The Con

by Nicole Marsh

  “I think you look like a total bombshell. Alex would be an idiot if he didn’t notice you in this dress,” I respond with my earnest opinion. Katie looks like a supermodel in her black mini dress and a simple pair of black stilettos.

  “Thanks girl,” she replies, her voice sincere, but a little less rambunctious than usual. Shaking her arms out, she does a dramatic twirl. “So, this is the kind of look we’re going for. Do you want to help me search for your outfit?”

  “Of course,” I respond, standing from my perch at the edge of her bed. I follow her into the enormous closet, it’s the same size or bigger than my room at the Franzen’s. Crossing over the threshold, I inhale deeply, then blurt out the thought that has recently been plaguing my every moment. Since Katie asked me for advice, maybe I should ask her for advice too. “I’ve been keeping a secret.”

  “Ookay, well are you going to tell me what it is,” Katie asks after a long pause.

  “Err, no,” I stammer. “It’s not a secret from you… It’s a secret from Collin and I’m not really sure what to do. Do you think I should tell him?”

  Katie taps her fingers against her thigh, wearing a frown on her normally chipper face. “Without knowing what the secret is, I don’t know if I can give you solid advice,” she replies.

  I open my mouth to protest I’m not ready to tell her yet, especially not before I’ve told Collin, but she holds both her hands out in front of her, pausing my words. “I’m not asking you to tell me what your secret is, just trying to give full disclosure,” she says in an uncharacteristically calm voice. “If I were you, I would ask myself: ‘Would this information hurt Collin, if he were to find out from someone other than myself?’ And if the answer to that question is yes, I think we both know what you need to do.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I admit in a quiet whisper, after a brief hesitation.

  “That sounded like ‘I’m going to tell him’ and I approve one-hundred percent, but wait until after my party, so you don’t ruin it” she says with a laugh, her tone returning to its normal spastic volume and pitch. “Now let’s get you a dress for this shindig so we can get my house ready!”

  Chapter 30

  My phone buzzes against my side with an incoming message. The vibration rattles my rib cage, due to the position of my iPhone tucked in the side of my tight, ruby-colored sheath that Katie lent me. I carefully manipulate the slim piece of technology out from the body-hugging fabric to check the incoming text.

  Collin: I’m downstairs, come let me in.

  I push the phone back into my dress and skip down the stairs with glee. Even though it’s been less than eight hours since I saw him last—when he brought Katie and I coffee, then was promptly kicked out—I still miss him. Upon reaching the front door, I pause to smooth down my borrowed outfit, and take a deep breath.

  Grasping the handle, I swing the heavy door inward to reveal Collin, waiting on the porch with an easy smile. His blonde hair is effortlessly disheveled; the longer strands on top, slicked back in a haphazard manner, looking like maybe he tried, but not too much. My eyes run down the length of his body, soaking his black button-up with the sleeves rolled to the elbow paired with dark, form-fitting jeans.

  My fingers itch to touch him and its sheer force of will that keeps them tucked to my sides while his eyes peruse my body like mine did his. I recall the mirror in Katie’s room, remembering how the ruby-colored dress emphasizes my smaller, ahem, assets with a deep-V, halter neck, dropping into a short, flared skirt. If the heat in Collin’s eyes is any indication, he approves of the dress Katie and I chose.

  “Get a room, you two,” Katie yells from the landing at the top of the stairs. “Wait, eww. No. Don’t get a room, this is my house. Attend my party and after it ends go home together and get a room at your house,” she corrects, laughing at the end of her chastisement.

  Collin’s warm chuckle mingles with my giggle and when our eyes connect, some of the intense attraction has lifted, leaving only warm affection in its place. He steps inside, shutting the door behind him before tugging me into his side and placing a light kiss on my mouth. I temper the urge to chase his lips as they leave mine, mindful of our audience that is, apparently, a little judgey when it comes to displays of affection.

  The two of us stand at the bottom of the steps, wrapped around each other, waiting for Katie. Sensing our full attention, she makes a dramatic entrance, pointing her toe before each step, as she struts down the stairs. She does a slow twirl when she reaches the foyer, her hands pointing out to her sides with her palms arched like a prima ballerina.

  “Looking good, Katie,” Collin drawls, sensing her need for a compliment. Katie giggles and preens under the small praise and my insides warm at how truly kind and thoughtful Collin is to everyone. “Is there anything left I can help with?” He asks.

  “Well, why don’t you come look at our spread in the kitchen and let us know if you think we’re missing anything? I’m worried we don’t have enough food or drinks, but Kenzie says it looks fine,” she replies as she makes her way towards the kitchen.

  Collin nods and Katie leads us down the sleek, modern hallway into another enormous portion of the house. The sight past the doorway still makes my jaw drop, despite spending the better half of the day in here. Huge, pale-gray cabinets with fancy bronze handles take up most of the space, all topped by a matte, black countertop. The walls behind the cabinets are covered in a pale cream and gray patterned tile.

  It’s a mix of the modern style from the rest of the home, with a slightly warmer farmhouse feel, but mostly it just feels expensive. Like, don’t touch anything in case you break it because it would take two lifetimes to pay it back, expensive.

  The doorbell rings before Collin is able to inspect the food situation and Katie squeals, “Our first guest. Ahh!”

  She rushes towards the door as Collin yells at her back, “What am I? Chopped Liver?” His total dad joke causes me to giggle, the chortling sound still leaving my throat when Katie reappears at the entrance of the kitchen with Alex in tow.

  “The party has arrived,” he shouts the second he steps onto the tiled floor of the massive chef’s kitchen. “Hey man,” he says to Collin, doing one of those bro-hug-pat things. Then he turns to me and does a weird little half-bow, a hank of his dark brown hair falling over his forehead with the motion. “McKenzie.”

  I laugh, then reply, “Hey Alex… We were just wondering what to do to pass the time until everyone else arrives. Any suggestions?” I’m just making things up as I go along, figuring Katie wouldn’t want her date to start by asking him to review the food selection.

  Alex’s eyes scan the island laden with snacks before touching on the far countertop, which is covered in bottles of booze and mixers, with a keg on the floor next to it. His eyes light up, then he turns to Katie giving her a wink. “How ‘bout some shots?” He asks.

  “Sure,” she replies with an easy smile, her star-struck eyes remaining fixated on Alex since he arrived.

  The three of us make our way to the far counter and the boys start to argue about what kind of alcohol is best for shots and whether we need a chaser. Katie ignores them pulling me against her side with a giggle. “He’s so hot, right?”

  My eyes instantly run over Collin again, even though I’m almost positive she’s talking about her date for the night, not mine. I force my eyes to leave Collin and objectively take in Alex. He’s about four inches shorter than Collin but he looks good in a pair of slim black jeans and a white V-neck. He has dark brown hair and is brawny from the amount of time he must spend working out, in order to be a starter on the defensive line for the Warriors.

  “Yeah, he’s hot,” I whisper back after I finish my perusal. “I think you two are cute together, and I’m happy he came.”

  Katie squeals quietly, “Ahh, I’m glad my bestie approves.” In a more conspiring tone, she tacks on, “I put a sign on the door so people know just to let themselves in, this way we can hang out without
getting interrupted.”

  “So devious,” I say with a laugh.

  “Don’t you know it,” she replies, winking. Louder she adds, “Okay boys, what’s our poison?” Tugging me forward, we join them, standing together between the two boys at the counter in front of four shot glasses filled with a clear-colored liquid.

  “Vodka,” Alex says, his voice tinged with pride indicating this was his selection. “Then we have some fruit punch for a chaser,” he adds, pointing at the red solo cups I had previously overlooked.

  Katie scrunches her nose but accepts the plastic shot glass Alex hands to her. “Okay, to senior year!” She shouts, plugging her nose and downing the liquid in one go.

  I follow her lead, swallowing the contents all at once, but unlike Katie, I barely choke back the gag at the strong alcohol taste. I quickly snatch up the red solo cup waiting for me and chug half of it to rid my mouth of the disgusting taste. This shot seems super strong compared to the small amount of vodka I’ve had in the past. No one else seems to be having the same reaction, so I keep my mouth shut about the flavor as I put down my chaser.

  The boys pour another round as a small ruckus sounds from down the hall. “More guests,” Katie exclaims, then louder, “Hey, we’re down the hall in the kitchen.”

  A group of three people I don’t recognize wander into the room and Alex quirks a brow, “Shots?” He asks, holding up the vodka to punctuate his words. The group nods their assent and we all scoot down the counter to make room for the newcomers.

  “Hey,” a guy says, smiling down at me as he tries to slide into the small space of counter separating Katie and I.

  Collin growls low in his throat, and I smirk as he not-so-subtly squeezes me tighter against him. Glaring at the guy until he takes the hint and moves further down the countertop. I run a hand gently across Collin’s arm until he finally stops staring daggers and glances down at me.

  “What was that?” I ask.

  “Nothing, I just hate that guy,” he responds, keeping his arm tightly wound around my waist while he accepts a shot glass from Katie.

  She hands me one next, leaning in and stage whispering, “It’s kind of hot he’s so possessive.”

  Alex guffaws, but Collin ignores him, raising his little shot glass and drawling, “To the Warriors.” He places the plastic against his lips, and my eyes follow the lines of his throat as he gulps the shot down.

  Tearing my gaze away from my guy, I follow suit. This time the alcohol goes down much more smoothly than before. I pull the plastic away from my lips, and immediately connect with Collin’s intense gaze. It sears into me as he tilts forward, placing a gentle peck against my lips.

  When we separate, the kitchen is more crowded than it was before, and another guy approaches the small space between Katie and I. Expecting Collin to go all caveman again, I willingly tuck myself into his side, hoping to avoid another scene.

  I’m surprised when Collin pivots us together, drawling, “Jeremy!”

  Realizing its someone we know; I detach from Collin and give Jeremy a short hug. “Hey!” I exclaim, before my arms briefly wrap around his back. He pats me in return, but he seems to barely register who I am, as his eyes remain intent on Katie. After releasing me, he joins her at the counter, accepting a plastic shot glass while grinning down at her.

  Interesting.

  This time after accepting my plastic glass, I yell, “To getting fucked up.” The group around me cheers and woops as we all down our shots together. I can feel Collin’s muted laugh rumbling against my side and when I catch his eye, there’s a definite sparkle there. I smirk at him and he leans down, laying another light kiss on my lips.

  The next round of shots is dispersed, and Jeremy wraps an arm low around Katie’s waist before he shouts, “To Katie!”

  I down the clear liquid in one go, my eyes absorbing Jeremy’s interaction with Katie, wondering if there’s more to the story there. After I place my shot glass back on the counter, I suddenly find my bladder has hit its limit. Disentangling myself from Collin and dragging my gaze from the Jeremy-Katie-Alex situation next to me, I stage-whisper, “I have to pee.”

  As I take a slightly unsteady step away, Katie’s eyes catch mine from her place between Jeremy and Alex. “Do you need me to go with?” She mouths with exaggerated movements, so I can read her lips.

  Waving her off with my hand, I wind my way around the bodies filling the kitchen and down the hall to the half bath. Surprisingly, there’s no line at this point, so I walk right in and click the lock. I finish up, drying my hands and attempt to focus on my reflection. My eyes are doing a poor job of focusing after so many shots, and I struggle to check my appearance. Giving up, I unlock the door and step back into the hallway.

  On unsteady legs, I amble down the hall to find Collin. I check the kitchen, scanning the swarm of bodies but he isn’t there, so I move towards the living room instead. While I walk, I pass Katie and Alex standing wrapped around each other talking to another group of people from our school and I do an internal fist pump. Trying to subtly inspect their body language, I notice they make a super cute couple. Then I spot Jeremy, standing to the side nursing a drink while he stares longingly at Katie.

  Wavering, I wonder if I should approach him or not, but he turns away, joining a conversation with someone else. Decision made for me; I continue to the living room. When I finally reach my destination, Collin spots my wobbly knees and jumps up to help me.

  “Woah, McKenzie. I think you went too hard already,” he drawls, with amusement tinging his tone. “Why don’t we get you home? You don’t look like you’re going to last another three minutes anyways,” he says.

  “Home sounds good,” I reply with a yawn.

  Collin chuckles and swoops me into his arms. I nestle my face into his neck and bask in both his warmth and sunshine smell. I whisper quietly against his neck, “You’re such a good guy, way different than I expected. I hope you still like me, once you know everything.” After I utter the words, the alcohol combined with the lulling motion of Collin’s steps helps sleep to claim me.

  Chapter 31

  I wake slowly to Collin’s fingers lazily drawing circles on my lower abdomen. My back is flush against his front, nestled perfectly against his body like we were made for each other. The combination of his heat and the calm movement of his fingers make me feel languid, similar to a cat stretching out in the sun relaxing. Per usual, I don’t want to leave the coziness of Collin or his bed, but I also want to go home and check on the trailer today. I haven’t been back in over a week, and it makes sense to return occasionally, to ensure nothing happens to it while I’m staying with the Franzens.

  “Hey, I wanted to go check on my trailer. Do you think you could drive me over there today?” I ask Collin, my body sinking further into his, a direct contradiction to my words.

  Collin’s fingers leave my belly to cup my chin and he gently tugs my face towards him. His lips press against mine in a soft caress. When he pulls his head back, his gaze is heated, but I glimpse something else there too. Something like affection, but stronger.

  “Yeah, let’s get dressed and go check it out right now. Then on our way back we can stop and grab some brunch downtown? I know somewhere that serves breakfast until late on Sundays,” he offers, his voice as warm and relaxed as his body.

  “Ooh, instead of brunch, could we go see Annabelle and grab a Frappuccino and a bagel?” I ask. My tone is giddy over the prospect of returning to the place one might consider Collin and I’s first date spot.

  “No waffles today?” Collin asks, his tone teasing.

  “You feed me waffles almost every day, I think I can skip them just this once,” I reply cheekily as I roll off the bed. Collin reaches out a hand to swat my butt. I easily dodge the attempt, darting to the door and letting myself out with a laugh.

  Down the hall, I hurriedly don a sundress and slip on a pair of sandals. Checking my reflection in the mirror, I see my hair is hanging in a mostly straight h
ank, despite curling it yesterday. With a couple of hasty brush strokes, it’s acceptable enough to leave in a shiny sheet hanging down my back. I leave my room and at the same second Collin’s door opens a few feet away.

  “Perfect timing,” I say with a smile.

  “Everything with you always seems to be perfect timing,” Collin agrees, tugging me into his side with a light squeeze.

  We stroll to the SUV together, each stride synced as if our bodies are perfectly in tune with one another. Both of us climb in, buckling our seatbelts before Collin takes off. As he drives, he reaches over the center console to intertwine our fingers, squeezing gently before resting our connected hands on my thigh.

  The drive passes quickly, with the sign to the park swiftly becoming visible through the windshield of Collin’s luxurious car. I take a deep breath as the dingy, run down trailers come into sight. After less than two weeks away, the sight startles me with its griminess, in comparison to the near mansions lining the streets of the Golden Oaks neighborhood.

  The Franzen’s house has spoiled me.

  We bump along the dirt road, and I close my eyes in preparation of seeing the tin eyesore that has been my home for years. I feel Collin’s car finally braking beneath me and my eyelids pop up, taking it in quickly, like ripping off a band-aid.

  A gasp escapes when I see it.

  “Well, crap,” Collin drawls.

  I shove open the car door, jogging across the dead grass, and up the steps to my trailer, needing to be closer to assess the scene. When I reach the top step, I see the screen hanging on one hinge, with the doorknob to the thin, tin door completely broken off, laying in a shattered pile. Stepping over the mess, I enter, and another gasp escapes.

  It’s as if a tornado struck inside.

  My belongings are strewn all over, with every cabinet door opened, and every cushion and pillow from the couch completely shredded. Fabric, pillows, feathers, and miscellaneous garbage lay scattered about the floor. My abrupt entry startles a bird that had taken up residence and it quickly swoops out the opening as Collin attempts to enter.