Page 50 of Sharkbait
“Fine, yeah. I’m fine. Go! Happy diving!” I wave him off.
“Thanks. Okay, I’ll…” James hesitates, then says, “I‘ll see you around.”
He turns to go, but it suddenly feels very important that I tell him something.
“I don’t usually do things like that!”
He turns back to face me but doesn’t say anything.
“I need you to know that.”
“You’re referring to...”
“The humping, yeah,” I fill in the embarrassing blank for him. “Or maybe we should call it the one-night...”
“Kegstand?”
I laugh.
He’s good at that. Getting me to laugh.
“Yeah. I know I seemed pretty... confident. And I had all those rules for afterward, but it wasn’t because it‘s something I usually do.”
He’s just standing there, silent, giving me the proverbial floor.
“They say the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, right? Well, ever since I started dating—which, in hindsight, was way too early for me to start dating in the first place—I have had a string of serious, not-so-great relationships, and I’m trying to break the chain. So that night, with you, I was... trying something different.”
He nods.
His feet stay steady on the ground.
Meilani catches our attention from her tank, and we watch her swim for a few moments.
He finally speaks.
“Well, listen. Even if you did make a habit of... one-night keg stands, you wouldn‘t owe me—or anyone—any sort of explanation for that. It’s absolutely no one’s business.”
He’s right of course.
I’ve just so used to explaining myself to the guys I’m with.
But I’m notwithJames.
Not at all.
“I have to admit, though, the caveman part of me is a wee bithappy to hear I was an exception to your standard proceedings.”
“A wee bit?” I laugh.
“A wee bit, yeah.” He smiles.
“I think it’s safe to say there is no caveman in you.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Louise. There’s a little caveman in every guy.”
“Alright, noted. I just meant that—” I pause. “Well, I may regret saying this, but... I’m not mad that I met you.”
A brilliant smile spreads across his chiseled face.
