Kiss Kiss

by Various Authors

  “That blows.”

  “Tell me about it. It’s like her biological clock is ticking like Big Ben.”

  “Ah, well. I doubt you’ll be lonely for long.” Shilah deadpanned and Aaron turned to him in surprise. Shilah smiled at him in disbelief.

  “Dude. I felt sorry for Joy. She was practically invisible to you when Nicole was around.” Aaron shook his head. There was no use denying it. He needed to stay far away from Nicole. The memory of that crushed expression on her beautiful face practically made him hurl. It reminded him of the handful of times he went to see her when Ryan had dumped her their freshmen year in college.

  He gave it a month before he went to see her. Even at 18, he’d been insightful enough to know that being so fresh on the heels of the breakup, seeing him would hurt her. When he finally climbed in her bedroom window, she was on her bed sketching and listening to “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. In just a thin Sex Pistols t-shirt and boxers, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever laid eyes on. She’d cut her hair, which now fell right at her jaw. She glanced up from her sketchpad when he entered the bedroom, and barely batted an eye at his sudden uninvited appearance. She eyed the cast on his left forearm as he sat down beside her on the bed and pulled a beer out of his inside coat pocket.

  “Hey, little girl. Want some candy?” He held the beer out to her and she took it without a smile. He ruffled her cropped hair with a questioning look.

  “Locks of Love. They need at least 10 inches. I’ve wanted to do it for a long time, but he didn’t want me to.” She sat up and Aaron realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. At that moment, sitting next to her on the bed was like walking a mile on sharp glass. He forced himself to focus on her face, which looked tense and troubled. “It looks like hell, doesn’t it?”

  “Sweetness, you’d look good bald.” She gave him a halfhearted smile and leaned her head on his shoulder.

  “I heard about your arm. Avery said you pulled Ryan out from in front of a car.”

  “Yeah, dumping you isn’t the only stupid thing he’s pulled this semester.” He joked and she swiftly looked away, her wounded expression breaking his heart.

  “You’re better off without him, Nicki.” He meant it. He’d caught Ryan leaving their dorm room with some sorority slut. Ryan was high on his freedom, and Aaron had convinced him to do the right thing and break up with Nicole. Ryan had to get sloppy drunk to call her. They were walking home from the bar after the phone call, and Ryan had freaked out and had a meltdown about making Nicole cry. Distraught, Ryan had inadvertently stepped out in the street just as a car whipped around the corner. Aaron courageously yanked him out of the car’s path. The car’s side mirror hit Aaron’s forearm, giving him a fracture. It was karma. Aaron knew his reasons weren’t altruistic when he pushed his agenda on Ryan, but Ryan’s behavior was thankfully worse than his own.

  “Then why do I want to shrivel up and die?” Her voice quivered slightly. Torn, he pulled her into a hug, chanting to himself the mantra that she was like his kid sister, trying not to think about her lack of underclothing and the bed beneath them.

  As she broke out her markers and doodled on his cast, they talked for an hour about what was happening at J.P. High and about his classes. She created a masterpiece, a caricature of him as a superhero in a cape. As she focused on her drawing, he focused on her. She looked up suddenly and caught him staring.

  They regarded each other silently and he inched his mouth forward, capturing her lips in his. Nicole shocked him by climbing onto his lap and kissing him aggressively. With only one functional arm, she held him captive, physically and emotionally. Her greedy response was the green light he’d always wished for. She tasted just like he knew she would: irresistible. Before he realized he’d done it, his good hand was cupping her unrestrained breast. His brain managed to engage before he got too carried away. She was hurting and she was looking for comfort. He didn’t want to just be a placeholder in her life. Pulling away from her, he pushed her off of him and stood.

  “Nicki…” he began, trying to find his true north. He knew he could get lost in her, and he couldn’t settle for being her rebound guy.

  “I’m sorry.” She was lying on her bed, hiding her face with her arms.

  “I’m going.” He fled the room through the window. He owed it to her and to himself to give it a couple months. Maybe then the sting of her breakup from Ryan would be less raw.

  When he did finally return, she was dating Jason Gates, a world-class douche.

  Shaking off his unpleasant trip down memory lane, he focused on the issues that were current and real. He’d screwed everything up with Joy, who he was sleeping with and actually dating. He’d trashed his personal life like a bull plodding around in a room full of collectibles and wasn’t sure how he could undo any of the damage. Worse, he wasn’t even sure if he cared.

  “The Nicole thing isn’t happening.”

  “You could have fooled me.” Shilah cocked an eyebrow.

  “There is way too much twisted history there. If we were going to be together, it would have happened a long time ago. I need to call Joy. That was a dick move I made the other night.”

  “If you say so.” Shilah shrugged, and his condescending tone made it sound like he was talking to a crazy person.

  “Hey!” Ron yelled, making them both jump out of their skin. “How ‘bout you two ladies get in touch with your feelings on your own time … we’re trying to get shit done here!” Jack nodded in agreement. The echo of his yell was deafening. A giant buck fled through the brush. Springing into action, Shilah took aim before anyone else could react. One arrow later and the beast lay still on the ground.

  “Can we go home now?” Shilah whispered and Aaron chuckled.

  “We’re here! Let the party begin, Bitches!” Lauren’s voice carried over the roar of the crowd, and Avery suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Lauren crossed from the front door to the oak bar and high-fived the O’Connell brothers, who were catcalling in appreciation of her tight mobster costume. Their perpetually grouchy father, who was wiping down the bar, couldn’t suppress a smile.

  As Avery maneuvered her way through the crowd in her black stilettos, her witch’s hat bumped into an inflated pumpkin hanging from the ceiling. She already needed a beer, but her skimpy black dress was so tight, she was almost afraid to drink one.

  “You guys find a table—the first round’s on me,” Lauren called to them as she turned back to the O’Connell’s. Jules plunged ahead of Avery, pushing people out of the way in her Grim Reaper costume. Avery turned to Nicole, who had sewn her Red Riding hood cape by hand. Complete with a flouncy blue skirt, braided hair, and hiking boots—it was dead on.

  “I have never seen this place so packed.”

  “Do you think we’ll find a table?” Nicole asked. It was the most they’d spoken since Nic had told her about Ryan’s affair. Avery had no idea what to say to Nicole and was mortified that Ryan had treated her that way. Avery was glad they were going out and hoped it would allow them to clear the air. She witnessed Jules claiming a table by kicking out the two people who were milling there. The two men skulked off, looking stunned.

  “I guess so.” Avery took a seat, happy to be off her feet. Why did looking good have to be so painful?

  “Look at Shilah. He’s hilarious!” Nicole laughed and pointed across the room. Shilah chatted with some guys playing darts, doubly challenging in the crowded bar. He was dressed as The Lone Ranger. The mask added a naughty quality to the already gorgeous guy, and Avery felt instantly aroused. She smiled lasciviously, thankful she’d dressed so provocatively.

  “Thanks again for the booze donation, Pat. We couldn’t have done it without you. And you always have my vote for mayor!” Lauren leaned over the bar and hugged Patrick O’Connell, the curmudgeonly bar owner. He was a legendary sour puss, but Lauren could always get him to smile. He’d been very generous with liquor for the fish fry, and she wanted to personally let him know how much she appr
eciated his help.

  “Anytime for you, lass.” He smiled in spite of himself. “What can we get you?”

  “Lots of beer. I’m here with my girls and they need to loosen up!” Lauren’s enthusiasm was a bit forced tonight. Halloween was a rough time of year for her and she thought if she faked a good mood long enough, it might just stick.

  “Shit, is that Nicole Andros? Holy Christ, I had the biggest crush on her in school!” Colin O’Connell exclaimed with a wide smile as he poured a pitcher of beer. He stared fixedly at Avery and Nic’s table. Normally, Lauren would have given him a hard time about the accent he and his brother affected when they were around their dad (or when they got drunk), but she was too annoyed with the VIP treatment Nicole was getting.

  “Dare to dream, boy’o,” Sean O’Connell remarked, loading a tray with glasses and a pitcher of beer. Colin checked his refection in the mirror behind the bar and ran a finger through his dark, wavy hair.

  “Jesus, would you just help her with the tray?” His father snapped.

  “Gladly.” Colin’s enthusiastic reply made his brother laugh.

  Lauren rolled her eyes. Nicole was like the new, shiny toy in town and hearing about it was getting old. It hadn’t helped that Jack was a little too enthusiastic at Nicole’s proposal for a joint business effort.

  Colin took the glasses and pitcher from Sean and headed off with Lauren toward the table her friends had claimed.

  “Nicole Andros . . . she looks exactly the same. Unbelievable.”

  “She’s Nicole Harper now. She married Ryan.”

  “But he’s dead, right? She’s single now…” he continued as he dodged a couple of drunks.

  “Nice, O’Connell! Don’t forget she’s also a mom…” Lauren scowled.

  “Yeah … a mom I’d like to f—Hey ladies! Welcome.” His lascivious tone rubbed her wrong and she shot him a dirty look. With his dazzling smile plastered in place, Colin was at Nicole’s side fawning all over her. After about five minutes of listening to him rave how she’d been his first crush and how he’d always drooled over her, Lauren was ready to claw out her own eyes and ears. It was obvious by the expression she wore that Nicole was flattered, but had no idea who he was.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be tending bar? They look busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest.” Lauren took a long swig off her second beer.

  “I’ll go with you. I need something else to drink,” Nicole offered and he lit up like a firefly.

  “All right, then.” Colin grinned and they headed away together.

  Lauren rolled her eyes and shook her head at Jules and Avery. It was only 7:00 and she already wanted to bitch slap someone.

  “I love your costume, Lauren,” Avery said.

  “It was either this or Rizzo from Grease. I figured I would need something a little more threatening to keep the girls off of Jack.” She snapped her black suspenders and adjusted her fedora.

  “He’s mighty popular.” Jules sipped her beer.

  “Tell the truth. Does it bother you, the way that girls are always all over him?” Avery asked as she yanked her witch hat off of her head.

  “Hell yes, it does. I swear he gets off on it.” Lauren downed her beer and she pointed to the karaoke area. “I’m going to see what songs they have.”

  Lauren made her way through the crowd, wishing she wasn’t so crabby. The morning after the fish fry, she and Jack had argued about all the female advances he’d received. As far as she knew, he’d never put his hands on another woman, but he was a huge flirt. Sometimes it made her feel insecure, even though deep down she believed he loved her. Usually, she managed to stifle her jealousy. Remembering her goal to forget her problems and find Avery a man, she picked up a songbook and began to look through it.

  Avery glanced in Shilah’s direction. He made eye contact and waved, then modeled his costume for her. Avery gave him two thumbs up and laughed.

  “What’s a beautiful witch like you doing sitting all alone?” Avery turned and saw two men she didn’t recognize standing before her. One was dressed as a surgeon, the other as an accident victim.

  “Waiting for my friends.” Avery glanced around, and Jules was gone.

  So much for my wing women.

  “Do you want some company while you wait?” The surgeon smiled. “I’m Dave and this is Nick.”

  Avery glanced around for her pals again. Seeing no one, she gestured for the two strangers to sit.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  “Do you need a drink?” Dave tilted his head to the side. He seemed okay, and she wanted to be polite.

  “Yeah. Another pitcher of beer would be nice.”

  “I’ll get it.” Nick bounded off. Avery cleared her throat and tried to think of something to fill the silence.

  “This place is packed tonight. It wasn’t this busy last Halloween.” Dave downed his drink.

  “Are you from Jefferson Point?” Avery took in Dave’s features. He was cute with blonde hair and deep green eyes.

  “We’re from Port Frank.” He nodded in the direction of the river. Port Frank was the town directly across the river from Jefferson Point, on the Illinois side. “Is this your first time here?”

  “No, I’m usually here every year.”

  “How did I miss you?” Flattered, Avery laughed politely. His friend returned with the pitcher of beer.

  “There are a lot of fine-looking cougars here tonight,” Nick reported as he sat. Dave poured her a beer and she began to relax a little, reminding herself if she was going to start dating again, she needed to get used to the attention.

  Nicole finished her drink and pushed the glass away. Colin snatched it immediately.

  “Would you like another?” He had a killer smile, and they’d been chatting about music for twenty minutes. Nicole couldn’t believe she didn’t remember him; he was so striking and animated. An incorrigible flirt, she found him surprisingly attractive. Funny how we forget the underclassmen.

  “Not yet.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure.” Colin shrugged. “You know, I’m getting really slammed here. Promise to dance with me later?”

  “Are you closing?”

  Colin smirked at her question.

  “No. Once karaoke is done, I am too. Why? Are you hoping to seduce me?”

  Nicole grinned wryly at his candid flirting. “There’s a gathering at my place after this. You should stop by.”

  Colin raised his eyebrows in surprised pleasure, and Nicole almost laughed at the blatant enthusiasm on his face. “Cool.”

  She made her way back to the table. As she approached, she expected to see Shilah with Avery, but instead two strangers sat on either side of her. Naturally, one was wearing green scrubs, a lab coat, and a stethoscope. Nicole cringed and slowed her approach.

  “What’s up?” Nicole asked, unenthusiastically.

  “Hey. Dave and Nick,” Avery presented. “They’re from Port Frank.”

  “I’m Nicole.” She gave them a casual wave.

  “Nice to meet you.” Nick immediately slid over closer to her. Nicole’s skin crawled and her mood deteriorated further. She suddenly wished she’d just stayed home.

  “Nick and Nicole. Ain’t that sweet?” Dave seemed playful, but Nicole just blinked twice at him. She was not amused.

  “So, are you girls both from Jefferson Point?” Dave asked.

  “Yep.” Nicole shot a disapproving look at Avery, who seemed confused.

  “Well, well … who are your new friends, Aves?” Lauren loud voice behind them made the two men jump.

  “Dave, Nick, this is Lauren,” Avery offered.

  “Pleased to meet you, Lauren,” Dave spoke directly to Lauren’s cleavage.

  “Nice.” Lauren frowned at him. “I signed us up to sing ‘I Love Rock and Roll.’”

  “Oh, Lord,” Avery groaned.

  “Remember that time when you were a bundle of nerves about that dance solo in school, and I told you to buck up or I would steal it
from you without batting an eye? You will get up there and sing tonight.” Lauren’s arm was around Avery in a comforting manner, but Nicole knew Lauren meant it.

  Shilah stood by the bar sipping his beer. He couldn’t stop himself from glancing in Avery’s direction and was displeased when two strangers approached her table.

  “Hey there, Masked Man, want some company?” A redhead, dressed as a sultry vampire, seated herself next to him. Shilah couldn’t help gazing at her long legs and voluptuous cleavage. He moved the bar stool out for her.

  “What are you drinking?” Colin was immediately present behind the bar.

  “Jack and Coke,” she replied and turned to Shilah. “I’m Paige.”

  “Shilah.” He shook her hand delicately.

  “That’s a different name,” Paige replied.

  “I guess so, to some.” He shrugged. She tossed her long hair with a giggle.

  “So … Shilah,” Paige reached out and touched his badge. A small smile played on her lips.

  “Paige Green?” The voice behind him was familiar, and Shilah turned to see Nicole standing next to them.

  “Nicole Andros?” Paige pulled her hand slowly away from Shilah. He watched as the two stared each other down and the atmosphere seemed icy. “Hi.”

  “Harper,” Nicole corrected.

  “You’ll always be Nicole Andros to me.” Paige’s tone seemed to imply some unfriendliness between the two.

  “Long time, no see,” Nicole responded, her tone serious. Lauren approached them.

  “Paige. The whole vampire whore costume suits you,” Lauren blurted. Nicole’s face lit up with apparent delight.

  “Excuse me?” Paige looked aghast and defensive.

  “Come on, Shilah. You want no part of that. Whatever it is...” Lauren grabbed Shilah’s arm and pulled him toward their table. Confused, he looked back at Paige who was seething and mortified.

  “That’s one skanky whore,” Lauren informed him. “You may already have ‘the syph’ just from standing that close to her. You’d better get a shot of penicillin just to be on the safe side.”