by Mark Carver
“Something like that,” he answered sourly.
The General put his empty bottle on the glass coffee table and sat forward.
“Let me tell you something, my friend. I’ve lived all over the world, met all kinds of people. Even been married twice. And you know what I realized?”
Cameron looked up at the ceiling. He wasn’t in the mood for a sermon.
“What?” he said after a moment.
“That this world is full of beautiful women. I’m serious. I mean, you think California’s wild, you should check out Eastern Europe. Or Asia. China, Japan. Every two seconds, pow! And South America, too. Man…”
The General licked his lips and his eyes looked far away. Cameron smirked and looked down at his beer. He had been hoping for something a bit more profound.
“Thanks for the heads-up,” he said as he took a drink. “I’ll put those places on my ‘to-go’ list.”
“Wait, wait, you’re not getting my point.”
Cameron paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.
“My point is this,” the General said. “There are lots of women, and lots of choices. Some people make their choice, and some people keep trying the free samples. But the question you need to ask yourself is this: do you need a woman to be happy?”
Cameron stared at him and considered the question. He hadn’t really thought of it before.
“I’d have to say no,” he answered.
“So there you go. If you are able to enjoy life with only yourself as your lifelong companion, then there’s no need to involve yourself in any female drama. It doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate women or enjoy being with them, but your first obligation is to yourself. If a woman is getting in the way of your happiness rather than bringing you happiness, then that relationship needs to end.”
He leaned back in the sofa and stretched his arms across the back. “Now, sometimes you meet someone and you realize that you need them in your life if you’re going to continue to be happy. It doesn’t mean that you weren’t happy before, but after you meet them, you can’t un-meet them. And that’s when you take the next step in the relationship. But only if you know what you’re doing. I’ve seen too many knuckleheads get pussy-drunk and wind up locked into a life with someone they don’t enjoy being with. There’s nothing wrong with commitment, but it has to be with the right person.
“And with so many lovely ladies in the world,” he added with a twinkle in his eye, “the odds of finding that right person are pretty small.”
Cameron pondered this. It made sense, though he didn’t feel any better about letting Mindy down. The General’s attitude seemed a bit selfish, in his opinion.
“So what about you?” he asked. “You have all this but no one to share it with?”
“Are you kidding?” the General laughed. “I share it with everyone! I'm not just seeking my own happiness; I’m Santa Claus.”
Cameron had to smile. Now that would be a strange sight.
“I’ll tell you a secret,” the General said in a low voice. He leaned closer, and his eyes drew dark. “Women are always trying to pin me down. They look at me and think that I’d be a pretty good catch. They think, ‘He’s got a lot of dough, plenty of friends, a wild, free spirit. He’s the kind of guy who could give me the thrill of a lifetime.’ But what they don’t realize is that I am the way I am because I don’t have a woman chained to my ankle. The moment I take that plunge, I would lose everything that made me appealing to them in the first place. I’d be just a regular guy with a big bank account who has to be home every night by ten o’clock.”
Cameron was borderline depressed now. He swirled the beer in the bottle and exhaled heavily.
“So what do I do?”
The General stared at him meaningfully for several seconds. “Only you can answer that, my friend. But remember this: you come first. And don’t change that unless it’s your decision.”
Cameron nodded. He could feel the buzz starting to evaporate, and he gestured to the nearly empty bottle.
“Thanks for the advice.” He looked at his watch. “It’s getting kind of late, I should probably head out. Got a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
The General nodded, though he didn’t stand up. He just stared at him with a curious smile. “You okay to drive?”
Cameron probably wasn’t, but he didn’t feel like partying anymore. A headache was starting to blossom between his eyes.
“I’m fine. Thanks for the party.”
“You’re welcome. Come back anytime.”
Cameron turned and headed towards the kitchen to look for Ivan and tell him he was leaving. He shouldered his way through the cluster of people standing around and laughing over their drinks, but he couldn’t see Ivan anywhere.
Then he saw Rochelle. She was talking with another girl, but her eyes instantly locked with his. He expected a cold, icy stare, but he was surprised when she gave him a foxy smile and a wink.
Cameron finished the beer and set it on the counter. He knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
****
He couldn’t breathe. Something was wrapped around his lungs, like a homicidal squid, just squeezing and squeezing and…
His eyes snapped open. He was in a strange room, and a strange person was lying on top of him. He groaned and shook his head to clear away the haze.
What a party.
The last thing he remembered was getting all cozy with Rochelle and she pressed a little yellow pill onto his tongue. He looked at the motionless body sprawled across him. Was that Rochelle? He couldn’t see her face, but she was about the same size as Rochelle, and she had black hair too, but he couldn’t tell if there were any pink streaks.
Whoever it was, she was suffocating him. He pushed her off and she rolled completely across the bed, wrapping herself in the sheets like a mummy. Cameron still didn’t catch a glimpse of her face.
He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes. They felt sore for some reason. He opened his mouth in a colossal yawn and glanced down at his watch. His eyes nearly fell out of his head.
1:37 pm.!
He jumped to his feet, knocking the girl’s legs back. She moaned but didn’t wake. Cameron yanked on his clothes, which thankfully were in a small pile near the door. What was in that pill?
He stalked out of the room and found himself in the middle of an apocalyptic war zone. The house was trashed. Literally trashed. Amazingly, nothing seemed to be broken, but every chair, table, and rug were covered with cups, bottles, chicken bones, paper plates, and naked or nearly-naked bodies. No one was awake, though a few people stirred or mumbled in their sleep.
Cameron swallowed in a futile effort to lubricate his parched throat. Standing on his tiptoes, he crept through the garbage and partygoers until he reached the foyer. He put his hand on the giant brass door handle and pulled on it as forcefully as he could without making too much noise.
“Drive safe.”
He whirled around and saw the General standing behind him, bare-chested and cradling a bottle of Jack Daniels like it was a baby.
“Hey, um, great party,” Cameron mumbled. “You need me to help you clean up or anything?”
The General shook his head. “Don't worry about it. The housekeeper will take care it.”
Cameron nodded, relieved.
“She’s the girl you woke up with,” the General added, unable to hold back a smile.
Cameron’s jaw fell open. “Are…are you serious? The housekeeper?” He felt a little disappointed that it hadn’t been Rochelle.
“That’s just one of her jobs. Did you like the pill she slipped you? I get them imported from Belgium.”
Cameron’s head was spinning. Rochelle gave him that pill, so that meant she was the…
This was all too loony for him. He just wanted to get home.
“Tell her…” he began, then coughed roughly. “Tell her thanks for a good time. And you too.”
The General nodded humbly. “Don’t be a stranger. Yo
u’re a stand-up guy, and you’re welcome anytime.”
“Thanks.” Cameron opened the door and stepped out into the warm, refreshing sunshine. It was like emerging from a burning building. He shook his head in amazement as he walked towards his motorcycle. These people were nuts.
He drove cautiously on the way back home. He was pretty sober but he still felt a little light-headed, and who knew what would show up in his system if he got arrested for driving under the influence. Thankfully, he made it home without incident, though he felt pangs of guilt as he drove past Mindy’s house.
He was glad that she wasn’t outside, because he didn’t know what he would say if he saw her. He parked the bike in the garage and watched as the garage door rumbled shut, hoping he wouldn’t see her feet walking up his driveway.
His first mission was to get some food in his stomach. A quick inspection of the fridge and pantry left him with few options. He finally decided on peanut butter and banana sandwiches. He made three. The next order of business was a shower.
Feeling clean and rejuvenated, he headed out to the workshop. He wasn’t particularly in the mood to do anything, but he felt that he had wasted too much time already. Plus he wanted to get his latest creation out the door as soon as possible. He was nervous that Robyn would send him on a world tour or get him a role in a movie or something. None of which would be bad, but it would take him away from his shop and his tools. This was where his heart was.
As he worked on an impossibly sharp point jutting away from the blade like a curved thorn, he found his thoughts continually falling back to Mindy. She had seemed so upset on the phone. More than just jealous. He got the feeling that she had really wanted to talk to him about something important. It made him nervous more than anything.
After a couple hours of busy work, he threw down his tools and wiped his hands on a rag. He marched across the backyard, though his house, and out the front door. He didn’t walk across her lawn, choosing to head down his driveway and on the street for a few steps before walking up her driveway to his house. He glared at a neighbor across the street who was checking his mail and stopped to stare at Cameron’s tattoo.
His footsteps were loud as he stepped onto her porch. He didn’t use the doorbell, knocking insistently with his knuckles. A moment later, Mindy opened the door. She looked startled.
“Cameron! What…”
“I want to take you to dinner.”
Mindy’s mouth hung open a little, but her eyes were hard. “You want to take me to dinner?”
“Yes.”
Mindy looked around, as if she expected to see a camera and find out that this was just a TV prank. Her eyes fell to her bare feet, then she looked up at him again.
“Why?” Her tone told him that he had one chance to make this right.
He took a deep breath. “Because I’m a selfish jerk who wasn’t there for you when you needed someone to talk to.”
“How do you know I needed to talk to someone?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, though some of the coldness had left her voice.
“Come on, I’m not stupid. You said so yourself that you wanted to talk to me about something, and I didn’t realize how it important it is to you. I may have a hard time showing it, but I really do care how you feel.”
Mindy tried to hold onto her anger, but Cameron could see it drain away from her expression. She smiled softly.
“Okay. I’d like that. But it’s not a date. Just…two friends enjoying each other’s company.”
Cameron returned the smile. “You won’t be afraid to be seen in public with me?”
“Are you kidding? I can’t wait to see the waiter’s face when we walk in.”
Cameron breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“So how about tomorrow night?”
“Works for me.”
“Okay, I’ll come by at eight.”
“Eight. Got it.”
Cameron turned to go, but Mindy reached out and touched his arm.
“Cameron?”
“Yeah?”
Her eyes reflected the setting sun. “I think you’re a good guy. I really do.”
Cameron smiled with gratitude, then stepped off her porch and went home.
CHAPTER 16
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d worn a tie, and he was ashamed that he had to turn to the internet for help. Now, as he struggled in front of the mirror, he was considering abandoning the idea altogether.
Before he could finalize his decision, the phone rang. He sandwiched it between his ear and shoulder as he desperately tried to tuck the fat end of the tie into the constantly tightening knot.
“Hello?”
“Cameron, it’s Robyn.”
“Robyn. Hey.”
“Are you busy?”
Please don’t tell me you’re in the neighborhood and would like a quickie. “Uh, yeah, kind of.”
“Well I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to see how you were coming along with that new sword you told me about.”
“Oh, that. Yeah, I’ve been cranking it out on that one. I got a lot of work done on it today in fact. I think I’ll have it finished this week.”
“Good. That’s good. Because I’ve got a surprise for you that I think you’ll love.”
Cameron smothered a grunt of frustration as he pulled on the tie. “What is it?”
Robyn laughed and Cameron thought of the evil queen in that old Disney cartoon. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it? Just get that sword done this week, send me some pictures, and I’ll rock your world.”
Cameron gulped. “Sure, okay.”
“Okay sweetheart. Talk to you again soon. Kisses.”
Cameron didn’t know how to respond, so he just mumbled, “Mm-hmm,” and hung up the phone.
What he had told her was true. Last night, after asking Mindy out, he felt rejuvenated, and the memory of the previous day’s debauchery seemed like a fading dream. After a heavy sleep, he had awoken just after dawn and immediately went out back and began working. He was a demon, unable to work fast enough to release the energy that seemed to be leaking from every pore in his body. He finished the hilt and almost had the final shape of the blade sharpened to deadly precision. All that was left was some extremely delicate engraving, but this was going to be the tricky part. He wasn’t going to etch the design onto the blade; he was going to weld it onto the surface so that the design would be slightly raised. This was going to be extremely difficult but he was confident he could make it happen.
He did feel a little nervous though about Robyn’s insistence that he finish it this week. That irritatingly familiar tightness returned in his gut, but he told himself to relax. Work could wait; he had more important plans this evening.
If he could only get this damn stupid freaking tie to look halfway decent…
When Mindy answered the door, his heart stopped. Her hair was curled in bouncy blonde ringlets, and a tasteful black dress with just the right amount of sexiness hugged her body. Her feet were sheathed in strappy high-heeled shoes that matched the color of her lipstick.
She still looked sporty somehow, in a way that Cameron couldn’t figure it out. He liked it that way.
Mindy smiled shyly when she saw his startled reaction. “Come on, stop it, I feel like a parade float.”
Cameron chuckled and pointed to his face. Mindy had to laugh too.
“You look wonderful,” Cameron said. His heart was thundering like a train. He wondered if he would ever grow out of this boyish excitement around beautiful women.
He hoped not.
“Thanks,” Mindy answered, “and you too.”
A slight frown darkened her face, and Cameron saw her eyes fall to his necktie. He huffed with annoyance.
“I know, I know, it’s hideous. I tried my best.”
Mindy gave him a knowing smile. “Come on in, I’ll help you fix it.”
Cameron stepped into the entryway and turned to face a small circular mirror mounted on the wa
ll. Mindy stood in front of him but angled her body a little to the side so that Cameron could watch her hands.
He felt warmth spread from her fingers where she brushed against his collarbone. She didn’t touch his skin, but it felt as if she had. Her perfume drifted around them like mist. Cameron didn’t move and he barely breathed.
It took only a few moments, and it was over too quickly. Mindy patted his shoulder and stepped back. “There. Much better.”
Cameron let his body relax. He hadn’t realized how tense his muscles had been. It was the same feeling when a tattoo is finished. Every muscle in your body aches slightly but a euphoric sensation lingers. You almost regret that it’s over.
“Thanks,” Cameron said, turning towards her. She looked up at him with approval. They locked eyes and found themselves frozen in that moment. With a nervous cough, Mindy blinked and looked towards the door.
“Shall we go?” she said, a little too quickly.
They walked down the driveway to Cameron’s car parked on the street. A neighbor was taking an evening jog with her Labrador retriever, and her mouth fell open when she saw them. Mindy just flashed a beaming smile, and Cameron waved casually. The woman returned the wave, though her eyes were as big as tennis balls.
Cameron helped Mindy into the car, then got in and started the engine.
“So,” she said with an undertone of excitement, “where are we going?”
“You ever been to Pepe’s on the Riviera?”
Mindy’s face glowed. “No, but I’ve been wanting to go there ever since I came here! That place looks gorgeous.”
Cameron smiled proudly. He’d never been there either but he figured it was a good occasion to try something new.
“Computer,” he said. “To Pepe’s. Maximum warp!”
Nothing happened. Mindy gave Cameron an awkward glance, and he laughed.
“Sorry, I just felt like doing that. I’m a nerd, I know.”
Mindy cracked a confused smile. “Yeah, you are.”
Cameron shifted the car into drive and drove down the darkening street. His veins were practically pulsing with excitement.
Screw the General. And screw the barbarian too.
****
Pepe’s on the Riviera was both swanky and accessible, a relaxing blend of unpretentious luxury. It was the kind of place where you would find married couples celebrating anniversaries, nervous high school kids trying to impress their dates, and friends and business partners laughing over wine as they shed the tensions of the day. The lighting was low but not explicitly romantic, and the menu was expensive but not heart-stopping.
