Fuck me, I’m jealous of Juliet. The closest thing to a sister I’ve ever known. And because of a woman I barely even know.
Take a log off the fire, dumbass, you’re burning too hot.
She stirs up feelings I haven’t had for a long time, which is probably exactly why she stirs them up. It’s been alongtime. Coming back to a small town where everyone knows you and your business isn’t easy in a bachelor’s life. If I want to enjoy a one-night stand, chances are good a third party will know and talk. My personal life isn’t fodder for gossip. I have a daughter I care about, and I don’t need her to hear that her daddy is the town tramp.
Shit, still, I’m going crazy enough that I might have to take the bartender’s continuous offer. Her name is January, and like everyone around here, I’ve known her for what feels like forever. She, too, has recently divorced and has proposed a friend with benefits-type relationship. January isn’t deterred by my casual blow off of the idea. It’s not that she’s not attractive, she is, in that girl next door sort of way. Our personalities don’t vibe enough for anything to grow into something long term, but maybe it’s a way to blow off some pent-up sexual frustration. Maybe divert some of this foreign infatuation with the stranger next door.
More laughter erupts from the other side of the fence and I tune back in.
“Oh my God, no. My first time was awful,” Juliet says. “It was this guy, Kyle Martin. We were sixteen and so stupid. He took me out to dinner at the pizza place and, afterward, drove out on the beach so we could screw in the back of his dad’s pickup. Except it was dark and the tide was coming in. He parked too close to the water, but we didn’t notice until the truck was already sinking into the sand.”
“No way,” Lou says through a fresh burst of laughter.
“The police were called. With nothing else happening that night, everyone showed up. And I do mean everyone. The whole squad, firefighters, tow trucks, spectators once word got out.”
“So, basically the whole town?”
“Yes. Most mortifying thing ever.”
What she leaves out is that Kyle, in his urgency to lose his virginity, accidentally threw his clothes over the side of the truck. When the people showed up to help, he was standing there cupping his dick because the waves had washed them out to sea.
“What did Irma do?”
“Pretended she was livid with the both of us until we got home and practically peed herself laughing. She hated Kyle’s dad; she thought it was hilarious.”
“Do you remember Marco Sabine?”
“That guy who modeled for, like, ten minutes? Yeah, he was on a hot track to fame and then quit the industry altogether. I always wondered what happened to him. Luke loved him andwanted him for the big Spring collection that year. He was so disappointed.”
“He didn’t want to model,” Lou says. “His agent saw him on the street and pressured him into it. He was in med school and figured it would be quick money before the semester started. They would have had limited bookings with him anyway. Unless they used a prosthetic.”
“Shut up! Really?”
“I’d heard of micro penises before, but I don’t think I believed it until we were hooking up,” she says. “Or trying, anyway. He gave me no forewarning. I can’t be held responsible for my reaction.”
“What did you do?”
“I cried,” she says before laughing.
I can’t help myself and laugh. Loud and hard.
“Grady Steele,” Juliet hollers. “Are you creeping on us?”
“No. I was here weeding, minding my own business when you lot started talking about micro-dicks,” I say in my defense, dropping a handful of weeds into the bucket before walking around the fence.
“Was Kyle’s dick small, too?” Lou asks.
“I mean, yeah, but we were kids. Maybe it grew up,” Juliet says.
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” I say. “Are you two drunk?”
Juliet holds up the wine bottle, tipping it over to show me it’s empty.
“It takes more than a half bottle of wine to get me drunk,” she says, trying to roll over and stand up.
“That’s the second bottle,” Lou whispers conspiratorially.
“Shhh, he doesn’t need to know that,” Juliet says. “He’s a narc.”
