A Sweet Life-kindle

by Andre, Bella

  “Oh, right.” I sit back in my seat.

  “Decaf, Amanda. You should try it. Might change your life.” He sneers and checks his phone. His look turns dark as he tosses it back onto the table.

  “What?” I ask curiously.

  “Nothing. Just work.”

  “What? They have a fire they can’t put out without you?” I tease.

  “Something like that,” he answers, stuffing a chip into his mouth.

  Okay, I know I’m not supposed to like him or anything, but I can tell something is bothering him; although, he won’t tell me anything. I mean, I don’t know. It just seems like he is totally bummed-out all of a sudden, so I decide to do something about it.

  “Follow me,” I say, holding out my hand after he pays the check.

  Okay, and here’s the other thing: he always pays! Even if I have money, he pulls out his wallet and pays for it. Derek never paid. In fact, he would take out his cell phone and use the calculator app to make sure I was paying my fair share. The bastard.

  “Where we going?” Preston asks as he falls into step beside me. People aren’t staring nearly as much now, which is what makes this all the more fun.

  “You’ll see,” I reply. “But we have to be quiet, because we’re sneaking in.” I slip my finger to my lips to shush him.

  “O-kay,” he whispers cautiously, raising one eyebrow at me.

  I can just see the hint of a smirk playing around his lips. I pull him into the theater next door and tell him to close his eyes, while I pay for a couple tickets. I lead him into the back row, hardly able to control my smile, and guide him into a seat.

  “Surprise,” I whisper, and he opens his eyes.

  “It’s Star Wars,” he says in disbelief.

  “Aw, I knew the little nerd was in there somewhere!” I pat him on the head. Instead of a smug remark like I’m expecting, Preston has this look of complete awe as he turns to face me.

  “You do realize you actually have to sit here and watch this with me now, right? And that it might be really hard to top what you just did?” he asks, leaning toward me.

  “Of course,” I whisper, “Besides it’s not like I hate Star Wars.”

  He cups his ear. “I’m sorry what? The theater didn’t hear you.”

  “Ass,” I grumble. “I don’t hate Star Wars.”

  He beams.

  I reach for his hand and don’t let go. “I am apologizing, you know.”

  “Apologizing?” His eyebrow arches, “For what?”

  “Senior year.”

  He waves me off. “It’s not a big deal, Amanda. I mean, sure I’ve been in therapy for four years, and musical instruments make me cry and rock back and forth, but hey, we all got our issues, right?”

  “I’m praying you’re joking right now.”

  “Amanda,” he tilts my chin toward him and brushes his lips against mine, “is it so hard for you to grasp the simple fact that I was a guy who liked you? Who, honestly has always been a little over confident, even then, and thought you wouldn’t say no?”

  “No.”

  “Well,” he releases my chin, “believe it. I liked you.”

  “Liked?”

  “Like.” He sighs. “Present tense works too.”

  “So you’re not angry.”

  “Nah.” Preston laughs. “I mean, sure, at one point when I found out you lived next door to me, I thought about cutting off your electricity and then putting arsenic in the cat bowl, but hey, I’m only human.”

  I roll my eyes.

  We’re silent for a few minutes before I shrug. “You kind of got revenge anyway.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “The asshole I went with ended up cheating on me with Betsy Lou.”

  “Damn that Betsy Lou, always stealing boyfriends,” he says as he pulls my hand into his lap.

  “She was my nemesis back in the day,” I say matter-of-factly.

  “She couldn’t hold a candle to you if she wanted to,” Preston replies as he pushes his fingers through my still-damp hair.

  “This is what we would have done,” I say, breaking the moment.

  “What do you mean?” He got the picture because he instantly backed away from me.

  “Our date. Had I said yes to prom, I’m sure you would have taken me on a date, and I would have wanted to do this.” I lean in rather closely and kiss him on the cheek.

  “Does that mean we can make out now?” Preston asks huskily.

  “Um… no, this means I’m sorry,” I answer, laughing.

  “Well, damn, I always wanted to make-out at the movies, especially in the back row.” He crosses his arms, completely dejected.

  I, however, do not want to lose; therefore, I decide not to lean in and kiss him, even though the tension is so thick between us that you could cut it with a knife.

  I finally look around to see who else is joining us in the theater and notice several curious glances pointed our way. It dawns on me that we’re still in our costumes, making us look ridiculous. I mean, I highly doubt Brad and Angelina go to Star Wars while vacationing in Hawaii.

  We both smile and wave as we excuse ourselves into the lobby and back out onto the street, feeling, I might add, extremely light-footed and fancy-free.

  “Where to?” I ask, then hear my cell phone go off.

  “WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?” The voice on the other end is Kristin, and the only reason I know is because of caller ID. She sounds like a mental-hospital escapee.

  “Whoa,” I say.

  “DO NOT WHOA ME! We have been looking for you for forever. Did Preston kidnap you or something, and why do you disappear every time we see celebrities?”

  “Bad luck?” I answer innocently.

  “Well… maybe. Look, Brad got kind of seasick. We are back at the room now, and we are probably just going to call it a day and hang out, so you and Preston are on your own again.”

  Her words immediately cause my heart to flutter. What is wrong with me?

  “Okay,” I answer, trying to hide excitement from my voice. “We’ll manage I’m sure—”

  “Panda,” she interrupts. “I know you’re mad because I keep forcing you and Preston together, and I promise I wouldn’t have done it, except… well, except...” She pauses on the other end of the phone.

  “Except what?” I ask, now suddenly curious. I have now stopped in my tracks.

  “Except, well, Brad made me promise not to tell, and he only just found out, and now I feel like a terrible friend, and I promise Preston is safe and all. I just didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

  “About what?” I ask again, frustrated.

  “Ask him about—“the reception is in and out, and then I hear the word, ”wife.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  As if I don’t already need therapy from hanging out with Preston…Kristin hangs up after the announcement leaving me in a state of utter mortification.

  “YOUR WIFE!” I yell at Preston as I aim my phone at his head.

  “What?” he asks, totally stunned by my revelation.

  “When were you going to tell me, huh? Do you just run around and propose to every girl you meet? Get them trapped in that little fireman-web-of-love then tell them you believe in polygamy!” I’m yelling so hard people are starting to stare.

  Preston is still staring at me with registered shock on his face. “We need to talk,” he says as he pulls me underneath the arch of the waterfall.

  I begin to talk again before he covers my mouth with his hand.

  “I don’t even want to know how you got such information, but I can tell you one thing. Before you jump to conclusions, you should just ask.” He releases his hand from my mouth as I start to protest.

  “But that isn’t something I think about asking when you don’t even wear a ring and when you kiss me at every chance you get!” My voice rises as the emotion becomes unbearable.

  Preston’s eyes light up with fire before his lips are crushing down hard onto mine. His warmth cascades over
my own body in waves, making me melt into his arms all the more. I wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls me closer to him and let out a small moan as he releases me.

  “Stop talking so much,” he says breathless, as he pushes me against the rock wall and kisses me again. I want to yell Assault! but again I’m betrayed by my body as my arms wrap around his neck.

  “You’re not forgiven,” I manage to say as I push him away and begin to walk anywhere I can, to get away from his intoxicating presence.

  “Not so fast.” He pulls my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

  “I was married,” he says, and he holds up a finger in protest. “She cheated on me.” He leans against the rocks. “Actually it was more of a mutual cheating, but we can talk about that later.” He wraps his hand around mine and leads me silently back to our hut.

  “She was always selfish, but then again, I always was too,” he says, sitting on the couch, while I take a seat in the fluffy chair. “She wanted things I couldn’t give her. I started working at the fire department about two years ago, when I finally found out.” He gives me a smirk then continues. “Never trust your best friends — especially around your pretty wife.”

  I want to ask him who he is referring to, but it’s none of my business.

  “She left me for him, not that he married her or anything. I tried to fix things, but we had grown apart in more ways than one.” He stands up and gets a drink of water. “I thought I was in love with her, when really, I think our relationship was more one of convenience.”

  “But you said you cheated too?” I ask shyly.

  “I was an ass,” he admits, looking down at the ground. “When I found out she cheated, I went to the closest bar, got completely plastered, made out with some random woman. Then called her.”

  I wince.

  “Right.” He shakes his head. “Not the best idea I’ve ever had. I think my pride was hurt more than anything. I wanted to get her back the same way she got me. Which is funny, considering our conversation today. I’m done with revenge, Amanda. It’s not worth it.” He looks down at the sink and shrugs as he refills his glass with water.

  “She finalized the divorce, and I did nothing. It doesn’t help that my ex-best-friend still works at the same station. I’ve been trying to get on at other ones, but it’s kinda hard with how competitive my job is.”

  I look at him and try not to cry, but it’s hard. I feel so sorry for him, and yes, I still want to kill Kristin for setting me up with a broken man, but I can’t blame her for thinking we could help each other. I still can’t help but think she knows more than she was willing to say. I will have to ask her later but for now…

  “I owe you an apology,” I say quietly.

  “No, you don’t. I should have said something about the ex-wife to the new wife. It only makes sense.” He smiles widely at me while I roll my eyes.

  “I’m not marrying you,” I say again, this time even more unconvincingly.

  “You will, we’re perfect for each other.” He plants a soft kiss on my forehead.

  “So who’s the ex-best-friend?” I ask curiously. “Anyone I know?”

  Preston pales then shakes his head as if to say, I’ll never tell. “Don’t worry about it, Panda.”

  “Stupid fat bears,” I say, punching the pillow next to me.

  “You’re not stupid, and you’re not fat. We’ve been over this. Pandas are cute. Have you ever heard the Panda story?” he asks curiously

  “It makes me cry, so if you tell it, I’ll have to punch you in the face,” I say, smiling back at him.

  “Deal,” he says as he swallows some more water.

  I look at his lips and immediately feel dizzy as I remember the kiss under the waterfall. It was kind of romantic, minus all that ex-wife and cheating talk. I sigh and flip on the TV.

  “No,” Preston says, pulling the remote from my hands. “It’s basically a punishable crime to watch any sort of television in Hawaii.” He turns the TV off.

  “Fine, what’s your idea?” I say, feeling a little exhausted.

  “Midnight swim, of course,” he says, jumping off the sofa and running toward his room.

  I slowly get up and change into a different suit before following him out to the pool. It is kind of nice; we are the only two in the pool — well, us and two old people who, I fear, might have strokes if they keep kissing like that.

  “Gross,” Preston says as we swim past them.

  “Come on, it’s kind of cute.” I smile sheepishly as I stare at them. I mean, it is a little gross they are all over each other, but how great is that? They still have that little spark.

  “Oh, I think it’s great. It’s the public display of affection I don’t like. GET A ROOM!” he yells before I laugh and shush him into the corner of the pool where you enter into the hot tub.

  I punch him in the arm and wade into the boiling water. The only time you can get into these things in Hawaii is when it is nighttime, and even then, it’s sometimes a little sketchy.

  I sit down on the nearest step and let out a relaxing sigh, that is, until I see something dark in the corner of my vision.

  Preston notices my panic as his eyes widen in realization. “Amanda, don’t freak out. It’s okay, just don’t freak out.” He leans toward me slowly with a look on his face that I can only describe as pure terror.

  Oh hell, this is it. It has to be some sort of wild animal. It’s probably going to start gnawing on my neck any minute. Perfect. Well at least I will die in Hawaii! So long, perfect world! I close my eyes as he quickly grabs the object and tosses it into the bushes. As soon as it’s gone, I jump into his arms, shaking.

  “What was that?” I ask in near hysterics.

  “A leaf,” he answers, smiling.

  I look at him, expecting him to say I’m kidding, when he just returns my stare with a blank one of his own. “Then why did you panic and get all big with your eyes?” I am now pointing at his eyes and making giant movements with my hands.

  “I thought it would be funny to see your reaction then I felt bad because I could feel your heart beating through the water. I thought it was going to stop. Sorry about that.” He laughs, still holding onto me tightly.

  “Let go!” I pout, struggling to let myself go free.

  “No,” he says, holding me tighter.

  “I don’t like you,” I say, looking away from him like some small child.

  “Oh, come on, Amanda. We both know you’re a terrible liar,” he says as he leans down toward my face. “Marry me.”

  I roll my eyes. “I think you should stop trying to kiss me. It sends me mixed signals,” I say breathily as his lips barely touch mine. “You should probably stop proposing marriage too. It’s getting weird.”

  He lets me down and sits across from me in the hot tub. “There, is that better?” He lifts an eyebrow in question. “Tell me, Amanda, why do you think I’m sending you mixed signals?” He doesn’t wait for my answer instead he keeps talking. “I feel like I’ve more than upfront about my intentions to marry you, have I not?” he says in a teasing tone.

  Just say yes. “Please, it’s a smoke screen,” I say, challenging him.

  His look is altogether too cute. I know I’m going to regret this later, but what happens in Hawaii stays in Hawaii, right? Or wait, that’s Vegas. Still, I find myself saying, “Sure, I’ll marry you. Happy now?”

  “Yes.” He beams. “Speaking of desert…” He begins totally confusing me with his inability to stay on subject. “How about you and I have some ice cream out here in the hot tub? You know, to celebrate our upcoming nuptials?” I roll my eyes at the fact that we even have ice cream in our room. But our mini fridge came equipped with a freezer so Preston took it upon himself to stock it up with what he described as essentials.

  “Deal.” What can I say? I’m a sucker for junk food. “I’ll go back to the room and get the ice cream if you—”

  “Get the chocolate sauce?” he finishes, winking.

  I don’t kno
w why, but I redden at this remark. Geez, it’s not like it’s going on the ice cream. The ICE CREAM, Amanda, I yell at myself in my head. “Um sure, yeah, good idea,” I say blushing.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I grab my towel and run back to the room. I begin searching for the ice cream in the freezer, when I hear an odd buzzing noise, similar to the one on the boardwalk earlier. I turn to face the counter and see Preston’s cell phone. It continues to buzz a while longer before stopping. I shrug and grab the ice cream and a fresh towel. Then the buzzing starts again.

  And okay, I know it’s none of my business, but maybe it’s important — like someone is actually hurt or something. I mean, he is a fireman.

  Right? And wouldn’t it be so cool if I was the one who discovered what was going on back home and then helped him solve it? It would be like we were saving people together. I mean, what if he would have never known had I not brought him his cell phone at this precise moment? I mean, lives are hanging in the balance here!

  Okay, I’ve convinced myself. I put the ice cream carton down on the counter and carefully pick up his cell phone. Wow. Two missed calls and twelve missed text messages. This guy doesn’t kid around with technology. I pick it up to stuff in my pocket when it goes off again. Why is Bobby calling him? Well actually, I guess it makes sense. They do work together. The phone goes off again as I near the pool.

  Okay, maybe it won't hurt if I just look at a few texts. I mean, how is he gonna know anyway? I can always delete them or actually, I can see them if I just look at the heading.

  I step into the shadow and take out the phone burning a hole in my pocket. I don’t do well with secrecy, this much is obvious.

  I click on the last text: Congrats you win!

  Oh yay! Maybe he won a whole bunch of money or something! I get to be the first to say congrats! How exciting!

  I click on the next text. It’s from Bobby, just like the first one: Time is up.

  What? What does that mean? The next few texts had similar cryptic messages: Did you do it? You have one more day. Ashlyn says hi. I’ll back out if you back off. You always were a sucker for a challenge.