by S. Cruz
“You ready? Let’s go meet our guys; only two more days,” Shelly said, addressing the elephant in the room.
“Shit, now I’m depressed,” I said, heading back into the bathroom and slamming the door. I took care of business, taking the time to put makeup on to look my best. I put on my shoes and headed for the door, anxious to see Jesse. “Come on, Shell; I’m hungry; let’s go,” I said.
“It’s about time,” she said, following me out. Those two guys were waiting in their usual spot. Jesse looked cool and calm, leaning against the wall with his ankles crossed and his arms folded in front of his chest, listening to Scott talk about music. Scott, who was always very animated, was talking with both hands to make his point, jumping around and laughing.
“Here they come,” Jesse said, unfolding his arms and walking over to me when I entered the room. “How’s my girl feeling?” he asked, kissing my cheek.
“Hungry,” I said, leaning into his arms to feel his warmth.
“Let’s get some food in you,” he said, walking me to the table where John was already drinking his coffee.
“Bailey, how are you feeling today?” John asked.
I put my head down, ashamed to look at him. “OK.”
“That’s good; we were worried about you,” he smiled.
“She was in good hands. I took good care of you, didn’t I, baby?” Jesse said, sitting next to me. I nodded, still embarrassed that they had seen me like that.
“Thank you for caring about me,” I said to John.
“Always, sweetheart,” John winked.
Our coffee was poured, and I dove right in, drinking the brown goodness as soon as it hit my cup. The waitress came back to pour me another cup and take our orders. My stomach was empty, and now the coffee was sloshing around in there. I ordered French toast with strawberries and whipped cream, desperately needing food in my stomach. Jesse just smiled at me but didn’t say a word as he held my hand while we waited for our food. He kept me grounded. He didn’t judge me or pick on me.
I loved that about him. After inhaling my breakfast, I felt better and joined in on the conversation.
“So what’s the plan today?” Scott asked.
“Liza and I are spending the day together,” Keith said, kissing her.
Liza looked sad as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
“I’ve got some manager stuff to do and make the playlist for tomorrow night. I want all of you to be on that stage by two o’clock today for practice,” John said walking away from us.
“OK, boss,” Scott joked as John walked out the door chuckling.
“Let’s lounge around the deck and enjoy the ocean view for a while. I want to get some more pictures. Later we can go for a swim,” Shelly said.
“OK with you, honey?” Jesse asked, kissing my cheek.
“Sure,” I said, full and ready to spend the day with him. We walked along the deck hand in hand. Shelly took pictures of Jesse and me; then I took some of her and Scott. We chose double lounge chairs so we could snuggle together and settled in, talking about what we wanted to do later. Jesse and Scott talked about tomorrow night’s performance. Then Jesse told me about his sister and her family; it was obvious he loved his little niece and nephew. I realized how close he was with his family and admired that about him.
My family was a different story; I wasn’t comfortable talking about them. “My sister is a spoiled brat, and my father hates me,” I blurted out when Jesse asked me about my family. Shelly nodded her head in agreement. Jesse give me a sad look, kissing my hand.
“But her mother is a sweetheart,” Shelly said to Jesse.
“Yeah, my mother is great,” I admitted with a smile.
“Well, I look forward to meeting her,” Jesse said, hugging me.
“What about your family?” Scott asked Shelly.
“My dad owns a shoe factory that has been in our family for two generations. My mother has never worked a day in her life. She spends all her time socializing and heading up fundraisers, which enables her to travel a lot. She enjoys the limelight, which my father does not, so consequently they do everything separately. I don’t have any siblings. Bailey is like my sister; we’ve spent most of our time together since kindergarten. My father practically raised me singlehandedly,” she said.
“I guess I’m the only one here with a big family,” Scott said. “I have two brothers and one sister. My mother is a music teacher at the local high school that Jess and I attended. She’s the one that encouraged us to play our music. She entered us in the talent contest where John discovered us. My family all play multiple instruments, and we jam on the weekends. My father works for the local newspaper. My family is crazy and a lot of fun.”
“Yes, they are; I love your family,” Jesse said.
“They love you too, Jess,” Scott said.
“It sounds like you love them a lot,” I said to Scott.
“I do. They don’t believe in holding their kids back. My parents encouraged us to pursue our dreams, no matter how ridiculous they may seem to the outside world. My brother Marc is a talented artist and is in college right now getting his art degree. Suzette, my sister, is a dancer; my mother runs her to her dance classes three times a week. Desmond, my little brother, is into sports. My dad helps by coaching his Little League team,” Scott explained.
“You’re so lucky; I’ve always wanted a big family,” Shelly said.
“They are going to love you; you’ll fit right in—we’re all blond and crazy,” he said, kissing her.
“I can’t wait to meet them,” she said. We sat on the deck for several hours snuggled in each other’s arms.
“Let’s go for a swim,” Scott said, pulling Shelly out of the lounge chair.
“You up for a swim?” Jesse asked, taking his shirt off.
“Yeah, it’s pretty hot out here,” I said as I took my shorts and top off. I was glad Shelly had convinced me to wear my suit under my shorts. Jesse dove in, while I took the coward’s way out and slowly descended the stairs into the blue water. Sometimes diving isn’t the best thing to do in a string bikini. The water was refreshing as we swam to the deep end and treaded water, laughing and talking about our adventures together. Shelly was like a kid wrapped around Scott’s body, her legs around his waist as he held her under her butt.
I couldn’t believe how fast the days went; soon our adventure would be over. I was never going to be the same again. I’d learned a lot about music and met some incredible guys. I’d never had so much fun in my life. I couldn’t wait to be graduated from college and start my life, hopefully with Jesse in it. I had to knuckle down when we got back; it was my last semester, and I wanted to graduate with honors. School was my way to a better life, which I had already started to live with my best friend by my side. Shelly and I had sworn on a blood oath when we were in sixth grade that we’d be sisters forever. I remember I nearly killed her when she pricked my finger with a pin and made me bleed all over my new shirt.
Jesse
Bailey woke the next morning full of remorse, embarrassed to be seen like that. Shelly barged into her room like every other morning, full of piss and vinegar. Boy, if she wasn’t a perfect match for Scott. But I was glad Bailey had her as a close friend after hearing that her father hated her and her sister was mean to her all the time. I was beginning to respect Shelly a lot and left them alone to get ready as I headed back to my room to clean up.
I felt bad that Bailey didn’t have the loving family that I did, but maybe I could use that to my advantage in convincing her to move to Arizona after graduation. A close family would have been a problem getting her to relocate, but now I felt hopeful that she would consider my offer, especially since her best friend was in love with my best friend. I figured if one would move, the other would follow. Knowing that she hadn’t felt loved growing up, it was important for me that I let her know how I felt about her. Never having said those three words to another woman before, it felt good to come clean and confess my love for
her. Now I couldn’t stop saying them to her, wanting her to know how badly I needed her in my life.
Separation was going to be painful, but I didn’t feel so desperate now. I hung on to the hope that my life was taking a turn for the better. My life had certainly changed, I would never be the same, and for that I was thankful. Bailey was coming out in February; I could deal for three months. Maybe John was right and this would work out, I held onto that hope.
I realized I didn’t much like the old Jesse, and I wondered what my friends saw in me that kept them caring about me. Sure, I was talented, but I was a dick, a ticking time bomb! John was right, and his last-ditch attempt to pull my head out of my ass proved to be a stroke of genius.
Seventeen
Bailey
While the guys were practicing, we lounged around the pool for a while, just chilling out. They didn’t want us to watch; they had something special planned for tomorrow night. I suspected it had something to do with the new song Jesse had written.
“No drinking for me tonight,” I said.
“That’s probably a wise thing, being a lightweight and all,” Shelly said.
“Thanks for helping me last night,” I said.
“Hey, we’re sisters, right? I’ll always be there for you,” she said. “Listen, I’d like to check out the shops one more time before the cruise ends. I need a killer outfit for tomorrow night, one that Scott will never forget. Also, I want to get all those pictures printed out. Now would be a good time, since the guys are off doing their thing.”
“OK, let’s slip on some shorts and go shopping,” I said, needing to move around instead of lie there and think about how much I was going to miss Jesse. Shelly was always good at diverting my attention off my problems and onto something fun. We changed quickly and headed out to the photo shop, downloaded all her pictures, and printed out multiple copies. Then we hit a couple dress shops, taking armfuls of fancy dresses into the dressing rooms to put on a fashion show for each other. She looked stunning in this short, pink, fitted dress, showing off her luscious curves and pale skin.
“This is it,” she said, turning around in the mirror to see all the angles. “Oh, Bailey, you have to put this one on.” She held up this filmy, red dress. The bodice shimmered, and it had a full, floaty skirt that hung to mid-thigh. It had a high neckline with low back, sassy and stunning. “You know Jesse likes you in red,” she said with raised eyebrows.
“I’m sure that’s out of my budget,” I said, taking the hanger to look at the price tag. She slapped my hand before I could read the tag.
“Bailey, put the damn dress on; it’ll be my Christmas present to you. I’m going to change while you put your skinny ass into that dress, understand?” Miss Moneybags said with hands on her hips and a don’t-piss-me-off-look on her face.
She took no prisoners when she meant business. I knew better than to argue with her. She had grown up wealthy and didn’t mind splurging.
“Shelly, I love you,” I said, flying into the dressing room to put the lovely confection on. “Oh my God, Shelly, it’s beautiful,” I said, opening the door to float out into the room.
She stood there looking at me. “It’s perfect; you’ll take it,” she said, pulling out her plastic and placing it on the counter. “I can’t wait to see the look on Jesse’s face when he sees you in that,” she said.
We giggled and carried our new dresses back to our rooms. I sat on the bed with her to look through the pictures she took. Each one was better than the last. They were perfectly centered, and she had managed to capture the light so it didn’t reflect on the people and cause us to squint.
“These are wonderful; you sure you want to be a teacher?” I asked.
“You’re right; I may have to rethink my career choice,” she said, sifting through the pile of pictures. I separated them into piles so that I could give one set to Jesse. There was one each for Scott and Kevin and John. I even set some aside for Liza. Tonight we were just going to stay on deck together, enjoying the last leg of our cruise as we made our way back to Florida. I only wanted to be wrapped in Jesse’s arms, feeling his heartbeat and inhaling his special scent. Then later he had promised me a night of lovemaking to make up for last night’s drunken blackout.
We got ready for dinner, fixing our hair and makeup together as we’d done every night since the cruise started. Shelly and I had always been close, but our bond felt stronger somehow now that we’d both fallen in love on this amazing cruise. After all of our planning and waiting, the last six days had been beyond any of our wildest dreams. We had shared this together and would go back home to remember the most amazing week of our lives.
I put on my light-pink sundress, pulling on my sandals and grabbing Jesse’s pictures.
“Let’s go,” Shelly said, pulling me out the door. “Smile, Bailey; we’re in love with two amazing guys; it’s all going to work out.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said with a feeble smile.
We got to the dining room and opened the door to walk in like every other night. I don’t think I had a chance to take one step inside the door before I was swept off my feet. A wet kiss was planted on my lips with a handsome, dimpled Jesse smiling at me.
“Jesse, put me down; you’re making a scene,” I giggled.
“Who cares? We’ll never see these people again; besides, I’m sick of men staring at you when you walk in. I’m letting them all know you’re mine,” he said, kissing me sweetly. His eyes were sparkling in the light from the chandeliers.
“Don’t be silly; you’re starting to act like Scott,” I said, holding him tight as he swung me around. Just as I said that, I heard Shelly shriek with delight as Scott tossed her up in the air, catching her as they both laughed.
“Is that such a bad thing?” he asked.
“No, but you’re usually so much more controlled,” I said as he put me back on my feet and I adjusted my dress.
“Not where you’re concerned, I’m not. I want the whole world to know how much I love you,” he said, leading me to our table.
“Well, that was interesting,” John chuckled. “Now I have two crazy men to deal with.”
“Hi, John, how was practice today?” I asked, sitting across the table from him.
“Practice went good; one more tomorrow morning and we’ll be ready to rock this ship one more time before we dock,” he said, watching Scott deliver Shelly safely into her appointed seat with a big kiss and a nod to everyone at the table.
“Where’s Keith?” Jesse asked.
“He went to get Liza,” John said. “So, Bailey, when are you coming to Arizona?” John eyed me and Jesse carefully.
“We talked about winter break,” I said, holding Jesse’s hand.
“No more talking; you are definitely coming—I need you there,” Jesse said, kissing my knuckles.
“Good, I’ll look forward to seeing you; you can meet Natalie,” John said. “How about blondie; is she coming too?” John nodded at Shelly.
“Yes, they’re both coming out together. I’m making all the flight arrangements, and I’ll personally pick them up,” Jesse said.
“Nat and I would love to have you over for dinner one night,” John said.
“It’s Bailey’s birthday that week; what day is it, baby?” Jesse asked.
“February twenty-fourth. I never had a birthday party before.” I let it slip before I could stop myself. Now I was really embarrassed; I never wanted to let my family secrets out. I was just overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from everyone.
“Never!” Jesse said, looking shocked.
“No, my mother tried every year, but her idea was shot down by my father. He had no problem having a bash for Taylor, because her birthday is in the summer. He said it was too cold in February, and he didn’t want a bunch of giggly girls in his house. It’s OK, because Shelly’s father always invited me over for cake and ice cream; they never forgot my birthday,” I said, smiling at Shelly.
“She’s telling the truth
; that asshole was mean as a snake to her. I always hated him,” Shelly said.
“Well, that’s about to change; we’ll have a big celebration. Natalie is a good cook; I’m sure she’d be glad to plan the festivities,” John said, drinking his beer.
“I kinda wanted you all to myself on your birthday,” Jesse whispered in my ear.
“We’ll have all night,” I said, giving him a wink.
“There’s my tiger! I’ll be sure to make it extra special,” Jesse said, winking back at me with a salacious grin on his face.
“You two behave; I can feel the vibes you’re giving off all the way over here,” John said with one eyebrow raised and a smirk.
I started giggling as I blushed; Jesse had that effect on me. I realized I didn’t care what anyone else thought when I was with him; he could heat up the room with just the way he looked at me. My core clenched and my panties became damp just being around him. The thought of spending my birthday in his arms was exactly what I wanted.
“Oh, we developed the pictures today.” I handed Jesse the envelope.
He pulled out the stack of pictures to look through them.
“Shelly, these are incredible,” he said, smiling at each picture.
“I made copies for each one of you,” Shelly said, passing out the envelopes. Keith and Liza joined us just in time to be handed a packet of pictures.
“Pumpkin, you’re the best,” Scott said, kissing her.
“Yeah, Shelly, thank you so much. You’ve managed to capture every moment of our cruise. The colors and angles are perfect; you got some good ones of your goofball boyfriend,” John chuckled.
“Look, here’s some of the band up on stage,” Keith said, looking at them with Liza. Shelly sat there soaking up the praise with a satisfied smile on her face; she really did have a gift.
“I’m framing some of these,” Jesse said, holding up a picture of us standing against the railing at sunset. The sky behind us was a vivid red and orange, with the moon bright yellow; it was stunning. We stood there looking into each other’s eyes; Jesse’s arms were around my waist, and his hand was stroking my chin. His head was lowered just as he was about to kiss me. We looked so much in love.
