Blue Colla Make Ya Holla (51 page)

We sit across each other in a booth that finally opens up. I try to pay attention to the menu, but I’m more interested in studying Winston’s rugged face.

“What would you tell a patient in your position?” he asks, startling me.

“What position do you mean?”

“Say she feels what you’re feeling, but she’s fighting those feelings. What would you tell her to do about that situation?”

“I’d ask her what she hoped would come out of those feelings? Was she being realistic with her desired outcomes? Could she be satisfied with a less optimal outcome?”

“I get hard when you talk like that,” he murmurs. “I figured you should be aware of your powers. You know, in case you want to turn me on later.”

Blushing red hot, I hide behind my menu. The cocky bastard just laughs.

I know Winston is my rebound guy. Even if nothing else happens between us, he’ll make me smile for however long we’re together.

Standing, I join Winston on his side of the booth. He moves over and wraps an arm around my shoulders. Something about his expression makes me think he always knew I would end up next to him.

“Better,” is all he says before we look over the menu.

“I haven’t eaten ribs in a long time because they’re messy.”

“Baby, you get as messy as you want. I’ll lick the sauce right off your lips.”

When he kisses me again, I slide a finger in between the buttons of his shirt and caress his warm skin.

Our lips part when the waitress arrives. She smiles awkwardly, takes our drink orders, and hurries away.

Fanning my face, I sigh. “I don’t normally behave this way.”

“I don’t care,” he whispers, nuzzling my temple. “I only care what you do right now with me.”

“Is that how you live your life? Simply living for the moment without any concerns for the consequences?”

Winston thinks I’m judging him. Once his icy blue eyes study my face and find me completely accepting, he smiles.

“I always figured life was going to give me what I was meant to have. Never thought much harder about it. Of course, I’ve been a lucky man in a lot of ways. My brother Kemp started a construction company, so I work for him without having some bossman bitching at me. My other brother Boyle bought a house with an apartment over the garage. He figured a renter would bring in extra cash and he needs it since the guy has a million kids. So I live there without having a landlord hassling me. Things fall into my lap most days. Look at you.”

The waitress arrives with our drinks and leaves with our food order. As soon as she’s gone, Winston’s lips return to mine.

“Where were we?” he asks, nuzzling my cheek.

“I thought your brothers’ names were Tracy and Casey.”

Winston grinned. “Yeah, but those names didn’t age well. When we moved, I found myself in a class with a girl Jamie. Not just one Jamie either. Every class was a different girl named Jamie. My brothers had the same problem, so we started going by our last names. Fortunately, we have different dads.”

“I hadn’t realized Jerry wasn’t your dad.”

“No, he’s Kemp’s dad. My dad died in a car accident. Boyle’s dad too. Sounds shady to have them die in the same way, but Mom had a thing for men with a lead foot.”

Winston leans forward and nips at my earlobe. “Don’t feel sad for me. Just be glad I had a decent last name to fall back on.”

“How old were you when your dad passed?”

“Five, but please don’t worry about it. I had a great childhood. Dad died doing what he loved. Breaking speed limits.”

I smile before a shiver comes over me from his lips sucking at my throat. “Stop. I can’t function when you do that.”

“I don’t want you to function.”

“Do you want me to eat?”

Winston lifts his gaze to mine. “Good point. If I had my way, we’d be alone right now.”

“Yes, but you wanted to go to dinner.”

“What the hell was I thinking?”

We share a smile and sip from our drinks. I enjoy the sweet rum in my Armadillo Punch while Winston sticks with a beer.

“Have you ever been married?” I ask.

“Not even close. I did have a relationship that lasted a year though,” he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders again. “We broke up every month or so, but never for long. Still counts as a year in my mind.”

“Why aren’t you together now?”

“She cheated. Or maybe she stole my TV. I always get her and this other girl mixed up.”

I frown at Winston, causing him to laugh. “Look, I’ve always dated one kind of woman. Do with that what you will, but I had a type and that type all played the same bullshit. Stealing, cheating, and even eating the last donut. Real evil shit.”

Grinning despite my better judgment, I try not to put on my psychiatrist hat. It’s difficult though.

“Did you love any of them?”

“No. If I’d loved them, I’d have married them and had bratty kids with them then we’d be talking about how I have a few bratty kids with a few evil ex-wives.”

Resting my hand on his thigh, I ask, “Why would you be attracted to women who treat you poorly?”

“Why did you marry a douche?”

“I wanted someone safe.”

“I wanted someone wild. We both got what we wanted. Your husband bored the shit out of you. My women stole my crap and banged random guys. Turns out what we wanted didn’t work out so well.”

“Do you still want a wild woman?”

“Meredith, I want you. That’s what the tight pants are about.”

Giggling like an idiot, I’m a slave to his hunger. Nothing else matters, not even my common sense.

“As ridiculous as this sounds, I missed you,” I whisper. “During the week we dated in high school, I felt invincible.”

“That’s how I’ve felt since you walked into the bar last night.”

His lips are on mine again. We stop to drink then kiss again, mingling the flavors of the liquor.

“Is that rum?” he asks, caressing a lock of my blonde hair through his rough fingers.

I nod. “I don’t usually drink alcohol much. Since Sandy left, I’m trying to loosen up.”

“Sandy,” he snorts. “That’s even worse than Tracy.”

“Is it?”

Winston grins. “When I have kids, I’m giving the boys real butch names and the girls princess names. Nonnegotiable.”

“Really?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow.

Nearly laughing, Winston says, “Non-fucking-negotiable. My first son will be G.I. Joe. Second one will be Captain America. I don’t know about the third. Tonka Truck maybe?”

I giggle since he’s completely serious. “How many kids are you planning on having?”

“As many as my woman will give me. I’ve got lots of practice with my nieces and nephews. I’m ready for the real deal.”

Winston pauses when the food arrives. Once we get situated, he glances at me.

“Do you want kids?”

“Yes.”

Something about my tone draws his gaze. “Sore topic?”

“Sandy and I had plans. Like a schedule, I guess. We planned to finish school and save money to buy a house. After we found a house, we’d prepare for a child.”

“Very organized,” he says and I hear his disapproval. I frown at Winston who shrugs. “I don’t like thinking of you making babies with some douche. Sorry. Go ahead with your story.”

“Possessive already?”

“Why not? Wouldn’t you be upset if some old girlfriend of mine showed up?”

“No, not particularly. In this scenario, would she throw herself at you? I admit I might be jealous, if she rubbed her breasts on your face.”

“Would you fight for me?” he teases.

“I can’t fight.”

“It’s not hard. Just do the windmill move my cousin does. Girls go down pretty easy with that move.”

“Good to know.”

“So tell me about your plan with the douche.”

Using my fork, I tear meat free from the ribs.
This is my idea of getting messy.

“When Sandy and I searched for a house, I wanted something two stories with lots of bedrooms. Instead, Sandy wanted a ranch-style with only three bedrooms. He said we could upgrade down the road. However, the entire point of saving up was to buy a long-term home. Moving is a tedious task. Why would anyone want to do it with kids, if they didn’t have to? I knew buying the house was a mistake, but I didn’t fight him. The thing is I know how to manipulate people well.”

Winston gives me a sly grin. I smile too then continue talking between eating dinner. Every bite takes me closer to the drive home with Winston.

“I know how to get Sandy to do what I want. After all, everyone has weaknesses. In Sandy’s case, he suffers from a sense of inadequacy in comparison to his older brother who was a jock and ace student. I could have easily mentioned how we needed a large house for all of the family dinners with his parents. He would have gotten competitive and wanted a bigger house. I now realize Sandy was already backing out of the marriage a year ago when we moved into the house. What I don’t understand is why I didn’t manipulate him into getting what I wanted?”

“I’m no professional like you, but if I had to put on my thinking cap, I’d say you knew he wanted out and you were okay with that. You gave in because having a tiny house wasn’t gonna matter since kids weren’t happening.”

When I study Winston, he leans over and kisses me.

“Was I close?”

“I’d never really thought about that, but you’re likely right. The day he dumped me, I knew I should cry, but I didn’t. I haven’t cried once since he left. I told myself I was in denial, but not like I thought. I never realized the relationship was over a long time ago.”

“Everyone is pretty blind to their own crap. Most people are pretty stupid about other people’s crap too. You aren’t so that makes you ahead of the game.”

Winston manages to console me without a bunch of platitudes. He just says what needs to be said and returns to eating. I smile at his simplicity. Winston is perfect the way he is and refuses to put on any airs.

Eating faster now, I’m desperate to get him alone and relive the excitement of my youth. Those hours in the tent were the most fun of my life. Now I get a second chance.

Winston

No Rebound

‡

A
rriving at her
house, Meredith wraps herself against me as soon as I open the truck door. A quick fuck won’t satisfy. No, with Meredith, I want her spread out on the bed so I can explore the freckles along her chest and between her luscious tits.

“You’re sexy as hell in this dress,” I say. “Now I want to see you out of it.”

Meredith wraps her legs tighter around my hips. Even as she presses up to find my erection, I wiggle free.

“Baby, let’s do this right.”

We walk into the house where she smiles softly at me.

“I need to run to the bathroom,” she says, leaving her keys and purse at the front table.

Meredith disappears down a hallway and I wonder if she’s talking herself out of finishing what she started in the truck. I feel awkward standing in an unloved home. On a couch in the living room, I spot bright orange pillows. The house feels like her douche ex-husband who I’ve never met, yet instinctually hate. Those pillows are glimpses into Meredith’s fiery inside. Sandy smothered the passion in his wife, but I wasn’t an idiot like him. He expected her to behave. I want her to go wild in her quiet Meredith way.

Appearing from the hallway, a barefoot Meredith looks me up and down before smiling.

“You remember where my bedroom is, don’t you?”

I wag my finger at her and Meredith flushes beat red. How I don’t come that very second I don’t know. I’m standing across the room, yet she reacts to me like I’m a sex god.

Meredith shuffles closer, hesitant at first. She’s thinking the way smart women always think. I remember cheating off her papers and getting the best grades of my life. Meredith wanted to go wild back in high school and let everyone cheat off her. She wanted to be bad and dated me.

I don’t know what she wants long term from me. Maybe I’m no different than when she figured I was Woody. I’m her fun fuck after a decade stuck with dull Sandy Schmuck. If this is her plan, I’ll change her mind.

Tomorrow and next week and until she gets the message that we’re fated. Damn, if I’m not thinking the man above has His hands in this meet up. Yeah, we’re fated and I’m no rebound.

Tomorrow, I’ll convince her.

Tonight, I just plan to make her smile.
Laugh. Scream. Come hard until her toes curl.
I remember that about Meredith. I remember it all now and I have plans.

No longer shuffling, Meredith tosses aside her nerves. She takes a few fast, long steps then throws her arms around my neck.

“I’m relieved we didn’t do anything last night. I don’t want to miss anything.”

Grinning, I lift her up easily and wrap her legs around my waist. Meredith’s dress hikes up as I walk her to the bedroom. I rest her back on the bed and take in the sight of her simple white panties. They’re damp before I run my finger down the slit. Meredith shivers, breathing fast.

“Winston,” she mumbles, sitting up and reaching for the buttons on my shirt. “I want to see your tattoos.”

“I bet you do,” I tease, running my fingers through her long blonde hair. “Shit.”