The Do Over

by A. L. Zaun

  "I'll think about it."

  When she stepped into a strapless cover-up, my dick was on high alert. Damn. I watched as she moved and shimmied into that dress.

  She threw a towel at me. "Dry up. Is your leg feeling better?"

  "Maddy, thank you," I said, drying off with the towel. "Yes, my leg is better. You're the best. I'll pick you up in a couple of hours. We have things to do."

  "I'm busy," she said impassively.

  "I know you're busy. You're going Christmas shopping with me. I made an appointment with Daisy to see some of her jewelry."

  She was hesitating. I could tell she was about to say something.

  I stood up, towering over her tiny barefoot frame. "I'll see you in two hours. Don't fight me."

  Finally, she relented. Putting two fingers in the air, she walked away.

  Madison and I resumed our daily training. According to her, I still had a great deal to learn. Apparently, ordering her around was on the list of things that needed to be dealt with immediately. The truth was that I liked telling her what to do, and secretly, I thought she liked it, too. She could try to remedy it all she wanted, but it wasn't going to change.

  I also took on the role of Madison Pussy Protector. There was no way some motherfucker was going to get close to her if I was around. So, I was around as often and as much as I could be. After I had Daniela where she needed to be, which was on my fucking dick, I was going to subject Madison to the Rick Marin School of Maddy Reform.

  Madison's training was proving to be beneficial in all areas of my life. The guys were back to playing basketball on Thursdays. We played fiercely on the court, and Liam was no longer the only wonder boy shooting hoops. The odds were evening out. In fact, they were stacking in my direction. He wouldn't know what hit him, and I didn't give a shit. Daniela was mine before she knew him, and by the look of her trembling lip, she still was. She just needed to be reminded.

  As I walked into the locker room, I saw Chris. "Hey, Chris," I said, "before I forget, Madison wanted me to give you these. It's for her yoga class." I pulled out the certificates that Madison had given me as part of Operation Escalation.

  My goal was to win Daniela back before New Year's. I'd decided that Madison needed to intervene. There was no better way to do that than to have Daniela and Madison hang out. I owed Maddy my left nut and maybe the right one, too.

  "Dude, I don't do yoga. That's for chicks," Chris said flatly, looking at me like I'd grown a vagina.

  Chris was unreal. I stared him down, shaking my head.

  "No, you idiot, it's a class for women. Maddy, um…Madison wanted me to give them to you for your girlfriend and her friends."

  "Maddy?" Chris chuckled. "What's going on with you and Maddy Stuart? The last time I asked, you changed the subject. You've been spending a lot of time with her lately."

  "We're friends," I said impassively.

  I really hated when Chris moved from shithead to motherfucker. By his tone and expression, he had done the transition in the blink of an eye.

  "Madison Stuart doesn't do friends, and neither do you, unless benefits come with them." Chris smirked.

  His assumption couldn't be further from the truth. Although I even questioned it at times, we were, in fact, just friends.

  "So, is she as good as they say?" he asked.

  Anger surged as I pictured that asshole Alex, Chris, and a plethora of other men who eyed her like a fucking meal. I was consumed and ready to fucking kick his ass. My blood boiled, and my jaw clenched.

  Madison had come through for me. I could count on her for just about anything. This asshole wasn't going to talk shit about her. That was exclusively my job.

  "Fuck you, Chris." I got in his face. "She's my friend, so fucking watch what you say before I kick the shit out of you."

  Chris got back in my face and glared at me. "What the fuck's your problem? Why are you so defensive? Madison's no angel, and she'll be the first one to tell you. Shit, you saw right through her the minute you met her. She sure as hell doesn't need you to protect her virtue when she's giving it away to anyone with a dick."

  The tension in the room escalated.

  "Chris, stop it," Liam said sternly, staring at him.

  Shit. I didn't need or want Liam to fight my fucking battle.

  Chris was speaking the gospel truth. Madison liked to fuck. I'd called her while she was fucking. I'd watched her walk away with a fuck buddy. I'd fucking hated it, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn't blame her. I loved fucking, too. I was waiting for Daniela to get with the program, so I could finally fuck again. Shit, I miss fucking. Personally, I detested that Madison whored herself around, but she was a consenting adult. I knew she deserved a lot better, but Chris was no one to be talking shit about her. Who the fuck does he think he is?

  I didn't acknowledge Liam. He had no business getting involved in this.

  "Don't fucking talk about Madison like that." Closing in on Chris, I clenched my fists. I felt a fierce sense of loyalty and a need to protect her.

  Chris shook his head. "So, you aren't fucking her, but you don't want me to talk about what every other guy who does fuck her talks about—her sweet pussy. What's the deal? You're no fucking saint."

  He was oblivious to the ass kicking that was coming his way.

  Liam got between us, holding me back. "Chris, that's enough. Stop being an asshole," he said, making sure Chris understood.

  Chris looked over to Liam. "Dude, relax. I'll back off." As he turned back to me, he sincerely said, "It's just weird. I don't know why you're so fucking pissed off." He was clearly dumbfounded by my reaction.

  I took a step back and started pacing. As I opened and closed my fists, I shook the tension out of my arms and head, stretching my neck from side to side. I was confused myself. I had never lost control or gotten physical. I was a lover, not a fighter.

  "You know what? I don't know what the fuck came over me," I said to Chris.

  I felt possessed by a powerful force. She wasn't even here, and she was still fucking pissing me off. Why the hell does she have to be such a motherfucking whore? I remembered her saying that it was her turn to forget. What the fuck is that all about?

  I had been close to beating the shit out of Chris because he'd called her out for what she was. I had nothing to lose by explaining my relationship with Madison. Maybe they could shed some insight as to why she fucking pissed me off all the time.

  "Madison's giving me advice on how to get my girl back. You know, she's helping me understand women," I admitted.

  Chris was tying his shoe when he looked up at me. Shaking his head, he asked, "And how's that shit working for you?"

  "To be honest with you, she's brilliant." Nodding, I sat down on the bench next to him. "But, most of the time, I think she's trying to fucking cut off my dick."

  Liam stood there, tossing a basketball between his hands.

  "Between you and Lucas, I feel like I'm watching one of those birth-control commercials. Fuck. The two of you need to grow some balls." After the words flowed effortlessly out of his mouth, he guarded his face when Liam turned and aimed the ball at him.

  Liam shook his head in disbelief. "Chris, you're really a piece of work. Why on earth does Macy put up with you?"

  Chris smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. "Per her admission, she's addicted to this right here." He grabbed his dick. "See, I'm a fucking man." Chris threw a towel at me. "Rick, you're asking a chick for help to get another chick. How are you not worried that you're going to grow a vagina? You are the man, dude. Talk to us, and we'll make sure that your manhood stays intact."

  After my masculinity was challenged, We went for drinks, and so began my education with the first pitcher, the second pitcher, and then the third, or maybe it was the fourth. Who knows? We lost count.

  Liam looked at us, shaking his head. He leaned in toward me. As though he was sharing the secret of life, he said, "You need to love her more than you love your dick."

  "Dude,
you're drunk," Chris slurred.

  "That's really deep, but what the fuck does that mean?" I asked, confused.

  Liam was being a fucking philosopher, and I'd gladly take practical tips from the asshole who was fucking Daniela. He obviously knew what worked with her.

  "You have to love her more than you love your dick," he said in a tone that seemed to be making an obvious point.

  I was lost. That sounded like the same bullshit he said earlier.

  "You're not fucking Dani?" Chris's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I thought you took care of the condition."

  "Fuck you." Liam shook his head and then finished his beer. "I don't need this shit. I have someone waiting for me at home."

  "Yoda, wait. I need you to impart your wisdom." I needed him to keep talking. I had to understand. "Speak in English, dude. No offense, but you're talking in chick."

  Chris just nodded in agreement as he stared at his beer with his eyes glazed over.

  "You two are a lost cause. Let me dumb this down for you." Liam rolled his eyes. "She has to matter to you more than your dick does. Bottom line is that fucking doesn't create a lasting relationship. Don't get me wrong. It's a great part of the relationship. I love it. I can't get enough of it, but it's not everything. Talk about something other than you, like things that interest her. You have to get to know your woman—her likes and dislikes. Dani talks about her friends and her books. I know when I have to turn off the TV and give her all my attention. And when she wraps her arms around me and smiles, I know there's no other place on earth I want to be. The take-home message is for you to stop being a selfish cocksucker."

  "Hold on a second. I don't suck cock. I eat pussy, and damn, I'm starved for some right now." I took another drink and brought my glass down hard, causing a little beer to splash out. I needed them to both understand. I was after pussy not cock.

  Chris spit beer out of his mouth. "Rick, bro, when was the last time you got laid?"

  "It's been too long. So, yeah, I think I might just love this girl more than my dick. My dick's fucking pissed off at me right now. Do you know that I fucking pushed Lise off of me while she had her pussy in my face and my dick in her mouth?"

  Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads as their mouths dropped to the table. I deserved a trophy. Lise was a hot model with a smoking body.

  "I can see you haven't been listening to me at all. Dude, stop thinking with your fucking dick. You need to love her more than you love your dick. Trust me, it's a wonderful thing," Liam said.

  I stared at him. He sounded like he had been shot up with estrogen.

  "Does this lecture come with a PowerPoint presentation?" Chris asked before he buried his drunken head in his arms.

  "Fuck you, Chris. I can stop," Liam said, shrugging his shoulders. He pushed his glass away.

  "Shut up, Chris. This is good. Continue." I motioned with my hands for Liam to go on. This was valuable information.

  "Your dick is secondary to her heart. It's plain and simple." Liam pulled out his phone. "These are pictures of my girl. She's beautiful. Look at that million-dollar smile. The first time I saw her, I acted like a horny teenager. Fuck, I wanted her. I could have buried my dick in her in front of an entire CPR class. She turns me on like nobody else, but I didn't push it because she mattered more than my dick." He sat up and looked me straight in the eye. "When you find the one, you'll love her more than you love your dick. It's not about you. It's all about her."

  Chris looked over at Liam. "Dude, is she the one?"

  "Think so," Liam responded, nodding his head, while he looked at his fucking phone.

  What a pussy.

  I didn't want to hear about how much he wanted her, or how she turned him on, or that she was the one. A part of me wanted to tell him how much I'd once turned her on, how she had moaned when I'd touched her, and the way her body had reacted to my fucking voice. Then, I'd tell him that she wasn't the one for him because she was going to be mine again. But I didn't say anything because I was becoming a better man, or a worse one, for participating in this discussion.

  I was fucking plastered, so I called Madison to pick me up. I overheard Liam calling Daniela for a ride. She would be there in a matter of minutes.

  "Hey, Dani's coming to get me. Do you need a ride?" Liam asked.

  Fuck. Why does he have to be such a decent guy?

  "Nah, that's okay. Madison's on her way," I said. I got up to go to the bathroom and hide out until Madison arrived.

  "Oh yeah, about those yoga classes. Dani would really love that. See? This'll win me points because I know her and I know what she likes."

  When Liam held out his hand for the certificates, I actually felt sorry for him.

  "Take this for whatever it's worth. Your friend is more than a friend. You don't go up against your brother over a chick unless she's under your skin, and if you aren't sleeping with her, then you've got it bad."

  "It's not like that. We're really just friends. Sure, I care about her, but no, I hate her most of the time," I said.

  I texted Maddy to see when she'd be here to pick me up. He was wrong. He must sense that something was up, and he was just trying to throw me off Daniela's trail.

  "Just make sure the one you're chasing is worth letting this one go." He patted me on the shoulder before he made his way out.

  Daniela was worth everything, and Madison was just my friend. She always would be, so I wouldn't be giving up anything.

  When the coast was clear, I came back out and had another drink. It had been a long time since I was buzzed and couldn't remember when I'd been drunk. I sat in the back and waited, and waited, and waited some more. Forty-five minutes later, Madison walked in, turning heads. I watched the show from my table. There was a reason why she could get fucked by just about anyone she wanted. Madison wasn't just gorgeous. She looked fucking lickable. She strutted over to me with her brow raised in contempt. She was annoyed.

  "Marin," she said in a sultry voice, leaning into my face. "You owe me big time."

  I couldn't help loving when she did sexy-badass shit like that.

  Wearing a huge smile on my face, I followed behind her with my hands on her hips. "Did I interrupt something?" I'd almost gotten into a fight over her damn pussy, so I hoped I'd ruined her booty call.

  She turned, hissing at me. "Rick, I told you to cut back on your alcohol. I didn't tell you to get wasted."

  When she pushed open the door, the cool night air sobered me just a tiny bit.

  "You need to stop being a fucking cockblocker. I'm more upset about that because I'm horny, and now, I have to rely on my goddamn vibrator."

  I pulled her in close to me and wrapped my arms around her waist. My body pressed into hers as she leaned into mine. I nuzzled my face in her neck. Damn. She always smelled so fucking good.

  I breathed warmly into her ear. "Do you know how hot you are when you get pissed off at me?"

  I ran my lips over her neck. She tasted as good as I'd imagined. She tilted her head to the side, wanting more.

  "Tonight, when you're fucking your vibrator, call me. I want to hear you come." I smacked her ass and got in the car.

  She settled into the driver's seat. "You're an asshole," she said, her eyes shooting daggers at me.

  I reached for her hand, brought it up to my mouth, and grazed it with my lips. "Thank you, Maddy. You're my best friend. I owe you big time. Whatever you want, it's yours."

  I leaned my head back on the headrest, and then I napped until she pulled up to my apartment. She woke me up, pushed me out of the car without a good-bye, and then watched me walk into my building.

  I knew I was going to have one fucking hangover tomorrow.

  The twinkling lights on the Christmas tree glowed in the darkened living room. The scent of the balsam fir tree filled the air. The holidays were fast upon us, and before I knew it, Christmas was only a couple of days away.

  I curled up under a blanket with a cup of hot tea and my Kindle. I'd been going
to a yoga class where I'd met my new friend, Madison. She happened to be a health guru and my latest project. She'd been helping me eliminate my diet soda consumption, thus the cup of tea instead of my preferred twenty-ounce bottle of diet soda, and I was trying to crack her outer shell. She was much more successful than I was.

  I hadn't done yoga in the longest time, and I missed it. It was weird how Rick and I'd just talked about it, and then Liam had come home with a gift certificate for a class. I took it as a sign to get back into balance. The timing was actually great. With Candace off in Jacksonville and Macy on probation, I needed someone to bond with. Liam was my best friend, and I did bring my problems to him, maybe a little too often. He was so good and patient with me, but he was a man. I needed someone to listen to me vent. I needed someone who could work through my issues with me, as nonsensical as some of them were, without telling me how to fix them. Part of the process was the journey, not always the destination. Liam didn't understand that, and I was perfectly content having him as my man and not my girlfriend.

  Madison was great. She was a combination of Macy's sluttyness with a little bit of Candace's badass attitude without the prim and proper part. I could live with that. The best part was that she wasn't associated with my past or my present, so I could talk to her without worrying that she would judge me. After all, I quickly learned that she would be the last person to throw a stone.

  Madison and I became close pals. After yoga, we started talking about health and fitness. The next thing I knew, we were throwing back shots of wheatgrass with mango-juice chasers at the smoothie store across the street. I cringed at the memory of the first shot.

  I eyed the shot glass filled with the swamp green liquid suspiciously. I glanced over at Madison as she raised her glass and brought it up to her mouth. I wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Somehow, this felt like an initiation of some sort.

  I picked up my shot glass and downed the wheatgrass. My face puckered at the taste. "That was the most disgusting thing I've ever consumed in my life. Gross."