by Laura Lee
I jump into his arms and hug him tight. “Thank you, Dylan. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he replies. “But you can tell Mr. Cooper that if he hurts you, I will fuck him up.”
“I’ll be sure to pass the message along.”
Dylan looks at the clock on his phone. “C’mon, Kitty, let’s get out of here. We’re ridiculously late for first period.”
I take his hand as we exit the closet with a smile on my face and courage in my heart.
OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, Gavin and I have fallen into a rhythm of sorts. He was anxious when he first learned that Dylan knew about us, but he eventually calmed down, saying that he trusted my judgment. As hard as it is to stay away, we’ve managed to control ourselves during school hours. We certainly make up for it afterwards, though. I’ve stayed at his place every night I’m not working.
Speaking of work, that’s one area of contention between us. Gavin hates what I do for a living—he becomes distant whenever I mention anything about the club. He says he doesn’t want to share me with anyone. I try explaining how I detach myself from the situation but all he sees is that hundreds of men see me naked every week, which makes him grunt and groan like a caveman. He can’t deny that it’s my only viable means of supporting myself in this shitty situation so he’s careful not to cross any lines with his opinion. We agree to disagree about it, I guess.
I smile when my phone chimes with an incoming text.
Gavin: You’re mine on Christmas Eve. Don’t make any plans.
Winter break starts tomorrow which means that Gavin and I will have lots of uninterrupted time together. He’s leaving to go back home on Christmas morning but we’ll have the first week with each other. I even asked for time off from the club. Gavin will be gone from Christmas through New Year’s so I’m working extra shifts during his absence to make up for it.
I type my reply, still trying to get used to moving my thumbs over such a small keyboard. Yes, I know I’m a disgrace to my generation for waiting until age eighteen to get my first cell phone, but when you’re broke, you don’t have much choice in the matter.
Me: Do these plans involve being naked? If so, I’m in!
Gavin: There may be a strategically placed bow somewhere, but other than that, nakedness is a guarantee. ;)
I laugh when I imagine him standing there with a big red bow tied around his finer assets.
Me: You sure do know how to woo a gal.
Gavin: You’re the only gal worth wooing, Kat. xoxo
Wow, could he have thought of a better response? Things with Gavin seem almost too perfect. I’m not just talking about the sex—which to be clear is phenomenal—but everything seems better with him in the picture. We’ve laid awake for countless hours talking, getting to know each other beyond a physical level. He knows more about me than anyone ever has and surprisingly, he hasn’t run away in horror.
I think back to a conversation we had just the other night.
“So, why’d you move to Oregon?” I ask.
He runs his fingers through my hair. “I told you before…this was the first job offer I had so I jumped on it.”
“I get that,” I say, “but I meant, why did you leave the Bay Area? From what you’ve told me, you really seem to love it there.”
“I do,” he confirms. “Well, I did, anyway. After I found out about Hailey’s affair…with my best friend Joe of all people, I was crushed. I couldn’t go anywhere without being reminded of them. I was haunted by their betrayal.”
“Do you regret leaving your family?”
“I had a hard time at first. I miss them every day. I really miss our weekly Sunday dinners. My mom’s pot roast is to die for. I don’t regret leaving though.”
“Why not?”
He kisses the top of my head. “Because it led me to you.”
I smile. “Did you always want to be a high school teacher?”
“Not really, but it’s a good place to start.”
I scrunch my face in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“My ultimate goal is to become a college professor…in creative writing, ideally,” he explains. “But that would require going back to school for my PhD.”
“Do you think you’ll do it one day? Go back to school?”
“I hope so,” he replies. “What about you? What are your plans after graduation?”
“College, hopefully. It all depends on where I’m accepted and whether or not I get any financial assistance.”
“Have you applied anywhere yet?”
“No, but I’ve been collecting all of the information I need to start.”
“Do you mind me asking what your S.A.T. score was?”
“2380.”
He shifts his body, causing me to roll off of him. “Are you serious? You can get into almost any Ivy League school with those scores. Holy shit, Kat. I knew you were smart, but damn!”
I smile. “Thanks, but the Ivies aren’t a possibility for me. Academically, sure. But they all want extra-curricular activities, people who volunteer to mentor little kids and shit like that. I never had a chance for that, being bounced around the system. Plus, I’m fairly certain I’d never get a worthy recommendation letter in this town.”
“I’d give you one in a heartbeat,” he says.
“Waxing poetic about my ability to give a blow job won’t impress the admissions office, Gavin.”
He laughs. “I was being serious, Kat. But now that you mention it, you do inspire me when your lips are wrapped around my cock. I could write a poem and call it, Ode to a Fellatio Master.”
I roll my eyes. “You are such a nerd!”
He leans over me and kisses my neck. “Yes, but I’m your nerd.”
I bring his lips to mine. “You are.”
I smile when I think about what followed that particular conversation. I can’t help but feeling like it’s only a matter of time before the other shoe drops, though. I can’t help question what he sees in someone like me. He mentioned that his ex is a Stanford grad as well as an attorney. Seriously! Why would he want a small town girl with epic amounts of baggage when he’s been with someone so sophisticated?
I’m pretty confident that I’ll be admitted to several colleges with my grades but what if no one offers me a scholarship? Will I be stuck in this town forever? Will I wind up stripping until I can no longer rely on my looks? What will happen then? What will happen if I do get a scholarship? Could we handle a long-distance relationship? I realize that these questions typically arise after much more time together but everything with Gavin has moved at light speed. On the surface, you’d see a tawdry affair between a teacher and his student. In reality, Gavin and I are like two halves of a whole. I never thought in a million years that I would be spouting off about soulmates and shit but that’s what I feel with him. It’s like we were meant to be together. Cheesy, I know, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
My phone chimes with another text.
Gavin: You still there?
Me: Yeah, sorry…got lost in thought. What time should I come over?
Gavin: Now?
Me: Xmas Eve is still a week away
Gavin: And? I have no problem keeping you occupied until then.
Me: I promise I’m all yours after tonight. I’m going out with Bree and Dylan. Remember?
Gavin: Come over afterwards.
Me: It will be late.
Gavin: I don’t care. I want to wake up with you in my bed.
I’m grinning like a fool as I type my reply.
Me: Okay. I’ll text you when I’m on my way.
Gavin: Be safe.
Me: Yes, Mr. Cooper.
Gavin: Don’t make me take you over my knee, smartass!
Me: Please do…sounds kinky! ;)
Gavin: Kat, go have fun with your friends before I change my mind and tie you to my bed.
Me: Promise?
The next message that comes in is a picture. I laugh as I open it up
and see Gavin frowning at me. I know he’s going for stern but it’s coming off as sexy, making me want to drive over to his house and mount him instead. I decide to return the favor, giving him something to think about while I’m out. I tuck my shirt under my chin and snap a picture of my boobs currently encased in a lilac push up bra.
Gavin: Woman, you’re killing me!
Me: That should get you by until I come over later. Think of me. xoxo
Gavin: Always.
A knock at the door shakes me out of my Gavin-induced stupor. I get up from the couch to answer it and find Bree and Dylan standing on the other side.
“Hey girl!” Bree pulls me into a tight hug. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!”
“Breanna, I just saw you at lunch.”
She rolls her eyes. “I meant outside of school, bitch. You’ve been so busy. I miss you.”
I look up and see Dylan standing awkwardly at the threshold. He hasn’t been in my apartment since the night I rejected his advances.
“Come on in, guys.”
They both step inside and make themselves comfortable on the couch.
“So what’s the plan?” I ask. “I can see what movies are playing if you want.”
Bree releases her lyrical laugh. “Oh, Kitty. Why would we want to sit in a movie for two hours and not be able to talk? The whole point of meeting up tonight was so we could all catch up and have fun. It’s been like a month!”
“So what do you want to do?”
Dylan holds up a large paper sack. “We’re going old-school tonight, babe. Beach, fire, and liquor.”
Okay, that actually sounds pretty incredible. I know what you’re thinking…who the hell goes to the beach at night in the middle of winter? Well, when you’re a teenager in this town with not much else to do, that’s what you do. Besides, in the northwest, the weather at the beach stays pretty much the same all year long with the exception of late summer. And by the same, I mean you’ll be wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. As long as it’s not raining, it’s a good day for it.
“That sounds great,” I say. “Our usual spot?”
“Well, yeah!” Bree pumps her fist in the air.
My apartment may be a piece of shit, but it’s centrally located. It’s only a five block walk from public beach access which is definitely convenient when you’re drinking. Bree and I grab the tequila and blankets while Dylan hauls the firewood he brought. We make our way to the sand and sit back while the flames get going. The alcohol and conversation are flowing as my friends pass a joint between them. At least they give me the courtesy of sitting across the fire while they smoke. I don’t realize how drunk I am until I get up to pee behind a big log. Now if you’ve ever tried digging a hole and squatting over it, you know how difficult it is to coordinate that. Adding drinks to the mix is just asking for trouble, but when you gotta go, you gotta go. I sway as I try positioning myself just right so I don’t soak my clothes. I realize it’s a lost cause as my bare ass hits the sand.
“Bree!” I shout. “I need your help!”
Bree stumbles over to me and starts laughing hysterically once she sees the pickle I’m in. “Oh, man, I’ve got to get a picture of this.”
I point my finger at her. “Don’t you dare! I swear to God I will break your phone if you try.”
“Fine,” she says grumpily.
“Just get over here and help me hold still.”
Bree giggles as she does her best to help hold me up while I pee in the sand and drip dry since I don’t have any toilet paper handy.
“What are you guys doing over there?” Dylan shouts in the distance.
“Kat needed help peeing!” Bree screams in my ear.
“Ow!” I hold my hand up to my ear as I pull my pants up with the other hand. “Do you have to be so loud?”
I have sand in unmentionable places. I try shaking it loose to no avail. Bree sees this and starts giggling again until she’s gasping for air.
Dylan joins us and hands me the bottle of Cuervo. I wrap my lips around it and take a big swig. I shiver as it goes down and then I wipe my mouth.
“You cold, Kitty?” he asks.
Now that I think about it, I am. Being away from the fire pit makes a huge difference.
“A little bit, yeah.”
Dylan pulls me into a side hug and says, “C’mon, babe. I’ll keep you warm.”
WHY IN THE HELL IS SOMEONE USING A CHANSAW in the middle of the night? Not a chainsaw, I think as I open my eyes. It’s still dark out but there’s enough moonlight filtering in to see that I’m not in bed alone. When did Gavin get here? And since when does he snore? I sit up and rub my head, trying to recall the events of last night before I passed out. The last thing I remember is sitting by the fire drinking. Damn tequila gets me every time.
As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I look over to Gavin. He rolls toward me and his face catches in the moonlight. Oh, shit! Not Gavin. What the fuck is Dylan doing here? In my bed? I start to panic as I take inventory of our clothing. I’m wearing my t-shirt from last night and a pair of panties. I’m not going to risk waking him, but I can see that Dylan’s chest is bare. My God, what did I do? Please, please, please let him be wearing pants!
Ding dong.
What the hell was that? Is that my doorbell? I look over to my alarm clock and see that it’s 4:30 in the morning. The bell rings again and wakes Dylan who stretches and groans.
“Kitty, who the fuck is at your door in the middle of the night?”
“Who’s at my door?” I whisper shout. “What the hell are you doing here? In my bed?”
He sits up. “You don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
The bell rings again followed by loud knocking.
“Kat, it’s Gavin. Open the door before I knock it down. You’re not answering your phone and I’m getting really worried.”
“Oh, shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!” I jump out of bed and quickly pull up my discarded jeans that are lying on the floor. “Dylan, hurry the fuck up and get dressed!”
Gavin’s knuckles pound on my door even harder. “Kat, I’m serious. I’m about to break down your door.”
“Coming!” I shout. “I just woke up. Be right there!”
That seems to placate him for the moment because he’s no longer making a ruckus outside.
“Dylan!”
He flops back onto the mattress. “Go take care of Mr. Cooper, Kitty. I’m going back to bed.”
I shove him. “The fuck you are! Goddammit, get dressed!”
I run into the hall and shut my bedroom door. Dylan’s ass had better be putting some clothes on. I unlock the deadbolt to my front door and swing it open.
“Oh, thank God!” Gavin exclaims. “You had me worried half to death, Kat. Why weren’t you answering your phone? I was expecting to hear from you hours ago.”
“Um…” I step aside to let him in. “I passed out. I guess we drank a little too much.”
Gavin’s eyes flit across my living room and pauses a beat over the blankets on my couch. Is that where Dylan was originally sleeping? And where is Bree? Ugh, I’m never drinking tequila again!
“So you fell asleep in here? What took you so long to answer the door?”
“I…um…” I stammer.
Just then, I hear the door to my bedroom creak open. So does Gavin.
“Is Bree here?” he whispers in a panicked voice. “Shit, Kat. How are we going to explain this?”
“Your secret is safe, Teach,” Dylan says gruffly. “Breanna’s current fuckboy picked her up hours ago. It’s just me and Kitty here. Well, and now you.”
Gavin instantly stiffens and looks over my shoulder. By the firm set of his jaw, I’m guessing Dylan decided not to get dressed. I’m too afraid to turn around to confirm it either way.
“Kat, what’s going on?” Gavin asks.
His tone is eerily calm. Like when you’re in the eye of a hurricane. I risk a glance over my shoulder and see Dylan standing there wearin
g nothing but his boxers.
“Damn it, Dylan! Where are your clothes?”
“I’m wearing clothes,” he argues.
“Hardly,” Gavin scoffs.
“What’s the problem, Kitty? It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“You piece of sh—” Gavin says as he charges forward.
I somehow manage to wedge myself between them.
I shove Dylan toward my room. “Dylan, go get your fucking clothes on and don’t come out until I tell you to!” I place my hand on Gavin’s chest. “And you! Go sit down on the couch and we’ll talk!”
“Geez, Kitty. Who knew you could be so bossy?” Dylan asks. “It’s kind of hot.”
“Kat,” Gavin says through a clenched jaw. “I swear to God I’m going to kick the shit out of him if you can’t convince him to shut his mouth.”
“Dylan, one more word and I will kick the shit out of you myself. Starting with your balls. Now go!” I stomp my foot and point toward my room to emphasize my statement.
Dylan goes into my bedroom and slams the door while Gavin stomps over to the couch and sits down. Crossing his arms over his chest, he says, “Would you care to explain to me what happened tonight? Namely, why that asshole is coming out of your bedroom practically naked?”
I sit next to him and sigh. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” he repeats. “I’m going to need you to expand on that, Kat.”
“I can’t,” I say shamefully. “The last thing I remember is drinking on the beach with Bree and Dylan. I have no idea what happened after that.”
“Jesus.” He pulls on his hair and throws his head back, closing his eyes. “You’re telling me that you have no idea what happened? You completely blacked out?”
“Clearly, I drank too much.”
He glares at me. “You think?”
“I don’t need your sarcasm, Gavin. I feel shitty enough as is.”
“Kat, what the hell am I supposed to say here? We made plans to see each other tonight. Instead, you don’t answer my calls or texts and I come here to find Dylan coming out of your room in his underwear? I’m trying not to jump to conclusions but it’s really fucking hard when you tell me you can’t remember anything.”