by A. E. Murphy
Maddox gets an Uber to work or home to pick up a car. I’m not sure, I didn’t ask, I just let Sargent hold open the door of the SUV for me, close it after me and then make his way to his side.
As soon as he drives us out of the carpark and onto the busy street he says two words that have me panicking like a teenager. “Birth control.”
“What… what about it?” I stammer, ignoring the heavy beating of my heart.
“Are you on birth control?”
Fuck. Shit. Bollocks. Wank.
I close my eyes and calm my breathing, trying not to mentally chastise myself too badly. “No. I’m not.”
He slams his hand against the steering wheel, making me jump. “Shit.”
“I’m not pregnant, I’m not ovulating,” I assure him. “But we should really use condoms in future.”
“No future,” he declares quickly. “No more. Whatever happened, it can’t happen again.”
I try not to feel too hurt by that but it doesn’t seem fair. “Why?”
“Because I don’t make mistakes like that.”
Okay, this time I cannot hide my hurt because, ouch. “Well, at least I know where I stand.”
“That’s not—”
I cut him off, “Perhaps you could refrain from accosting me in the utility room should you not wish to pursue this further.”
I see a muscle tick in his jaw as his handsome profile and blue eyes pierce the road ahead.
He doesn’t reply and I don’t push him for a response. What’s the point?
“Thank you for giving me a ride to work,” I say softly, trying to portray that whatever happened between us there are no hard feelings. He doesn’t reply and that pisses me off. We tangoed together. I didn’t tell him to ditch the condoms. “If you want me to get the morning-after pill, or something, I will. I’m not trying to trap you with some pregnancy I don’t want. Okay? I want to go back to traveling. I can’t do that with a kid.” He still doesn’t reply. “But you’ll have to book it and pay for it because I don’t have the money and I don’t know any local doctors that will supply the pill.”
“How is your sexual health?” He keeps his tone casual, it doesn’t stop me from bristling at his words though.
“How’s yours?”
“I was tested two months ago. I’m vigilant,” he replies, looking at me briefly. “I have to be because I fuck a different woman every week, but I always use protection.”
He fucks a different woman every week. Jesus. I’m just a number to him, aren’t I?
“You?” he asks cautiously.
“I’m clean.”
“That’s not what I was asking.”
“You want to know the last time I had sex? That’s really none of your business.”
“It is if it puts my health at risk.”
“I have sex with a different guy every week too,” I lie, not wanting to seem virginal, prudish, and pathetic. “But I use protection.”
His lips twitch as though my words amuse him. “So why did you tell me it had been a while?”
“It’s been a couple of months.” Die with the lie, I chant, having learned it from a movie. “That’s a while for me. I normally don’t go more than three days.”
I am so full of shit.
His eyes which held amusement are now blank and devoid of emotion. Or perhaps I’m not reading him well enough.
“My son seems to think otherwise, he warned me to keep Devon away from you. Said you’re not like other women and you put your heart into things.”
“Maddox doesn’t like it when I sleep around. He’s too much of a gentleman,” I respond, mumbling now. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”
“Devon is your type?” I see his hands clench the steering wheel.
“I don’t have a type. If I want it, I take it.”
“It’s that simple?”
“It really is.”
He rolls his eyes. “Your parents must be so proud.”
What a condescending shit! “So must yours be!”
“Mine are in another state stewing over past arguments, they’re not anything.”
“Mine are dead, isn’t life a bitch?” I reply bitterly and cross my arms over my chest.
His lips pinch together and I see his regret immediately as he replies, “I’m sorry, Tempest. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s fine, I got over them a long time ago.” I look out of the window. “Can you stop talking to me now? I prefer your silence.”
Sargent
I’ve never been a particularly sensitive guy. I often miss compassionate social cues so it’s not surprising I’m sitting here beside her, silent as she asked. I don’t know what to say or do to rectify my mistake.
I didn’t know her parents were dead. I never asked about her family.
Maybe I should?
No. It’s none of my business. Just like her sex life isn’t any of my business.
I pull into the parking lot outside of Devon’s Shack which is a place where people can buy or rent all kinds of equipment for the beach. They also teach surfing, jet skiing, skating, etc.
I hate bringing her here. I should have offered her a job myself but she’d never take it and to be honest I don’t need her around me anymore than she already is. We would not work well together.
“You came!” Devon calls when we step into the shack, and she finally starts smiling. She’s never smiled at me like that, so happy and easy. I get a nagging hum in my chest but mentally lock it away. I don’t know what it was and I don’t care to know.
“You look beautiful, but if it’s okay, we have a uniform that all employees must wear.” Devon, without touching her, guides her to the staff rooms, passing other members who wave and smile curiously as we go.
He leads her to a rail of uniforms on the back wall which comprise of black T-shirts with the store logo and tight, Lycra cut-offs that stop below the knee. “At the end of each day you chuck them into the bin in the corner and we have them washed and ready for the next day. Write your name in the label and you won’t get mixed up.”
I watch her take her clothes into one of the few changing rooms and Dev claps me on the back.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.”
“Keep that in your pants or Maddox will make my life hell,” I hiss, pointing at his dick which is visible through his own Lycra cut-offs.
He chuckles and rolls his eyes. “You sure Maddox is the only reason I should keep it to myself?”
My eyes narrow but he only laughs harder.
“I promise, unless she makes a move, I won’t touch her.”
“Even if she does, you won’t touch her,” I correct and his smile fades.
“Bit possessive there, Wolf. Want to talk about it?”
“Nothing to talk about, so long as we’re clear.”
His smile returns but it’s menacing. “Like I said, you lay claim, I’m off that. You don’t, I’m on that should she wish it. I’m not pushing anything on her but I won’t say no if she offers. You’ve seen her, she’s sweet. I’d be a fool to say no.”
My jaw aches with how tightly it’s clenched. “If you make her uncomfortable…”
“Not my style, you know that. Don’t need to harass a woman to get in her pants. I can dot my I’s and cross my t’s. Not hard to know when a woman isn’t interested.”
She exits the changing room and I have to bite back a groan at those pants. They cover everything but also show everything.
“You sure don’t look like you’re not interested,” Devon mutters so only I hear. Then he twirls her under his arm. “Beautiful. Now, why don’t I show you the ropes and get you started?”
“Thanks for the ride,” she says to me, her tone quiet and sweet.
I hand her my business card because she doesn’t have my number. “Call me when you’re finished and I’ll pick you up or send somebody.”
That’s my guilt for bringing her dead parents into it shining through.
“It’s fin
e, I can handle it. I need to pick up those photos from you later anyway.”
“What photos?” she blurts and I see her panic and mistrust aimed directly at me.
I also see Devon’s brow rise. This asshole does not miss a beat. “Just some old photographs he’s edited and printed for me from back in the day.”
Did she really think I’d betray her trust like that?
I haven’t even looked at the images yet myself, let alone showed them to anybody.
We hear a bang and Dev sighs, “Duty calls. Come on, Pest, let’s show you the ropes.”
Tempest
Everybody is so lovely. They have a strict sexual harassment policy too which means if some jerk grabs me like that Cap guy in the diner then I get to fuck him up and it’s all good.
I make fast friends with a girl who is just a year older than me. Her name is Sadie and she’s lovely but definitely on the geek side. I learn that she loves to watch Anime as much as she loves to surf and she adores science and diving.
Her enthusiasm for everything makes me feel as though I am constantly miserable.
Devon realizes we get along and leaves her to show me the ropes.
I had assumed this would be an admin role but Devon tells me he thinks I’ll do better on the shop floor. Apparently, I’m charming.
I wax boards, help people carry them to their cars, make sure the shelves are stocked and keep an eye on potential shoplifters.
Everybody is so pleasant, the beach dwellers are friendly and calm, there are so many dogs too I lose count during my break where Devon takes me next door to the café and treats me to an iced tea and an egg salad sandwich.
He’s a really nice guy and not nearly as perverted as I initially thought. If anything, he’s extremely respectful of my boundaries and very supportive of me as a woman. He declares he’s for equality and feminism though he could just be saying that because he wants to get me into bed.
At sunset, he nods for me to follow, waits for me to change and then leads me to his white Bentley which is parked in a private garage just around the corner.
“You did really well today, I’m impressed with your work ethic.” He smiles ahead, showing white, straight teeth that stand out amongst his dark lips and skin. “I’m going to work you in on the schedule for the next couple of weeks. Are there any days you can’t do?”
I shake my head. “I’m free, thank you for the opportunity. I’ve been going out of my mind with boredom.”
“You don’t strike me as the kind of woman who likes to sit still, that’s why I put you on the shop floor instead. You’ll rotate with the crew. I like to give them all time in different areas so they don’t get bored. We need to sort out your health insurance too but I’m not sure how that will work with your temp visa.”
I wince. “It’s complicated, I know, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, it’s nothing we can’t handle.” He smiles so kindly I feel at ease in a way I haven’t all day. “So, did you end up drawing the stiff?”
“The stiff?”
“Sargent.”
My lips form an O. “Oh…. No, not yet.”
“Well if you need another model I’d be happy to oblige.” He grins playfully.
My inner artist overrides my need to keep a distance from my boss. “You would?”
His grin becomes a smile as he replies, “Of course. So long as I get a copy of the end results. I’m a big fan of art and I think your idea; The Divine Skin was it?” I nod and he continues, “Is superb. I know Sargent thinks so too.”
“Will you really pose? You won’t be all weird around me afterwards?”
“If I started acting weird around every woman who has seen me naked, I’d never be normal.” He clears his throat as I stifle my laugh. “That sounded better in my head.”
I throw my head back and laugh as he pulls to a stop outside my temporary home. “Let me get some new pencils and some more paper for my sketchbook and we’ll set a date.”
“Sounds perfect,” he replies, winking at me as I climb out of the car.
“Thank you for bringing me,” I say before closing the door behind me and all but skipping to the house.
I immediately race to my journal and jot this amazing day down, then I pull out my sketchbook and my last pencil. It’s dark and smudges well but it’s not the best pencil I’ve used.
Maybe soon I’ll be able to start sketching and painting again. Not long now until I get paid. He said the end of the month and it’s the middle so I shall be counting down the days. This is going to be epic.
Sargent
I find Maddox in the break room, speaking to some of the people we work with. He gets along with them so well, his moods nothing like my own and I wonder if I’ve allowed myself to be consumed by bitterness. Or perhaps I’m just a bastard.
“Boss is here,” a woman mutters and they scarper, all but Maddox who greets me with a smile.
“I was wondering when you’d get here,” he pours himself a coffee at the machine and offers me one but I decline. “How’d she get on? Did you have a word with Devon?”
“She was fine and yes, I did.”
“What did he say?”
I lick my lip, wondering how to approach the subject without implicating myself. I’m simply testing the waters.
“He seemed to think I was saying it because I want the girl.” I say this as flippantly as possible.
His eyes darken with a scowl. “So he saw her as a challenge?”
He clearly trusts me to not do anything with her or he’d have asked me if it were true. Christ, I’m a fucking cunt.
“Possibly, but he said he’ll leave her be,” I reply. “Unless she makes the first move.”
“She won’t,” he murmurs, more to himself than to me.
I blow out a breath. “Why are you concerning yourself with her sex life?”
“She’s my best friend, am I not supposed to?”
“Feels like a more than friendly gesture to me.” Why am I pushing this?
“Dad…”
“I’m just suggesting that maybe you think and feel more for her than you’d care to admit?”
He places his cup angrily on the side. “Don’t go putting shit in my head. She’s family to me. I don’t want to lose her.”
“I just don’t get it, she’s young, adventurous, artistic, calm,” I list off her qualities and wonder when I noticed these things about her. “She’s sexy…”
“She’s my friend, don’t call her sexy, Dad, that’s weird. She’s young enough to be your daughter.”
The look he gives me is a clear warning. Too late for that.
“You’re honestly telling me you don’t feel anything? Women like her don’t just appear around every corner. If I were your age…”
What am I saying?
“Dad,” he groans, rolling his eyes. “We’re friends.”
“I’m just saying,” I reply, holding up my hands defensively. “She’ll move on eventually.”
“Dad, she doesn’t like me like that either. She can move on all she likes.”
I shrug like I don’t care, which I shouldn’t care, but I also do. His feelings are the only feelings I care about.
“So, really, you don’t care if she and Devon…”
He shoots me a look and interrupts, “Are you trying to campaign for your friend? She’s my age, Dad. She’s not like other women. She doesn’t just fuck anybody. I know that because I traveled with her for a year and she never once looked at another guy. She never once looked at me.”
So she was lying when she said that shit to me this morning. I had a feeling she was.
“Leave her alone, both of you. If I find out either of you have done something to make her uncomfortable I will never speak to you again.”
Shit. I let that escalate but at least now I know where I stand with him were he to find out about what happened.
Tempest
The next morning, I creep into Maddox’s room and find him sitting
on the rug, cross-legged, looking at an image of a ship and a bunch of papers with numbers and lists on them.
He looks stressed and thoroughly confused.
“Made a mistake?” I ask, sitting on his bed and picking up his phone to play a game.
He shrugs and then stretches his neck. I wonder how long he has been sitting here.
I put his phone down, shift to sitting behind him and start rubbing his neck.
He groans and lets his head fall forwards.
“What’s wrong?”
“I counted an extra crate on the last two freights I released.”
I keep rubbing, digging my fingers into the tight spots on his neck. “That’s not your job is it?”
“No, but you know I like to be thorough.”
“But if it’s not your job, there’s a chance you’re missing something. Have you spoken to the person who runs that department?”
“No,” he grumbles and then sighs heavily, resting back against my knees and dropping his head in my lap so I can massage his forehead and scalp. “That would probably be a good idea wouldn’t it?”
“Yes,” I reply, leaning down to kiss his jaw.
He smiles and rolls away. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“Then tell your dad.”
“No,” he blurts, gathering the paper. “I want to handle this myself.”
“Show him what you’re made of?”
“Exactly.” He grins, scratching the stubble on his chin. “I’ve got this.”
“I have no doubt you do.”
I watch as he yanks his shirt off over his head and for the first time since we became friends, I start to feel awkward. This is all Sargent’s fault.
“How was your first day?”
“It was incredible. Devon has offered to let me draw him!”
He gives me a scowl when he pulls a clean shirt on, hiding his muscles from my view. Not that I was looking. “I bet he has.”
“What’s that tone for?” I giggle nervously and flop back onto his bed. “It’s all for art.”
“Does he know that?”
“Would it matter if he didn’t?” I remark playfully and his scowl deepens. “Don’t be like that.”
