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“He did what?” I cover my mouth to contain the laughter that bubbles in my throat.
“You heard me.” Kane chuckles, taking a long pull of beer before setting his bottle back on the small bar table that separates us. “Completely naked.”
“And you let him do it?” I gawk, trying to process the story he’s been telling me for the last several minutes with the heavy buzz running through my veins.
“He knew the stakes and he took the bet anyway.” Kane shrugs, smile firmly in place.
“So he ran through the front yard full of people completely naked?”
He nods, laughing like he can picture it perfectly in his head. “I will never forget the look on my mother’s face.”
“Remind me to never play cards with you.” I shake my head, trying to envision Kam as a ten year old boy streaking through his parents’ yard in the middle of their Fourth of July cookout.
“Technically it was our cousin Brock who named the punishment for losing, not me.”
“As if that makes it any better. You still let him do it.”
“Trust me, there was no way I was talking him out of it. Kam always kept his word. If he said he was going to do something he did it. He agreed to the terms of the game. Hell, he was walking out of the garage with half his clothes off before any of us had processed that he was actually going to do it right then and there.”
“Oh my god.” I laugh. “Your poor parents.”
“Trust me, they were pissed. But they got a good laugh out of it too. Well, after everyone had left they did.”
“Kam was never like that with me. He was never the one doing the crazy things. He was the one always trying to talk me out of doing them.”
“That’s just because he cared so much about you. He probably didn’t want to see you get hurt.”
“He used to get so mad at me,” I say, tracing my finger around the rim of my glass. “I told him he reminded me of my father. The way he used to scold me whenever I did something he thought was dangerous or reckless.”
“Sounds like my brother.” He nods knowingly. “He was always a bit of a wild card but when it came to taking real risk, he always aired on the caution. Hell, surfing was even a bit of a stretch for him. But he loved the water so much there was no keeping him out of it. His love for the sport overshadowed his fear,” he stops, falling silent for a long moment.
I know what he’s thinking.How could someone who always played it safe die the way he did?The answer is me. And as much as I want to say that, as much as I want to tell him how all of this is my fault, I can’t find it in me to utter the words.
I guess selfishly I don’t want him to look at me the way I know he will once he learns the truth.
“He told me about you though,” he continues after what feels like forever.
“Told you what?”
“What a daredevil you are.”
“I don’t know that I would go that far.” I shake my head, needing away from this conversation and the guilt that accompanies it. “What about you? Are you a risk taker or are you like your brother? Liking to play it safe.”
“I think I’m a little bit in the middle. I don’t take unnecessary risk if I don’t have to, but I also love the thrill of doing something that pushes the boundaries. I’m all about the experience.”
“Is that why you like to travel so much?” I ask. “Kam told me about all the travelling you do for your job and about how much you travelled before that as well,” I say in way of explanation.
“I guess, yeah. It takes me out of my comfort zone and submerges me into an entirely different world. I love experiencing different cultures, meeting all different kinds of people, seeing the world in a completely different way.”
“Sounds amazing.”
“It is,” he agrees. “What about you? You travel at all?”
“Nope.” I take a drink of my cranberry and vodka, before continuing, “I’ve only been here, Arkansas, and Florida.”
“Seriously?”
“My mom loved Clearwater. We vacationed there every year so I didn’t get to see a lot of different places growing up. And then of course my Aunt Carol lives here and now so do I. Other than that.” I shrug as if to say there’s nothing else.
