Fair Play

by Madison, Dakota

  She furrows her brow.

  “Has Aaron told you about anything Roxie?”

  Rainy shakes her head. “Aaron doesn’t really talk much about graduate school.”

  I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not. It could be that he wants to keep secrets from Rainy, which I love, but another part of me thinks maybe he doesn’t care enough about it to mention it. It looks like Rainy isn’t sure either.

  “Roxie’s a hoot,” I say. “I know you’ll love her.” Rainy and Roxie couldn’t be more different and I’m not sure they’ll like each other at all.

  Rainy is still wringing her hands and her anxiety seems to be getting worse. I want to slap the worry right off her cute little doll face. She’s driving me nuts already.

  “Hey, Skinny Ass,” I hear Roxie yell as she makes her way down the street. When she stops next to me, she gives Rainy the once-over.

  “Why do you do this to me?” Roxie continues. “How do you think it makes me look to go into a place with a skinny ass bitch on either side of me? Don’t you have any fat friends?”

  I laugh but Rainy looks absolutely horrified. “Rainy,” I say. “This is Roxie. Roxie, this is Rainy.”

  Rainy gives Roxie a scared little half-smile.

  “Rainy!” Roxie yells. “What the hell kind of name is that?”

  Rainy frowns. “What kind of name is Roxie?” she shoots back and I have to give her credit for showing a little bit of spirit, even if it is the first time I’ve seen it.

  Roxie gives her a big grin. “The little kitten does have claws.”

  “Let’s go in and get a table,” I suggest and head into the place.

  Rainy and Roxie follow.

  I heard The Cavern was one of the most popular places for students from the university because it’s supposed to be a great place to eat, drink and dance. I find it a little too dark and dank for my taste. And it’s already packed, which surprises me for a weeknight.

  I head for a table near the back, away from the dance floor and music. I take a seat and Rainy and Roxie fill in two of the other three empty chairs. Rainy’s eyes dart around the room like a scared rabbit and I wonder who she’s looking for and why.

  A server approaches the table with three menus and hands one to each of us. She does a double-take when she looks at Roxie. “Are you one of the Trailer Park Trio?” the server asks clearly in awe.

  When Roxie nods, the server says, “I knew it! I can’t believe you’re sitting at my table. Can I have your autograph?”

  “Sure,” Roxie says as if she’s heard the request a million times before.

  I glance over at Rainy and I see that she looks even more confused. She seems like the artsy-fartsy type that probably never watches television and she probably has no idea Roxie is a reality TV star.

  After the server gets an autograph from Roxie, she takes our order. Roxie and I order the usual while Rainy orders lemonade, which pisses me off because I really want to get her drunk.

  “I don’t drink alcohol,” Rainy says as if she needs to explain why she’s not indulging. I don’t think she’s old enough to drink anyway but it might be fun to get her completely loaded. What would Aaron say about his Miss Perfect then?

  “So you’re a Straight-Laced Skinny Ass Bitch,” Roxie comments. “You must give really great head to keep Mr. Hot and Sexy Aaron Donovan interested.”

  Rainy wrinkles her nose then says, “Or maybe it’s my magic Vajayjay.”

  Score One for Miss Middle Class. That’s not what I expect her to say at all. She’s actually starting to grow a pair and if I didn’t hate her so much I want to kill her, I might actually like her a little bit.

  “Why’d the server ask for your autograph?” Rainy asks Roxie.

  I thought Roxie might be insulted that Rainy didn’t recognize her but it doesn’t seem to faze her a bit. “I used to be on television.”

  Rainy nods but she doesn’t seem surprised which surprises me. I was shocked as shit when Roxie told me about her television series.

  When the server brings our drinks, I raise my glass for a toast. “To new friends.”

  Roxie taps my glass but I catch Rainy hesitate before she lifts her glass to mine and gives it the slightest tap.

  “So what’s Aaron doing tonight?” I ask as nonchalantly as possible. Every time I say Aaron’s name, a wave of small shivers runs through my body.

  Rainy looks at me with narrowed eyes as if she’s trying to figure out my motive for asking about her fiancé. “He said he was going to meet Evan for a drink.”

  When I hear Evan’s name, shivers run through me again except this time it’s more than just a small wave, it’s more like a tsunami.

  “Evan, as in your gorgeous boyfriend?” Roxie blurts and I kick her under the table. Of course, she doesn’t hesitate to kick me right back.

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” I protest but the words sound so hollow, I barely believe them myself.

  Rainy’s forehead is now completely furrowed as if she’s trying to figure a lot of things out. “Why not?” she asks finally.

  “Why not what?” I reply with as much innocence as I can muster.

  “That’s the same question I’ve been asking,” Roxie says as she glares at me.

  I can’t very well tell Rainy I’m not with Evan because I’m supposed to be with her fiancé. Instead, I decide to change the subject. “What’s the deal with you and Evan?” I ask. “Why does he make you so uncomfortable?”

  Rainy swallows and I can tell even talking about whatever happened with Evan still makes her uncomfortable. “Evan said some things that were inappropriate and he had some difficulty accepting me as being part of Aaron’s life. I encouraged Aaron to try and make amends with Evan because I didn’t want to come between them. They’ve been friends for years.”

  Isn’t that sweet, I think. And is she willing to give up Aaron because she’s coming between him and me? After all, we’ve been friends for years, too. And we’re supposed to be together.

  “But you haven’t answered my question,” Rainy pushes. “Why isn’t Evan your boyfriend?”

  I can feel myself getting angry. She isn’t the one who was supposed to be pushing me. And especially not pushing me about Evan. I’m supposed to be trying to slowly push a wedge between her and Aaron.

  “Evan and I are just friends,” I insist as I down a big gulp of my whiskey.

  “That’s not what it looked like to me,” Roxie snickers.

  I glare at Miss Fat Ass.

  “Well, it didn’t,” Roxie insists.

  “We’re friends with benefits, okay,” I state. “Does that make you happy?”

  “You’re the only girl on the planet who might be able to get Evan to settle down,” Rainy says and I’m floored. The last thing I want to think about is settling down with Evan.

  “I’m not the settling-down type,” I say even though it’s only half true. I have thought a lot about settling down with Aaron.

  I down the rest of my drink in one swallow. Rainy is turning out to be a more formidable opponent than I initially thought she would be. She’s definitely not the house of cards I assumed I’d easily topple down. She’s a lot stronger than she looks. I think the little house of cards is reinforced with steel.

  “So, when’s the big day?” Roxie asks Rainy and Rainy frowns. “When are you going to tie the knot?” Roxie clarifies.

  “We haven’t set a date yet,” Rainy admits and it’s one of the few positive things she’s said tonight. Not setting a date means they’re not that serious yet. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

  Roxie shakes her head. “Not having a date is never a good thing. The ring is good but you don’t seal the deal without the date. You’ve got a ring on your finger that says you’re Aaron’s but he won’t have one on his until you’ve signed the papers and said I do. Without a ring on Mr. Hot and Sexy’s finger, it still looks like he’s on the open market.”

  I could kiss Roxie when I see the slightes
t bit of doubt cross Rainy’s face. What a brilliant strategy and it definitely carries more weight coming from someone other than me.

  I can see Rainy is processing what Roxie just said. Then she replies, “It’s not Aaron. He wants to get married right away. But I want to wait. At least until I graduate with my Bachelor’s degree.”

  “You’re still young,” I agree. “I can understand not wanting to get married yet.” And the longer she waits, I think, the more time I have to get my claws into Aaron.

  Rainy’s brows furrow again and I can see she looks confused. If she’s not careful, she’ll need Botox before she’s 20. I decide to go in for the kill. “So, how many times have you gotten together with Aaron’s mom? Has she been blowing up your phone? She always wants me to go shopping, or to the spa, or out to lunch.”

  Rainy’s face turns pale and I know that Mrs. Donovan has never phoned her. I know this because she’s already told me a number of times she doesn’t want Aaron to marry Rainy and that she still considers me her future daughter-in-law.

  “Don’t tell me she hasn’t asked you to go out with her yet?” I say in mock astonishment but I know what I’m really doing is twisting the knife I just stuck in her back.

  Rainy clears her throat but no words come out so she just shakes her head.

  “Wow,” I proclaim. “I’m shocked. She’s always treated me like the daughter she never had.”

  I can see Rainy blinking back tears and I feel like jumping up and cheering but I hold back. “That’s too bad,” I try to sound sympathetic as I twist the knife even more. “Maybe she just wants to spare you any embarrassment because you might not fit in.”

  When Rainy looks down and tries to quickly wipe away a tear that has escaped down her face, I know I’ve scored a direct hit. I debate pushing the knife in even deeper but I think my point has been made. She doesn’t belong with Aaron but I do; even his mom agrees. Rainy will never be accepted by Aaron’s family no matter how hard she tries.

  I let out a fake yawn. “I’m getting tired,” I say then glance over at Roxie.

  “Me, too,” Roxie agrees. “We’ve got school tomorrow.”

  “So do I,” Rainy says quickly and I sense that she’s ready to escape. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when she goes back to her place.

  As the three of us exit The Cavern, we run into two girls and a guy who Rainy seems to know. One of the girls, a red head, is obviously related to the guy, who is also sporting a mop of red hair. He kind of looks familiar but I’m not sure why. The other girl is decked out in all black and looks tough. I wouldn’t want to run into her alone in a dark alley.

  “Keira and Roxie,” Rainy says, “this is my roommate, Olivia; her brother, Lucas and her girlfriend, Marney.”

  When Olivia’s face twists in confusion, Rainy says, “Keira is an old friend of Aaron’s and she’s in his graduate program as is Roxie.”

  Recognition seems to cross over Olivia’s face and I’m sure she and Rainy have talked about me before. Then I remember where I’ve seen her brother, Lucas. He was the guy who came to pick Rainy up from Aaron’s family lake house during Spring Break when Rainy freaked out and ran away. The way the guy looks at Rainy it’s obvious he’s completely in love with her.

  Olivia turns and glares at me. “Rainy has told me a lot about you.” She says it with such disdain, I know it’s not a compliment.

  Marney gives me a menacing look and it sends a few shivers through me. I’m rarely intimidated by anyone but she is definitely not someone I want to mess with. When I glance at Lucas, he looks like he wants to crawl into a hole. He seems to be the type of person who likes to avoid conflict.

  “I should throw a little housewarming party and invite you all over to my new place,” I say as sweetly as I can. “Any friends of Rainy’s are friends of mine.” I add a sickeningly sweet smile for emphasis. Of course, actually having them at my house is something I’ll probably never in a million years do but they don’t have to know that.

  Olivia, Marney and Lucas all glance over at Rainy and I can see her eyes are wide with concern. I’m sure the last thing she’s expecting is for me to try to befriend her friends. I like keeping her on her toes. The more I can keep her off-balance the easier it will be to topple her when the time comes.

  “My place is right next to Aaron’s,” I say matter-of-factly but I like to rub in the fact that I live a lot closer to her man than Rainy does. Her man. I can’t stand saying those two words even to myself. Aaron is supposed to be my man.

  “Well, Dude and Dudettes,” Roxie says. “It’s been fun but I’m outtie.”

  When everyone turns to face Roxie, Marney says, “You look familiar. Have we met before? Possibly at a Pridefest?”

  Roxie shakes her head. “I have yet to meet a girl I’d do the nasty with,” Roxie says. “Besides, I love the cock too much.”

  Lucas chokes and when we all look over at him, I can see his face is turning bright red. I think Roxie may be a bit more than he can handle.

  Marney narrows her eyes as if she’s trying to figure out how she knows Roxie.

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” I say trying very hard not to show my frustration with the entire crew. “She’s a reality television star.”

  Marney’s eyes light up when she finally makes the connection. “You’re one of the Trailer Park Trio.”

  Roxie smiles. “Guilty as charged.”

  As if on cue, Marney, Olivia and Lucas all turn to face me as if they suddenly can’t figure out why I’m friends with Roxie. “We’re in the same study group,” I explain.

  “And by study group, she means we’re drinking buddies,” Roxie adds. “Well, I really do have to motor. See you tomorrow, Skinny Ass.”

  As Roxie makes her way past me, I reply, “See you tomorrow, Fat Ass.” When I turn back to the rest of the group, they are all looking at me stunned. “We really do like each other.”

  They all just blink nervously and I say, “I guess I’d better get going too.” I hope they’ll take it as a hint that the party is over.

  “Thank you for inviting me tonight,” Rainy says politely. I know as soon as I walk away she’ll be gossiping about me with her friends for the next hour at least.

  “I’m serious about the housewarming party,” I say even though I’m not serious about it at all. “I’ll let Aaron know the details.” Of course, I have to get another quick dig in before I leave. I have to make sure to provide constant reminders that I’m with her beloved fiancé all day long.

  As I walk to my car, I try to turn my thoughts to Aaron and getting to see him again in class but my thoughts keep wandering back to Evan. I keep hearing Rainy’s little doll voice saying: Why isn’t he your boyfriend?

  I don’t have a good explanation.

  For the first time, I wonder if my quest to get Aaron is completely misguided. Am I headed down a path of complete self-destruction, as Evan seems to think?

  I know Evan wants me. Why can’t I want him the way I seem to want Aaron? Then I wonder if I truly want Aaron or if I just think I should? Maybe I really do want Evan but I just can’t allow myself to go down that path. It’s so confusing it makes my head ache.

  Besides, it’s too late to turn back now, isn’t it? The plan to get Aaron has already been set in motion. And Aaron’s the guy I’m destined to be with. That’s what everyone has always said, including both of our mothers.

  As if on cue, my cell phone rings and it’s my mom. I think about letting it go to voicemail but I know I’ll just have to phone her back at some point. I decide to deal with the inevitable.

  “Hey, Mom,” I say.

  “I just wanted to see how things are going,” she says. And by things, I know she means things with Aaron. I know she could care less about how things are going in school or any other aspect of my life.

  “Things are fine,” I reply but I’m not even sure I believe my own words.

  “I spoke with Theresa Donovan,” my mom says. “She’s very concerned about Aaron’s
little friend. I told her you were going to take care of things and that she could count on you. I hope you won’t disappoint her.”

  Now I know my fate is completely sealed. Even if I wanted to go after Evan, I couldn’t, because my mom has pledged my skills of deception and deceit to rid Aaron of Miss Middle Class. And I’ll be required to step in and take her place. Just like everyone has wanted since we were both kids.

  The idea that Aaron has a mind, a will, or a life of his own is irrelevant. He’s apparently got to do what’s in the best interests of both of our families.

  As do I.

  So, it’s on to the next phase of my devious plan to get Aaron Donovan.

  Five

  Love is an uninvited visitor.

  It never tells when it’s coming and when it’s leaving.

  Hammody Ali

  I know I’m in trouble when my mother summons me to meet her at the club. And by the club, she of course means the most expensive and exclusive country club in the state. She and my father are lifetime members. I don’t know exactly how much it cost my parents to become a lifetime member of the club but my guess would be several million dollars.

  The club is just as extraordinary as one would expect of a place of its caliber and standing. Everything about the place is perfect including its members. From the perfectly manicured landscape to the model perfect staff, the place is the epitome of affluence, sophistication and elegance.

  When I pull my Mercedes convertible up to the valet parking area, I feel like a peasant who just pulled up to a mansion in an old beater truck. In this place, my hundred thousand dollar car is nothing amongst the far more expensive and exclusive Lamborghinis and Aston Martins.

  As I hand the hot-looking parking valet my car keys, I can’t help but compare him to Evan in every way and it pisses me off. The guy is model attractive and muscular but still inferior to Evan in nearly every way. I shake my head in frustration that everything in my life now seems to focus on one of two things: how to keep Aaron in my life or how to keep Evan out of my head.

  I can see the valet is slyly checking me out and I know the club has strict policies against such things. If I knew my mother wasn’t waiting for me and I knew she wasn’t the type of person to get crazy about a person being late, I might take a few minutes to outright flirt with him just to see what would happen. But I don’t have the time for that kind of fun, so I just give him a cordial half smile and make my way to the grand entrance of the main building.