The Mason List

by S. D. Hendrickson

  “Tequila?” Sadie tried to squirm free, but Seth had one side and Jess pushed us together on the other.

  “Sex, sun, and tequila,” I teased.

  “You are so weird, Alex.”

  “And you’re normal?”

  The girl in the bikini snapped picture after picture of us, just the way I wanted to remember it. Before the last click, I turned and grinned at Jess. He looked back at me; nose to nose with our lips just inches apart. Jess and I had our own private moment captured in time forever.

  We left the concert and went back to the volleyball court, gathering up our chairs and Sadie’s stupid hat. Walking to the truck, Seth babbled about the volleyball game as if none of us had witnessed a thing. His overzealous excitement was similar to Jess’s. Always happy.

  Seth sometimes joined in our study sessions. As business majors, we even had some classes together. I kicked his ass on the tests, although it wasn’t a complete beating on my part. Seth was smart and most of it manifested as second nature.

  It was too bad Sadie held such conceited ideals. Seth accepted a bank job in Dallas after graduation; a very good accomplishment right out of school. His career wasn’t enough to draw a second glance from Sadie. She would only settle for someone with Roman numerals after his last name and a job in the high six-digit range.

  I stopped in my tracks, almost tripping over a dark-haired guy lying face up in the sand, wearing only boxers. “Should we do something?”

  “Like what?” Sadie looked disgusted, like his sweat could leap from his body and land on her ankle, spreading a terminal disease.

  “His mouth is just open.” I peered down at the sleeping face. His lips were open at a strange angle, leaving his pink tongue exposed. His bare chest bore remnants of puke that had dried in clumps. “Can you sunburn your tongue?”

  “I’ll just take him back to the house.” Jess reached down and threw the unconscious body over his shoulder. He was a short guy and couldn’t weight much more than a sack of feed as he dangled in the air.

  “This is absurd. You are not bringing a stranger back to the house.” Sadie refused to move with crossed arms, pushing her breasts high out of her pink dress. Seth noticed and she quickly dropped them.

  “It’s my house. I’ll do whatever the hell I want.”

  And I went right back into my world owned by the Masons. We followed behind without another word. Sadie fumed. Seth hummed a faint song. The new guy stayed silent; his head bobbing against Jess’s shoulder. We all walked back to his truck and loaded up, putting the beach hitchhiker in the bed.

  Our house wasn’t on the map with the rest of the South Padre college students. The Masons recently purchased a yellow, two-story, four-thousand square foot beach house with private water frontage. The house even had a pool and hot tub on the back deck. Our spring break didn’t come close to the nasty motel squalor of the rest of the students. We partied in the private gated area Sadie dubbed the Texas Hamptons.

  Later that night, Sadie I stood on the deck looking at the hot tub. I wasn’t in the mood to socialize and needed a break from her. “I’m going for a walk. You should get in there. Be nice to Seth for a change. He’s totally into you.”

  “I will pretend you didn’t say that.” Sadie looked over the edge and turned her perky nose straight into the air.

  “Stop being a snob.”

  “I will have more trips to the doctor from that nasty, steaming tank of bacteria than if I slept with the random guy wearing the truck me hat on the beach.”

  “Truck me hat?”

  “Don’t act like you have no idea what I’m talking about.”

  “It really said truck me?”

  “You know what I mean.” She looked annoyed, and I shrugged back in confusion. “Remember the two guys in the over-sized caps that said Dirty Daddy and Vagina Magician embroidered across the top. I pointed them out during the game.”

  “What?”

  “You are so exasperating, Alex Tanner. The two idiots who tried to pick up the girl in the leopard print top by offering to hand-paint one of those flower bikinis on her breasts cheaper than the beer tent. The Vagina Magician kept repeating it. Come on, baby. I can paint your titties real cheap.”

  “Did Sadie McAllister just say titties?”

  “I said it on the beach too, but I guess you were too preoccupied to notice anything else. I was afraid you might actually lick his abs out there today.”

  “You know Sadie, I’ve beat the shit out of someone before. She just kept talking and bam! Blood was everywhere.”

  “Stop procrastinating with empty threats. I’ll get in that wretched hot tub if you tell Jess the truth.”

  “For real?”

  “I’ll even be nice to the beach hitchhiker in there with Seth.”

  “His name is Brandon, and he’s a freshman at Western State. He’s a nice guy who has some shitty pledge brothers who left him.”

  “So we just believe everything the hitchhiker is selling and pretend he’s not going to rob or murder the entire house tonight.”

  “Don’t be dramatic.”

  “Sweetie, I didn’t spend the summer at drug camp. I’m not use to this level of acceptable surprises.”

  “Sadie!”

  “A joke. I think I’m entitled to at least one after four years.”

  “Bitch.”

  “Watch the language if you want me to pay attention to Seth.”

  “You know, he’s the type that would let you boss him around.” My eyebrows arched. “Let you tell him exactly the way you like it. He might even be good at it too.”

  “Sweetie, tongue is extra in the little business arrangement. You want a make out session with Seth then I need to hear you talk about your feelings. Use those three little words.”

  “I love Sadie.”

  “Not to me, you neurotic mess. Now get your behind over there. But, Alex.”

  “What now!”

  “Watch yourself. Any actions on your part that are not completely sincere are wrong.”

  “I thought you wanted me to do something about all of this.”

  “I said talk to him. Tell him the truth for a change. Sometimes you forget he has feelings. Real feelings. You can’t be flippant about it. Don’t do something moronic tonight because you feel guilty about your decision. All in or not at all.”

  “That sounds dirty. Make up your mind.”

  “Stop being defiant. If you can’t bring yourself to tell Jess how you really feel then keep your ridiculously painted nails to yourself.”

  “Black Locus is actually a popular color.”

  “Who buys nail polish named after poisonous plants!”

  “Whatever. I get it. Now jump in there and be slutty with Seth and leave me alone. Give Brandon a little peck on the lips too. Don’t make him feel left out.”

  “That’s undeniably disgusting.” Unzipping her sundress, Sadie let it fall to the floor, revealing a pink bikini. She glared at me all the way to the steps.

  Turning my back, I walked across the deck to Jess. He sat on top of the picnic table in a burnt orange t-shirt and faded jeans. Taking another sip of his Bud Light, Jess gave me a sexy little grin as I approached. I hated to think it was sexy, but it came across as nothing less when he allowed his thoughts to surface in the creases around his lips. He needed to stop doing that to me.

  I shot an unspoken quit, with the slant of my eyebrows. Jess chuckled under his breath as I took a seat next to him. The butterflies in my stomach changed to flying, anxious dragon flies. I had to get this over with tonight. The guilt physically hurt.

  “What’s goin’ on over there?” He gestured back to the hot tub. Sadie’s face glowed with one hell of a fake politician smile as she sank down next to Seth in the bubbly water. One day, people would vote for that face and it scared the crap out of me.

  “I talked her into having a little fun.”

  “You must have some good blackmail on her. Ms. McAllister is now slummin’ with a can of beer. Set
h might just drown in there.”

  “Or she might drown Seth. You never know with her.” I watched Sadie chug the whole can in almost one gulp and then wipe her manicured fingers across her pouty lips.

  “She still pissed about Brandon?”

  “Yup.”

  “It was worth it, just to see the look on her face when I carried him to the truck. It was even better when I put him in the room next to her. I thought she might curse at me.”

  “You like tormenting Sadie a little too much sometimes.”

  “She’s like a firecracker waitin’ to be lit up. It’s all there, just needs a match.”

  “I didn’t know you found Sadie that attractive.”

  “Seth’s words, not mine. The guy’s got it bad for her. He gets turned on when she’s all wound up. Gets a hard-on every time she gets bitchy.”

  “I really didn’t need to know that.” I looked back at the hot tub. Sadie watched me with an evil stare, sending hazel daggers right at my head. It was time to move this little talk out of her supervising view.

  “So…um, you want to go for a walk?”

  “Ok. Somethin’ up?”

  “It’s nice right now out on the beach. Everyone’s partying in town or in that hot tub movie from hell,” I laughed.

  “You like stirin’ her up as much me.”

  “True, but I get roommate rights. You don’t have to live with her insanity.”

  “She’s not all that bad. You know it.”

  “Interesting change of opinion.”

  “What? You know I actually like her.”

  I narrowed my eyes and leaned over close to his face. “You’re still not going to tell me about your date with her?”

  “You could always ask Sadie if you wanna know so badly.”

  “I’m not asking my roommate. I’m asking my best friend.”

  “And I said there’s nothin’ to talk ‘bout.”

  “Fine. Asshole.”

  “You like my ass.” His eyes sparkled as he flirted with me again.

  “No, I don’t.”

  Jess slid off the table and I jumped down. His hand touched the center of my back, letting me pass in front of him. The warmth seared through the fabric, leaving an impression long after we stepped down the path. I smelled the ocean as we walked out toward the private beach. The sand squished between my toes. It was peaceful. I was fidgety.

  “I see Crater,” I said, looking up at the clear sky. I started our usual game as a distraction.

  “Hmmm.” Jess seemed amused. “Goin’ for the big ones. Sure that’s the best first move?”

  “It keeps you from pulling those out at the end to trump me.”

  “I see Bootes.”

  “Cancer.”

  We played this like a chess game. I could count on one hand the number of times I’d beaten Jess since he first introduced me to the dark, mystical world floating just out of reach from Sprayberry. Usually, Jess kicked my butt, leaving me with four wins over the years; each victory rubbed so hard in his face, it was worth his months of retaliating torture.

  “Ursa Major.”

  “Canis Major.”

  We kept a slow, meandering pace. The waves brushed up every so often then swirled back into the ocean, leaving chunks of seaweed. Peering out in the darkness, I searched for my next move. “I see Perseus.”

  “Liar. Wrong time of year for Perseus.”

  “I swear its right there.” Our feet stopped moving, and I pointed off in the distance. He shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets, kicking sand up with his bare feet.

  “I’m not lookin’.”

  “Come on. Please, Jess. I’m not kidding.”

  “I’m just gonna pretend you’re not tryin’ to cheat. Unless you wanna forfeit?” Coming up from behind, I slipped my hands around his cheeks to tilt his face upward. My body pressed into his back; my nose into his shoulder as I forced him to see where I pointed. “Nope. I’m not lookin’. Now stop before you end up somewhere you don’t wanna be.”

  “Fine. The moon.”

  “Really? The moon?”

  “Yes. The damn moon counts too, even though you say it doesn’t. Beach rules, not Sprayberry.”

  “Fine. I see your moon and raise you a Hydra.”

  “Now you’re cheating.”

  “You get the moon. I get Hydra.” His eyebrows went up taunting me. I stalled again, searching the sky. He had me in a virtual choke hold and I was about to lose once again. “That’s the best you got, Al? I even let you have a mulligan.”

  “That was completely fair. Besides, I swear you said Leo twice.”

  “Nah…that’s not gonna work. You out?”

  “Fine!”

  “Fine what?”

  “You win, again.”

  “So that’s like my five hundredth win? It’s ‘bout time you paid up.”

  “Bullshit. I don’t remember us betting on it.”

  “Bullshit is right. You pulled me out here for somethin’. So tell me what it is?” We stopped walking at some point and he stared down in my face just inches from my nose.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I was delaying the inevitable. Maybe I shouldn’t tell him tonight after-all. I wanted his smile to continue just a little longer.

  “Ok, then truth or dare. You pick.”

  “Jess, I don’t play that with you anymore.”

  “Dare it is.”

  “What? No!”

  He laughed as the red spread across my cheeks. How did I get myself into this mess with him tonight?

  “Alex, I dare you to get in the ocean.”

  “Not happening.”

  “Wait, I’m not finished. I dare you to get in the ocean and it has to be deep enough to get that hair of yours wet. None of that toe in the water shit.”

  I stared at him, feeling backed in a corner. “I hate you.”

  “I know and it’s really fun to watch you squirm.”

  “I’m not squirming.”

  “Then get in.”

  He wanted to play. Fine. I could make him squirm too. Even though I brought a suit on the trip, the black bikini stayed in my suitcase. My underwear didn’t match but hopefully, it wouldn’t get to the whole set. My stomach felt a little nervous as my fingers unbuttoned my denim shorts. I paused on the zipper, looking hard into his blue eyes. Pulling the tab, I let go and the pair fell to my ankles. I kicked them to the side, never breaking eye contact.

  “Your turn.”

  “What are you doin’, Al?”

  “Your dare. Oh, and I’m not going alone. Start stripping.”

  Jess watched me, trying to gauge my end game. With a quick motion, he pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on the sand next to my shorts. “I believe it’s your turn, Alex.”

  I wore a gray, plaid flannel shirt because it was chilly tonight with the sun gone. My fingers fumbled with the button holes while I kept my eyes on his face. I moved slowly to the next one, revealing a little more skin. I had his attention. The teasing smirk evaporated as he watched me undress. I swallowed hard. Jess didn’t seem to notice as he stayed focused on my fingers taking my shirt off. Reaching the end, I let the fabric slide off my arms. I stood clad in only my white lace trimmed panties and gray cotton bra. The thin fabric clung over each cold B cup.

  I stood just a few steps away from Jess; close enough for him to reach out and touch. I knew he was focused on me without clothes. Wasn’t that the point? Distract to get out of this dare. Distract to keep from talking. Sadie’s warning came back and I pushed it away. It was just a stupid child’s game.

  “Jess?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Your turn. Well unless you’re saying I win.”

  “Not a chance. You tell me why we’re out here or I guess we keep goin’.”

  His pestering smile returned as he watched me fidget. Jess unfastened the front of his jeans and paused to study my reaction. A surge of panic shot through my gut. I assumed he had boxers underneath tho
se tight pants. What if tonight, of all nights, that boy went commando? My face got red at the thought of seeing him completely naked. Jess winked, and then let the denim fall to the ground, revealing a pair of form fitted boxer. He threw them in the growing pile of clothes on the sand.

  “Your turn.”

  Top or bottom. I had to drop one more. Damn! Why couldn’t I have worn a tank top under the shirt? Jess laughed as I struggled, my cheeks getting redder by the second.

  “You don’t have to do this. Just tell me what’s got you so twisted up tonight.”

  I didn’t want to tell him yet. I changed my mind. I wanted to wait until we got back. Telling him tonight would ruin the trip. Looking back into his blue eyes, I agreed to still play this game.

  Slipping my fingers behind my back, grabbed the hooks of my bra. I felt nervous even though it was nothing Jess hadn’t seen in the past. My stomach clenched at the thought. I wished tonight was the first time for Jess to see me naked; his sweet face transfixed, waiting for me to show him something he had wanted all these years. Instead, I remembered the anger and pain that wrecked him as he watched that video. I wished for a do-over, but those only existed in the movies; the stupid unrealistic ones with time travel. I changed my mind and reached for my panties, inching them lower over my hips.

  Jess frowned. “Wait, Al. That's enough.”

  He grabbed me and tossed my whole body over his shoulder. My red hair flung out in every direction as my head bobbed against his back. He walked out into the water. The tips of my hair brushed the waves. Jess pretended to drop me head-first. I let out a scream and hit his legs with my fists. He changed his grip and tipped me forward. I slid down his chest, letting out a scream from the shock of the water. My feet searched frantically for the bottom.

  “I’ve got you. I won’t let go.”

  “You promise?” My fingers gripped his shoulders tight.

  “Trust me, ok?” I smelled the faint scent of beer on his breath. He talked softly as our noses bumped in the rippling water. “Don’t be afraid. Just relax. You can stand up here. We aren’t that far out.”