by Claire Adams
“Lucifer,” his brother called out and walked towards us. “I’m glad you made it.” He looked at me, then back at Jake, and I saw something flash between them. “And you are?”
“Maria.” I held my hand out for him to shake it.
He did. “It’s nice to meet you. How do you know Jake?” Straight to the point. I could see why he bothered Jake so much.
“She’s my girlfriend.”
Elizabeth scoffed behind me. “For the night.” She carried a mountain of chicken. “Andrew.” She looked at the grill. “Why isn’t the fire started yet?”
“I’m coming. Hey, Jake, come help me with this, will ya?”
“Sure.” Jake walked off with his brother, and I took the nearest lawn chair I could find, hoping to remain as inconspicuous as I could. Something grabbed onto the back of my leg, and I jolted up. When I turned back, I stared into the cutest pair of baby blue eyes.
Haylie laid underneath the table, laughing. “Hi.” She waved at me.
“Hello.” I ducked down to her level “What’s your name?”
“Haylie.”
“Haylie, it’s wonderful to meet you.”
“You’re pretty.” She walked out from under the table and put her hands on her hips. “Mm-hmm.” She gave me a nod of approval. I got the sense that she was inspecting me, but she was so young, I didn’t know what to make of it. Before I knew what was happening, she ran off.
Chapter 11
Jake
The second Elizabeth left, Andrew dragged me around the side of the house where he’d hidden a flask in the weeds. He bent down to pick it up and slammed it. Then he stepped forward and backed me up against the wall. “What is this shit?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, you know damn well what I’m talking about. How’d you pull a girlfriend out of your ass?”
“I have a girlfriend. I told you it wasn’t any of your business, but you kept at it. So I brought her with me. Are you happy? Or do you wanna take a look under the hood just to make sure she’s real?”
“So defensive,” he said, taking another drink. “It’s just weird you’ve never mentioned her.”
“I’m mentioning her now. I thought you guys would be happy to meet her.”
“Fine, I’m sorry. I should be happy for you.” He went to take another drink. I grabbed the flask away from him and threw it into the neighbor’s yard.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked miserably. “That’s all I had.”
“Now I won’t have to worry about anything else for the rest of the night, and maybe we’ll eat before sundown.” I turned around and walked back to the party, where Elizabeth had cornered Maria with the rest of the women at the patio table.
She glanced back at me and smiled, then turned back to the conversation with the other ladies, who listened to what she was saying and nodded their heads like it was the juiciest piece of gossip ever heard. I knew well enough not to linger too long in Elizabeth’s presence, so I walked inside, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and stared at the TV with the rest of the men.
“Hear you finally brought a girl to the party?” Andrew’s friend Rick sat on the other side of the couch holding a beer.
“Yup.”
“She a keeper?”
“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.”
“Keeping ‘em hanging’s half the fun, right?”
“Sure.” I glanced back outside, where Elizabeth was standing over Maria with a skeptical look on her face. If anyone could be expected to ruin the party, it was Elizabeth.
“She’s fucking fine.”
“Hey,” I barked. “Back off. She’s not a cut of meat.”
“Shoot, I’m just saying.” He took a swing of his beer and went back to the game. It was an early season college gig. I didn’t know or care much about what was going on. I was too busy trying to keep my eyes off of Maria. I still couldn’t believe she was here.
She must’ve seen me looking because she paused what she was trying to say and met my eyes. One of the women caught on and held her hand over her mouth as if it were the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. I couldn’t have agreed more.
I decided to take a chance and walk outside. Andrew sat next to the grill watching the flames fly out of his charcoal starter. I grabbed a chair from the stack next to the front door and sat beside him. “I’m curious,” he said.
“What?”
“Where did you meet her?”
“She worked in my marketing department,” I lied.
“Does she still work there?”
“No, she took a job with one of the bigger firms downtown. They paid more than the board would allow.”
“She’s not what I expected,” Andrew said.
“What do you mean?”
“I figured you’d like the flashy types with a nice body and maybe a badass edge.”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure I know what I like, but I like her.” I took another glance at her. She was trying to pretend that she wasn’t looking at me, but I knew. “She’s real. I don’t need some plastic chick with boobs like melons. I want somebody with substance.”
“I like that.” The flames in the charcoal started were starting to burn down. Andrew got up and tipped the cylinder into the grill. We stepped back when a wave of sparks flew out. I only watched him because I was trying not to notice the way Maria kept looking at me. I didn’t think she could help it. I knew I couldn’t.
Chapter 12
Mercedes
“I don’t know what you’re thinking.” Elizabeth sat down next to me at the patio table and pulled out a pack of cheap menthols. She offered one to me, and I waved it away. “You don’t smoke?”
“No.”
“Trust me. You’re gonna start. That man is Satan himself. What is wrong with you?”
“I like him.”
She scoffed. “Your divorce, not mine.” She lit her cigarette, and the flame illuminated her puckered lips and plump cheeks.
“I don’t even think it’s that serious yet. We’ve only been going out five months.”
She laughed. “You mean to tell me you’ve been with him that long?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s his last name?”
“Ryan. Don’t go acting like I don’t know anything about him. I don’t need anyone to validate my relationship for me.”
Elizabeth nodded her head with a grin. “You are one of the dumbest girls I have ever met, but I like your attitude.” She took a puff off her cigarette and blew the smoke up into the air. “How’d you two meet?”
“I worked with him at the company.”
“Do you still work there? Is that even legal?”
“Yes, it’s legal, and no, I don’t work there. You’re not rooting for us at all. I could tell the second I saw you.”
“That man has been systematically chipping away at my patience for years. You know what he calls me, right? The first wife.”
I tried so hard not to laugh, but I couldn’t hold it back.
“It’s not funny,” Elizabeth said, her face turning red.
“I’m sorry.” I couldn’t stop. “You have to admit; he’s got a pretty good sense of humor.”
“It’s sick is what it is.” Elizabeth took another puff of her cigarette.
“You just called him Satan,” I said. “Compared to that, first wife isn’t so bad.”
A middle-aged woman with bright red hair walked out and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “Hey, ladies,” she said.
“This is Jake’s one-nighter.” Elizabeth ashed her cigarette.
“Does she have a name?” the red-haired woman asked.
“I’m Maria.” I held out my hand, and she shook it. I couldn’t help but admire her casual grace, and her simple T-shirt and jeans look.
“I’m Cara. Nice to meet you.”
“We were just talking about Jake’s nickname for me,” Elizabeth said sourly.
“The first wi
fe,” Cara said and laughed. “Oh, yeah. Don’t let Elizabeth get you down. She’s just bitter because Jake took Andrew to Vegas last year and she couldn’t catch him doing anything.”
“He smelled like a whorehouse,” Elizabeth said.
“Then he probably went to a strip club.” Cara lit her cigarette, then looked back. A young woman with olive-toned skin and long black hair leaned out the door and stared at me.
“Are you the one?” she asked, stepping out.
“I guess I am,” I said.
“You are one stupid, stupid girl.” She laughed and sat down next to me.
“This is Maddie,” Cara said.
“Don’t bother telling me your name,” Maddie said. “By the time I remember it, he’ll be onto the next one.”
“You two are so cynical. Can’t you just be happy for her?”
“Happy?” Maddie balked. “We should be in mourning. Poor girl won’t last a week.”
“It’s been five months,” I said.
“Oh, you poor dear.” Maddie patted me on the shoulder. “Are you okay? I know a few domestic violence shelters. There is help out there if you need it.”
Cara leaned in to whisper in my ear. “She’s just pissed because she’s had a crush on him for years.”
I gave her a meaningful nod and turned my attention back to the group. “He’s really an amazing guy. I don’t know what any of you are talking about. I mean, you have your biases, for various reasons.” I took a quick look at Maddie. “But none of you really know him.”
“I do,” Elizabeth said.
“Do you really?” I asked. “He won’t stand next to you for longer than two seconds. I seriously doubt he’d open up to you. The only one here who doesn’t have a warped opinion of him is Cara, and she seems to think he’s perfectly fine.”
“I do.” Cara took a puff of smoke.
“I’m not biased,” Maddie said.
“You’re bitter,” Cara countered. “And it shows.”
Maddie frowned but said nothing.
“Just what is it?” Elizabeth asked. “What is it about him that you like so much? Cause I don’t see it.”
The girls leaned forward to hear my answer. “I don’t know,” I said. “He’s intense. When he looks at me, it’s like I’m the only thing in the world that exists. And he’s passionate. Sure, it makes him unpredictable, but it’s exciting, too. And, I mean, just look at him. Actually, don’t, because he’s mine. But the best part of all,” I looked at each one of them in turn, “is it’s not about him. He just wants me to be happy. That’s what he likes.”
“You mean,” Elizabeth said, looking like she was about to be sick, “in bed.”
I shrugged and smiled mysteriously. “Take that however you want.” Cara blushed. “And, Maddie, I’ll tell you what I told Elizabeth. I don’t need anyone to validate my relationship. I know what I have.”
“No, sweetheart, you don’t,” Maddie said. Elizabeth nodded in agreement. “He’s not into you. Not like you think. He doesn’t get into anyone.”
“That’s why he calls me the first wife,” Elizabeth said. “He doesn’t believe in love. He’s allergic to it. He says it’s a fairy tale, made up to boost people’s self-confidence.”
“It’s not just that,” Maddie said. “He’s incapable of love.”
Cara laughed. “Just because he won’t get with you doesn’t mean he’s incapable of love.”
Maddie made a face like she smelled shit on her upper lip. “It’s not about that. I’m over him.”
“Sure,” Cara said, flicking ash from her cigarette.
“I mean it,” Maddie said. “None of us have ever seen him with a woman. He openly criticizes the idea of love, and I can tell you for absolute certain he’s never had a girlfriend other than Maria.”
“How do you know?” Elizabeth asked.
“He told me. He doesn’t do it. There’s something physically wrong with him. All he thinks about is sex.”
“And I’ll bet you know that from personal experience,” Cara said.
I gave her a long, hard stare, daring her to admit it. She met my eyes with a smirk and said. “We all know he gets around.”
“That I believe,” Cara said. “But there’s nothing wrong with a good fuck every now and then.”
“Amen to that.” Elizabeth put her cigarette out.
I caught Jake looking at me out of the corner of my eye. I looked back at him, uncertain of what to think about what Maddie was saying. I knew better than anyone that he had an appetite. Cara caught on that we were looking at each other. “That is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. Look at the way he’s looking at her.”
“It’s sick,” Maddie said. “I hope you wake up soon, before he tears you to shreds.”
“Maybe he’s learned from his mistakes,” I said, looking at Maddie. She stood up, pushed her chair away, and stormed inside.
“She’s just bitter,” Cara said when she left. “Don’t you dare believe a word of it.”
“You know, I have never seen a more beautiful little girl,” I told Elizabeth as I looked over at Haylie. “You must be so proud.”
“Oh, thank you, dear.” She brightened up immediately. Haylie ran through the grass, trying to catch a fly. It landed on a blade of grass a few feet away from where she stood. She got down on her knees and inched closer to it, slowly, purposefully. Then she reached out her hands and tried to grab it.
When she pulled her hands back and looked inside, her face went bright red, and she threw back her head, wailing.
Elizabeth was off her feet before the tears came flying. She snatched Haylie up off the grass, wiped her hand, and pulled her back to where we were sitting. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
“I-I k-killed him.”
“Oh, come here.” She pulled Haylie close against her chest. “She’s so nice.”
“She wouldn’t hurt a fly,” I said.
“No, she wouldn’t.” Cara had the warm look of an experienced mother.
Maddie came back out holding beers for everyone but me. “Sorry, you’ll have to get your own.” She passed them out to everyone and sat down.
“That’s okay,” I said. “I don’t drink.”
Jake walked outside and sat down next to his brother. He kept looking at me out of the corner of his eye. It didn’t matter what Maddie said; I was flattered. I liked the attention. It was wrong, but dear God, how could I possibly help it?
Haylie stopped crying and leaned against her mother’s breast, sucking her thumb. When she saw me looking at her, she reached out her arms and said, “Up.”
“She wants you to hold her,” Elizabeth said.
“May I?”
Maddie gave Elizabeth a look, but Elizabeth wasn’t put off. She picked up Haylie and handed her over to me. The little girl wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry, but there is nothing sweeter,” I said.
Jake looked at me again, and this time, he wasn’t trying to play it off. His brother tried to say something to him, but Jake didn’t listen. His bright blue eyes, so sharp and cold, moved over my body, and my stomach jumped.
“You’re shameless,” Maddie said, interrupting the moment. “He doesn’t want you like that.”
“Cut it out, Maddie,” Cara said. “It’s disgusting the way you act around him. You’re jealous, and it’s obvious.”
“That is not true,” she snapped.
“Why did you come then?” Cara asked. “The only time I see you is when he’s around.”
“I don’t have to listen to this.” Maddie went pale and looked up at something behind me. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Jake.
“Sorry to bother you, ladies,” Jake said. “Maria, do you think I could borrow you for a moment?”
“Of course. I’m all yours.” I passed Haylie back to Elizabeth and followed Jake into the house.
“This is where the men sit,” he said, motioning around the room
. “And that’s where Elizabeth broods.” He pointed at the kitchen. “I’m not allowed in there.” He walked me through the hall past the kitchen. “This is where nothing happens.” He pointed at the master bedroom at the end of the hall.
He pushed me against a door to my right and pulled in closer. His eyes moved down my neck and sliced through my shirt. “I’m gonna fuck you silly,” he whispered and reached around behind me to open the door. I fell back. The second before I hit the bathroom counter behind me, he reached under my hips and pulled me up onto the counter. Then he kicked the door closed.
His hands moved up my hips and my side before cupping my breasts. He thrust himself forward and reached around to pull me closer so that the head of his cock rested against my inner thigh. When he pulled back and dragged it along my leg, my body pulsed, and moisture gathered between my legs.
He kissed me hard, shoving his tongue into my mouth and moving it around in a hypnotic fashion. I wasn’t sure which I liked more, the way our tongues moved together or the rhythm of his movements, and the way he pressed his cock deeper, then pulled back. He grabbed the hem of my shirt and began to peel it off, up my stomach, my chest, and neck.
When he threw it aside, he stepped back. “I can’t help myself.”
“What if we get caught?” I whispered.
He reached under my bra and dipped in to get a taste my neck before he clamped down on my nipple. “We’ll just have to be quick, won’t we?”
“You are the devil.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he pressed his cock against my wet lips.
“You like that?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Good, cause I’m gonna fuck you so hard the entire house is going to hear you scream.”
“You’d better not,” I said.
“Stop me.” He turned his attention to my pants and took his time unbuttoning them, then lowering the zipper. The rush of air that poured in sent a chill up my body. He lifted me up so he could pull my pants down. He tugged on one leg, then the other while he stroked his cock through his jeans. I watched it eagerly, trying to make out the contour, the shape of the head and the outline of the foreskin.