The Mason List (33 page)

“Seth’s
words, not mine.  The guy’s got it bad for her.  He gets turned on when she’s
all wound up.  Gets a hard-on every time she gets bitchy.”

“I really
didn’t need to know that.”  I looked back at the hot tub.  Sadie watched me
with an evil stare, sending hazel daggers right at my head.  It was time to
move this little talk out of her supervising view. 

“So…um,
you want to go for a walk?”

“Ok. 
Somethin’ up?”

“It’s
nice right now out on the beach.  Everyone’s partying in town or in that hot
tub movie from hell,” I laughed.

“You like
stirin’ her up as much me.”

“True,
but I get roommate rights.  You don’t have to live with her insanity.”

“She’s
not all that bad.  You know it.”

“Interesting
change of opinion.”

“What? 
You know I actually like her.”

I
narrowed my eyes and leaned over close to his face.  “You’re still not going to
tell me about your date with her?”

“You
could always ask Sadie if you wanna know so badly.” 

“I’m not
asking my roommate.  I’m asking my best friend.”

“And I
said there’s nothin’ to talk ‘bout.” 

“Fine. 
Asshole.”

“You like
my ass.”  His eyes sparkled as he flirted with me again.

“No, I
don’t.”

Jess slid
off the table and I jumped down.  His hand touched the center of my back,
letting me pass in front of him.  The warmth seared through the fabric, leaving
an impression long after we stepped down the path.  I smelled the ocean as we
walked out toward the private beach.  The sand squished between my toes.  It
was peaceful. I was fidgety.

“I see
Crater,” I said, looking up at the clear sky.  I started our usual game as a
distraction.

“Hmmm.” 
Jess seemed amused. “Goin’ for the big ones.  Sure that’s the best first move?”

“It keeps
you from pulling those out at the end to trump me.”

“I see
Bootes.”

“Cancer.”

We played
this like a chess game.  I could count on one hand the number of times I’d
beaten Jess since he first introduced me to the dark, mystical world floating
just out of reach from Sprayberry.  Usually, Jess kicked my butt, leaving me
with four wins over the years; each victory rubbed so hard in his face, it was
worth his months of retaliating torture.

“Ursa
Major.”

“Canis
Major.”

We kept a
slow, meandering pace.  The waves brushed up every so often then swirled back
into the ocean, leaving chunks of seaweed.  Peering out in the darkness, I
searched for my next move. “I see Perseus.” 

“Liar. 
Wrong time of year for Perseus.”

“I swear
its right there.” Our feet stopped moving, and I pointed off in the distance. 
He shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets, kicking sand up with his
bare feet. 

“I’m not
lookin’.”

“Come
on.  Please, Jess.  I’m not kidding.”

“I’m just
gonna pretend you’re not tryin’ to cheat.  Unless you wanna forfeit?”  Coming
up from behind, I slipped my hands around his cheeks to tilt his face upward. 
My body pressed into his back; my nose into his shoulder as I forced him to see
where I pointed.  “Nope.  I’m not lookin’.  Now stop before you end up
somewhere you don’t wanna be.”

“Fine. 
The moon.”

“Really? 
The moon?”

“Yes. 
The damn moon counts too, even though you say it doesn’t.  Beach rules, not
Sprayberry.”

“Fine.  I
see your moon and raise you a Hydra.”

“Now
you’re
cheating.”

“You get
the moon.  I get Hydra.”  His eyebrows went up taunting me.  I stalled again,
searching the sky.  He had me in a virtual choke hold and I was about to lose
once again.  “That’s the best you got, Al?  I even let you have a mulligan.”

“That was
completely fair.  Besides, I swear you said Leo twice.”

“Nah…that’s
not gonna work.  You out?”

“Fine!”

“Fine
what?”

“You win,
again.
”

“So
that’s like my five hundredth win?  It’s ‘bout time you paid up.”

“Bullshit. 
I don’t remember us betting on it.”

“Bullshit
is right.  You pulled me out here for somethin’.  So tell me what it is?”  We
stopped walking at some point and he stared down in my face just inches from my
nose.

“I don’t
know what you’re talking about.”  I was delaying the inevitable.  Maybe I
shouldn’t tell him tonight after-all.  I wanted his smile to continue just a
little longer.

“Ok, then
truth or dare.  You pick.”

“Jess, I
don’t play that with you anymore.”

“Dare it
is.”

“What? 
No!”

He
laughed as the red spread across my cheeks.  How did I get myself into this
mess with him tonight? 

“Alex, I
dare you to get in the ocean.”

“Not
happening.”

“Wait,
I’m not finished.  I dare you to get in the ocean and it has to be deep enough
to get that hair of yours wet.  None of that toe in the water shit.”

I stared
at him, feeling backed in a corner.  “I hate you.”

“I know
and it’s really fun to watch you squirm.”

“I’m not
squirming.”

“Then get
in.”

He wanted
to play.  Fine.  I could make him squirm too.  Even though I brought a suit on
the trip, the black bikini stayed in my suitcase.  My underwear didn’t match
but hopefully, it wouldn’t get to the whole set.  My stomach felt a little
nervous as my fingers unbuttoned my denim shorts.  I paused on the zipper,
looking hard into his blue eyes.  Pulling the tab, I let go and the pair fell
to my ankles.  I kicked them to the side, never breaking eye contact.  

“Your
turn.”

“What are
you doin’, Al?”

“Your
dare.  Oh, and I’m not going alone.  Start stripping.”

Jess
watched me, trying to gauge my end game.  With a quick motion, he pulled his
t-shirt over his head and tossed it on the sand next to my shorts.  “I believe
it’s your turn, Alex.”

I wore a
gray, plaid flannel shirt because it was chilly tonight with the sun gone.  My
fingers fumbled with the button holes while I kept my eyes on his face.  I
moved slowly to the next one, revealing a little more skin.  I had his
attention.  The teasing smirk evaporated as he watched me undress.  I swallowed
hard.  Jess didn’t seem to notice as he stayed focused on my fingers taking my
shirt off.  Reaching the end, I let the fabric slide off my arms.  I stood clad
in only my white lace trimmed panties and gray cotton bra.  The thin fabric
clung over each cold B cup.

I stood
just a few steps away from Jess; close enough for him to reach out and touch. 
I knew he was focused on me without clothes.  Wasn’t that the point?  Distract
to get out of this dare.  Distract to keep from talking.  Sadie’s warning came
back and I pushed it away.  It was just a stupid child’s game.

“Jess?”

“Hmm?”

“Your
turn.  Well unless you’re saying I win.”

“Not a
chance.  You tell me why we’re out here or I guess we keep goin’.”

His
pestering smile returned as he watched me fidget.   Jess unfastened the front
of his jeans and paused to study my reaction.  A surge of panic shot through my
gut.  I assumed he had boxers underneath those tight pants.  What if tonight,
of all nights, that boy went commando?   My face got red at the thought of
seeing him completely naked.  Jess winked, and then let the denim fall to the
ground, revealing a pair of form fitted boxer.  He threw them in the growing
pile of clothes on the sand.

“Your
turn.”

Top or
bottom.  I had to drop one more.  Damn!  Why couldn’t I have worn a tank top
under the shirt?  Jess laughed as I struggled, my cheeks getting redder by the second. 

“You
don’t have to do this.  Just tell me what’s got you so twisted up tonight.”

I didn’t
want to tell him yet.  I changed my mind.  I wanted to wait until we got back. 
Telling him tonight would ruin the trip.  Looking back into his blue eyes, I
agreed to still play this game.

Slipping
my fingers behind my back, grabbed the hooks of my bra.  I felt nervous even
though it was nothing Jess hadn’t seen in the past.  My stomach clenched at the
thought.  I wished tonight was the first time for Jess to see me naked; his
sweet face transfixed, waiting for me to show him something he had wanted all
these years.  Instead, I remembered the anger and pain that wrecked him as he
watched that video.  I wished for a do-over, but those only existed in the movies;
the stupid unrealistic ones with time travel.  I changed my mind and reached
for my panties, inching them lower over my hips. 

Jess
frowned.  “Wait, Al.  That's enough.”  

He
grabbed me and tossed my whole body over his shoulder.  My red hair flung out
in every direction as my head bobbed against his back.  He walked out into the
water.  The tips of my hair brushed the waves.  Jess pretended to drop me
head-first.  I let out a scream and hit his legs with my fists.  He changed his
grip and tipped me forward.  I slid down his chest, letting out a scream from
the shock of the water.  My feet searched frantically for the bottom.

“I’ve got
you.  I won’t let go.”

“You
promise?”  My fingers gripped his shoulders tight.

“Trust
me, ok?”  I smelled the faint scent of beer on his breath.  He talked softly as
our noses bumped in the rippling water.   “Don’t be afraid.  Just relax.  You
can stand up here.  We aren’t that far out.”

I nodded,
letting myself settle against him.  I uncurled my toes and extended my feet.  The
bottom felt both soft and rough with fragments of sea shells.  The ocean
frightened the crap out of me during the day; a loud, dark swirl of
destruction, pulling everything in its path back to the big unknown.  Tonight,
Jess made it a place of calm surrender.

His blue
eyes watched me and he grinned.  “Tonight’s our first time.”  I felt startled
at his words.  He laughed at my reaction. “To really be in the ocean together.”

“Oh.”  A
wall of water hit me from the side, plunging burning salt in my nose and eyes. 

“You have
to jump.”

“Ok.” I
let go to wipe my face, and then quickly latched my arm back to his shoulder.

“Jump!”

I pushed
off from the sand.  We rose up together, in a tangle of limbs under the dark
water before sinking to the bottom.  The next wave brought us back up and
slowly down, creating a beautiful underwater ballet.  I smiled.  He laughed.  I
laughed.  He smiled.  We jumped high into the next incoming wave. 

“Wanna go
deeper?”

“Isn’t it
too late with the tide?”

“Nah. 
Come on.” He cupped my butt cheeks in each hand, pulling me up around his
waist.  My thighs dug tight into his sides in fear of floating away in the dark
abyss. “Keep your feet locked.  I won’t drop you.”

“Promise?”

“No.” 
Jess winked even though he held me tight against his body.  He moved further
out in the dark water.  “You’re gonna kill me one of these days.”

“What
for?”

“I’ll be
old with a cane, tryin’ to fish your stupid ass out of some pond you fell in. 
You yellin’ ‘bout not swimmin’ and me drownin’ cause the arthritis.”

“That’s
not even realistic.”

“Maybe.” 
His eyes glowed back at me, turning darker in the moonlight.  “You remember the
last time I dragged you through the water?” 

“Possum
Kingdom.”

“Yup. 
You were sittin’ up there on top of that cliff scared shitless.  I wasn’t sure
what to do with you.  Throw you off the top or just kiss you.”

“You
wanted to kiss me that day?  You never told me that.”

“I know.”

The wave
splashed, pushing us up in a weightless float.  I tightened my thighs, digging
into his waist.  As the water rolled back, my arms clung to his neck, our noses
just a fraction apart.  His wet hair covered his eyes. 

Letting
go of his neck, I moved the dark pieces back from his forehead.  My fingers
traced down his skin and brushed the drops of water hanging off his long
eyelashes.  I followed down his cheeks to his pink lips.  My fingers brushed
across the bottom one.  My heart beat fast in my chest.  I bet they tasted
salty if I kissed them.  My thoughts twisted around as I stared at his lips.  I
remembered what it felt like to kiss Jess.  It had been four years since that
day on the meadow, and I still knew exactly how it felt to have his tongue in
my mouth; a sweet piece of erotic heaven I’d tried to block out of my memory.

“Al, what
are we doin’ out here?”

“Uh...what?” 
I swallowed hard, feeling the burn of every place his skin touched me in the
cold water.  His scrunched-up eyebrows came back into focus.  I fought the
embarrassing red stain spreading on my cheeks and I wondered if my thoughts
were that transparent.