The Way We Rise Page 9

  “Ew! That felt so weird!” she cries, rubbing her eye. “What did it taste like?”

  “Didn’t really taste like anything. Maybe a hint of salt.”

  “Ew. You tasted my salty eye boogers,” she says, still rubbing her eye.

  I shrug. “That’s probably the only part of your body I hadn’t tasted yet, so I’m cool with being able to say I’ve conquered every inch of you. And now you have to take off an article of clothing,” I say, pulling her hand away from her face to stop her from killing her eyeball.

  We both sit up and I help her out of her jacket, but she quickly drapes it over her legs for warmth as she sits cross-legged. I sit across from her, our knees touching as I grab the rolled-up jacket I was using as a pillow.

  “Here. Put this on.”

  “Isn’t that cheating?” she asks, taking the jacket from me.

  “I won’t tell if you don’t,” I reply with a wink. “My turn. Truth or dare?”

  “Truth.”

  “Scaredy-cat.”

  She shoves my shoulder. “Just ask the question.”

  “Okay, is it true… that you want me to put my tongue on other parts of your body right now?”

  She glares at me. “Yes, it’s true. Now you have to remove an article of clothing.”

  I yank my T-shirt off without protest and she smiles as she stares at my chest. “Wanna touch?”

  She shakes her head. “My turn. Truth or dare?”

  It’s about midnight when she’s down to her bra and panties and I’m down to my boxer briefs. That’s when I look at the fuel gauge and realize I’m going to have to turn the car and the heater off. I grab my phone off the folded pile of clothes next to me and set the alarm for five a.m. We need to make sure we’re awake and dressed at least a few hours before the cemetery opens.

  I reach into the front to pull the key out of the ignition, and when I turn back Rory has her hands behind her back, unclipping her bra. “What are you doing?” I blurt out.

  “What do you mean? You’re the one who reminded me about that stupid book. I’m getting naked.”

  I let out a nervous chuckle. “I didn’t think you would get completely naked.”

  “Now you don’t want me to get naked?”

  “No, you’re right. I remember… it didn’t work when they tried to keep their underwear on.”

  The straps of her bra loosen and she watches me as she lets it slide off her shoulders and down her arms. My heart races at the sight of her full breasts, the nipples pink and perked up with the cold that’s already seeping in. She hooks her thumbs in the waistband of her striped panties.

  “Wait. I’ll do that.”

  I kneel before her, leaning in close as I hook my thumbs into the waistband. Her chest is heaving with anticipation as I slowly push them down her thighs.

  “Oh, God,” she whispers as I slide my left hand behind her neck and my right hand between her legs. “Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.”

  I hold her neck firmly to watch her face as I bury my finger inside her. “Truth or dare?” I murmur, gathering her wetness and bringing it forward to use it as I caress her clit.

  She gasps. “Truth?”

  “Is it true that you’re dripping wet and all mine?”

  Her stomach muscles contract as the orgasm builds. “Oh, God, yes.”

  I lean forward, kissing her slowly as I continue lightly massaging her clit, bringing her to the edge then stopping more than once.

  “Is it true you want me to make you come with my mouth?”

  “False,” she breathes. “I want you to fuck me.”

  I chuckle as I continue stimulating her. When her body begins to curl inward and her legs are quaking, I slow down to finish her off gently. She leans her head back, exposing her neck to me as her body goes limp.

  I slide my hand out from between her thighs. “God, you’re beautiful when you come.”

  She lets out a sexy laugh as she pulls her head up and looks me in the eye. “This is so wrong.”

  I chuckle as I shrug out of my boxer briefs. “It’s not nearly wrong enough.” We both lie down on our sides, her back to my chest. I kiss her neck and shoulder as I reach forward and slide my hand between her legs again. She gasps, still tender from the last orgasm. I move my fingers lightly over the inside of her thigh until I reach the inside of her knee. Grabbing her leg, I pull it backward to drape it over my thigh as I enter her from behind.

  She cries out in pain, but I know from experience it’s the kind of pain she welcomes. I slide farther into her with each thrust, sinking my teeth into her shoulder to stifle my moans. Our bodies are slick with sweat and the heady fragrance of sex. The scent is an intoxicating musk, surrounding us in an invisible blanket of lust. I wrap my arms tightly around her middle, digging my fingers into her softness as I grind into her from behind.

  “My turn,” she says, her voice thready. “Truth or dare?”

  “Truth,” I say, slowing my thrusts so I can answer her question.

  She wets her lips before she continues. “Is it true that… I’m the only girl you’ve ever loved?”

  I slide out of her and turn her over onto her back. Then I climb on top of her, looking into her eyes as I slide right back in.

  “One hundred percent true,” I reply.

  She smiles as she threads her fingers through my hair. “Good.”

  Keeping my thrusts slow and deliberate, I make love to Rory as if this is our last night together and she’s the only girl I’ve ever loved.

  The Zucker’s store on Belmont looks exactly the way it did before I was promoted to work in the wine bar at the Zucker’s on Burnside last August, with one exception. They have their own wine bar now, which opened shortly after I left for California. As expected, Kenny is still the North Star of this store, shining brightly and reliably from his perch behind register three.

  I wave at him as I walk past register one. “I’ll be back,” I say, continuing toward Jamie’s office in the rear corner of the store.

  He blows me a kiss and I pretend to catch it and tuck it safely in the back pocket of my jeans. The customers probably find us annoying, but I don’t care. I pass through the produce section and knock on the oak slab door to Jamie’s office.

  “Come in,” she shouts from inside. She must have seen me coming on the surveillance feed.

  As I walk into Jamie’s tiny office, the same office where I ran into Houston almost six months ago, I’m surprised at how normal this all feels. Even with everything that’s changed since the day my life collided with Houston’s, being here still feels like just another day on the job. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

  Jamie is leaning back in her chair with her Converse sneakers propped up on the desk, talking on her cell phone. “Did Grandpa tell you he wants us to get together for Easter? I won’t even be here. I’ll be in Bali. You have to talk to him, Benji. I am not canceling my honeymoon… All right, I have to go. Rory’s here… You too. Talk to you later.”

  She lowers her feet to the floor and snatches a hair tie off the desk to pull her strawberry-blonde hair into a ponytail. “Hey, Rory. Sorry about that. You know Grandpa and his need to have everything his way.”

  “I think I remember a thing or two about Grandpa John. I’m sure he’ll understand about the honeymoon,” I reply, taking a seat in the chair across from Jamie.

  Jesus. It feels like everyone’s getting married these days. Meanwhile, I’m playing sex games in the back of a car at a cemetery. Thank God Houston agreed we should go back to being just friends and we must never speak about what happened three nights ago. To anyone. Ever.

  Though I guess Pioneer Cemetery can thank us for putting on a show. If they ever were haunted, I’m pretty sure we scared away all the ghosts that night.

  Jamie opens up the manila folder on her desk, my personnel file. “Well, I can’t give you your old job at Burnside back. We’re on our third replacement at the wine bar and it looks like this guy is going to stick around. But I
can offer you your old job back over here. We can always use another cashier.”

  “Oh.” I try to force a smile, but the idea of going back to being a cashier suddenly feels like a huge step back. “Okay. I’ll have to think about that.”

  “No problem. I know it’s kind of hard taking a step back. I wish I had something else to offer you.”

  “No, I understand. It’s just that I have another job offer.”

  “Oh, really? From who? Freddie’s?”

  I laugh at her suggestion that I’m playing her against Fred Meyer, another local grocery chain. “No, from my dad. He wants me to help him set up a charity.”

  Her eyes widen. “Wow. That sounds like a big responsibility, but I’m sure you’re up to the challenge.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see,” I say, letting out a sigh as I stand from the chair. “It was great seeing you, Jamie. Do you mind if I take the week to decide on the position?”

  She smiles as she stands. “Take your time. We’ll still be here.”

  I wait in the wine bar, sipping an ice water, until Kenny’s shift is over. Then we cross the street to the Laughing Planet Café to get smoothies. Kenny gets a Jungle Juice and I opt for a PB & J.

  “Not watching your calories today, are you?” Kenny says as we take a seat on a couple of stools at the counter.

  My mouth drops open in shock. “Can’t a girl get her peanut butter fix without accusations of failed diets?”

  “I’m sorry, honey. You’re right. I’ll come by your apartment later with a trough of peanut butter. Oink oink!”

  I smack his arm. “Don’t be mean. Are you telling me I’ve gained weight?”

  He laughs as he leans out of my reach. “No! Of course not. I’m just teasing you. You look radiant as ever. Exactly the right amount of junk.” He sits up straight and takes a sip of his tropical smoothie. “So how did it go with Jamie?”

  “As expected. She offered me the cashier position.”

  He cocks an eyebrow. “You don’t look very jazzed at the idea of working with me again. Should I be offended?”

  I take a sip of my smoothie, my eyes practically crossing with delight when I suck a ribbon of peanut butter through the straw. “No, it has nothing to do with you. It’s my dad.”

  Kenny sighs. “When is it not your dad?”

  “He offered me a job.”

  His eyes widen. “At the law firm?”

  “No. He wants me to help him set up a charitable foundation for victims of sexual abuse… Hallie’s Hope.”

  His jaw drops and I wait for him to respond, but he just stares at me in silence.

  “Kenny, say something.”

  There’s a wild spark in his eyes. “This is perfect.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. It’s perfect. Now you and your dad and Houston can finally move forward in a positive direction.”

  I heave a deep sigh. “It’s not that simple. My dad is working on this with Houston’s mom, Ava.”

  “Even better!” Kenny squeals. “Rory, you have to do it. If you take the job at Zucker’s, I swear to God I will never speak to you again.”

  “What? How could you even say that?”

  “Because I love you. And I won’t let you pretend that you can just go back to the way things were six months ago. Everything’s changed. You’ve changed.” He reaches up to grab my shoulders, then stops and winces sharply as he begins massaging his neck. “Ah, shit. I forgot about that.”

  “What’s wrong with your neck?” I reply, my mind conjuring the worst scenario. “Do you have neck cancer?”

  He looks at me like I’m crazy. “No, I do not have neck cancer. I have a crick in my neck. I think I slept on it wrong.”

  The way he refuses to look me in the eye when he says this tells me he knows exactly how he got a crick in his neck, and it has nothing to do with sleeping. “Kenny Rhodes, did you have sex last night?”

  He takes a long pull on his straw, drawing out the moment, then he breaks into an uncontrollable grin. “Yes, ma’am.”

  I gasp. “With whom? And why have I not met him?”

  “Because I don’t know how serious it is yet.”

  I raise my eyebrows skeptically. “It must be pretty serious if he’s killing your neck like that. Look at you. You can’t stop smiling.”

  He covers his face in shame. “I know. I know. It’s ridiculous.”

  “No, it’s not. It’s beautiful,” I say with a small sniff.

  He uncovers his face and turns to me slowly. “Rory, are you crying?”

  I shrug as I wipe at my tears. “I’m just happy for you.”

  He’s silent for a moment as he waits for me to compose myself, then he holds his arms out for a hug. “Come here, gorgeous.” He squeezes me so tight, I instantly feel my emotions leveling off. “Take the job with your dad, Rory. Everything’s going to work out with you and Houston. I promise.”

  I sniff loudly. “How do you know that?”

  “Because if it doesn’t, he’ll have to answer to me.”

  I laugh as he lets me go and looks into my eyes. “Speaking from experience,” I reply, thinking of our night spent in the cemetery, “I don’t think there are many things that could scare Houston. But that… That might just do it.”

  Kenny rolls his eyes. “Oh, you’d better believe Houston doesn’t want me bringing my wrath down on him. You may not know this about me, Aurora, but I am well versed in the art of Brazilian jujitsu. One of my mother’s many boyfriends got me into it when I was fifteen.”

  “Fifteen? Didn’t you come out when you were sixteen?”

  He shrugs. “Yes, you caught me. I was schtooping my eighteen-year-old jujitsu instructor.”

  I gasp. “Kenny, did he abuse his position of authority?”

  He smiles sheepishly. “In the best way possible.”

  I can tell by the bored look on Rory’s face that the last place she wants to go right now is to the grand opening of the wine bar in the Zucker’s Lake Oswego store. But sometimes friends have to go to boring grand openings to support their friends. At least, that’s what I told her last night when I asked her to come with me. I just wish I could figure out why she’s been in such a pissy mood lately.

  I know she’s frustrated with the whole dynamic of being just friends, especially since our little “setback” at the cemetery a couple of weeks ago. And I know I have no place trying to decipher Rory’s moods. I have a terrible track record with not being able to figure out my own ex-wife’s personality disorder.

  However, having lived with Rory before, I know that when her mood changes, it usually has to do with an external problem, not an internal problem. And, though being just friends is frustrating as hell, it doesn’t really justify her shitty attitude. Something else is wrong, and I’m going to figure it out. Even if that means taking her to a boring grand opening, surrounded by all her old coworkers, to force it out of her.

  “What did Kenny say when you invited him?” I ask as I exit the 405 freeway.

  She sighs as she continues to stare out the passenger window. “He said he was busy doing fun stuff with his new boyfriend.”

  “Have you met him yet?”

  She turns to me with her eyebrow cocked. “His boyfriend? No,” she replies bitterly. “He’s good enough for Kenny to choose to hang out with him over me, but he’s not good enough for me to meet.”

  “Yet,” I reply with a grin that I hope hides what I’m thinking. “I’m sure he’ll introduce you soon enough.”

  “Why are you grinning? Have you met Kenny’s boyfriend?” Her second question comes out as a shrieking accusation.

  “No, I haven’t met him,” I reply with a chuckle. “I’m just saying you need to be patient. Give Kenny time to figure out how he wants to introduce you two.”

  She shakes her head. “I don’t need him to plan an introduction. I can meet his boyfriend in a damn Starbucks restroom, for all I care. I just don’t like feeling like I’m being kept in the dark.”

&
nbsp; I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. When I approached Patricia for her help a few weeks ago, I knew it would be difficult keeping another secret from Rory. Especially when the last two secrets I kept from her—Hallie’s suicide note and my involvement with Patricia and Hannah—seemed to blow up in my face. Still, I’m confident that the secret I’m keeping from her this time will only have positive consequences. At least, I really hope that’s the case.

  Rory and I enter the Lake Oswego store and the aroma of brewed espresso and freshly corked wine is rich in the air. A long line of customers is queued up at the counter in the wine-slash-espresso bar on our right, while a dozen or so others are seated at the tables. A group of employees in their green Zucker’s T-shirts are gathered just outside the wine bar with a few managers from other locations who are here to celebrate.

  Rory looks a bit uncomfortable as we pass a display of Valentine’s Day greeting cards and fresh floral arrangements tied with pink and red ribbons. “You didn’t tell me Jamie was going to be here,” she remarks.

  “Of course she’s here. So are Benji and Peter.”

  Rory knows Benji as the manager of the Burnside location where she worked. Peter is Jamie’s brother, who manages the Burlingame location. Rory met him at the grand opening of the first wine bar on Burnside, where I had to stealthily avoid running into Rory. But I don’t understand why Rory’s shocked to see Jamie here.

  Rory puts on a smile as we approach the group. “Hey, Benji,” she says with phony enthusiasm.

  Bella, Benji’s wife and Rory’s old boss, turns around at the sound of Rory’s voice. Bella’s holding their newborn son in her arms and Rory’s facial expression and body language change immediately.

  “Oh, my goodness!” she says when she spots the baby, but this time her enthusiasm is absolutely genuine. “Can I hold him?”

  Bella’s red lips curl into a proud smile. “Of course you can,” she says, positioning her arms to perform the handoff. “Look at you, Rory. You look great. Have you lost weight?”

  Rory laughs at this as she carefully takes the baby into her arms. “Not that I know of. I don’t own a scale, but if my jeans could speak, I’m pretty sure they’d tell me I need to lay off the chocolate.”