Next Time

by Alexander, Robin

  Ryann joined her a moment or two later and gazed at her quizzically. “Are you sweating?”

  “It was kinda hot in the cab.”

  “I thought it was freezing,” Ryann said as she wrapped her coat tighter around her body.

  Payton did her best to “keep it loose” as they walked toward the doors, but when she caught her reflection in the glass, she realized she looked like she belonged in a rap video. She was sort of slumped to one side, left hand in her pocket, the other dangling.

  “What’s your limit?” she asked when they stepped inside.

  “Sixty bucks, which means I’ll be rocking the penny slots,” Ryann said with a laugh.

  “All right, that’s what I’ll play, and my limit will be the same. The machines we’re looking for are over here.” Payton led Ryann past the dollar slots.

  “You seem very familiar with your surroundings.”

  “I came here last year with someone,” Payton said with relief as some of the pain and stiffness eased up in her legs.

  “A date?”

  “Yes.”

  “And why didn’t it work out with her?”

  Payton shrugged as she looked for two empty machines side by side. “I didn’t realize that she was a racist. She didn’t let that cat out of the bag until the third date and made some derogatory comments about my Hispanic neighbors across the street.”

  “Yes, that would be a deal breaker,” Ryann said as she dodged one of the other gamblers who’d had too much to drink.

  “How about these? Do you want to hunt ghosts or get in touch with your inner wolf?”

  “Ghosts.” Ryann looked at the machine in confusion. “You’re gonna laugh when I admit this, but the last time I was in a casino, you could actually put change in the machine, and it had an arm you pulled on.”

  Payton’s brow shot skyward. “Were you like…six?”

  “Show me how to play, wiseass.”

  Payton took out a twenty and slipped it into the slot. Once the bill registered in the machine, her credits showed on the screen. “You can bet on like twenty different lines. The buttons on the panel allow you to choose how much you want to bet. If you’re lucky and hit a bonus round, you get all sorts of free plays.”

  Ryann was mesmerized by the ghosts floating across the screen and peeking from the windows of a haunted mansion. “The graphics are so cool.”

  “Yeah, a lot better than waiting for cherries to line up. They do have that type if that’s what you’d prefer.”

  Ryann pulled a twenty from the pocket of her jeans and fed it to the machine. Like a child, she just started pushing buttons and landed right into a bonus round. “What’s happening? Why can’t I place a bet?”

  “Because your lucky ass has hit a bonus already. Make yourself comfortable and watch the ghosts dance.”

  And dance they did. Eerie music boomed out of the machine as six doors appeared. Ryann was quick on the uptake and touched the screen, causing the blue door to open. Every golden goblet she touched afterward dumped credits into her pool. Payton watched in amazement as Ryann tripled the money that she’d paid in until finally the Reaper popped out from behind a bookcase and put an end to her run of good luck.

  “Oh,” Ryann said with a growl. “Me like.”

  “And she’s hooked.” Payton motioned for one of the drink servers and ordered a glass of wine. Ryann did the same without looking away from the screen in front of her.

  “Aren’t you going to sit down?”

  “No, the machine might notice. It might not be stingy if it thinks I may cash out.”

  Ryann did look away from the game then. “They watch us?” She frowned at the grin on Payton’s face. “You got me. It’s not nice to make fun of the naïve, you know.”

  “You are anything but.”

  Ryann laughed evilly and continued to press buttons. “You’re great-looking and have the personality to match. Tell me the real reason someone hasn’t snagged you.”

  “You tell me because that’s one riddle I haven’t been able to solve.”

  “I’ll need more time to come up with a theory. Let me ask you this, if a squirrel had found its way into your house, what would you do?”

  “That would depend on whether an offer of nuts had been made and what kind. If the interloper was rude, I’d put on a pair of canvas work gloves, then I’d show the pest out.” Payton glanced at Ryann with a cheeky grin. “I’ve already gotten rid of one squirrel, remember? Wait—do you have one in your apartment? They really tear up stuff.”

  “No, just getting a broader picture of you, that’s all.”

  “What would you do?”

  “I wouldn’t go after it with gloves, that’s for sure. That’s too up close and personal, they bite. Maybe I’d use a leaf blower. No animals like those.”

  Payton pursed her lips as she stared at her machine and marveled at the strange places Ryann’s brain went. She closed her eyes when Ryann hit another bonus round. When the server arrived with their drinks, Ryann was glued to the screen watching floating gold goblets and coins rain down into her pool of credits. Payton took care of the drinks and sipped hers as the round ended with the Reaper again.

  “What are you doing to that machine?” Payton asked with envy.

  “Well, since it’s watching, I flashed a boob.”

  “If I thought you were remotely serious, I’d take my shirt off.” Payton handed Ryann a glass. “Hell, maybe my pants, too.”

  “This is so much fun!” Ryann exclaimed. “I hope my luck holds all night.”

  Payton did, too, because the idea of strolling the Quarter would’ve been nice if the lower half of her body wasn’t aching. Standing helped, and she hoped the wine would, too, but after a glass, one of the negative aspects of alcohol set in. “I have to go to the restroom. Will you guard my spot?”

  “With my life,” Ryann said distractedly.

  The anticipation of trying to use a public toilet in her shape made Payton sweat as she entered the ladies’ room. The stalls were private with doors that went all the way to the floor. She undid her pants and with a low groan slipped them and her underwear down her hips. With her hands on either wall, she attempted to execute the hover. All went well as she used the strength in her arms to support herself, but as time wore on, she found it increasingly difficult to hold the position.

  “What the hell? You drank a glass, you’re peeing a gallon,” she said aloud, certain that the music, shuffling of others, and conversation would drown her out. “For the love of—oh, God…I’m slipping. I’m going down…oh, please…no.”

  Someone knocked on her door and said, “Get a room. You’re nasty.”

  “I’m by myself!” Payton sputtered.

  “That’s worse,” the stranger said and hit the door again.

  Payton bit her lip and forced her legs to bear some of her weight as she reached blindly for the toilet paper and only managed to grab a seat cover. “Are you kidding me? God, I know you’re getting a kick out of this, but help me out. Don’t let me—ow!”

  Chapter 13

  Ryann looked away from her game when someone stepped in front of Payton’s machine. “Oh, hi, that’s reserved.”

  “You can’t reserve a slot machine, lady,” the guy said as he dug into his pocket.

  “That’s my friend’s credits in there. She went to the restroom.”

  “Finders keepers.”

  “Hey! If you take that machine, I will go Silent of the Lambs on you. I’ll be the first woman to hit a jackpot while wearing a meat suit like a shawl. I’m so not kidding.”

  The man stared at Ryann’s wild-eyed look, and when he walked away, her gaze fell on Payton. Her face was flushed, and her sleeves appeared to be wet. “You okay?”

  “A meat shawl?”

  “I had to go deep into my creepy movie vault for something thought-provoking, and it worked. He left.”

  Payton still looked alarmed. “What if he hadn’t?”

  “I think I would’ve
pushed the ‘attendant’ button and started screaming.”

  Payton took a step closer. “Silence. It’s Silence of the Lambs.”

  “I don’t think he was really listening until I said meat suit. Why’re you wet?”

  Payton looked as though she was going to touch her face, then jerked her hand away. “I’m gonna tell you the truth because if I don’t, I will more than likely kill myself. I worked out way too aggressively at the gym, and the muscles in my thighs and hips don’t want me to bend over or squat ever again. While going to the bathroom, I managed to fall and put one hand in the toilet. After I limped out of the stall, I felt it wise to wash everything up to my elbows.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

  “Because I was ashamed of being a weenie.”

  “Aw, Payton, everyone has done things like that. Come on, let’s get you home before you have to go to the bathroom again.”

  “It’s not even nine o’clock, and we’re having a good time.”

  Ryann shook her head. “You need to soak in a hot tub of—I have an idea!”

  *******

  Shelly opened her front door to Payton being held up by Ryann and a strange man. “Ryann,” she said with a laugh. “You are really getting in touch with your wild side.”

  “This is Drago, our cab driver. Payton got into the car, but she couldn’t get out,” Ryann explained.

  Drago patted Payton on the shoulder. “You can handle it from here. Remember to give me a thirty-minute heads-up, and I’ll take you home,” he said as he turned and walked away.

  Shelly took over and helped Ryann get Payton inside. “I’ve got towels, robes, and muscle relaxers, and the hot tub is ready. My swimsuit won’t fit you, but I set out one of my son’s T-shirts and a pair of his gym shorts.”

  “I’m so embarrassed,” Payton said as they basically dragged her through the house.

  “Ryann told me what happened when she called.” Shelly lowered her voice to a whisper. “One time, I strained my calves peeking over the fence at the neighbor’s lawn guy. The hot tub made a new woman out of me. You couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. My husband and boys went to the camp to fish this afternoon. They won’t be back until tomorrow night, so you’ll have plenty of privacy. All I ask is that you don’t have sex with my sister in the tub.”

  “Shelly!”

  “Shhhh! Ryann! The baby’s asleep. I had to put that condition out there because the hot tub makes me hot in more ways than one. That’s how Anya got here.”

  “Great, you tell us now that you have sex in the hot tub,” Ryann ground out.

  “No, on the deck beside it.” Shelly opened the door to the sun porch and helped Payton into the room. “I closed all the blinds. Do you need me to help you get undressed?”

  “No…no thank you, I can manage.”

  “Are you sure?” Shelly watched Payton wobble a bit. “How much have you had to drink?”

  “Just one glass of wine.”

  “Good, then the muscle relaxer is really gonna kick your ass.” Shelly grabbed Ryann by the arm and pushed her out the door. “You just get undressed, and I’m going to lecture my sister. If you get into trouble, just holler.”

  When Shelly closed the door, Ryann reached for her neck. “Hey,” she said as she slapped Ryann’s hands away. “The hot tub is the only thing that makes me horny, aside from watching the lawn guy. Don’t look at me like that, I imagine Evan’s head on his body. I’m keeping it real.”

  “She and I are friends, and you just embarrassed the shit out of me,” Ryann whispered hotly.

  Shelly put a hand on her hip and grinned. “If you saw her as just a friend, you wouldn’t have batted an eye. Your body wants to get naked in that tub with her. Your mind and your heart aren’t ready for that yet.”

  “My plan was to keep her company while she soaked. I wasn’t going to get in.”

  The sisters looked at the door when they heard a splash. Ryann knocked softly. “Payton, are you okay?”

  “I’m in.”

  “I’ll go raid my medicine cabinet,” Shelly said and poked Ryann in the chest. “You keep your drawers on.”

  Ryann knocked again. “Is it okay if I come in now?”

  “Sure.”

  Payton was in up to her neck. “I was so embarrassed when we got here,” she said and closed her eyes. “But this was worth the humiliation.”

  Ryann found a dry spot on the deck and sat down cross-legged. “Had you told me earlier, we could’ve been here all along. I’ve used this thing for a strained back and a bunch of other muscle injuries.”

  “Will you go to the casino with me again?”

  “Of course. I had a good time,” Ryann said with a smile. “And I left there with twice the money I brought in. I might not’ve been so lucky if we would’ve stayed longer. How do you feel?”

  “Like a piece of spaghetti. That’s good, by the way.”

  Payton craned her head back, and her chest rose out of the water. Through the material of the white shirt, Ryann could clearly see the shape of Payton’s breasts. She decided that Shelly was right—the hot tub did make people horny. Ryann bit her bottom lip. Her relationship with Leigh had lacked physical intimacy for a long time. The idea of being in Payton’s arms, pressed against her naked body in that swirling water was becoming more appealing by the second. That was until Shelly arrived with a handful of bottles.

  “Payton, have you ever taken a muscle relaxer before?” she asked.

  “I took Flexeril a few years ago,” Payton said as she opened her eyes.

  “Well, you’re in luck because I happen to have that.” Shelly waved a hand. “I know we’re not supposed to take other people’s prescriptions, but since you’ve taken it before, I don’t believe there will be a problem. Do you want one?”

  Payton’s brow furrowed as she thought. “What if it makes me loopy and I can’t get out of here?”

  Shelly shrugged. “You’ll probably drown.”

  Ryann frowned at her and said, “You ass.”

  “They’re not that strong, and you’ll feel a lot better in the morning.”

  Shelly pulled a bottle of water from the pocket of her robe, and that was when Ryann noticed a face pop up over the other pocket. “Do you realize you’re carrying a weasel?”

  “Yes,” Shelly replied with a sigh. “I’ve fallen in love with the damn thing. Jessie’s mom offered to throw in a cage and give Brody’s bike back if we would agree to keep it. Plus, he found an earring that I’d lost, so I couldn’t get rid of him.”

  “Thank you,” Payton said as she accepted a pill and the bottle of water. “What’s its name?”

  “Slinky,” Shelly said as she stroked the head of the ferret. It yawned and disappeared back into her pocket.

  Ryann hoped that Shelly would leave them alone, but she settled onto the deck. “So tell me about the casino,” she said, looking at Payton and Ryann.

  Payton sounded proud when she said, “Your sister cleaned up. She doubled her money in less than an hour.”

  “Beginner’s luck. I really didn’t have any idea what I was doing. They’re like playing a videogame now, except with money,” Ryann said with a smile.

  Shelly rolled her eyes. “You’re full of it, you’ve always been lucky. We went on a family trip to the Bahamas one time, and we stayed in a resort with a mall and a casino. We were supposed to stay in the mall, which had like eight stores, while Mom and Dad played the slots. This one sneaked in there with a quarter and came out with a whole cup full. I decided to do the same. Security caught me before I could play one game and brought me to my folks. They were pissed.”

  “See,” Ryann said with a laugh. “That’s how long it’s been since I’ve been in a casino.”

  Payton glanced at Ryann with a mischievous grin before setting her gaze on Shelly. “What other stories can you tell me about her?”

  “Nothing exciting, I can tell you that,” Ryann interjected.

  “Bullshit, I’m
a well of knowledge.” Shelly pointed at Ryann. “We were the babies, so we had to share a room together growing up. I know all her secrets.”

  “Shelly was house rat, she told on everyone. If I had a secret, I kept it from her.”

  “Like I said, we were the babies, all our toys were hand-me-downs, so there was nothing to barter with. I learned early on that knowledge was power,” Shelly said proudly and tipped her head toward Ryann. “If someone fed what they didn’t want to eat at dinner to the dog beneath the table, I was there taking notes. I scored Ryann’s favorite denim jacket when I just happened to catch her making out with another girl.” Shelly turned to Ryann. “How old were you then?”

  “Seventeen.”

  “So I was fifteen.” Shelly regarded Payton again. “We were at a party in the sticks somewhere, and Mom and Dad made Ryann take me with her. After a while, I couldn’t find her anymore, so I went back to the car to make sure she hadn’t left me. I got an eyeful that night. Ryann’s hair was all messed up, her lips were red and swollen. She came out of that car like a bee out of a hive and grabbed me by the front of the shirt. I kept that secret, though, until she decided to tell the rest of the family, and she was almost thirty.”

  Ryann shrugged. “Everyone had me figured out well before then. I never dated any guys, and all my ‘roommates’ came with me to family functions. Paula, our oldest sister, confronted me in front of the whole family at a barbecue. There was no sense in denying it.”

  “That caused a chain reaction of admissions,” Shelly said with a laugh. “I blurted out that I was pregnant, which was a blow to our traditional parents.” Shelly leaned close to Ryann when Payton’s eyes slipped closed. “That stuff she took is like truth serum. She’ll tell us anything right about now.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Ryann whispered firmly.

  Payton giggled. “I may be stoned, but I’m not deaf. Whaddaya wanna know?”

  Ryann put a hand over Shelly’s mouth. “You don’t have to answer anything.”