Imperfect Love (7 page)

“Wake up, coward.” Josie kicked her air bed.

Holly growled. “Leave me alone.”

“I’m not leaving you alone, we had a deal.”

“It’s your fantasy, not mine.”

“Whatever, Holly. Get up, or else I’m going to ask Bernie to throw water on you.”

“Do what you want, just leave me alone.”

The girls apparently thought this was extremely hilarious.

Not five minutes later, Holly was soaking wet, drowned in ice-cold water. Gasping for air, she felt her body jerk back to life. “You bitch!” she screamed like a banshee.

“Josie did warn you, Holls,” said Bernie, a satisfied look on her face.

Gasping, she reasoned, “B-b-but, I didn’t think she meant it, and I didn’t believe you’d do it!”

“Well, I did. Get. Your. Ass. Out. Of. Bed!”

“Coward, coward, coward,” Josie sang.

She could honestly be such a pain sometimes.

“If you want it to happen so badly, why don’t
you
go kiss him?”

“I’m married, so I can’t. And I do have morals, I’ll have you know.”

Holly could in no way be upset with these two, so just ended up shaking her head and smiling.

“I’m not going to live out your fantasy. Poor guy, in the state I was in, he would have probably ended up in the ER himself.”

With all three giggling, it was quite a sight to behold.

“I’ll give you five minutes to get out of this tent, or else I’m sending Jake in.” Bernie’s finger was in Holly’s face now.

“Fine, you win,” Holly stuck her tongue out. “Just let me put on another shirt. This one is soaking wet.”

“Leave it on, it looks like you’ve just taken part in a wet T-shirt contest. The boys will love it.”

“My boobs are seriously not wet T-shirt competition worthy.”

“Holly, you can always make them bigger.”

“No, thanks. There is a reason why they are so small. I’m not going to tamper with that.”

“Four minutes, Holly, and counting.” Bernie wiggled her eyebrows and exited the tent.

Without wasting another second, Holly got up and started looking for a shirt in her bag. It would be just her luck if Jake walked into her tent after three and a half minutes, asking her what she wanted.

Sometimes, her friends annoyed the crap out of her, but they both had good hearts and would always have her back, no matter what. She found a black shirt, one that went well with her mood and slumped out of the tent. The sun was beginning to set, but the light still hurt her sensitive eyes.

“Over here, you coward,” Josie yelled from the direction of Jake’s RV.

She would kill her if she’d told him what she’d planned to do a couple of hours ago. She took a seat on a camp chair next to Bernie and promptly closed her eyes. It felt as if someone had blown sand into them.

“Holly, why are you a coward?” Leo asked.

“Josie is the coward, and a permanent pain in my ass.”

“Whatever, coward.” Josie kicked Holly’s chair, and it almost collapsed. She managed to keep it upright, but just barley.

“Your balance is good, for someone who is drunk,” Jake commented.

“I’m not drunk.”

“Holly, you sang, upside down of all things, when George brought you back. You were out of your rocker.” Bernie said.

Holly laughed. “Okay, a tiny bit, maybe.”

“You sang!” Josie shrieked.

“Oh, shut up, already.”
Please, God, make them stop.

Josie started to sing Holly’s drunken song, and was quickly joined by Leo and Bernie who sang right along with her.

Jake’s shoulders shook with humor.

Holly looked at Josie. “Something is wrong with you, seriously. You should get your head checked out.” Suddenly, Holly gasped. “Maybe Jake can check it out for you. I’m sure if he tweaked some things up there, you would finally be somewhat normal.”

A fair amount of sniggering and giggles followed this statement.

“Jake can tweak my head, anytime,” Josie flirted.

“Ugh! That sounds so disgusting coming from your mouth,” Holly mumbled.

“Am I missing something here?” Jake had a puzzled look on his face.

“No, trust me, you’re not. Go home, Josie.”

“Fine, but you are still a coward.”

“Go home!”

Josie winked at her, then made her way back to her camp. “Coward,” she couldn’t help but part with.

“So, why are you a coward, Holly?” Leo asked again.

“That is our secret. You guys are keeping a secret from me, so deal with it,” Bernie answered for Holly.

“That must really be killing you.” Holly looked at Bernie with a mischievous grin.

“Ha-ha. Be nice, or I’ll tell.”

“Tell. It’s not my fantasy.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“What fantasy?” Jake piped up.

“Josie has some pretty crazy fantasies. Ones that George can’t fulfill.” Everyone found this pretty funny. “She’s mental, really, a few steps away from the nut house.”

“What did you have to drink?”

“Something I still for the life of me cannot pronounce. That stuff burned all the way down. It lit up all my organs, even in places I didn’t know organs resided.”

“Well, you should really sober up because we’re going to do shooters tonight,” Bernie said excitedly.

“If I smell any more alcohol, I will puke.”

Jake stood and left. Bernie looked at him for a while. Her gaze soon affixed itself on Holly, who was also staring at his back as he walked into his RV.

Bernie sighed. “You are a coward, Holls.”

“Shut up. I’m getting tired of that damn word.”

He walked back out just as quickly as he’d entered, and making his way to Holly handed her a Coke. “Drink this.”

“I don’t drink Coke.”

“You want to feel better? It will help.”

“Is that a doctor thing?”

“No it’s a general knowledge thing.” He smiled.

“Fine.” She opened the can and the bubbles prickled her lips before the cool liquid tingled her tongue. The sweet taste felt good, and she finished the entire can in seconds. As soon as she was done, everyone looked at her disbelievingly. “What? I was thirsty.”

“Don’t drink Coke, my ass. For someone who doesn’t drink Coke, you sure poured that down your throat in record time.” This was the first time Sonic had spoken to someone other than Jake.

“She seriously doesn’t drink Coke.” Bernie, good friend that she was, rushed to her defense.

“Uh-huh,” Sonic mumbled.

Holly knew that Bern was going to have a fit as she disliked anyone who answered in that manner.

“Ignore it, please,” Holly murmured softly to Bernie.

“So, Sonic. How long have you been back in Jake’s life?”

“Bernie…” Leo warned, and Holly sighed.

“What? I’m just asking her a question.”

“About two months, and it’s got absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with you.”

“Uh-huh,” Bernie mocked with a raised lip.

Holly kept a straight face.

Sonic got up and stomped into the RV.

“Was that really necessary?” Leo asked.

“Leave it, Leo. Bernie’s got a point,” Jake said.

“Thank you, Jake, just as long as you remember that.”

Jake only smiled. “Did you really think I would go for someone like Sonic?”

“Jake, I love you like a brother, but you are still a guy. And that in there, is a piece of ass.”

Holly was riveted to their exchange.

“Can we please not speak about this kind of stuff around Medusa?”

Holly was thankful she’d finished the Coke before his comment or she would have, without a doubt, spewed it all over herself from laughing so much. “I’m not Medusa.”

“Well, you hiss.”

Bernie and Leo exchanged grins.

“I hiss, because I’m fucking tired and my hand fucking aches. Speaking of which, I’m almost positive I’m not going to be able to convince you to give me a painkiller due to the fact that I have more alcohol flowing through these veins than any human probably should. I’m also pretty sure that if I tried to swallow one of those fire pills, I would explode. I hope that sums it up for you.” Narrowing her eyes, she looked at Jake.

Bernie, Leo and Jake couldn’t for the life of them contain the laughter that erupted.

“I don’t ever recall hearing you swear that much, ever,” Bernie stated with a fake, shocked look on her face.

“Zip it. You’re the reason for my foul mood.”

“I think it’s shooter time, so you zip it and go pour us a few.” Bernie cocked an eyebrow.

“That’s why you woke me up?”

“You are the only one who knows how to concoct an entire list of shooters, Holls. Why do you think I brought you along?”

“You’re evil, and you have the audacity to call yourself my friend.”

“I do, because you love me to bits.”

“Yeah? And how do you suppose I’m going to prepare the shooters, Einstein?”

“Ask Sonic, it will give Jake a couple of minutes away from her.”

Jake snorted. “Yeah, ask Sonic, please. I’m begging you.”

“Why did you bring her?” Holly asked on a whisper.

“It’s a secret,” Bernie whispered back, sounding really sarcastic.

Clucking her tongue, Holly teased her, “It must be so hard.”

“Shut up. Shooters, now.”

“Fine.” Holly got up. “I don’t think Sonic likes me very much after Bernie’s really mocking lesson. Could you please ask her if she would like to help me?” Holly asked Jake.

“Sonic!” Jake yelled.

“Seriously, you couldn’t get up to ask her?”

“Yes?” Sonic’s head popped out the doorway.

Pathetic,
Holly thought.

Jake’s shoulders shook, as if he’d heard Holly’s thought.

“Would you help Holly prepare some shooters, please?” He gave her his super smile, the one Holly didn’t want to look at because it would make her turn into a pile of goo.

“Sure, come.” Sonic gestured to Holly to join her in the RV.

They spent the next couple of hours preparing shooters, managing to remain relatively civil to each other. Jake sauntered in from time to time, usually as they were close to finishing up and flirted with Sonic. She handed him a shooter; both threw their heads back at the same time on numerous occasions, letting the mixture trickle down their throats. Holly felt like she was intruding on their moment and walked out.

“Not want her, my ass,” Holly ground out, irritated after the umpteenth time it happened.

“He’s really not into Sonic, Holls,” Leo spoke quietly next to her.

“Whatever.”

The night went on and all she wanted was to go to bed, but again Bernie wouldn’t let her.

Holly started a countdown to Jake’s eventual appearance just as they finished pouring another shooter, and just as she’d predicted he walked in and had an extra one with Sonic.

“You want to make me drunk?”

“Sure I do,” Jake replied.

Holly left the RV. All she had had to do was look at Leonard to set him off bursting into laughter.

“He’s not,” Leo mumbled.

“Let’s bet. I say he’s going to grab her before the night is over,” Holly challenged Leo.

“How much?”

“A hundred dollars. Deal?”

“Deal.”

A couple of rounds later, Jake’s gaze didn’t waver from Sonic, who really didn’t look like she could handle one more shot. “I think it’s time you go to bed, missy.” He pulled her up gently and helped her to the tent situated directly in front of the RV. He ducked, lifted the green canvas flap and ushered them both inside.

Holly watched this turn of events with eagle eyes.

“Pay up, loser.”

“He’s not going to do it.”

“Oh, please. What do you think they’re doing in that tent?”

“Holly’s got a point. You lost.”

“I didn’t lose.”

Just then, Jake re-emerged.

“That was fast,” Holly smirked.

“What was?”

She merely scrunched up her face in reply.

“I told you I’m not interested in Sonic. I just never thought she could drink that much.”

“Pay up, loser.” Leo was sporting the hugest grin ever, as well as having a hand on his forehead, thumb in the horizontal position and index finger in the vertical; the universal sign for loser.

Jake turned and looked at Holly. “You bet on this? You’re mean.”

“So, sue me. There were a few times I had to get out of there. Your RV isn’t big enough for all that love.”

“Oh, please. I just gave her a shooter, woman.”

“Pay up,” Leo cut in, snapping his fingers.