Because of Ellison

by Willis, M. S.

  Shaking it off, I jumped down the stairs and went to work scraping paint. The creak of the ladder caught my attention again and I watched as both girls climbed up onto the roof, stepping around carefully in their flip flops while retrieving padded mats that were secured to the roof by rope. Laying their towels down on the mats, they eventually plopped themselves down to soak up the sun. I took a second admiring the body of Lily’s friend, but they were at such a distance, I couldn’t really make out much more than the fact that she was thin, had some nice curves, and wore a small yellow bikini.

  Over two hours into my chore, I had the last specks of paint stripped from the siding and was beginning the task of slapping on primer; a task that would be carried out with a delicate hand and attention to detail because I was a perfectionist. It’s important to know this fact in order to understand what was about to happen. At times, my love of perfection could be a good thing. I aced tests and excelled at any video game I played; but on the flip side, and where my perfectionism was a bad thing; I could get crotchety when I was focused on my task and something came along to fuck it up.

  After applying a coat of primer to the first quarter of the front wall, I sat admiring the fact that the paint job was flawless. Brush strokes were minimal and the application of the paint had been even over the entire surface of the siding. No drips had occurred and I was preparing to move on to the second quarter.

  Yes. It’s primer. But like anything of value, a solid and well executed foundation is essential to the overall quality of the job — much like what I keep hearing about love — if you don’t have something of quality to base a relationship upon, eventually it will crumble down. It’s a weak analogy, but one that might help the romantic understand how I view things.

  Just as I was standing up to move my tools to an area to start ‘Primer — Phase Two,’ a truck pulled up in the dirt lot in front of the neighbor’s house. The engine was loud, the tires were huge and I briefly wondered if a stepladder was required to step down from the beast of a truck that may or may not have been street legal. Turning my attention back to the primer, I noticed out of the corner of my eye as two large men climbed out and made their way to the front door of the house. Dressed in head to toe camouflage, both men looked as if they’d just come off a hunting trip. Opening the front door, one man disappeared into the interior just before a litany of curse words sounded from the house.

  Two dogs, one that was black and looked to be a mix between a greyhound and a terrier, and a white one that was smaller than the first, came bounding out of the house.

  “Sasha! Bear! You get your flea-ridden asses back here!” The man who hadn’t yet stepped into the house yelled after the mutts and I turned my full attention to find that those ‘flea-ridden’ creatures were making their way towards me at top speed.

  By the time they reached me, they were covered in mud from running through the multitude of puddles that were speckled across the dirt lots. My hands were filled with brushes and scrapers and I stepped back in a failed attempt to dodge the airborne furballs as they lunged in my direction. When their muddy bodies struck mine I was forced backwards into the wall of primer perfection I’d just accomplished. My anger was immediate and those dogs were going down.

  Dropping a brush from my hand, I picked up the heavy canister of primer, and with a feral scream I swung out at the dogs and stepped forward in an attempt to force them away from the house.

  The dogs were able to dodge the swinging paint can, opting at that time to run in circles around me, happily barking as if we were playing their favorite game. Using the momentum of the can, I swung around in circles with them, noticing how they continued to kick up mud, dirt and leaves onto the wall of the house. The entire section I’d just completed was destroyed and it would take another day just to scrape the siding clean again. By that point, I was no longer speaking a recognizable language. My anger at the dogs had reduced me to a basic and primal form of communication consisting of random grunts, growls and the occasional snort. My adrenaline was on overdrive as I rotated with the rabid beasts and while I was swinging around for the second time, I saw a streak of yellow just before I was tackled to the ground.

  We landed in a puddle, the mud from which splashed up into my eyes, momentarily blinding me. It gave my attacker an advantage, one that she immediately exploited. Straddling my midsection, she pushed herself up, holding my shoulders down with her hands.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, asshole?! Leave my dogs alone before I have to break both your fucking legs and shove my foot so far up your ass you’ll be able to taste my nail polish.”

  My hands quickly traveled to my eyes, wiping away as much of the mud that I could. Blinking two or three times, I was finally able to squint up at the mud-covered and snarling blonde.

  “What the fuck do you have to say for yourself? They’re small dogs that were just trying to play with you. That paint-can could have hurt them, you piece of shit!” Slamming her hands down onto my chest, the girl pushed herself off of me and walked over to check out her dogs.

  I sat up, attempting to wipe more mud from my face, and stared out at an angry, trembling, and beautiful girl, covered head to toe in mud — and not much else.

  Rage swirled in her eyes as she glared over at me while she consoled the frightened dogs. “Well? Are you going to say anything or are you just going to sit there staring at me with your mouth wide open? I don’t understand how everyone is calling you a genius considering you’re acting like a damn fool at the moment.”

  My eyes glanced at the ruined wall, instantly stripping me of my shock and replacing it with vehemence so intense, I saw red.

  Standing up, I asked, “Did you see what your mutts did to the wall I just painted?!” I took a step forward with my finger pointed directly in her face.

  Lily ran over to where her friend and I stood, immediately moving between us and placing her hands out to ensure we remained separated. “Guys! Stop it! Calm the fuck down.”

  I didn’t look down at Lily because my stare down with her friend had not yet finished. Her blue eyes shone out at me, a scowl peeking out from the mud splashed and smeared over her face.

  “Hunter McCormick, you better look at me right this second!” Lily’s voice took me by surprise; the use of my full name snapped me into a Pavlovian response instilled by my mother’s classical conditioning as a child. My eyes shot down to Lily to find that she was smiling back up at me in apology.

  “Hunter, I’d like to introduce you to Ellison James.”

  Chapter Three

  Ellison

  He was an asshole. An angry, dog beating, asshole who was creepy as all hell because of the way he kept staring at me. It was a good thing Lily had gotten between us because one more word out of his mouth and it would have met with the back of my hand.

  While we continued to stare each other down, my brother, Jake, and my ex-boyfriend, Finn, wandered over to see what all the screaming was about.

  Jake opened his big mouth first, amused at the situation, to say the least. “What the hell is going on over here?” His words were barely discernible due to his laughter. Finn didn’t seem as amused by the muddy debacle.

  Lily and Hunter turned to look in Jake’s direction and I noticed how Hunter took a step back after seeing Jake up close. At six foot four, and three feet wide, Jake was definitely not someone with whom you would want to get on their bad side. Add to that, his shaved head and long beard and you had an intimidating looking man that most people would try to avoid. Although Hunter had a good inch of height on Jake, he was nowhere near as thick and, thankfully, realized that fact and backed down as soon as he set eyes on my brother.

  Finn just stood there eyeing me with obvious disapproval as if I’d intended to roll around in the mud with a complete stranger in nothing but a small yellow bikini.

  After eyeing Hunter for a few seconds longer, I gave my final warning. “I’m mean it. Stay away from my dogs. They weren’t trying to hur
t you.”

  Hunter seemed to calm down and stepped towards me causing Jake and Finn to step forward as well. Seeing that he was outnumbered, he stopped short, but reached his hand out to shake mine. “I apologize. I wasn’t trying to hurt them. I normally love dogs. I just lost it when they messed up the paint job. My name is Hunter, by the way, it’s nice to meet you.”

  I continued eyeing him, not in a forgiving kind of mood and definitely not interested in accepting his hand. “Whatever, Hunter. Just keep your distance and control your temper. They’re defenseless animals.”

  A sigh escaped his lips while his eyes traveled between Lily, Jake, Finn and me. “Listen, I’ll say it again: I wasn’t attempting to hurt the dogs. But, I think I deserve an apology for the dogs ruining the wall.”

  I looked him over, but my anger wouldn’t allow me to feel sorry for the destruction of the wall and therefore, I couldn’t apologize. Reaching for Sasha and Bear, I grabbed their collars and limped them towards the house. My ankle was killing me and I just wanted to get away from the situation. When I first spotted him swinging that paint can out at the dogs, I jumped from the rooftop, injuring my ankle from the impact with the ground. It didn’t stop me, though. I was on a rescue mission and I didn’t allow the pain to get in the way of my objective.

  After this experience I wanted nothing to do with Lily’s cousin, despite Lily’s assurances that he would be a great person to have around for the summer. She’d talked him up like he was a superhero, constantly babbling on about his intelligence and good looks. While I could admit that I could see where he’d be a charmer with his muscular build and naturally tan skin, it wasn’t enough to make him attractive. And although he had warm brown hair accented by amazingly clear blue eyes, his looks were ruined when his personality took a shit on all of his favorable attributes.

  As I stormed away, I overheard Lily making the introductions between the boys. And when I heard Finn’s footsteps following behind me after he gave Hunter a curt ‘hello’, I groaned knowing he wasn’t going to let this little charade go.

  “El, wait up.”

  I stopped where I stood, knowing full well that Finn wouldn’t drop it until I spoke with him.

  “Babe? What was with the tackle maneuver? I kind of believe that he wasn’t trying to hurt the dogs.”

  Spinning so that I could look Finn in the eye quickly, I reminded him, “I’m not your babe and I haven’t been for over a year Finn, so just call me El if you need to talk to me.”

  I was even more annoyed now that Finn had attempted to call me by a pet name he’d used while we’d been dating. Ever since we broke up we remained friends but I could tell that he still carried one hell of a torch for me and it frustrated me that he hadn’t moved on. We were best friends before we dated and I’d hoped that we could simply go back to that. No such luck. I couldn’t understand it either. Finn was a good-looking guy with black hair, hazel eyes, and a thin muscular build. With his optimistic outlook and carefree personality, most women flocked to him. Yet, he still pined for me, even after a year-and-a-half long separation. I’d hoped to put some space between us after we split, but during the time we’d dated, he’d also struck up a friendship with Jake; therefore, I saw more of Finn around the house than I would have liked.

  Holding up his hands in surrender, Finn cocked an eyebrow at me questioning my immediate defensive response. “El, I’m just trying to figure out why you got so mad — I’m just making sure you’re okay.”

  The roll of my eyes was involuntary, but Finn was ever the peacekeeper and it was pointless continuing forward in my anger. “Finn, just drop it for it now, okay? I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Storming towards the house, I threw open the door and dragged the dogs to the bathroom to wash the mud from their fur. When I’d accomplished bathing them, I went into the kitchen to feed them and grab a bowl of cereal for myself. While chewing the sugary rolled oat goodness, my mind drifted back to Hunter. I couldn’t wrap my head around why any rational or sane person would lose it on a defenseless animal. Looking down at the two begging mutts at my feet, I smiled. Their fluffy faces turned up at me, tongues hanging low from their mouths, and the only thing I could see in their warm brown eyes was loyalty and love.

  The front door slammed shut suddenly and the sound of Jake’s footsteps preceded his entry into the kitchen. He smiled brightly, not even attempting to hide his delight in witnessing the impromptu mud-wrestling event in the front yard.

  “Where’s Finn?”

  Jake used his thumb to motion over his shoulder when he answered, “Took off. Said something about you being in a ‘Class-A’ bitchy mood.” Chuckling to himself, he opened the refrigerator door to pull out a cold beer. Leaning against the counter, he popped the cap and took a long sip before saying, “You might want to get yourself cleaned up and in more clothes before Dad gets homes. I don’t think he’d appreciate finding out his baby girl was wrestling a strange man in the mud today.” Another chuckle.

  I looked down at my mud-covered body, thankful that my bathing suit had stayed in place during the event. Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “Alright, I’m getting a bath and going to bed. I’m heading out on the green trail tomorrow morning, so I won’t be around when you wake up. Tell Daddy, I said goodnight when he gets home.”

  Jake nodded at me while taking another swig off his bottle and I left the kitchen to take a long shower and soak my ankle in hopes it would feel better in the morning.

  ~ ~ ~

  The green trail is a 10-mile trail that winds its way through the nature preserve that’s behind of my house. I had to cut a smaller path to reach it, but eventually, I made my own little private entrance into a secluded piece of paradise. That was a definite advantage to life in the middle of nowhere. Nature was not a great distance away and it was a quick journey for me to escape modern life when the need overtook me. My trek had started in the morning when it was cool, but by midafternoon the heat surged and I was sweating buckets by the time I made it back to the house. Walking between Lily’s place and mine, I noticed that all the cars were missing from the houses, which was a pretty good sign that nobody was around. Since I was alone, I decided to wash off outside before tracking in dirt, leaves and other bits of the woods inside the house with me.

  I always kept extra towels in a stowaway bench on the front porch, so I grabbed one and went around the side of the house to rinse off in the showerhead I’d rigged up the summer before. Stripping off my shirt and shorts, I stepped under the cool spray of water in only my underwear and a sports bra; and a sigh escaped my lips as the water washed away the sand and heat from my skin. After drenching my hair, I pushed it back out of my face and opened my eyes to the crystal blue shock in Hunter’s eyes.

  Jumping back, I fumbled for my towel while Hunter stood like a deer in headlights staring at my … well … headlights. His jaw hung open and he had a paint canister in each hand. Brown primer smeared down his shirt and was splattered over his legs. I held the towel up to cover my assets while using my hand to reach around and tuck it behind my body.

  “Do you mind? Turning around would be the polite thing to do!” I huffed a lock of hair out of my face as I stepped off the concrete slab of the shower into my flip-flops. Hunter turned suddenly, paint sloshing out of the cans as he spun, his feet stumbling over themselves from the awkward weight of the liquid in motion at his sides.

  “I’m sorry … really … sorry. I had no idea you were out here and I came around the corner, and, well … ”

  “And well, what? You thought staring at a half-naked girl without alerting her to your presence was a smart idea? They have a word for that, you know.”

  His shoulders straightened allowing the thin material of his t-shirt to stick to his body with sweat. The material clung so closely, in fact, that every muscle that ran along his shoulders and down his spine was perfectly defined beneath the material. With his arms held out to his sides from holding the cans, I was able to see the perfect ‘v
’ of his abdomen and it wasn’t a bad package — until he opened his mouth.

  “Look. I didn’t intend to ogle you, but I came around the corner, you were just there and in my shock, I didn’t react as fast as I should have. However, and in my defense, YOU are the one presently taking a shower in the front yard.”

  “I didn’t think anybody was here! That’s what I’m talking about. You had a voice to warn me of your presence and yet you chose not to use it!”

  “Well, I thought I was alone as well! Maybe you should wear a bell or some shit so I’m alerted to your presence before I have the chance to walk in on you while you’re naked in your front yard!”

  I could not believe he’d just suggested that I wear a bell on my property. Who did he think he was?! And if I wanted to get naked on my property, I believe that I have that right without worrying about voyeurs lurking the grounds. There was no use in arguing, though … so I had to get even.

  “Turn around, Hunter.”

  “What?! No! You’ll just call me a creep again!”

  “Turn around.” My face was straight and my tone of voice was even. I’d made my decision.

  Hunter’s body slowly rotated in my direction and his eyes shut to a point where the skin wrinkled at the sides. I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

  “I’ve been around you, in total, for less than an hour. Within that hour, all we’ve done is argue. So, I’m getting even, Hunter, and then we’ll start from the beginning. Sound good?”

  His eyes opened, shot to my chest momentarily, before immediately, and forcibly, shooting to my eyes. “Fine. What do you want?”

  After securing the towel around my body, I smiled, took a few steps in his direction, before reaching out and taking the paint cans from his grip and placing them at his feet.

  “I want you to strip.”

  Chapter Four