Em’s tiny living room and Meg cried for a while before she could speak. Em did her perfect hostess thing, coupled with her amazing best friend thing, and brought chocolate, a glass of wine and a box of tissues, all without speaking a word.
Finally, Meg felt she could talk. “He was married, Em.”
“Travis? What? But you said he didn’t wear a ring? That it didn’t even look like he’d ever worn a ring!”
“I know. I have no clue what that’s all about. I wouldn’t have guessed he was cheating on his wife with me.”
“How did you find out?”
“She walked in on us.”
“You slept with him?”
“It was only the second time. I made him wait, like I always do. I guess I didn’t wait quite long enough.”
“Did she, you know, see you guys?”
“I’m not sure. She had to have heard us, anyway. God, it’s horrifying, Em! Why can’t I meet a decent guy? Why do I always pick the jerks?”
Emily rubbed her back. She gracefully didn’t point out that Meg had already met Nico. Em maintained that they were perfect together. Lack of love on Meg’s part aside, of course.
“I don’t know, sweetie. You’ll meet the right one someday.”
“When?”
“I can’t answer that, but you deserve to be happy, so I know you’ll find him.”
“Can we go out dancing tonight with Charlie and Nina?”
“You know they’re always up for it. Want to embarrass yourself at Karaoke first?”
“I’m not that wrecked.”
Emily laughed. “Good. Glad to hear it. I’ll call them.”
“Okay. Can I shower first? I feel like death warmed over. I haven’t slept well and I can’t get that pig out of my head.”
Emily nodded and picked up her cell, preparing for the night ahead. Two hours later, they stepped into a college bar that pretended to be a dance club. Dancing with her three favorite girls would be a blast. She’d missed her girls over the last few years while she was away at school. Meg’s eagerness to get lost in the fun music increased as soon as she heard the upbeat rhythms.
The four of them were were bumping and grinding with each other to Prince’s Kiss, ignoring most of the guys who tried to get between them. She’d needed this, a chance to be with her girls. Screw guys. They weren’t worth the hassle.
Aside from Nico, she’d only ever met one who seemed remotely decent and wasn’t taken, and he’d been a sweet, geeky boy when she’d last seen him. He often crossed her mind when she needed a boost.
A group of four guys surrounded them when the DJ began to play a mash-up of Dexy’s Midnight Runner’s Come On Eileen and Billy Squire’s The Stroke. Meg laughed at the DJ’s sense of humor and his apparently very dirty mind. The girls didn’t push the attractive guys away this time. Charlie still dated Dan, though Meg had heard that they were free to see other people. But sometimes when things became uncomfortable for Charlie, like now, Meg knew she and Nina would kiss or grope each other to make guys back off. They hadn’t done it often, but they’d gone there once or twice. She looked at the three girls and inclined her head toward the bar, offering an escape.
Charlie and Nina made a beeline for the ladies’ room and Em found a friend from class at the bar, so Meg ordered drinks. Leaning on the bar pushed up the girls and she waved her money. Seconds later, a hot bartender appeared.
“What can I get you, sexy lady?”
“Who says I’m a lady?” she teased.
He laughed. “I’d love to find out, hon, but I’m married.”
“Where’s the ring?”
“Big turnoff when you’re a bartender. But you didn’t call me over here for a chat or to hit on me, did you?”
“No, sir. Can I get a virgin Sex on the Beach and four shots of Cuervo Gold?”
“Lemons and salt?”
“You got it.”
“Coming right up, hot stuff.”
She handed him a twenty and he left to pour drinks. Moments later, he returned with her change and the drinks. She peeled off a five, shoved it in his shirt pocket and winked at him.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Just doing my job,” he replied.
“Thanks for being honest. Kiss your wife later.”
“I will,” he said with a smile.
The girls all returned and Meg handed Em her drink, then took two shots for herself and handed the others to Charlie and Nina. “To guys who aren’t cheating assholes,” she said, raising her shot glass.
“Here, here!” Nina said. She’d found her share of jerks, too. They all clinked glasses, licked their salty hands and downed the shots. Em sipped her drink like the lady she was. Meg pounded her second shot before she sucked on the lemon.
“Impressive,” a voice said in her ear.
She turned to find a handsome guy standing at the bar, very close to her. Though she currently wore her favorite five-inch stilettos, they stood nearly eye-to-eye, which made him at least six inches taller than Meg’s 5′8″. Brown hair, blue eyes, a grin that said he knew how to be naughty, he had the kind of face that made women drop their panties.
“Not interested,” she said and pivoted back toward the bar.
In her ear again, he said, “You’re assuming I am.”
She looked at him, let her eyes graze his whole frame. His sexy body didn’t sway her.
“Either way, I’m not interested.”
“And why is that?” he asked, giving her body the same once-over
she’d just given his.
“I’ve had enough of guys who think it’s okay to cheat.”
He laughed. “You’re making several big assumptions.”
Meg tilted her head to indicate that he should enlighten her.
“First of all, I don’t like cheaters. If I’m committed, I stay faithful. Second of all, at the moment, I’m single, so I can’t be cheating if I don’t have a girlfriend. And third, you are the only woman in this bar tonight that I have any interest in taking home with me.”
Familiar desire pooled in Meg’s core, but she refused to be fooled.
“Doesn’t matter. The last guy said he was single. Turned out, his wife didn’t think so, which I found out the hard way.”
“Meggie,” Em’s voice said in her other ear, “you want to get away from him?” Meg shook her head and didn’t look at her best friend.
“I’m here to have fun with friends, not to get picked up.”
“Okay,” he said, raising his hands. “If you change your mind, come find me.”
He pushed his way through the crowd and Meg found that her heart raced. Probably just the tequila.
“Want to go dance?” Em asked.
Meg looked at her friends and said, “Let’s go show these fools how it’s done.”
Half an hour later, she’d been dancing like no one was watching, the tequila flowing nicely through her blood. A couple guys Charlie and Nina knew had joined them on the dance floor and when Nine Inch Nails’ Closer began, the guys snagged them as dance partners.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Em said. “Want to come with?”
Meg glanced toward the direction of the bathroom and caught the eye of the guy from the bar. He watched her, a hungry look on his face, and brushing him off seemed pointless.
“No, I’ll see you back here after,” she said. She kept eye contact with the stranger and took his hand, pulling him to the floor. He came willingly, molded his body to hers and began to drive his hips toward her pelvis.
“Change your mind?” he asked in her ear.
“Maybe,” she replied.
“What’s your name?”
“Meg.”
“I’m Jason. You go to school here?”
“No. Grad school in Boston. Visiting friends. What about you?”