by Louise J
“Dude!” Dane says, firm and demanding. “What the fuck were you doing watchin’ 27 Dresses?”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“How do you even know what it’s about?”
“I saw the advertisements, it isn’t hard to know, but something tells me you’ve actually seen it.”
“What, can’t a guy watch a movie like that?”
Dane and Joe snicker at him. Smiling, Su runs her hand slowly over Gerard’s short, wispy hair. “Are you watching for tips, or is there a hidden romantic in there?”
“Chicks like chick flicks. I can’t exactly have movie nights with bullets spraying all over the place, can I? It doesn’t do much for the mood. Though, horror comes in quite useful. I’ll let you into a little secret; I’m a romantic guy and I’ll make a perfect boyfriend some day. Especially for your cousin, so how ‘bout you give me her number.”
Su shakes her head, still smiling. “Not in this lifetime, buddy, not in this lifetime.”
“Whatever. Hey, Callie, I think maybe it’s time you try some girl-on-girl action.”
“Why would I do that?”
“You’re young, you’re single and you’re super hot. You should experiment. I know a couple chicks that would totally go for you. You need to getcha self out there, so long with one dude isn’t good.”
I peer around his seat again. FYI: when I do this, my knee touches Joe’s knee. Such simple, innocent physical contact, but it’s so pleasing. I love how playful we are, too, though it can sometimes send my body temperature up into the stratosphere. “Thanks for the advice and the offer,” I say to Gerard, “I’ll let you know.”
His lips quirk up, mischievous as always. “Will you let me watch? Join in, even.”
“Sorry, dude, I don’t do carrot-tops. I’m more of a tall, dark and handsome kinda girl.”
Su, Joe and Dane all guffaw. Gerard hates being called that. He’s not even a red-head, but he still hates it.
“I’m fuckin’ strawberry-blond, okay. Remember you’re sleeping in the same tent as me tonight. Revenge will be sweeeet!”
“I’m sleeping with Su in her bag.” I am going to shut up now, because when he gets an idea in his head it sticks. I sit back, fold my arms across my stomach, and silence myself.
I watched that movie, 27 Dresses, and I thought it was funny and romantic. I’ve been bridesmaid to Elena, Su and Saffron. I don’t think there’ll be a fourth dress for me, but I do hope I get my own big day. I’ve never been into any of the fussy stuff surrounding a wedding, but I do want to be a wife. It’s totally weird that I’m sitting next to the man that I’d like that to be with, and he has no idea about that.
We arrive at our camping spot and pitch our huge tent. This is the first time Saffron and Adam haven’t been present, it’s strange without them here. For the past five years the seven of us have done this, usually for three nights. It’s become our tradition. My vacations were always with Nick, but he and Zack had no interest in camping. They weren’t into the clubbing scene, either.
“Anyone for skinny dipping?” Gerard asks.
“Yeah, right,” Su responds, “I’m not sure if you arrived with your eyes closed, but we do have company. I don’t think the other campers are ready to see you naked. I don’t think I’m ready to see you naked.”
“You know you want it, baby,” he replies, with a sexy grinding of his hips. He does have a great body, but he doesn’t need to know that Su and I think that.
We did all skinny dip on one of our trips, purely for the fun of it. It was at night, so we didn’t actually see each other nude with good vision, just dark silhouettes.
After we all agree on the lake for our afternoon’s entertainment, Su and I put on our bikinis, she in her orange, which is divine against her beautiful oriental skin, and me in silver. Deciding on a little sunbathing first, we arrange our towels and lie down.
There are a few small groups of people around and several kids, but it’s not too busy. We’ve picked a good time to come, the site as a whole isn’t too crowded. The guys are already in the water, acting like a bunch of ten year olds, doing handstands and fighting each other. We do have a tendency to become childlike when we do things together, especially something like this.
I lie among the lupines, close my eyes, and allow every single one of my muscles to relax. I can hear some kind of flying insect buzzing around nearby, which is nice, and I love that there’s no sound of cars passing by and none of the traffic we’re accustomed to. It’s perfect and calm. No work, no rushing around, just relaxation. I focus on the feel of the sun’s heat covering me, warming my skin, while breathing in the scent of nature and the open space around me. “Gosh, it’s so soothing.”
“Glorious,” Su replies.
Suddenly, I’m being lifted up. I scream and my eyelids snap open. Joe’s picked me up and he’s running toward the lake. Su’s screaming tells me someone has hold of her, too. I spot Gerard, waiting, ready to pounce on the first one of us in. “No, Joe, don’t take me in there, please,” I beg, fighting like crazy to get loose – as if I stand a chance against Mr. Jujutsu himself.
Just my damn luck! I’m the first one in, and as soon as I am, Gerard attacks and I’m being pushed under. I wriggle around, trying not to gulp down the water, and I fight back. We all end up like a bunch of ten year olds, splashing around and dunking each other.
We calm down after a while of fooling around. Gerard is now hanging with some kids, giving them swimming tips. Su and Dane are sitting on the grass, talking.
Joe’s giving me a piggy-back in the lake. Where we are isn’t too deep, it’s level with his chest, as he walks and floats around with me on him. Watching the shimmer of the sun over the surface of the rippling water is hypnotic, and the heat enveloping my back and arms adds to the calm I feel. This is typical behavior for Joe and me. I’m so pleased he hasn’t held my unfair outburst against me.
“It’s good to have you back to your usual self,” Joe says. Our faces are side-by-side, making it easy to speak and hear each other.
“No more freaking out for me.”
He chuckles. “That’s some temper you’ve got on you, Baby cake.”
“I know. Silly girly emotions, I’m over it now.” I’ve never lost it with any of my friends before. I think Joe handled it well, an irrational female spazzing out on him like that.
“Good. Let me know when you wanna get out.”
“I will.” Hmph! I’m in no hurry – I’m all wrapped around Joe’s big, strong body. This’ll give me plenty to have my imagination run wild with tonight.
As evening approaches, the weather cools slightly, but it’s still nice and warm. Su cooks dinner on our stove; vegetarian fajitas for us and chicken fajitas for the boys. We drink beer and talk, as always we have plenty to say.
“I think we should sleep outside,” Joe suggests, lying back on his sleeping bag, one arm behind his head and the other hand resting casually on his bare abdomen.
“Yeah, great idea,” I agree. “What do you guys think?”
Joe suggests a small clearing that’s close by, a little higher up. “Closer to the stars,” he jokes, though he’s serious about his idea. We all agree, after a brief debate about eventual cold and safety. It’s not officially a camping spot, but it’s getting late, so I guess it’ll be okay. It’s not the first time we’ve broken the rules on one of our trips.
“This is so great,” I say, getting excited by the prospect of languishing beneath the sparkling night sky. I’m already in my undershirt and panties, so I wrap my sleeping bag around myself. We pick up some beer and water to take with us.
“I’ll keep an eye on our stuff,” Su says, “I don’t really want to leave it unattended.”
I look at her, frowning, because I do want to go, but I’m not leaving her here.
Dane sits back down. “Yeah, I’ll stay, too. I’m not leaving Su alone.”
“We’ll all stay then,” I reply, as I start walking ba
ck to where I was sitting.
“No reason why we should all miss out,” Su says. “Also, I’m not so keen on sleeping outside. Anyone who wants to should still go. It’s only over there, anyway.”
“She’s right, you two go on and I’ll join you in a bit. I need to take a piss first,” Gerard says.
“Okay, if you’re sure?” I say, staring Su straight in the eyes.
She nods firmly, certain. Joe and I head off. It won’t surprise me if it gets too cold and we have to return. Even an hour up there will be good.
We get to our new spot, it’s lovely and I do feel closer to the stars. Gazing up at their beauty, I linger for a moment. Not a single cloud up there. “Great idea, Joe, it is perfect here,” I whisper, not wanting to disturb the splendor above, or the silence surrounding us.
The almost-full moon and the soft amber glow from our small lantern provide just the right amount of light. We lay out our sleeping bags, side-by-side. After taking off my flip-flops, I slide into my bag and sit up with my crossed-legs tucked in and the excess material gathered around my waist. It’s quite warm now, but I probably should’ve brought some extra clothing, just in case. I hope it stays this nice.
Joe’s wearing only his dark green cargo shorts, the soft skin covering his perfectly developed muscles painted gold from the light of our lamp. He looks like a god of beautiful masculinity.
“I thought Gerard would be here by now,” I say, to cover over my yearning sigh.
“You’d think so.” He glances back in the direction we came from. “Maybe he changed his mind. Looks like it’s just us, Baby cake.” He finishes the last of his beer and sits on top of his bag, facing me, with his legs crossed. “Tell me if you change your mind and wanna head back.”
I nod, though there’s no chance of that – we’re alone. Gerard may show up soon, but I’ll make the most of Joe until then. Freaking A!
We get talking about our camping trip at Lake Tahoe last year. As a group, we share so many memories, but I forget some stuff until we talk about it.
Thirty minutes later, it’s still just us. If I had the guts I’d take this opportunity to speak to Joe about my feelings, but I don’t, so I won’t. I could sit here all night just watching him, and listening to him, I’ll enjoy doing that.
Fifteen minutes later, it’s still just us. My gaze keeps falling from Joe’s even darker brown eyes to his lips, enjoying the way they move as he talks. He’s playing with a twig or something, and is looking down at it, meaning I can freely admire him. I’m totally taking advantage.
I wonder what he’d think if he knew how much I want to kiss him. I’ve never wanted it more than I do right now. Even without knowing for sure, I feel certain he’s an exceptional kisser. His lips have the perfect thickness and when he’s pecked me on the cheek they felt like the softest lips in existence. He just licked them. I so badly want to lick them, nibble them. My tongue is literally begging me to let it slip out and run it along his beer flavored– damn it. I sigh and make do with my own.
This is torture. It’s so much harder than usual, tonight. We’ve been alone before, many times, and on some of those occasions I’ve been tempted to say or do something, but it’s never felt like this. I still have my heart to protect, he’s still the same man, but my resistance feels weaker. I could so easily move forward … a little … and then … press my … I pull back with the realization that I was actually moving toward him. I tip my bottle of water to my mouth and sip the contents.
I could do it. Couldn’t I? Maybe a drunken kiss and then I could pretend to be embarrassed when I apologize in the morning. I think I like that plan, it’s a good one. Nope, no damn way, then I’d know what I’m missing and that would only make it worse.
And what if he pulled away? No-freakin’-way, Su can talk to Saffron first.
Joe looks at me, and I meet his gaze, refusing to be distracted by anything lower. Just looking at this man makes me want to come. I am so masturbating when he goes to sleep. I’m frustrated beyond belief and I’m certain our bodies would be a wonderful fit, regardless of the height difference. Horizontal, we’d be perfection. I’m going out of my mind.
Okay, he just asked me about my latest sculpture; a mother and her newborn child. Someone bought it and donated it to a hospital. I welcome the chance to talk and divert my attention away from that mouth or any other part of Joe. Somehow, I need to suppress this temptation.
Maybe I needed Gerard here after all. Where the hell is he?
Thirty: Joe
It’s just us. I wasn’t expecting this. Today Callie’s been her usual self; relaxed and happy. The whole time I’ve looked for signs and apart from the occasional moment, when she’s clearly been thinking about something, she’s been cool, she doesn’t seem upset any longer. Maybe right now is the ideal opportunity. Maybe the greater powers are at work here.
I don’t know, but there’s no better way to find out.
I haven’t even decided how to approach the situation yet, this is happening sooner than I expected. What would be best, a spontaneous kiss out of the blue, or a sensible talk? Until I decide that, we’ll continue as we are.
I’m proud of her recent sell of a sculpture, as I always am, so I’m happy just to hear about that, for now, and take her in at the same time. The novelty of checking her out has never worn off, and I’ve become skilled over the years at doing it without making it obvious. When she speaks, I listen. I also observe, admire. That is the type of multi-tasking I can do, damn well.
I’m taking in every inch of her; hair – slightly messy, with loose pink and blonde strands framing her face, the bangs that somehow emphasize her beautiful eyes, eyes – big, excited and darker under this lighting, nose – the prettiest I’ve ever seen, with a thin silver nose ring; her preferred choice, cheeks – smoothly curved, lips – full, tasty looking and temping, collarbones – nicely defined and perfect for nibbling, breasts – no bra! She doesn’t need one, anyway. That white undershirt hides very little. If I look closely enough, I can see the slight shading of her nipples and the bars in them. Shit, I wonder if she did have panties on earlier. Hearing her speak like that in the SUV almost sent me over the edge. Just thinking about it now’s got my dick close to half-hard.
Right, focus! Kiss her, or talk to her?
If I make a move on her and she says no, then what? Will that mess with the weekend? I could say I’m drunk and I’m sorry. Shit, I really don’t know. We’ve been wasted around each other, countless times, and nothing happened, so that won’t work. She’s the most impulsive person I know; an unexpected sober kiss might be the best way. I’ve never had to think twice about how to approach a woman before, but sat here facing the one I love doesn’t even compare.
This is insane, ridiculous.
Finally, after some pussy-ass waiting, I shift just a fraction toward her. She smiles and throws her arms open. “Happy birthday, Joe.” It’s just past midnight; it’s my thirtieth birthday. How fucking inconvenient? Callie gives me a peck on the cheek and one of her squeezing hugs. Keeping me in her hold, she whispersings happy birthday in my ear. This makes me laugh. It’s so like her to do something like this.
When she finishes, I intend on moving my lips to hers, but hesitate and miss my opportunity. She pulls back. Shit.
“So, Joe, what do you want for the next year of your life? You already have shitloads of money, BlackArt is yours and Adam’s, and you’ve had plenty of sex, drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll. What’s next for Joe Andrew Williams?” She beams. It sounds like she’s interviewing me. Good opportunity to go for another tactic, though.
“When you put it like that, what is there left?” I shrug, casually. “Maybe it’s time to get myself a girlfriend.”
She snickers. “You know that means you can’t sleep with other women, right? No one night stands. No fuck buddies. It’s just you and one lady, unless she’s polyamorous.”
“I can do faithful. I found it easy enough when I was with Paige, I’m a faithful guy.”
“Wow, what an achievement? What was it with Paige? Three whole months?” Her lips shift into a sassy smirk. I smile to keep it light, but I’m aware now that she doesn’t rate me as trust worthy. That also means she doesn’t rate me as a boyfriend. For her. That is an opinion I will change, she is so very wrong about me where relationships are concerned.
I’m going with another tactic.
“Since we’re on the topic of relationships, what happened with Nick?”
“It’s complicated.” She sighs in deliberation. “I’m not a commitment-phobe,” she quickly tacks on, pointing her forefinger at me. There’s no anger, only jest, which is good.
“I don’t think you are. He obviously wasn’t right for you. I don’t understand how you go for over seven years in a complicated relationship. In every other aspect of your life you seem to be in full control and so certain.”
“It’s hard to explain. I did love him, in some ways I still do. We had a really good thing and we were close.” This doesn’t tell me why she couldn’t commit to him. Talking about Nick this way only makes me think she should’ve been able to. Her words and her actions, during her years with him, always contradicted each other. I don’t understand it and this is why I chose not to tell her how I feel. I don’t think she knows what she wants.
“What is it you want? Do you even know?” I’m holding her gaze, aware of how serious my expression is. I didn’t intend on being intense, but this is something I do need to know. I’m not up for being a rebound guy, or getting into a messy relationship, so I need to know where her head is at.
Otherwise this entire conversation is pointless.
“I know exactly what I want, Joe. My sister married her soul mate, my mom and dad did, grandma and grandpa did, even Su and Saffron did theirs. I want the same thing. I loved Nick, but it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t my soul mate.” She sighs heavy, her eyebrows pulling tight. “It always seemed like such a simple thing to want, like my God given right. Turns out it’s not so easy after all.” She goes silent, thoughtful, her gaze lowered.