I walked a little bit closer to the ocean.
Boyfriend…
Yeah it hit me in the heart a little.
But whatever.
I stood there and smoked my cigarette, feeling… I wasn’t sure what.
I was an asshole, yeah. But I felt strong. Commanding. It was a fucked up situation but at least I had the balls to take charge of it.
It wasn’t like we were getting married. Or like she was getting married.
Behind me I heard Vera giggle.
“Look at you,” she called out. “All tough and proud.”
“What the hell are you talking about, beauty?”
Vera walked right by me, turning to face me, trotting backward into the beach breeze with her arms open.
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” she called out. “You fell for that.”
My heart sank.
My anger rose.
“What?”
“You’re too easy, Hil,” she said.
She turned and ran toward the water.
I realized she had taken her shoes off.
She was barefoot in the sand, running to the water, wearing short shorts again. And this time she had on a very loose fitting long sleeve shirt.
When she put her feet into the water she looked back at me and grinned. Then she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and took it off. That revealed a black and white bikini top with strings dangling in the back.
I was pissed.
I stepped out of my shoes and socks so I could stand next to her in the water and figure out what the hell her deal was.
As I got closer to her, Vera balled up her shirt and threw it at me.
I threw it over my shoulder without a care.
“Ut-oh, you’re mad at me,” she said.
“Mad? I wouldn’t say mad. I just don’t get the game.”
“What? You didn’t like hearing about my fake boyfriend?”
“What’s the point?”
“What’s the point of you asking me about where I was?” she threw at me.
“Because I’m interested in you, that’s why,” I snapped at her. “Fuck.”
Vera smiled. “See? Was that so hard to say?”
She grabbed for my hand and pulled herself to me.
I stared down at her, still pissed.
“It was a family thing,” she said. “Okay? Kind of last minute. I had no choice but to go. My sister went too so it wasn’t all that bad. We weren’t allowed to use our phones and stuff. Sorry I left you hanging, Hil. Didn’t know how much you had fallen for me.”
I shook my head. “No falling here, Vera. Just interested.”
“Oh, right,” she said.
“Why was it so last minute?” I asked.
Vera smiled big.
She was a scary kind of pretty.
And she of course ignored my question.
She looked to the water and had a wild look in her eye.
“Did you bring something to swim in?”
“Me?” I asked. “No. I’m fine just watching you splash around. And jump around.”
My eyes looked down from her face. To another beautiful part of her body.
That didn’t bother her though.
Because this was Vera.
She always found a way to up the stakes.
She looked at me again.
“You’re going to have to swim with nothing on, Hil…”
Chapter 10
“I’ll swim in this,” I said. My right hand curled around the bottom of my shirt and I took it off in one move. I threw it behind me where I had thrown Vera’s shirt. “See? I’m good to go.”
I watched as Vera’s eyebrows lifted and she did nothing to hide the fact that her eyes were dancing up and down my body.
That didn’t bother me at all.
“Want to know something cool?” I asked.
“What?” she asked.
“You know that whole game of look but don’t touch?”
Vera’s eyes finally met mine. “Yeah…”
“I play that differently, beauty.” I inched toward her. “I play the game of look and you better touch…”
Vera rebounded and smiled.
She used the pointer finger on her right hand and poked at my chest. Pushing to try and shove me back.
“Do all these stupid sayings and things really help you get girls?”
“Hasn’t failed me yet.”
“Oh, I think it’s failing you now.”
I shook my head. “You’re here. With me. You told me to pick you up.”
“I just wanted to see where you were at,” Vera said.
“What does that mean?”
“Well, we haven’t talked in a few days.”
“Because you were in Vancouver,” I said.
“Exactly. And I figured a guy like you would have me replaced.”
“Replaced?” I asked with a laugh. “Replace something I never had to begin with?”
“Who said you never had me?”
I moved her finger from my chest and got closer to her. “A little kiss here and there doesn’t mean a thing to me, beauty. I think it’s cute though that you thought that meant something.”
Vera reached up and gently patted my face. “And I think it’s cute you went through all that trouble to find me. You wanted to beat up some geek. I have no idea how you found me, but you did. So don’t play that game with me, Hil. You’re not going to win.”
“Maybe some games aren’t meant to be won,” I said.
“Oh, they are,” she said.
“So are you going to win the game of look and you better touch?”
Vera smiled and stepped back.
She looked to the ocean.
“Swim?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said. “You go first.”
“You first, Hil. I don’t need that ladies before gentlemen stuff right now.”
“What do I get in return?” I asked.
“You go into the water the way I want you to and I’ll do the same.”
My eyes moved down her body and back up to her face.
I didn’t need to look around or worry about being seen or caught. This part of the beach was private. Hidden and tucked away from the world. Plus, it was just about dark out anyway.
“I’ll be over here waiting,” Vera said. “Feel free to make a decision.”
I watched her walk away. She took off her jean shorts to show me that she was wearing a bikini. The top and bottom matched.
She reached back and used her fingertips to flirt with the strings that would let her top open.
I nodded.
I laughed.
There was no real tempting me into anything.
It was about having fun, right? It was about throwing punches when needed. It was about ditching BFH when needed. It was about sitting at the dinner table with my mother and Ash’s father when needed. It was about getting on stage and playing a show when needed.
And…
It was about dropping my jeans and throwing them behind me and giving the ocean, the night, the fucking stars, and Vera something to look at.
* * *
I dove head first into a wave and swam out for a few seconds before popping back up.
I wore nothing but my boxers, but figured that was fair enough.
I was topless… so why not Vera too?
As I stood in the water, Vera watched me. She lifted her hands over her head and clapped for me. I opened my arms and felt a wave gently press against my back.
The wave crested and pushed to the shore, rolling up toward my clothes.
Vera hurried to run toward my clothes and scooped them up to get them out of the way of the water. For a second I pictured her running off with my clothes. I started to walk toward the shore but stopped when I saw her drop my stuff next to hers.
She then turned and looked at me.
I opened my arms again and waved my hands.
Come on in, beauty.
Vera crouched dow
n and opened her bag.
She had her cellphone in her hand and pointed it at me.
Taking my fucking picture?
It was dark so I wasn’t sure how clear the pictures would be.
Not that I gave a damn either way.
Then she spun around and stuck her arm out and started to take selfies… herself… me in the background.
She put her phone away, and while crouched down, she reached behind her back again and opened her bikini top. The top slid away but she was facing the wrong way. She tossed the top over her shoulder and reached for her bag again.
I was amazed by her.
Never knowing what her next move might be.
I stood in the water, the waves moving around me as she took out a hoodie and put that over her head.
“What are you doing?” I called out as I cupped my hands to my mouth.
Vera stood and turned.
She held out one finger.
Telling me to wait a minute?
That wasn’t going to work for me.
She crouched again and reached for my jeans and my shirt.
She took out my cellphone and tossed it near her bikini top.
Then she made her daring move.
Scooping up my clothes again, this time stuffing them into her bag, and zipping it up really fast.
“Fuck no,” I whispered.
I started to run in the ocean, my legs battling the water so I could move fast enough to get out of the water.
Where did she think she was going to go? I picked her up. I brought her to this beach. She probably didn’t even know where she was.
And if she thought she was going to get into some private car and take off without me chasing her, she was wrong. I’d ride in nothing but my boxers to chase her ass down.
I was starting to get really pissed.
By the time I got out of the water, Vera was already out of sight.
My feet stuck to the wet sand as I gasped for a breath.
She left my cellphone and her bikini top.
That was it, huh?
I stopped to grab each and then I heard something I never thought I’d hear in that moment.
My motorcycle… the engine… growling… coming alive…
“Fuck,” I said.
I dropped my phone and Vera’s bikini top and started to run.
There was no way in hell she knew how to…
The motorcycle engine revved and I caught up just in time to see Vera pulling away.
Wearing a hoodie, the bottoms of her bikini, sandals, and her bag on her back.
And she took off.
I stood no chance in chasing her down either.
She fucking stole my motorcycle.
I listened to the echoing yell of the engine as it took off into the distance.
The real tragedy was that she took my cigarettes too.
I couldn’t even have a cigarette and think about how fucking crazy she was.
Which seemed to be what I always got myself tied up with.
I walked back down to the beach and found my cellphone again.
I looked down at myself.
Wearing nothing but navy blue boxers.
My feet covered with sand.
My skin shivering a little from being wet and the beach breeze hitting me.
I crouch down and grabbed my phone.
Then I looked to the bikini top and nodded.
Vera liked to use the word game a lot.
But to me this felt a little different than a game now.
It almost felt like a war.
* * *
I knew it wasn’t going to be just Ash that showed up to pick up my boxers-only wearing ass.
And I had no problem with it. Nothing to hide.
I stood on the side of the road with my phone in one hand and Vera’s bikini top in the other.
The truck pulled up to the side of the road.
I tried to open the door and it was locked.
The passenger window rolled down and Ash leaned over the seat.
“What the fuck happened to you?”
“I lost my clothes,” I said. “Damn waves were rough.”
Ash unlocked the truck and the back door opened in a hurry.
Belle jumped out first.
She saw me and gasped, then she covered her mouth to hide her laughter. Which she really sucked at doing.
Then came Uly.
Oh, and look, there’s Mara too.
Those three stood there, staring, laughing, shaking their heads.
“What’s in your hand?” Mara asked me.
“His bikini top,” Belle said.
“Wave knocked it off me,” I said.
“I don’t even know what to say to you right now, man,” Uly said. “I guess… at least you’re not naked, right?”
“I’m good with that too,” I said.
I touched the side of my boxers.
Mara gasped.
Belle rolled her eyes.
Uly pointed at me. “Don’t.”
“Ah, that’s right,” I said. “You’re afraid of the truth.”
“Put some clothes on, bro,” Ash said from behind me.
I turned around and he stood there with a bag in his hand.
He threw it and I caught it.
“Did you bring me cigarettes?” I asked.
“You’re half naked and you’re worried about cigarettes?” Mara asked with disgust.
I turned my head and winked at her. “Have you ever had a cigarette before?”
“No,” she said.
“Then go suck on some mustard and leave me alone, beauty,” I said.
“Hey,” Uly snapped.
“Just get your ass dressed,” Ash said. “And what’s with the bathing suit top?”
“Something I found,” I said.
“Wait a second,” Belle said. “Where are your clothes for real? They’re not in the ocean.”
“How do you know that, Belle?” I asked without looking back at her.
Ash started to smile.
My stepbrother had this dickhead grin. I didn’t see it all that often but when I did that meant he was on to something about me.
“Where’s your motorcycle, Hil?” Ash asked.
I heard Belle gasp.
Then I heard Uly laugh. “No fucking way. I didn’t even… no way.”
Uly darted from the side of the road toward the beach.
He looked around and started to laugh again.
He laughed so hard he put his hands to his knees.
“I don’t get it,” Mara said.
I turned and leaned against Ash’s truck. I found a cigarette and a lighter.
That was a good place to start.
I looked at Mara. “Well, beauty, since you’re book smart and far from street smart, here’s a formula for you. Two people rode up on a motorcycle. There’s only one left now. With no motorcycle. How do you solve that for X or Y or your mother’s ass?”
Mara scowled at me.
I scowled back.
“Ignore him,” Belle said to Mara. “He’s pissed because he has met his match. A girl tricked him. She got him out here and convinced him to strip down to his boxers. Then she took his clothes. And his motorcycle.”
“Are you serious?” Mara asked.
“Wow, bro,” Ash said. “I mean… just wow.”
Uly gasped for a breath and turned around and pointed to my bag on the ground with Vera’s bikini top on it.
“Is she riding your motorcycle topless?” Uly asked.
“No,” I said.
“Then what happened?” Belle asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
I smoked my cigarette while they all laughed.
“Come on, man,” Uly said. “If you don’t give up the story we’re going to assume…”
“Assume what?” I snapped.
“Hil,” Belle said. Her voice sweet and soft and flirty.
I looked down at her and lifted my eyebrow. “What?”
“Come on,” she whispered.
“If you want to get my full attention, you know what you can do, right?”
“I’ll leave you here,” Ash said. “I’m not lying either.”
I nodded. “Right.”
“It happens,” Uly said. “She played your ass. Now we need to find your motorcycle.”
“Should we call the police?” Mara asked.
“No,” I said. “It’s fine. Vera is fucking crazy.”
“Vera,” Ash said. “There’s a name.”
“You like that name, Ash?” Belle asked.
“Not as good as yours, angel,” Ash said.
“Great,” I said. “Now they can dry hump each other against the side of the truck.”
“Or in the back of the truck while you all walk home,” Ash said.
“What the hell did I do?” Uly asked.
“I’m just in a bad mood now,” Ash said. “I’m thinking about dry humping Belle and can’t because you’re all here.”
“Ash,” Belle said. “Seriously? You know what… take your hand and rub it over your jeans. So you can dry hump yourself.”
“Beautiful,” Uly said.
“Holy shit,” I said. “Vera told me to pick her up and bring her here. We were just hanging out, flirting, and one thing led to another…”
“Don’t skip the good parts,” Uly said.
“I’m not. Trust me. I ended up in the ocean wearing what I am wearing right now.”
“Speaking of which, get fucking dressed,” Ash said. “Nobody wants to see your bare body.”
“Or my big bulge,” I said.
I looked at Belle and Mara and wiggled my eyebrows.
“Get to the part where you called us,” Uly said.
“I’m in the ocean and she takes off her top,” I said. “Keeps her back to me though. Fucking wild girl. She crouches down and grabs a hoodie to put on. Then she grabs my clothes and takes off.”
“With your motorcycle?” Mara asked.
“That’s right, beauty,” I said.
“So you met a girl who tricked you to get into the ocean mostly naked, then she stole your clothes and your motorcycle?” Uly asked.
“That’s right,” I said.
“My hero,” Uly said.
“Fuck off,” I said. I flicked my cigarette away. “Now I’m going to get changed. Either watch or look away. Your choice.”
I pushed at my boxers again as Ash and Uly hurried to Belle and Mara to keep them from seeing me fully naked.
HIL: a bay falls high novel Page 9