“Oh?” Her eyes had begun to twinkle. “That was all I was great at, sweet-cream?”
My voice became sultry. “You were great at everything, but I only talked about your job, yo.”
She smiled. "When I get you a job in an office building, you're going to have to try harder to talk like them business folk. Just like I do."
"I can do that," I assured her. "But I prefer to speak the way I grew up when I'm on my own time."
"Ok."
I put my hands on her shoulders. "This right here; this is a totally different you, too. Is this the real Mags finally?"
"No. I doubt you'll never know the real Mags." She said.
Many thoughts and questions filled my head, but only one made it out of my mouth. “Why?”
She ignored me and continued, "Tomorrow, once I get over this crash, get some caffeine and other stuff back in my system, I'll be the girl you knew again."
"Oh." I wasn't sure I wanted that.
She noticed my hesitation. "Which one do you prefer? Which version of me?" she asked.
"All of them."
Her eyes did it again. The eyebrows jumped nervously, and she seemed to have conflicting emotions tearing through her. "I'm not the nicest person in the world," she confessed.
I asked, "Do you know the nicest person in the world?"
"No."
"That's right," I said, "No one does. That’s because they're so boring no one remembers them. Everyone will remember you, though. So don't you worry none."
She squeezed me happily and whispered, "I'm totally gonna jump your bones." The old Mags was coming back.
"I thought you already did."
"That was just the beginning."
She gave me a little hug and nibbled gently on my ear, sucking it into her mouth, and exploring with her tongue. She was turning me on again, and I had no desire to resist. My hands began to caress her breasts, and I felt her breath get hot.
She asked in a hushed tone, “Want to listen to some tunes in my car?” I knew that was code for hot thrashing sex.
“Yep.”
[ Day At The State Park ]
It was early June and the heat wave was supposed to break, dipping to a less humid 80s.
Ryan was away again for one of his work-related trips.
Chris asked, jealous, “Where this time?”
Bo replied, “Panama Canal. Some … you know … meeting.”
Bobble-head Chris grinned. “Canal,” he mused. “Why isn't it pronounced like Anal. KAY-nul? Sounds like two dogs butt-fucking, doesn’t it? Gives a whole new meaning to that old song, ‘and they call it Puppy Love.’"
Robby bit his lip. The day was early yet, but I could see he was itching to dump Chris in a trashcan.
The rest of us had been debating a day trip somewhere, but everyone had different ideas. I suggested we do a big group picnic. That idea exploded into an expedition to a state park where we could do pedal boats, canoeing, biking, volleyball, swimming, campfire, and whatever else our imaginations inspired. In our case, that included Frisbee, horseshoes, and beach tag; though I don’t bother to talk about most of that.
Robby was extremely vocal, helping me to sell the idea. I think he wanted to see the girls in bikinis, at least Mags and Bo. Probably out of bikinis too, knowing Robby.
I just wanted to hang out and have some fun outdoors for a change.
Predictably, everyone dressed in something that could be converted quickly to swimwear.
We had a cooler of drinks and a cooler of sandwiches (and more drinks). It was less than 45 minutes away for most of us.
Mags had dressed sensibly. In fact it was conservative for her, with cutoff jeans and a tactful sports bra. She wore comfortable boat shoes too. Maybe she figured she didn't need to impress any of us anymore. At least not today. Or maybe it was because it was early and she was sober. Or she didn't expect to run into any hot guys. A part of me wondered if she did it because she felt secure enough with me that she didn’t need to lay it on thick to get my attention. I don’t know, but I liked this toned-down version of Mags more.
Amane looked hot; as in overdressed, in her long dark walking shorts that extended below her knees, and her knee high tube socks that stretched up out of her shoes. She wore some kind of a parka-tunic floral thing that just seemed to hang over the top of her body.
Chris surprised everyone by dropping his shorts and showing off a neon green speedo that left nothing to the imagination. We all groaned and laughed and criticized. "Didn't see that coming!" "Why would you even do that?" “Put your pants back on!” "At least we know he’s got balls, now."
He was as pale and awkward as ever, covered in splotches of heavy hair. It was Chris overload. Strangely, he was unusually toned with well-defined muscles for someone so physically awkward.
Chris grinned, “I got this speedo from a Russian cartel member dealing in black-market microchip bootlegs.” He whistled, as if he had just seen something sexy. No one understood the context.
Robby mocked, “It must not get lonely in that head a yours.”
Literal as ever, Chris replied, “It gets very lonely.”
We swam until we were tired, and took turns jumping into the water from a tire swing suspended from a rope tied to a big branch over the lake.
Then we stopped for lunch, and gathered around an unlit fire pit to have our sandwiches and some light alcoholic beverages. As Bo bent over to reach for her bottle, she had a wardrobe malfunction, and slipped partially out of her bikini top. She screeched and quickly cupped her hand over herself as she tucked her breast back into the bathing suit.
I shouted, “Whoa!” and Robby who had been looking the other way, asked excitedly, “What did I miss?” When he found out, he asked for an instant reply, which Bo refused.
Amane criticized it as a stunt, “Trying to become Mags, now?” (Which Bo did not appreciate.)
Neither did Mags. “I do not perform stunts.”
Chris disagreed. “Everything you do is a stunt. A glorious, marvelous stunt, staged to perfection with impeccable timing and aplomb.” (Mags flashed an approving smile at Chris.)
Bo reacted defensively to Mags comment, “That was not a stunt. My boob fell out of my bikini. It happens.”
Robby swigged his beer. “Then make it happen again! I shouldn’t be the only one here who didn’t get a ticket to the show!”
Bo scowled, but then sighed. “Whatever.” And quickly pulled her entire bikini top up, flashing everybody. Robby howled. “Oh yeah! I’ll take two of those, please! Come here, babies, let me kiss you right!”
Mags and I caught each other in a jealous gaze. Mags seemed to be annoyed that I was seeing Bo’s tits, when she knew I had a crush on that girl. And I was annoyed that Robby got to see them because it usually took a whole lot less than that for him to make a girl his target. I did not want the likes of Robby going after Bo. Or Mags. And yet I was doing exactly that myself.
The thing about me and Mags was, we had had this conversation not long after we first hooked up. Mags told me specifically not to say a word about it to anyone in the group. She clarified that I should not think of us as an item. We were just living life one day at a time, and if we lived it together, that was great, but we weren’t getting any deeper than that. We were never to speak of the future, or put labels on what we might be. If she or I wanted to hang out with other people, we had to be cool with that. She didn’t want any strings attached, or jealousies, or commitments ruining it. It seemed like a head-game, since she really seemed to be into me, but I said, “WhatEvs.” The way I saw it, it meant Mags and I could have a good time, but it was still ok for me to continue trying to edge my way toward Bo. For the most part, we tried to hide it from the group that we had anything going on, except growing closer as friends, at least in the beginning.
Robby turned to Mags. “Your turn. Flash ‘em.”
“In your dreams.”
“You got that right!”
Bo giggled, adjusting he
r bikini top, “Well, that was awkward. Maybe I had one too many beers.”
Chris asked, “Was that your most awkward moment ever? Like EVER???”
“No,” said Bo, casting a fleeting glance in my direction. "My most awkward moment was realizing I had fallen in love with the wrong person."
Food and drinks spat out of mouths. Some people choked. Everyone - including me - thought she was talking about Ryan, but she quickly dismissed our million-and-one questions and insisted she had meant her first love, several years earlier. But even after providing a convincing cover for her explanation, I'm not sure anyone was completely sure they believed her.
Mags was bristling and defensive.
Chris invited Mags to share her story. “How about you, Mags? Most awkward moment.”
Without a smile, she replied, “Bo’s wardrobe malfunction.”
“No. I meant for you!” Chris prodded.
“So did I.”
Robby cracked a wide-ass grin, “Someone is jealous. Me-ow!”
Amane almost smiled triumphantly, “Mags can dish it out, but …”
Mags shot back, “Don’t say it.”
I turned to Amane, trying to diffuse a fight. “How about you? Most awkward moment?”
"My birth," Amane began.
Everyone began protesting immediately, holding up their hands, saying “No, no, no!” We were trying to break away from the obsessively gloomy.
As it turned out, she actually did have a story about her birth that would have shocked the hell out of everyone, but after we spent five minutes ranking on her, we never got to hear it.
Robby, Chris, and I would have been better choices for funny awkward stories, but by then, the theme had fizzled out. The jealousy and sexual tension had put everyone slightly on edge so we decided to take a break and go our own separate ways for a while.
***
Mags moved over to a sandy area to sunbathe. She asked me if I wanted to join her, but I told her I was dark enough already. She suggested we slip away to the outhouse for some one-on-one time, but I said it was too hot for that. I was afraid she would take it personally, but she said she was ok. Maybe I shouldn’t have believed her.
Meanwhile, Amane tried unsuccessfully to hit on Robby, or get his attention in any way possible. He was trying to get some alone time with Mags or Bo to angle them, but Amane was relentless. He was practically swatting at her like an annoying gnat.
Chris was off under a tree doing exercises wearing his skin-tight speedo and nothing else but his beard. We guessed it was some kind of yoga, but it looked so weird and awkward that we avoided him as much as we could. As I mentioned, the one thing that surprised me was that Chris was actually in amazingly good shape. I guess his yoga helped. It looked strangely demanding; though I knew nothing about yoga.
As for Bo, she and I ended up renting pedal boats and went out on the lake. To my surprise, we didn't say much while we were out on the water. It wasn't quite as hot as on the land, but the sun reflecting off the water made up for it. Despite that, it was calm, relaxing, and pleasant. It felt good to be out there alone with Bo, even if we weren't talking. The heat bugs and chorus frogs gave us their song as a backdrop. We paddled under the shade of some leafy green branches with Spanish moss.
Robby finally escaped Amane and sat cross-legged next to Mags. She was belly down on the beach, but her eyes were watching Bo and me.
“What’s up, pussycat?” Robby purred.
“Probably you, and I’m not interested,” she replied, bitchy.
Robby rolled his eyes. “You’re a lot of fun today. Want me to get you a beer or something? Emphasis on something.”
“No, thanks.”
Robby followed her eyes. “Think they’re hooking up? Gonna do the nasty on the lake? Rock the boat?”
Trying to hide her feelings, she said, “He can do whatever he wants.”
“Yeah?” Robby asked. “How about you? Want to get it on? Pass a little time in the sun? Get some sand up your ass?”
She glared at him. “I already told you I wasn’t interested.”
Robby was offended. “What’s wrong with me?”
Mags looked away. “Not now, Robby. Please.”
“Ok. Chill.” He pulled his knees up under his chin and fell silent, drinking his beer.
Robby told me all about it later.
Gliding the boat under the Spanish moss I joked to Bo, "Hey! This reminds me of that movie, The Little Mermaid. You know the scene where they do that song, 'Kiss the Girl'?"
Bo solemnly captured my gaze and asked, "So what are you waiting for?"
"Waiting for what?" I asked. (I was so stupid.)
In hindsight, I can't believe how many times she gave me blatant hints and opportunities and I was too dense to understand them.
She sighed and refused to explain. "Nothing."
"No! Tell me."
"Nope. My timing is obviously still off."
We fell back into silence. Later, I figured out what I had missed, but by then there was no way for me to turn back the clock and make everything right.
***
Later that afternoon, Mags had gotten way too much sun and said she was feeling kinda sickly and had to go straight home. Everyone else was burned out from exercise, fun, and fresh air.
It was time to call it a day. All in all, it had been a good one.
[After the Park]
Before I took off, Bo stopped me at my car and told me she wanted to go to a store she liked. They sold music and movies and her favorite anime and manga collectibles. She asked me if I was going straight home, or if I felt like joining her.
I told her, “That sounds like fun, I’m in no rush to get home.”
“You can follow me,” she said.
“Sounds good.”
The store was bigger inside than I expected. It had aisles of phonograph records and cds; shelves of comics and graphic novels; cases and displays of collectibles from pretty much every genre of film and tv, including Bo’s favorite, Anime.
Bo led me through the store pointing out her favorites, and telling me who they were, what show they were from, and why she liked them. They had a wide assortment of highly detailed plastic toys that brought the characters to life. She pointed out Hei, The Black Reaper, from Darker Than Black. I remembered Bo saying he was the sexiest anime, back on the night of the barbeque. I picked him up casually, as if I had forgotten to put him away, but then I bought him for her. When she saw me do it, she protested and told me I couldn't, but I did anyway. She thanked me then bought me "L" from the series, Death Note. She explained, "L was the greatest detective in the world, but he couldn't prove his one most important case, the one that was right in front of his eyes. He also wasn't much of a ladies man."
I scoffed. "Oh? I'm not much of a ladies man?"
Her blank stare silently rebuked my scoff. Sometimes I was so dumb, I didn't even know I was dumb. But she knew, because she kept trying to tell me. And I wasn't hearing.
Since she didn't drop the stare, I changed subject. "All these anime guys look alike."
"A little bit," Bo agreed. "It's like people. It's their personalities that make them special."
After we left the store and exchanged our gifts to one another, we stopped for an ice cream sundae that we shared with a long bent aluminum spoon. She asked for vanilla-fudge-swirl with Jimmies, which was apparently Yankee-Speak for chocolate sprinkles.
We slurped down the ice cream with intimate blushing smiles, then found our cars and prepared to say goodbye. Bo told me, "I had a good time," as if it had been a date.
I agreed, "I did too. I hope we can do it again. Soon."
Postponing, she fished, "How are you and Mags doing?”
I was stunned, not sure how to reply.
Bo continued, “She doesn’t usually last more than a few dates with someone, and I have a feeling the two of you have been secretly together for a while now."
I shuffled my feet and muttered, “Guess there is
n’t much point trying to keep it quiet then. But that’s her call.” I didn't want to talk about Mags. “We’re not really dating. Is what it is.”
Bo looked away sadly, lowering her eyes, then turned back and asked a cryptic question. "Do you ever wonder: if you had to choose which friends you kept and which ones you lost, which ones would you keep?"
The truth was, with this group, I had thought about that a lot. I didn't want to talk about it out loud because I was afraid it would reveal too many of my feelings. So I simply gave my old standby. "Yep."
Bo gave me that half smile of hers, as if she hadn't expected all too much more from me, and then she said, "Yeah. Me, too." Then added with a sour grin. “Obviously.” After another awkward pause, she asked, “When you were a kid, did you jump into the pool, or wait till someone pushed you?”
I did not understand what she was talking about, so she shook her head sadly, and told me, “Forget it,” then gave me an innocent kiss on the cheek and headed to her car.
***
After I got home, I super-glued the crouching "L" figurine onto my car's dashboard, like some plastic magnetic Jesus. Every time I drove, it reminded me of her.
Not that I needed anything to remind me of her.
[ The Interview ]
Not long after that, Mags let me know I had an opportunity for a job interview. A real job. It was pretty exciting.
I was sure I had been doing enough of my random 'three-minute interviews' at the gas station to be able to handle anything the corporate world threw at me. Mags had given me plenty of pointers as well, to help prepare me for questions in the real world. The interview itself, and a couple that followed quickly behind it, went extremely well.
The next thing I knew, all thanks to Mags, I had myself a new entry-level professional job that required a fairly attractive suit.
I was 9-to-5 now and fixin’ to climb the ladder of success.
Under The Covers Page 10