BAD BOY ROMANCE: A Wifey for the Bad Boy (Contemporary Alpha Male Romance Book) (New Adult Alpha Male Romance Short Stories) (55 page)

The Summer with Clara

Chapter 1

I tapped out the final few words of an e-mail. My cell buzzed beside me, its screen glowing. I glanced at it as my fingers danced over the keys, then picked it up and answered.

“We're just round the corner, I hope you're ready, we're on a tight schedule!” Kira said. I could hear the demand in her voice. She was afraid that I would cancel or back out like I had done with so many other things over the past year. I look at the unpacked clothes on my bed and felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.

“I'll be there, don't worry, I'm just finishing a few things up,” I said, and I heard her silent sigh of relief. She hung up and I scanned the e-mail, then pressed the send button. I checked over my notebook to make sure that everything was in order and then chucked everything into a big bag that I had bought especially for this weekend. I had no time to fold them properly, but we were only going camping for three nights so I would surely have enough clothes. I ran around the room and picked up my cell, money, and other little things that I thought I wouldn't be able to do without, although I had a nagging feeling that I had forgotten something.

Then I heard a car roar around the corner and the horn blared out. I cringed, for it was early in the morning and the neighbors wouldn't have appreciated this. I threw the bag over my shoulder, ran down the stairs, and slammed the door behind me.

When I approached the car the girls cheered. Kira came out and helped me throw my bag in the trunk. She was smiling but I got the sense that she hadn't slept. That was Kira for you, always on the edge of excitement. She linked hands with me but then let go almost as quickly as she had taken my arm. She went to the passenger seat. I was assigned the back seat, to the left.

“Hey Andrea, glad you could make it in the end,” Simone said. She was dark-haired and usually wore a lot of make-up, but evidently there hadn't been enough time for that this morning. Her hands clutched the wheel and she moved the car forward. The tires rolled across the smooth road as we carried on.

“Yeah, I managed to move a few things around. I know I've been useless at doing things recently so I wanted to make the effort this time,” I said, and pulled out my cell quickly, wanting to make a note of something that I needed to send someone.

“How is the business?” Simone asked.

“Yeah, it's good, really hard, sometimes I forget to sleep and eat but other than it's great. Can't really complain seeing as how it's what I wanted all these years. But there we go,” I said as I sent the message and slipped the cell back into my pocket where it felt heavy against my thigh.

“Well I hope you're ready to relax, we're going to have a technology-free weekend. An escape from the drudgery of modern existence. We're going back to a time when it was just humanity and the world, no Google, no Facebook, no blogs or Tweets or anything like that. Hashtag going old-school,” Kira said, twisting her head back so that she could look at me. I smiled and nodded, although I had no intention of going the whole weekend without checking my messages. It's the 21
st
century, I'm sure that I can find a signal somewhere.

Kira leaned forward and slid a CD into the dashboard.

“I made a little mix for the road, thought it would bring back some memories,” she said. Then N*SYNC started playing and me and Simone both shook our heads. Kira started singing loudly, and the other two of us had no choice but to join in.

As we sang I realized how much I had missed this. For so long this was what life had been like, just us girls sharing laughs and experiences, singing and dancing no matter what life threw at us, and then somewhere along the way it had been forgotten, like a faded, hazy dream.  I was as much to blame for that as anyone but it was mostly life. After we graduated from high school we promised that we'd always be friends. Sometimes we were just people on each others' Facebook feeds though, but being in that car with them was like slipping back into my own bed after a vacation. Midway through the song I stopped singing and smiled, and simply looked at my two friends. This is what life should be like. But I knew that after this camping trip we would all go our separate ways again, back to our ordinary lives with our ordinary plans and we'd all promise each other that we'd stay in touch but we know that we wouldn't. And we'd talk about arranging another trip but we wouldn't be able to find a date that everyone could make. The time between seeing each other would increase, then we'd fall into other lives with husbands and children and we'd watch them grow up and play together, and we'd think about each other and what a shame it was that we never kept in touch but by then it would be too late, and we'd be nothing to each other but a wistful smile on a sleepy Sunday afternoon.

I looked out of the window as the dawn sun's light danced over the tops of the houses. People were sleeping. It was like we were sneaking out on an adventure. We were adults now but when we were together we were just like children again. Like the time we ran into the abandoned house and sprinted out of there when we heard a noise. There was just one more person to pick up. Lisa.

Chapter 2

The car stopped outside her house and Kira repeated the words that she had said to me earlier. Lisa was the one of us who had seamlessly found a place in the world. I was trying to build my own empire. Kira was a nurse. Simone was a teacher. Lisa was a number of things. She had always been the eldest, and seemed so by far even though there were only a matter of weeks between us all. But if we were girls then she was a woman. She was the one who had had a boyfriend first. She was the one who taught us what it was like and how to kiss. I still remember that night when we were hunched in Kira's room and Lisa told us all about Jack Fox's wet, slobbering kiss. The way his swollen tongue had filled her mouth until it felt like her own and how his paws had clawed over her small bumps of breasts. We were sitting there wide-eyed as she casually told us about the way his body was all hard and hot and yearning and how he had a look in his eyes like he wanted to devour her, and that one day she would let him, and we knew she would even though the mere mention of it set our hearts racing.

Then she taught us how to kiss. It was late at night. We'd been sipping on a forbidden bottle of Kira's mom's wine. I didn't like the taste but at that age I only needed one sip. The moonlight danced over us like we were fairy children and it all seemed perfectly natural. Lisa sidled up to each of us in turn. First she kissed Kira, and they giggled. It didn't seem slobbering. It was soft and sensual. Then Simone. They laughed even before they kissed and then acted like it was out of a movie, with hands clutching at each other and their mouths locked together so that their lips disappeared into each other. Then it was my turn. I already knew I was different to them. When they talked about boys I smiled and nodded and pretending that I had a crush on Danny Fisher because that's who I thought girls were supposed to like, with his fast car and his slick black hair. But when I looked at him and his girlfriend, it was her I thought of when I was laying in bed at night. The blonde bombshell Milly Martin. Now there was a woman. The one that got away. The one that never would be.

But sitting in front of me was Lisa. I had never told them my secret. Not even though our bond went deeper than sisters. There was something precious about it. At that point I didn't even understand it fully myself so how could I tell them? All I knew is that as Lisa was sitting in front of me and stroked the hair away from my face my heart was racing and I felt a tingling sensation surge through me, rising like lava from a volcano. I felt her breath on my lips just before they touched. It must have only lasted for barely a second but time stretched out and it seemed like an eternity. Our eyes closes and our heads tilted away as our lips met. She was soft and tasted of the wine. This time I didn't mind the taste. My lips were wet with her saliva and I felt her hand around the back of my head. Like we were linked. Like it was just the two of us.

Then she broke off and laughed again like it was some joke. I laughed too but it was no joke to me.

After that I went to college and found myself. When I eventually told them, Lisa was mildly embarrassed that I was her first kiss but I told her not to worry about it. It had to be with someone and it was better that it was someone I trusted rather than some random boy who I would never think about in five years' time. I think she took that as a dig at her. Maybe it was.

I never had a crush on any of them though. We were too close. It was too weird. I knew them too well. But sometimes it still feels like I'm working my way through life, but Lisa has it all figured out. She has a fiancé and house and a life together, just like you're supposed to. She got with the program and played the game like everyone else in the world. Sometimes I envy her for it, sometimes I pity her. Sometimes it's like she's just gliding through life without every
doing
anything. I see her hug Kira. The engagement ring shines on her finger. But that is not what catches my attention. There's another woman with her. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

Chapter 3

Sometimes there are people you come across and they seem unreal, like a mirage or an illusion, born from the depths of your desires and given life. Clara was one such woman. She had fire-red hair that cascaded down past her shoulders. Though it was early in the morning she looked fresh and energetic. Her face had a timeless quality about it. She looked young, even younger than us and we were but pups in the grand scheme of life, and yet when she grew closer I saw that she had a wisdom in her emerald eyes, and I found myself instantly enchanted by her. She walked with grace and elegance, more glided than walked. She had a slender, lithe physique with curves in all the right places and the kind of mischievous smile that would send anyone wild. Where had this rare and beautiful creature come from? Why torment me with the knowledge that someone like this exists? No good can come from my dreaming or my fantasies. Suddenly I fell into despair for I knew that the long weekend was going to be filled with longing if she were there, so close and yet forbidden to touch, because she wasn't for me. She was for somebody who knew what they were doing, who knew themselves and what they wanted.

“Who's that?” I asked, almost without realizing it. Simone smirked. That was when I first heard Clara's name.

“One of Lisa's friends, I thought you knew she was coming? She was in the Facebook message.” I'd barely read that message, just checked the dates and the times and that was that. Now I wish I had because I wanted to go through Clara's profile. I wanted to see her with a partner. Or could I bear that pain? Surely she would have someone. She could have anyone. She walked forward, seemingly in slow motion. She waved at us. I stared back, my mouth agog. Never had anyone had this effect on me without yet meeting.

“Someone's got a little crush I see,” Simone said. I glared at her as Lisa and Clara approached the car. My cheeks flushed, afraid that Clara would hear.

“Shut up! I just like her hair, that's all,” I whispered sharply. Simone raised an eyebrow. She didn't believe me. I gave her another warning look as the door opened and Clara and Lisa's conversation poured into the car.

“This is Simone, Kira, and Andrea. You three, this is my friend Clara, she's an expert at camping so I thought I'd bring her along to help,” she said. Clara slapped her playfully on the arm. She said hi. Her voice was soulful and melodious, like a soft summer breeze. Lisa got in first. I found myself hating her and yet loving her at the same time. I could smell Clara's fruity perfume among the rest of the scents. Her legs were pressed against Lisa's. Mine were pressed against Lisa's. Somehow we were connected, touching each other without touching. I looked at her and dared not look away, almost hoping that she'd turn to see me staring but I wondered what look I would be met with. Would it be intrigue? Would she welcome me? Or would she sneer and turn away? My throat was dry and I could barely think straight but now that she was closer I could stare at her and that was all I needed. I looked at the way her hair flowed down in soft curls, at the pale, smooth skin, the full red lips, the demure earrings hidden behind her hair, only revealed to those who looked closely enough. Her jacket was open at the collar, providing a glimpse of her collarbone, the place where her slender neck met her shoulders and the rest of her body followed, hidden from my view, tempting me, luring me in. I wanted to see more. I wanted to uncover the mystery of her. I wanted to know everything about her, because I had a feeling that I would love everything. I didn't know if I believed in soul mates but if they existed then surely Clara was mine.

Chapter 4

“You two have something in common,” Lisa said as the car pulled away and the journey got underway properly. Kira was still singing along to the music but that was a distant noise. I was focused on Clara and Clara alone. When Lisa spoke Clara looked at me. The shock of those green eyes was enough to turn me away, yet when I did I felt foolish, like a coward, and it made me feel unworthy of her.

“Oh really?” Clara said, her voice dancing. I blushed. Was Lisa about to tell her that I was a lesbian? Was she about to tell me that Lisa liked the same?

“Yeah, Andrea here is setting up her own business, it's why we practically had to drag her on this weekend,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me. I felt small, crushed into the corner with the woman of the world next to me, the goddess beside her.

“Oh really? What business are you trying to set up?” Clara asked. This time I looked up and I caught myself in those eyes. They sparkled and glistened and I was lost in her soul. Her mouth twitched into a slight smile and she tilted her head ever so slightly as she awaited my answer. It was a subject I had spoken about many times and yet in that moment I felt myself becoming dumbstruck, as if the ability to speak had been wrested from my psyche by some malevolent wizard. I could feel the tension building, Clara wondering why this new person she had encountered couldn't speak. Or perhaps she was used to this and I was but the most recent victim to the spell that Clara unwittingly cast?

“Clara runs her own massage parlor,” Lisa eventually said, saving me from the silence that was consuming me. “That's actually how we met,” she continued, “she works wonders with her hands,” and suddenly I felt envy flow through me. To think of Clara's hands over Lisa's body left me reeling. It was irrational I know, but it felt like Lisa was torturing me with this knowledge. I would have given anything to feel those hands upon me and Lisa had already experienced it, and she could not fathom the desire I felt.

“I know what it's like starting out, and mine is only a small business, I don't expect to ever make much from it. I just like making a living and that's enough for me. Lisa told me a little bit about what you do earlier. It sounds like a lot of work with all the distributors and stuff, you must not get much time to relax,” Clara said, trying to prompt me into talking. She was kind. I appreciated it. I took a deep breath and smiled.

“Yeah, it's...I don't have much a life to be honest. I get so wrapped up in calls and e-mails that it's easy to forget about the world outside. The only reason I came this weekend is because I knew these guys would kill me,” I laughed a little. So did Clara.

“You should be glad you did. Have you ever been camping before?” she asked. I was about to answer but before I could do so Lisa snorted.

“Ha, Andrea go camping?  Part of the reason why I'm looking forward to this weekend is to see how you cope,” she said, looking at me.

“I'm sure I'll be fine,” I said, meeting the challenge.

“I am too, there's nothing too complicated about it. You might even like it more than you expect. It's good to be disconnected from the regular world sometimes, gives you a chance to really get to know the people you're camping with.” As Clara said this she lowered her eyelids at me, only at me, and my heart flipped inside. I gulped. Was I just imagining things? There were so many things that were unknown about Clara and about life that I wasn't sure if I was hoping too hard or for too much.

During the ride we all spoke. There were five of us. Three too many. I kept glancing at Clara, hoping to glimpse some sign of truth in her eyes about whether she was on the same wavelength as me but I never managed to catch her gaze. Lisa led the conversation and told Clara about the adventures we'd been on. Simone and Kira laughed as they added in details, and Clara was the perfect audience, sitting back and listening to the storytellers unfurl their stories like grand tapestries. Meanwhile, I remained in the corner of the car, creating a story of my own, with just me and Clara.

“It's unlike you to be so quiet,” Kira remarked.

“Huh?” I said, jerked from my haven of private thoughts. “Oh, I'm just trying to get into the holiday mode. I spend so much time speaking on the phone that it's nice to give my voice a rest, and I was enjoying listening to all the stories of yesteryear.”

“Well I'm sure we'll be creating more than a few stories this weekend!” Kira whooped, “I'm so glad to be away from work. It's so stressful at the moment.”

“Well no wonder if you surround yourself with children,” Simone said.

“Yeah, I couldn't do that,” I added.

“You may have one more child to be around before too long,” Lisa said.

“You're not?!” Simone asked, looking back at us in the rear view mirror.

“Not yet,” Lisa replied, “but pretty much as soon as we're married we're going to try. We've got everything else ticked off so the baby is the only thing,” she said. I pursed my lips and offered my hollow congratulations. Lisa was getting further away from us. She was setting herself up for a life without us in it. We would be invited to the birthday parties for the child, and maybe we would even be called aunts but soon enough we'd drift away, perhaps we'd send a card every Christmas, and we'd receive one with updates about the child, about the baby we once bounced upon our knee, but I wouldn't have a child to have a playdate. Lisa would have other friends. New friends. Mom friends. I was happy for her, but sorry for the girls who had promised each other that they would be friends forever because life changes and we have to change with it.