Page 37 of Out on a Limb
There was no fixing it. The thing was trashed.
I reached behind my head and gathered up the fabric of my t-shirt, gripping it tight as I pulled it up and off before holding it out, making sure to keep my eyes pointed in another direction. “Here.”
Collette hesitated a second before taking it. “Thank you.”
The soft sound of the fabric sliding over her skin was enough to cause a problem I didn’t want to deal with right now. “Are you okay?”
“Mostly.”
I glanced her way, unable to resist dragging my eyes down the sight of her in my shirt. Collette was curvy enough that it didn’t fully swallow her up. Between her tits and her hips, she filled it out in a way that threatened to compound my current problem, and considering I no longer had a shirt to hide behind, it would be obvious as hell if I let it get away from me.
Especially considering I was still in my gym shorts.
“Did you get hurt when you fell?” I pushed up from the ground, groaning a little as I moved.
Collette’s eyes widened as they slowly shifted down my bare chest. “No.”
I took a step closer. “Then where are you hurt?”
Her eyes stayed on me a second longer before dropping to her legs. “The tree bark roughed my thighs up.”
“That’s what happens when you take on a log that’s too big.” A tiny woman with white hair elbowed her way past Julia. “You end up with sore thighs.” She sized me up, one fist planting on her hip. “Well, well, well. Who do we have here?”
I wasn’t quite sure how to handle the situation, so I leaned back on social norms and held one hand out her way. “Andrew.”
The small woman’s lips twisted in the dim light as she gripped my hand with a strong shake. “Collette’s Andrew?”
“Oh my God.” Collette pressed both hands to her face.
Another woman edged in. “Stop hogging him, Sylvia.” She beamed up at me. “Hello.”
Sylvia tipped her head toward the woman at her side as she continued to keep my hand in hers. “This is Sharon. She has hemorrhoids.”
Sharon’s mouth dropped open as her eyes rolled Sylvia’s way. “What was that for?”
“The boy’s barely thirty. He’s too young for you anyway.” Sylvia squinted into the darkness. “Where’s Barb?”
“I’m not coming over there for you to tell everyone my damn secrets.” A voice called out, the words a little messy.
I scanned the glassy eyes and ruddy cheeks around me. “Are you all drunk?”
“Definedrunk.” Sylvia finally let my hand go. “I don’t think I’m going to barf in a backseat if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That’s ‘cause you already barfed over here.” The woman keeping her distance leaned toward the fence, her face twisting on a grimace. “Did you have shrimp for dinner?”
“Clams.”
Barb started gagging, one hand pressed to her mouth and the other to her stomach as she picked her way across the uneven ground.
“Don’t you dare puke, Barb.” Sharon pointed her way. “If you puke then we can’t make fun of her anymore for barfing every time we party.”
“I can’t help it.” Sylvia stood a little straighter. “I have a delicate stomach.”
“We need to call an Uber.” Julia yawned as she leaned back against the large tree I’d caught Collette dangling from.
“You can’t take an Uber. One of them will throw up and you’ll have to pay for it.” I pulled out my phone and dialed the number of the only person I knew who could help me with this situation.
He picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”
