by Lila Felix
“What is that thing?” I asked.
“This is my Dad’s car. He said he didn’t want you travelling in my Bronco. It’s kinda old and so he lent me his Navigator to use for the weekend.”
“Me? What about you?” I laughed as I gawked at the metal beast.
“Well, apparently my Dad really likes you so this is all about you.” He laughed.
He put my things in the back and opened my door for me. He fit easily into this vehicle, not like when he was in his Bronco and his head swiped the roof. He pulled the monster out of the parking lot and we took off going South. We attended Tulane University in New Orleans, so we were close to all sorts of things: Gulf Shores, Grand Isle, Lake Pontchartrain.
“So, where are we going,” I asked.
“I’m taking you out to Lake Pontchartrain and we’re going to spend the weekend on my parents’ house boat. We can swim and just relax. No phones, no school, no parents, no cares.”
I wanted to crawl over to the driver’s side and sit in his lap for the rest of the ride. He knew exactly what I needed without even asking. I needed a vacation from everything but him.
We drove about an hour and then we stopped to eat at a little Cajun place that Owen claimed had the best fried fish and he was right. We continued on and finally reached a lone boating dock with only three or four boats, one of which was a very nice houseboat. He smiled over at me and we both exited the car at the same time.
He wouldn’t let me get anything. I stood there like a bump on a log watching him pick up some bags and walk into the boat. Then he would grab an ice chest and get on the boat. Once he looked like he was going to drop a bag and I moved to help and he just shook his head at me. He went back to the car one last time and locked it up. Then he got back on and finally extended his hand to me.
“Let the vacation begin.” He said as I stepped onto our vacation vessel.
I sat next to him as he started it up and started towards our unknown destination.
After a few hours he stopped and looked around from all angles. I didn’t know what he was looking for. All I could see was water everywhere I looked.
“This is the place.” He said as he smiled and pecked me on the lips before he went to put the anchor in place and secure us.
He came back with a grin a mile wide.
“So where are we?” I asked as he walked towards me and pulled me against him.
“Right in the middle of nowhere.” He answered. “Ever since I was little I wanted to be a marine biologist. So, my dad used to take me out here and we would fish and snorkel and scuba dive all the time. Then sometimes he would take me to the Gulf. So I thought you might like it here too.
“I love it. Thank you. It’s just what I needed.”
“Are you tired or are you up for a night swim?” He looked expectant.
“Have you heard of these things called alligators?”
“Yeah, and they won’t bother us. Trust me, I’ve been swimming in here since I was a kid.”
“Ok, I guess I trust you. But you’re totally getting in first.” I put my hands on my hips to push my point.
“Deal. The bathroom is right there so you can change. And you better hurry before I swim out too far away.” He went straight for the water. Boys have it so easy.
I scrambled and grabbed the first suit I saw which was a black bikini with one little red heart on the left triangle part of the top. I threw my hair up in a sloppy bun and walked out scared out of my mind, for many reasons.
He was already in the murky lake treading water with a smile on his face. My brain conjured up all kinds of scenarios. I psyched myself up and cannonballed into the water. When I came up Owen was laughing and clapping at my performance.
“Ugh…it tastes funny.” I laughed and stuck out my tongue.
“Well that’s easy, quit drinking the lake.” He gave me a ‘duh’ expression.
“I guess that puts an end to my fantasy. Damn. You’re probably not going to kiss me at all with swamp rot mouth.” He swam close to me and pulled me next to him. Instead of attemping to tread water next to my giant, I coiled my legs around his waist and held on for dear life. His green eyes reflected the almost full moon above us. His lips were wet from emerging out of the water and one lone drop lingered on the edge of his stubbled chin.
“Woman, did you just use the word fantasy? Now I’m not letting you out of this water until you tell me every single detail.” As usual, every word out of his mouth was said methodically just to get me going.
28. Owen
Did my timid girl just use the word fantasy?
I thought I prepared myself to see her in a swim suit. And the images I had made in my head had swirled through my brain all day. But when she stepped out onto the stern of the boat wearing that black scrap of fabric, I nearly came undone. And my brain needed some vitamins or something because the images it had given me were not even in the vicinity of how stunning she was. And all I could do was kick my legs and smile like an idiot.
She jumped into the water and I applauded her cannonball even though it was pitiful. My brothers and I would have to show her how it was done one day. Then out of that sweet little pink lipped mouth comes a sentence that contains the word ‘fantasy’. I had no idea what the rest of the phrase was but I know my mind was stuck on that word. So I called her on it. And before I knew it, she was wrapped tighter around me, her wet body slid against mine and she whispered in my ear about me and her and the water and I swear when she said the word ‘mouth’ the rest of my body took it as a cue to stand at attention. But she never lost her cool. After telling me things that would make a playboy blush she looked me dead in the eye as she searched for confirmation that she hadn’t said too much.
“You’re gonna be the death of me. I’m trying to be a gentleman here and you’re whispering naughty things in my ear.” She giggled a bit and then it turned into an all out gut pained laugh and I couldn’t help but laugh with her.
She finally quieted down and moved in close to my face and said, “I didn’t think I was capable of naughty things until you came along. Now I’m free to say all the dirty things I want.”
“Oh wow, I’ve corrupted you. Don’t tell my mom!”
“Ha! Now I’ve got blackmail material.” She began a giggle fest again.
“Ok, how about a race? I need to see if you’re as good of a swimmer as you are a skater.”
“Oh I can swim circles around you buddy.” I could see her expression transform into her game face.
“OK, we race over there to that log sticking out of the water and then back to the boat.”
“Eeeeewww, I am not touching that thing.” She said and her eyes got big and she clapped her hands over her mouth. I lifted one eyebrow but refused to say a word.
She splashed me. “You know what I mean.”
“OK, on the count of three. One, two, go!” I yelled and we took off at the same time.
She was an excellent swimmer, I’ll give her that but I totally let her beat me. It was getting late and we got back on the boat. I let her go up the ladder first and it had nothing to do with manners.
She went inside wrapped in a towel and I told her that she could take a shower if she wanted.
“Um, is it lake water?” She asked as she pointed to the shower and I could almost hear her brain screaming “icky!”
“No, it’s clean water in a drum. Don’t be silly.” I pecked her on the lips after I said it.
“Ugh…” she groaned loudly, “I’ll never get used to this boating stuff.”
Before I knew it the words just came out of my mouth. “Well, I’m going to be on and off of a boat and the water for the rest of my life so you might want to get the hang of it.”
I knew she was gawking at me. And I commanded my body to keep walking through the living area, up the stairs and to the top deck where I planned to set up our sleeping arrangements. If I was honest with myself it was the truth. There was no future I could imagine without her in it
. But I was too chicken shit to turn around and see what her reaction was.
After a few minutes she came up and I walked past her to take a shower of my own. When I came back up she stood close to the edge of the roof with her arms crossed and there was a breeze blowing her hair this way and that. And when she shivered the tiniest bit, I realized she must be cold. I could take care of that.
I wrapped my arms around hers and she leaned back into my chest and put her chin up to look at me.
“Hey.” She smiled and I could see that there had been tears in her eyes while I was gone.
“You’re crying. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I got ahead of myself. I got carried away.” I never knew I was such a babbler.
She turned around to face me and inched her arms around my back.
“You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing. But here’s what I want to know. Did you mean it, or was it just something you said?”
“I meant it. I can’t even imagine a life without you in it.”
“That’s good. ‘Cause I’m not planning on going anywhere.” She was dead serious and the kiss that followed proved it.
“I’m tired. Are you?” She asked me.
“Yeah, I’m pretty beat. When we were kids we always slept up here on tons of blankets so I thought you might like that.”
“Keep it up Black and I’m never going to leave here.” She climbed onto the pile of blankets and splayed her arms and legs out like she was making a snow angel.
Didn’t she know that’s what I was counting on? Making her as happy as possible was my only goal this weekend.
I laid down next to her and took off of my shirt to get comfortable. But then I realized that all of this time I had been sleeping next to her with my shirt on. And when we were swimming, most of my chest was in the water. I was actually nervous to see her reaction to my piercings. I turned to face her and she was already turned towards me with her face propped up on her palm. She reached out her hand and traced every piece of ink that was visible to her. She crooked her finger and ran it over the barbells in my nipples one by and I loved her boldness. They were sensitive enough normally but when she touched them and I could feel her breaths quicken as she did, it drove me mad, in the best way imaginable.
My lips away from hers was no longer an option. We crashed together body against body and her fingers dug into my back. I broke free from the warmth of her lips to explore the rest of her. I started at her shoulders and kissed my way along the top of her chest. She shivered beneath me and I chuckled and pulled one more blanket on top of her.
“I didn’t shiver because I was cold Owen.” She was as breathless as I was and the fact that I could cause this beauty to shiver in pleasure was another dream come true. I hovered above her and gazed at the girl who in mere weeks’ time had completely changed my life. If I didn’t stop now, I wasn’t going to be able to stop.
I kissed her once more and lay down on my side facing her. She curled up against my chest and arms and legs tangled together as if they had years of experience in the dance. She sighed and I felt her breath against my neck.
“Thank you for bringing me here Owen. “ She said as she wiggled in closer.
“You’re welcome. Anytime. I love you Nellie.”
“Me too.” She barely got the words out before her soft almost whimper of a snore started up beside me.
29. Nellie
Sometime in the night, or early morning I felt him break away from me. And it wasn’t a natural pulling away from rolling over or getting comfortable. He purposefully and gently moved my arms and disentangled his legs from mine. The cold night air hit me where his body had laid next to mine and I scrambled to pull the covers up to fill the void.
I opened my eyes sometime later and saw him sitting on the edge of the roof with his legs hanging off of the edge. At first I thought it was a dream so I closed my eyes and reopened them to find the same scenario. I crawled the small space between us and slid my arms and legs around his back. His body shook with laughter and he pulled one of my hands to his lips.
I laid my left cheek against his back and also face to face with a phoenix in ink.
“Can’t sleep?” I asked. Duh, Nellie. Nice question.
“Nah, snoring kept me up.” I slapped his chest and felt the rumble of his laughter next to me.
“What’s the matter? Talk to me.” I said.
“Skeletons.” He said and I nodded against him letting him know that I understood.
“Nothing you can say to me will ever change my mind.” I whispered.
“In the morning, ok? I know it will make me feel better to get it off of my chest and just tell you. I feel like I’m hiding things. Right now I just want to curl up with you and get some more sleep. Is that okay?”
“I don’t know. Will there be kissing?” I put my chin on his spine and the rest of my head bobbed up and down as I spoke.
“Definitely.” He laughed and I made my way back to our sleeping place on the roof and he crawled in next to me and kissed me until dawn broke.
I smelled coffee and breakfast. What kind of breakfast could be cooked on a houseboat, I didn’t know. But it smelled fantastic. I stretched and rolled over onto Owen’s side and put my face into his pillow trying to meld his smell into my nose.
“Are you trying to smother yourself?” He laughed while still climbing up to the roof.
“Yes, trying to smother myself in your smell.” I laughed back.
“Well, I can think of a better way to do that.” He stood right next to my head still laughing.
“Ugh…how are you so feisty this early in the morning? I need coffee and breakfast before you start with the morning dirty talk.” I got up as slowly as possible.
He laughed and showed me to the cutest little table on the front of the boat. I knew it was called bow or aft some crap. I guess I would have to learn boat lingo eventually. I tried to help with breakfast but I was shooed away.
“Owen, I need coffee. I can get it myself.” I whined.
“Nope. I’ve got it grouch head.”
I waited not so patiently and then he placed a cup on the table and a kiss on my forehead. I took a sip and it was just the way I liked it. Then he put a plate before me that had eggs and sausage and toast.
“How do you cook on a boat?” I asked, feeling like an idiot.
“On the stovetop.” He answered me like the smartass that he was.
“I know that part.”
“Propane, Nellie.” He might as well have said ‘Duh’.
“Ahhh. This is good by the way. Your mom taught you well.”
“Yeah, they both did.” He got that far away look again.
I ate and waited. I could tell that the wheels in his head were turning. I got up and washed the dishes and cleaned up. I walked back over and sat at the table.
“I don’t know where to start.” He said and looked back at me.
“You can start by moving your chair over here. I feel like you’re on another continent.”
He smiled a little and got up, moving his chair over by me.
“It started with Amy. She and I had been together for a little over a year when I started noticing things. The main thing being that she didn’t want to have sex anymore. She was relentless in the beginning and then it just stopped.” Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten breakfast.
He continued, “Then she started cancelling dates and hanging out with a new friend. I think I was so deep in lust with her or infatuation that I blew it all off. I can see it all in hindsight now. I had two best friends then, Dylan and Lucas. Dylan hated Lucas but couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. He would just say he was trouble. But he was right. Lucas and Amy were going at it behind my back and it ruined me for a while. She came up pregnant a few months later and claimed it was mine. But then she got an abortion without me knowing, so I’ll never know. I drank, I smoked, I got tattoos and I partied hard. I would get in late and miss school. And the days when I went to school I would skip out h
alfway through. My grades went to hell and the worst part was that my parents were at their wits end trying to stop me. They would make rules and threaten me but I always found a way around it. Dad found out that Amy had been pregnant and I thought he was going to lose it. He ran me to the hospital to get tested for every STD possible and more. Mom and Dad fought and fought until one day Dad said he was hurting my mom too much so he packed his bags and left. That was my fault. I drove them apart with my stupidity. That weekend I went to a party. I drank some beer but not a lot. I was driving my truck home and trying to light a cigarette and I ran off of the road and into a tree. I spent a day or two in the hospital with minor injuries. I had ruined everything just because of a stupid relationship. I ruined my parents’ marriage. I almost didn’t graduate high school and I had to go to one year of community college before any college would accept me. And the only reason they did was because my dad is friends with one of the board members. And every time my parents smile at me or do things like my dad did this weekend for me to take you here? Makes me feel like shit for breaking them up.”
He let out a long drawn out breath and clunked his head down on the table. I didn’t say anything. Honestly, I didn’t know what to say yet. I was happy that he admitted those truths to me, but I could never imagine that our stories were so similar. We both got hurt by significant others and best friends and we both rebelled after it was over.
He turned his head and there were tears in his eyes waiting to be released. He sat up and pushed his hair out of his face and gave me one of those straight lipped smiles.
I was on him in a heartbeat. I straddled his lap and held onto him as if the events had happened just minutes ago.
“I love you. And your parents love you. And they love each other, anyone can see that. But it’s not your fault. Sometimes people just need some space to get a handle on themselves. And I could strangle that Amy wench.”
“I’m so glad I don’t have to carry that around anymore. It felt like I was betraying you.”
“You can trust me completely Owen. I will never ever hurt you.”