by Beth Rinyu
“Oh, I guess my boyfriend getting hurt is only privileged information for just your family members.”
“Ashley, please not today. Please do not start your shit with me today! I did not call Carrie over here. She came over just to check on me of her own free will.”
“Yeah, and I guess you didn’t enjoy having her rubbing her hands all over your back either.”
I threw my head back on the couch and let out a long exhausting breath. “You know what, Ashley, just go. I don’t need you here, and I don’t want you here if this is how you’re going to act.
“I’m sorry, Jason. I just don’t appreciate walking in on my boyfriend getting a back rub from another woman.”
“She was just putting –”
She put her lips on mine to stop me from talking. “I don’t want to fight. I want to take care of you. I’m going to make you something to eat.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her I just puked my guts up and food was the last thing on my mind so I just nodded as she walked off into the kitchen.
Chapter 5
Carrie
My mother and I were just returning from a few tedious hours of furniture shopping; she was looking for a new dining-room set and was driving everyone crazy with her indecisiveness. Since Ben refused to be dragged to anymore places, I volunteered to go along and give my opinion. Not that she listened to it anyway. After spending the entire evening with her going from store to store and still finding nothing, I was now sympathizing with Ben. From now on, she was on her own with her quest to find the perfect dining room set. I was prepared to drop her off and just head home until I saw Jason’s car in the driveway.
“I thought you had to go home and get ready for work tomorrow?” My mother taunted in a sarcastic tone when I threw my car in park and turned off the engine. That was the excuse I used to get us out of the last furniture store we were in, after I tired of listening to her go back and forth with the salesman about the type of wood on a particular set that she probably had no interest in buying anyway.
“Yeah, I do, but I wanted to see how Jason was feeling.”
We entered the house and followed the sounds of the baseball game on the television in the family room.
Ben and Jason were sitting on the couch, deeply engrossed in the game they were watching.
“Ben, you have my sympathy. I don’t think the dining room set she’s looking for even exists,” I informed him as my mother smacked me lightly on my arm.
“Told ya!” he said, never taking his eyes from the television.
“Hey, Carrie.” Jason’s adorable smile made my stomach flutter. Why? Why was I getting this way? I had seen him smile a million times before, so why was I having a different reaction to it now?
“Hey, how’s your arm doing?”
“Pretty good,” he replied looking down at his bandage.
My mother took a seat next to Ben and began to show him the furniture brochures the salesman had given her. “He’s gonna see if they could order this one in oak. What do you think?” He was so engrossed in the game that his eyes never moved from the TV to the piece of paper she was holding under his nose. “Ben!” She shouted.
“What?” He finally turned his head in her direction.
“You’re not even paying attention to what I’m saying!”
“Yeah, I am, you didn’t see anything you liked.”
“No! That is not what I said. I think I may like this one, if they can get it in oak.”
“That looks good.” He barely looked at it and turned his attention back to the television.
“Ben!” She whined once again.
I looked over at Jason who seemed to be getting just as much amusement out of the two of them as I was.
“Melanie, get whatever makes you happy, baby.”
“But I need your opinion.”
Jason nudged me and we both began to laugh.
Ben threw his head back on the couch in frustration. “Melanie, I love you. I really, really do, but you are driving me absolutely crazy with this furniture. I gave you my opinion and you didn’t like what I said, so get what you want.”
“Fine, I’ll just call Stan and get his opinion,” she pouted, getting up from the couch and walking to the dining room.
“Who the hell is Stan?” he whispered, once she was out of earshot.
“Furniture salesman,” I whispered back.
“Is he good looking?”
I shook my head and laughed. “Umm…about five feet tall, bad toupee and yellow teeth.”
“Okay, you do that, Melanie,” Ben shouted to her.
“I think that one is a few inches bigger!” She hollered into the living room.
Ben rolled his eyes before shouting back at her, “What is? The table or Stan?” Jason and I both busted out with laughter. “At this point I actually wish that was what she was talking about, if it will get her to stop talking about this damn dining-room set.”
I had tears streaming down my face and was holding my side from laughing so hard when she walked back into the living room with the tape measure in her hand.
“Haha, so funny!” she scoffed.
Ben shook his head and tried his hardest to wipe the smirk from his face. He turned off the TV, got up and walked over to her. “Okay, what’s the problem?” He asked as he pulled her into a hug.
She yanked away and pretended to be angry. “Nothing. If you don’t care about the way our house is furnished, then that’s fine by me.”
“I’m all yours. What is it that you need?”
She quickly snapped out of her pouty mode and began to ramble on once again. “Well, I was thinking since this may be the table I want, and since it’s a little bigger and will take up more room, then maybe you can knock down this wall and expand the room.”
“What?! I’m not knocking down –”
“I’m outta here!” I interrupted. “Have fun, Ben!” I patted him on the back and giggled.
“See ya, Dad,” Jason said, getting up and following right behind me.
“Thanks a lot guys!” Ben shouted, as we were halfway out the door, still laughing at the two of them.
“Thanks so much for everything the other day, Carrie. I’m sorry about the way Ashley acted,” Jason said as he walked me to my car.
I waved my hand in a dismissing manner. “No biggie. As long as you’re okay that’s all that matters.”
I placed my hand under his chin and turned his face to the side. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Hives all gone?”
“Yeah, just a few blotches left on my back but much better now.”
“Good.”
“Hey, do you remember that kid Teigan I was telling you about?”
“Oh yeah, the teenage kid?”
“Yeah. Well, he’s been having some issues. His dad doesn’t have the best insurance in the world so he can’t really afford to send him to a decent counselor. So I was wondering if you would mind talking to him.”
“Oh no. I wouldn’t mind at all!” I said without hesitation.
“Awesome. When is good for you?”
“Whenever. After work or on the weekends.”
“Would tomorrow night work?”
“Yup, sounds good!”
“I’ll pick you up at your place at six?”
“Sounds perfect!”
“Thanks, Carrie.” He leaned in and brushed my cheek with a kiss.
“Anytime.” I smiled and got into my car, realizing my heart was racing as I watched him walk away.
***
Jason
My day off was spent helping my dad with the house he was working on. Once I got home I realized I had just enough time to jump in the shower before I had to pick up Carrie.
“Hey, handsome!” Ashley rolled down her window as she pulled in behind me in the driveway.
“What are you doing out of work so early?” I asked as she got out of the car. Even though it was after 5pm, the normal time most people got do
ne working, it was far from normal for Ashley. She was a slave to her job.
“Well, I figured the rest of my work could wait until tomorrow.” She looped her arms around my neck and pressed her forehead into mine. “I want to spend tonight with my sexy man.”
Shit. Of all nights for her to leave work early.
“Umm, Ash.”
“Mmm…” she murmured as she planted kisses down my neck.
“I gotta be somewhere in a few.”
“Where?” she pouted.
I took her hand and we walked into the house. “Do you remember that kid I was telling you about?”
“Oh, yeah. The drug addict?” Sometimes she could be so cold and heartless. I shook my head at her bluntness. “What? You said he’s been in a lot of trouble with drugs, didn’t you?”
“He just needs direction, Ashley. He has the potential to be a good kid.”
“Yeah and my mother had the potential to be a good mom and she chose not to.” She took a seat on the couch and grabbed her hair clip off her purse, gathering her long, auburn hair into it. “Trust me Jason, you can’t change an addict no matter how hard you try. Don’t waste your time.”
“That’s not what I’m trying to do. But the kid needs help. Unfortunately his dad doesn’t have the means to do that, so I asked Carrie if she would talk with him.”
“Carrie?” she furrowed her brows.
“Well, yeah, she is a licensed counselor.”
She let out a loud laugh. “Oh, please. What the hell does Carrie know about anyone battling an addiction? She grew up in her own perfect little world with perfect parents. I’m sure she was a stuck up little snob who turned her nose up at kids like him when she was in high school.”
“What? Carrie was not like that at all in school!” I rushed to her defense like always.
“Oh, sorry. I forgot. Can’t say anything about precious little Carrie.”
“Ashley, I’m not gonna fight with you over this. I’ll be home later if you want to come back over,” I said, taking a seat next to her on the couch.
She inched closer. “What time is your intervention?” she asked with a roll of her eyes.
“Six.” I figured I would leave out the part that I was actually picking Carrie up at six. She looked down at her watch. “Well, we’ve got some time.” She pushed me back on the couch, releasing her hair from the clip she had just put it in. Her lips came crashing down on mine…. and I was gone.
We were both breathless as Ashley lay on top of me. I looked at my phone, realizing I had ten minutes to make it to Carrie’s to pick her up. “I gotta get in the shower,” I said, planting one last kiss on Ashley’s lips before sliding out from underneath her.
“Can I take one with you?” I stared at her scorching hot body and began to question my own sanity for getting ready to turn her down, but I knew if I said yes I wouldn’t be going anywhere tonight.
“I really got to get, Ash.”
“Okay, suit yourself.” I grabbed my phone from the table and shot Carrie a quick text, letting her know I was going to be a few minutes late. Ashley stood up, giving me the full view of her naked body, and I knew I had to hurry up and get in the shower alone before I changed my mind about taking her up on her offer.
Chapter 6
Carrie
Running a few minutes late. Jumping in the shower now.
Jason’s text came through just as I was gathering up my things to head out the door. I was happy that he was running late because I was as well. I had run over with one patient in the morning and it seemed to set me back completely for the rest of the day. I had to go right past his house so I figured I’d save him a trip and just pick him up instead. I grabbed my phone and texted him back:
Actually just leaving work now. I’ll swing by your place and pick you up instead.
My stomach was growling when I got into my car. I had been so busy that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel and my eyes on the road, I dug through my purse for the power bar that I knew was buried at the bottom. “Yes!” I shouted, when I finally felt the wrapper. I tore it open with my teeth and took a bite like a prisoner who had been denied food for days. Without even thinking, I grabbed the bottle of water that was in my cup holder and took a swig, wishing I hadn’t when I felt how warm it was. Wincing in disgust, I switched my phone to speaker when I saw Gia was calling.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I answered.
“Not much, just exhausted. I went on two auditions today, and I’m biting my nails down to nothing waiting to hear back.”
“Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for ya!”
“Thanks! What’s new with you?”
“I’m just heading to Jason’s. He asked if I could talk to this troubled teen.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun.” She mocked.
“It is to me.”
“So what was up with the comment his bitch of a girlfriend left on Facebook about the picture you posted?”
“I have no clue. She hates me for being friends with Jason. I went to his house the other day after he got bitten by a dog and she walked in while I was rubbing Benadryl on his back and let me tell you, she wasn’t too happy about it.”
“Okay, quick question: if he got bitten by a dog, why were you putting Benadryl on his back?”
“Long story.” I couldn’t hold back any longer, I had to share my surprise glimpse with her. “Hey, Gia?”
“Mmm?”
“I accidently walked in on Jason when he was getting dressed and I kinda saw his…”
“His – what?” There was a quick moment of silence between us. “Oh my god! His –?”
“Yes!” I shouted while Gia giggled on the other end of the phone.
“Well?”
“Well…let’s just say, Ashley may be a bitch, but she’s a very lucky bitch.” With that we both began to laugh.
We said our goodbyes just as I turned onto Jason’s street. When I approached his house and saw Ashley’s car, I was unsure what to do. I was quite certain her feelings for me were the same as mine for her, so I always did my best to try and avoid her. I pulled my phone from my purse to see if there was a response from Jason – nothing. This was so stupid. Why was I so nervous about coming face to face with her? It wasn’t like I was going over there to take time away from her by hanging out with Jason. I was doing him a favor. I looked myself over in the rearview mirror before getting out of my car. As much as I disliked her, she was a knock-out, and I always felt inadequate when I was in her presence. I took a deep breath as I walked up the driveway and rang the doorbell. When Ashley opened the door, wearing just her bra and underwear, giving me a full view of her flawless body, I suddenly wished I’d just stuck with the original plan and let Jason pick me up. I felt my jaw lowering as I remained on the porch.
“Oh my god. I am so sorry. Jason was gonna pick me up, and I decided –”
“Carrie?” Temporary relief washed over me when I heard Jason’s voice. That momentary reprieve quickly faded when he came closer with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I could feel myself blushing. I felt like such a fool over what I was guessing I had just interrupted.
“Ashley, why the hell did you answer the door like that?” he asked as he got closer and checked out her lack of clothing.
“Oh, sorry, guess I wasn’t thinking. I was just starting to get dressed after we….you know.” She bit her bottom lip and swept her hand down the side of his face. He backed away and if I had to guess by the look on his face, he wasn’t happy with her little display of exhibitionism.
“Carrie, I’ll be ready in a second. Come in.”
“Oh, umm, no. Actually I have to run up to the pharmacy and grab a few things,” I said, backing myself off the porch and further and further away from the door. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes to pick you up.”
“Yeah, I’ll be ready.”
I could read Jason like a book, and I could tell by the look on his face he was
feeling bad over what had just happened. I gave him a reassuring smile before stepping off the porch and heading back to the refuge of my car.
I drove to the pharmacy just up the street from Jason’s house and sat in the parking lot. There was nothing I needed to get inside; it was just a quick excuse to get out of a very awkward situation. I hated that I felt an ache in my heart when I saw the two of them standing together barely dressed. Ashley was his girlfriend, so of course they were going to have sex, but having it shoved in my face was a little too much for me to take. I was really feeling foolish when I felt the tears beginning to well in my eyes. It was as if Brett was reading my thoughts when I looked down at my phone and saw his name. “Hey you,” I answered, wiping my eyes and forcing a smile.
“Hey beautiful, what’s going on?”
“Not much. Just getting ready to go with Jason to talk to some kid he’s trying to help out. It’s my first freelance job as a counselor,” I said with a laugh.
He gave me a quick chuckle back. “Well, I’m sure you’ll do great.”
“Thanks,” I whispered. “I miss you.” After coming face to face with Jason and Ashley just a few moments ago, I was suddenly appreciating Brett a little more.
“I miss you too.” His voice faltered. “Well, I have to get going, I’m just headed back to work from lunch and wanted to check in on you.” I looked at the clock, remembering the time difference.
“Well, thanks for that.” I was feeling the burn in my eyes once again. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was feeling emotional over the awesome boyfriend I had on the other end of the phone, or if I was feeling guilty for getting so upset over Jason and Ashley. “Love you,” I said, choking back a tear.
“Love you too,” he replied just before hanging up.
I gripped my phone and stared out the window. I did love Brett – a lot. So why was I beginning to feel like my feelings for Jason were becoming stronger each time I was around him?
***
Jason
“Carrie, it wasn’t what it looked like earlier,” I said as I hopped into her car. Not that it mattered, but I still felt bad for putting her in an uncomfortable situation.
