Fate Interrupted 3 (2 page)

“Probably a
cold,” Jon muttered glumly, folding his arms across his vintage Pink Floyd
t-shirt.

“King
salmon, rainbow trout, Coho, the usual.”
Shaun put his straw in his mouth
and drained any melted liquid. “Limo will pick us up at six, dinner at seven
and then it’s off to McKinley Marina for a boys’ night out.”

Dean shifted in
the metal chair that was leaving a waffle imprint in his butt cheeks. “You sure
it won’t be too late for fishing?”

“Nighttime is
the best time for the big ones,” Shaun said. “Don’t worry, sweet pea, we’ll
have you back to the old ball and chain by two at the latest. We’re not going
that far out. Plus, Carrie and I have to serve cake and tea at church the next
morning.”

Ben washed his
sandwich down with his soda. “Since when did you start going to church?”

“Since
I lost my Corvette.”

“Oh.”

“
That,
and I wanted to branch out my beer distribution. You’d
be surprised how many bar owners go to church.”

“I still can’t
believe you’re getting married,” Jon said dully, shaking his head. “This is a
travesty.”

“God, get over
it, Jon,” Shaun snapped. “I think you love Dean more than Evy does.”

“Not true. I
love Evy more than he does.”

“Actually, Jon,
marriage is pretty cool,” Ben said. “It’s like a never-ending slumber party,
but with hot sex instead of pillow fights.”

“No, you don’t
get it, Ben. This guy is a living legend in this town.” Jon stared pensively at
Dean. “
This guy
used to pull more hot
chicks than a sale at TJ Maxx!”

Dean turned to
Ben and shook his head, flushing with the comment. “He’s exaggerating. It was
more like a sale at Express.”

A wistful sigh
slipped through Shaun’s lips. “I do sometimes miss the wingman fringe benefits
days.
Deano’s
crumbs were second to none.”

Jon seized Dean’s
arm with a death grip. “It’s not too late to forget this whole thing. We can
pick up right where we left off…just you, me, and more tail than a
Petco
.” Jon paused, wheels still turning. “I’ll drive every
night.”

Dean removed
Jon’s iron claw one finger at a time. “That
Dean
is dead, Jon.”

“Don’t you say
that!
”

Ben jumped with
the outburst. His eyes nervously scanned the patio. “Damn, Jon, take it easy.”

Jon spoke
through clenched teeth, a tendon bulging in his neck. “That Dean is not dead.
There’s
gotta
be a way to bring him back!”

“Jon, I’m not
dying. I’m getting married.”

“Same thing,”
Jon mumbled crossly, folding his arms across his chest.

“Besides,” Dean
continued, “you have Pam now.”

Jon exhaled a
tired breath.

“How’s that
going, by the way?” Ben asked.

Jon answered
with a limp shrug. “It’s good.”

They waited,
expecting him to elaborate further but he didn’t.

“Listen, it doesn’t
matter if that Dean is dead or not,” Shaun said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
“It’s a nerd’s world out there now, boys. They own the night. I mean, have you
seen the bands
pullin
all the hot chicks these days?
Fun?
Imagine Dragons? Scotty
McCreery
?”

Jon grunted.
“More like Scotty
McQueery
.”

“Guys like Dean
are frowned upon in this day and age.”

Dean creased his
brow. “
Guys like me
?”

Shaun nodded.
“You’re still going to the gym and wearing expensive jeans, aren’t you? That
shit’s not cool, dude.”

Dean opened his
mouth but nothing came out.

Shaun leaned
back. “The tables have turned, my friend. Nerd is the new black.”

Dean put his
shades back on and turned to Jon. “The point is we can still hang out. There’s
plenty of other stuff to do in this town besides hit the clubs.”

“Like what?” Jon
threw his hands out. “You want to go to the Discovery World Museum together?”

“That’s actually
a pretty awesome place,” Ben said, sipping his drink. “Their aquarium is to die
for.”

“Maybe we could
go to the botanical gardens together, hold hands and stroll through the roses.”

Dean cocked his
head to one side. “Now, you’re taking this a little too far. You know roses
make me sneeze.”

“I’m serious,
Deano. The only place two grown men can legally go somewhere together without
people thinking they’re gay is a
bar
.”

Dean opened his
hands. “What about the safety seat at a movie theater?”

“Last time we
did that, some guy sat between us.”

“Have you guys
tried the
Dahmer
walking tour yet? It’s insane!” Ben lowered
his voice. “Did you know that
Dahmer
spray painted
the skulls of his victims to make them look
fake
and then
decorated his apartment with them?”

They stared blankly
at him without response.

Ben shrugged.
“Apparently, the guy had never heard of Pier One.”

“You shouldn’t
talk about that monster in this town,” Jon said.

Ben raised his
eyebrows. “Ever try saying his name five times in front of a mirror? I got to
four last week.”

Shaun clasped
his hands together and leaned on the table. “Anyway, the limo guy has all of
our addresses, but, whatever you do, do not forget to bring…”

“Oh my God,” Jon
muttered bleakly, his wide eyes staring directly over Dean’s shoulder. His
Adam’s apple bobbed one time. “Megan’s here.”

Dean froze in
his seat, paralyzed, like he had just looked into the face of Medusa herself.
The only part of him he could move was his heart, which beat like a steel drum.
He stared into Jon’s round eyes, unable to breathe. When he could not take it
another second, he twisted around so fast he nearly toppled over in his chair. His
eyes scanned the place like a pair of bomb sniffing dogs, working in tandem from
one end of the patio to the other. They gravitated to the parking lot, hunting
and searching in a roving sweep. A pent-up breath squeezed out from between his
lips. He turned back around, a heavy scowl stealing his good looks.

Jon returned a wide
smile, the sun glinting off his white teeth.
“Gotcha, bitch.”

“If you don’t
stop doing that, I’m going to throw you overboard tomorrow night.”

“Sorry, I
thought I saw her.”

“No you didn’t.
You’re just fucking with me and that shit is not cool, man.”

“I just…”

“You’re better
than this, Jon,” Dean said, acting overly upset. “You owe it to me and you owe
it to yourself.”

Jon’s face
sobered dramatically. “I dressed up as a clown for you!”

Dean flinched with
the outburst and glanced around at the turning heads. “Damn, Jon, what do you
have turrets today?”

“This is going
to be so cool,” Ben said, taking a quick sip of his pop. “I’ve never been night
fishing before.”

“You’re going to
shit your pants when you real in a king salmon,” Shaun said, locking his
fingers behind his head. “They fight like hell.”

Jon pushed his
shades up onto his head, pinning his long bangs back. “You sure you don’t want
to go to the club instead? Maybe hit up Chi-Town and party with some hot
stripper named Anita Dick.”

Ben squinted
through the umbrella’s shade. “Is that your stripper name you got from one of
those online formulas?”

“That’s not my
stripper name,” he replied, offended by the very suggestion. “My stripper name
is
Heidi
Ticklehorn
.”

Shaun arched an
eyebrow. “Mine was
Chesty
Sweetjugs
.”

Dean firmly
planted an index finger on the unbalanced table. “I told you no strippers.
After what Evy went through with Richie’s bachelor party, she’s totally gun-shy
now. I won’t make her worry about something like that happening again.”

Shaun and Jon
exchanged cryptic glances.

“Not that
anything like that ever
would
happen again,”
Dean clarified. “I’m not Richie.”

“Exactly!”
Jon said.
“That’s why it should be no big deal. She knows you’d never do something stupid
like that. You’re Dean Jacobs, the man, the myth, the legend.”

Dean lowered his
voice. “I want to keep her mind at ease with this whole thing, which is why I
didn’t want a bachelor party in the first place. I agreed to a fishing charter
with just the guys and that’s where it ends.
Period.
If I see one girl near that dock, I’m turning around and going home.” His index
finger punctuated the statement by rocking the table again.

Jon held up his
hands in surrender. “Okay, I’m just
throwin
it out
there, gangster.”

“It’s all good,
bro. It’s just going to be the four of us, some cold beers, and the open sea. We’re
going to have a great time.” Shaun raised his cup into the air. “Here is to a
night we will never forget.”

Chapter
Two

Tasha stepped
inside Sugars where the air-conditioning graciously licked at her tanned skin.
Brooke squirted out from behind the counter like a wet bar of soap, squealing
with joy as she hurried across the checkered floor and swept her best friend up
into her arms. Tasha hugged her back and held on a little too long, already
missing home.

Brooke pulled away
to look her over. “Did you remember everything?”

“That’s the last
of it,” Tasha sighed, turning to Evy with a courageous smile.

Evy wrapped
Tasha in her arms and buried her face in Tasha’s dirty blond hair which always smelled
like Aveda shampoo. It was good to see someone from home. Evy remembered what
it was like moving to a new town where everyone was a stranger and you
could get lost
just trying to find your way home from the
Piggly
Wiggly. Evy brushed a strand of hair behind Tasha’s
ear and gave her a bright smile. “I’m so glad you’re here, and you look beautiful
as usual.”

Tasha looked
down to her blue high heels and tight-fitting jeans, her hand coolly swiping at
a tear before it fell. “I know.”

“
Tash
, we are going to have a great summer,” Brooke said,
taking her hands.

“Blink and
you’ll miss it,” Evy muttered, tightening her ponytail.

Tasha frowned.
“Huh?”

“It’s just an
expression they use around here,” Brooke said, admonishing Evy with a stern
look. “You are going to love it here.”

“Why do they say
that though?
Because it’s so cold here?
What did you
guys do to me? You know I hate the cold!”

Evy and Brooke laughed.
“We’re just glad you’re here,” Evy said, scanning the half full dessert lounge.
“We’ve been so busy; we really need your help.”

“And with the
wedding,” Brooke added. “Evy’s in way over her head with the wedding and house
hunting at the same time.”

“I am not.”

Brooke squeezed
Tasha’s hands.
“Thank you for doing this, sweetie.”

Tasha thumbed
behind her. “You think my car’s okay out there? It’s got all my stuff in it.”

“It’ll be fine,”
Evy replied, brushing flour from her apron. “This is a great neighborhood.”

“I don’t know,”
Tasha said, glancing out the large window overlooking the bustling downtown
street. “I saw a guy wearing a Raiders jacket and an eye-patch out there.”

“Ooh,” Brooked
cooed, “did you get his number?”

“I bet he only
has
eye
for you,” Evy snickered.

“And this must
be Tasha!”

Brooke turned to
a black lady in a pretty, orange dress. “It is,” Brooke said, turning back to
Tasha. “This is Mrs. Johansen, our favorite guest!”

“Don’t remind my
hips,” Mrs. Johansen muttered, switching an iced mocha to her left hand.
“Nice to meet you, Tasha.”
She smiled warmly and shook
Tasha’s hand, looking her up and down. “Lord almighty, they sure know how to
grow
em
down there in Iowa, don’t they?”

Tasha blushed. “Aw
thank you.”

“Each
one prettier than the last.”

“Hey!” Brooke
and Evy said at the same time.

Mrs. Johansen
bellowed with laughter and started for the front door. “Welcome to town, Tasha.
Keep an eye on these two; they take to trouble like ducks to water!”

Brooke waved
goodbye and then turned to the tables of customers enjoying an afternoon snack.
She nodded to the kitchen and they followed her behind the counter.

“Where’s Ben?”
Tasha asked, surveying the rows of liquor bottles and pushing through the
swinging door into the yellow kitchen.

“Having
lunch with the boys.
They’re going over their
big
plans for Dean’s bachelor party tomorrow night.”

“Oh boy,” Tasha
groaned, plopping onto a stool at the large island table anchored to the middle
of the room. “I can’t believe you’re letting him do this, Evy. You know he’s
going to bang a stripper,” she said, biting back a grin. “They all do.”

Evy pulled a
tray of Red Hot cupcakes from one of the four ovens, blowing a loose strand of
hair from her face. “Haven’t even been here fifteen minutes and I’m already
sick of you.”

“Oh, you know
I’m just kidding!” Tasha laughed. “You’re not still all hung up on the whole
Richie thing
, are you?”

Evy set the tray
on the stainless steel island, the smell of cinnamon blanketing the room.
“Dean’s not like
what’s his name
,”
she replied, taking off the mitts with
Sugars
embroidered in hot pink across them. “And no, I’m not.”

“So where’re
they going?”

“Fishing.”

Tasha wrinkled
her nose.
“Fishing?
Eww
!”

The ghost of a devilish
grin curled one corner of Evy’s lips. “Besides, tonight I plan on making him
forget all about any stupid strippers.”

Tasha arched an inquisitive
eyebrow. “You’re going to make him a friendship bracelet?”

“You’re going to
make him watch
Dirty Dancing
for the
two hundredth time?” Brooke chimed in.

Tasha inhaled
sharply and covered her mouth. “Oh my God, you’re going to watch him have sex
with another woman while you play with yourself.”

“Evy!” Brooke
barked. “You are such a dirty little slut! I’m telling dad.”

Evy laughed.
“What is wrong with you two?”

Brooke washed
her hands in the big round sink. “That’d be the day, Tasha. Evy’s idea of
pleasuring herself is buying a new purse.”

“Okay, Brooke, we
get it. And it’s shoes, not purses.”

Tasha adjusted
her white tank top, admiring her modest assets. “So what’re we doing for your
bachelorette party tomorrow night? I’ve got a big bag of penis-shaped rape
whistles ready to go.”

Evy tossed her a
sideways glance.

Tasha lifted a
shoulder to her ear. “What? You never know.”

“I made a penis-shaped
cake,” Brooke said, spreading a menacing grin.
“A
chocolate
penis-shaped cake.”

Tasha threw her
head back and laughed, slapping the table with her hand. “Oh snap! I don’t
think Evy is ready for the chocolate thunder from down under!”

Evy rolled her
eyes and went into the walk-in cooler to retrieve a bag of fiery cinnamon cream
cheese frosting. She came back out in a smoky cloud. “Can we just keep it simple?
Dinner and drinks with my favorite girls is all I want. We need a girls’ night
out.”

“It’s going to be
so much fun,” Brooke said, handing Tasha a black apron with pink stenciling.
“I’ve been looking forward to it all week.”

Tasha held the
apron between a finger and thumb like it was a dirty diaper. “What’s this?”

“That’s an
apron, sweet pea,” Brooke replied flatly, loading a frosting gun. “It’s so you
don’t get your clothes dirty.”

“Oh,
hell no.”
Tasha dropped it to the table. “This girl is not going to work after a six hour
road trip. This girl is taking a nap!” She got up from the stool and held out
her hand. “Can I have your keys?”

Brooke looked up.
“My keys?”

Tasha nodded.
“Yeah, I feel like I’m still driving.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,
honey bunny, but you can’t stay with us.”

Wrinkles forged
trails through Tasha’s face like hardened settlers.
“Why not?
I thought that was the plan until I found my own place.”

Brooke cocked
the frosting gun. “Change of plan.”

Evy swirled a perfect
red coil around the top of a cupcake and moved on to the next one. “You don’t
want to go over there right now. Their house is one big baby making factory.”

“When did this
start?”

“Awhile
ago.”
Brooke took aim with the gun and fired. “All we do now is
try
to make a baby.
On the couch, in the shower, on the washer
during the spin cycle.”
She stopped and looked up. “I mean, you don’t
even want to walk barefoot in our house right now let alone sit down.”

“That is
disgusting.”

Brooke moved on
to the next cupcake. “Plus, Ben thinks our house is haunted.”

“What?” Tasha
said loudly.

“Turns out, the
old guy who lived there before us died in his sleep in the master bedroom,” Evy
said, digging in her purse. “
Which is probably why Ben wanted
to buy it.
”

Brooke shook her
head. “We found out after we moved in. Trust
me,
I
would’ve never gone for it.”

“Okay, that’s
not creepy.”

Brook moved on
to the next row of cupcakes. “The TV keeps turning on by itself in the middle
of the night, but I think Ben’s just messing with me.” She grunted. “He wishes
it was haunted.”

Evy slapped some
keys in Tasha’s hand. “You can stay at my apartment. I’ll be at Dean’s until we
close on our house in a few weeks.”

“Ooh, living in
sin, Evy? That’s not like you.”

“We’re engaged.”

“I know but
still, you can go to hell for that.”

Evy tilted her
head to the side. “You sound like my grandma.”

Tasha slipped
the keys into her Marc Jacobs bag and let out a melancholy sigh. “Everyone is
getting married around here but me.”

“Your time will
come,
Tash
,” Brooke replied, squirting a red coil
around a cupcake. “If you’d stop batting below your average maybe you’d find
the right guy.”

“It’s my lot in
life, Brooke, and you know...”

Brooke pointed
the gun at her, stopping her in her tracks. “If you even think about bringing
up that stupid
curse
, I’m going to
blow your brains out.”

“Always about
you, isn’t it Brooke?” Tasha turned for the swinging door and then stopped.
“And just for the record, I don’t mind the
curse
.
Turns out, I like my guys with a little meat on their bones.”

“
A little
?”
Brooke said. “You
haven’t dated one hot guy in over a year now.”

“That is not
true! And I’m tired of dating players anyway. I always end up getting played.”

Evy shot too
much frosting onto a cupcake and watched it oozed over the side. She looked up
and swallowed hard.

 
Brooke glanced at Tasha out the corner of her
eye. “That miserable track record ended when you entered the city limits.”

Tasha sucked in
a deep breath that made her chest rise. “Whatever.”

“You promised,”
Brooke snapped.

“I said I’d try.”

“Promise me.”

“Will you leave
her alone, Brooke? If she wants to free Willy,
then
let
her,” Evy said, setting the cupcake with too much frosting in the misfit tub
for Ben.

Brooke’s pointed
glare showed Tasha no mercy. “Promise me.”

“Fine.
I promise,”
Tasha said dully, pushing through the swinging door with a wave and
disappearing up front.

Brooke shook her
head. “I think she had her fingers crossed behind her back. Could you see?”

“Quit trying to
control her life.”

Brooke’s sharp
laugh ricocheted off the yellow walls. “That’s the last thing that girl needs
right now!”

“Let’s just finish
this next batch so I can get out of here. I’ve got to hit the mall.”

“For
what?”

An impish grin
slid across Evy’s lips. “Victoria’s Secret.”

An eyebrow
leaped into the middle of Brooke’s forehead. “You really are going to fuck him
six ways to Sunday, aren’t you?”

“What does that
phrase even mean?”

Brooke shrugged,
making her black work shirt jump on her shoulders. “All I know is that if you
get pregnant before I do I’m going to strangle you.”

“This isn’t a
race.”

“I’ve been
married way longer!”

Evy laughed. “So?”

“So…I’m starting
to get worried. I mean, what if it’s me? What if I can’t…
”
The words died on her lips.

Evy tucked a
loose strand of chocolate colored hair behind an ear. “You have to stop thinking
like that.”

“I can’t help
it.”

“What about
Ben’s dream in the hospital? I thought he caught a glimpse of the future in his
coma.”

Brooke dropped
her gaze to the colorful cupcakes dotting the table. “He did.”