The Leaves 03 (Nico) (26 page)

“That chick said you wanted to be part of the dildo show with us. She gave us your name and said don’t bother with anyone else.” The dress dropped to the floor and she put her hands on my chest. I was actually feeling sick to my stomach, and I was fucking livid.

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Porn star one spread her legs, which I assumed was part of the routine, when I asked,

“Was this girl named Dee by any chance?”

“Yeah, I saw her with that beautiful blonde. I thought they were lesbians.”

“The blonde is my fiancé,” I said and looked down to see a long double dildo being put between my legs.

“I’m outta here.” I went to the audience, tapped Frodo, and told him to go up. I laughed and shook my head like it was all just too much fun. I yelled out to Zack, “Let the Anaconda show these ladies a good time.” Then I walked out of the room, grabbed a random bottle of Jack, and went out the front door.

Lark ran out to me a minute later.

“Nico, what—”

I spun around and shouted, “You know who signed me up for that shit?”

“Keep your voice down,” she said softly.

“The neighbors are gonna call the cops.” 447/510

I reined it in and explained, “Dee fuckin’

signed me up for that shit. She is determined to set me up and break us up, Lark. Can’t you see that?”

And like a dark fuckin’ cloud of evil had just opened up over the house of Mistress T

and Master Z, fuckin’ Dee appeared. “I didn’t have to try very hard, did I Nico?” she said with nothing but hate for me.

“I didn’t do shit with those chicks, you fuckin’ psycho!” I shouted.

“Nico, please, baby, keep your voice down.”

I was so pissed I walked away from them both.

I could hear Dee saying to Lark, “Open your eyes. Just see him for what he is.” I started to drink the Jack down and probably consumed a quarter of it before I walked back to hear Lark saying, “I don’t care what he did, Dee. We talked about this and I told you—”

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“He’s keeping things from you, and he knows I know, and not only that, ask him what happened last night,” she shouted back and played her card. That’s right. She’d seen Tawnea. Probably saw her half-naked body and me kiss her but couldn’t hear of word of why.

“It wasn’t what it looked like,” I said.

“What wasn’t what it looked like?” Lark asked and looked up at me for clarification.

“Tawnea came to the house last night,” I explained, “I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet and—”

“And he kissed her!” Dee spat. “She dropped her coat and she was in nothing but these teeny little shorts, he put his hands on her naked boobs and he kissed her!”

“It wasn’t like that!!” I shouted. “She has been at you for months, Lark, doing everything she can to make you doubt me, us. I’m tired of trying to make it okay that she’s here and in my face and in your ear all 449/510

the fuckin’ time. Yeah, there’s shit we need to talk about, but it has nothing to do with another woman. You are the only woman, Lark.

Fuck!” I threw the bottle, meaning for it to go past the girls, but unfortunately, the bottle beaned Dee on the shoulder just as Officer Ynez and Officer Trask walked up.

“Sir, can you please come and sit down on the curb here?” Officer Cameron Trask asked. I followed him because I really didn’t want any trouble. I didn’t want to make the situation any worse than it already was.

When we were out of earshot from the others, I said, “Dude, Cam. I threw the bottle because the brown-haired chick is trying to ru-in my life. But I didn’t mean to hit her. I would never fuckin’ do that. You know me.

You know what I do. I would never hurt a woman.”

“Let me go see what’s going on. Just stay there, cool?” he said.

I held my head in my hands. “Yeah.” 450/510

A few minutes later he came back and told me, “She said you were drinking, threw the bottle at her, threatened her, the blond isn’t saying anything. The other one is doing all the talking for her… and she wants to press charges. The neighbors called in a disturb-ance, said a man was threatening a woman outside this property… blonde, tattoo. Sorry, Nico. I’m gonna have to take you in.” I got into the back of the car and willed Lark to look at me as it pulled away. But she never did.

Chapter 20

Pop posted bail for me. We walked down the beach, ate tacos, and watched the surf. He was waiting for me to do the talking.

“I lost her, Pop.” I said and looked out at the water, throwing the half-eaten taco back in the paper bag.

“I don’t think you did, son. She just hasn’t heard your side of the story. Talked to Cam.

Then I talked to Teensy and Zack. Geez, that guy is somethin’ else,” he said and took another bite. “You have a lot of people on your team, and by team, I mean you and Lark. I called Hank, told them what happened last night. Explained about Tawnea, which they already knew about because Dee told them she was gonna tell Lark. I asked your mom to 452/510

go to your place and get what you need for a couple of days. She’s on her way there now.

Anything you want in particular?” I had been thinking about it all night.

What was I going to do if my plan didn’t work out? But I had only concluded one thing, and I needed to tell Pop. “Whatever happens tonight, when I tell her, I want her to have the house, Pop.”

“Where are you planning on goin’?” He tried to make me look at him, but I refused.

“Don’t know. I just know, this day is going to end one of two ways. One, I’m in that house, in that bed next to her. Two, I’m sharkbait.” I looked out to the water in front of us.

“How about we give you options three and four, which are at our place or up at the cabin,” he said firmly.

“Yeah, okay.” I still didn’t look at him, and I didn’t give him anything else. “I’m gonna take a walk. I’ll come to your place to get 453/510

ready. Give Lark some space. Ask Mom to bring the journal though. It’s important, Pop.”

“Nicolas,” he said as I brushed sand from my shorts. I looked down at him sitting there. “This is meant to be, you and Lark. I gotta believe she’s gonna see the truth here.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t believe. She didn’t ask me. Mom’s gonna pick you up?” He handed me the keys to my truck.

“Yeah. And she made the cake. She’ll bring it to your place during the reception.”

“Thanks for bailing me out, Pop.”

“Any time, son. Any time.” I walked down the beach carrying my sandals in my hand. Away from my pop, away from my life, and stood in the spot where I decided I liked life a whole lot better than death. I held my hand over my necklace, knowing that Lark was wearing hers for sure.

She never took it off and specifically told 454/510

Teensy she was sorry, but the necklace stayed.

Teensy had no problem with that.

I tried to call Lark when we left the holding cell at the local police department. Of course, she didn’t answer. I arranged to meet Frodo at the studio. The wedding was at four, the reception at six, with photos in between. It was almost eleven, just enough time.

I walked in to Zack and Frodo talking.

Zack was spinning around on one of the rolling stools and propelled himself across the small space toward me.

“Dude,” he said. “I want you to know, Teensy is just waiting for the word. She’s gonna kick the shit out of that Dee chick. I’m serious, man, like all hardcore chick wrest-ling and shit. So I am begging you, call it a wedding gift, just say the fuckin word man.” I didn’t have the mental energy needed to even fantasize about that.

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“As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I need to get the show on the road here. I don’t have time. I need to go to my folks after this and get ready to come back for… oh yeah, your wedding.” I looked at him and nodded.

I couldn’t even fake a smile for him.

I turned my attention to Frodo. “Okay, dude. Do your thing, man.” I opened the portfolio I kept of all the sketches from my birds over the years and handed him a printed photo and design I’d sketched based on the front of Lark’s wedding dress.

“Dude, this is gonna look fucking mental.

You want it to show on the neck or keep it lower?” he asked.

I held my hand over the spot where Lark always laid hers on my chest. “Here. Right in the middle of my chest. Right where it always feels like it’s gonna rip right open.” A tattoo in the middle of my chest was my grand gesture. It wouldn’t solve our 456/510

problems, but it meant something to me, and to know it was her art, from her beautiful dress… I hoped I would stand across from her still, her heart facing mine. I had to believe we were strong enough.

“Fair enough man. I’ll have you outta here in a few hours,” he said and got everything he would need ready.

Zack played assistant for a while until he had to leave. “See you there, man.” He started for the door, then turned to say, “You know, if it wasn’t for you and Lark…”

“It’s cool, buddy. See ya later.” Zack left, and it was just Frodo and me. As he was doing the outline, he asked, “Does heart disease run in your family?”

“My grandfather died pretty young,” I replied.

“You should go get some tests done. My brother-in-law had a heart attack at forty-three, dude. You’ve been rubbing your chest every time I see you. But, all things 457/510

considered, it’s probably stress,” he said, dipping the needle and starting the outline.

“Probably.” I didn’t want to tell him I was now having a recurring nightmare. Well, twice. I fell asleep in the holding cell and wasn’t out for long, but long enough that the same fucking excruciating pain woke me up.

But it was a little lower this time. I thought about it and decided this was my fear of having Lark gone from my life again. Now that I had her, I’d experienced the pure truth and beauty of absolute love. Losing her, my soul-mate, would be to lose my soul. I thought the idea was just too fucking painful for my conscious mind to deal with, so it did it in my sleep. Honestly, if, after tonight, she didn’t want me… I hoped I would just drop dead of a heart attack. It was fucked up to think that, especially with a kid on the way, but without her, I would see that child and always be reminded of what could have been and how it all went so fuckin’ bad.

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Mom and Pop were waiting for me. Mom ran out to me and gave me a huge hug, “Nicolas,” she said it in that mom way that did make me feel a little better, but not much.

“Your Pop here tells me I need to hide anything sharp? Is this true?” she asked in all seriousness.

“No, Mom. It’s not true,” I lied. “I have a plan.” I kissed her forehead and told her,

“Gonna have a shower and shave, then I need some time to myself. Cool?”

“You got it, baby.”

A half hour later, showered and shaved, I sat there in my boxers, opened my journal, and began what would be my last entry.

Dear Dish…

***

as Zack’s dad had informed me. Zack and I were dressed in fantastic tuxedos which gave the false impression that everything was right in the world. But in this moment, as Teensy’s mom and stepdad walked her down the aisle, I was happy to live in the illusion. I did my best to keep my eyes off of Lark, not wanting to make her uncomfortable or emotional. I wanted her to enjoy the day, too.

Teensy’s dress was incredible. Lark was truly a great artist, and the dress wasn’t over-done at all. Zack’s “Mistress T” had beautiful curls arranged with huge white flowers that draped off a headpiece and framed one side of her face. The neck of the dress had the same flowers and cascaded down the bodice to the bottom of the low back of the dress. At the back, the same flowers seemed to float on the train as she walked to join Zack under the Chupah… which was a word I only remembered because of that one episode of The X Files where that guy’s brother is a 460/510

Chupacabra. It did gain me points with Zack’s dad when I asked, “Mr. Mayer? Do I stand next to or under the Chupah with Zack?”

But when I saw Lark in that dress, the one that she looked so unbelievably sexy in that I ripped her panties so I could fuck her against the wall of our bedroom… I felt my throat close. When she didn’t look at me, I looked out to the small crowd and saw Dee, smiling like the fuckin’ devil she was.

I did my best to ignore her devious glare and the beautiful woman not ten feet from me who, only a day before, had been my entire world and I had been hers. Then, something equally fucked up occurred to me; what did it say about our future if we let someone else come between us like Dee had?

I had told Lark, it was me and her, and if anyone tried to interfere, I’d tell them all to fuck off. But not only was I apparently alone in that idea, I had lost sight of it.

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“Zachariah and Christiana Mayer!” I heard, which shook me from my dark thoughts. Now I got to touch her. Lark offered her arm, but never met my eyes. She was still wearing her necklace and her engagement ring, which gave me hope.

“Lark?” I said quietly.

In her soft, calm voice, she said, “Not now.

Not here. This is about them, not us.”

“Tell me when,” I asked.

“We’ll find some time at the reception. I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I want to try to leave early anyway.” We were almost to the inside of the restaurant. People would be everywhere, so I had to ask, “Will you be going back to our place from the wedding?” A long minute passed when she finally answered sadly, “I don’t think so, Nico.” We took what seemed like a billion different pictures, from this direction and that direction, and we had to get the light over here, 462/510

and can you move your arm over there? I was about ready to throttle the fuckin’ photographer and her assistant by the time we were finished.

When we had some downtime, I switched on my phone and saw a text from my mom.

All set, baby.

Good luck, but you won’t need it.

We love you!

It was high tide. I shouldn’t have had a drink since I wanted to have a clear head, but at that point, there was really nothing else I could do. I heard someone walk up behind me, but I didn’t bother looking. I knew Lark’s sound, and this wasn’t it.