“What’s your favorite?” He asked.
“Greatest American Hero,” I said.
“His?”
“Dukes of Hazard.” I considered asking about Hille’s favorite until I recalled the embarrassing list of questions I had once prepared.
“Funny stuff.” Hille stood up and motioned towards the beach below us. “I’m about ready to hit the sand. You?”
I followed him back in the house, where the others were still mesmerized by the television. Rachel Ray was making one of her 30 minute meals—Buffalo Club sandwiches.
~ * ~
Later that afternoon, Hope and I were sitting on Eric and Jess’s bed watching Jess blow dry her hair and going through her makeup collection. The guys had left to go fishing a few minutes earlier. I was relieved Denise had gone to the Coach outlet with Andy and Rachel instead of joining the guys.
I removed a hot pink lip gloss from the case and unscrewed the cap. “I use this one too. Kind of cool the way the same shade looks different on everyone,” I said.
“I use it too,” Hope said. “And so does Denise.”
“How weird is it that all four of us use the same lip gloss? I thought it was my secret,” I said.
Finished with her hair, Jess sat on the bed with us with her feet dangling over the edge. “So did we.”
“So what should we do while everyone else is out?” Hope asked.
“Hmmm. How about we run around the house naked?” I suggested.
Hope giggled. “I think Paul did that last night.”
“Want to get out of here? I wouldn’t mind driving somewhere,” Jess said.
“I’d suggest a bar if I wasn’t afraid your evil impregnated demonic twin would kick my ass.” As I said this, I held up my pointer fingers in the sign of the cross hoping my dead Jewish grandparents couldn’t see me.
“Mwahaha!!” Jess said laughing. “Actually, both me and my evil twin wouldn’t mind sitting at a bar. I’ll just order a fancy drink with an umbrella—hold the alcohol.”
“Sounds good to me. Except for the ‘hold the alcohol’ part,” Hope said.
“Cool. Let me throw on some of that lip gloss and grab my wallet.” On my way out, I snuck a look at the master bath. “Have you guys used that awesome Jacuzzi tub yet?”
“Not yet. But Eric keeps mentioning it. I think tonight’s the night.”
“Is it hard to have sex in a bathtub?” I asked.
“I’ll let you know tomorrow morning. Hurry up and grab your wallet before the guys come back and want to join us. I’m craving some girl talk.”
About a half hour later, the three of us were sitting at Sundogs Sports Bar sipping our drinks—mine a Rum Runner, Hope’s a Long Island Iced Tea and Jess’s a virgin frozen Strawberry Daiquiri. We sat at the bar, Jess in the middle so that she had easiest access to the potato skins and nachos.
“Did either of you notice how weird Craig’s acting?” I asked. I moved my stool back a few inches from the bar so I could see Hope better.
“Weird how?” she asked.
“He’s being so outgoing and friendly and I’ve barely seen him with his Blackberry.”
Jess eyed the last potato skin and looked from me to Hope. “Can I have it?”
“Go for it. I just want another drink,” I said. “So, did either of you guys notice?”
After Jess slurped down the rest of her drink, she asked, “Notice what?”
“Craig’s behavior!!”
Both girls shook their heads.
I knew it was not just a figment of my imagination. “You didn’t notice how much more talkative he’s been to me suddenly?”
Hope shrugged. “I guess. That was awfully sweet of him to take you in the ocean.”
“Definitely. I was surprised.”
“Maybe he likes you, Steph,” Hope said.
“No way.” I took a long sip of my drink. “You really think?”
“Why not?” Jess asked. “You’ve hooked up a bunch of times.”
“And you know what they say about not knowing what you’ve got till it’s gone,” Hope said.
“Whatever. I practically threw myself at Hille before and he made no effort. Maybe he’s just happy to be off from work for the week.”
I waited for a response from the girls but none came and we quietly watched the bartender prepare our second round of drinks. “Do you think he likes Denise?” I asked.
“I doubt it,” Jess said.
Gesturing towards me, Hope said, “He obviously has no issue with casual sex, though, so you never know what the rest of the week will bring.
Her comment elicited a hearty laugh from Jess. I didn’t think it was very funny but I forced out a chuckle anyway.
Forty-six
A few days later, I stretched out on the couch and called Ryan.
The first words out of his mouth were, “When are you coming home? I mean hi!”
Charmed by his enthusiasm, I said, “I’ll be home soon enough and hi right back at you!”
“What’s going on? I’m bored. Let me live vicariously through you.”
“Hmm, okay, we dared Corky to run around the block naked last night and he did. Eric got completely stoned last night and offered to make us guacamole but wound up eating it all himself. Andy’s still trying to hide his porn addiction from Rachel but Paul and Eric keep leaving his DVDs around the house. I finally turned over on my stomach today at the beach and my butt cheeks are sun burnt. Hope and…”
“Wait,” Ryan interrupted. “Not so fast, woman. Your butt cheeks are sun burnt?”
Giggling, I said, “I figured that would interest you. Yes, my bikini bottoms are kind of small and my butt is, well, kind of big and it got burned.”
“Your butt isn’t big. It’s perfect,” Ryan said. “Man, I wish I was there to apply sunscreen.”
Tickled pink by his reassurance that my butt was perfect, I said, “Me too. But if it still hurts when I get home, you can apply aloe to the affected area.”
“I just got hard,” he said.
“And I think I’m gonna take this conversation into the bedroom while Denise is out and I have it to myself. Hold on a second.”
As I walked away, I glanced over at Hille on the couch by the window. He was furiously typing away at his computer, seemingly lost in his own world. Figuring he must have overheard my conversation with Ryan, I recalled Hope’s comment at SunDogs that he might like me and, for a brief moment, wondered if he could be jealous.
~ * ~
We decided to go out for dinner that night. I was relieved since almost everyone besides me had already been assigned kitchen duty and I was afraid I would be forced to suit up and cook for the house. We went to an Asian Fusion restaurant that Andy, Rachel and Denise had passed on the way to the Coach outlet. We hung out at the bar while we waited for a table large enough to accommodate us.
Paul was the first to get the bartender’s attention. “What’s everyone drinking?”
“Vodka and cranberry. I don’t want to mix drinks later,” Hope said.
Corky shouted out, “Whatever’s light on tap for me!”
I was contemplating my choices. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to drink beer or wine. Still undecided, I looked up to find Paul glaring at me.
“Cohen! We don’t have all day,” he said.
I was about to order a glass of Riesling when Hille tapped me on the shoulder. “They have heffeweizen on draft, Steph.”
I called out to Paul “Heffeweizen” and then turned to Hille “Thanks, Craig. I couldn’t see the beer selections from here.” I knew they had heffeweizen on tap and wasn’t really in the mood for it but felt bad ordering something else after Hille went out of his way to point it out to me.
When our table was finally available, I sat down next to Eric on one side and Hope on the other. I was starving and anxiously reviewed the menu until I was struck by a memory of being in Hoboken drinking wheat beer at Hille’s apartment. None of the others drank it and Hille told me he had
never even tried it, yet he had it in his refrigerator. And then there was the half and half. No one else had a problem with whole or even skim milk, yet Hille brought half and half to the house. I had told him on New Year’s Day I took my coffee extra light with half and half! Had he purposely stocked the refrigerator with my preferences in mind?
I looked over at Hille on the other side of the table in surprise and knocked my beer over. I caught the glass in time to avoid a break, but a good portion of the beer spilled onto Eric’s lap and he jumped out of his chair. “Shit, Steph! What the hell is wrong with you?”
Cheeks burning, I tried to blot the spill with my napkin and said, “I’m sorry, Eric. I don’t know what happened.”
Eric motioned for the waitress, who wiped down the table. “Don’t worry about it,” he said to me before looking at the others. “Anyone want to switch seats with me? For those looking to spice things up, sitting next to Steph is always an adventure.”
Forty-seven
I cleaned my plate of spicy ginger beef and rice noodles, but if someone asked me what it tasted like or even if it was good, she’d be rewarded with a blank stare. I feigned exhaustion and went to bed early but I was actually wide awake long after Denise came stumbling in hours later.
As the old fashioned clock on the night table recorded each passing second with a loud tick-tock, the idea that Hille might be totally into me after all became less and less crazy. And it wasn’t just because of the heffeweizen and half and half. Everyone else was completely unfazed by my fear of waves, yet Hille insisted I try to overcome my phobia. Even my mom, in her ultimate wisdom, said the right guy would help me overcome my issues.
On the other hand, my mom also said, with the right guy I wouldn’t fear his losing interest at any given moment and Hille certainly kept me guessing. But then again, my mom was probably referring to an existing relationship. I couldn’t possibly know whether I would be insecure in a relationship with Hille until we actually started dating.
But that raised another question—why weren’t Hille and I dating? I thought I had made my feelings for him pretty clear so, if he liked me, why didn’t he ask me out for real while he had the chance? Although Hope had suggested that maybe Hille didn’t realize how much he liked me until it was too late. Even my mom guessed my relationship with Ryan would light a fire under Hille’s ass.
I stared at Denise as she slept, probably dreaming about Hille.
Unless he thought I wouldn’t be interested in a real relationship with him. I never told him I was opposed to being friends with benefits so maybe he thought that was all I wanted. And that would also explain why he looked so pained when I asked if he’d ever been in love.
I flipped over onto my stomach, my chin resting on the pillow.
And maybe he didn’t think he was my type. I dated Paul for two years and Hille was the Anti-Paul. Maybe he assumed because he was quiet and not a ham like Paul, I wouldn’t like him. In fact, he got awfully defensive on New Year’s Eve when I said spontaneous sex in the bathroom was out of character for him. Maybe that’s why he left the bar early all those years ago, practically tossing me in Paul’s lap. He might have thought I’d never choose him over Paul so he didn’t bother to compete. What if he was settling for Denise because he thought I’d never go for him?
I turned over onto my back and closed my eyes, hoping to clear my head of all thoughts of Hille.
And when he asked if Ryan would fit in with the gang, maybe he was wondering if Ryan was more like Paul than him. He might have been sizing up his competition. Maybe his quiet reserve was a cover for a serious inferiority complex.
With that last thought, I finally fell asleep and when I woke up the next morning, the house was empty. It was almost 11:00 am.
My immediate reaction to being left behind was “pissed.” What if everyone went out for breakfast without me? Or what if they decided to take a day trip somewhere cool and hadn’t bothered to wake me? I stormed into the kitchen, cursing under my breath and then I saw the post-it note on the refrigerator with my name in big red letters. They went to the beach and hoped I wouldn’t be upset they let me sleep late. They thought I needed a good night’s sleep. I vowed to have more faith in my friends moving forward and to stop assuming the worst.
Aside from a two minute phone conversation confirming I’d made it to the Outer Banks in one piece, I hadn’t spoken to my mom since I’d arrived. I poured a cup of coffee and took advantage of having the balcony to myself to talk to her without risk of Paul shouting expletives in the background. After closing the sliding door behind me, I sat in a plastic chair, stretched my feet across another chair and waited for her standard greeting from work.
Her voice sounded tired as she answered, “Noren and Company.”
“Hi Mom, it’s me.”
“Hi! How’s it going over there? Having fun?”
“Lots of fun,” I said.
“Doing anything besides drinking?”
“I’m not drinking now! That’s something, right?” I noticed I’d missed a spot shaving and made a mental note to run a razor over my knee before meeting the others.
“So, how’s everything going? How are things with Hille?”
Upon further examination of my legs, I decided the top of my ankles could use a shave too. “Things are fine with Hille. In fact, he’s been great.”
Notably perkier, my mom asked, “Great how?”
“Dunno. He’s just been really nice to me.”
“What does he think about Ryan?”
“He hasn’t met Ryan. Ryan’s not here, remember?”
“I meant, how does he feel about you dating someone else?”
“He said he’s happy for me. But...” I bit down on my lip as I remembered tossing and turning the night before in confusion over Hille’s motives.
“But what? Is he jealous?”
Suddenly I heard a sound coming from inside the house. I stood up and peered into the glass. It was Corky refilling the cooler. I raised five fingers to signal I’d meet them soon and called out, “On phone with my mom.”
“Hi, Mom,” Corky said before heading back outside.
I sat back down and into the phone said, “Where were we?
“I asked if Hille was jealous of Ryan.”
“At first I didn’t think so, but I don’t know, Mom. He’s been really nice. Super friendly. He’s never been so talkative around me. Even the others noticed.” I wasn’t sure that was true, although Hope and Jess did mention how nice it was of him to take me into the water. “And he’s done some really sweet things.” I took a sip of my coffee, thankful we had half and half in the house.
“I told you, Stephanie. The green-eyed monster reared its ugly head.”
Still uncertain, I said, “Maybe.”
“What are you gonna do about it?”
“Nothing. I have a boyfriend!”
“Have you spoken to Ryan?”
“Of course. A bunch of times.”
“I remember going to St. Barts with your father before you were born. With three other couples. Almost like you guys. Oh, to be young again. Have some fun on my behalf. Oh, before I forget, Allan won an Ipod in a sweepstake and can’t seem to get it charged. Maybe Hille can figure it out.”
I rolled my eyes but before I could protest, I heard a phone ring on my mom’s end and she said, “Oh, crap. I have to take another call, Stephanie. Have fun. Be good. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
I ran upstairs to my bathroom, ran my razor under some cold water and did a half-ass shave, drawing blood of course. Then I threw a cover-up over my bathing suit, grabbed my beach chair and headed down to the beach.
I was mildly nearsighted but too vain to get glasses. I approached the fuzzy group of sunbathers and hoped they were my friends. I felt self-conscious as I watched them watch me, especially because it wasn’t easy walking on hot sand wearing flip-flops and dragging a chair and beach bag. I knew I looked less than graceful. When I finally rea
ched them, I dropped my bag and looked around for an empty space to put my chair. “Hey guys! Having fun yet?” I asked.
“Not as much fun as we’ll have now that you’re here, sexy mama. Sit next to me,” Corky said.
“Thanks, Corky. Glad to be here. Grab me a cold one, will you? I need to catch up.”
Corky opened and handed me a beer he’d grabbed from the cooler. I took a long sip and said, “Ahh! Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
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