Convincing Bet

by K. S. Adkins

  I was saved from an emotional breakdown on Strawberry’s back when we turned to head downhill. My horse wasn’t messing around on the ride back either and any potential tears of sadness were replaced by tears of pain. Strawberry was a male to be taken very seriously and I learned my lesson the hard way.

  Thirty minutes later, we’re back at the stable, I’m helped from Strawberry’s back and landed ungracefully on rubber legs. For some strange reason I was reluctant to leave his side. He was big and gentle, he made me feel safe so I stepped even closer putting me directly under his chin. Scratching him softly, I think he noticed my inner turmoil because during his scratch he huffed and bumped me with his nose, I hoped telling me I’d be okay. That bump gave me the strength to walk away because the other alternative was climbing back on. This afternoon was fun, I didn’t expect to love it and I actually smiled wide at what I’d accomplished.

  I rode a horse today. I rode a fucking horse! By myself!

  Yes!

  I’ll be the first to admit she was fucking adorable trying to climb on that horse. Granted, she chose the biggest fucking horse they had, a guy had to admire her determination. Once she was up, the smile never left her face. Making sure I brought up the rear so she couldn’t see me, I watched as she tried keeping her horse in line. Twenty minutes in, she just went with it because that horse had its own agenda and she didn’t seem to mind at all.

  Trotting uphill fucking sucked by the way.

  My balls felt like they were being beaten with aluminum ball bats. No one else seemed to have a problem except me and her either. From back here it looked like she was being electrocuted she was so stiff. Bottom line, we had no fucking clue what we were doing and if the woman wasn’t so comical to watch, I’d be pissed for the sac beating I was getting.

  Her horse seemed to like having her on his back (lucky prick) and when she took the reins guiding him away from the group to look over the island he went with no fuss. The looks that crossed her face left my chest feeling tight. Jesus, she looked innocent and tragic. For just a few minutes it looked like she was reevaluating her life and realized she didn’t have it figured out. Then like a switch, she sat up straighter and looked untouchable again.

  That thought brought me right back to Adrian. The fuck could he want with a beauty like her anyway? She wasn’t a low-life or a whore and the two of them knowing each other made no sense. Before I could make any more assumptions, we were told to head back downhill to finish the tour. Thank fuck.

  Leading my horse out of her line of sight, I watch her scratch her beast like it was the most precious thing on the planet, like it was her lifeline. The damn thing was loving it and actually nudged her like he got her pain. Slowly she walked away but looked back at the horse who was watching her as well. Giving him a final wave she grabbed the first buggy out and went back to her room. Before I could take a piss and ice my balls, she had a basket full of food and was gingerly waddling down the hill toward the huge patch of grass that faced the lake.

  Spreading out a big pink blanket, she takes her time setting up her lunch. When that was done, she reached in and produced a bottle of white wine and started drinking from the top, foregoing the glass. Ah, a woman I could admire.

  Kids ran around her like they were drawn to her. Parents tried engaging her but she wasn’t about them, she was about the little ones and it was extremely sad to watch. She played catch, chase, shared her feast and looked fucking miserable doing all of it. My own stomach yelled at me reminding me to grab some grub. Heading to the main hall, I make sure to find a window seat so I could watch her.

  For another hour she just sat there totally still.

  It’s like she tuned the world out. Head cocked to the side, she stared out over the water. Finally, the spell had broken and she packed up but didn’t head back to the room. Following her lead but staying out of sight, I watch as she takes the furthest chair, sets the basket down next to it, wraps herself in that pink blanket and just cries.

  I know the sound of sorrow, now. I’ll never forget it either. Almost like pieces of her soul were being stolen and it was slowly killing her. Even hidden in the bushes, I watched it all wishing I could make it better for her.

  When she made her way back to the room you could see the pain from the ride finally set in. Drinking the wine probably helped some but not enough. The woman was bowlegged right now and fuck knows I was hurting too. The problem was we were both tore up from riding horses when I’d prefer we were tore up because we fucked ourselves that way.

  Now that we’re back in our rooms, I sit outside hoping she’ll come out here and talk to me. Lucky for me I didn’t have to wait long. My neighbor, I had hoped, was thinking about me too.

  Labor hurt less than what I had going on between my thighs right now. I couldn’t sit or walk without waddling and my ass muscles were screaming at me. With less than half a bottle of wine left, I made my way to the deck debating between crawling into that hot tub or, ungracefully flopping into the chair.

  The hot tub won.

  Stripping down, I could barely make it up the three steps before sliding in to the blessed heat. I knew I was riding Strawberry wrong and the proof was paralyzed in the water. Reaching for the wine again, I decided to chug it so it would work faster. Normally wine wasn’t meant to be medicinal but this was an emergency.

  How I was going to make it to that haunted tour was beyond me, but I’d rent a wheelchair if I had to. Being sore and properly buzzed wasn’t stopping me. When a burp escapes, I wasn’t even lady-like enough to cover my mouth. I was too sore and too tired. Besides, who was going to hear me?

  “Excuse you.” Says the deep voice beyond the fence. Shit, busted.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yeah,” he says “You can share whatever it is making you burp like a drunken sailor.”

  Giggling at his attempt to start a conversation, I try to sit up a little straighter. My neighbor’s voice was a balm to my ragged soul. “It’s the wine,” I tell him. “I grabbed a bottle of Prosecco and it’s carbonated. Truly, I can’t help it.”

  “Mind sharing?”

  “Not at all,” I say using both hands to anchor my body as I climb out. “Give me a sec, I’ll hand it to you around the fence.”

  “I got time,” he says and I can tell he’s smiling at me.

  Slowly, I test the condition of my legs. When the soreness grabs me I let out an ‘ooph’ with that first step and limp toward the corner. “Here you go,” I say reaching my arm around the back. His warm fingers brush mine while he tries to find a spot to grab. Securing the bottle I let go and was about to step back when his hand comes back to my side of the fence.

  “Don’t leave me hanging,” he says moving it up and down.

  “Sorry,” I mumble reaching forward to take it. With a firm grip he shakes my hand and just like that my hand is toasty warm. “It’s nice to meet you, neighbor.”

  “You too,” he says releasing me slowly. “Mind if I finish it?”

  “Not at all,” I say climbing back into the tub. “I’ve had enough for two people.”

  “No more than ten minutes in that tub, neighbor, especially if you’ve been gulping the bubbly. Don’t want you to get dizzy.”

  “Thanks,” I say smiling. “I’m just finishing up here; I’ve got a haunted tour to get to at eight.”

  “Then you best get out now,” he says laughing, “It’s seven forty five.”

  “Shit!” I squeal in a panic. I had a thing about being late, as in I never was.

  Scrambling to get back out I was impressed with my ability to move that fast, you know until my face met the wood deck reaching for my towel. Then I proved that not only did I burp like a sailor, I swore like one too.

  Soft tiny hands.

  The softest I ever touched. Her grip though, didn’t match the size, that’s for sure. My dick wanted to know what the grip could do to get it off but, I wanted to know how those fingers would feel in my hair, down my chest and then rest
ing in my palm. While my dick wanted all things sexual, the man wanted all things emotional. I wanted to know what made her cry, why she was here alone and what her clothes smelled like.

  Throwing back the wine, I let out my own burp because damn, this was carbonated.

  Advising her to be careful with how long she soaks, she gives her thanks and tells me she’s finishing up for the haunted tour. She’s an open book, this is good. While she gets ready, I’ll be sure to grab myself a spot at the last minute.

  Sharing the time with her, she panics in the cutest way. Suddenly there is splashing and then the loudest thwap! Running to the corner of the fence I can’t crane my body to see if she’s okay.

  “Ow.” She says in a quiet voice.

  “Neighbor? You need some help?”

  “I’m okay,” she moans, “I’ll get up… as soon as my legs start listening to me.”

  “What’s wrong with your legs? Are you hurt? Bleeding? Talk to me.”

  “I met a male named Strawberry,” she mumbles, “He taught me a thing or two. I’m not hurt or bleeding, just slightly drunk and embarrassed.”

  “You still going to that tour?”

  “Hell yes I am,” she says. “I’ve had worse than this, trust me.”

  “Be careful, neighbor,” I tell her.

  “Careful’s my middle name,” she says. “Actually, it’s not, but you know what I mean.”

  “You believe in ghosts?” I ask her.

  “I don’t believe in much of anything,” she says standing up by the sounds of it, “Especially ghosts.”

  “You good to walk?”

  “Pssh,” she says making noise, “Maybe in a few. Right now I seem to have crawling down. You have to do one before you can do the other. Night, neighbor.”

  “Yeah,” I mumble while wearing a smirk on my face. “Night.”

  It took her several minutes but she finally did it. Once she was inside she wasted no time knocking shit over before getting dressed and waddling her cute ass down to that tour.

  Let it be said, a drunk bowlegged female screaming her head off is not something you want to miss.

  Do not go to the haunted tour.

  That’s my advice, take it or leave it.

  In this world a lot of shit happens at night. Good, bad and horrendous.

  Tonight was horrendous.

  Everything was fine at first. My buzz calmed down enough that I could think straight, my limbs were sore but flexible and this tour was filled with families. Our guide was a college student and his major had to be theatre. He was very into it, super over the top and quite believable. To the children, at least.

  Doing as we were told, we follow him (in the dark) holding glow sticks. He spun a vivid tale of creepiness and humor. Getting lost in his enthusiasm wasn’t difficult. At one point he was discussing a particular tree that played a part in World War II and I moved aside so the little guy behind me could see.

  Backing away, I was still buzzed when I stepped on someone’s foot. Quick to offer an apology, I spin around which causes me to lose my balance again and I stumble face first into the largest spider web man or beast has ever seen.

  Swiping at my face blindly, I let out the most impressive scream these lungs could manage and then I did what any reasonable woman would do.

  I ran for my fucking life.

  Up hills, down hills.

  At one point I even ran in a circle but that didn’t help either. I was so terrified that I took the steps back to my room two at a time although I don’t know how I did it. My brain was on auto pilot, my fight or flight responses in full force. Not caring if I woke every person in the building, I screamed when I ran down the hallway and continued screaming in the living room while ripping the clothes off my body before flying head first into the hot tub.

  Scrubbing and screaming at the horror of it all, I was afraid to put my hands in my hair. I have thick hair. Any creature would love to find a home in there and that’s when the heebie-jeebies hit me.

  “That was quick. How was the tour?” he asks from beyond the fence.

  Taking a deep breath, I sink under the water letting the chemicals kill any living fucking thing in my hair before responding. Coming up for air I answer casually, “It was great, I learned a lot actually. How about you? How has your night been?”

  “Better than yours by the sounds of it.”

  “You heard me screaming, huh?”

  “Honey, General Custer heard you screaming.”

  “Well, I don’t like spiders.”

  “Can’t blame you there,” he says laughing, “What’s spiders got to do with a haunted tour?”

  “Can we change the subject, please?”

  “Nope,” he says laughing, “Spill it.”

  “I sort of walked---okay stumbled into a web. With my face.”

  “Check your hair,” he advises me, “Those bastards are water resistant.”

  “They are?” I gasp. “Fuck!” Holding my breath I dunk myself again and one more time just to be safe.

  “Got you a little something,” he says “Crawl outta there and come grab it.”

  Padding out, I waddle over to the back side of the fence and take the bottle of wine he offers.

  “It’s half empty,” I say laughing.

  “I was thirsty.”

  When a big smile hit my face, I knew it was time to go. I didn’t come here to make friends and I certainly didn’t want to be attracted to a stranger with nice hands and a sarcastic personality to rival my own. “Thanks, neighbor,” I say backing away, “Night.”

  “Leaving me already?”

  “I’ve had a long day,” I say standing near the door, “I have to be up early.”

  “Drink that first,” he advises me, “That way if anything survived you really won’t give a shit.”

  Before I scream at him for the reminder, he laughs then walks through his own door closing it behind him. “Smart ass.” I mumble taking a huge swig from the bottle. You know, just in case.

  My neighbor gave me all the material I needed to jerk myself off and into a sound sleep. She was beautiful, hilarious, humble and hiding something.

  She was mysterious.

  My dick liked mystery.

  Normally I’d like a little mystery too but I had a job to do. Only I didn’t know what that job was yet. I didn’t know this woman but what I did know I enjoyed the hell out of. She’s not here for work or to do anything shady. I’ve been around shady people all my life and she ain’t in that league. Actually, I can’t figure out what league she’s in because I know shit about her. I don’t have a name or a connection, just a photo and even that didn’t do her justice. Bottom line was, this woman is a walking talking contradiction. One minute she looked in awe, the next she had tears running down her face. When she cried she didn’t wipe the tears away, she just let them run down her face like she was too grieved to care.

  I swear she cried so fast and hard she didn’t even know that she’s doing it. Like a switch, it just happens and hell if I can figure out what causes it. When she ain’t crying though, she carries herself as a woman who knows her shit. Not like she’s better than you, just confident and really fucking lonely.

  Even though I’m here on a job for Adrian, I didn’t give him much thought because last night may have been the most fun I’d had in years.

  Fuck yes, I laughed at her expense.

  After stepping on my foot, I tried steadying her but she spun out of my arms and head first into a giant spider web. A giant fake spider web. One of those cotton things they use to decorate for Halloween. But she was still buzzed and then too disoriented to figure it out. Then she pulled some shit from Ferris Bueller when Ed Rooney broke into his house and scared his sister Jeanie who took off like a shot with her arms flailing, screaming like she was on fire.

  She did Jennifer Grey better than Jennifer Grey. Not once did she stop screaming either. Not when she marathoned it up the hill, not when she soared up them steps and not even in her o
wn room. In fact, she didn’t stop until she nearly drowned herself in that hot tub. Pretty sure those maneuvers loosened them legs of hers up a bit too. So I couldn’t help myself from keeping her riled up a while longer, I enjoyed the hell out of it mostly because she was a good sport.

  This morning I had no idea what she had planned so I woke up early prepared to meet her in person. A chance meeting at Starbucks? Maybe a well-executed bump in the shoulder or, a close call with a horse where I can play hero? I’m sick of watching her from a distance, talking through a damn fence. I want to be face-to-face and I hoped that we could spend some real time together. Our time here was limited and I wanted to know her better before I stole from her. I wanted to see how she handled an orgasm while she sat on my face. For now I was ignoring Adrian’s calls, he could wait. Still smiling over last night, I decided to take advantage of my good fortune and I didn’t feel guilty about that at all. The sun was out and there was someone I needed to get acquainted with first.

  If all went well, I’d be between her sore legs by dinner.

  Waking up early, I kept my promise to myself and left my phone in my room while I went for coffee. My phone was a life line for business only even though no one I cared about used it, it was a habit. A habit I came here to break. Especially, trying to beat level 152 on Candy Crush. So far I’ve been doing pretty good with it, I’ve stayed too buzzed and busy to worry about checking it. I couldn’t forget why I was here, though. Yes, I was having some fun but something had to give. My life was work and work was my life. I’m young but I feel so aged that I struggle to enjoy the little things like pedicures and sleeping in.

  No matter which direction I turn, there was always a document to sign, a business that needed backing and a line around the block of people wanting money. When Adrian decided to up the stakes and play dirty I said screw it. It was time to take a vacation and reassess my situation.