RISEN
Wandering into the kitchen after our morning aerobics, sitting at the counter are Trevor, Hallette, and Cathryne. As Cassidy doles out various amounts of food, I personally can’t remove the perma-grin I wear. China, Trevor, and Hallette are no different. It’s the sex afterglow.
“Morning,” Cassidy chirps sweetly.
“Morning, Cassidy,” I say, pulling out a chair, situating myself at the end near Trevor. Cathryne is wearing shades to cover her hangover, whereas Trevor and Hallette converse in hushed tones as they feed each other morsels off their plates. It seems they’ve hit it off well, almost as if they’ve been together for years.
“Where’s Harlow?” China asks as she pours a cup of coffee.
Cathryne looks at her plate, searching like an 8 ball with the answer will appear. She shrugs her shoulders. “Left early. I heard her, but I didn’t have the ability to call out. And on that note, please talk in hushed tones. Nothing above the sound of say, thirty db?”
“This is her fifth coffee,” Hallee chimes in before Cat shushes her. “Tequila isn’t her friend this morning,” she says in a hushed whisper she grins, laughing at her friend’s pain.
Laughing to myself, I slip around the bar. Grabbing up my own coffee and a heavy helping of protein based foods, Cassidy winks, hip checking me as she rounds the chairs toward a pot on the stove. “I made you extra,” she says. “I figured you might’ve worn off a few extra calories.”
“And why woul—” she starts, tearing into a slice of turkey bacon, thinking better of her comments. “Oh, never mind.”
Ignoring her blush, I move the conversation on. “So, what time is shift, Trev?”
He comments around a large mouthful of hash. “Five-thirty on the spot. I’m with fuckwad again. And in saying that, hurry up and get back in the swing. I’m sick of that prick.”
“Sorry, man. Three more weeks, then we’ll see.”
I delve into my breakfast. There’s no use in wallowing in the fact that I have time still remaining on my sentence, that is, before I have to deal with the possibility of ending up a permanent civilian. It never was a sentence to be here with China, it’s just not having a purpose that sucks.
“So,” turning to China and trying to change the subject, Hallee says, “About your birthday party. Did you think about what we said? I think it’s a great idea, and it’ll be—”
“What party?” I ask intriguingly. I’m not pissed. Honestly, I’m not anything. I just wonder what it is they’ve concocted in this elaborate plan.
Setting down her mug, China grins wide. I’m scared. “Well, you see, last night, that was the whole reason the girls came over. We’re trying to design my twenty-first birthday party.”
“Fuck. I forgot you’re that young,” Trevor says, then quickly stuffs his mouth full before saying something that will cause him further damage.
“What do you mean? You’re not that much older, are you?” Hallee asks in a shocked tone.
“Well, we’re not that much older. It’s just we surpassed that by...” Trevor murmurs the last part of his sentence into his cup, “years.”
“How many years exactly are we talking?”
Finding this funny is kind of evil, but while China and I talked to each other, it seems Hallee and Trev kind of skipped that part. It seems they only dealt in incomprehensible sounds.
“He’s twenty-nine, Hallee,” China says with a devilish smirk.
Hallette’s eyes bug out, and her once glowing after sex skin turns a weird parlor of green. Pushing her chair back from the counter, she looks like a scared rabbit. “Twenty-nine! Really? Oh, my God. I’m not even twenty, and you’re twenty-nine!”
“What does age really matter? I mean, your parents are fifteen years apart. Everyone knows that. It’s all over the papers.” Knowing the trouble that’s brewing, I toss a tater tot at Trev’s head. Looking at me, I shake my head, motioning for him to shut up. But it doesn’t work.
“Age is only a number, Hallette,” Trevor states as her eyes widen a touch more.
“And say hello to blue balls, with a side of fuck you,” I mumble into my coffee. China laughs, Cat bumps me, and Cassidy can be heard laughing into the pot in the corner.
Leaving the room in a snit, Hallette doesn’t say another word as she leaves.
“Not helping, Anaconda,” Trevor sneers, clinking his fork onto the plate.
“Listen, hick. I didn’t forget to mention I’m almost a decade older before I stuck—”
“Risen!” Cassidy admonishes me, making me pause.
“Her in the room with you? And if there were no verbalizations about age, lifestyle, expectations or otherwise, then that’s on you both. Better?” I check with Cassidy. The last thing I need is being formally reprimanded by her. No way do I want a dive in my kitchen needs.
Cassidy nods and grins before placing a new plate of sausages in front of me. “Yes. Thank you, Officer.”
Cathryne steps away from the counter, following Hallette out slowly, like those with monster hangovers do. “She was my ride here. I don’t feel like waiting for Carmon to pick me up.” Kissing China on the cheek, she thanks Cassidy for breakfast with a hand-blown air kiss. “Text me the outcome on the party, CD?”
China nods, watching Cathryne saunter off down the hall after the shell-shocked Hallette. Deciding to add fuel to the fire, China clips off, “So, Trevor, you know how to clear a room.” Gleefully laughing into her mug of joe, Trevor shrugs, spooning another mouthful of his grits into his gob. I have to admit, it’s nice to see her laughing, even if it is at Trevor’s expense. Who am I kidding? It’s totally better because it’s at his expense and not mine.
“So party?” It must’ve slipped her mind with all the jaw-dropping orgasms we gave each other.
“Yeah. I wanted to have a big tadoo, a sendoff. The idea that I won’t be held to the mansion anymore, I’ll have my inheritance, and I can do as I please is something I want to celebrate. Twenty-one to me is more than being able to drink shots of Patron legally, it’s about being independent like Casper and Whiskey.”
“I get it. You want to show the world you’re you and not them.”
“Yeah, mostly. Some of it’s that I need to get clear of here. There’s some big boots to fill, and ghosts riding down the halls.”
Nipping into the sausages in front of me, her comment gives me an idea. “So on that topic. Someone, namely you, Miss China Crown, owes me a race.” I’m looking forward to hitting that blacktop with her beside me, behind me, or even ahead of me by miles. I’ll accept any version of it. It’s been awhile since I raced. I’m giddy about it, if I’m honest with myself.
Instead of answering, China mumbles ah-hum into her cup, then proceeds to clear her almost full plate to the garburator. Once the noise ends, she too gives Cassidy a peck then saunters off.
“What just happened?” I ask Trevor.
“I kinda think that was your fuck up, man.”
Great.
“Cassidy, what did I say?”
Turning from the pot, wiping her hands on the stained towel, she smiles weakly at me. “Remember I told you once there’s a point when you’ll find she breaks?”
“Yes ma’am,” I reply.
“When I told you how she was holding up, and that at some point she’d come around?” Again, I nod my agreement.
“Well, son, she just walked away from her favorite thing in the morning. Coffee. You were getting through to her. I’d say you just backed up the cart a few too many paces and hit a wall.”
Thinking on her answer, I still feel dumbfounded by what I said. “I’m still confused, Cassidy. What did I say?”
Scrunching up her nose, she pulls her long black hair back from her face. Stepping away from the stove, Cassidy rounds on me. “What has Miss avoided this whole time you’ve been here?”
“Oh, I know this one,” Trevor gladly interjects, raising his arm in a mock teacher’s pet attention. Swatting him on the head, he pouts.
“This is mine to figure out, not yours, you dolt. You already messed up today and answering my fuckup isn’t going to gain you points. Shut up and eat.”
“And?”
By now, I’m no longer hungry for food, I’m hungry for answers. “I must be the dumbest smart guy in the room right now as I’m not following you.”
“What are the Crown’s known for, Mr. Risen Mason?” she asks.
Fuck, I get it.
“Fuck,” I mutter. I should have figured it out. She’s avoided the track the whole time, and I just pushed her right into a fear she’s been harboring. She’s afraid of the track.
It’s become a nemesis.
Without waiting on my reply, Cassidy turns back to the stovetop and says, “That about sums it up.”