I Pick You

by Jettie Woodruff

  Rydell did the exact same thing I had done. She spilled her guts to me, giving me a sense of how crushed she really was.

  “How long were you together?” I questioned, when she paused.

  “Two years. We had an apartment together right downtown. A beautiful place with expensive furniture, and paintings with their own insurance policies. I guess you could say I let that go to my head a little, forgot where I came from kind of thing.”

  “What happened?”

  Rydell snorted, but continued to pour her heart out to me. “They did reform the factory. It’s never done so well. I’m grateful for that, and I’m happy that so many people are able to pay their bills from there.”

  “You’re dawdling.”

  “Dawdling?” she laughed.

  I didn’t laugh back. “What happened?”

  Another deep breath and a quick drink later, she told me. “Two years. I was with him for two years and never knew.”

  “Knew what?”

  “There was a big party to celebrate a million dollar month for the first time ever. It was a huge event, a big carnival inside an empty warehouse they had just built. Rides, and vendors, kids and families.”

  “Rydell?”

  “I’m getting there. We were having a blast. Ryan and I were trying to dunk one of the second shift foreman with a ball, laughing and in love, or so I thought. My family was there, my dad, my brother, Wendi and John, Crystal Cantral, Jonas, Olivia.”

  “Okay, okay, I get it. Everyone was there.”

  “They were all staying close because they thought he was about to pop the question.”

  “Why did they think that?”

  “Because I thought that. I knew he wouldn’t spend any more time there. He’d already moved on to some paper products factory in, guess where?”

  I shrugged one shoulder, having no clue what to guess, and she answered.

  “Nashville, Tennessee.”

  “Your ticket out of here?”

  “Yup, only he had no intentions of popping the question, or getting me out of Hellville.”

  I interrupted with a smile. “Hellville, every state has one.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing, go ahead. That’s just what I call my hometown, too.”

  “Oh yeah, where’s your Hellville?”

  “Michigan, keep going.”

  Rydell asked a shot girl for two Jacks and refills on our drafts before turning back to me. Another deep breath and the last drink in her glass. “I heard two kids yelling, excitedly screaming, ‘Daddy! Daddy!’” she called, animating the calls. The entire group turned to see two little boys running full force right toward us. I remember looking around to all the puzzled faces as the two boys jumped into Ryan’s arms. Two years and he never mentioned kids. Beautiful Mrs. McDuffy was in his arms a few seconds later. He introduced me as the girl he was talking about from the bar, the one that could sing. That’s what I was to him after two years. What a crazy mess. I mean, I was devastated. Like fuck, Brantley. I was so in love with him, and I thought he was in love with me.”

  “Wow, and I thought I was an ass.”

  “You want to hear the funny part? I’ve never heard from him since that night. No explanation, no apology, nothing. I walked away from him, pulling my dad and brother with me to keep him from getting his ass kicked in front of his family. That was the last time we spoke. I was a time waster, that’s it.”

  “You should have let them kick his ass.”

  Rydell responded with a sad smile and light shake of her head, a mental reminder of what a fool she was.

  I wasn’t really good at this stuff either. I winged it, saying whatever fell out of my mouth. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Rydell. I don’t know what this is, but I feel like it’s something, and I know you do, too. I’m not married, but I am in love, and I kind of want her to be my dream for a while. I missed a lot because I rejected her, and I have to put her first. I’m not just saying this because I want to help you out of those jeans. Even though I don’t really understand it, I know you’re not just a time waster.”

  “You’re not supposed to turn into a nice guy.”

  “I am a nice guy. Sort of. Not really.”

  Rydell gave me that real smile again. The one with bright white teeth. “Where is your family?”

  “My sister is here for the weekend. She’s with Bay.”

  “Where’s your mom and dad?”

  “That’s enough seriousness for one night. Let’s dance.”

  “No, I don’t dance.”

  I reared my head back and gave her the stupid look. “I watched you move on that bar. You dance.”

  “I have to be good and drunk, and Brenden hates it when we do that.”

  Not about to give her a choice, I pulled her to the floor without another word. She lied. Rydell could dance. Rydell could electric slide any girl in Nashville under the table. Easy. Her hips moved while dirty thoughts filled my mind and I moved with her.

  “Holy shit, Brantley. You’re good.”

  I smiled and moved behind her. “I’ve got a couple moves, but the good ones require getting your clothes off.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” she assured me, turning to me, and letting me wrap her in my arms.

  People danced around us, slow dancing to an upbeat song, and I didn’t care. Rydell looked up to me with terrified eyes, tiptoeing around ice she wasn’t sure would hold her. “I’m not sleeping with you.”

  “Maybe not tonight.”

  She smiled, and I felt her fingers lace through the back of my hair. “I promised myself I wouldn’t do this again. I’m not the time wasting kind of girl. I’m either in it, or I’m not. I’ve never done well with one night stands. I fall. I always fall.”

  I may have been making empty promises, but at the time I meant every word. “Well, this could be fun because I’ve never been the type to have more than a one night stand or a weekend fling. I might suck at it.”

  Rydell laughed, agreeing with my truth. “This is going to end badly.”

  “No, it’s not. Why would you put that out there?”

  “You’re going to leave here, too.”

  “Maybe, I don’t know yet. As crazy as it sounds, I sort of like teaching.”

  “You suck at that, too.”

  “Pfft, those kids love me.”

  “Yes, and so do all of my kids. I used to be the cool teacher, now I’m the mean one, thanks to you.”

  “Really? That’s what they think? I’m the cool teacher?”

  Things between Rydell and me moved quickly, but now that I think about it, I think the fuse was lit the very first time we met. I was the one worried about falling for the first time ever. Adulting was scary as hell. I pulled her closer when the boys on stage slowed it down with some Alan Jackson, and one of my favorites, The Blues Man.

  There was no denying this thing between us. It was there and it stirred every emotion in me. All while scaring the hell out of me. What the hell happened to me? One second I was on the sidewalk, busking for money and a crowd of strangers and the next, this. In love with Bay Berry and Rydell Brinkley. Hell, the dumb little kids at school were even starting to rub off on me. They were kind of cool, and this was all something surreal. Somebody else’s life. Not mine.

  My night was filled with fun. We shot pool with Wendi and John, danced more than I think I ever had in a night, and we kissed for the first time.

  Rydell went to the bathroom while I was supposed to be getting refills. She gave me a look, walking backwards without a word. I moved her away from the door for some loud mouth girls, with my body.

  Rydell placed one hand on my chest and one on my ribs as I closed the distance between us. “You should stay away from me right now.”

  That is precisely the time my hands moved up her shirt, and my mouth collided with hers. She parted her lips and I tasted the shine. Grape mixed with fireworks and then a soft moan.

  “Come back to my place with me.”


  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, I’m not a slut.”

  I gave her a peculiar look with a frown. “I never said you were. I’m not going to think you’re a slut. You know as well as I do, it’s going to happen. Why do you care about waiting until it’s politically correct? I didn’t think you were like that.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? Like what?”

  “I don’t know. I’m drunk. Come on, we’ll go to your place.”

  “Nuh-uh, I’m staying with my brother. He’ll break you.”

  “Then let’s go to my place. My sister won’t break you.”

  Rydell dropped her head, eyes to the floor and then back to me. “Brantley.”

  That was her weak way of begging for mercy, a mouse like tone that I chewed up and spit out like old gum. I pulled her to the door without stopping. I didn’t need anyone talking her out of it. I had her, and I wanted her in a dirty, bad way.

  “We can’t drive,” she said, her tone lowering with the quiet parking lot.

  “I’m already on it. Come on, I told him we’d be walking down Galatian.”

  “Walking? It’s dark?”

  “I’ll protect you.”

  It was dark. Pitch black, dark. Unless a car with lights drove by, we couldn’t see two feet in front of us, but I was happy. Feeling like a lucky man, I laced my fingers with Rydell’s.

  “This doesn’t mean you’re my boyfriend.”

  “I don’t need labels, but I would like to know one thing.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “That guy. I really did see him at the grocery store with his family.”

  “That was Ricky Weaver, and that wasn’t his wife and kids. It was his sister and her two boys. She’s epileptic, she can’t drive. I’m one hundred percent sure Ricky Weaver isn’t married. I’ve known him my whole life. He’s on again, off again with his high school sweetheart, but I think it might be off for good this time. The last time was about the same time Ryan and I broke up. Ha, that’s funny. I say that like the fucker wasn’t married.”

  “How could you know?”

  Rydell stumbled into me a little, slurring her words with one pointed finger in the air. “Two years. I mean, come on. I should get stupid tattooed right across my forehead. I thought he was that busy, you know? He was off being a hero, saving factories and jobs. I never thought he was going home to a wife and kids. Ever.”

  “I can always tell the married ones.”

  “He never wore a ring, and he didn’t have a tan line.”

  “I don’t mean the rings. Married chicks are wild. It's the forbidden fruit, the thrill of getting away with doing something is a powerful aphrodisiac. I can always tell.”

  “Hmmm, that sort of makes sense. We had amazing sex.”

  Rydell and I laughed, a lot, over stupid things that made no sense. She told me about how she went to her apartment after work to find everything gone except for her personal belongings and a typed up professional letter. That’s how her rich tycoon boyfriend kicked her out of her own house. A typed up letter that his secretary probably typed up for him, letting her know that her lease had run out. That’s why she lived with Brenden. She continued the story once we were resting in the back seat, explaining that she had decided to buy, giving up on ever making it to Nashville.

  “There just comes a time in life when you have to grow up, and quit living in Alice’s world, ya know?”

  Before that moment, I would have said, no, I didn’t know, but I did. Bay and Rydell Brinkley made me want to know. As much as I hated Florida, I could see myself staying right there, planting roots, and continuing my teaching career. That’s how hard it hit me. That fast, and everything I had ever stood for was gone, my feet knocked clean out from under me. By a girl. By two girls.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Unfortunately, my obstinate sister decided to take my bed. She was snuggled up to my daughter right smack dab in the middle.

  “I can’t believe you live here. Why didn’t you tell me you were rich?” Rydell angry whispered when I closed the door.

  I smiled and took her in my arms, walked her backwards to Bay’s bed, and lifted her shirt over her head. “I’m not rich. I’ll tell you all about it when I’m not trying to fuck you.”

  “What? You lied again. Do you live with your sister? Is this her house?”

  “Shhh,” I coaxed as I laid her across Bay’s little bed, my tongue in her mouth, and my hand up her shirt. Criminy. Rydell had a body. Her breasts were as firm as her ass, and I have never in my life felt muscles on a chick like that. My hands were everywhere, trying to take her all in.

  “Brantley, stop. I can’t.”

  My head dropped to the bed defeated, but only for a second. “Why?”

  “It’s Joy.”

  “Joy?”

  “Yes, she’s everywhere. We can’t have sex in here. It feels too, too, I don’t know, it’s just weird.”

  I didn’t even hesitate. I jumped up and took her with me, dragging her across the hall to the empty room while I hit play on my play list. As soon as the door was closed, I backed her against the wall, continuing the assault on her body, moving right back to her lips. My hips thrust into hers in an attempt to show her how much I wanted her, and we once again got lost in a kiss laced with alcohol.

  My fingers went through the top of her jeans, but I didn’t unsnap them. This wasn’t my first rodeo. Rydell put her hand over mine, but I knew from experience that it didn’t mean stop, just slow down. I unsnapped her bra and latched onto her hard little beads instead, kissing my way to her knees.

  One more attempt to stop me before she faltered. “Brantley.”

  Obviously I ignored her, snapping the button and then sliding down the zipper. “Commando,” I said, my eyes moving up her delicious body to the fear in her eyes.

  “I thought I would be doing this with Ricky Weaver tonight.”

  I didn’t comment with words. Instead I helped her slide out of her jeans, taking in the prize. Neatly shaved with a small patch of hair just above her slit. It wasn’t a thin straight line like Kit—. Wait, not Kit. My tongue slid between her legs while my mind wondered why the hell I had just compared her sex to Kit’s, listening to Garth Brooks sing Shameless. That was me, shameless and giving up control of a life I worked my ass off to call my own. Here I was, on my knees, literally.

  “Oh, Jesus,” Rydell whimpered, as her body relaxed against the door. That was her undoing and my invitation to give it to her.

  I helped her step completely out of her jeans, propping her left leg to my shoulder. I devoured her with everything I had in me, licked and sucked for what seemed like minutes, but was more than likely seconds. Her fingers grasped a handful of my hair, pulling my face deeper into her. Indeed, I obliged, sucking as hard as I could while she muffled moans, legs trembling with euphoric pleasure.

  My tongue traced her stomach all the way to her mouth as I freed myself to my hand. I stroked it a couple times in my hand and lifted her legs around my waist. “Oh, fuck, baby,” I moaned, while I prayed to God to let me last longer than three strokes.

  Rydell rocked her hips up and down my shaft while I held her ass and watched. She was so beautiful, so defined, and so fucking hot. Long dark hair, tanned skin tighter than any girl I had ever touched.

  “Aahhh, lay me down, Brantley.”

  I swear a song went through my head with those words. Lay me down, Brantley. I took a step back and held tight around her waist, bringing her to the floor without slipping out of her. Staying on my knees, I sank as low as I could and pulled her hips to mine, thrusting deep into her. Everything about her was perfect and I couldn’t get over how flawless she was. It was like she was made for me. My little Florida cowgirl.

  I didn’t need anything from her and that was strange to me. Staring at her body writhe below mine, watching her hip swerve into mine, and seeing the expressions take over her face, was all I needed. As if that wasn’
t intense enough, she rolled me over. Like literally. I swear the girl had wrestling moves. I was on my back without warning in the blink of an eye, and once again, I fell a little more. Rydell belonged there. I didn’t care if I never had a one night stand again. I’d take an every night stand with her over that any day. How crazy was that?

  We finally finished with me on top again, our bodies molded together, and our lips connected. Passion burned strong between us, blending with heavy breaths, kisses, and moans. Rydell went first, pulling me down with her. I pulled out quickly and jerked off, leaving my load around her stomach, and me spent.

  My weight dropped, depleted like a flat tire as our breathing slowed, and the waves dwindled to a passionate memory. “Fuck, girl.”

  “So much for my safe sex rule.”

  “Yeah, mine too,” I laughed, landing a kiss to her nose.

  That’s the last thing I remembered before we both passed out cold. I woke sometime before the sun came up to take a piss and steal the comforter from Bay’s bed. I never did this, not unless I had a plan to get it in again before the chick slipped out of my life. Rydell rolled toward me and I covered her with comforter, taking in the lingering scent of sex merged with her perfume. She pulled my arm up to her face, and kissed the inside of my wrist, never opening her eyes. I kissed the back of her head, wondering if this was all real. Maybe I was just drunk and I would feel different once I woke up.

  But I didn’t feel different.

  Rydell woke first and tried to sneak away from me.

  I raised my arms above my head and watched her slide into her jeans, realizing how stiff and sore I was. Stupid floor. Stupid Bridgett. “Ah, you’re that girl, huh? Sneak out before anyone sees you leaving type.”

  Rydell slid her shirt over her head and smiled. “No, I’m the idiot type.”

  I sat up and formed a contemplated look. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because, it’s the truth. Let me see if I can figure out where to start. Oh, I got it. Let’s start with that song, me singing with you. That was the first mistake, and then a bunch more stupid stuff happened, like me spilling my whole life story to you. Ugh, I hate whiskey.”