by Chelle Bliss
“Fuckin’ Cubs,” my pop yelled at the television.
They were his favorite team, and hadn’t won a damn thing since before he was born. Think he’d be used to it by now, but not my pop—he was a die-hard believer, and no Gallo would ever be called a quitter.
Mia: It’s all donations with little government funding. No money for that.
“Hey, Ma,” I said as she sat across from me, rolling her eyes at her still-cursing husband.
“Yeah, baby.” She turned to me and smiled.
“Ever hear of the clinic in town that offers free medical care to the poor?”
Her smiled faded as she shook her head. “No, I don’t think I have. Why are you asking?”
I shrugged and turned the phone over in my hand. “Just curious. It’s all donation based, and I know how the two of you are about helping local charities.”
“What do you know about it? If it’s worthy, your father and I would be more than happy to help.” She leaned back in the chair, picking up her yarn to work on a baby blanket.
“A group of doctors volunteer their time, but I don’t know much else. I’ll find out about it and let you know.” I glanced down at my phone, on silent around my family to avoid the questions.
Mia: Hey, what time are you picking me up?
“Okay, baby.” She placed the blanket over her lap before starting to work on it.
Me: At five, and wear a swimsuit under your outfit.
“Who you making that for?” I asked.
“My grandbaby,” she said in a flat, even tone.
“Is someone having a baby I don’t know about?” I asked as I looked around the room, but everyone ignored us.
“Not yet.” She frowned and said, “Soon, though, I hope.”
I looked at Suzy, who was staring at the television, a little too engrossed in the game. She hated sports, but at the moment she was totally enthralled. My brother, Joe, and Suzy could never tell Ma no. It had become the giant elephant in the room, as both of them always pretended not to hear her when she talked about babies.
“I’m not ready for a kid,” Joe leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I’m too busy enjoying Suzy and I’m way too greedy to share my time with her.”
“She’s not going to stop,” I said softly.
“I may be old, boys, but I’m not deaf,” Ma said with a laugh.
“Busted,” I said.
“I’m watching your face as you type feverishly on that phone, Mike. I hope it isn’t the crazy lady,” Joe said as he leaned back and turned his attention toward the game.
“Hell no. I’ve been knocked in the head a couple times, but I’m not stupid.”
He hit me on the knee with a smile. “Stupidity isn’t the issue—our dicks are the problem.”
“Amen to that, brother.” I laughed. “Nah, this one isn’t like that.”
Raising an eyebrow, he said, “They’re all like that.”
“I haven’t even slept with her, Joe.”
He looked at me in horror. “When did you meet her?”
“That’s a complicated answer.”
“I’ll take your complicated over the Cubs any day.”
“We met at a bar over a week ago, and I took her on a date last week, but she treated me in the ER when I broke my ribs.”
“Wait. You went on a real date?” He eyed me suspiciously.
“I did.”
“And you didn’t sleep with her after?”
I shook my head and smiled. “Nope.”
“Well fuck me, never thought that was possible,” Joe said, hitting my leg and laughing loudly.
There was no way in hell would I share that I rented the beach, and all the sappy-ass shit I did for Mia.
No fucking way.
That was for her and I, and Joe sure as shit didn’t need to know. He’d laugh at me and probably call me Romeo for weeks, but I knew the truth about my brother. He was just as big of a softy as me. He swept Suzy off her feet, and she described him as a Casanova.
“I’m not a walking hard-on. I can date someone without fucking them.” I looked at my ma, surprised she hadn’t yelled at us for our language, but she was wrapped up in grandbaby world.
The couch shook with his laughter. “We’re all walking hard-ons, but I’m proud of you, brother. When are you seeing her again?”
Before I could answer, Izzy walked in and stretched out on the floor with her head perched in her hands as she stared at the television.
“Today.” Looking at my watch, I said, “One hour, in fact.”
“What’s today?” Izzy asked, turning around.
“Nothing, Iz. Why do you always have to be so damn nosy?” I sounded like a dick, and I might as well have put a billboard above my head with my response.
She giggled like she did when she was a little girl watching her favorite television show, Fraggle Rock. “God, you boys are so easy to read. Don’t come crying to me when this one wants your name tattooed on her body. You sure know how to pick ’em, Mikey.”
I swiped my hands across my face, shaking my head. “Where’s your man, Iz? We’ve been dying to meet him,” I said, looking down at her.
“Hell no, I’m not bring him around you baboons for a long time. When I do, you’ll know he’s the one—until then, he’s only for me. Learned my lesson long ago with you boys.”
“We’re not the same. We’ve grown up,” Joe said, before grabbing Suzy’s hand and kissing it.
“In some ways,” she said over her shoulder, turning her attention back to the game.
“Anyway,” I murmured, changing the subject and looking at my ma. “Hey, Ma, can we have dessert now? I have an appointment.”
“On a Sunday?” she asked, putting down the needles.
“He has a date, Mom. A hot one, I’d say, for him to be rushing out of here on a Sunday.” Izzy smiled at my mom before looking at me with a shitty smirk.
I grabbed the pillow from the side of the couch and threw it at her. “I have a date, Ma. I have to leave in thirty minutes. Forgive me?”
One thing you didn’t mess with was the Sunday Gallo dinner. Days like today, they seemed like torture.
“Anything for love, Michael.” She smiled.
She didn’t have to say it, but I knew my mother well enough that she’d do anything for love, even hand out dessert a little early. The visions of babies danced around in her head too much for her to deny any of us a pass on family time, for the chance of love and that elusive grandchild.
10
Mia
My palms were slick and my heart felt like it would burst as I put on the harness. “I can’t believe you talked me into this shit,” I said, my hands shaking so badly I couldn’t snap the latch between my legs.
“I thought you liked an adrenaline rush, and I know you love the ocean. Couldn’t think of a better thing to do. Two-for-one deal.” He smiled at me, fastening his harness without a problem.
“Just my fucking luck. Yay,” I said, and clapped. “But you forgot one thing.” I held up my finger and waved it in the air.
“What?” he asked as he stepped closer, grabbing my finger.
“I’m afraid of heights.”
“Shit, I didn’t know. Probably the one thing we didn’t talk about this week. It’s safe, and I’ll be with you. It’s the most amazing view from up there. We have to do it. I promise, you’ll love it.”
“And if I don’t?” I asked, as I tilted my head and smirked.
“Then I’ll do anything you want, but I know you will. Plus, you can just hold on to me and scream. I won’t think any less of you—well, not much, at least.”
I couldn’t believe I was going to follow through and let myself be pulled over the ocean by a thin rope. “Fine, but I can’t get this damn thing on,” I said, frustrated and scared as I threw up my hands in defeat.
“Let me. It would be my pleasure.” He kneeled before me, brushing his hand against my inner thigh as he grabbed one end of the strap.
I
sucked in a breath, shuddering, as I grabbed his shoulder to steady myself. If it wasn’t bad enough that I was petrified to the point of almost hyperventilating, the feel of his skin against mine took my breath away.
He looked up at me, smirking as he brought the latch forward, rubbing his hand against my other inner thigh. I closed my eyes and ignored how close he was to me, how near his hands were to the ache between my legs.
No matter what I did all week, I couldn’t get the throbbing I felt from being on top of him at the beach to go away.
The latch snapped. I could do this. The nearness of him dulled my fear.
His fingers brushed against my mound, sending an electric current through my body, as he grabbed the latch. “Safe and secure,” he said, pulling on the latch with a chuckle.
I opened my eyes and looked down at him. “I wouldn’t use either of those words right now,” I said as I smacked his shoulder.
I wasn’t talking about parasailing, either.
“Come on, beautiful. There’s no turning back now. Up ya go,” he said, grabbing my legs and throwing me over his shoulder.
I squealed as I flopped against his body, my chest colliding with his shoulder. I smacked his back, bouncing as I kicked trying to break free. “Put me down!” I yelled through a laugh.
“My view is too damn good to do that, doc,” he said, and swatted my ass.
“Pig.” I reached down and tried to pinch his ass.
Fucker was rock solid, and I could barely get enough between my fingers.
“Nice try,” he said, unaffected by my effort and swatting me on the ass again.
I yelped, the sting from his palm making me wish I could reach back and rub the tender spot. “Ugh,” I said as I bounced and grew slack in his arms, finally defeated.
The beach disappeared as he stepped on the boat. “Will you put me down now, please?” I asked, trying to sound sweet as sugar.
“If I must,” he said, before placing a light kiss against my hip.
I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it, about him. The feel of his mouth against skin that hadn’t been touched in so long had me at my breaking point.
He wrapped his arms around my legs, pushing the harness into me, before pulling my body down against him. He controlled the speed, making the journey to my feet as drawn out as possible.
By the time my feet touched the boat, I forgot how scared I had been. The sexual frustration I felt trumped everything. “You’re not safe,” I whispered as I looked up at him with one eye, the sun behind his head almost blinding me.
He laughed, pulling me against his shaking body. “Doc, I’ll make sure you survive the trip up there.” He bent down, rubbing his nose against mine.
“It’s not the ride I’m talking about, Michael.”
“I know.” He smiled and kissed me, his lips shaking under mine from the laughter still rumbling through his chest.
“You two ready?” the attendant asked as he approached with the hook, ready to attach us to the boat. My whole life rested in the hands of a guy in flip-flops and a baseball hat with a pair of Tom Cruise Ray-Bans. Fucking marvelous.
I shook my head against Michael’s forehead before he pulled away.
“Yeah, we’re ready,” he said to the man, with a nod. “You’ll thank me, Mia. It’s spectacular.”
I smiled and kept my mouth shut. Right now, being in the air felt a whole lot safer than standing here touching and kissing Michael. My resolve was wearing thin.
The man attached us to the parasail and the boat. There were so many cords and ropes it made my head spin.
Butterflies filled my stomach as the boat started to skip across the water, and I reached for Michael’s hand and squeezed. I could already feel the scream inside me building in my belly.
He turned and smiled, returning my squeeze, before leaning over and kissing my temple.
With the whoosh of the air in my ears, the sunshine on my face, and Michael by my side, I felt a combination of excitement and fear. The driver motioned thumbs up to us. Michael nodded before the man released the lever.
We glided backward and anxiety gripped me as the boat disappeared, turning to a sea of blue. “Fuck,” I said, clinging to Michael’s arm as I stared at the water passing below my feet.
“Nails,” he said, as his arm grew tense under my grip.
I looked at him and yelled, “What?”
His eyes shot to my hand currently in a death grip as he yelled, “Your nails, Mia.”
“Whoopsie,” I said with a smile, and removed my fingernails from his skin. Blood dotted the surface where my fingers had been. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed, the wind making it impossible to hear. “Oh shit,” I screamed, as my stomach plummeted and the parasail rose in the air. The rope was rigid and we were the highest we could go. I sealed my eyes shut, scared to look. Gripping Michael with one hand and with the other holding the rope next to my head, I concentrated on my breathing and repeated “I will survive” over and over again in my head.
Michael patted my hand, and I peeked at him through one eye. “Look, Mia, there are dolphins,” he yelled, pointing to the water.
I tried to swallow, but my mouth felt like sandpaper. I followed his finger with my eyes. Below us were three dolphins jumping in and out of the wake as they kept up with the boat.
Even though I spent a lot of time at the beach in college, I rarely saw much of anything in the water besides the tiny fish near the shore.
I became lost in their play, taking in the moment and forgetting my fear. Michael stroked my fingers as I watched with a giant smile on my face. It was breathtaking, and reminded me that we were just a small part of this planet.
The parasail jolted, and I almost lost the contents in my stomach out of fear as the driver started to reel us in. Michael squeezed my hand and laughed from the obvious look of fright on my face.
A small pang of sadness hit me as we descended toward the water. The dolphins disappeared below the surface as we hovered over the boat.
“It’s all over, Mia. You did it,” he said as our feet touched the boat deck.
“I did,” I muttered as I grabbed his arms and tried to gain my balance. My legs felt shaky as I wobbled from the sway of the waves against the small boat. “I never want to do that again.”
“Don’t you feel alive, though?” He looked pretty damned pleased with himself.
I couldn’t be shitty with him. He looked too sexy with his brown hair tousled and windblown, his cheeks sun-kissed, and his body glistening from the heat.
I smiled, but couldn’t lie about the sheer panic I had experienced. “I always knew I was alive, Michael. You almost killed me with fear alone.”
“Mia, I thought you’d love it. You said you loved the beach and I thought I’d give you a whole new view.” His thumbs rubbed my arms, calming me. “I won’t make you go again. I’m sorry.”
I shook my head and smiled. “I’m just being an asshole. It’s okay, really. It’s something I would’ve never done, and I liked it once I saw the dolphins, but I don’t think I could do it again.”
“It’s off limits.” He grabbed my face, kissing me passionately, making my tension melt away. “It won’t happen again,” he murmured against my lips.
“It’s okay,” I replied, my mind mush and the fear forgotten.
“Want me to carry you?” he asked, as the boat docked. “I liked helping you when we boarded.” He smirked.
“I can do it,” I said as I pushed him away and stepped on the wooden dock.
“You ruin all the fun.”
“My ass in your face is not fun, Michael.” I fiddled with the latch between my legs and couldn’t get the bastard unclipped.
“It’s the best kind of fun there is, Mia.” He watched me, rubbing his chin. “You want help with that?”
“No, no. I got it.” I still felt buzzed from the rush and fear that had coursed through my system during the parasailing ride. I certainly didn’t need his fingers brushing between my l
egs again.
His laughter filled the air as I yanked and pulled to no avail, trying to break free from the harness. Luck wasn’t on my side today. I hung my head and whispered, “Can you help me, please?”
Without a word, he bent down and ran his hands up my legs slowly before grabbing the harness and giving it a quick jerk. “I’m more than happy to help you down here.”
“Just unhook me, please,” I said, closing my eyes, trying to block out the feel of him against my skin. “You’re torturing me on purpose.”
“It doesn’t have to be torture, doc. I don’t have a needle, but I can find a way to ease your suffering.” He winked as I looked down at him.
“I’m thirsty,” I squeaked out, wanting to avoid thinking about the ways he could help me. If I thought about it too long, I’d give in and throw myself at him.
“Avoiding the offer,” he said, with a hint of laughter. “Let’s grab a drink and watch the sunset again.”
Thank God he let me off the hook. Another stroke of his hand would’ve sent me over the edge and begging for his cock. He stood and grabbed my hand, leading me to a tiny beach bar with colorful umbrellas.
A reggae band played while we sipped on ice-cold beer and waited for the sun to set. His free hand stroked mine, toying with my fingers, never breaking contact.
Just as the sky started to change to a vibrant shade of red, a crack of thunder caused everyone to jump and scream.
“Come on, Mia,” Michael said, pushing out his chair as he stood.
Large droplets of water splashed down on the metal table as I reached for his hand. Thunder rumbled as we ran from the patio toward his car.
My swimsuit and cover-up were drenched as we made our way through the parking lot. My hair slapped against my skin, lashing my face with each bounce. The sky lit up, the lightning in the distance causing the ground to shake as we climbed in the cab, slamming the doors to the truck.
We wiped our faces as small drops fell from our hair. I flipped back my hair, pushing it out of my eyes, and ran my hands down my arms, watching the water splash to the floor. “Jesus, that scared the crap out of me,” I said, shaking from the excitement.
