by Belle Malory
He twirled me around. I smiled at the gesture.
“How is the Hollywood life?” he asked me curiously. “Is it as glamorous as it seems?”
I shrugged. “For the most part, my mother kept me out of it. But my sister seems to enjoy the spotlight. She was always an attention hog though.”
“Are you jealous?” he asked.
I thought about his question for a moment. Was I jealous of Indie? I gave him the answer that seemed to be the most honest. “Yes, but not in the way you’d imagine. I was jealous of her freedom. Her bravery. Her confidence. I don’t crave the spotlight like she does. But I envy how many opportunities her fame provides her. She’s experienced so much at such a young age. Next to her, I feel naïve, inexperienced, and well. . .left out, I guess.”
I realized I’d been staring into space while I spoke. When I looked up at Rex, his amber eyes were fiery, almost glowing. They were beautiful.
I began noticing little things I shouldn’t. Like the way Rex’s hand rested on my back, more firmly than it had before. And the way he slowly inched closer to me throughout the dance. His scent surrounded me, too, an evergreen soap.
I tried to shake away the attraction I felt. There was no point in feeling it for Rex. He was much too complicated. Dancing was one thing, but I didn’t want to go there.
“That’s kinda sad, Spence,” he said, shortening my last name. “But hey, look at the bright side. You’re catching up. I’d bet big money your little sis has never experienced an Irish Traveler wedding. Or an Irish Traveler Grabbing.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s true,” I agreed. “Lucky her.”
The song eventually came to an end. I moved away quickly, stepping away from Rex’s hold as soon as the music stopped. A chilly breeze swept past us. I rubbed my arms to ward off the cold.
“I suppose this is the part where I’m supposed to offer you my jacket.”
I tilted my head to the side, staring at him with amusement. “Please don’t go out of your way or anything.”
“Do you want it?” he asked. “You know, since it’s the gentlemanly thing to do?”
“It’s okay,” I said, laughingly. “And no one ever said you were a gentleman.”
“That’s true,” he acknowledged, seemingly pleased about it.
“I should get going anyway. I need to walk Abby before it gets too late.”
“I’ll go with you,” he said. “You shouldn’t be out at night alone.”
“I’m not planning to go very far. And I wouldn’t want to ruin your night.”
Rex glanced back in the direction of the party. A server walked by with a tray of empty chutes and a mostly full bottle of champagne. Rex stopped the server, taking the bottle and sliding a bill into his jacket pocket.
He held the champagne up. “Not ruined,” he said. “Now let’s go get your mutt.”
Rex popped the bottle’s cork and took a swig as we walked back to the RV. He handed me the bottle. I held it in my hands, questioning my judgment.
Oh, what the hell.
I took a sip, letting the sweet, yet dry liquid warm my tongue. Little bubbles got into my nose and throat, making me feel that euphoria people referred to as “bubbly”. Hmmm. . .not bad. I handed the bottle back to Rex, feeling warmer.
I collected an exuberant Abby from Lina’s RV, along with my coat. The three of us headed out into the wilderness together.
Rex led the way with a bright flashlight, heading towards one of the hiking trails. “I think there’s a lake down this path.”
I followed behind him at a slower pace, flinching each time a twig snapped beneath my heels. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance, a hollow, mournful noise. “You’re not taking me out here to murder me, are you?”
I asked the question jokingly, but in all honesty, the dark shadows and spooky noises creeped me out.
“Maybe,” he replied in an even voice. “It would be brilliant, right? Kill the oracle before she’s discovered by the evil mind trackers.”
I glared at Rex, not amused. Abby pulled at the leash. She showed no fear of her surroundings.
Rex shook his head at my reaction. “Come on, Spence. If I wanted to kill you, I would’ve done it long before now.”
The avenue of trees eventually came to an end and we came to a clearing in the forest. Crickets chirped louder the closer we got to a small dock overhanging an expansive lake. The water, a black void, stretched for miles with only the glimmer of moonlight reflecting off of its rippling surface.
I unleashed Abby at the shore. She sniffed the smooth rocks along the edge of the water, inspecting for whatever canine mystery she needed to solve.
Rex handed me the champagne bottle and left me by the dock. He picked up a small stick and tossed it along the bank. Abby chased after it, and happily brought it back for him to throw again.
I took another swig of champagne, letting the warmth flow down into my stomach. We passed the bottle back and forth and I began to feel lighter, less anxious. I didn’t realize how worried I’d been until the heavy feeling finally crept away from my shoulders.
“Let’s play a game,” I randomly suggested to Rex. “Truth.”
He threw the stick again, and sent it soaring far down along the bank. “What do you want to know?”
“What do you do? I mean, for a living.”
I probably shouldn’t have asked, but I was suddenly intensely curious about Rex. For the most part, he was a jackass. I knew that, accepted it. He was ninety percent jackass, in fact. But that other ten percent of Rex, the part that he was beginning to show on rare occasions, drove me to become inexplicably curious, biting my lip in anticipation of his every move, hanging onto his every word.
“Nothing right now,” he replied, seemingly impervious to my curiosity. “Gabe talked me into the Police Academy. I graduated last semester. But I don’t think it’s enough. Not for this life.”
“So what do you want to do then? What’s enough?”
He glanced at me, taking the bottle and drinking. “I don’t know.” He handed the bottle back. “I’m only twenty-one. I still have time to figure it out, I guess.”
“Any ideas?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe I could work in intelligence, possibly deception training. Considering I can see people’s lies naturally, I might be of use to the government.”
“That’s really cool,” I said in admiration. I winced, realizing how lame I sounded. That’s really cool? That had to be the most awkward, inarticulate comment ever. Ugh.
“What about your art?” I asked, nosily. “Why don’t you want to pursue it?”
“I did once,” he said, not meeting my eyes. “It was a long time ago, another life.”
I felt like I was treading on thin water asking about his art. I knew better than to go any further with it. I presumed it had something to do with the blonde woman, the woman he’d loved and lost. The reminder had to be pretty painful.
“Your turn,” he told me. “Truth. You’re always giving people what they want. So what does the oracle herself want more than anything else?”
I was surprised by his question. Extremely surprised. No one had ever asked me that before.
“Not to be the oracle.” As soon as I said the words, I knew they were painfully, and powerfully true. I didn’t want this. Not even if I could control it. The moment grew serious, laced with something uncomfortable, something I didn’t want to deal with.
I changed my tone to become lighter, more playful. “Right now though, I want to lie face up on that dock and take in this beautiful sky. We don’t have skies like this in L.A.”
Rex glanced at the dock. “Let’s do it then.”
He helped me climb up, holding out his arm for me to lean against. The rickety dock seemed a little unsafe, especially when added to my champagne-induced clumsiness, but I ventured onto it anyway. Abby hopped onto it too, trailing after us. We laid our coats along the wood, laying down opposite each other.
; I drank up the sky, taking in its massive beauty, staring at all the glittering stars in wonder.
“The stars, they’re beautiful,” I murmured.
“Mmm hmm.”
“I’ve never seen them like this before. So big and bright.”
“You’ve been missing out.”
Though he couldn’t see me, I nodded in agreement. “Yes,” I admitted ruefully. “I think I’ve been missing out on a lot.”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured me. “You can catch up. A lifetime is a very long time.”
“I suppose you would know.”
“It is, trust me. You’ve got loads more time to do the things you want. Do you have a bucket list?”
I smiled. “Believe it or not, I do. But I’d probably never do any of the things on it.”
“Then why’d you make one?”
“Wishful thinking, I suppose.” More like a desperate attempt to forget how boring I could be.
“What’s on it?” he asked. I heard him shuffling around beside me. I looked over, seeing he’d propped his head up on his arm and was looking directly at me.
“You really want to know?” I asked. It surprised me that he found my bucket list so curious.
He merely shrugged. “I’ve nothing better to do.”
I rolled my eyes. “So happy to be your source of amusement.”
I spied Rex’s mouth curving into a grin through the darkness.
Contemplating on my list, I tried to remember the things I’d placed on it. “To be groped by a groomsman at an Irish Traveler wedding,” I joked.
Rex’s laughter resounded, echoing through the forest. “You said your sister would never be so lucky,” he said between laughs.
It was a pleasant noise, his laughter. I hadn’t heard it before. Not this kind. Only a faint snicker or chuckle here and there. This was different, genuine. Rex sounded. . .happy.
“Tell me,” he ordered.
“Okay, okay.” I said, lifting my head in order to meet his interested gaze. “One was to go to college. Unexciting, I know.”
“No it isn’t,” he said seriously. “What’s the next one?”
“Parasailing.”
“Parasailing?” He arched a high brow. “You?”
I frowned. “I’m not going to tell you any more of these things if you make fun of me.”
“Sorry. I just didn’t think you would ever want to parasail.”
“Why not? It’s supposed to be fun.”
“Next one,” he demanded anxiously.
“To climb a mountain.”
“Nice,” he commended me. “I’ve climbed Everest.”
“No way,” I said in awe. “How was it?”
“Dreadful. And cold. I’d never do it again.”
I frowned. “You’ve just ruined my vision.”
“Sorry, babe, but it’s the truth. What’s the next one?”
“To visit the Lourve in Paris! I’ve always wanted to go there. Isn’t it like the pinnacle of art museums or something?”
He was silent for a moment, regarding me. “I think you’d probably enjoy the Musee d’Orsay over the Lourve.”
“Why’s that?”
“It showcases artists like Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir. The original Starry Night is there.”
I sighed dreamily, picturing myself in Paris, roaming through the museums like they were playgrounds. “Heaven.”
“You know, Spencer, I may just like you yet.”
I smiled, feeling warm all over. “You didn’t like me before?”
I figured he’d feed me some quick-witted line about how I mostly annoyed him, but instead he surprised me with the truth. “You lied a lot when we first found you. I’m not a big fan of liars.”
I winced shamefully, remembering the countless number of times I’d lied in front of Rex. “Not to excuse myself or anything, but I’ve been forced to lie a lot throughout my life.”
He stared at me a long moment. I held my breath, feeling like he was searching for something. Finally, he said, “You have a few redeeming qualities. Your passion for art, being one of them.”
His words broke the tension. “Gee thanks, Rex,” I replied laughingly.
We both flinched at the way his name sounded rolling off my lips. It smacked of familiarity. Thankfully, he couldn’t see the heat rising to my cheeks.
“Go on,” he told me after a moment. “What else is on this list? Have you told me your number one already?”
I shook my head. “Not saying.”
“Why not?”
“Cause you’d just make fun of me. Probably make your infamous gagging sound on me too.”
“Ah,” he said. His amber eyes lit up by the moonlight. “I know what it is.”
“No, you don’t.”
“L’amour,” he breathed. “You’re such a female.”
My eyes widened. He’d guessed my number one! I don’t know why, but I was mad at him for guessing correctly. I didn’t want Rex knowing my inner psyche so well.
I scowled. “Just because your heart is as tiny as the Grinch’s doesn’t give you the right to judge mine.”
“On the contrary, I think it’s sweet. And where do you get off comparing me to the Grinch? I’m neither green nor furry. And my heart is a normal size.”
“I’ll bet.”
He took my hand and placed it over his heart. I felt the tiny thumps beneath my fingers. I felt the muscles expanding and contracting within the panes of his chest as he breathed in and out.
My breath wavered, catching in my throat. The lines in his face grew darkly serious. His eyes turned into seductive burning coals, a fiery hunger building within them. Something passed between us within that moment. I could feel the wanting expand inside Rex. His desire practically seeped from his skin.
He wanted to kiss me.
I would have known, even if it weren’t for the curse. He stared at my lips, possessing them with his intentions. I still couldn’t breathe, wondering if he would act on his desire. Of course, I already knew how he could have what he wanted. The answer frightened me because it was so easily available. All he had to do was steal his kiss. I wouldn’t protest. My own mouth longed to learn the curves of his beautifully sculpted lips.
As if lightening struck him, Rex turned away from me. He brushed the moment away, removing my hand from his chest and giving it back to me. “You see?” he asked carelessly. “My heart beats.”
He yawned and stretched out on our makeshift blanket of coats, closing his eyes.
A mixture of regret and relief flooded over me. I let out an unsteady breath.
I glanced over at Rex to see he was falling asleep. He looked so peaceful. The tense area of his brow was flat and smooth. It made him appear much more handsome than he already was.
I sighed.
Part of me wished I could curl up in the crook of his arm and rest my head against his shoulder.
I shouldn’t, of course. He was Rex, the critic, the jackass, and let’s not forget the hopeless, heartbroken man who longed for another woman.
Rex’s shoulder was much too complicated.
I couldn’t resist temptation though, and snuggled up to him anyway. I breathed in the smell of evergreen soap. Though complicated, his shoulder was actually very perfect. It was as if my head were meant to fit exactly there.
I stared up at the stars again, noticing a shooting one soaring across the sky. I’d never seen a shooting star before. I closed my eyes superstitiously, and made a wish.
Please let this moment last forever.
I startled, feeling Rex pull me closer, resting his cheek on top of my head. I felt Abby at my side, too, finally worn out and settling down.
I knew I should probably go back to the RV, but I wanted to enjoy this for a while longer. Ten more minutes, I said to myself, yawning sleepily.
Just ten more minutes with Rex, Abby and the stars.
Ten
I woke up in the RV, tucked underneath the comforter in my bed, warm and comforta
ble. I stretched in languor, fine, except for a dull ache in the back of my head.
I looked around, confused. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep on the dock.
With Rex.
With my head on his shoulder.
He probably woke up and found me like that. How. . .awkward.
I wondered if he brought me back here from the lake. I didn’t remember walking back. Did Rex carry me? It was kind of a long way to haul a sleeping person. Maybe I did walk back and just don’t remember it happening.
I held my hands to my temples, thoroughly confused. I was a heavy sleeper, but once I was awake, I was awake. And I didn’t drink that much champagne.
I heard some soft noises coming from the kitchen. I sat up groggily, and Abby stretched beside me. What time was it? I wondered.
I ventured into the kitchen, finding Lina, stirring a pot of what looked like more of the white goop. I shuddered at the reminder. Hopefully, she wouldn’t ask me to eat it again.
“Morning,” she greeted me, smiling. Lina remained so effervescently cheerful. It seemed like she couldn’t be put in a bad mood.
“Good morning,” I replied.
“Where’d you disappear to last night?”
I had no idea how to answer her. I couldn’t tell her the truth-that I fell asleep by the lake with Rex, could I?
No, definitely not.
“What do you mean?” I asked innocently, then steered the conversation back towards her. “Where did you disappear to last night?”
Lina giggled, as if she had some naughty secret. “It’s a long story. I ended up teaching some of the groomsmen how to dance, and they were so drunk, falling all over themselves. Anyway, I got in really late.”
I smiled. “Sounds like you had a good time.”
After escaping Lina and her breakfast offer, I threw on some sweats and running shoes. I took Abby out for a run to explore the hiking trails.
I ran for miles, into the heart of the forest that spooked me last night and past the lake where Rex and I fell asleep underneath the stars. I ran until my heart beat frantically, until beads of sweat poured down my face, until I couldn’t feel my legs or run another second.