Chasing Sunset

by Missouri Vaun

  The afternoon sun was casting long shadows when Finn stepped through the French doors. She searched for Iris and finally spotted her on the far side of the deck talking to a friend. With a beer in her hand, she snaked her way through people gathered around the back yard. True to her word, Maggie had organized a party in honor of Iris’s birthday and it was a casually festive affair.

  The California crowd took some getting used to. Fashion was different here for sure. Attire choices were a weird mix of super casual but, Finn suspected, very expensive clothing. At a garden party in the South, you’d see mostly flip-flops and preppy shorts and shirts in primary colors. Everyone at this party looked like an extra from the Sundance catalog. Willowy women who could be models, maybe they were, lounged around the patio in long, flowing caftans and floppy Bohemian style hats. Finn felt underdressed in her hand-me-down Georgia Tech T-shirt and cargo shorts. But in her defense, she hadn’t brought many clothing options with her.

  As she wove between people, she heard a woman wearing a pocket romper over a bikini talk about days at Burning Man as if she’d experienced some altered state of being. Her companion was contrasting the desert revelry of Burning Man with his weekend at Coachella. Finn had attended neither event, but she’d at least heard of them.

  The woman Iris was chatting with wore a skimpy bikini top that showed off her perfectly tanned skin and a sarong. Her hair was in long dreads that transitioned from blond to lavender, and her wrist was loaded with bangles that jingle-jangled like wind chimes every time she moved her arm. The whole outfit was self-consciously constructed to send a particular message, but Finn wasn’t sure exactly what that message was unless it was, I’m not trying too hard to be cool, but I kinda am.

  “There you are.” Iris smiled as she walked up. “Finn, have you gotten to meet Regina yet?”

  “Hi.” Finn tipped her beer in Regina’s direction. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Oh, I love your accent.” Regina smiled flirtatiously, giving Finn her full attention.

  “Do you need a drink or anything?” Finn asked Iris.

  “And sweet too.” Regina touched Finn’s arm. “So, what do you do?”

  “Finn’s a driver.” Iris answered for her.

  “Hmm, like Kent?” Regina quirked an eyebrow. “Iris, you obviously have a type.” She playfully swatted Iris’s shoulder.

  Kent Kenny. Finn had almost gone forty-eight hours without thinking of him. Was she Iris’s type? Or was Kent? This whole scene was probably more up Kent’s alley.

  “You’re so lucky you two met.” Regina turned to Iris with a mockingly serious expression. “Dating in LA is a nightmare. Everyone is either stuck in traffic, looking for parking, or trying to network. It’s impossible to hook up.”

  Iris laughed. She reached for Finn’s hand. Finn shifted her stance, basking in this moment of closeness. She didn’t want to rain on the whole idea of a big party, but ever since this morning, all Finn wanted was to have Iris all to herself. A gathering where she knew no one and had the distinct impression that about half the people weren’t deep enough to wade into the shallow end of a pool was frustrating. She summoned patience and took a long swig of her beer. These were Iris’s friends; she needed to give them a chance to prove her wrong.

  Her mind drifted as Regina and Iris talked. Regina had various food allergies, and it was apparently very complicated to eat out. Someone within earshot behind her was talking about a tattoo they’d just gotten and needed to keep out of the sun. It was supposedly the Japanese kanji character for abundance. Finn glanced over. She was fairly sure she’d seen the same character design on a packet of soy sauce. How could you ever be sure you were getting what you intended unless you could actually read Japanese? Abundance or soy sauce. At the end of the day, both were good, so she figured it was sort of a win either way.

  Finn had never seriously considered a tattoo. Too much commitment.

  Someone, a wisp of a guy with blond hair, grabbed Iris’s other hand and tugged her away from Finn.

  “I’ll be right back.” Iris waved to Finn as she was swallowed by the small crowd near the thatched overhang of the tiki bar.

  Finn wanted desperately to leave. She felt lonely, like an outsider. She was used to being in a place where she’d known everyone since grammar school. This was a strange land inhabited by beautiful strangers.

  She meandered through the kitchen for a second beer, then wandered back outside. She took a seat along a low rock wall, far enough from the party that she couldn’t make out any one conversation, but close enough to keep an eye on Iris. She sighed and tipped the chilled brown bottle to her lips.

  “Did I miss much?”

  A guy had taken a seat next to her while she’d been lost in thought. She glanced over and almost snorted her beer through her nose when she saw who it was.

  “I wasn’t gonna show, but Regina texted me.” Kent Kenny was even better looking in person, if that was possible.

  “Yeah, it’s a rager.” Finn said the first lame thing that came to mind.

  “She’s something though, isn’t she?” Kent took a long pull on his beer. He was wearing board shorts and flip-flops. His biceps strained against the sleeves of his T-shirt.

  “Who?” But Finn was afraid she already knew who he was talking about.

  “The birthday girl, Iris. Do you know her or are you one of Maggie’s friends?”

  “Yeah, I know her.”

  “She’s a hot piece of ass.” He took another swig.

  Every protective impulse in Finn’s body charged to the surface.

  “I fucked it up.” He turned toward Finn and flashed a movie star smile. “She always takes me back though. How could she say no to this?” He spread his arms out as if he were a showman about to walk the high wire. “Later, man.”

  He swaggered toward the gathering around the patio, leaving Finn speechless. Kent Kenny had been someone she’d aspired to emulate, and now she realized he was a complete dick. She pulled herself together and followed Kent. She wasn’t going to leave Iris’s side as long as that pretty boy land shark was circling.

  * * *

  Iris was chatting happily with Steve and his cute new boyfriend, when she caught a glimpse of someone familiar in her peripheral vision. She’d had a few glasses of wine so her eyes were probably playing tricks. But when she glanced back, there he was. Kent was angling for her, easing his way around the edge of the flagstone patio. For an instant, she had a vision of quickly fleeing for the safety of the house, but instead she froze, and before she could regroup he was there.

  Kent leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Happy birthday, beautiful.”

  “Kent! You made it.” Regina swooped in, giving him a one-armed hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

  Regina had obviously invited Kent. Iris glared at her. It must have been Regina. Maggie never would have asked him to join the party.

  “Hi, I brought you a fresh drink.” Finn was suddenly at her side.

  “Thank you.” Iris smiled. She’d never been so happy to see someone. She kissed Finn on the lips. A kiss meant as a signal to Kent that they were more than friends.

  “Hey, can I show you something?” Finn motioned toward the house with a tilt of her head.

  “Absolutely.” Iris smiled thinly at Kent. The expression of disbelief on his face was everything she could have hoped for.

  Finn took Iris’s hand and they wove through guests until they were in the house. Then she followed as Finn led her down the hallway to her bedroom. Finn closed the door and they were alone.

  “Thank you.” Iris sank to the edge of the bed. She set her wine glass on the bedside table.

  “I thought maybe you needed to be rescued.”

  “I hope you know I didn’t invite him.” Iris was furious. “I don’t want to go back out there until he’s gone.”

  “I can make that happen.”

  “Would you?”

  “Sure. In fact, it would be my pleas
ure to do so.” Finn knelt in front of her, holding both her hands. “I don’t want anything to ruin your party, especially not him.”

  “Taylor Finn, you are my hero.”

  Finn grinned. “You wait here while I go uninvite Kent Kenny from this party.”

  Iris fell back on the bed and let out a long sigh. She did not want to see Kent. She wasn’t ready to see him. The absolute last thing she wanted was to have Kent and Finn in the same place at the same time. She’d had enough wine for a pleasant buzz, but that had evaporated at the sight of him.

  She hadn’t meant for Finn to get sucked into her drama with Kent. This wasn’t Finn’s problem to solve. But she was grateful for Finn’s intervention.

  Seeing Kent brought everything back, the hurt and betrayal. And it made her question herself. What was she doing with Finn? Was she even ready to be involved with someone, anyone? If simply seeing Kent could send her into a tailspin of regret and self-doubt the answer was probably no.

  One thing was certain, she was going to need a lot more wine to bring the fun back to this party. Yes, a lot more wine.

  * * *

  Finn didn’t have a hard time finding Kent. He was still standing near the tiki bar, with a small group gathered around him, hanging on his every word. There was no denying that he had real presence. There was no way you’d miss him at a party or even simply entering a room. He had star power.

  Once again, the thought, complete with mental imaging, flashed through her head that Kent was Iris’s ex. Every time that happened it was like a punch in the gut.

  Finn joined the circle. It took a moment for her to get an opening.

  “Hey, man, can I talk to you for a minute?” She didn’t want to call him out in front of his adoring fans.

  He was reluctant to oblige her request, but after an awkward couple of minutes, he did.

  “Hang tight, I’ll be back.”

  Maggie caught Finn’s arm as she passed by. “Hey, where’s Iris?” Then recognition struck. “Oh, hi, Kent.”

  “Iris is inside.” Finn didn’t want to say more, and she didn’t want Maggie to intervene and derail Kent’s exit. Although, it didn’t seem as if Maggie was a fan. She gave Finn a knowing sideways glance as she stepped through the French doors into the house.

  “So, are you and Iris sleeping together or what?” They’d barely reached the outer fray of the gathering when Kent spun to face her.

  “That’s none of your business.” Finn wasn’t one to sex and tell.

  “I think it is my fucking business.”

  “Listen, I know I don’t know you, but I’m the one asking you to leave anyway.” Finn casually stood her ground. She wasn’t intimidated by Kent’s size or fame. “Iris doesn’t want to see you, and this is her party, so it’s time to make a graceful exit.”

  “I’ll leave when I’m ready.”

  Fuck. She’d assumed he’d have enough class to take a hint, but after the great piece of ass comment she should have known better.

  “No, Kent. You’re gonna leave now and let Iris enjoy her birthday.” Finn crossed her arms and stood blocking his return.

  “I’m not taking direction from some…redneck.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” She’d rather be a redneck than an entitled ass any day.

  “Listen, these are my friends too—”

  “Kent, she’s right, you should probably go.” Maggie had appeared out of thin air just as Finn had begun to worry things were about to go sideways.

  It was two against one now and this was Maggie’s house, so hopefully her request would be more convincing.

  “Don’t make this a big thing, okay? She’s just not ready to see you.” Maggie touched his arm as if to remind him that she was a good enough friend to know the whole story of what had happened.

  “Okay, whatever.” He handed Finn his half-finished beer. “Thanks for the beer, Mags.”

  Maggie and Finn watched him pull away in his yellow Porsche. Of course he drove a Porsche.

  “Your timing was good, thank you.” Finn relaxed and turned to Maggie.

  “He’s not a bad guy, but he really fucked up, and he’s probably just now realizing that he had a great thing with Iris.” Maggie seemed to register who she was talking to. “I mean, this has nothing to do with you and Iris.” She backpedaled. “He never treated Iris right, in my opinion.”

  “Yeah, I heard a little about what went down.” Finn sank her hands in her pockets. She didn’t want to mention that Kent had been someone she’d sort of held up as a hero. It sucked to meet your heroes when they didn’t measure up.

  “I’m sure Regina invited him. She was super invested in their relationship and she’s having a hard time letting it go. That happens sometimes with friends. You know, when they get more invested in your relationship than you do. They have a hard time when it ends.”

  “I know what you mean.” Although she wasn’t sure she did and now had a bit of distrust for Regina.

  “Here, let me take that so you can get a fresh beer.” Maggie reached for Kent’s cast-off beverage. “I think Iris is still hiding in her room. I’ll go let her know the coast is clear.”

  Finn scanned the back patio and yard. She really wanted this party to be over, but it looked as if it was going to get crazier before it ended. Some guy sprayed another guy with beer while the DJ cranked up the music. Oh yeah, things were just getting started.

  Chapter Thirty

  Iris opened one eye. The room was extremely bright. Too bright. She sat up and her head began to throb. How much alcohol had she consumed? Possibly too much. After Kent left she was giddy and celebratory, and thirsty. At some point, she stopped counting.

  The other side of the bed was empty. Where was Finn?

  She was still tired. She slumped back to the pillow.

  “Hey, I thought you might need these.” Finn stepped from the bathroom fully dressed. She held out a glass of water and a bottle of Extra-Strength Tylenol.

  Iris groaned when she sat up again.

  “I don’t feel so good.” She took the water and pills from Finn.

  She struggled with the safety top on the Tylenol for a few minutes before Finn relieved her of it and popped the cap. She handed two tablets to Iris.

  “Thank you.” Iris drank half the water after swallowing the pills and then squinted at Finn. “Why are you dressed already?”

  “I’m starting that stunt driving course today. I’m supposed to be there by ten for orientation.” Finn sat at the edge of the bed.

  “What time is it?” Iris felt around on the bed for her phone and then noticed Finn’s amused expression. “What’s so funny?”

  “You.” Finn retrieved Iris’s phone from the dresser across the room. “You’re a mess.”

  “Hey, no woman wants to hear that sort of talk first thing in the morning.” Iris scowled as the screen on her phone came to life. She had way too many text messages. It was too early for that and her head was still pounding. She tossed the phone on the bed and scuttled back under the covers. “Last night…did we…”

  “Um, no.” Finn reached for Iris’s hand and stroked it between hers. “I slept in the spare room last night.”

  “Why?” Iris couldn’t help pouting.

  “Well, where I’m from, we don’t have sex with women who’ve had so much to drink that they won’t remember it in the morning.”

  “Oh, God, I sound awful.” She covered her face with the sheet. “Did I beg?”

  “Only a little.” Finn tugged the sheet away. “About thirty seconds before you passed out.”

  “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Don’t be. You’re adorable and, I might add, very affectionate when you’re tipsy.”

  “Wake me up when it’s next week.” Iris covered her face with her hands.

  “I’ll call you later, birthday girl.” Finn kissed her on the forehead. “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck,” Iris mumbled.

  She heard footsteps, the jin
gling of keys, and then the soft click as the door closed. Iris tugged the covers over her head and relapsed into blissful slumber.

  * * *

  Rick Crenshaw’s Stunt Driving School was held at the Willow Springs Raceway, about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles. Leaving at eight and heading away from downtown, against traffic, Finn figured she’d miss the worst of the morning commute, but the freeway was jammed with cars. She realized pretty quickly that if she took this course for the whole week it wouldn’t be realistic to drive from Iris’s place. She’d probably need to try to find an inexpensive hotel somewhere closer to the track.

  That was a depressing realization. The thought of not seeing Iris at the end of each day was completely unappealing.

  The initial orientation was located in a nondescript one-story building just past the entrance gate. There were probably a dozen other people milling about a group of metal folding chairs. There was coffee set up at the back with a few pastries left in a large pink box. Finn helped herself to coffee and scanned the room.

  The group was mixed racially and varied in age, but there was only one other woman besides Finn. It was definitely a boy’s club sort of gathering. The classes were limited to four students, so the number of people present probably meant there’d be three separate groups.

  A man she assumed was Rick Crenshaw entered the space and strode toward the podium.

  “Okay, let’s find a seat so we can get started.” He was like an older version of Kent. He was probably in his fifties but still tanned and fit. He looked like a seasoned body builder.

  There were leaflets on the back table near the coffee station. Finn had picked one up as she angled toward a seat in the back row. The flyer was a promotion for the class.

  “Welcome, everyone. I’m Rick Crenshaw and I’m lead instructor here. I have a couple of other instructors who will be assisting with this course. Craig, along the back wall. And Adam, seated in the front row.” Adam partially stood and held up his hand.

  Rick paced in front of the class sounding almost like a motivational speaker. He talked with his hands and made frequent eye contact with his audience. He had obviously refined this speech over the course of a long time.