Domesticated (24 page)

“Olivia is not my friend. She’s my assistant.”

“What’s with the attitude? I’m not going to beg you. If you don’t want to come, don’t come. What else would you do?”

“I’m not doing that,” I assured him. The nerve of him thinking I was going to be around his family. That made zero sense, and me of all people shouldn’t be around little girls. I hated them. With a passion. I would probably pull her hair or something.

“Whatever, Kendra. Stay here and be the authentic bitch that you are. I’m going to go have fun. Glad I could be of service to you. You know how to reach me when you need serviced again,” Sam said with an elevated tone.

I let him go, jumping a little when the right double door slammed.

Maybe I did need to just get back to my life. Maybe I should continue being a closet nympho and stop with all this silly comicality. All it was doing was causing feelings I didn’t want nor need.

Plopping to my bed, I picked up the stupid stuffed mouse Sam won for me. I should have given it to Miley. It was dumb. It was childish and silly. Snuggling the dumb thing to my neck, I rolled to my side and closed my eyes, trying to rid the thoughts of Sam. UGH. Sam. Sam. Sam.

I didn’t mean to nap. I was only going to lay there for a second. It wasn’t until my phone woke me hours later that I even realized I’d fallen asleep with the soft little mouse in my arms. I tossed it away and answered Garrison’s call.

“Hello.”

“Hi, just landed. How are you?”

“I’m okay. Just woke up.”

“I’m a little worried about you. You weren’t yourself this weekend.”

“I’m fine.”

“You know I’m here for you, right, Kendra?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

“You would tell me if you needed anything, wouldn’t you?”

I rolled my eyes and walked to the bathroom. “I’m fine, Garrison. I just wasn’t feeling the best. I feel better since I had a nap. I’m fine, I promise.”

“Okay, well, you know I love you, right?”

What the hell? “Now you’re being weird,” I said, spinning the table.

“I’m not trying to be. I just want you to know that I am here for you, and no matter how much I work, I’d put you first in a heartbeat.”

Wow… “Thanks, Garrison. That means a lot.”

“I’ll let you go. I hear that you’re a little busy.”

I smiled and said okay, but didn’t stop the stream of pee he was hearing. “I’ll talk to you later.”

That was the closest to I love you that I had ever gotten from Garrison, and extremely strange, like he sensed something.

Coming out of the bathroom, I actually smelled the food before Olivia knocked. “Yeah,” I called, glancing at the stuffed mouse lying face down on my bed.

“I cooked. Are you hungry?”

“Yes. I think I am,” I decided, following her out. Maybe Olivia being here wasn’t so bad after all. We sat out on the deck and ate a fantastic new creation from the leftovers the caterers made the day before.

“You want to go out on the yacht and watch fireworks?” I asked Olivia out of the blue. I didn’t need Sam. I had a boat.

“Okay, but do you have a driver?”

“I can drive us.” How hard could it be?

Olivia frowned at me and leaned a little, looking over my shoulder.

“I think that is a horrible idea,” Sam said from the top step.

I turned, causing a sudden pain in the side of my neck from the jerk. “Great,” I said, turning back to my food. “Can you leave us, Olivia?”

“No, don’t. Finish your food,” Sam overruled me.

“What do you want?” I asked, looking to the now very uncomfortable Olivia.

“I come to beg you and your friend to go out on the boat and watch fireworks with me.”

“She’s not my friend. You mean with you and your kid?”

“I’m leaving,” Olivia said, standing. Sam let her take her plate and walk inside.

“Well, that was rude,” Sam accused, taking a piece of shrimp from my plate and popping it in his mouth.

“So was that.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I smartly replied, twirling noodles around my fork.

“You’ve been acting like bitch ever since I told you about Savannah. Why? Just come out with us and meet her.”

“Sam,” I said, raising my voice. “Why? What’s the point in that?”

“The point in what? You’re making a big deal over nothing. You’re just going to hang out with us. No one in my family knows anything. As far as they’re concerned, you’re a client and a friend. What’s the big deal?”

“I’m not good around kids.”

“You’ve never been around kids.”

“I’ve been around kids all weekend. I hate them. I wanted to suffocate all of them.”

“You were around spoiled little rich kids. Not all kids are fortunate to get to grow up with the almighty dollar like you.”

“You have no idea how I grew up.”

“Oh, okay, Ms. Fancy Pants. Tell me. Tell me you didn’t live in a mansion. Tell me you didn’t go to some elite school for the rich and famous. Tell me you didn’t have money. How many nights in a row did you have hamburger helper because it was a cheap way to feed a family of eight?”

My mind was having a hard time not going back there. I could have told him I’ve eaten out of dog food bowls. I went to bed hungry, watching my sisters feed their face many times. I could have told him so much it would have knocked him off his chair. I didn’t. I got defensive.

“You’re absolutely right. My life has always been full of lavish luxuries. Why the fuck do you think I need you?”

“Whoa, Kendra. I’m just trying to get you to come out and have some fun. I know you’ve been stuck here with these people you didn’t want to be around. I thought it would be nice to come out and have some fun with my family and me. I’m sorry. I in no way wanted to piss you off.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t come out with you and your family.”

“Please.”

“Why?”

“For one, it’s important to me. I miss you, and two, you wouldn’t even know how to start that boat.” I smiled a little when he nudged my chin with his finger and smiled. “Please.”

“You’re going to do something really big for it later.”

“Can’t. Savannah goes home tomorrow. I’ve got to stay in with her.”

“I’m being put on the back burner for a five-year-old?”

“Six, she’s going into the first grade this year.”

“I don’t need to go spend the evening with your family. I’m fine. We can see the fireworks from the beach.”

“No, you can’t. It’s not even in the same ballpark. You see that barge way out there?” Sam asked pointing out to the ocean. “That’s where they set them off. You need to be out there so they rain down on you. Seeing them from here isn’t going to do it for you. Trust me. Please come with me.”

“Fine, fine, you big whiny baby. I’ll go, but I still don’t know why it’s so important. I’m going to feel really weird around your family.”

“I promise my family will not make you feel weird. And it’s important because I was wrong about you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t need to be domesticated at all. You’ve been domesticated your entire life. You need to be set free, spread your wings and fly.”

I snickered. “That’s the gayest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I am very well-traveled, thank you very much.”

“Yeah, you’re well-traveled to exotic places, fine restaurants, and fancy resorts. But tell me, on which one of those trips did you have as much fun as the amusement park? Did you laugh? Have you ever laughed that much in your life, Kendra?”

Well hell. “No,” I admitted to not only him, but myself, as well.

Our serious conversation was suddenly over when both our eyes shifted to an old lady on a beach. The same kid that ran over me with the Frisbee, plowed her over and took off running.

“Come on, let’s go help her,” Sam said, jumping up.

“We should mind our own business,” I protested, standing. Sam ignored me and took the steps, two at a time. Of course, I followed.

“Help her with her things. I’m going to fetch her daughter for her,” Sam ordered me when I reached the frail old lady, who was now sitting in the sand.

Not really knowing what to do, I knelt beside her and gathered her things. She sadly smiled up at me.

“Are you hurt?” I asked.

“Just my elbow, other than that, I think I’m okay. Thank you, sweetie,” the old lady said, taking my hand with hers.

I used her towel and wiped the sand from the side of her face. “I’m sorry that idiot knocked you down like that,” I said. If I ever saw that kid again, I would personally kick his ass.

The little old lady took a five dollar bill from her wallet and smiled up at me, speaking in a wise, raspy tone. “Sometimes you need to be knocked off your feet to know what’s important in life. I’m a firm believer in everything happening for a reason.”

“No. I’m not taking your money,” I protested, pushing her wrinkled arthritic hand away.

“You and your husband were the only two out of all of these people to come and help me,” she said, looking at the few people and putting the money back in my hand. “Please take it. It would please me very much.”

I took her five dollars and backed up when Sam and the lady’s daughter helped her to her feet. She thanked me again, and Sam helped the daughter walk her back to their home. I didn’t follow. Instead, I stood there, staring at the stretched five-dollar bill in my hand. I was twenty-nine and that was the first five dollars I truly felt like I earned in all my life. It felt good.

“Meet me at seven at my place,” Sam said, turning to look at me. “And bring your friend, no sense in her staying home alone when we have plenty of room.”

I nodded, holding the money that I knew I would never spend in my hand. It was too special. I stood there like an idiot, thinking about what Sam said before the old lady was thrown to the sand. He was right. I had never lived a day in my life before I met Sam. I’d spent my entire life doing what other people told me to do. For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to be domesticated.

“I’m fine here, I promise,” Olivia complained not wanting to go.

“If I have to go, you have to go. Here, this will look nice on you,” I said, handing her the frayed jean shorts and pink Minnie Mouse T-shirt. I dressed like Olivia, jean shorts and a tee with a little green frog holding a daisy. I bought them both at one of the little shops on Seafood Strip. I would drop them off at the local thrift store before heading home with Garrison. I didn’t wear cartoon character shirts in Hartford.

Olivia grumbled about not knowing anyone as we set out on foot to our destination. I reminded her that she had often accompanied me around people she didn’t know. “You should be happy. These people are more your class,” I said, before stopping. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that.” Shit. What the hell was happening with me? Why would I feel bad for saying that?

Sam was tossing one of those spongy footballs to a teenage boy on the beach when we neared. “Go long!” he called, drawing back his arm.

“No!” I protested in a yell. Of course, ignorant, do-what-you-want Sam threw the ball to me anyway. I missed on purpose and called him an idiot. His young friend laughed.

“Throw it back, pansy,” he called. I did. I flung the ball as hard as I could, right to his face. He caught it and bragged about my arm. I only threw it that hard because I was trying to hit him in the nose with it.

“I really like Sam,” Olivia quietly said beside me.

Turning to look at her, I got a little defensive. “We’re just friends. There is nothing going on between Sam and me.”

“Okay,” she said and shrugged. What the hell did that mean? Sam introduced me to his nephew Collin and bragged about him, too, explaining how he was going to play for the New York Giants when he was older.

The next twenty minutes was spent introducing not only me, but Olivia as well to his family. All of his family! He saved the best for last and scooped the little girl up, turning her upside down.

“This little person here, is um, hmm, wait, I got it,” he teased, flipping her upright in his arms.

“Dad!” she playfully badgered back.

“Oh! Oh! I got it. Savannah!” he joked.

The cute little girl held out her hand and I took it. She shook two hard shakes, and in the cutest little kid voice ever, said, “It’s a pressure to meet you.”

“Pleasure,” Sam corrected.