The Other Fish in the Sea (Grab Your Pole, #2) Read online

  “Don’t interrupt, it’s rude.”

  “Get over it.”

  It’s really interesting…Pete doesn’t look or sound scared at all. I would be. Of course I also have something to hide whereas Pete doesn’t. Still, you’d think he’d be smart enough to not provoke her. I mean I completely adore Camie’s little sister, but I know she can wipe the floor with any of us if she wanted to and that deserves a little fear and respect.

  “You better stop laughing, Sun King, or I’ll broadcast your Betty Crocker video all over Youtube, Facebook, and the six o’clock news.” Like I just told you, fear and respect…

  Tristan just strolled up and he couldn’t help laughing at them. Jillian is calling him that because he’s shirtless as usual and he just stretched himself out in a folding lounge chair to work on his freaking perfect tan. You know, because even with sun block, spending his whole life surfing or swimming hasn’t made his skin perpetually golden brown already. Also, “Sun King” is the name of the song playing right now. He really is freaking hot, though. Not that I’m interested in him at all anymore…I’m just stating a fact.

  “Calm down, I’m just laughing about Ferb puking on Jeff last night…can I hope that’ll make the video?”

  “That depends on which one of you pays me more, but I would think your baby-doll story would be worth more to you.”

  “Explain to me again exactly, how are you related to my sweet and innocent girlfriend?”

  On that note, I think it might be getting time to hit the deck. I’m outta here before blood is spilled and the pancakes get cold.

  Oh hell. There he is. But, of course he’s not alone…grrr. Oh well, they’d probably think it was weird if I ignored them and ate by myself, so I guess I should try to act normal and just go sit with MaryAnn and the rest of them.

  “Morning, you guys!” Even though I’m not feeling like me, it would look odd if I wasn’t my usual effervescent self, right?

  I got verbal morning greetings from everyone except him. He winked at me. I had to swallow my giggle. I can’t help it; he’s not just hot, but totally bad-boy-hot and he makes me wanna giggle like a buffoon.

  He and I basically ignored each other while we all ate and chit-chatted for a bit and then he did what I was hoping and fearing he would do. He leaned back in his chair a little, made eye contact, and then with a quick raise of his eyebrows and a quick jerk of his head to the side, he asked if I wanted to go somewhere alone.

  I do. I really, really do, but I’m so emotionally torn today.

  I nodded once and then glued my eyes to the ground to hide my grin. I already feel horrible so what’s it gonna hurt to spend a little more time with my guilty pleasure before it has to end? And it will end. He’s not interested in anything more than this weekend and well, there’s the little matter of my boyfriend, even though I’m pretty much over him.

  “Okay guys, I’m gonna get a ride in before we have to pack up.”

  Swallowing another giggle here! He really could’ve phrased that better. Or maybe I’m the only one who heard the hidden meaning…let’s hope that’s the case.

  “You’re not goin’ alone, are you?”

  Nope. Even though my bad-boy-hottie doesn’t play by the rules, he won’t be breaking the no riding alone rule, so Jeremy and his split lip can just stop with the questions now, preferably before I answer by mistake. I do that sometimes. You know, give up more information than I mean to.

  “Nah, I’m gonna catch up with Parker and Curtis.”

  They’re just riding out of camp now. I bet that’s why he waited until now to leave. Thank God he’s better at covert operations than I am. I’m learning though and I think I might order some stuff from that spy catalog. (Giggle.)

  I waited until he was riding away before I excused myself and went to throw my plate away. Then, after making sure no one was watching, I ducked around to the other side of Uncle Bob’s RV to wait. My bad-boy’s not catching up with Parker and Curtis; he’s circling around so no one sees him come back for me. I didn’t have to wait much more than five minutes before I was able to take the helmet he handed me and climb onto the back of his quad and we were off to find a little spot of sand where we could be alone. Well, not really alone, but way away from anyone who might recognize us.

  “Mornin’, Sexy.”

  I didn’t have to swallow my giggle this time, but it was cut short when his calloused fingers brushed a piece of hair from my eyes so I could see his. Then he gently framed my face with his hands and gave me a long, deep kiss. I honestly thought the Sun King being such a great kisser had totally ruined it for me with anyone else, but this guy ranks right up there with him. Thank God. And not that I have much experience with anything else to compare him to, but I think he’s pretty great at all the rest of it too.

  “So, what’s up with you today? You’re not bubbly.” Wow, I guess I need to work on my acting.

  “Nothing really.”

  I don’t know what to say. Like should I just say, “Well, I’m super glad you kiss just as good as Camie’s boyfriend and you’ve been a “boatload” of fun, and even though I wouldn’t take back my decision to have sex for the first, second, third, fourth, and so on time with you, I feel like elephant shit because I’ve been cheating on my boyfriend in addition to lying to my friends about it, and I’m assuming since we already talked a little about it, you’re just gonna forget about me the second the weekend is over, so thanks for the memories, it’s been great!”? How would that sound? Think it would go over well?

  “You still sore?”

  “Yeah, but only a little.” Yesterday morning was rough, though…like plain ol’ sitting was even uncomfortable for a while. My nether regions were in total shock as a result of having sex for the first time the night before.

  “Shit, I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it, it’s not your fault.”

  I giggled a little again when he just raised one of his eyebrows dubiously.

  “Yeah okay, it is your fault, but you know what I meant…” He’s kinda well endowed, you know what I mean?

  “Yeah, I know. So aside from that, what’s wrong with you? Are you upset I crashed on you earlier?”

  “Mm-mm, no...you needed the sleep.”

  “I woulda survived…and I know somethin’s wrong so what is it?”

  I sighed. “I feel like shit about this.”

  “You feel like shit about what exactly?” He sounds pissed. I wasn’t expecting that.

  “This. You. Everyth—”

  “Fuck! I knew it.”

  “Knew what?” He has to know I’d feel bad about cheating on Keith and lying to my friends, but for some reason, I don’t think that’s really what he’s talking about.

  “You fuckin’ regret sleeping with me.” Oh shit. He’s not pissed, I think he’s hurt. I was totally not expecting that!

  “NO! Brandon, I don’t regret that. I made a choice and I wouldn’t change it even if I could. And it’s not like you didn’t give me any opportunities to change my mind beforehand…I mean, you asked me if I was sure like a thousand times. I was. I am.”

  “Then why do you feel like shit, Melissa, explain it to me.”

  “Because I have a boyfriend, Brandon, you know that an—”

  “Yeah, I know…thanks for the fuckin’ reminder.”

  What the hell?

  “I thought you didn’t care about that…”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t think I did either.”

  “Wh—I’m confused. I don’t even know what to say. Wasn’t this just supposed to be…I don’t know…a fling or something? I mean, we talked about that…it was your idea.”

  “Yeah, I know all that, but that was before you gave yourself to me...I didn’t know how you were gonna be…how much it was gonna mean.”

  “Hey, don’t stress. Remember I came on to you, and it did mean a lot to me, but I’m really not trying to make you feel guilty about anything.” I’m guilty enough for the both of u
s. Plus, he doesn’t have to face my boyfriend, who I should probably just break-up with anyway, or my friends, who seriously dislike cheaters, everyday like I do with this weighing on him.

  “Yeah, see, that’s not what I’m talking about…”

  “So explain what you’re talking about. Explain it like I’m three, because you’ve lost me.”

  “That. That right there…I can’t lose you because you were never mine to begin with. I wasn’t talking about how much it meant to you, although I am really fuckin’ glad to hear it did mean at least something to you, I was talking about me…how much it meant to me.”

  OH.

  “I—I didn’t know…I just thought…well, I guess I just thought it was no big deal for you.”

  “Humph. I guess I’m fuckin’ full of surprises, huh?”

  We just sat there, straddling the seat of his quad and facing each other, both of us completely vulnerable, until I felt a little tear escape and trickle down my cheek.

  Here’s the thing I’ve learned about Brandon; he really is a bad-boy—not that I’m a very good girl…obviously—and his indelicate manner of speech and devil-may-care attitude make him come off as being highly insensitive to others, and he is to a point, but he physically and emotionally treats girls—at least me anyway—like we’re the most precious and fragile thing on the planet. So when he takes his macho mask off, it’s almost too much, thus the ridiculous crying I do.

  “Oh shit…you’re crying again. Please don’t cry.”

  Good luck…he wiped the tear away so softly that the tenderness of his touch and naked emotion in his expression opened a damned flood gate. Just like the other night when he made love to me for the first time. Now I know that was what he was doing…I didn’t then.

  “Fuck. I shouldn’t have said anyth—”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s not like I can change anything…all it does is make you feel even shittier.”

  “What would you change? Would you take it all back?” Please, please say no…

  “Fuck no! But what difference does it fuckin’ make?”

  “You totally lost me again.” I think not getting very much sleep the last couple of nights is totally messing with my cognitive functions.

  “Jesus, Melissa…don’t you get it? I don’t want to lose you! But I have no fuckin’ say in it and it pisses me off! And I knew it…I knew I should’ve walked away Friday night after that fuckin’ punk brought up spin the bottle and I wanted to reenact that goddamned scene from Twilight when I thought about anyone else even kissing you! But I didn’t walk away and now I have to live with having taken your fuckin’ virginity too, and the reality that you’re gonna go off and have sex and do everything else I fuckin’ taught you with your goddamned, fuckin’ boyfriend!”

  Okay, I am so shocked right now. When this whole thing started he made it very clear we were just gonna have fun and that was it, no strings attached. And I was fine with that. I’ve been sitting here thinking he’s upset because he thought I was trying to guilt him into something more or attach strings of some kind. I was wrong. He is pissed. And hurt. And apparently, he’s jealous too. Well isn’t this an unexpected twist.

  “Well, what do you want me to do to make you feel better?”

  “Aw fuck…if you stay with him, I’m not gonna feel better, Melissa, but I didn’t wanna put that on you. That’s why I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “So, to be clear, you’re saying you’d like me to break-up with him so you can have me, is that right?” I’m trying to keep a straight face and be specific at the same time…Tristan would love this.

  “YES!”

  This is hilarious…

  “Okay. I will.”

  “What?!”

  “If you want me to break-up with him, I will.”

  “Oh no…I’m not gonna have you fuckin’ resent me for making you do something like that. No fuckin’ way. And why the fuck are you laughing now? I love it when you laugh, but you’re kinda being bipolar and it’s weirding me out…”

  “You’d be laughing too, though…I was thinking of breaking up with him even before this all happened.” Which is, you know, just hysterical considering the circumstances.

  “Why the hell would I laugh at that?”

  “I was thinking about it because he’s been pushing me to have sex.”

  “What?! You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me!”

  I knew he’d find the humor in this.

  “No, I’m really not. He’s been bugging me about it for—”

  “Never mind, I really don’t fuckin’ care. Just dump him and call me right after you do so I can fuckin’ sleep at night.”

  I’m totally giggling again. “Uh, okay…I don’t have your number, though.”

  “Yeah, you sorta do…”

  “Huh?”

  “When you fell asleep for a while last night, I got a little nuts and fucked with your phone.”

  Oh shit…he kills me.

  “Okay, I love the ringtone.” It’s “Leather and Lace” by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. I got talked into signing it with him Thursday night at the campfire and he chose it for my first time. See? He really is sweet deep down. “But I’m gonna have to insist on a new contact picture…I really don’t need to see your penis every time you send me a text or call.”

  Yeah, he’s a totally sweet-bad-boy-hottie with an emphasis on the bad-boy. He has a bunch of tattoos, but the one on the side of his neck is really kind of pretty, though; it’s a pair of black angel wings surrounded by peacock-blue and purple twinkle-like stars. And he’s even got a umm…a “piercing.” You know, like his ears aren’t the only place his body is pierced, which is what I’d be reminded of every time he calls or texts. And he’s totally cracking up right now. Of course, I am too.

  “You might wanna change what’s his name’s picture too then.”

  Oh for the love of God…

  “Can I assume then that you have my number and inapprop— Oh no…you didn’t,” I gasped and felt my face heat up.

  “Come on, Sexy, you weren’t embarrassed to ask or when I took ‘em for you…and they’re beautiful pictures.”

  Mmhm, so yeah. Wednesday night after everyone went to bed, he and I stayed up almost all night just talking and I ended up showing him my grandmother’s photo. He saw the resemblance right away just like Kate had but I still didn’t. I really wanted to believe them though. I wanted to feel as beautiful, brave and as alive as my grandma was her entire life so I thought about it and then asked Brandon if he would help me recreate my grandma’s picture. I know…why would I ask a guy I hardly even know to take pictures of me without my clothes on, right? But the thing is, not only am I excessively attracted to him, I also feel unbelievably comfortable and safe with Brandon and I knew if I asked, he wouldn’t embarrass me or judge me for wanting to do it. I kept feeling like this weekend was my only chance to be carefree and do something for me, regardless of how reckless it might’ve seemed. And really, who better to be reckless with than a bad-boy, you know?

  He agreed to help me so we made plans to do it the next evening after we all ate Thanksgiving dinner. He told me he’d ride out in the morning to find a good spot and all I had to do was come up with a bunch of bobbie-pins for my hair and find a blank memory card for my camera. Everyone taking a nap after dinner made it so easy to get out of camp together without being seen and absolutely everything went like clockwork. He didn’t even watch me undress…he kept his back turned until I was in the right pose before he ever turned around.

  We’d taken probably two dozen pictures when that mega-attraction kicked into high-gear. And I take full responsibility for starting it… The wind had kicked up and messed up my hair; he was simply rearranging it for me to look like my grandma’s again when I kissed him. We ended up doing a little more than making-out in the middle of the desert with him fully clothed and me, well…not. From there it just escalated. I looked at it as me giving him my virginity in exchange for h
im giving me a weekend of reckless abandon that I would be able to cherish forever just as much as I do my grandma’s memory and picture. And I will…all of it. The thing is, he and I were supposed to be the only ones who know about those pictures…

  “But it’s on your phone, Brandon...”

  “Yeah, but I only took the one and I cropped it so it’s mostly your face. Besides, no one you know is gonna see it but me and even if they did, they’ll think it’s your grandma…especially after what that fuckwit said last night,” he told me and then started laughing.

  “What?” I asked, wondering what in the world he would find funny about that whole thing. I mean last night when I asked why he didn’t look at my grandma’s picture like everyone else, Brandon told me what Dylan said and when he did, he wasn’t amused in the slightest.

  “Well the ah…movie theme song for Titanic is your ringtone...”

  “Brandon!”

  He’s still totally laughing at me. “What?! When a chick asks if you wanna play Titanic, that makes the tragedy and the gay song fuckin’ hot!”

  “Come on, change the song at least…I can just imagine all the shit Derek’s gonna say when he hears it and then it’ll get back to MaryAnn and then Camie, and then it’ll only be a matter of time before everyone else finds out.”

  “Wait a second, that sounds like you don’t want anyone to know about us… Are you ashamed of being with me?”

  “No! God no…not at all…I just don’t want them to know the specifics of how you and I got together, you know?”

  “Nope, bullshit. Tell ‘em. I was fine with keeping this a secret before, but you’ll never be able to fuckin’ relax if you keep lyin’. Besides, I’m not gonna fuckin’ sneak around with my own goddamned girlfriend.” He called me his girlfriend. Giggle.

  “Bu—”

  “Tell ‘em or I will. I almost did last night but I didn’t think my answer of ‘Oh, well the most daring place I’ve had sex was earlier tonight with Melissa on the back of my quad basically in full sight of anyone who rode by,’ would be the best way to go about it, you know?” Yikes! See what I meant about the dicey game of truth or dare?