Between the Sheets
Between The
Sheets
Published by Julie
Prestsater
Copyright 2012 Julie
Prestsater
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Contents
For
Lyndsi
…
You’re the Melly Belly to my Shel. The Christina to my
Meredith. The Carly to my Sam. The Laverne to my Shirley. You’re
the
best
best friend any girl could
ever ask for. In the last twenty six years, we’ve been through it
all together. Some of the best times, and some of the worst. Some,
I bet, you’re hoping never end up in a book. Ha ha. I make no
promises. You’re part of almost every memory I have of growing up
and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in the future.
Cheers to you … my best friend, my sister.
Melissa
"Can I have this dance, pretty lady?"
Tyler holds out his hand, one side of his mouth rising in a sexy
grin.
I glance up at him, trying to resist
his charm. "Lady huh? Do I look fifty to you?"
"Come on now, Mel. Don't be
such a smart ass. Isn't it customary for the best man to dance with
the maid of honor?" He rests his hands on his hips and smiles. Damn
him,
and
his
irresistible charm. My defenses have nothing against the suggestive
arch of his brow and the upward curve of his lips. I doubt it’s
customary for what else he has on mind. He’s totally violating
every part of my body with his steamy eyes.
And, I love it.
"Well, if I must." I stand, with a
sarcastic sigh, and he engulfs my teeny hand in his strong grip.
I've never felt more safe and loved before in my entire life than
when I’m with Tyler. This is what this man does to me. With the
slightest touch, my insides swirl around like the spin cycle of a
washing machine. But the unease isn't all about the sparks flying
between us. I only have one week with him and then he’s going back
home. How can I get that out of my mind long enough to enjoy the
time we have together? It doesn't seem possible. Even if he can
distract me with his intoxicating stare.
When we reach the hard wood dance
floor, he takes my right hand in his, and wraps his other arm
around me, resting his palm slightly above my bottom. I can feel
his embrace get tighter as he leans down to nuzzle my neck.
Inhaling his familiar scent, I get lightheaded and brace myself
against his chest so I don't slither down his body into a boneless
pile of skin.
I don't think I can ever love anyone
more than I love Tyler. I've loved him almost my entire life. I’ve
waited just as long for him to hold me like this and my heart aches
knowing it will soon be over, again.
How many times can I really put myself
through this? When he left after winter break, I'll admit it—I
cried. Shelly doesn't know that and neither does Tyler. They both
think I'm this strong Latina woman with tough skin like the beef
jerky I eat from the little liquor store near work.
I did get over my divorce rather
quickly. That was easy though. The mother fucker was cheating on me
with some nasty ass blond bimbo from work. As if I was going to
waste my time fretting over a man who never had enough time for me,
yet he was plenty available to be screwing some colleague on his
cherry wood desk in his office. No thank you. Seeing your husband
and his mistress all wrapped up with your very own eyes does a lot
for the recovery of a broken heart.
But damn me for not being able to
resist my best friend's brother. I'd kept him at arm's length in
high school—mostly—and in college, but recently, at the first
opportunity, we're doing the wild thing in Shelly's spare bedroom.
I wonder if she's noticed she needs a new mattress in there. Those
springs are way too squeaky.
The song plays on. Adele wailing about
someone who did her wrong. This is so not wedding music. If I
wasn’t so happy for my best friend and her Marky Mark Calvin Klein
underwear model look alike of a husband, I’d want to slit my
wrists.
Tyler loosens his grip. "What are you
thinking about, Melly Belly?" Gosh I used to hate it when people
called me that. But with Tyler, it's like a sweet love song
whispering in my ears.
"I'm thinking about how depressing
this song is," I tell him, looking up into his almond-shaped green
eyes.
He chuckles. "Yeah, pretty grim for a
wedding, huh?"
“
More appropriate for a
funeral.”
“
Wedding. Funeral. Aren’t
they synonymous? I'm sure Matt feels like his life is ending right
now."
When I smack him in the chest, he
throws his head back with a big belly laugh causing all the guests
who were enjoying the sad song to look our way. He snuggles me
close again, still giggling in my ear. I can actually feel the
goofball shaking with laughter and it makes my heart melt even
more.
"You guys look like you're having way
too much fun over here. You been hittin' the bar without me, Mel?"
Shelly asks.
"Oh no, your brother here is just full
of jokes." I punch him in the arm. Then I tell her what he said.
Matt laughs along with him until Shel swings her trademark back
hand into his chest. That's my girl.
"Let's go get a drink," Shel says,
linking her arm in mine. "These two knuckleheads can dance with
each other."
I can't help but crack up when Shel
orders a beer at the bar. Here she is, in this gorgeous gown,
beautiful hair, and stunning makeup, looking like the bell of the
ball, elegant from head to toe. And she has a bottle of Newcastle
in her hand. Not even a glass. The bartender offered and she
sneered at him like he was crazy, as if he offended her.
She takes a swig and lets out a big
"Ahhh" sound.
"Nice, Shel. Very lady like," I tease
her.
"Oh excuse me," she snickers. "Let me
put my pinky up. Is that better?"
We both laugh.
"Here's to a life full of love,
happiness, and wild sex against the wall?" I toast to
her.
She clinks her bottle of beer against
my rather large glass of Stella Rosa sweet red wine.
"How about just wild sex anywhere?
Against the wall sounds all hot and sexy and all, but it's not all
that practical. Downright uncomfortable if you ask me. We’ve
tried."
My bestie is way too frickin’ funny.
Just when I thought my night was headed south, she comes up with
this goofy shit and I can't help but laugh and smile.
"Thanks Shel."
"For what?"
"Just because."
I don't have the heart to ruin her day
with my misery. I doubt she'd want to hear about how crappy I feel
about her brother leaving me yet again. After winter break, I
thought I could handle it. Then when he came back for Valentine's
Day, when Matt proposed to Shelly in front of the entire school, I
knew things were going to be difficult. We spent the weekend
together before he went back home to San Francisco, and we've been
Skyping, talking on the phone, and texting ever since. But that can
only do so much. My heart aches for him the moment he's gone and my
body yearns for his touch.
I should really just shut up and enjoy
the week we have together before we go back to work.
"Hey," Shel says, startling
me.
"What?"
"Do me a favor, would ya?"
"Anything for the most beautiful bride
I've ever seen.”
She turns to me, narrowing her eyes.
This is serious.
"Promise me to forget that Tyler is
leaving on Sunday. Pretend like he's not going anywhere. And just
let yourself be happy." She squeezes my shoulder and pulls me
toward the dance floor.
"Am I that obvious?" I
question.
"I know you better than yourself. So
promise."
"I promise. I swear to have a week
full of happiness, love, and wild sex against the wall with your
brother." I grin at her, and she raises a brow at me.
She shakes her head, saying, "T.M.I.
Melly Belly, T.M.I."
We make our way back to the dance
floor, drinks in hand, already bobbing to the beat.
“
Now this is a song I can
get down to,” Ty says as we reach the guys.
“
Get down on it,” I tell
him, listening to Kool and the Gang blaring from the speakers.
“Really?”
“
They just don’t make songs
like this anymore,” Matt adds, with a chuckle.
Shelly finishes a gulp of her beer and
then says, “Yeah, now the songs just say ‘fuck me’ and ‘blow me’
rather than trying to use metaphors. You really think this old song
is about dancing?”
“
True dat, sista,” I agree
with her in our ridiculous slang speak. You just never know when
it’s going to creep up on you, when Shel and I start talking like
we’re chillin’ with Snoop Dog.
“
Why don’t you both just
zip it and dance?” Ty jokes. He shimmies closer to me, and takes
the glass from my hand. After setting it down on a nearby table, he
struts his way back over to me, where he grabs both of my hands in
his and starts swaying them back and forth. He turns me around, his
hands squeezing my hips. I back myself up into his lap, and we
spend the rest of the night grinding and freaking like a bunch of
high schoolers at prom. Good thing there aren’t any chaperones
around to break us apart.
The reception is coming to a close and
Matt and Shel are getting ready to make their departure. I still
can’t believe they’ve stayed as long as they have. I would’ve been
gone a long time ago and been doing some serious damage back in the
hotel room. But, I’m glad she did stay. Dancing and singing with
her all night has brought back so many memories. It felt just like
old times.
I can still picture our sophomore
homecoming dance like it was yesterday. My date was a total
dickhead and he left me hanging. Ryan only asked me to make his
ex-girlfriend jealous. I wish I would’ve known that before I said
yes. When we got to the dance, the ex got all possessive and wanted
nothing to do with her own date. She just had to pick the dance as
the place to stake her claim and ask Ryan to get back together. Ty
and his date were fairing just as well as I was. His date was only
interested in dancing with her girlfriends the entire night and she
totally ignored him. I wanted to slap her and tell her she didn’t
know what she was thinking not taking advantage of her time with
such an awesome and gorgeous guy. I would have totally given my
entire collection of New Kids on the Block buttons and posters to
go anywhere on a date with Tyler at that time. Not that I would
have ever admitted it.