“Hey baby--Haley. Shit, I’ll call you baby,” he says. “Might as well, if we are carrying this fake fiancé situation through to the end, don’t you think?”
My heart drops at the mention of ‘fake’.
This doesn’t feel fake at all.
On the contrary, this feels like the realest feeling I’ve ever had.
Chapter Seventeen
Haley
We sit butt-ass naked on the roof.
Our legs touch, the drinks are still a little cold, and a warm breeze hits us.
“You think they miss us at the party downstairs?” I ask, taking a sip of my whisky ginger.
“I don’t know, and I don’t give a shit.” Liam answers.
I take a deep breath, loving how fresh the air is. It’s such a contrast to the polluted city air I’m used to.
“You really don’t give a shit about what people think, do you? It’s an admirable quality.”
“I stopped giving a shit about what people think of me years ago. I just live my life, and if people have shit to say go ahead and say it. I ain’t got time for them though.”
I rub his arm lightly with the back of my hand. “What happened years ago that made you like that?”
I feel his muscles tense up. He takes a long pull of his drink and looks off into the distance at the stars.
“Bad breakup.” He grunts.
I caress his back, running my hand from his shoulder blades down his spine. “What happened? I won’t judge.”
“I don’t like to talk about it. Don’t need to talk about it. It’s over and done with, anyways.”
“Well, you know all about my situation.”
He arches an eyebrow my way. “Asshole abusive ex who went to Harvard and thinks his shit doesn’t stink?”
“You got it.” I smile, and squint a little at him. “You pick up on things pretty quick, you know.”
“That’s true. I do pick up things quick. Especially women.” He runs a hand down my stomach, kisses me, and stops his hand just short of reaching all the way between my legs.
“Fuck.” I mutter as his lips graze my neck. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to be one hundred percent honest with me.”
He removes his mouth from my skin. I want him to keep going, yeah, but I still need to know the answer to this question. “Shoot.” He says.
“Do you like, do this a lot?”
“Do what a lot? Get invited to weddings with someone random, then pretend to be their fiancé? Yeah. Like every week.”
“No..” I roll my eyes. “I mean do you have trysts with women all the time?”
He squints. “What are you trying to get at Haley?”
“I don’t know,” I mutter. “I just want to know...ah damnit. I feel so silly saying this.” I chuckle a little.
“Say it.”
“This--you and me--happened so fast. Like, lightning fast. But I’m doing things with you I would have never considered doing with anyone. And you know what? I like it. No, I love it. I just...I don’t know. It’s silly. Forget I said anything.”
He nods slowly, taking in my words. “I know what you mean. I could get used to this.”
“Used to what?”
“You. Me.” He pauses. “You know, fucking on all the rooftops across the nation.”
“That’s a lot of rooftops,” I snigger. “We could do a national tour.” I sigh, take a deep breath, and lean my head into his chest. A huge part of me wishes he just stopped that sentence after ‘You. Me.’ As crazy as it is, I have a quick flash into what it would be like having Liam’s baby, as I run my hand over his abs. What kind of kid would he or she be? Big and strong like Liam? Lanky and awkward like me? Where would the kid grow up? Blackwell? New York?
Shoot. I literally shake my head, trying not to think about the ridiculousness of this, seeing as how I just met the man not even a week ago.
“What are you thinking about Haley?” He asks, stroking my hair.
“Uh..” I say, leaning back on my elbows, staring at the bed of stars above us. “I was just thinking how I don’t even know your sign. What are you, anyway?”
“Why, you some kind of psychic?”
I flip over on my hands and knees and stare into his eyes. “Yes. They call me the Redheaded Geisha, actually.”
“Well then, O wise woman. I’m an Aries. What’s that mean?” He drawls.
“A lot of things.” I say with a seductive smile. “It means you’re impatient.” I point to his head. He nods in admission. “Stubborn.” I trace his chest. “Unpredictable.” I wrap my hand around his bicep. “And above all, dominant.”
I slip my hand down to his cock and he groans. “Yes to all four. You’re good.”
“Oh, and I almost forget to mention.” I say as I rub my hand back and forth on him. “You have a lot of stamina.”
I’m thinking about getting on top of him for one more round, when we hear a voice from below.
“Haley! Haley Dear!”
“Fuck.” I swallow. “It’s my mom.”
We scramble to put our clothes on, and in a couple of minutes, we step down the ladder, and see my mother.
She’s relieved when she sees us.
“Oh, there you two are!!” She says. “We were getting worried. The dance floor is dying down a little bit, and we still have the DJ for two more hours! Liam, we need you out there. You were the life of the party tonight.”
“Sure thing,” He grins.
“By the way, what were you two doing up there?” She asks, then hesitates. “You know what, don’t answer that. You two are engaged. You do what you want.”
I roll my eyes a little. I’m twenty-eight years old and she still has a hard time not treating me like the baby of the family.
Liam opens the door for me so we can head back inside, when my sister steps out, and she has a much more flustered look on her face then my mom had.
“Where have you two been?” She says, hands on her hips.
I furrow my brow, wondering what’s got her so worked up.
“Been checking out the stars,” Liam says. “Gorgeous night.”
She lets a breath out. “Well. I guess that’s okay. I wanted to let you know some news.”
“Oh yes, this is good!” My mom says.
My sister continues speaking. “Tomorrow, before Zack and I take our honeymoon, we’re taking a one day camping trip in Chadron State Park. Even Mom and Dad are going.”
I furrow my brow even more.
“Mom and Dad can barely stand to be in the same state together. Let alone same camping party.” I retort. I feel a little bad for sounding like an ass, but it’s the truth. Ever since the divorce, I’ve barely seen them say three kind words in a row to each other.
“Your father and I have decided to put aside our differences for the trip. A little fresh air will do us New Yorkers good.”
I turn to Liam and arch an eyebrow. “So. Honey. What do you think?”
He is stone faced, looking like one of those actors from the cowboy films of the 1950s and 60s. He shoots an especially evil looking glance to my sister Jade, which surprises me, since they don’t even know each other.
“Sounds great, Baby.” He finally says. “I can’t wait to go camping with y’all city folk.”
“I know how to camp, thank you very much.” Jade retorts. “Besides, Zack will be there too. Obviously. And Jack.”
“Why would Jack come?” I snap back. “He’s not one of the family.”
“Oh come on, don’t be such a skeeze. He can come if he wants. He’s not hurting anyone,” Jade retorts.
Liam slips a hand down to the small of my back. “Well babe, this is going to be a hoot. Now let’s hit the dance floor and finish off the night.”
I should be entirely happy about a camping trip. I’m off from work during the next week, anyway. And my mom is kind of right. A little fresh air can’t hurt us New York folks.
Besides, I don’t mind spending one more night with L
iam. His hard body, that devilish mouth between my legs. And I have a feeling the city boys are going to be fish out of water during this trip.
Liam? I bet he can start a fire with two rocks, build me a home, and hunt down some food all before five o'clock.
This should be interesting.
Chapter Eighteen
Liam
Haley and I stop at a truck stop and buy a couple of sleeping bags.
Personally, I think we’ll be good with one tonight. But even in the summer, the outdoors get cold in a tent.
After a solid three hour drive through the Iowa and Nebraska countryside, we see the sign that says Chadron State Park.
Haley pays the overnight stay-fee and I grab some firewood from the little corner shop.
“Three dollars, buddy.” The grey haired man at the counter tells me.
“Thanks buddy. Y’all have any hunting grounds here, by the way?”
“Fishing, yes. Hunting, no.”
“Aw, that’s alright. Anyone else come through here today?”
The guy shrugs. “Had an interesting couple come through here. The guy asked me if he could buy gasoline to start a fire! I said ‘Naw, but you can buy some damn matches!’ We’re not trying to burn down the whole damn forest now are we?”
He laughs heartily and I smile along with him. I don’t know what Jade’s up to, but I wish she’d just concentrate on her own damn marriage now that she’s, you know, married. Personally, I think it’s pretty weird that she’s not going straight to her honeymoon. Something really is starting to seem funky with her and her husband, but I still can’t put my finger on it.
After Haley and I set up a tent we rented, we head out on the lake. We spend the day fishing, chatting, smiling, joking, and surprisingly, not fucking.
Today, something happens with us that moves me, and I try to put my finger on it. It’s seeing her in the sunlight. It’s her laugh. Throwing back a few beers on a boat over looking pristine waters.
Maybe it’s the fresh air. Or maybe I’m just little messed up in the head. But after what—four or five days?--I’m starting to fall for this broad.
She’s crazy, a little impulsive, and sure as shit, she has a dirtier mouth than I do at times.
But damned if she’s not the sexiest dirty ass girl from New York I’ve ever met in my life. And if she’s crazy, I’m certified insane.
It might be fucked up, and I’m sure a psychologist would have a field day with us, but she’s the crazy yin to my insane yang.
I want to tell her what’s really going through my mind. I want to nonchalantly mention that my buddy Mason is a bartender at the hottest bar in Blackwell, and we can easily get her a job as a cocktail waitress there.
I stop myself short, because we’ve only known each other for five days. Five.
And city girls don’t just up and move to the middle of nowhere, Blackwell, rural USA.
Right?
The sun sets as we walk back with a haul of fish. We caught some catfish, trout, and walleye, not a bad haul for the day.
“Holy shit, you guys actually caught fish?” Is the first thing Jack says to me when we get into camp. “We were out there all day and caught nothing.”
Haley rubs my back. “He’s basically Mr. Wilderness.”
“I grew up close to a creek,” I retort. “It’s natural.”
“Oh wow. Well the family is just really lucky to have you. Aren’t we, you guys?”
I stare hard at Jack. Something’s not been sitting right with me concerning him, either. The guy weirds me out, and I also wonder why he’s even here. Although he is the best man, it’s not like this is his family.
Not to mention that shit he pulled with Haley. She is so damn patient.
We share our haul with the other campers, who are all quite happy since the only things they’ve brought to eat are hot dogs to cook on a stick and buns. Oh, and of course the S'mores.
City folk camping, I tell ya.
Later in the evening, the sun starts to go down and the temperature chills just a little, enough that I have to loan Haley a flannel shirt I brought.
I start a fire with just a couple of matches, and before we know it the thing is blazing, enough that we’ve got to push back our stump seats around the fire.
Jack, Zack, Jade, and Haley’s parents join us around the fire, and for the first while, they’re relatively silent. We just enjoy the fact that we’re staring into flames, have no cell phone connection, and the air is fresh.
I turn to my left and stare at Haley for a moment. She’s got on jeans, a tank top, and my flannel over it. Her hair falls long behind her head, the red locks sparkling in the firelight. For a minute, she doesn’t notice me staring at her, and I take advantage of that fact, leering at her like a creep.
How the hell did we get here, I wonder. Just this past Sunday night, she was just a hot piece of ass I fucked like there was no tomorrow.
Like literally. No tomorrow. I never thought I’d see her again after that night.
Yet she stuck around, and now, when we fuck, especially that last time, there’s no denying the emotional connection I feel to her. So what if we’ve only known each other a few days?
I want her for longer. Maybe it’s a sight too soon for marriage. Maybe this is just the honeymoon period and tomorrow, we’ll hate each other.
But I decide right here and now, I have a new goal:
Bring Haley back to Blackwell with me. Show her my friends and family, like she’s let me into hers. Did she say something about starting a diner? Hell, I’ve been saving some money.
I take a deep breath and look around at the other souls surrounding the campfire. Her parents have no clue about our real story. They think I live in New York. I’ve never been to New York, and, truth be told, I hate the goddamn big city. I don’t think I would last two months there.
Haley’s in a trance, staring into the blue-orange flames. And I’m in a trance staring at her. She fills out that flannel and her jeans so perfectly. Maybe I can make a small town girl out of her yet.
“What are you thinking about?” I say softly, breaking the silence at the fire.
She pauses, glances at the ground, and looks up at me. “Nothing.” She whispers.
I lick my lips, never more curious in my life to know what’s running through a person’s mind.
Her father speaks up, finally breaking the tension. “Hey, y’all want some whisky?” He drawls, pulling out a big bottle of Wild Turkey.
“I sure as hell won’t pass that offer up.” I say. “And Sir, did you just say ‘y’all?’” Aren’t you from New York?”
He smiles a little and chuckles. “Liam, didn’t I tell you I was raised in the mountains of North Carolina? Hell, I guess being out here in the wilderness and all, and hell, maybe being around you, has me speaking like I’m back to my roots.”
I nod. “Fill ‘er up.” I say, and he gets a solo cup with some whisky and some coke for me. His little ‘y’all’ anecdote, while it might seem innocuous, suddenly gives me a shot of hope for Haley to come to Blackwell.
Maybe she does have small town in her blood after all. I just wonder if she’d change her city lifestyle just for a shot at love with some crazy mechanic who lives in the middle of nowhere.
“I really do appreciate you all coming here and camping out with us.” Haley’s mom says. “Especially Jade and Zack, taking a day before your honeymoon to hang out with us. And Jack, sorry your date couldn’t make it.”
We all nod as she passes each of us a cup filled with some drink.
“And you’re probably curious why we were so insistent that you all come.”
Zack nods. “You’re right about that. I mean, I don’t mind coming out. But we did push back our flight to Hawaii.”
“Well, you all know that love works in funny ways.” Haley’s mom nods. “And we just thought it was best to wait until after the wedding, so we didn’t steal any thunder. But we’re getting back together.”
All
of the jaws around the campfire drop, mine included.
“And to be honest.” Haley’s dad says, “We weren’t even sure we wanted to do this. Until we saw how happy you two are together, Jade and Zack. And then we saw Haley and Liam and how head over heels they are, and we just knew. We have to get back together.”
Haley and I lock eyes. Suddenly, I don’t feel so good about the fact that I am fake engaged to her. Our fake engagement is having real social consequences.
“So raise your glasses everyone!” Jack interjects. “Let’s have a cheers! Mr. and Mrs. Rosebaum. Getting back together. Here here!”
We clink our plastic solo cups together and all take a sip. There’s something about being out in nature that really makes whisky taste better.
“Well Mom and Dad...” Jade speaks, and my stomach curls a little. She wouldn’t tell them the truth, would she? “We do know that love comes at mysterious times of your life. It comes and goes. Hey, I have an idea. Let’s play a game of ‘never have I ever.’”
“Yes! Sounds like fun!” Zack adds.
My heart sinks just a little when Jade shoots me a sly smile, reminding me I need to come clean with Haley. It was so many years ago that Jade and I were together. But something tells me if I’m thinking about bringing her back to Blackwell, I had better fill her in.
Jade explains to Haley’s parents how the game works. We go around in a circle, saying things we’ve never done, but that we think other people have done. If you’ve done the thing, you drink.
“I’ll start,” Haley says. “Never have I ever gotten married!”
Haley’s parents, Jade, and Zack drink.
And the game is off to a furious start.
For the first few rounds, we sit around the fire trading innocuous little details about our lives. The mood is jovial and everyone keeps it cool, saying things that are silly but not boundary pushing.
Never have I ever been to California.
Never have I ever milked a cow.
You know. Silly stuff.
As we take more sips of our whisky coke, the mood gets more revealing.
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