by Lane Hart
After the fallout with Abby, there was no doubt that I still wanted what we lost. I can keep accumulating money faster than I’ll ever be able to spend it, but at the end of the day, what I want is a wife and kids to share my life with, and that’s somethin’ money can’t buy. There’s no amount of material things that could ever take the place of a happy family like the one I grew up in, and the type of future I see for myself: weekends out on the lake, fishin’, and just relaxin’. Spendin’ the summers hangin’ out around the pool. A huge yard for playin’ football, baseball or chasin’ dogs, cats or whatever the fuck crazy animals my kids easily talk me into buyin’ them. Those plans are all great and nice, but to get there I’ve not only got to find someone who wants the same things. I have to be willin’ to take the chance that it may or may not end up slippin’ through my fingers again, just when I think I have it all, leavin’ me emptier than before. I’m not sure I’m capable of handlin’ that sort of devastation again. Especially not with the same woman who was responsible for the first loss.
"Are you coming to the homecoming game Friday?" Abby asks, and I'm thankful it's random chitchat she goes with instead of heavy shit.
"Probably not." I hate thinkin’ about high school. Three of those four years were filled with nothin’ but memories of everything Abby and I did together with our mutual friends: the parties, dances, football and basketball games, proms, and sneakin’ around to make out in each other’s cars or in our parents' basements.
"I wish you would at least think about coming. Katie said Jason and Ryan are gonna be there. How long has it been since you've seen either of them?" she asks, tryin’ to tempt me.
"Too long," I respond, since I honestly don't know the last time I saw my childhood best friends. Everyone seemed to go their own way after we graduated. They went to college and I've constantly been trainin’ in the gym. We used to see each other when everyone gathered back in town for holidays, but now most are startin’ to settle down, gettin’ married and havin’ kids, so they hardly ever have time to keep in touch. Lucky bastards.
"So you'll think about it?" Abby asks. The girl is obviously still a persistent little thing until she gets her way.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'll go," I tell her.
"Okay, good," she says with a blindin’ smile that I have to quickly look away from. Otherwise, it'll threaten to block out all the darkness that still lurks from our past.
When she gets to her feet, I sigh in relief, glad she's takin’ off before it gets even more awkward between us. Now that she's standin’, though, my eyes can't help but give her a once over, startin’ at the brown knee high boots and stoppin’ at her beige V-neck sweater. My cock's reaction is fuckin’ instantaneous. I barely suppress a muttered curse at the body part that is constantly betrayin’ me. He and I are not on the same goddamn page, which is really startin’ to piss me off.
While I'm arguin’ with the annoyin’ swingin’, appendage I fail to realize Abby's intentions. She takes a step toward me, then her arms are wrappin’ around my neck, her cheek restin’ against my chest. I freeze under her unexpected touch and at the way her familiar floral scent assaults me.
It's like fallin’ headfirst into the rabbit hole. I know it's dark and shitty down there, but at the same time it's like my heart doesn't have a choice in the matter. I get it, she's sick, which has to be really fuckin’ scary, and all she's askin’ for is a small piece of comfort. For me to hold her for just a few seconds, givin’ her the illusion that everythin’ is gonna to be all right.
Bringin’ my hands up, I mold them both to the curve of her waist, not pushin’ her away or pullin’ her closer, they're just...there, makin’ physical contact.
Until I hear her sniffles.
Those damn Kryptonic tears burn like acid through my shirt and skin until they start eatin’ away at my heart. I wrap my arms around her back and hold her tight while she cries on me.
"I miss you," she eventually says, so softly I pretend not to hear the words. I can't return the sentiment. Yeah, I missed her like crazy right after we broke up, but at the same time, I was so angry with her that I couldn't see straight. Eventually I got over it, or at least I funneled the emotions into hittin’ other men in the face, imaginin’ it was the same one from all those years ago who made me snap. The reminder of him and her in bed together has me relaxin’ my hold and lettin’ her go.
"I guess I better head home," she says.
"Yeah, um, see ya later," I tell her as she turns to go down the steps and I escape into my empty house.
Chapter Seven
Claire
"Mandy, you ready?" I ask with a knock on her closed bedroom door.
"Can't," she says through the wooden panel, just as I expected. "There's this thing...um, at Kim's, and I can't really miss it."
"But you can miss your little brother's fight?" I snap back louder at her.
"He fights like every week. I'll go to the next one," she replies. Sure she will.
"Fine. Whatever. Just, please don't get fucked up tonight, okay?"
"No fucking up," she repeats. "I promise." Worthless words.
Nothing else to be done to change her mind, I get into my car and drive over to pick up my best friend Kylie, who still lives at home with her parents. I've barely shifted into park when the front door of the two-story brick house opens and she steps out with her purse. She's gone all out tonight, wearing a short black skirt, matching stiletto heels and a purple sweater that somehow doesn't clash with her red hair.
"Ugh. Those people are going to drive me nuts," Kylie grumbles as soon as she sits down in the passenger seat.
"What people?" I ask. "Your mom and dad?"
"Uh-huh. They actually said they want me home by midnight, like I'm a teenager or some shit."
"You can stay over and sleep on our couch if you want," I offer, since I figure it'll likely be after midnight before Mason's fight even starts.
"Oh, thank God! I'll text my mom and tell her not to wait up," she says, pulling out her phone from her tiny sparkly purse. Tonight Kylie's bright hair is pulled back in a ponytail, which makes her elegant, porcelain features stand out even more. Poor girl will get a freaking sunburn just sitting inside next to a window on a sunny day. We ride in companionable silence for a while, as she types the text to her parents. "There," she says with an exhale. "So, what've you been up to?"
"Same old, trying to keep my sister off drugs and brother out of jail. It's a full-time job babysitting those two. I've had to work double shifts the last three nights, which sucks, but I need the money. What about you?" I ask as I pull into the vacant lot where everyone parks on fight nights.
"Besides my parents driving me nuts?" she asks. "Well, I'm flunking physics so that's wonderful, and I've been trying to finish a ten-page paper that's due Friday for my public policy class, but you know me, I'm a procrastinator."
"That you are," I agree. I've known the girl for several years now and she somehow can find a way to delay having to put off shit. It's ridiculous.
"So have you met any cute guys at work?" Kylie asks me when I turn off the engine. I consider telling her about Linc, but decide against it since I don't want to admit that a few days ago I was strutting around on stage in a crowded strip club wearing basically nothing, pretending to be my sister. Kylie, like most normal people, strongly disapproves of Mandy's career in porn. To admit that I had any part in that industry would make her think I'm crazy. She does know I'm helping Mandy pay off Scarfone's debt, but I'm afraid she would say that I crossed a line I shouldn’t. So I keep my mouth shut about Linc, the amazing man I still can't stop thinking about. Or fantasizing about. Like when I was in the shower with my magical little blue bullet this morning, and the day before. Just thinking about the way his delicious kiss tasted and how incredible it felt to be pressed against his rock hard body, especially the lower half, his Cock Ness Monster, is all it takes to start the throbbing between my thighs. If a sexier man exists, I've never met him.
<
br /> "Um, no, there haven’t been any cute guys at work." There, that wasn't a complete lie. Most the clientele in the steakhouse I work at are married couples or couples on a date, so not many single guys. Even if there were, I know for a fact that none of them would hold a candle to Linc Abrams.
"Too bad," Kylie replies. "Not many cute guys on campus, either. The majority are female students and married men."
"Maybe you'll have better luck at State." Kylie is slowly getting her associates at the community college and saving up to transfer to the local university, which is why she still lives with her parents at the age of twenty-three. I have to say that I’m more than a little jealous. Going to college was never an option for me. I didn’t have stellar grades in high school because I had to work so much, and even if I had, there’s no way I could’ve afforded even community college. Still…it would’ve been nice to be a normal teenager and have nothing but school and boy drama to worry about. Instead of studying like all my friends, I was waitressing long hours, trying to make sure Mandy and Mason had something to eat and a roof over their heads. Now, they’re both adults, but my life still doesn’t feel like it’s my own.
"Oh there will definitely be more guys at State," Kylie says with a sigh. "I fear my vagina might shrivel up and seal itself shut for good before I make it there."
I snort in response. "Doubtful," I assure her. "And weren't you just with that baseball player Ben, or Blake…some name that started with a B three weeks ago?"
"Blake, and that didn't really count since it was over in like five minutes. That is a rule!" she tells me seriously after I laugh. "Like when you drop food on the floor, it doesn't count as dirty if it wasn't there for more than five seconds. Same with sex. If a man’s cock isn't in my pussy for more than five minutes, it just doesn't count. Five minute-rule."
"Does it still not count if he can make you come that quickly?" I ask, thinking about the kiss Linc and I shared against the wall. It wasn't even five minutes and I came without any sort of penetration. Twice.
"Definitely. But what man do you know who can make a woman come in less than five minutes without using his tongue?"
"Just one," I sigh in remembrance. My thighs press together tightly to relieve the building pressure as I recall the incredible orgasms.
"Who is he and why haven't you ever told me about him?" Kylie asks indignantly.
"Long time ago in Ohio," I hedge, wincing as I lie to my best friend. "You ready to head inside?" I ask to hopefully drop the topic. It only reminds me that despite how mind-blowing the experience with Linc had been, it was just a fleeting moment in time. One I'll never forget, which is both nice, and at the same time makes me pretty damn sad.
Since it’s a dark and dangerous neighborhood, I decide to leave my purse in the car. I won't need money, and we get free admission because Mason is fighting. I only take my phone and keys, tucking them in my jean pocket when we step out of the car, and quickly make our way inside to try and avoid getting robbed. This is a shady neighborhood in the daytime, but at night...well, let's just say I wish I had some pepper spray.
The fall wind whips through my thin, white angora sweater and ragged, five-year-old jeans, both from the consignment store. The only thing new, other than my undies, are the two-year-old camel colored boots I lucked up and found on half-price clearance during the spring.
As soon as we cross the street to the front of the abandoned building that's been turned into another one of Scarfone's moneymakers I relax a little, seeing a big group of people. We're much less likely to be victimized with so many witnesses.
Actually, as we get closer I realize there's a lonnng line of people waiting at the door to get in, so long it wraps around the other side of the building. It's crazy how many people want to watch guys beat the shit out of each other. Wow, if the underground fights are growing this popular, then Linc must be a huge celebrity with that world title he talked about. Dammit. I need to stop thinking about that man once and for all! Mason took him the painting I owed him, and that's the end of it. Have I been carrying around the business card with a handwritten note Linc sent home with Mason, debating whether or not to call him? Possibly. But there's no point. He's obsessed with my sister, the slutty porn star, not me, the lying waitress.
I say hello to Danny the doorman, and then Kylie and I make our way to the front row, getting as close as possible to the round chain-link fence, like something you'd see in someone's backyard. When I asked Mason about an octagon cage, he said Scarfone was too cheap to pay for a real one. That sounds about right for the greedy old man.
A few friends of ours stop by and gossip while we wait for the first fight to start. Several random guys come up to me and ask if I'm Eve Kelly. It's pretty much a usual fight night, only more crowded.
"Wow," Kylie mutters just as music begins to blare over the speakers in the large open room, and everyone starts scuttling around, trying to find a seat.
"What?" I ask. She's staring straight ahead with her mouth hanging wide open.
"Two ridiculously hot, buff guys just walked in. The blond one sort of looks familiar, and the other is...uhm, mmm, um."
"Where?" I ask as my eyes scan the crowd.
She nods across the room; and as soon as my eyes land on him, my face catches fire. No! It couldn't possibly be... But then he looks right at me and starts heading in our direction.
Linc freaking Abrams.
"Good God Almighty," I mutter as they come closer. Just seeing his sexy swagger in nothing special, ripped jeans and a green hoodie sends me soaring into a near-religious experience. I'd almost swear that the sight of the gorgeous, blond man causes the heavens to open up and angels to start singing Hallelujah. He stands out in this roughneck crowd like a single, hopeful ray of sunshine on a dark and dreary day.
"Hey, ladies," Linc says with his dazzling smile when he's standing in front of us. I vaguely hear Kylie make some sort of croaking sound.
"Hey," I reply. Oh shit. He looks too happy to have figured out I’ve lied to him, so I stand up and hug him tightly around his waist, glad to see him again while at the same time I'm freaking out on the inside. I inhale deeply because he smells just as yummy as before, like a sinfully delicious holiday dessert. And it feels so freaking awesome when he wraps his strong arms around me and presses me against his hard chest.
"You're incredibly sexy, even with all of your clothes on," he whispers softly against my ear, reminding me that he's not only seen me naked, but he's been up close and personal with my nudity. His comment causes me to blush even harder and the warmth of arousal to tighten my lower belly.
So he obviously hasn’t realized I'm not the real Eve Kelly yet. I'm not sure if I'm happy or depressed about that fact.
"Um, thanks," I’m finally able to reply as I reluctantly pull away from the comfort of his warmth. Kylie clears her throat from her seat behind us to get my attention, so I make introductions. "This is my friend Kylie. Kylie, this is Linc Abrams." She stands up and shakes his hand, her wide eyes still blinking in shock.
"Nice to meet you, Kylie," Linc says to her with a grin. "This is Senn." I’m finally able to peel my eyes away from Linc to take my first good look at the guy standing to his right. He's broader and a little taller than Linc, with wavy, chin-length brown hair pushed behind his ears. The handsome man's name is fitting since there's something…devilish about his smile when he tips his chin up at me and then Kylie. He looks like he's up to no good.
"So, um, what are you doing here?" I ask Linc, still surprised to see him again.
"We came to see if your brother is any good. If he is, we might be recruiting him for Havoc," Linc explains. I start to ask how he knows my brother, but then I remember Mason delivered the painting to his gym this week. They must have talked about his MMA career, or lack thereof. "Mind if we sit with ya'll to watch the fights?" Linc asks.
"Ah, sure," I say right away, realizing there's one small problem I need to quickly address. "I just have to, um, run to the rest
room really quick. Kylie?" I give her a double eyebrow waggle that says girl talk now, but she's too busy drooling over Linc's friend. I reach down and grab her hand to yank her up out of the chair. "We'll be right back," I tell the guys over my shoulder as I drag her to the back of the crowded room.
"Wow," Kylie sighs from behind me as we wind our way through the rows of chairs. "Those two are...dammmnn. So freaking hot."
"Uh-huh." I nod my agreement but don't say any more until we're alone in the one-person bathroom. After locking the door, I spin around to face her. "He thinks I'm Mandy."
"What?" she asks, wrinkling her freckled nose. "Why? I mean, yeah, you two would look like twins if she wasn't a starving crackhead." I wince at her brutal insult to my little sister. Even though it's true, it hurts to hear that someone I love more than anything is a complete and total fucking mess, despite how hard I try to save her from herself. "Sorry, Claire," Kylie apologizes after her slip of total honesty.
"It's okay. You're only saying what everyone else thinks. And yes, you've known us both for years, but he doesn't and..." I pause in hesitation before I decide to admit the next part. "I pretended I was Eve Kelly Friday night at The Playhouse in Raleigh."
"You what!?!" she exclaims, covering her gaping mouth with her hand, and making me cringe in embarrassment. "Did you...did you actually strip?"
"I wore a bathing suit when I was on stage for just one song. But then Linc, who is apparently a really awesome MMA fighter, paid a lot of money for a lap dance, so I sort of, um, got naked for him in one of the private rooms."
"Oh my God! Did you fuck him?" she asks.
I scoff. "No, of course not." Kylie raises a single, red eyebrow at me like she's not convinced. "I didn't!"
"He seemed awfully happy to see you," she remarks with a grin.
"He thinks I'm a huge, cock sucking slut. Of course he's happy to see me!"
