Fish Perfume (Cozy Harbor Marina Series) (12 page)

I let it rip. “Ian, you hurt me. You think you can kiss me whenever you want and then ignore me for days. You assumed I’m a slut and didn’t give me a chance to explain and then, you laughed at me like I’m some kind of freak show. I recently ended a three-year relationship with a guy who treated me like a piece of furniture. I won’t let that happen again. So unless you’re willing to treat me the way I deserve to be treated, go away.”

I started walking again. I can’t believe I just unloaded on him like that. It felt great. I am woman, hear me roar.

He was still walking beside me.

“I would like another chance to start over with you. Do things right this time. Please. Do you have plans for tonight?”

“Not really. I thought I should stick around here and keep an eye on things since everyone will be partying.”

“You don’t need to do that. People will be heading home soon. Why don’t you come over to my house? We can watch the fireworks from my deck.”

I knew I would cave. It was fun watching him grovel, though, and I’m glad I stood my ground and let him know exactly how I feel. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mo getting out of her car. She waved at us and walked over.

Ian was in front of me and turned to look at Mo. She looked at me and I shook my head no. I was hoping she wouldn’t say anything about me going on Big H’s boat for the fireworks, since I had just told Ian I was staying around the marina. I could tell she got my nonverbal message.

“Hey, you two,” she said, “I’m headed down to Big H’s boat. We’re gonna watch the fireworks from the water.”

Ian smiled at her and said, “Have fun.”

She smiled back. “See you tomorrow.” She turned and hurried toward the docks.

Ian turned back to me and asked in a low voice, “How about it, Meggie?”

I let him sweat a few seconds, then said, “Okay. I’ll follow you in my car. Let me run in and get my keys.”

He smiled and said, “Great.”

I ran in and brushed my teeth really quick. Thank God I didn’t put onions on my hot dog. And I had freshly shaven legs. The gods were smiling on me tonight. I followed him to his house on Sand Hill Cove. I was expecting a little one-story cottage and was surprised by the size of his house. It was a large, two-storied shingled house with an attached garage. I parked behind his truck in the driveway. He opened my car door for me and led me into the house.

I commented, “This is a big house.”

He explained, “Originally it was just a small beach cottage, but years ago my grandparents expanded it. They probably would never get the permits to expand now. I wasn’t expecting company, or I would have picked up a little bit.”

He opened the front door, and we stepped into a hallway with stairs on the left. Sam came down the hall to greet us. I gave him a good scratch, and then we continued down the hallway past a powder room on the right. At the end of the small hall, we stepped into a large room. The downstairs had an open floor plan with a spacious living room, dining area, and kitchen. The floors were hardwood, with a beautiful red oriental rug under the dining table and another one in the living room area. The back of the house was a wall of windows to take advantage of the water view. In the center of the windows was a big French door that led out to a deck. The view was breathtaking.

Impressed, I said, “Your house is beautiful. That’s a million-dollar view.”

“Thanks. I’m very fortunate that I inherited it. I could never afford to buy this house. I’ve done a lot of work to it in the past few years. I replaced the roof, all the windows, refinished the floors, and put in a whole new kitchen.”

I took a look at the kitchen, and it was a cook’s dream. Beautiful natural cherry cabinets, state-of-the-art stainless-steel appliances, and beautiful granite counters. There was a large island in the middle of the kitchen with halogen lights hanging from the ceiling, spotlighting it. Three stools sat at the island counter.

“Are you a cook?” I asked.

He laughed and said, “I can only do the basics. Let me show you the upstairs.”

He guided me back through the hallway and up the stairs. At the top was a door that led into a large master bedroom and bathroom, which ran along the back of the house. Here again to take advantage of the views was a wall of windows. A door in the middle opened on to a small balcony where two chairs and a table sat. The bedroom was furnished with a king-sized bed and two dressers. The bed was made, and, other than a couple pair of shoes lying around, it looked pretty neat to me. He showed me the rest of the upstairs, which had two other bedrooms facing the street and another full bath. He had a double bed and a dresser in one, and the other room he used as an office.

It was a beautiful home, although personally I think the décor needs a woman’s touch. Preferably mine.

I turned to him and said, “I’m very impressed.”

“I hoped you would be,” he said and then suggested, “Let’s go downstairs and I’ll open a bottle of wine.”

We went downstairs and I took a seat on a stool at the island. Ian got a bottle of Pinot Grigio from the fridge and poured us each a glass.

He held up his glass for a toast and looked thoughtfully into my eyes. He said in a gentle voice, “To new beginnings.”

We clinked glasses and took a sip.

He glanced at the clock and asked, “Do you want to go out on the deck? The fireworks should start soon.”

“Sure.”

He grabbed the bottle of wine and I followed him out to the deck outfitted with a table and four chairs, plus two Adirondack chairs and two rockers. All the furniture was white. I sat in one of the Adirondack chairs. Ian pulled the other one close to mine and sat down. Sam plopped down at our feet.

Ian turned to me and said, “So, Mo said that Jimmy asked you to marry him.”

He took me by surprise. “Yes, and I couldn’t have been more shocked. We went out for three years and never talked about marriage. He never even bought me a piece of jewelry. I do have a nice collection of purses he gave me over the years,” I joked.

“Did you want to marry him?”

“I knew I wanted to get married some day, but I never brought up the subject either. I guess I knew deep down that he wasn’t the right guy. That wasn’t my first proposal, you know.”

Amused, he said, “Oh really. How many proposals have you had?”

“Too many to count.”

“Really. Tell me about them.”

“Are you sure you want to hear about them all? I asked. “It could take a while.”

He nodded firmly and said, “We have all night.”

“Okay, you asked for it. My first, second, and third proposals were from the same guy. Johnny Deegan asked me to marry him in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. He finally gave up when we got into high school and turned his affections towards a friend of mine. They dated all through high school. When they went off to different colleges, their romance fizzled out.”

“What’s Johnny Deegan doing now? Did he ever get married?”

“He went undergrad to Penn and then to Harvard Law and graduated top in his class. He’s working at the best corporate law firm in downtown Philly. He just got married last year. Helen and I went to his wedding.”

“What about the other proposals? I’m sitting on the edge of my seat.”

I continued, “Well, my brother Charlie’s friend Wayne has asked me at least forty-seven times.”

“Did you ever go out with him?”

“No. My mom loved us to invite our friends home after school. Our house was the hangout for all the kids. She liked to keep an eye on us, especially my brothers. My dad had finished off our basement and my brothers and their friends always hung out down there. Charlie and his pals were always having contests to see who could make me blush first. They actually took bets on it. Whenever I was home and they happened to come in the house, Wayne would kneel down in front of me and ask me to marry him. He always won the bet, because I would blush like crazy. The worst was when I got my first bra. I was in eighth grade and all my friends were much more developed than I. They all had been wearing bras for a year or two. I was a late bloomer. I kept bugging my mom to take me out shopping. She finally took pity on me and took me shopping. I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”

“I love it. Go on,” he prompted.”

“Well, a couple of days after I got my bras, I was sitting in the living room doing my homework and in walked Charlie with all his friends. There were six of them. I’ll never forget it, it was traumatic for me. Charlie pointed at me and said, ‘Hey look, guys, Meggie is wearing a bra.’ I thought I would die right on the spot.”

“What happened to Wayne?”

“He still comes around the house whenever Charlie’s in town and always proposes. I just ran into him about a month before I came up here. I went out for some drinks with a couple of girlfriends. He was at the bar with some guys and introduced me to them as his future wife.”

“Did you blush?”

“Oh, yeah, big time. How about you? Any proposals?” I asked dying to know.

“No proposals. Not a one. After listening to you, I’m starting to feel sorry for myself.”

A loud boom signaled the start of the fireworks.

Ian suggested, “I think we can get a better view if we stand up.”

I stood and went over to the deck railing. Ian came up behind me, put his arms around me, and rested his chin on the top of my head. It felt so great to have him hold me like that. I leaned back against him and looked up into the sky. We stood like that for a while and watched the beautiful explosions of color. He slowly turned me around and leaned in for a kiss. I tilted my head to give him greater access. He gently brushed his lips against mine and then used his tongue like a paintbrush, sweeping it across my lips. I opened up for him, closing my eyes to enjoy all the sensations flowing through my body. I was backed up against the railing of the deck with his hard body plastered against mine. I ran my hands up his back and reached up to touch the soft hair on the back of his neck. I’ve never been so turned on by a kiss before. I wanted more. Helen always says that if a guy is a lousy kisser, stop right there.

We broke apart, both of us gasping for breath.

“Fireworks go off when I kiss you, Meggie,” he teased.

“Is that your Fourth of July line?” I asked smiling into his eyes.

He shrugged. “I know, pretty corny, but I couldn’t resist.”

Ian put his arm around me and we watched the finale. When it was over, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, “I’m glad you came over.”

“Me too.”

I wanted him to ask me to stay in the worst way, but I wasn’t going to be the aggressor, so I said, “Well, I’m sure you’re working tomorrow. I guess I should get going.”

He said, “I’ll walk you out.”

“Okay.” I said, disappointed.

Ian and Sam escorted me to my car.

I told him, “Thanks for a nice evening.”

He said, “I know your friend’s in town, but do you think we could go out some night?”

“I’m sure she’ll be spending time with Tony, so it shouldn’t be a problem. By the way, what do you have against Tony?”

“I have nothing against Tony. I like Tony. I just didn’t want him hitting on you. How about Wednesday night?”

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll pick you up about 7:30 and, if your friend doesn’t have plans, she can come with us.”

I said, “Okay,” my heart jumping for joy. He leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the lips. I gave Sam a goodbye pet and got in the car. I hope Wednesday comes quick.

What an eventful day. I went from heartbreak and humiliation to romance and fireworks.

CHAPTER NINE

On my way out the door to work the next morning, I decided to peek in Helen’s room. It was just as I expected, no Helen. I couldn’t wait to hear how her night with Tony went.

When Journey arrived, I went over to the Snack Shack for a cup of coffee. I figured Helen would find me when she got back. Deb was sitting at the counter having breakfast, and Mo was busy filling up the salt and pepper shakers.

I said, “Hey, guys. How were the fireworks?”

Deb said, “Great. Did you see them?”

I said, “Yeah. Ian invited me over to his house, and we watched them from his deck.”

Mo looked up and said, “I figured you didn’t want him to know you had plans.”

“Thanks, Mo.”

She leaned on the counter and said, “Okay, spill.”

“He apologized to me. He said he overheard your conversation with Marion.”

Mo said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I did that on purpose. I know you two have a thing for each other, and I just wanted to help things along. As soon as he walked in the door, I started to tell Marion about that devil Jimmy showing up. I probably embellished the story a little too just to get him goin’.”

“Well, it did the trick. He’s taking me out on an official date tomorrow night. Thanks, Mo.”

Mo smiled and said, “I’m glad, honey. Where’s your friend?”

“The last time I saw her was 5:00 last night. She was headed to a party with Tony.”

Mo started fanning herself and said, “Eeew-eee, I can’t wait to hear what they’ve been up to.”

I had to ask, “Any progress with Big H?”

She shook her head. “No. It was nice of him to ask me to go watch the fireworks, though.”

Deb said, “His sister Sue is such a nice person. That husband of hers is an idiot. I don’t know what he was thinking.”

Mo said, “I can tell you what he was thinkin’ with, and it wasn’t his brain. That bimbo down in Georgia can probably suck the chrome off a truck. Unfortunately, that’s all some men care about.”

We all laughed.

I asked Mo, “Any dates this week?”

She said, “Yeah, I have a date tonight with a new guy. He’s an Elvis impersonator. He asked me out to dinner, and I said Uh-huh.”

Deb and I smiled at each other. I said, “I can’t wait to hear about this one.”

Mo said, “I liked Elvis, but I was never an Elvis fanatic like some people. I’ve been also chattin’ with a new guy on the Net, and we’re really hittin’ it off. He lives local, and he gets all my jokes. He hasn’t asked me out yet, but he’s the most interestin’ one I’ve come across so far. He hasn’t posted a picture of himself on the website so he’s probably ugly as mud but I enjoy cybertalk.”

I told her, “Don’t give up on Big H.”

She winked at me and said, “I’m keepin’ my options open.”

I said, “Well, thanks for the coffee, and you two have a great day.”

I went back to the office to do some paperwork. At about 11:00, Helen popped her head in. She looked like the cat that ate the cream.

“Have a good time?” I asked.

She smirked, “Do I look unhappy?”

I got up, grabbed her arm, pulled her in the office, and shut the door. “You promised me details,” I demanded.

She asked, “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

I said, “You bet.”

She sat on the edge of the desk and giggled. Then she said, “Meggie, I don’t know how to explain it. Just give me a minute.” She put her right hand over her mouth and started to giggle harder.

I was on the edge of my seat. This was going to be good.

She pulled herself together finally and said, “Meggie, it was hands down the best sex I’ve ever had or fantasized about. It wasn’t just sex, though. I think the right word would be sensual. It was the most mind-blowing, sensual, sexual experience of my life. There isn’t an inch of my body that he didn’t do something with. He made me feel like a goddess. He worshipped my body from head to toe and back again. I truly wish every woman in the world could experience what I did last night. Every woman deserves that at least once in their life.”

This, coming from Helen, was huge. I didn’t know what to say, so I just said, “Wow.”

She nodded, “Wow is right. The only bad part about the whole thing is, he’s ruined it for me with anyone else. Believe me, I’ll never find another guy that good. He’s a gift from God.”

“What’s his house like?”

“I loved it. It’s in a private compound with about twenty other homes. Each house is on five acres of land, so it’s really secluded. The house is a contemporary design, very open, and it’s in a beautiful setting, surrounded by woods. I like the way he’s decorated it. We have very similar tastes in furniture and art.”

I asked her, “So, when are you seeing him again?”

“He wanted to do something tonight, but I told him I’d made plans with you.”

“Oh, Hel, you don’t have to worry about me. Enjoy Tony while you can.”

She said, “Believe me, I will. But I haven’t spent much time with you, and frankly I need to rest up after last night. How was your night?”

I told her about running into Ian and going to his house for the fireworks.

She asked, “Anything happen?”

“No. We kissed a few times, and then I went home. He didn’t ask me to stay. He did ask me out for tomorrow night, though. He invited you to come with us if you don’t have plans.”

She licked her lips, smiled, and said, “I’m going back for a second helping of Mr. Maroni.”

I said, “Ian apologized, and I forgave him but not before I told him that he couldn’t treat me like that again. I think he got the message because he did finally ask me out, but I’m not going to set myself up again to be hurt. I’m going to try to hold back my feelings. It’s going to be hard, though, because I really like him and I’m so attracted to him physically.”

“Smart move, keep him on his toes.”

“He seems to really like me, but he doesn’t seem too anxious to sleep with me. Maybe he’s sleeping with someone else, or he just isn’t sure he’s attracted to me. Remember that guy down at the Jersey shore who told me I was the kind of girl a guy would rather hug than screw?”

Helen shook her head in disgust. “Oh, Meggie, that guy was a drunken asshole. He knew he didn’t stand a chance with you, so he tried to make you feel like crap. You’re a beautiful, sexy, sweet girl, and don’t you forget it. Are we going for a boat ride with Mac?”

“No, Mac has a doctor’s appointment. One of his poker buddies is taking him. He wants to meet you sometime before you leave.”

“I want to meet him, too. So, what do you want to do today?”

I stood up and said, “How about we go shopping? I need new sneakers, and maybe you could help me pick out a sexy outfit for tomorrow night.”

She wiggled her hips and said, “Nobody does sexy better than I do. I’ll find you the perfect outfit to knock his socks off. I’m ready if you want to go now.”

“Okay.”

We walked out to the store and I asked Journey where we should go shopping. She told us we should head for Garden City, and, if we didn’t find anything there, to hit the Providence Place Mall. She wrote down directions for me. I kind of had an idea where we were going, but I’m glad she refreshed my memory.

When we got on Route 4, Helen asked if we could stop for coffee.

I said, “I know just the place—Allie’s Donuts. Best donuts and coffee in Rhode Island. It’s just off the highway on Route 2. Allie’s has been around forever. Mom and I always made early-morning trips to Allie’s for donuts when we came up here for our family vacations. Mom only eats donuts when she’s in Rhode Island. She says if she can’t have Allie’s, she’ll go without.”

I found the place without a problem. We both got coffee and an old-fashioned donut with chocolate icing.

Helen was halfway finished eating her donut when she turned to me and said, “I might have to move here. Everything is great up here. The sex, the people, the donuts.”

I told her, “Wait until you have a Del’s Lemonade.”

We got to Garden City and went through several shops until Helen found the perfect dress for me. It was a black strapless with an empire waist and a flirty skirt that ended about three inches above my knees. Of course, then we had to go to Vicky’s and get a sexy black strapless bra and panties to match. We both bought a few other items there as well. We had lunch at a cute little restaurant and then went up to the Providence Place Mall, where I continued to do damage to my credit card. To go with the dress, I got a new pair of sexy black sandals and a beautiful Judith Jack necklace with earrings to match. I also picked up a new pair of Nikes, a pair of topsiders, and a cute skirt and top. Helen also made me buy some new perfume. I told her lately, I’ve been wearing lobster bait. She said a girl has to have a new perfume for a new guy. Helen did some damage herself at a few stores, and then she treated us both to a manicure and pedicure. We both contributed heavily to the economy of Rhode Island. I didn’t feel too guilty though because I hadn’t really bought any new clothes lately, and I hadn’t spent much money since I’d been here.

We got back to the marina in time for me to close up. I was going to make dinner, but Hel said, “You have to be as tired as I am. Let’s just order a pizza.”

The pizza arrived, I opened a bottle of wine, and we stepped out to the deck to enjoy the beautiful evening. We sat out there for a couple of hours just relaxing and talking. At about 8:30, we went in the house, and I suggested we watch a movie. I had brought a couple of my favorite movies up with me. We decided to watch our ultimate favorite,
Bridget Jones’s Diary
.

Halfway through the movie, I started to itch. It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn’t put my bug cream on. I lifted up my shorts, and I had about twenty-five big welts on my thighs from mosquito bites.

I jumped up and screamed, “Shit, shit, shit.”

Helen looked up in alarm. “What’s wrong?”

I lifted up my shorts.

She looked at my thighs and said, “Oh, shit.”

“We have to go to the drug store and get some Benadryl and some cortisone cream. I can’t believe how stupid I am,” I said in a panic.

We went into town to the CVS. When we got back to the cottage, I took some Benadryl and lathered up my legs with the cream. I was sick. What if Ian finally made the moves on me? There was no way I could let him see my thighs. Just when everything was looking up with Ian, this has to happen.

Helen tried to cheer me up. “I’m sure they won’t look that bad in the morning, Meggie. Just don’t scratch them.”

“Believe me, I won’t. I don’t need them looking any worse than they are now.”

Helen commiserated. “You poor thing.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. He probably won’t want to sleep with me anyway.”

Helen trying to reassure me saying, “He will, and tomorrow you’ll look a lot better.”

“I hope so.”

We watched the rest of the movie and went to bed.

When I woke up the next day, the bites looked worse. They had turned darker in color and now looked like really bad bruises. They were still swollen to the size of a half dollar and they hurt like hell. If I could’ve jumped out of my skin I would have. I put on some more cortisone cream and went to work.

When Journey got in, I went over to the Shack for some coffee. Mo was waiting on a few customers who were getting coffee and bagels to go. I took a seat at the counter, and when everyone left, she looked at me and asked gently, “Honey, who died?”

I stood up and lifted up my shorts.

She looked at my thighs. “What the hell happened?”

I said, “Mosquito bites. I’m allergic, and I forgot to put on my bug repellent cream.”

She came around the counter and gave me a big hug. I started to cry. “Mo, why do things like this always happen to me?”

Mo led me over to a stool at the counter. “Sweetheart, you just sit down. I’m gonna get you some coffee and cut you a piece of the ham and cheese quiche I just pulled out of the oven.”

She served me the quiche and coffee. Even if I’m not hungry, when I walk into the Shack, all it takes is one whiff of Mo’s cooking and my stomach starts to growl.

I moaned, “Mo, can you believe it? Ian finally asked me out on a real date, and I look like this! I just can’t get a break.”

She said, “Honey, it’s not how you look but what’s inside.”

“Sure,” I said sarcastically.

“When I get blue, I go fishin’.”

“I didn’t know you liked to fish, Mo.”

She said, “I’m not talkin’ about that kind of fishin’. I go fishin’ for a memory, a good one. The one I pull up the most is this one. I once was madly in love with a guy with one leg. It was durin’ the Vietnam days, and he lost his left leg in the war. He was a big, strappin’ Nebraska farm boy who rode the rodeo in the off-season. I met him when he just got out of the Veterans Hospital on the base I was stationed at in Texas. It didn’t matter to me that he only had one leg. He was a great guy and let me tell you, that was some of the best sex I ever had. I don’t know if it was ridin’ those broncos or what, but he was something else.”

“What happened? Why didn’t you wind up with him?”

She said, “Well, I was young and I just wasn’t ready to marry anyone, and he actually had a sweetheart back home. He was afraid to go home, thinkin’ that she wouldn’t want him with only one leg and all. By the time I got finished with him, that soldier felt like he could conquer the world. He went home and married her. He wrote to me and thanked me. I didn’t sleep with him out of pity; I was attracted to him for the wonderful person he was. I served in the Marine Corps for over twenty years, but nothin’ made me feel prouder than when I got that letter from that soldier.”

A wave of shame swept over me. Mo’s story put things in perspective. Here I was worrying about some stupid mosquito bites when there were people in the world who had real problems.

“Mo, you’re one of the best people I’ve ever met,” I told her.

“Back atcha, sweetie.”

“How was your date with Elvis?”

She laughed, put her hand on her hips, and writhed seductively.

She said, “Elvis with the thrustin’ pelvis? Well, I met him at the restaurant. As soon as I walked in, I knew who my date for the evenin’ was. He was standin’ at the bar. He had the black Elvis hair. Of course, his was dyed. He wasn’t the young-lookin’ Elvis, that was for sure. Not that I expected him to be young, but he looked like what Elvis would look like if he was still alive today. He was old, fat, bloated Elvis.

“He had on white tight pants, a black shirt opened almost to his navel, and around his neck hung so many gold chains it’s a wonder he wasn’t hunched over. What guy wears white pants these days? His big gut hung over a giant belt buckle I could barely see. It crossed my mind that I should just turn and run, but I then I decided this could be a hoot. He had told me he was an Elvis impersonator online, so I figured he just did it for a job. No, he thought he
was
Elvis. He talked like Elvis and after one glance at him, I could tell he believed he was the sexiest man alive. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughin’.”