by Jeff Vrolyks
“What?”
In an utterly devilish voice: “Best… Best… Best… Best.”
“Kevin!” I jumped out of the recliner. What happened? “Aren’t you going to call Holly?” Mike asked. “It’s past eight. Are you all right? You’re sweating.”
“Bad dream.” Before second-guessing myself, I snatched the phone off the receiver and dialed. I stepped out the front door—I didn’t want an audience. It rang a few times before picking up.
“Hello?” A female’s voice, but not Holly’s.
“Hello, is Holly there?” I wondered if it was Alison.
“May I ask who’s calling?”
“You may. It’s Kevin.” I heard rustling before a short pause.
“Hi, Kevin. How you doin’?” Holly sounded pleasant, genuinely happy. It was the best part of my day already.
“Great. How’s it going? I hope this isn’t a bad time.”
“Not at all. I’m just finishing some computer work.”
“Cool. I’m at a friend’s, having a few drinks, and figured I’d see how you’re doing.”
“Ahhh. I’m jealous. I would love a drink right now. I’ve been working non-stop and still have a lot to do. I’m stressing out. Luckily I have Alison to help. I don’t know what I would do without her.”
“She works for you?”
“Ali’s my best friend first, but yeah, she’s been helping me out over the last year. She lives here, too. I hate living alone so it works out great. I love having her for a roommate.”
“That’s awesome. Do you live in a house or an apartment?”
“House. Hey, why don’t you come over? Bring Corona and lime. I’ll pay you back when you get here. I was serious when I said I’d love a drink. I need a break from work. I’ll turn up the Jacuzzi and we’ll have a few beers.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was in no condition to drive, but I was in less condition to say no. In my buzzed state going to her house would be a bad idea. A bad idea with potentially devastating consequences. Even if I didn’t do anything stupid, I’d probably at least say something stupid. I would just tell her not tonight, and see if she wanted to do something this weekend. Perfect.
“Unfortunately I’ve had a few drinks. So…”
“Mhmm?”
“So I don’t see how a couple more could hurt. Where do you live?”
“Do you know Vacaville well?”
“Very well.”
“I live on the hill, in Cattlemen Ranch. Take Elmer down to Manchester and turn left and go up the road. Take a right at the fire station and follow that road until it dead ends. When you see a gate, that’s my house. Punch in two-three-seven-eight and the gate will open. Press the intercom button at the front door when you get here.”
“I know where that is, I’ve driven past that fire station before. It’s only a couple miles from where I am. All right, I’ll be there soon. I can take side streets the whole way. I’ll hit the store up on my way there to get beer.”
“Great! Thanks, Kevin. I hope I’m not being too forward. You have no idea how good it sounds to have a Corona while soaking in the Jacuzzi right now.” I beg to differ. “So hurry up. I’ll probably be in the Jacuzzi by the time you get here. Next to the gate there’s a keypad, has numbers-letters like a phone. Two-three-seven-eight or b-e-s-t, Best. An easy way to remember it.”
Don’t even think about it, it’s just a coincidence. “Okay, see you soon.”
I told the guys my situation and said my goodbyes. Mike was disappointed, like a child being told the big trip to Disneyland was canceled. He asked if Alison would be there. I said she would.
“All right guys, I’m taking off. See you all at work tomorrow. Thanks for the beer, Greg. I love you, Mike.” I blew him a kiss.
“I love you too, Kevin. Don’t cheat on me.”
“You know I wouldn’t!”
I prayed I wouldn’t give the police a reason to pull me over. I couldn’t survive being jailed before this night was over. I would have a lifetime of regret to live out. I unlocked my truck and eased inside. Greg came out of the house and approached me. I wondered if I forgot something. I rolled down my window. Greg’s expression was unnerving. “Kevin, are you okay?”
“Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?” I was eager to put the truck in reverse. He crossed his arms, shrugged, and looked away. “I was going to tell you something, but you know what?—it isn’t important. Go have fun with your girlfriend and we’ll talk later.”
Nine times out of ten I would have pressed him for details, but Holly was waiting. “Sounds good, Gregory. Also, I want to tell you something. Even though Mike is my one true love, I still love you too… ya know? I mean, if something ever happened to Mike I wouldn’t stay single forever.” I was giddy. Holly, me, and a Jacuzzi. He grinned crookedly and walked back to his house.
I drove the speed limit to Cork n’ Jug Liquor, which was conveniently on the way to Holly’s. I bought a twelve pack and limes. As I approached the turn by the fire station, a Jeep Wrangler ripped towards me, taking up both sides of the narrow road. It slowed and swerved out of my way. Its windows were down, a body in every seat. Cheers of the drunk bellowed from within as it passed. I cursed them, made my final turn, and saw the fancy gate dead ahead.
I punched in the coincidental numbers on the keypad, two-three-seven-eight, and the gate whispered open along the track. The house wasn’t just nice, it was a magazine cover. Pavers led the way to a four-car garage with an old Honda parked before it. It was an enormous single story house with a high vaulted roof and many windows; every one of them radiated bright yellow light. Energy conservation didn’t seem to be an ambition of Holly’s, and by the exquisite looks of the estate, she could easily afford such bad habits.
Outside was another story. It wasn’t bright, but dark and shadowy. What little of the landscaping was illuminated was extravagant, meticulously maintained. I parked before the babbling water-fountain and gathered my things. The house was once owned by her grandma, which surprised me because it was utterly swanky, far too modern and vogue to be the house of a senior citizen. Most likely Holly or her brother spent big bucks remodeling it. I peeked inside the frosted glass of the tall arching double doors. I couldn’t believe a twenty-two-year-old owned this place. I pressed the intercom button and said hello.
“That was quick!” a voice replied through the speaker. “I left the door unlocked, so come on in. Go straight through to the sliding glass back door and come on out back. I’m in the Jacuzzi.”
I sensed it would be a night I wouldn’t forget. Empyrean brightness overwhelmed me as I opened the door; so bright that I shielded my eyes for a moment until I adjusted. It was an interior decorator’s wonderland. The overwhelming brightness reflected off the white walls and veined white-marble foyer floor. There was a pair of monolithic granite columns, which would probably appear pretentious in most homes this modest size (three-thousand square feet, give or take), but it really flowed with the theme here. It was a single story home, but the ceiling was greater than ten feet tall. The house was lavishly decorated with, among other things, plush Victorian pieces upholstered in deep red velvet and dark stained wood. The place had a clean and holy aura, complimented by a sweet musky jasmine and vanilla aroma. I made my way toward the back of the house, absorbing the eye-candy along the way. In an office I spied the backside of a girl before a computer; Alison greeted me without looking back, never interrupting her task at hand. It was almost nine and she was still working. The model employee. Or friend. Or both.
I surveyed the backyard through the sliding glass French door. Impenetrable darkness precluded me from seeing much of anything. There was a pale glow of city lights low in the distance. I didn’t realize our elevation was so high. A single low-wattage light angled down to the Jacuzzi, which was against the house to my left. The backyard was otherwise invisible to the night. I went outside. Holly was facing me, her arms spread at length along the rim of the spa. Her hair was drawn up
in a bun and impaled with a knitting needle. Her face was mostly shaded. A relaxed grin shone through. She tapped a finger suggestively on the fiberglass rim.
“What a house!” I crowed. The cold night air had a strong but pleasant chlorine smell.
“Thanks. My brother remodeled it before buying his house. Where’s your bathing suit?”
I opened the beer box and withdrew two cold beers, popped the tops with my keychain bottle opener. “I don’t have one.” I took the plastic knife from my pocket and cut two wedges of lime and stuffed them in the bottles.
“You brought a plastic knife to cut limes with but you didn’t remember a bathing suit when you were invited to a Jacuzzi party?”
“I was at my buddy’s house. And besides, it never crossed my mind. I’ll just sit by and keep you company.” I handed her a beer.
“Okay, have it your way. Or you could just take your clothes off and get in like I did,” she said gamely. She stolidly awaited my next move, as if we were in a chess game and her queen had just moved within striking distance of my king. There had to be a witty and charming response to that, but damned if I could think of it. “Uh… you took off all your clothes?” With that I moved my king to her checkmate.
Her sigh was scarcely audible above the humming Jacuzzi motor. “Kevin? Are you getting in or not?”
I was a deer in headlights. My hormones loved where things were headed, but my better judgment was quick to dole out no small number of ‘but what if’s. No way was I getting in. “Okay.” I apprehensively began undressing, grinned sheepishly. She was wooden-faced. Now down to my boxers, I gave her one last chance to change her mind. She flitted her hand: get rid of them. It was a gesture a queen gives a jester who displeases Her Majesty. I took a deep breath and exhaled a balloon of vapor. I had the irrational sensation that my life hinged on this moment.
I couldn’t do it. It just didn’t feel right. I desperately wanted to, but my conflicting thoughts prevailed. It wasn’t morality as much as it was a visceral decision. “I’m sorry, I can’t do it. Doesn’t feel right.” Greg would be disappointed in me. I stooped down to my clothes.
“Kevin?” A provocative look. She slothfully emerged from the water, reveling in my anticipation. When her chest breached the surface, I saw that she was playing me. She was wearing a bikini. My constricted airways relaxed. I took a deep breath. She giggled, the stinker. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I wanted to see what you would do. Pretty mean, huh?”
“I nearly had a heart attack.”
“The nights young, you may have one yet. Come on in.” She resumed her seat and sipped beer.
“You know what? I just realized I can’t get in there with my cast. I would need something plastic like a trash bag to wrap around it so it won’t get wet.”
Holly pressed the intercom button that was conveniently located within arm’s reach. “Ali, could you do me a favor? Bring a trash bag and tape out to the Jacuzzi, please.”
The box squawked. “What the hell are you guys doing out there?” A giggle. “I’ll be right out.”
It was exceptionally cold out considering the season. I didn’t realize how cold I was until I felt my gooseflesh. I shivered. I felt less human than animal. Having a broken arm added to my subhuman feeling. I didn’t feel deserving of her. As enamored as I was, I would yield to her best interest. My heart belonged to her as she saw fit.
I didn’t need anyone to remind me that it isn’t possible to love someone at first sight. Or that it is lust, not love, that one feels initially. I didn’t love her because she was beautiful; nor did I love her because she filled the void brought by loneliness. My love for Holly stemmed from a kind of insight, the same way a chef knows he will love his newest creation—it has just the right ingredients. I made space in my heart for Holly’s love to flourish. At that moment it was just a seedling, but I would nurture and nourish it, and pray that it would grow into what I knew it was capable of. What more could one ask for?
Holly got out of the Jacuzzi and took a towel from a chair. Seeing her wet body in a bikini hurt my brain. I once found a hundred dollar bill on the floor of a crowded supermarket line. Shifty-eyed, I gaped at it and those nearest me. For some reason I was cynical of its existence. If it looks too good to be true, it usually is. Why wasn’t anybody picking it up? It was the loudest piece of paper I’d ever heard, surely others were aware of it. I scooped it up rather slowly, and marveled that it was indeed real. I would tell Holly she looked like a hundred bucks but it might come off sounding like an insult, seeing how a million bucks is the standard denomination of beauty. There was nothing you could add or subtract from her that wouldn’t be considered tragic. Her clothed body was an ogler’s playground; her bare body was an ogler’s theme park. Pick an item from her menu and it would take you to the promised land. She draped the towel over my back.
“You poor thing, you’re freezing.”
She gently moved aside my broken arm and embraced me. She squeezed affectionately, lending me her warmth. The love seedling in my heart just received a little water.
“Here you go, guys.” Alison sat the trash bag and tape on a patio table. Holly kissed my cheek before releasing me. I gave her a warm smile from a freezing face.
“You take care of my Dutch girl,” Ali said. “She’s the world to me. No funny stuff with the tape, Buster.”
“She’s in good hands,” I assured her.
We were to call if we needed anything else. Ali returned inside.
Holly wrapped my arm and taped it snugly. We climbed inside the spa (me in my boxer-shorts) and sat at opposite sides, grateful to be out of the cold.
“You didn’t get naked when I asked you to,” she said and sipped her beer. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Kevin…?” she said softly, enticingly. Her foot reached out and rubbed purposefully against my leg. “You stared as I stood up, after I said I had no clothes on. Why would you do that?”
I replied in defensive vehemence. “I’m sorry but I was frozen, both inside and out! I couldn’t move! That’s unfair. If you were me, watching you get out of the Jacuzzi, you would have stared too. You aren’t exactly unattractive, you know.”
She laughed and splashed water at me, took a long drink. “You’re too easy to mess with. Thanks for being a good sport. I really needed this.”
“You scared the hell out of me. But as long as you’re amused, I guess it’s worth it.” She winked at me, and at that moment it was worth it.
Inside the house the phone rang. My stomach soured. It rang once more and stopped. Alison had answered it.
“What’s wrong?” Holly asked.
“Nothing.” I must have appeared pensive, or downright scared.
“Kevin, we talked about this yesterday. We told each other personal things. We opened our hearts to one another. I thought we were past this stage. You don’t feel comfortable enough to tell me what’s on your mind?”
“I do, I’m just a little shy. It’s nothing personal.”
She prowled forward with just her head above the water, stopping inches from my face. With puppy dog eyes she awaited response.
“You’re teasing me again.”
“Am I? Are you sure?”
I didn’t feel like I was being teased. She moved in and gingerly straddled me, avoiding contact with my right arm. She held steady a torturous inch from my face. Her breath was candy sweet. Her lips pressed into mine, prying them just enough to slip my lower lip between hers, and gently tugged on it. She released my surrendering lower lip and kissed me. I didn’t move, couldn’t move. Basic motor-skills were on hiatus as I anticipated her tongue. It did not come. She held her mouth to mine, a resuscitative posture between two heavily-breathing bodies. The anticipation was staggering. The heat of water was nothing compared to heat within me. She began a game of tag with a flick of her tongue. Lips still touching, she stretched a smile, her nose wrinkled at the bridge in her humor. She closed her eyes and the game stopped
. My mouth flooded with her taste. It was grape Jolly Rancher.
The most incredible, sensuous few minutes of my life ended when she ceased kissing me. She inched away with a humid gaze at my mouth. A strand of saliva connected us. She skimmed my lower lip with a finger, severing our fluid bond; returned the saliva, a lover’s blend, to her mouth. She retreated to her side of the spa, took the Corona from the ledge and sipped it, never breaking eye contact. I was in a vegetative state.
“Would you tell me now? Still too shy?”
I swallowed, snapped out of it. “No, I’m good now. I’ll never be timid around you again.”
She would have to see it to believe it, said her expression. Making good on my word I came to her and started round two.
The sliding glass door opened. “I just got the strangest phone call,” Ali said.
And so it begins.
Chapter 9
“Woohoo!” Lucas cheered as he drove his Jeep Wrangler past my white Toyota truck, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision.
“You crazy bastard,” Garret said with mingled fright and admiration. Lucas grinned devilishly at him. Through the rear view mirror Lucas glanced at the two young women behind him like a shepherd watching his flock. The evening’s entertainment held on tightly to both a wine cooler and an expression of drunken stupor. The girls, whom Lucas and Garret had just met at the local dive-bar, had agreed to play drinking games at a mostly-unknown lookout point in the Vacaville hills.
A quarter mile past the fire station he turned onto a rough dirt trail. The back-seat-babes wailed their excitement. A lookout point emerged as the trail ended. The girls (they probably had names, but neither Lucas nor Garret inquired of them; or did, but didn’t care enough to remember) silenced from the stunning view. The girls ejected, strode to the bluff’s mild edge.
“Grab the smokes in my glove box,” Lucas said to Garret.
He nodded and depressed the button; the lid lowered and Garret sifted through the junk, pausing when he saw a gun. A large silver handgun. He gave Lucas a curious look.
