“Okay,” whined the girl. She seemed to have no ability to modulate the tone or volume of her voice.
Joey-G grabbed her elbow. “Come on, August. I’ll walk you to your car.”
The girl punched Joey-G right in the arm. “My name’s not August. It’s April.”
“Hey, at least I knew it was a month,” Joey-G replied as they headed toward the parking lot.
Ricky poked his head out of his tent and asked, “What the hell was that racket?”
He emerged from the tent with a buxom blonde. She had on a black mini skirt that just barely covered her butt cheeks and an extremely tight-fitting black tank top.
The blonde leaned up and planted a kiss on Ricky’s lips. The two made out for a few seconds until Daniel cleared his throat.
The blonde said, “The next time you boys are in town, give me a call.”
“Sure thing,” Ricky said, then gave her a quick slap on the rear as the blonde headed toward the parking lot.
When Joey-G returned, he was rubbing his temples. “Someone, please kill me now. I can’t take this headache. I don’t know which made it worse, the shots of tequila or April’s voice.”
Ricky laughed. “Maybe if you actually talked to the girls before you bedded them, you’d avoid situations like that.”
“Maybe I’ll try a little hair of the dog,” Joey-G said as he scanned the campsite, presumably for some alcohol.
We heard an unzipping noise coming from Eddie’s tent and he emerged from its depths.
The guys all stopped what they were doing and waited, but nothing happened.
“What the fuck, Eddie,” Joey-G said. “Were you alone in there?”
As if he didn’t believe it, Joey-G walked over, stuck his head inside Eddie’s tent and came out shaking his head. “This is a first.”
“Everything okay?” Ricky asked Eddie, with a note of seriousness in his voice.
When Eddie looked at me, his eyes looked vacant. Daniel instinctively put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. Eddie continued starting at me with empty eyes for several seconds. Then a look of disdain crossed his face.
“Did you two sleep well last night?” Eddie said finally, his tone oozing with sarcasm and innuendo.
Daniel’s stare shot daggers at Eddie.
“Better keep that girl of yours on a tight leash, Danny-O. Now that you’ve marked your territory, you don’t want her still prowling around, do you?”
Eddie gave me a look filled with so much lust, it made my stomach clench. I glanced over at Daniel. Rage filled his eyes.
Not good. Years of building animosity and underlying conflict were now bubbling up to the surface.
The air suddenly felt heavy with tension. My hands started to shake as a feeling of dread overcame me. I said a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Eddie would stop. I knew if he said one more word, it would push Daniel over the edge.
Eddie moved in closer to Daniel but he kept his gaze focused on me. My heart started racing.
“Was she good, Danny?” Eddie asked. “Was she worth waiting for? Was she everything you’d hoped she would be? From the little taste I had of her, I’ll bet she rocked your world.”
In an instant, Daniel jumped on Eddie and knocked him to the ground. Daniel quickly pinned Eddie down and straddled him. Then he started punching Eddie’s face repeatedly. Eddie put up his arms in a defensive gesture but didn’t fight back. He didn’t throw one punch as Daniel beat the hell out of him.
I looked over at Joey-G and Ricky. They were shaking their heads. “Aren’t you going to do anything to stop them?” I asked with urgency.
“I’m not,” Joey-G said.
“Nah,” Ricky said. “Eddie deserves it.”
The look on Daniel’s face scared me to the core. He wore a mask of blind rage. I wasn’t sure Daniel was capable of stopping himself and in an instant, I realized, if I didn’t do something, Eddie could get seriously hurt.
I got as close to Daniel as I could without getting hit myself and called Daniel’s name. I could see something register on his face when he heard my voice.
“Daniel, please stop,” I begged. “For me. I want you to stop.”
And he did.
He looked down at Eddie, now bloodied and beaten, and shook his head. Then he rose and walked away.
Ricky and Joey-G each grabbed one of Eddie’s shoulders and lifted him off the ground. They eased him over to one of the folding chairs and set him down in it.
“Dude, your face is fucked up,” Joey-G said.
Eddie didn’t say a word. He just stared into the empty space in front of him.
“I’ll get you some ice,” Ricky said as he headed over to the coolers.
I hurried to catch up to Daniel, who was walking toward the beach. It was still early on a Sunday morning, so the beach was vacant and desolate. It reminded me of the look in Eddie’s eyes.
When Daniel saw me run up next to him, he grabbed my hand and held it tight.
We walked together down the deserted beach for a few minutes before Daniel spoke. “You know that wasn’t just about you, right?”
“Yeah, I know. But it was a lot about me.”
“I’m now intimately familiar with the term blind rage.” Daniel said and gave one forced laugh. “I could have killed him if you hadn’t…” His voice trailed off then he looked at me. “Thank you for stopping me.”
I stopped walking and Daniel turned to face me. I looked into his eyes. “I stopped the fight for you not for him.”
He nodded then closed his eyes. When he reopened them, his eyes were damp with tears. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you’re the only girl Eddie ever wanted in any meaningful way. You’re the only girl he ever really wanted but couldn’t have.”
I knew that was true. Eddie was a womanizing asshole, but I also knew deep down inside he had real feelings for me. I knew he cared about me and maybe even loved me in his twisted Eddie way.
Daniel placed his hand on my face and stroked my cheek. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
I could feel my heart start to flutter. “I love you, too.”
He leaned down and gave me a gentle kiss.
When he withdrew, he said, “I guess we’d better get back and see how much damage I did to my roommate.”
I nodded and we headed back to the campsite.
Eddie was still seated in the folding chair. A blood-soaked towel was now resting in his lap. The right side of his face had gotten the worst of it. His top lip was busted open and getting fat and his right eye was nearly swollen shut. He held a make-shift icepack on the right side of his head.
“I’m glad you’re not dead,” Daniel said as we stood next to Eddie.
“Yeah,” Eddie said. “I’m not worth rotting in prison for.”
Eddie had his eyes fixed straight ahead. He wouldn’t look at either one of us.
“Guess your face isn’t going to be so pretty for a while,” Daniel said.
Eddie tried to laugh but flinched in pain. “I’ll still get the girls,” he said. “Chicks love tough guys. They love fighters.” Then he looked at me. “They especially love guys who’ll fight to defend their honor.”
My chest clenched as Eddie continued looking at me. It was the first time he looked at me without any lust or desire. His eyes were filled with a bit of sadness and love.
***
The car was heavy with tension during what felt like an extremely long ride home. None of the guys said a word to each other. At one point, Joey-G started to whistle what sounded liked “Tainted Love”, but was stopped mid-whistle when Eddie glared at him.
I rested my head against Daniel’s warm chest. He pulled me close and placed a soft kiss on the top of my forehead. Nuzzling him was fast becoming my new favorite pastime. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep in the coziness of Daniel’s embrace.
***
Joey-G dropped Eddie, Daniel and me off first. Eddie bolted out of the car before it
even had a chance to come to a complete stop. He had his gear out of the back of the car and was in his apartment before Daniel and I were barely out of our seats.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked Daniel as we grabbed our bags from the back of the SUV.
“I hope so,” Daniel said.
“You can stay with me if you want to,” I offered.
Daniel kissed my cheek. “I would love to stay with you every minute of every day, but I don’t want you to get sick of me. And I know you probably want and need your space.”
I touched Daniel’s cheek. “I could never get sick of you. It’s a standing offer. Just let me know.”
“Thanks,” he said as he headed toward his apartment with his stuff. “Wish me luck.”
“I’m right next door if you need me,” I reminded him.
THIRTEEN
Relaunch
A few minutes later, I breathed a sigh of relief as I dropped my bags at my entryway and stepped into my living room. “Home sweet home,” I said although the word sweet didn’t quite fit my apartment. More like home shabby home.
I thought I heard stifled laughter, followed by whispering coming from the spare room where Hannah was staying. And I thought I heard more than one voice.
“Hannah,” I yelled. “Are you in your room?”
More laughter and more whispering. I cringed at the thought of who she could have in her room with her.
I hurried over to her bedroom door and knocked. “Hannah, let me in.”
A few second later, she cracked open her door. Hannah was wearing only a man’s button down shirt over her otherwise naked body.
“Are you alone?” I asked, even though it was obvious she wasn’t.
She went wide-eyed for a moment, then slowly shook her head.
“Who do you have in the room with you?” I asked.
She gulped.
“Hannah?”
She opened the door wider, revealing Brad naked expect for his boxers.
Now I gulped.
Brad gave me a half wave. “Good afternoon, Lexie.”
“Brad,” I acknowledged.
“I-I can explain this situation,” he stammered.
I held up a hand. “No need. You’re both consenting adults.”
I could see Brad’s face turning beet red as I spoke. “Why don’t I let the two of you get dressed?” I said as I slowly backed away from the door.
“Thank, Lexie,” Hannah said as she closed the door.
I exhaled a large breath. It was going to be a long evening. I grabbed my bags from the foyer and dragged them into my bedroom. By the time I got them put on my bed, I heard a knock at my front door. What now? I thought.
I opened the door to a freshly showered Daniel. His hair was still damp but he smelled clean and fresh. “Just wondered if you’d like to grab a bite to eat? Maybe in 30 minutes or so. If you’re hungry.”
I smiled. “I am hungry and I would love join you.”
We both heard the spare bedroom door slam. I braced myself for the inevitable. I knew Daniel would have to meet my sister eventually. The moment of truth was about to arrive. “Ready to meet my sister?” I whispered.
He raised an eyebrow.
“And she had company this weekend. He’s still here.”
Hannah and Brad entered the living room. They were now both fully clothed.
I could hear Daniel take in a shocked breath when he saw Brad. At least I hoped that’s what caused the reaction. I cringed at the thought that he might be reacting to my gorgeous sister.
“Hannah, I’d like to introduce you to Daniel,” I said.
I was pleased to see that Daniel made no move toward my sister. He gave a slight wave and said, “How’s it going?” Then he crossed his arms over his chest.
My sister responded with a quick “Hi” in return.
“Of course, you already know Brad,” I said.
Brad gave Daniel an embarrassed half wave. “Hey,” Daniel said in acknowledgment. I knew Brad and Daniel were nowhere near being buddies at work.
When I looked at Daniel and noticed his eyes had returned right back to me, I breathed a sigh of relief. There apparently was at least one man on Earth who was not completely taken in by my sister’s charms.
Then Daniel leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you in 30 minutes,” he whispered in my ear then he walked out the door.
I turned back to Brad and my sister. I couldn’t believe Brad, who was usually Mr. Calm and Collected, actually looked uncomfortable. He was restless and fidgety. “I guess I’d better get going,” he said finally.
Hannah heaved a huge sigh and pouted. Brad was immediately at her side. He put his arms around her and started snuggling her neck. Then he said, “It’s okay, Pookie. We’ll see each other tomorrow.”
I could feel myself throw up a little in my mouth. Did I really just hear Brad, of all people, call my sister Pookie?
Then Brad starting kissing my sister and I thought the two of them would start having sex right there in front of me. I coughed a little to remind them I was still very much in the room.
Brad looked up at me with a deer-caught-in-headlights expression. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
Brad kissed my sister’s cheek then headed out the front door.
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at Hannah. “I see you and Bad wasted no time getting to know each other.”
“I really like him,” she whined. “And he’s going to help me get enrolled at the community college.”
I was immediately impressed. That was the first time my sister had ever uttered the word college in her life.
“Okay,” I said cautiously.
“And Brad really likes me,” Hannah said. “For the first time, a decent guy truly likes me. Please try to be happy for me.”
I softened a bit. “I’m glad, Hannah. I really am.”
Hannah flopped on the couch. “So tell me everything about you and Daniel.”
I stood over her. “First, we need to get something out in the open. If I ever see you touch Daniel, even one little finger, you and all of our stuff will be out in the street. Do I make myself clear?”
She harrumphed. “Overreact much?” she blurted.
I glared at her.
“Okay,” she said. “Maybe that isn’t an overreaction. I get it. Stay away from Daniel. He is cute, by the way, but definitely not my type. Besides, I’m really into Brad, so you don’t have to worry.”
I eyed her suspiciously.
She made a cross over her chest then held up her hand. “I swear, I will never touch Daniel. I’ll even promise not to look at him if you’ll sit your ass down here and talk to me.”
The moment of truth. Would I let me sister back into my life? Would I trust her again? I tentatively sat at the edge of the couch. It was a start.
***
When Daniel picked me up, I was freshly showered. I decided to put on a light sundress and sandals, which was apparently the right move, because Daniel’s face lit up when he saw me.
“I love that dress on you,” he said. Then he whispered in my ear, “But I think I’ll like it off of you even better.”
A wave of desire rushed through my body.
He grabbed my hand. “Come on. I know exactly where I want to take you.”
We walked down to the main street that paralleled the beach and I noticed there were tents set up all along the road and lots of activity. A huge banner read Annual Taste of the Beach.
Daniel glanced at me to gauge my reaction. “Most of the restaurants in town have a booth where you can try their signature dishes. I thought this would give us a chance to see which ones we like best.”
I took a deep breath. I could smell seafood and garlic along with some fainter smells of cinnamon and chocolate. “A few things smell good already,” I said as my mouth started to water. I hadn’t realized I was so hungry. Then my stomach groaned slightly.
Daniel grinned. “It sounds like we came to t
he right place.”
The first booth we stopped at had fried calamari and shrimp. Daniel and I both grabbed sample plates and dug in.
The calamari was tender and tasty. “This is delicious,” I said.
“It is good,” Daniel agreed. Then he popped a shrimp into his mouth. “This is really good, too.”
As I took a bite of the shrimp, Daniel said, “I need to tell you something in case Rick mentions it.”
My stomach clenched slightly. I didn’t know how much more I could take of the weirdness between Daniel and his friends.
“Everyone is probably going to find out pretty quickly about Brad and your sister,” he said.
I nodded.
“I just wanted you to know that Ricky and I sort of had a bet.”
“What kind of bet?” I asked with some hesitancy.
Daniel glanced at the ground uncomfortably. “I know you’re going to think this is wrong on so many levels. I’m a little embarrassed to even tell you.”
“Please just tell me, Daniel,” I asked, no longer able to hide my apprehension.
He gulped. “I lost twenty dollars because I bet Ricky that Brad was gay.”
“Don’t feel bad,” I said. “The twins and I couldn’t figure it out either.”
Daniel kissed my forehead. He pulled me toward a booth with Italian food and we each grabbed plates with toasted ravioli.
We bit into our ravioli simultaneously and each gave out a little groan of pleasure at the same time.
“It’s good, huh?” Daniel said.
“It’s great,” I said. “Definitely add this restaurant to the list.”
As we continued down the walkway, Daniel asked, “Have you given any thought to what’s going to happen when people see Eddie’s face? Or when they find out we’re a couple?”
“The only person I’m really worried about is Tom,” I said. “I don’t want either of our jobs to be in jeopardy.”
“I’m sure Tom will be cool about it as long as we’re not too demonstrative at work, which I’m not saying is going to be easy. I’m not sure how I’m going to keep my hands off of you.”
I grinned. “I’m sure you’ll figure out a way.”
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