Society Girls: Matisse (12 page)

“Take her to the zoo.”

“The zoo?”

“The National Zoo. She’s always loved it,
and I know she’s planning to go while she’s here. She loves the
pandas, man. You don’t know how long I had to sit and look at
pandas when I was a kid.”

“You should’ve snuck off to the reptile
house.”

“Are you insane? Who the fuck willingly goes
near a snake.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize you were sensitive
about them.”

“Well, I am. Like I said, though, take her
to the zoo.”

I look up the zoo on my phone, and get an
idea. I’m not sure I can pull it off, but maybe it’s time for me to
use some power for my own good, instead of being scared of it.

“I have a plan. Will you help me?”

“I think I just might.”

“What are you two planning over here?”
Matisse asks, handing her brother and I bottles of IPA from a local
brewery.

“What do you think?” Haring asks her.

“Stay out of my love life, Rockwell.”

“I’m not into incest, so no worries there,
Seurat.”

I almost spit out my beer when he says that.
“That’s just…wow. You two are…”

“Don’t try to figure us out. Many have
tried, and almost all have failed,” Matisse tells me.

“I rarely fail.”

“It’s happening right here and now. Pay
attention.”

“Is it? I’ve had your lips on mine twice
tonight. I consider that a step in the right direction.”

“I was using you.”

“Use away,” I tell her, spreading my arms.
I’ll take what I can get, and if that’s sex, then yes please!

She twists my t-shirt in her hands and
kisses me again. This time, I’m allowed to put my tongue in her
mouth. It’s wonderful—until she bites me.

“What the fuck?” I ask, pulling back as I
taste blood in my mouth.

She shrugs. “They walked out, so I didn’t
need you anymore.”

“That’s like, ice cold. Even for you,”
Haring tells her.

“He’ll live. I just gave him a little
non-love bite.”

“I think that’s my cue to head back to the
hotel,” I say, trying to maintain some sense of dignity.

“No. You’re not staying. There’s got to be a
flight back to Vegas tonight.”

“I licked you, Matisse, and
you yourself said that makes you mine. I was stupid, and I’ve
admitted that already. Now it’s time for me to show you. I’m going
to stay, and I’m going to fight for you. Get used to it. Or better
yet, fight
me
, so
I can show you I won’t run scared. Your choice.”

“You’re really staying?”

“I am.”

She hesitates for a moment, and then speaks
again. “Joel has a game tomorrow. Would you like to go with
us?”

“I actually called Joel
when I knew I was coming, and saw he had a game here. He told me he
gave you seats, and I have one next to you. I’m glad you asked,
though, because I’d rather be going
with
you.”

“Of course you called him,” she says,
rolling her eyes. “Don’t get too excited. It’s just a game.”

“I’m happy to be anywhere you are, Matisse.
I haven’t done a great job of showing you that, but I will.”

“I look forward to it, Doc.”

It’s not a big win, but
it’s still a win, and I’ll take it. Game in the afternoon, and my
plan at night. With any luck, we’ll be flying home together, and
we’ll actually
be
together again.

Matisse

I tossed and turned in bed all night,
thinking about Kendrick and how he flew here for me. He seemed
sincere, but then again, he seemed that way before he told me he
was done with me, too. I don’t know what to do about him being
here, but I’m smart enough to know he’s going to pop up when I
least expect him.

I dress in jean shorts and a t-shirt that
says “it’s all about the base,” because why not have some fun with
this sports thing? Of course, I’ve cut up the tee to make it edgier
and now it stops above my belly button. I even put on Chucks
instead of my normal crazy boots. I’ll never blend in, but I can go
with the theme of the day.

“Nice, Degas,” Haring says when I walk into
the living room.

“Thanks, Lichtenstein.”

“Are you going to tell me anything more
about Kendrick?”

“No.”

“Not even if I take you to Eastern
Market?”

“I could take myself there,” I reply, my
mouth watering as I think about the blueberry buckwheat pancakes
from Market Lunch. The flea market there is also calling out to my
wallet.

“I need to know what I’m protecting you
from,” he says, grabbing my arm and leading me out to his car.

“Protecting? You seemed like you were
plotting with him last night.”

“He flew all the way here, and he told me he
cares for you.”

I snort at that. “He has a funny way of
showing it.”

“Spill.”

I tell him everything, because he’s
relentless, and also because he understands me better than anyone.
Our parents died when I was thirteen, and he took custody of me,
juggling college with teen angst. I don’t know how he survived me,
or how we would’ve survived without Aiden and his family. The Vice
President of the United States was just Aiden’s dad to me back
then, and I was not nice.

By the time I was sixteen, I was sneaking
out for tattoos and boys. Mr. Ford picked me up himself more than
once, taking me for milkshakes as he sobered me up. He did it so
Haring could concentrate on school, but also because he’s an
awesome man who saw something in a lost girl. His confidence kept
me in line, and when I graduated from high school and college he
was there—Secret Service at his side for the college one—to cheer
me on. Aiden’s mom was great to me, too, but it’s his dad that I
will always thank for saving me from myself.

“As your brother, I’m a little blinded by
rage at the moment, but you know I like to look at all sides of a
situation, so I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate for a minute,”
Haring says when I’m done.

“Go ahead.”

“Kendrick works on-call at the hospital two
to three nights a week because he loves helping people. He doesn’t
need the money, and he obviously doesn’t do it for glory.”

“Correct.” Or as correct as he can be. I’ll
be telling Haring about the Society once I’m a full member and
allowed to tell my one person.

“First, he saved some people and had
probably done that a ton of times, but he was fired anyway. Second,
the firing occurred because he turned down some chick while his
girl was on his lap, putting on a show. Third, he got his job back
because someone used their influence and again, not because he’s a
good doctor.”

“He’s a great doctor.”

He nods. “Yet none of that mattered. He was
fired because his girlfriend helped to embarrass a young girl. Then
he was re-hired because his other boss threatened to pull funding.
He had absolutely no control over what happened to him, and if it
was me, I can tell you, I’d be pissed. Hopefully I wouldn’t take it
out on someone I love, but I’d be angry.”

“He doesn’t love me.”

“Please, Gaugin. He flew here for you; trust
me, he loves you.”

“He didn’t mention any of that stuff you
brought up when he was yelling at me.”

“He was running on no sleep, with his
adrenaline dropping. If he didn’t like the way you looked or acted,
he wouldn’t have been with you.”

“He hurt me.”

“I know, and trust me, he knows it, too. I
just think you should give him a chance.”

“You invited him here?” I ask, as we pull
into the parking lot at the market and I see Kendrick.

“Well, look at that coincidence. Who knew
the doctor would be hanging out here this morning?”

“You.”

“Well, duh. I needed some help carrying all
the shit you’re going to buy.”

“I love you, Haring.”

“I love you, too, Matisse.”

* * *

Kendrick

Matisse looks fierce—and fucking hot—as she
gets out of her brother’s car. I wanted to walk over and open the
door for her, but I was afraid she’d injure me with it. I’ll just
wait here, and fight the urge to run if she charges me.

“I hear you’re going to carry my purchases
for me.”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to.”

“I can tattoo you?”

“Okay, almost anything.”

“What if that’s my deal breaker? A tattoo
for you?”

“It has to be somewhere where only you will
see it.”

Her eyes go wide. “You’d really do it? You
hate tattoos.”

“Yes, I’d do it. And I only hate tattoos for
me. I love yours.”

“You said I should hide them.”

“I said a lot of stupid things because I was
freaking out. That and a lack of sleep are no excuses for what I
did. You’re the last person I should ever take things out on.”

“I’d like to say I could handle it, but you
telling me to change who I am if I wanted to be with you really
hurt me.”

“I know, and I also know telling you I
didn’t mean it isn’t enough, but it’s the truth. I love your
tattoos, your Monroe piercing, your clothes, and most of all, I
love your sexy badass attitude. I wouldn’t change even one thing
about you.”

“You’re sure? Really, really sure? Because I
can’t go through that again, but I believe everyone deserves a
second chance. And I might be missing you.”

“I’m positive, Tees, and I’m definitely
missing you.”

“Just so you know, I’m not sleeping with you
tonight.”

She is, but not in the way she’s talking
about. All part of my plan. “I respect you, and I don’t expect sex
from you all time. I mean, I wouldn’t turn it down, because making
love to you is better than anything else, but I can wait.”

“There’s the guy I love,” she says, before
clamping her hand over her mouth as her eyes go wide.

I reach out and take her hands in mine. “I
love you, too.”

“If my brother wasn’t behind me, I’d
probably do something inappropriate right now.”

“Your brother’s inside, getting us seats, so
please, do what you want.”

She looks around. “I don’t want to scare the
children, but know that I’m having very impure thoughts about you.
Still not sleeping with you tonight, but I’m up for other
things.”

“I’m
up
, too, so it’s a good thing I chose
baggy shorts today.”

“Easier to slip my hand into.”

“Not helping.”

“Wasn’t trying to. Come on, Doc. Let’s
grub.”

I follow her inside, where we eat some
delicious pancakes before making out way to the giant flea market.
Haring abandons us after an hour, claiming he needs to take care of
a few things before the game this afternoon. I’m pretty sure
watching his sister try on clothes, shoes, and jewelry is his own
version of hell. I’m just glad to be here with her, so she can do
whatever she wants. Plus, I get kisses every time I give my
input.

Two hours later, my arms are full of
recyclable bags when I see the shoes. Matisse is busy looking
through a trunk of clothes, so I sneak away for a moment to look
closer. After helping her, I know all her sizes, and these are
perfect. They even look new.

“Those are cute, aren’t they?” the girl
working there asks. “I bought them for my girlfriend, but then we
broke up, so I decided she shouldn’t have them. It’s the same for
everything I have here. It’s all brand-new.”

I don’t even haggle over price with her,
knowing they’re exactly what I need. I also find some things I need
for tonight, which will save me time later. My things are bagged
up, and I’m paying when Matisse wraps her arms around me from
behind.

“I thought I’d lost you.”

“I saw some interesting things over here, so
I stepped away. Did you find anything over there?”

“No. Are you going to show me what you
bought? Is it for me?”

“I’ll show you later,
because yes,
they
are for you.”

“More than one? Can’t I see one?”

“Later.”

“Okay.”

I thank the girl again, and link my hands
with Matisse as we walk away. Soon enough, it’s time to head to the
game, so I load up my rental car and drive us to the stadium.
Haring is already there and our tickets are waiting at Will Call,
so we make our way in. Matisse and I get some dirty looks since
we’re wearing Joel’s hats, but since Haring is covered in home team
merchandise, people don’t get too aggressive.

“I’m glad you called Joel for the extra
ticket,” Matisse says, once we’re sitting in our seats with beer
and hot dogs.

“Me too.”

Haring looks at us like we’re insane. “You
both act like Joel Cruz is just some guy, and not one of the
hottest hitters in the league.”

“To us, he
is
just a guy,” Matisse
tells him with a shrug.

“Tell me again how you know him.”

“My best friend helped rehab him in my
facility, and his girlfriend, Sierra, is one of Matisse’s best
friends,” I answer for both of us. “He’s a great guy.”

“You’ll meet him after the game,” she
adds.

“No way. We’re meeting Joel Cruz?”

“Technically,
you’re
meeting him. We
know him already.”

She doesn’t know it will only be Haring
going to dinner with Joel and his friends. We have plans she
doesn’t know about, but that her brother insists she’ll love. I
hope he’s right.

The game is fun, but tense since the two
teams are pretty evenly matched. Joel’s team ends up winning by one
run, and the crowd is a little angry—and drunk. “Let’s stay here
while the stadium clears out,” I tell them.

“Yeah. You weren’t exactly quiet, Rodin,”
Haring agrees, shaking his head at his sister.

“And you were, O’Keefe?”