"Stuck in the doggy door?" Hunter is asking as I'm cracking up laughing. "How the hell did he manage that?"
"You tell me! Still haven't gotten the why out of the kid," Brandi says. "He never leaves the couch, and the one time he does, is to crawl through our eighty-year-old neighbor's doggy door?"
"How'd you get him out?" I ask.
"Girl," she pauses to take a large gulp from her drink. "First, we tried to get him to back out, and old Hazel is all, 'Wiggle your hips, Johnny,' which only got him further stuck. So, then we tried oiling him up, with vegetable oil."
"How did that work?" Hunter asks.
"All it did was make him more slippery, and I got it all over the floor. The dog was annoyed and whining and nudging his head at Johnny. Hazel went to grab the dog and almost slipped; luckily, I caught her but took myself down in the process, and she landed right on top of me."
Both me and Hunter start cracking up at the visual.
"In the end, we ended up having to call the damn fire department to come get him out and let me tell you, it ain't the first time I had to call them. The looks the fire chief was giving me." She shudders at the memory. "Anyway... they had to cut the door. I had to pay for it. It was a nightmare."
"You need to put a foot down with Stephanie. It's bad enough she pawns off all the raising 'em on you. She can pay for her own damn kids," Hunter says, and I nod in agreement.
"With what money?" Brandi questions with a tired sigh. "Anyway, it's fine, really. They drive me up the wall, but I love 'em anyway. But tonight, I wasn't supposed to think about them!"
"Right!" I agree as I pop up. "I'll get us another round; karaoke is about to start."
We'd been sitting and sharing stories for some time as the bar slowly filled. I see now a line is forming near the stage.
"Sit," Hunter places a hand on my shoulder and gently guides me back into my chair. "I got this round, Darlin."
"You got the last round," I remind him, and he smirks.
"Yeah, and I'm getting the next one too, so put your money away," he winks at me and ducks off before I argue.
"Girl," Brandi leans in when he's out of earshot. "He can't peel his eyes off you tonight. Good call on the dress."
I'd have dismissed her comment and shrugged it off in the past but after last night...
"What am I missing? Your face just got all weird and dreamy."
"It did not!" I exclaim as my cheeks flame up.
"Yeah, it did," Brandi argues. "Are you two finally going to stop acting like neither of y'all see what's right in front of you and get together, already?"
"Brandi, I was married for seven years. The ink is barely dry," I sigh.
"You've been over it for longer than a year," she counters. "If you're holding back out of some respect or something for that asshole, don't."
"You did like Julian at one point," I remind her. "You encouraged me to date him."
"No," she corrects me. "I said you were ruining your college experience by coming home nearly every weekend. I pushed you to get out there and have some fun with the sexy Greek guy from your dorm. I didn't tell you to get serious and marry him."
"I know you didn't, but Brandi, I fell in love with him, and our relationship wasn't always bad. I may be bitter because the last few years were hard, but I won't be forever. I do owe my ex-husband some respect."
"You think he's showing you any right now?"
I cringe; no, he probably isn't. I know he was faithful during our marriage, but I also know he was tempted, a lot. He travels for work, and there are a lot of nights drinking with his team in hotel bars. A group of sales executives, in fancy expensive clothes, only there for a night or two? There's something very alluring about that to local singles at those bars, and they were constantly fluttering around them.
Julian, for his part, would always get back to his room around midnight and call me. He'd even gossip with me about which colleagues were obviously going to take someone up with them that night. We'd talk for hours until we couldn't stay awake anymore. It made those nights with him gone more bearable. The calls grew shorter as the years passed, and we had less to say to each other. But he still didn't stray, that I know in my heart.
But that was then, and this is now. Julian has since been demoted and is trying to climb the ranks again, which means more traveling than ever, and he's not married anymore. Instead, he's bitter and still very angry at me for ending things. He's probably doing things I don't want to think about on the road now.
But he has the right to do that, right? He does and somehow it doesn't bother me. He can do what he wants and so can I.
"That's a no," Brandi comments on my silence, and I look up.
"Actually, I just realized I don't care what he's doing. I think that's progress," I say.
"Good girl, so get on that." She nods towards Hunter at the bar.
"It's just all so complicated..." I gaze at Hunter's back as he's up at the bar talking to the bartender.
"It's not. Y'all just make it complicated by denying it," Brandi points out.
"We're not..." I trail off because I have no idea what Hunter feels for me, but I'm not blind. It's more than friendship I know that, but when I thought it could happen once, when I was so sure...
...I was wrong, and I was crushed.
I can still see myself standing in his room holding that Polaroid like it was the exact sign I was waiting for, my heart soaring with hope.
"What you need to do, is shut off your brain and open your legs," Brandi advises, and I laugh out loud as I shake my head.
"Brandi, good God."
"Well, you do!"
"Hush," I say as I see Hunter returning, two margaritas in one hand, three shots in the other, and a bottle of beer tucked under his arm. He passes everything out and then sits, and once again, we all have a shot in our hand to tip back. We don't bother toasting this time. We just go for it. Honestly, the burn feels good, and so does the nice buzz I'm feeling.
A group of girls have gathered on stage and are singing and dancing to an old Spice Girls Song.
"We got to get in line, Kinz!" Brandi declares.
"No way."
"Yes way," she argues like we're teenagers. "Why come to a karaoke bar and not sing?"
"To watch other people humiliate themselves," I say.
"Exactly,' Hunter agrees as he tips back his beer.
"Hunter, I expect to be a spoilsport," Brandi says as she gets up and grabs my arm. "Kinsey, is going to sing. Come on."
I look at Hunter for a rescue, and he smirks with a little shrug. "I kinda want to see you up there... in that dress." His eyes darken as they scan my body and fuck it if it doesn't cause little butterflies to dance around in my belly.
I begrudgingly allow her to drag me away to the stage, slurping down my drink on the way, I'm going to need all the liquid courage I can get. We get into the long line and Brandi winks at the guy working the equipment. He ushers us ahead, and Brandi grabs my hand and pulls us to the front of the line ignoring all the groaning behind us.
"Go ahead and pick out a song, then come on up. He gestures to the catalog on a podium nearby and then flashes a big wide grin at Brandi. He's cute, blonde, kind of surfer-looking, probably in his late twenties. Brandi hates pretty boys, especially blonds. They remind her of someone she doesn't like to remember. But she's never afraid to use her charms to gain an advantage.
"Girls just want to have fun," I point out, but Brandi scoffs.
"So many girls are going to sing that. Let's Do, Like a Virgin, it'll be so sexy."
"I'd rather do something fun." I wrinkle my nose at trying to be all sultry on stage. I'd probably fall on my ass. "Chicken Fried, everyone loves that!"
"That's not sexy. Hunter said he wanted to watch you dance." She does a sexy hip shake to show me.
"Chicken Fried, or I'm not singing," I say stubbornly.
"Fine," she groans.
We let the surfer boy know our pick and then head up on stage, I meet Hunter's gaze right away, and he winks at me. I see his shoulders shake with laugher when the music starts playing.
We get right into it, singing along loudly and badly, but it's so fun. It's a catchy song, and most of the bar is singing along in no time, which is the reason I chose it.
We start dancing as we sing, the alcohol lowering my inhibitions and the crowd fueling the fun. Most of the bar begins standing and dancing but it blocks my view of Hunter. The show must go on though, so we bellow the chorus again with the entire bar.
Finally, I see Hunter making his way toward the stage, his eyes glued on me and a big grin on his face. I shimmy my hips at him and crook a finger to tell him to come up, he shakes his head no, but I step to the edge of the stage and grab his hand. He takes it and lets me pull him up, and the crowd cheers. He spins and pulls me close as I sing into the microphone.
Brandi holds her microphone out towards the crowd, who all sing louder. I thrust mine in Hunter's face, and he surprises me by taking it. With one arm, he pulls me in front of him and then tucks it around me, holding me against him, as we face the crowd. In the other he holds, the microphone and belts out the chorus in his deep and rich voice, he sounds good!
The crowd loves that he's up there singing, and all cheer, everyone is getting into it now. I think even the bartenders and servers are singing and dancing with us.
Hunter sways back and forth as he holds me, I turn around to face him, and our eyes lock; he spins me around and pulls me back up flush against his chest. Our singing gets breathy and choppy, and we laugh as we dance.
I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, and he wraps one arm around the small of my back. The laughter and singing dies on our lips as our eyes lock in an intense gaze. I cannot deny the look he's giving me now. It's full of desire and my entire body is on fire from it. His eyes drop down to my lips, and my hand finds its way to his cheek, resting there, while my other starts to entangle itself in the back of his hair. He starts leaning in and my heart nearly stops as his lips come close to mine.
"Kiss her!" Someone screams, and it's like they splashed cold water on us. We both break apart just as the music ends. The guys in charge are ushering us off the stage, and I beeline straight for the bar.
***
"That was the best night ever," Brandi slurs as she leans against my arm. "I'm so glad you're home, Kinz."
"Me too," I pat her head.
I'm sitting between her and Hunter in a cab. Hunter is directing him since he's the most sober. Brandi is wasted, so we're dropping her off first. I'm feeling it for sure, but I feel like I could keep going longer. I feel younger tonight, happier. Maybe this is what freedom feels like.
"That driveway on the right, there," Hunter directs, and the cab driver pulls forward to the old Victorian-style house with the peeling yellow paint. Brandi, Stephanie, and the kids live in Brandi and Billy's parent's old house. They moved to a condo in Nashville several years ago.
"Can you get in, okay?" I ask as Brandi stumbles out of the car.
"I'm fine. Take my advice, Kinz," she calls out from the driveway before she starts stumbling into the house. The driver waits for her to enter and then backs out of the driveway.
"What advice?" Hunter asks.
"Somethin' bout something," I drawl.
"Of course," he chuckles.
"Just keep going straight down the rest of this block," Hunter says to the cab driver, and I glance at Olly's old house as we pass by it. Kris and David moved out of town nearly a decade ago now. I was so relieved when they were gone. Whenever I came into town, I'd have to avoid Brandi's house, so I didn't run into Kris and her dirty looks.
The duplexes are on the next road we reach, and I sit up in my seat and tug on Hunter's arm. "Let's stop here."
"Darlin, we can't do that."
"Please," I beg as I give my best pout. "It could be our last chance. We should say goodbye to it."
"Kinz, if we get caught in there, James'll call the police."
"Whose gonna catch us?" I challenge. "I don't see anyone."
"How are we getting back to the farm? The cab driver ain't going to sit out here and wait."
"It's only a half-hour walk. Please, Hunter?" I beg.
He sighs as he relents. "Can you drop us off here?"
"You sure?' the driver asks.
"No but what's the fare?"
I pop out of the cab and practically race across the street to the duplexes in case he changes his mind or something. He comes up behind me as the cab driver drives off, his lips close to my ear.
"Which one do you want to go to?"
"Yours," I say without hesitating. "It's not just about my memories with Olly, you know."
"Come on. I know a window we can get in." His voice is slightly husky as he takes my hand.
We scurry around the side of the house to the backyard. I recall Kris and Shar sitting out here smoking by the screen door. There's a window next to it that's stuck slightly open. Hunter lifts it the rest of the way up, and it makes a loud and awful grinding sound. I look around quickly but don't see anyone. I crawl in with Hunter's help; his steady hands on my hips send warm tingles up and down my legs. So much so I still feel the heat there, even when I'm safely inside.
I open the screen door for Hunter, and he walks in. It's a horrible, awful mess. There's no furniture left but garbage, cans, beer and liquor bottles are everywhere. The walls are covered in graffiti, and the carpet is badly strained and full of burns. It's in such a sad state I almost cry.
"Let's just leave, Darlin," Hunter says softly when he sees my face.
"No, wait." I turn and walk down the hallway to Hunter's old room, it's as full of crap as the rest of the house, but I try and envision what it once was. I try to see all his old wrestling posters all over the walls, his bed in the center of the room, and his oversized blue comforter. His end table sitting next to it.
I close my eyes as I recall that fateful day I was bored, waiting for him to get home from work, looking to see if I had left a book or something there, and it was in his drawer. The Polaroid, I gulp back the memories of that day.
But I need to know. I need to ask...
"Weird seeing it like this, isn't it?" Hunter's right behind me again, I step into the room, and he follows.
"Can I ask you something?" I turn to face him.
"Of course, anything," he says as he steps closer.
"Remember that picture Brandi took of us when we were kids? The one Mary Beth dumped you over?"
Hunter lets out a low laugh. "She didn't dump me, but of course, I remember."
"What?" My eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Yeah, she did, but she never told anyone about the picture. She could have ruined my reputation and never did. Then I found it in here one day, and I always wondered how you got her to give it to you?"
I don't mention what day I found it in here, I'm afraid to open that box right now, because for the first time ever I feel like we're getting somewhere, and I'm afraid to derail it.
"She didn't say anything because she wasn't mean like that," Hunter says. "She handed the picture to me after I broke up with her because she sure as hell didn't want it. I kept it because I did."
"What do you mean you broke up with her?" I am so confused, everyone was gossiping about how she dumped him, and I lucked out when no one knew why. "Everyone said she dumped you."
"I let people think whatever because it made her more popular, and I felt bad about hurting her," he explains. "It worked she started dating a sophomore jock a few weeks later, remember?"
"Yeah T.J or something" I mutter as I'm still trying to wrap my brain around, he broke up with her.
"Yeah, and they stayed together all through high school. They're married now with a bunch of kids, as happy as can be."
"That's great, but... why did you break up with her?" I try and clarify this.
"She asked me not to hang out alone with you anymore, fair considering, but back then, I was mad that she even asked. I didn't like her enough to change a damn thing about my friendship with you, so I ended it. I realize this sounds cold, but I was fifteen. She was a cute girl I liked kissing; she was not you."
Not me... my mouth drops open in stunned silence as the little hairs on the back of my head stand up, tickling my scalp.
A slamming sound makes us both jump, and then I hear the familiar voice of James yelling, "How many times do I have to chase you kids out of here!"
My eyes go wide as I look at Hunter for help. The bedroom door is wide open he'll easily find us in here. Fuck James's going to call the cops... we are so screwed.
Hunter grabs my arm and pulls me into the closet, carefully sliding the door shut behind us. He boxes me between the wall and his large body. He puts a finger to his lips in a shh motion.
"Hello anyone in here? If so, just asking you to leave!" James yells out. "Isn't safe in here, okay?"
The space feels electrified, Hunter's body and mine this close. Hiding here where we aren't supposed to be seems to add to the trill of it. I can't help but think about the near kiss earlier; what if we hadn't been pulled from that moment? I wish we hadn't been. I see his cobalt gaze darkening and I just know he's thinking the same thing.
James makes quite a bit of noise opening doors and kicking through the mess on the floor out in the living room. "You think it's okay to trash a place like this?" He calls out as he roams.
I'm not even that scared of getting caught. All I see is Hunter, and the overwhelming desire to kiss him. Fuck it. I'm going to do it.
As soon as this guy leaves... I'm going to kiss him. Is it the liquor talking, sure, and it could be a terrible mistake, but damn it, I want it. I know he won't reject me this time, and maybe that's all I ever needed. Hunter's lips are curling into a soft smile as that cobalt gaze of his washes over my face. Is he reading my thoughts somehow?
I hear what used to be Shar's door gets kicked open and a loud "Oh come on!" from James, which means the kids trashed it even worse than the living room. He's demolishing it anyway, so why does he care?
Shit, focus, he'll be coming in here next. Will he check the closet? If he does...
The sound of a can hitting a nearby wall startles me, and I gasp; how'd he get in here so fast? Hunter quickly clamps a hand over my mouth, as I prepare myself for having to call my dad from jail.
"They had a goddamn firepit in the master," I hear James coming closer. "Anyone in here?"
Holy shit, there's two of them in here. My heart is racing, and I'm shaking, if not for Hunter holding me against the wall, I'd probably pass out.
"No, I think they left, Dad."
What. The. What!??
The thudding pulse in my heart becomes a pounding drum in my ears, drowning out James's voice as he says something about the bar. My mind begins spinning. How is this happening? Is this even real? Maybe I'm dreaming.
How drunk am I?
Hunter closes his eyes as he mouths, fuck.
That answers the, is the real question...
"Just head on back to the bar. I'll be right behind you. I—need a minute."
"All right, hurry, so we can get you settled in. Big day tomorrow." There's some rustling as I hear James leave the room.
My eyes are welling up with tears and I'm quickly becoming overwhelmed by emotions I can't decipher. Hunter's becoming a blur in front of me as he releases his hand from my mouth. He's moving, angling his body, so I'm not boxed in.
Shit... he's letting me out.
His body is rigid, and tense and he's not looking straight at me. I want to assure him, but I'm damn near a puddle on the floor right now.
The front door slams shut as James leaves and it's so loud it's like gunshot.
The room goes radio silent. I freeze as I stand still with a trembling hand hovering over the closet door handle.
What the hell am I supposed to—
A can hits the closet door as if it was deliberately kicked into it.
"I know you're in there, Kinsey."
"Olly," I cry out as I burst out of the closet.
AHHHH!! He's finally here!! And the timing, right?? So excited to read all your thoughts!
I won't leave you on this cliffy for too long, I promise, working on the next very soon.