Chapter Seventeen

Jensen

I lock the back door as I walk through the house, going straight to my room. The phone in my pocket buzzes, so I take it out and see a shit ton of missed calls, some from Gabe, some from Brody, and one from my mom.

I open the text message from Gabe.

There is this bowling shit this Friday. Are you in?

Why haven’t you gotten back to me?

Where the fuck are you?

OMG ARE YOU WITH A GIRL? YOUR HAND MIGHT GET JEALOUS!

I laugh at the last one and send him the finger emoji.

Then my phone lights up with his name.

“Where the fuck were you?” he asks as I hear Sports Center in the back ground.

“I went for a walk on the beach. Mom has Mila,” I tell him, taking off my shirt.

“So are you in for this bowling shit? I asked Brody, and he said he would.”

What are you talking about?” I ask him, kicking off my shoes.

“This weekend at that retreat, they said we should have office gatherings, and someone mentioned bowling,” he says as he sighs. “So if I have to suffer, I’m bringing my people in.”

I laugh at him. “Okay, I’ll talk to Mom about babysitting Mila.”

“Good, and who knows, maybe you might meet someone.”

“Thanks,” I tell him as Hailey’s face flashes through my mind, “but I’m okay.”

“Whatever, dude. If your hand keeps you that warm, I don’t want to break up a happy home.”

“Fuck you,” I tell him. Hanging up, I bring up the other texts. My mother sent me a painting by Mila, and I swear it looks like a dick with balls, but it’s a pink spaceship.

I also text asking if she can babysit for me, and she calls me back. What is up with people and texting today?

“Hey, honey,” she says as soon as I answer. “Mila is sleeping.”

“Okay? Was everything okay tonight?” I ask as she tells me about the night, but the only thought I can think of is my walk on the beach.

“So can you watch Mila on Friday?” I ask her.

“Actually, I was going to ask if I could take her away for the weekend?”

“Where are you going?”

“My friend and I are going up to the springs for a weekend of hiking, and we will be stopping at Eleanor’s ranch.”

“Oh yeah, she’ll love that,” I tell her as we finish the conversation. She promises to bring Mila home sometime tomorrow. When I finally fall into bed shortly after, my dreams are of the beach, the sun, and blond hair running in the distance.

The next morning, I decided to take a walk on the beach. Bringing Flounder’s ball, I throw it and he chases it. I walk by the house with the drapes still closed, wondering if she’s sleeping, wondering if she had any more nightmares about her dick head ex. I shake my head, thinking how stupid he could have been.

For the whole day, the conversation I had with Hailey last night played on my mind. The question of getting over the bad. I let it all fester inside me. Let it simmer, letting me work through my own thoughts.

I’m thinking of her the whole time I take a shower on that Friday night; the whole time I touch myself in the shower, it’s her eyes I envision. I get out, planning to see her tonight, even if I have to sit outside the house on the beach. I grab my light blue jeans and white dress shirt, slipping my black V-neck sweater over it. Running my hands through my hair, I put on my black boots, then grab my wallet and keys and make my way to the bowling alley.

I look down at my phone after I park and find a couple of missed texts from Brody.

Telling me to hurry my ass up.

I walk in and wave at a couple of people I know when I turn, colliding with Hailey. Her scent of flowers invades me. “Hey,” I say as I grab her to make sure I don’t knock her over.

“Hey, yourself,” she says as she steadies herself, and I take in her fucking outfit. It’s just jeans, but they have tears all down the front, and they are tight and mold to her. Her big knitted sweater goes down in a V, till just above her tits, where she has some lace shit on under it. “Are you here with someone?” she asks as she holds her bowling shoes in her hand. My stomach falls as I think she might be on a fucking date.

“I’m meeting Gabe and his gang,” I say as I put my hands in my pockets, the feeling of her sweater still on my fingers.

“Oh good, so I know at least one person,” she says with a smile, and I take in her single braid on one side. My fingers itch to touch her neck.

“Yeah, are you here with Crystal?” I ask her as I walk over to the counter and get my shoes.

“Yeah, I was, but then I looked around, and I can’t find her.” She continues looking around. “I guess she must be in the bathroom.” I follow her as she leads me to a group of about twenty people. Most I know from the clinic, but some are new faces. I look around to see if Brody is anywhere close. “I guess we are on the same team,” she says from beside me as I look up and see that there are six on our team.

“Is it just the two of us?” I ask but then turn to see Brody and Darla walk from the bar carrying a tray of beers. “Hey.” I jerk my chin up to him as I go grab the tray from Darla.

“Thank you, sugar.” She smiles at me as she walks over to Hailey. “I love your shirt,” she says as she takes in Hailey.

“Whoa.” I hear Brody next to me as he watches me watch Hailey. “You might want to simmer down there, big boy. You keep looking at her like she’s your next meal, and she is going to get creeped out.” He laughs as he puts down the tray of beer and kisses Hailey’s cheek. Why the fuck is he kissing her cheek?

“There you are.” I hear Hailey say from beside me, and I look up to see Crystal coming down from the doorway.

“Sorry, I forgot something in the car,” she says as she grabs her shoes.

Hailey laughs next to her. “That’s funny; we didn’t drive my car here.” Crystal looks like a deer in headlights. I look over at the door as Gabe walks in. His shirt buttoned all wrong and wiping his lips with his thumb.

He looks up at me as I look to see if anyone else saw, and I’m not surprised to find Hailey looking at him and then back at Crystal. She looks over at me, and her eyes go big. I shake my head, and she nods. I meet him halfway.

“You are fucking Crystal? Are you insane?”

“Hey,” he says, pointing at me, “I’m not fucking anyone.”

“Really?” I tilt my head, looking at him. “You still have lip gloss on your lips, and your shirt is not buttoned properly.”

“Fuck,” he says as he walks away to the bathroom. I head back over to the group.

“So,” I say, sitting next to Hailey. “Who is going to go first?”

I stretch my arms out on both sides. Darla jumps to her feet.

“I’ll go first,” she says as she gives Brody a kiss, and I look over to see Crystal socializing with the other nurses.

“So are we going to discuss what we just saw?” Hailey leans in to me, her shoulder fitting against me perfectly. “Did you know?”

I look over at her, seeing the sparkle in her eye. “No, did you?” I ask her quietly with a smile. She shakes her head.

“Hailey,” Brody says loudly, and she jumps away from me. “Your turn.”

She taps my legs as she gets up. “Be right back.” Going to the balls, she grabs a pink ball and looks over at the other lane. I’ve seen the guy at the clinic a couple of times. He tells her something, and she throws her head back and laughs. She watches him bowl, and then he comes over as if tell her what to do, and she does and knocks down eight pins. She squeals and then walks back over and high fives him.

“Who the fuck is that?” I ask Gabe as I point at the guy.

“Don’t fucking touch my pediatrician. He just started. He’s the best around,” Gabe says as he looks over at the rest of his staff, seeing Crystal talk to someone I’ve never seen before.

His teeth clench as I slap his back. “Relax, dude, it’s nothing.” I look up and see it’s my turn, so I walk up to Hailey and her friend. “Hey, nice to meet you, I’m Walker.”

I put my hand out as I put my other hand on Hailey’s back while the guy reaches forward. “I’m Alan. Do you work at the clinic?”

I laugh as I pull my hand back. “Nope. I own Walker Construction next door.”

“Oh,” he says, pointing, “you guys are building my house.”

“Really?” I say, not surprised. “Well, let me know if you need anything. If you’ll excuse me, it’s my turn.” I turn to Hailey. “I think Crystal was looking for you.” I point back at the seats to see Crystal is actually there.

“Well, see you later, Alan.” Hailey smiles and walks back while I grab a ball and bowl a strike. “Look at you, professional bowler and all,” she says as she drinks a glass of beer.

“I’m a man of many talents,” I tell her as Crystal pretends to vomit in her mouth.

“Really? So besides bowling and being a pretty cool dad, what other talents do you have?” She crosses her hands over her chest as she smiles, and I want to bury my hand in her hair and kiss that smile off her lips.

“I can cook a mean steak,” I tell her as I put my hands in my back pockets before I do something she isn’t ready for.

“Is that so?” She laughs as she has another drink of beer. “You’ll have to show me one day,” she says as Crystal shrieks and jumps up down after getting a strike. She points to Gabe and flips him the bird.

“Soft, my ass,” she says as she comes back and sits next to him. “I believe it’s your turn. Loser buys the winner lunch for a week.” She smiles as he glares at her. “Should I just give you my orders now?”

“It isn’t over till the tenth frame, doll face,” Gabe tells her.

“Ewww, did you just call me doll face?” Her face in a grimace. “I mean, it’s better than pain in my ass.” She shrugs.

“You are a pain in my ass. For once, I’d like to have a day when you don’t second-guess everything I do,” he says as he looks back to grab his ball and she yells.

“For once, I’d like to go to work with a doctor who I don’t have to second-guess. If you want, I can transfer to pediatrics. Alan likes me,” she tells him as she leans back and smiles at Alan who waves. I look at Gabe and think he’s going to throw the bowling ball at him. “Let’s see what you can do, Doctor,” Crystal says as he bowls a strike and turns around with his hands over his head.

“You two do realize that this is ten frames, and we just did only one,” Brody says as he grabs Darla to sit on his lap.

“Please. I’ve got him beat; he’s a princess,” Crystal says as she gulps down some beer.

“Princess?” Gabe says as he laughs. “You cried when I picked up a frog and showed it to you.”

Crystal slams down her hands. “That fucker was going to jump at me.” She storms up. “I want to change teams.”

We all laugh at them. “Too late,” he says as he looks at the screen. “Darla, you’re up.” Crystal glares at him as I sit down and watch. Hailey looks around, and when she sees me sitting down, she comes over.

“I don’t think those two are going to be able to work and have sex without killing each other.” Hailey crosses her legs and leans in to whisper in my ear. I turn to look at her and see the sparkle again.

“You’re beautiful when you smile.” The words slip out before I can stop them. She looks down and then up again.

“So when are you going to make me steak?” she asks as she drinks some more beer. I notice it’s her second one. Liquid courage.

“Tell you what, I’ll cook the steaks tomorrow night, but you have to come over and help me.” My hands itch to touch her as I rub my thighs.

“Hooker,” Crystal yells back, and Hailey jumps up.

The rest of the evening, we mingle and laugh. Brody ends up winning the game. Crystal beats Gabe by one point.

“The machine is broken,” he said as he looked at the score. “There has to be a glitch in the system. I had one more strike than you did.”

Crystal looks at her nails and then up again. “Yes, and then you knocked two pins down, which means you suck and I win so … I’ll text you my orders.”

The rest of the clinic people come over and discuss hitting up the bar. Crystal looks at Hailey. “You go ahead. I’m going to head home,” Hailey says as she looks around.

“Walker”—Crystal looks at me—“you going home? Can you drive her?”

“I’m not going to the bar,” Alan says with a smile.

“I got her, but thanks.” I look at him as we say bye to everyone else and walk out. I open her door for her as she giggles, and I shake my head. She is half blitzed.

I start the car, and the song “Don’t You Wanna Stay” comes on, and she buckles her seat belt. “I love this song,” she says as she sings off-key. I look out the window as I drive up to the house, the lights outside lit up. She unbuckles her seat belt. “Will you come sit with me?” she asks, and at that moment, I’m going to give her whatever she wants as long as she keeps the sparkle in her eyes.

I put the car in park, then make my way out of the car as she meets me and opens her hand. “Let’s sit by the water,” she says, and I put my hand in hers, and we walk down to the water.

We sit down in our normal spots, gazing out at the water. “Did you really mean you’re cooking for me tomorrow?” She looks over at me as she unties the braid in her hair and it now falls over her.

“I never joke about steak,” I tell her as she smiles and then looks forward.

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” she says. She turns around and faces my side, crossing her legs as her bent knees rest on top of mine. “Like a lot, a lot of fun,” she says, tucking her hair behind her ears.

“Did you? What was it that made it so much fun?” I put my hand on her knee as I ask her the question.

“Just being out there with other people and not feeling sad.” She gets up and spins. “Do you have your phone with you?” She looks down as I hand her my phone and she plays a song I don’t recognize. She holds the phone in one hand while she holds out her other hand. “Will you dance with me?”

I grab her hand as I get up. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I hold her hand with the phone with the other while she puts one hand on my shoulder. We move in a circle on the sand as the lyrics play. “Are you going to kiss me or not?” As my gaze snaps up and I look in her eyes, they sparkle even in the dark.

“How drunk are you right now?” I ask her as she stops dancing.

“Drunk enough to ask you”—she looks down and then up again—“and sober enough to hope you kiss me.” My hands drop from her, and I move her hair away from her face as the wind blows.

My hands cup her face as her smile never wavers, the song blaring from my phone that now lays in the sand. “All night I had to hide my hands from grabbing you, they itched to touch you.” I bring her face closer to mine.

“So”—she licks her lips—“are you gonna kiss me or not?” She laughs, and my lips crash into hers.