Hell Bent (4 page)

I
t’s
three in the morning, why am I still wide awake? I’m a sucker for old movies, and the rerun of Casablanca makes it worse. Ingrid’s face is gorgeous, but when did she get honey-bear brown eyes?

Cam’s description does not do Susie justice. I am imagining her curvy body, squirming beneath me and fighting me at every turn to be on top. She will be like that, I just know it. I am seeing the way she opens her thighs and how she grins when she thinks she’s besting me. My memory is feeding me images of her like a silent movie. No sound? Why no sound? I realize then it’s because I can barely remember anything she had to say; I can only picture how she moves, smiles, teases, argues, and yes, even bends low so those full round breasts fight to breach the top of her dress.
Jesus,
but I want them in my hands!

A nurse, no less. I’ll bet they have whole classes on how to touch you, how to soothe your muscles, and then even how to avoid arousing a man. If she knows
that
, she will know the opposite. I look down at my legs, splayed across the blankets, the heat making it even harder to sleep. She won’t mind the toe, not her, not the cream-puff. My erection is blocking the view of my toe. No, she won’t mind that either, I think with amusement and some level of pride.

When is the wedding? A whole fucking month away? Well, let me correct that…unless I do something about it, it will be a whole no-fucking month. Don’t think I can take that. I want her now. I can’t get her body out of my mind.

“Cam?”

“Ehahew…” his voice is drugged with exhaustion, and I can imagine Milly is lying next to him. “Who is thish?”

“Buddy, it’s Bryce. Sorry for the time, but it’s important.”

There is a commotion on the other end, and I can hear a different, soft voice. Finally the sound of a door closing, and then I recognize a noise I definitely know to be Cam pissing in the toilet. He doesn’t disguise it, flushing with an exclamation point.

“Bryce? What the hell, man? It’s the middle of the night!”

“You were getting up to piss anyway,” I say in a mocking voice.

“What? The hell I was. I was dead, man. I’m exhausted and I have to be up at oh-six-hundred. Father and Sabrina want to see me. What do you want?”

“Her number.”

“Who?”

“The cream-puff.”

“Who?” His voice is still sleepy, and I know he’s only half with me.

“The cream-puff. Susie.”

“Are you fuckin’ crazy? Do you know what time it is?”

“Do you? The sooner you give it to me, the sooner you can crawl back in beside your woman. Give it up, Cam.”

“I don’t even have it! Let me call you tomorrow…or today…or later…or whatever…”

“Nope. I’ll keep callin’ until I get it. Ask your woman. She knows it by heart.”

“Who?”

“Don’t bullshit me, man. I know Milly is there, and if she’s not, she will know who is because I’ll go and tell her.”

“All right, all right…fuck, man, she’s sound asleep.”

“I don’t think so. Go see.” I hear more commotion and then a woman’s sleepy, yet somewhat irritated voice in the background.

Eventually Cam is back on the line and mumbles a number. I write it on the palm of my hand with a black Bic I find on the floor. “Thanks, man. Hey, Cam?”

“Yeah?” he’s still there.

“Get to bed, man. You need to be up at oh-six-hundred.”

“Fuck you!” come his well wishes as the line goes dead.

I stare at Susie’s number. If I was hard before, I could drive nails now. This has to be done just right. I look around at the mess in the room. Somehow, I don’t want it like this. It has to be just so. I leap up and begin grabbing dirty clothes and stash them in the laundry chute next to the sink. I save back a pair of underwear and use it to dust the nightstand and the keyboard of my laptop.

About then, I spot the background on my phone; Karen. How the hell did that get there? Bitch. Always prying in my business. I can’t stand women who take possession, like I got no god-damned sense at all. Well, Karen is history and cream-puff is about to be served.

I delete the screen background and settle for the Marine seal. That’s better. Before I put the phone down, I key in cream-puff’s number in the contacts. After all this, eventually, I will have to wash my hands.

I leap up to get a bottle of water and settle on the bed with the pillows layering behind my back. This is going to be a monumental call, and I hope it lasts all night. Resolving what to say, I begin to tap her number.

I hear ringing. Still ringing.

“Hello, you’d better have a good reason for calling. Leave a message or get lost.”

“Yeah, Susie?”

Click.

Damn! It is her fuckin’ voice mail! I tap the recent numbers and hit hers. The ringing starts again. My mouth is open, waiting to speak when the voice mail comes on again. Fuck!!

I can’t leave it like this. Her spunky temper, just confirmed in her voicemail, is not going to stop me. I have to see her, now.

I tap another number. “Cam?”

“What the fuck, man? Are you fuckin’ crazy? I’m gonna beat your ass when I see you if you don’t stop callin’ me!”

I know Cam is pissed but this might work in my favor.

“Where does she live?”

“Where the fuck does
who
live?”

“The cream-puff.”

“What? Jesus Christ almighty, Bryce. Quit fuckin’ callin’ me!”

“Where does she live, buddy? The address? Is she single?”

The voice in the background is a bit more agitated now and I know it’s now or never.

“Where?” I repeat.

“God dammit! You know where the Carting Springs Apartments are?”

“I’ll find them.”

“Apartment 324.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

“Don’t give me that. Just don’t fuckin’ call here again, got that?”

I hang up and spring from the bed to my closet. I rip a clean shirt off a hanger and grab my favorite jeans off the shelf. I throw on my beige Docksiders and grab my phone and keys. Once I get outside the door, I think better of it and go back in. I brush my teeth, smooth my hair, and shave. For good measure I spritz on some cologne my mother bought me last Christmas.

One quick look in the mirror, and all I can feel is the woody in my pants.
Jesus!
I hope I lose it on the way. I try not to analyze what I’m about to do—go to her place. If I think about it too much, it’ll become obvious that I’m acting like a stalker, and I’ll change my mind. I can’t change my mind. I have to see her.

In the Explorer, I check myself in the mirror one more time before punching in the apartment complex in my GPS. The black leather seats are cool to the touch, and I realize how chilly it can be in the middle of the night when you’re not drunk. The navigation voice begins talking, and I pull away from the curb and feel exhilaration as I’m on my way.

What the fuck am I gonna say? I’ll come up with something. I’m good on that last minute shit.

Turns out it’s not far, and soon, the voice announces I have arrived. I look around. The buildings are a bit dated, but respectable. Mature shrubs and black lacquered lamplights line the sidewalk. She’s on the third level, and there are only exterior steps, so up I go. I come to her door and my hand poises to knock when I realize I still haven’t thought of a god damned thing to say. Well, that solves the woody problem, I realize. I knock anyway.

There’s no response. Nothing. I knock again, but this time louder. Finally, I see a doorbell button next to the door, and I punch it a few times. That’s when I see a dim light inside, as though someone is opening a door to a lit room but quickly pulls the door almost closed so they can’t be seen in silhouette.

I knock again, and that’s when I see movement in the drape hanging next to the door. It moves oh so slightly. She’s in there, I know it. She sees me and is trying to figure out what I want.

“Susie?” I call softly and even so, dogs start barking down the block. “Shit.” I tap this time. “Susie? It’s me, Bryce. From the engagement party…Cam’s best man…remember me?”

The door opens two inches, and I can see the chain still in place. “What the hell do you want? Is something wrong with Milly?” her voice turns from angry to fearful.

“No, no…Milly is fine. She’s snuggled up against Cam at this very minute.”

“How do you know?”

“I…well…never mind. I just do.”

“What’s wrong with you? Are you drunk?” she asks.

“Me? No. Not drunk at all.”

“Then what are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night, and I don’t have time for games.”

“Would you let me in?”

“What? Why would I do that? I don’t even know you!”

“Sure you do. I’m Bryce. The best man. The guy who is going to walk you down the aisle?”

“What?”

“Well, okay, not in that way, but I will as best man.”

“Go away.”

“Hey, c’mon. It’s okay. Cam will vouch for me.”

“I’ll ask him next time I see him.”

“What? No, no…really, Susie…Susie…”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Susie? Why not?”

“Only my friends call me that.”

“Oh. I see. Well, I thought maybe you’d make an exception this once.”

“No.”

“Susie…c’mon, I know it’s the middle of the night and I know you’re pissed and I know I’m sounding like an asshole idiot, but I drove all the way over here to see you.”

“I didn’t invite you.”

“No, I know you didn’t. But, hey…” I say louder, and the dogs start barking again.

“Go away. You’re waking up the neighborhood. Are you drunk or stoned or what?”

“No, no, absolutely straight and sober. I am here to talk to you. Let me in, Susie, and the dogs will stop barking.”

There is a long pause…at least twenty seconds pass, and then the door closes an inch so the chain can be unfastened. The door opens then, and she pulls me in by the sleeve. It shuts firmly behind me.

The cream-puff is standing before me in a sleep shirt, the hem barely skimming her thighs. I remember the thighs from earlier in the evening, and they are a very big part of why I’m standing here right now. The chemistry in the tiny entry hall is palpable, making me feel almost intoxicated, but her frowning face sobers me right up.

“So?” she says in a challenging tone. “What do you want?”

I consider the best opening lines I didn’t have time to rehearse and decide to wing it. “I want to talk to you.”
Jesus,
genius…is this the best you can do?

“You already said that once.” There is disdain on her face, but I think I can see a glimmer of interest as well.

“Would you happen to have a soda?” I lamely begin.

“You drove all the way over here…and how you know where I live remains a mystery that I will get to shortly, but to ask for a soda? What’s going on?”

I just smile.

“Well, you may as well come in and sit down. You look silly standing there with that stupid grin on your face.” She is turning her back to me as she heads toward what must be her kitchen, and I can see the curve of her butt cheeks as she walks. I feel myself growing hard again.

She is coming back toward me, a can in her hand and her eyes lock onto my crotch.

“Oh, so that’s it,” she says, feigning annoyance, but the bottom lip pouts a bit, and I fear I may lose it as I stand there. “Sit down and…take a load off…” she says, smirking.

I take the proffered can from her hand and sit on the sofa, not all the way to the end but not in the middle either. I try to look casual, but in my current state, this is a pretty hard look to pull off.

The cream-puff sits down on the sofa next to me and then turns sideways, folding one leg beneath herself. The sleep shirt is so short, I can see everything…and nothing. She is wearing nothing beneath. Oh, God she has my ticket. I literally cannot think of a single thing to say. She realizes what I can see and pulls her t-shirt down between her legs.
Please don’t!

“So?” she says in a questioning voice.

I sort of cock my head, not understanding her gist.

“Shall we just do it now and get it over with so I can go back to bed and get some sleep? I do have to be at work at seven AM. I work the first shift.”

“Wha-what?” I stutter.

“Which part do you not understand? The part about doing it now or the part about what time I have to be at work?”

I am absolutely speechless. It is one of those trick questions but for the life of me, I can’t straighten my thoughts enough to give a smart ass answer. All I can do is stare at her barely concealed femininity framed by her tanned, smooth legs.

“Look, I don’t have all night,” she is saying in an annoyed voice. “Do you want to fuck here on the sofa, or shall we go into the bedroom? I prefer the bed because I can wash the sheets, but you look like you might not last that long so maybe I should just lie back and you can do your thing and leave…huh?”

This is the last thing I expected. Well, to be frank, I have no idea what was going to happen. But not this. I like to take charge of the situation, take the life by its horns. Susie though? She doesn’t want to let me. There’s more to her than I could’ve ever imagined. I don’t know how to react to her sassy attitude—I’m lost. I set the can down on the coffee table, stand, and turn toward the door.

“I don’t know why I came, but this is not what I expected,” I say over my shoulder.

“Oh, no? What did you expect?” she is mocking me again.

I hate this. She always fights to get on top. It makes me want to tame her, but right now I don’t know how.

“I came over to just talk to you…to get to know you better. Actually, I have no idea why I am here.”

“Liar.” Her word is soft and so sexy, I almost turn and throw her down on the sofa.

“Thank you,” I say in a quiet voice.

“For?”

“For keeping me from making a huge mistake,” I say as I open the door and close it behind myself.

The dew is heavy on the grass and the paper boy is biking by. The dogs begin barking at him this time, and I find my way to my Explorer. My hand is shaking, and my brain is reeling. What the fuck is this?

I get into the vehicle and look out toward her apartment. I see her standing in her living room, framed by the drapes. She is lifting the edge of her sleep shirt ever so slightly, standing with her feet apart, mocking me with the vision. I swallow hard, start the engine, and pull away from the curb.