It's Just Love, Not a Time Bomb

by Dawn Martens

  “I hated her. I made her life hell after you left, so don’t worry,” she says, giving me a wink and grabbing my hand, leading me toward her door. “All of your boxes arrived yesterday, by the way. I have them all set up in the storage unit down in the basement I rented.”

  “Great, I’ll just leave them there until I get myself a house. No more renting for me if I can help it. Gramps left me a shit load of money, so I’m buying a house.” After saying that, I watch her face close down.

  “I thought you were gonna stay with me?” she says quietly.

  I turn toward her and stop walking, placing my hand on her arm. “I am, until I get on my feet. I just know that me and roommates don’t work out, nothing against you. You know I love you hard, but I need this,” I say softly.

  She gives me a small smile. “I can live with that. I also have half the money saved like we talked about. I was sad when you decided not to come here when you got back into the country, so I started working at the salon on the other side of the city. I just gave my notice yesterday, and I was going to apply for the business licence and all that jazz, but I figured if we’re doing this salon thing together, we should probably apply together.”

  I nod my head, agreeing.

  “Oh, and I thought of our name!” Hayley says grinning.

  “Haylix,” we say at the same time, then burst out laughing.

  “Wow, we thought the same thing,” Hayley laughs.

  “Yep, we’re pretty awesome that way. Now, let’s get inside, so I can fill you in on the latest drama that is my life.”

  Walking into the condo, I head straight to her couch, and lay down on it sighing.

  “Okay, you were like totally vague on the phone with your shit and why you wanted to stay with me… spill!” Hayley says.

  I fill her in on all the details of everything I learned about my family. The shit is embarrassing to retell, especially saying it aloud for the first time. She probably thinks I am a mess, but I am.

  “So, remember how I called you the first time shit happened?” I start.

  “Yeah, how you found out about Liam cheating with Michelle? You didn’t tell me much when you called, so spill the new stuff.” When I called her early in the week, I just asked if the offer to stay with her and the salon idea we had, still stood, but I sort of left out the drama of everything.

  I nod. “Yeah, well anyways, after trying to get Kellie and Jaxon together, which by the way didn’t work and only made things worse for them, and Jaxon pretty much forcing me home, I decided to come back. Well, that and my visa was up. As you know, I called you months before, saying we should start up a salon together, but then after all the messages from Liam and my parents, I decided to go home. I wanted to work on trying to forgive everyone, and instead, yet again, I got sucked back in to all of the promises that Liam told me. I thought maybe he changed. Nope. Apparently, he and Michelle are practically engaged and living together, and get this—she’s pregnant with his kid.”

  “Wait, what? You were there for months. How did you not find out anything?” she asks confused. She picks my legs up off the couch and slides under them. I scoot my legs back, giving her room.

  “I feel fucking stupid, Hay, seriously stupid. Even my parents knew. Before I came back, I guess Liam and Michelle got into a huge fight and broke up or something. My parents didn’t want to tell me about Michelle and Liam I guess. I don’t know. Whatever. Anyways, I found out. They were back together or something. It’s confusing as fuck, but anywho, as I was cleaning out my stuff from my parent’s basement, I came across a few boxes of things.” I pause, begging the tears not to come out. “Apparently, my parents tried having kids for years or some such shit, but couldn’t, so my mom’s little sister offered up being a surrogate, and ta da, my mom is really my aunt. Well, I guess, technically, she’s my mom, but yeah, you know what I mean. It’s no wonder why Michelle always hated me.”

  “Wow, that’s fucked up. Does this mean that crazy ass cousin you have in New Brunswick isn’t really your cousin?” she asks. I learned about Sarah last year, after she contacted me, wanting to get to know me. She thought she didn’t have any other family after her father passed away. I was shocked to hear Mom had a sister, Aunt Marie, at the time—just another thing Mom never told me about. I rarely talk to Sarah, but I do make the effort to at least give her a call once a month or so, since finding out about her.

  “Yeah, we still are, since I’m still one of her aunt’s biological kids, just not the aunt we thought.”

  “That’s cool. From what you told me, Sarah seems nice.”

  “I should probably give her a call this week, since I’ll be changing my phone number, so I’m not wracked in long distance charges,” I say, scrunching my nose, thinking of how expensive those calls can get.

  “Alrighty, get your ass up! I mean it! Ass up! Go get showered, put on your sluttiest outfit, and we’re going to Club Down!” Hayley says, pulling me off her couch.

  Most of my shit is in boxes, so Hayley gives me some of her clothes to wear. They aren’t my normal style, but beggars can’t be choosers, right? I go into the bathroom and touch up my make-up, give my hair a boost, and dab a little perfume on my neck. I do an once-over in the mirror and decide I am as good as I’m going to get. Digging through my bag, I go searching for some shoes. I might be able to squeeze into Hayley’s clothes, but not her shoes, not with my big ass feet.

  We walk out the door, and I notice her car is parked in the no parking zone, currently being examined by a cop writing her a ticket. “Shit,” Hayley says. She passes me, giving me a wink, and struts over to the cop. Her shoulders back, chest and ass out, she greets the cop with a megawatt smile.

  Minutes later, she’s walking back to me with a big grin on her face. “Got a date tonight.”

  “You got out of that ticket?” I ask shocked.

  “Sure did. I showed a little cleavage, sweet talked him, and he ripped the ticket and gave me his number instead, saying he’d meet up with us at the club.” She winks with a little more pep in her step.

  As I’m sitting on the couch at Bobby and Sarah’s house, playing poker while food cooks, the phone rings. Since I’m right beside it, I grab it.

  “Hello?”

  “Um, yeah, hi. I need to talk to Sarah,” says the most fucking beautiful voice I’ve ever heard.

  “Sure, just a sec. Sarah, for you,” I say, holding out the phone to her. She wipes her hands on her apron, being Suzie homemaker. Sarah is always trying to force her food on me, and since Bobby is my best friend, I suffer through it.

  She grabs the phone from me and says hello, and a big smile lights up her face. They talk for a few minutes. I don’t wanna listen to girly chat, so I tune it out until I hear Sarah saying goodbye. I flip my cards up a little from the table, having lost all interest in the game. I wanna know who that voice belongs to.

  “Okay, I’ll make sure to write it down. Thanks for letting me know. Bye, Alix,” Sarah says.

  “Who was that?” I say with confusion.

  “My cousin, Alix,” she says, smiling and shaking her head. Something her cousin said must have been funny.

  “You have a cousin?” I ask her, confused. I guess I never thought about her having any other family.

  She lets out a soft laugh. “Yes, after Daddy died, I found all this stuff about my mom and her sisters, so I contacted them.” Sarah’s father died last year in a car accident, her mother having passed away four years before from a brain tumor.

  “She had a weird accent. Where’s she from?” I ask.

  “She doesn’t have a weird accent! She lives in Alberta,” she says laughing.

  “Does she love sausage? What about if I offer her some Canadian bacon?” I wiggle my brow suggestively.

  “Stop.” Sarah gives me a disbelieving look, her cheeks red. I’ve embarrassed her, which is shocking, since she hooks up with my best friend, and because she’s always been so out there. Knowing Bobby and the kinky shit he’s into, I
know Sarah toning her TMI down is his fault.

  Bobby clears his throat. “Did you come over to play cards or have girl talk with my wife?”

  “Alright, wise guy, I just didn’t want to take all of your money. Sarah might want you to take her out this weekend.”

  Sarah laughs, saying teasingly, “Oh, because Bobby loves to take me out on the town.”

  “What’s that’s supposed to mean?” He throws his cards down. Standing from the table, he wraps his arms around her, hugging her from behind and kissing her neck.

  “Get a room.” I throw my cards down; I am done with playing at this point. I was losing anyway.

  ”Shut it, Jordan.” Sarah smacks me on the back of the head.

  “What’s that smell?” I ask. “Something burning?”

  “Shit!” She starts waving her arms frantically in the air. Her chicken is burning; I cough from the smoke but can’t help but laugh.

  “It’s not funny,” she shrieks. I just laugh, and Bobby shakes his head. Looks like I’ll be dining out tonight. There is no way I am eating that black-charred shit she is trying to pass off as barbecue chicken.

  I unlock the door to Hayley’s apartment. I can’t wait to tell her about the house I just bought. I won’t even have a mortgage payment because the amount my gramps left me in his will covered the whole cost. Not only that, but I still have more than enough money to pay for all the bills for the next two years, and keep the salon open until we build up more of our clientele.

  While I was living in England and traveling around, I never touched the money, except to get that first ticket to England. Since I was staying with Kellie in Jaxon’s house, I wasn’t allowed to spend any money, well not that I wasn’t allowed, but they wouldn’t let me. Jaxon was able to get me a work visa, so I just used the money from working to live off of. I figured the day I actually used it for something, would be the day I would have a permanent place to stay. I feel a sense of relief with this new start. I finally feel like I have a sense of direction. I feel grounded.

  Stepping inside the apartment, I go to yell for Hayley, but stop when I see her on the couch, riding the cop from last month, the one that almost gave her a ticket.

  “Seriously? On the couch? I sit on that couch!” I say, put off and trying to stop from going blind. I love Hayley, but that was not something I needed to see, ever. Now I don’t want to sit on the couch; I shudder thinking about it. Sex leads to bodily fluid, and that means it is probably on the couch.

  Hayley looks over at me, not stopping what she’s doing, and gives me a wink. “We’re almost done.” I shake my head and walk to my room. She has no shame, none at all. I cannot wait to move into my house.

  About ten minutes later, she yells from the living room, obviously amused, “We’re done! You can come out now.”

  I walk out, holding my hand in front of my face, shielding my eyes in case she’s just playing with me. Peeking through my fingers, I realize that she is indeed done and dressed.

  “There is this thing called a bedroom, and it has a door,” I point out to her.

  “I know,” she says with a grin. “But the couch is much more fun, and of course, it was closer.”

  I shake my head. “He leave?” I don’t want to get scarred for life by seeing her screw buddy naked again.

  “Of course. I told him last week it’s only sex, so once he’s done, he’s gone.” She shrugs like it is no big deal. One-night stands have never been for me.

  “Just sex, my ass. You go out with the guy almost every night.” She can deny it all she wants, but I know she likes the guy. More power to her though.

  “Yeah, but after we come home and fuck a bit, he leaves.” I’ll leave her in denial for now.

  “By the way, have you seen his ass? I’ve never seen such a hairy ass in my life! I think I’m gonna have to buy him a razor, or a waxing package! That was gross!” I tell her.

  Hayley bursts out laughing. “Why do you think when I fuck him, I don’t touch it?” she says, raising her eyebrows. Okay, this conversation is done, because if I don’t change the subject now, I fear where it could lead.

  “Anyways, moving on. I found the house! It’s perfect, Hay! It’s big, and it has a killer yard, which I want to put a pool in. It’s actually just a street over from here, so not only will I not be far from you, but our salon is smack dab in between us,” I tell her excitedly. I can’t wait to start putting my touch on the place.

  “Wow, that’s awesome! I can’t wait to see it!” she says, beaming at me. “And you won’t have to worry about walking in on me anymore,” she says with a laugh.

  “Yeah, that’s a plus,” I say, nudging her shoulder. I don’t need to see her and that cop naked again, like ever. I try to shake the thought from my head before I need eye bleach.

  “How many rooms?” she asks me, tilting her head.

  “Four, plus three bathrooms; one downstairs, one up, and one in my room.”

  “Uh, why so big? You planning on having a minivan full of kids?”

  “Oh, hell no! You know how I feel about that. Me and kids? Puke and shit? Nope, not happening. I figured it’d be good to have space. If I have people over, I’ll have a place for them to stay without paying an arm and a leg for a hotel.”

  “Yeah, right. I can see it now. Alix Brinkley, Mrs. Whatever, and five smelly, dirty children following behind her,” Hayley teases.

  I shoot her a glare. “Don’t even go there.”

  Digging through my fridge for dinner, I hear a knock on my door. I’m gonna have to call in for takeout because most of this shit is moldy. After slamming the fridge shut, I head over to see who is here.

  “Renee,” I say. “You have the test results?” We went to the hospital two weeks ago for the DNA test, so I’m hoping that’s the only reason she’s here.

  “Yeah, right here. I haven’t opened them yet, was hoping we could do that together,” she says, appearing nervous. I knew she wasn’t sure if the kid was mine or not, the crazy bitch. At least she seems to be toning down her sexpot look. She has her hair swept back in a ponytail and is dressed down in jeans paired with a sweater.

  I take the papers, jerking them from her hands, and open them in the doorway, not wanting to let her come inside. Reading down the paper, I scan it until I see what I’m looking for. I’m not the father. Grinning, I shove the papers into her hands. “Told you.” I almost do a fist pump in the air, but figure that’d be overkill. She is obviously upset. Me, on the other hand, I feel like celebrating. Now I can be rid of her for good.

  “But that can’t be. It has to be wrong!” she says, scanning the document closely. She looks over it again, even flips it over, thinking there is another side. I roll my eyes as I wait for realization to hit her.

  She looks at me with defeat in her eyes. I laugh; I can’t help it. I don’t feel a bit bad for her. She knew the kid wasn’t mine.

  “Bye,” I say, a massive grin spread across my face. Feeling like I just won a million bucks, I slam the door in her face while she’s screeching. I don’t care. Finally, I am rid of her annoying ass. She knocks on the door a few times, but I just block her out. The sound of her tires peeling out of my driveway is music to my ears.

  Plopping my ass down on the couch, I’m thinking of everything. I feel as if my life is going nowhere. I have a great job, can’t deny that. I love working at the dealership in town, but at the same time, I feel like I should be doing something more. Thinking about what Shaun said last week, about one of the guys leaving to go up to Calgary for extra schooling, I contemplate it. A change would be welcomed. Almost everyone I went to high school with has moved out west.

  Heavy Duty Mechanics seems to be the most popular trade to get into, and out in Alberta, there are always jobs for one.

  Heading to my room, I grab my laptop, researching the school. I could get into heavy duty and make a shit load more money. Thinking some advice is needed, I close the laptop and go over to Sarah and Bobby’s place.

  Does
n’t take me long to get there, and I’m hoping they can help me out. Bobby and I have been friends since we were in diapers. Plus, since learning about Sarah’s cousin in Alberta, and with her living near the school I am thinking of going to, she might be able to get in touch with her, maybe see if I can snatch a place to stay for a bit. I think over the idea on the drive over, getting excited about the possibility. Change could be good. Now that I know the baby isn’t mine, there is nothing holding me here.

  Sarah opens the door before I get the chance to knock, smiling at me. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

  “I came for some advice,” I say.

  Sarah frowns and lets me in.

  “Hey, man, what’s up?” Bobby asks as I go into the living room.

  “Would it be stupid of me to go to college and take Heavy Duty Mechanics?” I blurt out.

  Both look confused. “Of course not. Lots of people our age are going to college and shit. Hell, even some people our age are still in college. Why, you thinking of finally going?” Bobby asks.

  Nodding yes. “One of the guys from the dealership left to go up out west. They have a few really good colleges up there for training, so I was thinking of giving it a shot.” I could just go to school here, but after the shit with Renee, I have a feeling if I stay, I won’t be hearing the end from her.

  “That’s far away. Are you sure? You can just stay here, go to the local college for mechanics,” Sarah says, handing me a beer. She sits on Bobby’s knee as he rubs her back. They are always touching and feeling each other up; it’s sweet and disgusting all at the same time. Guess I just wish I could find that.

  “Yeah, I know. Figured maybe a change of pace, different scenery, might be good for me. Finally get a trade, a better job, more money,” I say shrugging.