Sunshine & Whiskey

by R. L. Griffin

  “I’m going to check the meat,” Randall exits and Magic follows him out the back door, which opens to a porch that spans the entire length of the back of the house. I see a ramp built to the storage type building. The backyard is huge and flat. I see a net with the target on one side of the yard and a corn hole game next to a horseshoe stake.

  Clara comes to stand next to me and Laura. “Max is the life of the party.”

  We smile. I have to admit something here. I’m not really good at small talk because I don’t care. I have a hard time talking to people I don’t know. This is Laura’s forte.

  “We were so lucky to meet him at the Tasting Room,” Laura responds.

  “Oh, that’s where you met, I was wondering,” Clara comments as we start into the backyard.

  “Megan, wine?” Max asks, holding out a glass to me. I shake my head. Laura takes the glass.

  “I’d rather have whiskey.” It is like every head remaining in the room whips around to look at me. I know this is blasphemous to say in Napa.

  “Wait, really?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m trying wines. It’s not that I don’t like them, I just like whiskey better?” I walk over to him and lean against the counter as he pulls a tumbler out of the cabinet for me, and I feel something shoot straight to my heart. This guy...I don’t feel worthy of being in his house. The only thing I’ve ever done is go to law school. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m really starting to like some of the smaller vintages.”

  “Well, that is the entire premise behind the Tasting Room.” He pours three fingers of whiskey into the tumbler with ice and I take it eagerly. “Cheers,” he says as he examines me. “You’d rather have whiskey.”

  “I’d rather have whiskey.” I take a sip. “Thanks again for letting me tag along with Lo.” I put my hand on his shoulder.

  “I have corn hole set up outside, I know how you southern sorority girls like drinking games.”

  “What do you know about southern sorority girls?”

  “I was stationed at Parris Island in South Carolina. I met my share of southern girls.” He chuckles and drinks the rest of his glass of red wine. I stare at the remnants of the wine, the legs.

  “So you have unclean intentions with my friend?” Laura has moved out to the back porch and is holding court with Dave, Clara, and Samantha.

  “Yes.” His answer is short and honest. I’ll give him that.

  “And what are you going to do to get dirty?” I prod him.

  “Whatever I need to. She has that thing,” he answers while staring outside at my best friend with a look that makes me jealous.

  “What thing?”

  “The thing that’s intangible. The sparkle and bait that makes me want to ask her what in the hell I can do to get her alone. The draw that will keep me trying to be around her even if she shuts me down.”

  I’m glad I’m still leaning against the counter, the edge of the glass propped on my lips as I take all this in. This man has it bad. I want that. I know, I know. I had that. Fuck y’all.

  My name is on a place card in between Magic and Samantha and I feel like I’m interfering with foreplay. Yes, I said a card. I mean, what adult man does that? I think Magic’s hand that’s draped across the back of my chair and keeps skating across my neck is simply to have his hand closer to Samantha, but it’s doing things to me. Her laugh, which is like a tinkle of bells and is clearly fake, is getting on my last fucking nerve. One more glass of whiskey and I’m going to rip her throat out. No one else gets angry when they get drunk? I might need to stop drinking.

  “Remember that time we got really drunk and all went skinny dipping,” Samantha is yelling this over my head to Magic.

  I turn to him. “Do you want to switch seats with me?” His graphite eyes pin me to my chair with such intensity I feel again like I’ve had too many drinks. I lean away from his glare. His eyes are confusing, they seem like they are different colors every time I see him. I think I want him so badly I’m making shit up. I hate being single. I’m horrible at this part. I like to skip to the part where he holds my hand, grabs my ass and loves me. Skip to that part, please.

  He refuses to answer me. I look over at Laura, but she’s laughing at something Max says, and I’m pretty sure her hand is on his thigh.

  Sometimes we, as women, like dicks, not actual dicks, but dudes who are assholes, you follow? I can’t understand it. There’s some kind of masochism that is ingrained in our vagina. You’re aloof? Awesome, I’ll change that and make you friendly. You’re a dick? I can change that too, after getting a piece of my vagina you will be a smiling, considerate man. I’ve never thought about changing any man I dated. That’s not my problem.

  “I like you right where you are Megan.” His whisper touches every cell on my skin and causes a roller coaster of emotions to slide through my brain before I turn to Samantha.

  “You two seem like you guys are catching up. You want to switch seats with me?”

  Samantha’s gorgeous overly made up blue eyes light up and she nods, stands up, and waits for me to move to her seat. I don’t look back at Magic as I scoot over to Samantha’s seat. Laura raises her eyebrows at me, asking what is going on. I shrug and say they were eye fucking, I was in the way.

  The rest of dinner is pleasant. I am now seated next to Clara and she’s quite lovely. She’s known everyone around the table since they were younger. By the way, she’s the culprit behind the place cards. She’s also really good at getting information from everyone, except from me.

  After several whiskeys I can hold a conversation with anyone, I sometimes even enjoy it. However, I’m not giving away any information that I don’t want to, Clara’s not that good.

  “You know, Dave helped Max move in everything and get everything ready for him when he was in a wheelchair.” Clara is telling me about everyone around the table in a hushed conspiratorial tone. “Max, Sam, and Walker have been friends forever. Walker even paid for everything while Max got back on his feet.”

  “Really?” My eyes drift hesitantly to Magic who keeps getting more intriguing. His eyes catch mine and I don’t look away this time. I dare him. Samantha is laughing and touching his arm and he keeps his eyes on me.

  “He really is a good guy,” Clara comments.

  “Why did he move back here?”

  “Oh Lord, his dad was so sick. He came back to take care of him.” She leans in and whispers, sympathy evident in her voice. “His dad was dying and Walker came here anytime he could, basically moved in that last year. It seems he may have taken his eye off the ball with regard to his investment career and one of his so-called friends took several of his clients, then while Matt, his dad, was in the hospital Walker was tricked into a bad investment that lost one of his clients a substantial amount of money. He resigned the same day he buried his father.”

  This is a shock. It’s not the back-story I’d created for him in my brain. It’s sad and heartbreaking and fucked up.

  “Wow, so he’s made his home here now?”

  “Yeah, losing his dad was hard for him. Now we’re his family.” Clara gets up and goes into the other room.

  I tear my eyes away from Magic. He is a complex guy, he’s smiling today though. It bothers me it’s not me making him smile. I move my gaze around the room and settle on Laura and Max. A knowing smile spreads itself out on my face. Dinner winds up quickly and the murmur of side conversations quiets as Max stands. He holds his glass up in cheers.

  “To all my friends, old and new, thank you for spending this day with me. Thank you for coming to my house and breaking bread with me. If I could pick a group of people to spend time with it would be you people.” He lifts his drink.

  “Cheers,” everyone responds.

  Clara walks back into the dining room with a caramel cake. I get up to pour myself a new drink. I don’t want dessert so I look at all the pictures lining the bookcase that is on one wall of the kitchen. There are pictures with Max in Iraq, one of him in the hospital
with some official looking man and with an older man and woman, who could be his parents. I’m standing in the doorway with a glass of whiskey as I wait out dessert because I’m a good fucking friend and Laura is having a great time. She keeps touching her neck, that’s her tell that she likes the person she’s talking to sexually. Yeah, we know each other that well. Max keeps leaning in and they are laughing. Laughing is akin to “oh yeah, we’re getting naked,” in my book.

  I’ve lost count of how many glasses of whiskey I’ve had, that’s a bad sign. I feel Magic behind me before I see him.

  “They look like they are hitting it off.” His forearm rubs against my waist and I step away because it burns me. That sounds silly, doesn’t it? You haven’t had that guy touch you then. There is something crackling between us, and I’m not sure what it is or why it is. I just know I must ignore it.

  “Yes, they do,” I agree once I’m far enough away from him. He walks toward me, and I escape his proximity by walking onto the back porch.

  “He’s a good guy.” Magic takes a few steps toward the grass off the porch. “Challenge you to a game of corn hole?”

  One obnoxious round of laughter escapes my lips. His head snaps back from where he was looking to my face. My hand flies to cover my mouth.

  “Sorry,” I mutter.

  “For what?”

  Oh great, dick, make me feel even worse for my loud laugh. I just ignore him and walk over to the game. There’s a hole toward the end of a wooden box that is covered in peeling yellow paint. The box is propped on two legs so it’s at an angle. I grab the four green bean bags and toss every single one of them in the hole. What? I’m competitive.

  “Oh really?”

  “Yeah,” I counter.

  He picks up the remaining red bean bags and drops all four in the hole.

  “Let’s stand further back,” he suggests.

  “Okay,” I agree.

  He walks over and grabs both sets of bean bags. His ass is clearly the best ass I’ve seen in my life, except for Meat’s but that doesn’t count, like he actively works on it. The ass is ignored by men on a regular basis at the gym, just like legs. I’ve seen so many men that look kick ass from the dick up. Below the dick is no ass and chicken legs. I’m serious, next time you go to the gym, look around.

  “So Megan, you decide to stick around yet?”

  “Yeah, I decided.” I’m concentrating on throwing my bean bag.

  “What’re you going to be doing out here?”

  A throat clears behind me, and Samantha is standing there in her skin tight sweater and bedazzled jeans.

  “Walker, you ready?” she asks with a smug face.

  I lean on my right leg and take her in. She’s pretty, but tries too hard. She seems nice enough, but probably gets run all over. I’m about to throw my bags down.

  “I think I’ll hang out here for awhile,” Magic says as he throws a bag at the hole and overshoots. The bag slides off the end, and he looks at me with shock evident on his face, like he’s never missed.

  “Oh,” she says, but still kind of stands there baffled. “Okay.”

  He doesn’t say anything. She walks slowly away.

  “Wow, that was harsh.” It’s my turn at the new distance, and I need to get three or more.

  “What do you mean?”

  I throw a bean bag up in the air and catch it. “I mean, you guys were all over each other at dinner, and then you just shoot her down like that. Dick move.”

  Magic, who is sort of losing some of his magic, takes a sip of his wine and then puts it back on the table. When it becomes clear he’s not going to add anything to the conversation I throw my first bean bag. Into the hole it goes.

  “I’ve heard you fuck anything that walks, so I’m sure she’s quite embarrassed about right now.” You got that I’ve had a ton to drink, right? I’m super honest when I’m drunk.

  Silence.

  I nail my next shot.

  I don’t look at him before I take my next shot, which slides into the hole from the right side. When I finally glance over to where he’s standing, he’s examining me.

  “Oh yeah, I’m about to beat your ass pretty boy.”

  I land my last shot and beat him at corn hole. I’m competitive so I rub it in, of course.

  “Eat it,” I yell as I turn and take him in.

  Magic’s face looks different than it’s ever looked when I’ve been around him, it registers regret. He must be embarrassed a chick beat him at a game.

  “I’m competitive,” I offer.

  “I can tell.” He chuckles. “You beat me after seven glasses of whiskey.”

  “How do you know how many glasses of whiskey I had?”

  “Because I watched.”

  “You were very busy with Samantha.”

  “Aw, Samantha’s harmless. We’ve been there, done that, it’s not a good idea.”

  “So you’re a one and done type of guy, good to know.” I pick up my glass and take a few steps away from him toward the house. I’m ready to leave. I’m drunk, tired, and all talked out.

  “Megan, it’s not...I’m not…”

  I don’t bother turning around. It’s clear it is and he is. I mean, I don’t want to get involved in that, I think. I mean I totally would right now because I’m so drunk, and it would be good to soothe my needy libido. I’ll have to clear that with Laura. Can I have a really horrid one night stand while being by myself? I don’t know these rules. My eyes want to close, maybe they are already closed.

  “Lo,” I call from the door and I motion her to leave.

  She smiles at Max and says our goodbyes.

  “You look wasted.”

  “I love/hate whiskey.”

  “Did you win?”

  “Of course.” I’m shocked she had to ask. I always win.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Oh The Humanity

  So Laura invited Max over to her house to “hang out.” Then she freaked out because she didn’t want him to think she invited him so that she could bang him. She begged me today at the office to have dinner with them, which is totally lame. Don’t worry, I told her that, but I agreed. She’d given him the news via text.

  “You’re a weirdo,” I comment setting the charcuterie plate on her kitchen counter. The counter is made of turquoise tiles, it is bright and fits Laura perfectly. I take off my sweatshirt and throw it on the table, leaving a tank top and yoga pants.

  “No judging.”

  “I’m not judging, I just don’t understand.” I’m busying myself with all the wines, cheese, deli meats, and bread I purchased for tonight. I had to stop last minute because I was told an hour ago I was crashing this date.

  “It doesn’t matter if you understand or not. You’re my bestie and you do what I want you to, period.”

  “Calm down...I’m here.” I look back at her from the cabinet where I’m pulling out wine glasses and plates. She looks pained.

  “I’m going to shower.”

  “Why?” She just got home from work, she doesn’t need to shower if this is not a date. I smirk at her.

  “Shut up,” she calls over her shoulder.

  “Wait!” I yell at her back. “Are we done with our sabbatical?” She never really agreed to a vagina time out, but I thought she’d do it with me, you know solidarity and all that.

  She ignores me.

  Don’t we all do this? There is even a scant possibility of sex and we must shave all of our body hair and smell good for that slight chance. I’m rocking my hips back and forth to Method Man and Mary J Blige’s duet from the 90’s while I prepare the hor d’oeuvres. Then I put the take out in the oven to warm it so Laura can pretend she cooked it. A knock sounds at the door and I look up, stunned. There is a code on the gate here, no one can get in unless one of us lets them in. I look through the window next to the door and see Max and Magic. Damn it. What is he doing here? I curse myself for not showering. Didn’t you see what I said before, it doesn’t matter there’s really no chan
ce of sex...I may fall onto his penis and then what? I’m not shaved and good smelling.

  I open the door and rub my hands down the tank top I borrowed, okay stole, from Laura after she made me go to the farting yoga class.

  “Sunshine and Fucking Rainbows,” Max reads.

  My hair is in a messy bun, not those cute ones you see on Pinterest, but the ones that real people make when they want their hair out of their face. I pull it out self-consciously.

  “Hi, come in.” I step back and let them into Laura’s house. “How did you guys get in?” I look out the window to make sure the gate is closed.

  “Oh, a man was leaving at the same time we got here. I told him who we were here to see.”

  Damn, that was too easy. I’m going to have to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

  “This is a fantastic property,” Magic speaks up from behind Max.

  “Isn’t it?” I walk back into the kitchen and pull two wine glasses to the edge of the counter. “White or red?”

  “What do you have?”

  “Vincent Arroyo Petite Syrah, Far Niente Chardonnay, Ancien Pinot Noir, and Nickel and Nickel Cab.”

  “Damn girl, for someone who’d rather drink whiskey those are kickass choices,” Max responds.

  “I’m learning.” I smile. Laura and I have been driving around to a couple of wineries a week and tasting wines. She likes white wine better than red.

  “I’ll take the Pinot,” Magic answers.

  “Did you know that Walker owns a vineyard?”

  “I didn’t.” I look at him while I’m putting the glasses on the counter. “Should I have bought yours? What’s the name?”

  “We have a grand opening soon. It’s been sort of a headache.”

  “I would think making wine would be awesome.”

  “You’d think,” he mumbles.

  “Hi, you guys are early,” Laura says from the den. Her hair is curling down her back and her makeup is natural, but perfect. Her ass looks amazing in her skinny jeans, and she’s not wearing shoes. She’s not surprised Magic is here. I will kick her ass later for not telling me.