Ties That Bind

by Neeny Boucher

  The three friends were gossiping about the eclectic mix of people at the party and in particular, a group they’d identified as ‘Riley’s hoochies’. For the last hour, Christina felt like she’d been subject to a parade of Riley’s flings. The group ranged from models, waitresses, bar tenders, dancers, and people they used to go to high school with.

  Although Christina didn’t like slut shaming, a fact her friends knew well, they had to call them something. They’d settled on Mandy’s suggestion of ‘hoochies’, which was far more diplomatic and tasteful than Bonnie’s. There was no rhyme or reason to the group; they were all different heights, shapes, sizes, and colors. The only common denominator was they were female, making Christina conclude that Riley was an equal opportunity man-whore.

  The ‘hoochies’ made a point of trying to get his attention by touching his arm, pouting and sticking their chests out. The hair flicking was also annoying, but the rage inducer was the looks they gave Christina. If one more woman looked at her from the ankles up in challenge, and as if she was of no consequence, it was going to be handbags at dawn.

  “Why are they here?” Christina frowned. “I thought it was invite only.”

  “Some of them work here, Dina, or they’re with the band,” Mandy smiled apologetically. “I’m so sorry. It didn’t occur to me-”

  “Who can blame you?” Bonnie said archly. “There are just so many!”

  “You are not helping, Bonnie Howard,” Mandy hissed. “Poor Dina is already upset and your sarcasm isn’t helping.”

  Poor Dina? She’d take sarcasm over pity any day. “Please, don’t feel sorry for me,” Christina huffed. “I’m fine.” Both friends folded their arms, staring at her in disbelief.

  “Liar!” Bonnie and Mandy said in unison, automatically doing spirit fingers to dispel the jinx. Great. Her humiliation in Shanwick was almost complete. All she needed was the remix of the sex tape to play while her father was dancing, or Stephany Gilmore and her psychopathic friends to turn up.

  Christina kept telling herself she shouldn’t be surprised, but she was. He’d warned her about his ‘past’, but she didn’t realize that Riley’s geographical prowess had been so extensive. From their accents, they ranged from the East Coast to the West and some lands in between. She was pretty sure she could do a sex map of the U.S., planting little porno flags in states and towns, by way of Riley’s ‘hoochies’.

  She trusted Riley resolutely and both knew, when they were ‘together-together’, there would never be anyone else. But when they were apart? The parade in front of her reminded her of two things: 1) their baggage and 2) how that boy never liked to sleep alone.

  The rational part of Christina kept telling herself she could live with his past and it was none of her business. Conversely, the emotional and irrational part of Christina wanted to slap Riley’s face. Repeatedly.

  The knowing expressions on the ‘hoochies’ faces and the open challenges made Christina seethe. Riley acknowledged the ‘hoochies’ with disinterest and a modicum of politeness. His eyes always found hers, conveying reassurance, and pleading for understanding.

  Unfortunately, her ‘understanding’ had run out more than a few girls ago. She wondered how Riley would feel if people from her past paraded before him, sticking their dicks out, and giving him ‘I-fucked-her’ looks? She didn’t have to be psychic to predict the outcome of that fantasy event.

  “There’s Mindy McKean,” Mandy cooed. “Wow! She’s lost so much weight.”

  Christina looked at Mindy and then her face fell. Mindy McKean? Seriously? She turned glaring at Riley, giving him a combination ‘are you kidding me’ and ‘you should be neutered’ look.

  Riley’s eyebrows rose into his hairline and he started making his way toward her, but she grabbed her friends, heading away. The women hit the dance-floor to Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”. At this stage ‘fun’, even a little bit, would be welcome.

  Mindy McKean. Her nickname, amongst others, had been Mindy Mean. A couple of years younger than Christina, Mindy had been morbidly obese, but that wasn’t what made her memorable. She used to wear Army surplus jackets and was crazy-stalker-creepy.

  Renowned for her hostility, Mindy used her size to fend off any would be bullies and an encounter with her was psychologically damaging. And Riley had been there with that? Granted, Mindy didn’t look like she did in high school, but still.

  “He’s coming,” Mandy hissed at Christina, nodding toward Riley.

  “Oh, I think he’s come enough,” Bonnie quipped. “Right, surly-girlies. Let’s go further into the crowd. Riley McManwhore can take his slutty pants some place else.”

  “Ha!” Christina laughed. “I think that’s part of the problem. His slutty pants have been everywhere.”

  Laughing, they buried themselves amongst the crowd on the dance floor, hiding from Riley. Christina released some of the night’s tensions into dance, closing her eyes, and giving herself over to the music. She didn’t want to think about Riley and his ‘hoochies’, or anything else. She especially didn’t want to think about him rolling around with anyone else, but her.

  **********

  Riley

  She was pissed.

  Riley watched Dina dancing with her friends and grimaced. She’d been ignoring him for the last fifteen minutes, and every time he tried to reach her, she buried herself further in the crowd. He needed to fix this, but as always, she wasn’t making it easy.

  He could never understand this. He’d been honest that he was no angel and she had nothing to worry about. Sure, he’d had flings when he was a single man, but that felt like a lifetime ago.

  Riley didn’t see anyone else, couldn’t see anyone else, not when Dina was in close proximity. She took up all his vision. She turned her head and their eyes caught, but she turned her face away, making him roll his eyes.

  He loved the way she moved on the dance floor. She was sinuous, with a feline grace, and he loved the way she could disappear into music. Riley was so engrossed that he didn’t see Jed approach until his friend snarled in his ear. “That Andy James is a bloody disgrace to men everywhere,” Jed huffed.

  Putting his finger up, Riley interrupted Jed’s rant. “I know you’re talking, but I can’t hear a word you say.”

  Jed groaned. “Oh fer-God’s sake, Riley! Leave the poor woman alone. Everyone knows you two try to shag each other to death. I’ve seen you shuffling your feet like a zombie after a night with her, looking like the walking dead. We’ve got other problems, like fecking Andy James.”

  Riley laughed. “What’s your problem with Andy?”

  Jed waved his hand, sneering. “Look at him out there! The guy doesn’t even sweat. It’s unnatural.”

  Riley couldn’t see what the problem was. Andy was being a gentleman, dancing elegantly with Asha Robinson, and moving her around the dance-floor like a professional. “I don’t get it,” he frowned. “All he’s doing is dancing-”

  “Of course, he’s dancing!” Jed growled. “That’s the problem. He’s good at it. Guys like that raise women’s expectations. They’re going to want all of us to do that.”

  Riley burst out laughing. “Jed, you and I were male strippers for a while. We’ve danced naked for women.”

  Jed rolled his eyes. “For drunk women with low expectations; not for serious women, with high expectations.” Scrunching up his face, Jed shook his head. “Sometimes, I worry about you.”

  Riley smiled at Jed and then turned looking at Christina. She was studiously ignoring him and he swore in frustration. Jed sighed, pointing at Christina. “What have you done now?”

  Riley shrugged. “Too many to count,” he mumbled. He met Jed’s curious stare. “There are some women here that… I know in the biblical sense. Dina’s figured it out and she’s pissed.”

  “Oh, shit,” Jed breathed. “Well, don’t just stand here on the sidelines sulking like a big girl’s blouse. Go do something about it!” Pushing him, Jed urged. “She’s right ove
r there, you eejit. Off you go, before she changes her mind and dances off into the sunset with Twinkle Toes, Andy James.”

  Jed was right. Riley needed to stake his claim. “Andy can dance his ass off,” Riley smirked, “but he can’t do this.” He waggled his eyebrows at Jed, wandering onto the dance floor to Christina.

  He waited behind her, as she danced with her back to him, and he could tell that she knew he was there, but she refused to turn around. He grabbed her arm, pulling her around so they were facing each other, and stared into her eyes. Depeche Mode’s “Policy of Truth” started playing and he wrapped his arms around her.

  Riley slowed their movements to match the song and he drew her close to him, clasping his hands just above her butt. “I know you’re angry, but look at me,” he whispered in her ear. Christina raised her eyes to his and he felt his gut clench. A combination of pain and fury was staring back at him.

  He debated on his course of action and went with his heart. “I love you,” he said loudly, so she and anyone else in the vicinity could hear. “Always have and always will. I’ve never lied to you about that. We come with baggage, separately and together. I’m asking you not to stress about the stuff we can’t change.”

  Her arms slid around his neck, but she stayed silent. Riley moved his head toward her in incremental steps, capturing her lips, and kissing her passionately. At first, she froze and then responded by kissing him back. Pulling her closer, he ran his hands over her body before breaking the kiss.

  “I love you and no one else,” he murmured. “If you want to be angry with me, fine, but never doubt the way I feel about you.”

  She looked up, her eyes dark and serious, searching his. Both knew he’d just marked his territory and re-staked his claim. “Talk to me,” he urged. “Don’t shut me out.”

  “I’m jealous,” Christina confessed. “I know it’s childish and I should be more mature about this, but I’m not. I’m jealous and this brings up all my insecurities.”

  Riley grimaced. He knew she was sensitive about this issue. She’d always been jealous and insecure of his past, even when he hardly had one. He’d made it ten times worse by using it as a weapon against her when they were at war. Now, it had come full circle to bite him in the ass.

  Resting her head on his shoulder, Christina murmured, “I love you too, but, I don’t know what to think. To be honest, I’m just a little shocked, and I don’t want this in my face. If the roles were reversed, you’d hate it.”

  “I would absolutely hate it,” Riley agreed. If Dina had come back and told him she’d slept with more men than she could remember, he didn’t know what he would do. The thought made his stomach churn. He’d only ever encountered one of Christina’s ex-boyfriends and he’d gone psycho.

  He knew it was unfair asking her to do something he couldn’t, but what choice did he have? Rubbing a hand across his mouth, Riley said quietly, “Dina, you are the most important person in the world to me. I need you to know that. I need you to believe it.”

  “I don’t feel very important at the moment, Riley,” she countered. “The way everybody’s looking at me, it’s as if I don’t matter.”

  Riley put his head on hers. “I disagree. Everybody knows you do matter and that’s why they are looking at you. Dina, don’t let this upset our happiness.”

  “I feel like I’m part of some huge, dirty list.” She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. He smiled, but her eyes narrowed and she spat out between gritted teeth. “Mindy McKean?”

  Riley grimaced. “It was… a bad time, honey. It was right after you and I divorced. I was drunk for three months and she’d lost like 200 pounds. I didn’t recognize her.”

  “Oh my god,” Christina whispered. “You are such a pig! I wasn’t talking about her weight, more her psychological fitness. She’s insane.”

  It was true. Mindy was insane. Riley cringed and gave an awkward laugh. Clearing his throat, he started. “It was a long time ago, Dina, and I have no interest in revisiting that period in my life. The life I want is with you and only you.”

  He didn’t want those days again. Those days were the dark ones, full of grief and rage. He’d taken comfort where he’d found it and his only criterion was that all parties consented.

  In his view, you either moved on and if you couldn’t, you managed. Riley had ‘managed’, but he’d been reckless and irresponsible. He’d never given it much thought until now, now that he’d seen it through Christina’s eyes.

  Pulling her close, they danced slowly until the song ended and he escorted Dina off the dance floor, refusing to let her out of his sight. They went back to where Jed was standing and he was grinning from ear to ear. “NICE!” Jed leered. “I thought you were going to swallow the poor girl whole and we’d have to get the ‘jaws of life’ to save her.”

  Riley raised an eyebrow. “No. We’re saving that for later.” The two men were mock arguing when the dance track ended mid-song and there was a commotion at the door.

  The band walked in with their entourage, followed by a camera crew. Behind them was Meg and Riley gave her a head nod. He was still smiling when Mason Glenn pranced into the room with his arms above his head, acting like he was a champion boxer.

  Riley had no idea Mason had been invited and he locked eyes with Jed. Both men cast nervous glances at Christina, who was staring at Mason in disgust. “Great,” she seethed, her mouth pursed like she was sucking a lemon. “Tonight just gets better and better.”

  **********

  Christina

  “Come on, baby,” Riley murmured in Christina’s ear. “Let’s go find that broom closet.” He was unbelievable and this party sucked!

  “It was a storage room,” Christina corrected him, “and no. No storage room, no broom closet, and no getting naked in public.”

  “Huh,” Riley nodded and pursed his lips. “Okay. I thought it would be a nice trip down memory lane.”

  Christina rolled her head toward him in slow motion and blinked. He must have a different recollection of events to her. They’d had reunion sex and been caught on tape by security cameras. He’d had to go beat someone to get the evidence back and now they’d repeated the experience, but through audio.

  “Are you serious?” She blurted. “That isn’t a nice trip down memory lane.” Men. It was as if he thought everything could be resolved between them if they just had sex. Sex, sex, sex. Oh, and if things got difficult? More sex!

  Granted, they’d quite often used sex as a way to mask their other problems and as much as she was tempted to fall back into old patterns with him, she refused. Riley didn’t just have a magic penis; it was devil penis magic. She had a room full of reminders of how he hadn’t spared his wand.

  He had told her and she couldn’t fault him for that, but seeing it in the flesh and with faces attached? That was different. It was no longer an abstract. It was real.

  “Honey, what are you thinking?” Riley asked. “Tell me what’s going on because I may be wrong, but I’m sensing a little hostility from you.”

  Christina turned her face toward Riley, folding her arms. She had no intention of letting him into the dark recesses of her mind because the maelstrom of emotions she was filtering were better left unsaid. For the last half an hour, they’d been fighting, but pretending they weren’t.

  As they were in public, both were attempting to cover their antagonism with loaded conversations full of hooks and barbs. They were experts at this form of passive-aggression, but the game was finite. Pressing on fault lines in their fractious relationship was dangerous. Someone always broke first, and usually, it was Christina.

  “I’m not hostile,” Christina deflected. “Just because Riley doesn’t get to rub his magic penis on me, like some dog marking his territory, to make our problems go away, doesn’t make me hostile.”

  Riley tilted his head to the side, giving her his pantry-dropping killer smile, but tonight, she was immune. Enough panties had dropped for this man and she was keeping her knickers fi
rmly on. “Huh,” he grinned, “because comparing me to a dog isn’t hostile at all.”

  She actually bit the side of her mouth, trying to contain the word vomit threatening to spill over. In her mind, she heard Mandy’s warning of ‘speaking bitter words with a bitter heart’ and Johnny’s weird philosophy about ‘seasons of forgiveness’. If she was honest with herself, and she was trying to be, she and ‘forgiveness’ were not good friends.

  “What is up with you tonight?” Christina huffed. “You’re all intense and pervy. Do you really think it’s appropriate for us to go into a storage room and have sex? At a party where our families are in attendance? Do you have any respect for me at all?”

  A ghost of a smile crossed Riley’s face and he looked at her with a predatory gleam in his eyes. “Is that what you think? I have no respect for you? I have nothing, but respect for you, Christina, or are we talking about something else?”

  Leaning in, Riley held his finger up for her to wait. Picking up his glass of Scotch, he took a big swig before adding. “I’m horny, Christina. H-o-r-n-y. I’m as horny as a teenager.”

  Christina turned her head, glaring at him. Riley could be dirty. He turned sex talk into an art form, but rarely was he so crude.

  “Oh, I remember that guy,” Christina smiled icily and she did. That guy had conned her into oral sex by making her promise him a kiss goodnight and not specifying ‘where’. She poked him in the arm. “That guy tried to have sex with me after we’d been dating for a week. One week? Seven days. Remember?”

  The memory made her cringe. One moment they’d been making out and the next he was naked, and she had nothing on from the waist down. She’d become horribly upset, but he’d calmed her by telling her he loved her and wouldn’t do anything until she was ready. Three weeks later, she’d offered him her V card and he’d taken it without flinching.

  “You could’ve tried to be a gentleman,” Christina semi-shouted, “and waited for a bit longer!”