Under The Covers

by Baker, Max Q.

  I was getting mad. "You did NOT!!!"

  "No, I didn't" he reassured me, "But I found those pics of Amane." He whistled. "Fuck, man. I had no idea she could be that hot. That is exactly what you've been talkin' about all these years, about what's under-the-covers. If I wanted a chance at a piece a’ that, I needed to ... y' know - do the right thing. She's kinda classy. Figured an apology would help."

  "So the apology was a ploy to find a way to get into her pants? You are pretty low."

  "Yup," he agreed. “No arguments there.”

  We started swinging again, then went back to tossing chestnuts and drinking beer.

  Robby started reminiscing. "Hey, speaking of confessions. You remember that old redhead I liked?"

  I asked, "Brenda Lee?"

  Robby turned and stared at me like I had two heads. "Now why would I like Brenda Lee? She damn-near looked like she'd barely escaped a hit with the wrong end of the ugly stick!"

  I was puzzled. "I thought you said she had cute eyes."

  "No. I said she had a cute iPhone." Robby spit.

  "Ah, ok. That actually makes a lot more sense. Now that you mention it."

  "You bet." Another spit. "So - you remember that OTHER redhead I liked?"

  "What was her name?" I asked. I was trying to remember out loud.

  Robby corrected the two of us, "Actually it was a Brenda, but it was the different Brenda. Not Brenda Lee."

  "Brenda Hickey," I suddenly recalled.

  Big grin spread across Robby's face. "Yeah, right. That was it. How could I forget a name like that?"

  "Right. She was dating that guy that robbed the packie. Stuart, or some other name." He had been on the run.

  "Uh-huh." Robby looked sly. "I was hopin' to hook up with her, but didn't feel safe with an armed man comin' between us."

  "Well," I said. "He went to jail, now didn't he?"

  "Uh-huh," Robby said, looking downright mischievous. "And I'm the one who tipped the cops."

  I stared hard into his eyes. "You did not."

  "Did," he replied, meeting my gaze. "I did so, and I did her, just like I planned."

  "Lord, you are one fry short of a Happy Meal. That's low, even for you."

  "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." He could have been the cat that ate the canary.

  After a moment considering his confessions, I became a little suspicious. "You ever done anything behind MY back? Besides that laptop confession a few minutes ago?"

  "Hell, no!" he shouted back. Then after a sip of his beer, he added, "Leastwise, nothing important."

  Now I was mad. "Spill."

  "I might a climbed up a tree and spied on your Ma in the shower."

  "My MA? Ah, geez, you are one sick bastard."

  "Eh," he shrugged it off with indifference. "Didn't live up to the expectation."

  I stared at him again, shaking my head, sure enough done with that topic. "T.M.I." I brushed my finger defiantly under my nose because he was making my mustache itch. After a minute, I waved my beer in his face and raised my voice, so riled up my old South was comin' out more, "You used to coulda show some common sense, but these days are so far gone. What happened to you? I am so pissed, I am ready to fly off the hook!"

  Robby laughed. He only cared about one thing. Himself. And how he took care of his needs.

  I tipped back my beer and chugged. I honestly wasn't sure Robby belonged in this group of friends anymore. He had been right, way back when, when he saw this day coming.

  I got off the swing. My voice was cross. "It's time. Let's not be late."

  We were heading over to Amane's apartment for a party.

  [ Stories Without End ]

  Amane hosted the next party at her house. Ryan was still out of the group, but Robby was back in, for the moment anyway.

  As soon as we arrived, Robby looked around, remembering the story about my last visit here. He shouted, a little too loudly, "Whereabouts do they keep the coffin?"

  I punched him.

  "Make yourself at home," Amane said.

  Rayne corrected her, laying down some rules. "Please don't make a mess, and if a door is closed to a room or cabinet, please don't open it." Rayne's hair was even redder than when I had seen her before. She must have done a fresh dye recently. Her makeup was bolder, darker, and more Goth, especially around the eyes. She was wearing a dark silk robe that reminded me of a kimono, but had alchemical symbols on it instead of oriental lettering. Her image was flawless. If that girl turned out to drink real blood, her cover was as accurate as she could get.

  We all nodded that her rules sounded fair, but I could see Robby smirking at her and giving me the look; trying to figure out if she were a vampire. He was so into this. I kept telling him there weren’t any real vampires, but he didn’t listen.

  “Not real,” I muttered to him again, out of the corner of my mouth.

  “Don’t care,” he muttered back, adding, “We’ll see.”

  After we settled down, we were sitting on the living room floor. Amane and Rayne had made a tray of blood orange martinis - at least that's what they said they were. We each had a glass perched next to us, or between our legs, as we pressed our backs against chairs or walls. Candles and incense were burning and some dark industrial - more Blaqk Audio - Between Breaths - was pounding in the background. Mags was leaning against me, draping her head on my shoulder, an arm stretched lazily behind my neck. Bo was alone, but didn't seem to mind. A sun-burned Chris seemed to be trying to braid his beard into two separate points, making him look even more unusual, almost devilish. Amane sat down next to Robby, teasingly brushing his arm. Rayne was on his other side.

  "Thought you were so over me?" he asked, playing hard to get. He seemed more interested in finishing the first tray of drinks. I also knew he was curious about hooking up with Rayne to test his vampire theory.

  Bo asked Chris, "You come here often?"

  Mags laughed. "You hitting on him? Wow, the high-and-mighty fall fast when they lose their Big D."

  Bo gave her an icy stare that was worthy of a native Southerner. "Most of us haven't been here before, but I was wondering if Chris had. He and Amane hang out."

  "We carpool a lot," he agreed. "I've been here." He didn't think there was anything at all strange with Amane's home or roommate. Or if he did, he didn't show it. He always seemed to be wrapped up in some private world in his own head. Not quite with us. Not quite gone. The Chris World. It seemed to be a happy place. He seemed to be a generally happy guy. I had never seen one of his meltdowns, but I would later learn they were pretty much on-topic and quickly over.

  Rayne added, "If anyone needs another drink, let me know. I'll make another batch."

  Robby waved, and asked suspiciously, "What are YOU having?"

  "Pretty much the same as you," she answered with a smirk, flirting into his suspicions.

  “Pretty much,” Robby repeated, catching her play.

  Mags commented, "I can feel the first buzz settling in..."

  Amane asked, "Weren't you drinking before you got here?"

  Mags agreed. "I meant the first buzz since we sat down." She looked around and said, "This place is dark. We should do a Truth or Dare. A really spooky one."

  Bo scowled. "That is so overdone. It's trite." She did not want anyone asking her about Ryan. Or me.

  Rayne nodded, cutting off Robby’s hope for a quick answer to his burning question.

  Chris suggested, "How about sharing stories?” He blurted out, answering himself, “Best Random Story Without An Ending!"

  Robby could not make sense of Chris, and it drove him crazy. “What kind of story has no ending?”

  Rayne took a drink from her glass through tightly-closed lips, sipping slowly, then put the drink down and took the initiative to go first, sharing her own story, "There was this one time, a long time ago, back when I was young..."

  Bo said, "Because you're SO old now!"

  I smirked. She was good.

  Rayne lifted a
corner of her lip into a smile, and continued. "I was on holiday in Romania, and had gone hiking, but lost my way in the hills. It was getting dark, and I needed to find a road. When the sun went down, it was pitch black. I was afraid to move. And then I saw a light come on in the distance. It was a house. I had no other choice. Even though I knew I might be in danger, I was hoping they had a phone. I was tired and sore. And totally lost."

  Each one of us were hanging on her every word. It was a good story. I had no idea if it was true, or if it was the plot from a video game, but I didn’t really care.

  "I knocked on the door, and this man greeted me."

  Robby elbowed Amane. "Count Dracula."

  Rayne flicked her eyelids at Robby and continued. "He was an older gentleman. Very distinguished. He didn't speak English well, but he knew enough. I told him I was lost, and needed a phone. He seemed sympathetic, and invited me inside." Rayne trailed off into silence.

  After a moment, Mags asked, "And then?"

  Rayne grinned. "Story without end."

  We were all indignant. "What?" "Cop out!" "That's not fair." “You can’t stop there.”

  Robby pounded his foot on the floor, laughing. "That's because he fuckin' bit her neck! I'm just sayin'!"

  Rayne stared at Robby with languorous drooping eyelids, and pursed her lips, blowing him a kiss.

  Amane scowled, a little jealous.

  Then Chris shared his own strange story, making a vague connection to the vampire comment. “I have a collection of blood samples.”

  Excitedly, Bo shouted, “DEXTER!” Dexter was a series on ShowTime about a man who kept a collection of blood slide samples as mementos of his kills.

  Neither Robby nor I had cable, so we had no idea what that show was. But Chris had cable, so Bo and Mags were a little disturbed when he asked, “Who?”

  Bo frowned. “Serial killer?”

  Robby hooted, pointing at Chris’s feet. “It’s the shoes, man! I’m just sayin’.”

  Amane asked the question. “If you weren’t referring to Dexter, then why do you have a collection of blood samples?”

  Chris smirked secretively. “Story without end.”

  A chill swept through the room. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

  Amane got up and offered, "I'm going to make us another round. I haven't told my story yet." While she poured and mixed from the kitchen, she told us, “I thought about buying an RV then using my pharmacy skills to cook meth, so that I could meet strange and interesting people.”

  Bo laughed, “Don’t say it!”

  Amane added, “But then I met you guys.”

  Chris scoffed. “It was supposed to be story without end, not a joke.” Then he added, “But do you still have any of that meth?”

  Rayne rubbed Robby’s leg, and sniffed his neck. She gently licked the side of his face, while we watched, transfixed. She edged closer, leaning against him. Amane was jealous but had given up on Robby.

  [ Blood Fetish ]

  The next day, Robby was at my house before the sun had risen, heading upstairs without an invitation. He let himself into my room, and sat on my bed, telling me, “Little Chiquita was definitely a vampire."

  I wanted to go back to sleep, but Robby wasn't about to leave. "What are you talking about? I’m layin’ up here!"

  "Rayne. You know I stayed late so that she and I could hook up. I thought she was a little freaky, and I thought it would be fun."

  "Yep."

  "It started out OK. We went into her bedroom, and she had this twin mattress with satin sheets. It was on some kind of altar with steps, and there were these candle holders like in the movies, and a giant old book on a pedestal in the corner. First we started making out to Marilyn Manson's remake of Tainted Love, which was cool, and then she pulled me to the bed, undressing us both. She was hot, and I was totally into it. Then she handcuffed me to the bed, and I was even more into it. And she started taking these red candles and dripping hot red wax all over me. NO one had ever done that before. That was pretty wild. And all the while, we're taking turns doing what we can, kissing, and her going down on me. And sucking me hard, like, I mean, all the fucking way down her throat. And she’s touching herself, and rubbing those perfect perky little tits, and her clit, moaning, and getting wet, and I’m getting more turned on.

  And then all of a sudden, she pulls out this razor blade and sterilizes it over one of the flames, holding it until the blade is burning red, then she cuts into my neck, just a little, slicing it down the side."

  He pointed to the scar. It was real. Not too big. Not too near the jugular. Just an area on his neck that would bleed and heal.

  "And she sucked my blood, while rubbing her legs all over my body and jerking me off with her hand. Then she kissed me with my own blood pouring back into my mouth."

  By now, I was wide awake. "You are full of shit!"

  "I kid you not!" He crossed his heart.

  I told him, "She's not a vampire. She's got some kind of blood fetish."

  Robby opened his mouth wide and emphasized, “She had FANGS.”

  “They were fake,” I insisted.

  “They looked pretty damned real to my eyes, and let me tell you, I was close.”

  “No. They make realistic implants and inserts and all kinds of shit these days,” I tried to rationalize with him.

  “Where’d you learn that? Google?” He scoffed.

  “Well, yeah. But she wasn’t a real vampire. I’m just sayin’.”

  "Is there really a difference? She drank blood! She told me she was part of some local Vampire Association, in Atlanta."

  I thought about that. "You're not going to turn into one, if that's what you're afraid of."

  "I'm not afraid of nothing," he told me excited. "It was AWESOME! She said I could be her official 'donor', if I wanted. She was into me."

  "Don't you go getting into that kind a shit. You'll end up with hepatitis."

  "I don't even know what that is, so I am not even afraid of it. Man! She cut my neck and drank my blood. That was freaky shit."

  "She was drunk! She could have killed you!"

  "You are SO lame. Do you EVER take chances? What are you afraid of? When are you going to make your big move with Bo? Monty Python's not even around anymore."

  "I don't want to hurt Mags."

  "Please." Then he called me a chickenshit and started getting riled up, pointing at me. “And that girl a yours is no better than you. She doesn’t know whether to shit or go blind. You can’t sit around waitin’ for her to make the first move. Fish or cut bait, man! Fish or cut bait.”

  I raised my voice a bit. I was upset. I was trapped. "I've always wanted to be with Bo. That's what started this whole thing in the first place. But I'm with Mags now, and I'm trying to make it work."

  Robby was gunning for me. Fixin’ to lay into one of his 'almost deep' moments. They never lasted long. "Why? Do y’ love her? Do you love Mags?" I was silent. He continued. "If you don't love her, you're not being fair to anyone. You and Bo - man - the two of you have some weird chemistry that you can feel across the room. It's like you're already dating. Even though y’ aren't."

  I admitted, "I don't even know if we could make it work if we had the chance. And she's so out of my league."

  "So find out." He spit. Didn’t even wait to say ‘is what it is.’

  “Don’t fuckin’ spit on my bedroom floor!” I told him.

  He waved it off. “It’ll dry.”

  Suddenly seeing through his ulterior motives, I asked, "You’re trying to get me to dump Mags! I seen you lookin' at her. You’re all over her like white on rice. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?"

  "Can't blame a guy for lookin'. But you know me, I don't go behind the backs a friends."

  I sat there in silence for a minute, hoping that was true. But Robby had lied before.

  "There's something about Mags,” I mused. I still couldn't put my finger on it, despite everything she had told me.

&
nbsp; "She's serious hot."

  "That's the obvious,” I agreed. “But there's something under her covers. And she won't let me get close enough to find out. Every now and then, I feel like she's starting to trust me more. Like there’s this girl deep down inside that could really love a man, if she tried. With her heart. But then it always falls apart. I don’t know if she’s scared or vulnerable or what. And the sad thing is, unless I know for sure that I’m gonna be with her for the rest of my life, I'm just not sure it's worth the effort."

  "I really want to screw her," Robby confessed bluntly. He looked up at me and shrugged. "Sorry. I'm just sayin'."

  He saw my glare and caught himself before making any more comments.

  ***

  Honestly, even if she and I did break up, I did not want her with Robby.

  It wasn't even the cheap jealousy. Over the years, we had hooked up with one another's breakups from time to time, But Robby never got past that level. For him, the cheap hookup, that's all it ever was.

  Mags was deeper than Robby. More discriminating. Smarter. More thoughtful. Maybe even more considerate. If someone else had to have Mags, I wanted to think she would be genuinely happy, the way I had thought Bo was happy – leastwise for a while - with Ryan.

  [ Hidden Promises ]

  Bo was still upset about breaking up with Ryan. She was glad they were separated but felt awful about doing it to him.

  Personally, I was getting tired of hearing about it, but as long as I was there to help her heal, there was a certain amount of hope.

  Mags called and asked if we were going out tonight, just her and me. I told her yes, but admitted that Bo was still upset about Ryan and that she and I were going back to the Duck Pond this afternoon to walk around and talk.

  I could feel the tension and jealousy through the silence over the phone, so I offered, "If you want to come with, I'm sure it would be fine."

  I wasn't sure what Mags would decide, but she let me have my moment. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable,” she admitted, trying to make me understand her feelings. She waited for me to appreciate those words and choose her instead, but I did not. She let me have my day with Bo.