Authors: Ava Michaels
I
couldn’t believe he was here. And what boat did he have that could make it that
far up Canada’s coast?
The
crowd seemed to sense what I felt and gave a loud shout in approval, some
overeager ones breaking their champagne flutes. Jess obviously had set this
up.
She smiled at me, totally proud of
planning this elaborate scheme to get this guy for me. I walked up to her and
hugged her tightly.
“You
got him here, didn’t you?”
“Of
course I did. Remember, I set up your account on OKCupid. I knew how to get a
hold of him. And believe
me,
he was waiting to hear
from you.”
“Jess,
I don’t know how to thank you.” I felt tears coming to my eyes. I tried to
choke them back but when I saw them in Jess’ eyes, too, the dam burst. It was
official; everyone knew I was an ugly crier.
“Oh,
I know how you can be stubborn... Plus, I’ll have the apartment bedroom to
myself for a night or two while you guys go on your date.” She winked and waved
to Mario.
“Not
like me being in the room ever stopped you before,” I joked, hugging her again.
“And
it looks like Ryder Dawson of the Creek is going to take the hand of this lucky
lady tonight!” she shouted while throwing the rest of the cards in the air.
“Thank you for attending the Debutante’s ball...”
I
didn’t listen anymore. Before she finished the first sentence I was already off
the stage and walking towards Big Stick... He set his champagne to the side and
started walking towards me.
When
we met I stopped before him and stood up on my tippy toes. We kissed a long
deep, reconnecting kiss. When we broke the kiss, he looked up at me.
“I
was going to quit yesterday, but Bartok stopped me. She found out about us
after she saw us at Maria Rosa,” he said. “She told me you were eighteen,
instead of twenty two... I was freaked out about at first but I don't care that
you're a decade younger than I am. I want you...”
“Why
didn't you tell me earlier? Like before you were standing in front of everyone
in the meeting?” I asked.
I
should have been furious. I had been ignoring him for days but he was being
persistent. Other guys that didn’t care would have only tried a few times. Not
Big Stick…
“I
didn't want this to come between us, I thought that I could just avoid working
in that office and things would be okay for us until I got called that morning
and said I had a meeting. And there isn’t any rule about workplace romances and
I pointed that out to Bartok. I wasn’t expecting you to react the way you did.
I couldn’t get a hold of you that morning to tell you because you were already
at work… I’m sorry Ol,” he said.
“Don't
worry, things are all right with us,” I said and kissed him on the mouth. “And
I don't mind that you’re an old man.”
“I’m
an old man? Just a decade older than you,” he said laughing.
“Yeah,
so when you were twenty, I was ten. You’re a little on the
pervy
side aren’t you?”
“Me?
You’re the one who likes old dudes.”
I
grinned and then kissed him.
………
We
left the ball holding hands. The conversation had stopped completely as we made
our way to Big Stick’s car. My heart was racing and I don’t think I would have
been able to form a coherent sentence if I had to. I wanted to laugh and cry
and say all those corny things women say in sappy movies like “You had me from
hello” or “If the girls back home could see me now” or some other crazy shit.
Instead, I said nothing. Neither did Big Stick... But his hand squeezed mine
affectionately and that was all the communication I needed.
Once
we got to his car we climbed in and just sat there next to each other. I looked
at him and smiled, a little awkward and embarrassed until he reached around my
waist and pulled me to him. His lips met mine with such force the world outside
became a blur. It was strong and passionate and said everything there were no
words for.
Time
seemed to stop. We found ourselves half dressed in the back seat like two high
school kids after the prom. We could have sped back to his apartment. Hell, we
could have stopped at the nearest hotel. But we didn’t want to wait because the
moment was perfect.
The
party continued outside and I could hear laughter and music.
“That’s
our song.” I whispered to him as I climbed on top of his lap.
“What
is?” he asked quietly, running his hands up and down my back.
“The party.”
My heart was
pounding as I pressed my chest against his. Through his dress shirt I could
feel his heart pounding too and it gave me courage. I pulled back just to look
into his eyes as my body joined his. Together we rocked to the distant sound of
people having fun, our eyes never unlocking until that explosion that made mine
roll back in ecstasy.
We
held on to each other, kissing and slowly descending from the height we reached
together as our heartbeats slowed down.
“I
love you, Olivia.”
“I
love you, too.”
………
The
celebration was really in full swing as he started the car. As I sorted myself
out I really hoped Jess and the rest of them were having a great time.
“So
where do we go from here?” I asked, throwing my arms around his neck.
“Well,
I thought we might take a ride on my new boat to Prince Edward Island next
week?” he said.
“You
mean on one of those tiny little
dingies
?” I said.
“No,
I actually bought a boat and I actually intend to take you on a cruise up the
coast,” he said with a smile.
I
didn’t let him speak any longer, but kissed him again.
He
grinned. “It’s big enough to sleep two. It’s got a kitchen and a living room
too.”
“Big
enough to sleep two was enough for me,” I said.
………
6
days later I was lying in a bikini on the deck of Big Stick’s new thirty foot
schooner. I thought of all the tumult that had occurred over the past few
months. I suppose when things get the craziest, it seems that is when they are
right about to settle.
I
stared up at the blue sky. Occasionally the sun would be blocked out by the
three sails overhead, but the light would come back when the wind changed. Big
Stick came out to lie beside me and brought a gin martini with an olive speared
in it. He kissed me deeply on the lips.
The
wind had certainly changed for me…
Big
Stick…
BIG
Stick…
BIG
STICK!!!
EPILOGUE
I
awoke to Ryder sitting up in with his back against the wall. He was obviously
naked which I found out after looking at his bare chest and his manhood
standing straight up under the white sheet. I pulled sheet up and looked
underneath. I smiled at the morning wood he was sporting.
It
was my penis.
The
penis I had sex with.
“What
are you smiling at?” he asked.
“You.
Me. Naked
together.”
He
rubbed my forehead before lugging himself underneath the sheets and pulling me
into his arms. I wrapped my arm around his stomach and rested my head on his
chest.
“You
must have had an awesome dream Ol. Do you know that you talk in your sleep?” he
asked, kissing my forehead.
“Jess
always said that… What was I saying?” I asked, afraid of what he might say.
“Well
you said, A LOT. First off, I didn’t know there were so many names for the
female and male anatomy. You also talked about being a virgin, your lady boner,
getting poked in the eye with a penis, and you said Big Stick more than I ever
thought possible.”
I
buried my head under the sheet, laughing. Then I laughed even harder when his
laughter made his erection bounce around.
“What
were you dreaming about?”
“Heaven…”
“Not
with that kind of language.”
“Fine…
Us…”
“Ah,
Big Stick,” he said, pointing at himself.
“Damn
right… Big Stick…”
He
laughed. “Anyway, I’m gone for a week to Australia but when I get back I have a
surprise for you,” he said, kissing my forehead.
“What
surprise?”
He
rolled out of bed butt naked and strutted to the bathroom. Then he
peeked
his head around the corner and smiled.
“You’ll
see. I love you.”
“Love
you too Big Stick.”
………
I
know what you all are thinking.
Too good to be true.
No woman ever hits the Triple Crown with a dude having good looks, good sense
of humor,
good
in bed, confidence, and lots of money
in the bank all at the same time, right? Well, let me just say that it is true.
Totally true.
I was in heaven and the envy of all my
friends right up until two months before I graduated. Then I found out exactly
what I had gotten myself into.
First
off, as far as I know there were no threads of insanity woven through the
fabric of the Spurgeon family. There was no weird Uncle
Lumis
locked up in a nuthouse in Terre Haute, Indiana for thinking he was St, Gerome.
There was no Aunt Vera who lived alone in a shack in
Stoneybrook
,
Montana that had no electricity so the government couldn’t read her thoughts.
In fact, I don’t think anyone even took so much as a sleeping pill in the whole
group. Not to sound like a braggart or anything. I just came from a fairly
straight-laced brood. That is…
Until me.
After
Big Stick and I solidified our relationship with a simple vacation on his boat
up the coast things progressed nicely. The first year of serious dating
included meeting each other’s parents. The second year I was allowed to move a
few things into his apartment. You
know,
a couple of
changes of clothes, some hair products, make-up, and a few girl necessities. I
was by no means living with him. I still enjoyed my apartment and Jess and I
didn’t want to be so easily accessible. Not to mention I could just hear my
mother “Why buy the cow, Olivia, if the milk is free.” I was his gal, no doubt
about it. But then, things sort of leveled off and, well, I was starting to see
the writing on the wall.
The
end of my college career was quickly approaching and much to my chagrin We Can
Do It! did not offer me any kind of full time position. They didn’t even offer
me a part-time position.
“Cutbacks and lack of funding, Olivia.”
Betty told me
matter-of-factly. “By this time next year we are going to be surviving on a
shoestring budget with a skeleton crew. But I’ll be happy to give you a
positive reference.”
At
first, my ego told me she was bullshitting me and that this was revenge. The
kind of revenge bosses love to get. Deep down I knew she was telling the truth.
When you have to start buying ink cartridges that can be manually refilled, you
know times are hard. But, I still think Betty enjoyed not being able to hire me
on. She never forgave for calling her Betty-the-Bridled-Beast all those years
ago. And being Big Stick’s main squeeze didn’t help either. She was going to go
out of her way to ensure any accusations of nepotism would be totally
unfounded.
So,
I did what millions of other college students about to graduate were doing. I
sent my resume out.
Nothing.
Bupkus
.
Nada.
Oh, except for Mo-Joe’s Coffee House. They said they were looking for a server
and dishwasher. And one temp-agency called me back and asked me if I would be
able to stop in and take an Excel and WordPerfect test so they could rate my
office skills. What? I had a B+ average in Advance Calculus.
This
was making me a mess inside. I did what any girl in my position would do. I
turned to my friends for support.
A lot of good that did.
………
Jess
bounced into our room one evening about three months before graduation with a
look on her face like I had never seen.
“I
got it,” she whispered to me.
“Oh,
shit, what?
Herpes?
Crabs?
Oh, Jess, it’ll be okay.”
She
stomped her foot and planted her hand on her hip giving me that “I’m serious”
mom look. I straightened up for her quick.
“OKAY,
I met this old dude at Starbucks last Tuesday.”
“How old?”
I was starting
to get nervous.
“I
don’t know, forty-five?
Fifty?
Anyway, he offers me
this job, right.
Says I’d be perfect.”
“Jess.
Those pictures
are going to end up all over the internet. What were you thinking?”