Page 43 of Play of Love
“Come back to bed, baby,” Allegra said, turning back to face me. “Save your strength for later.” She sat up, too, and I watched the heft of her weighty breasts bounce as she leaned onto me.
Usually her touch was like a drug that lured me back to comfort, but somehow she made me feel more wretched. Wretched that I was so far gone I had no control over my emotions, wants, or desires. Wretched that I couldn’t even remember how she ended up here with me.
“I’m gonna get some fresh air,” I told her and slid away.
“Hurry back.” She smiled at me, turning back on her side.
I wouldn’t come back. I pulled on a t-shirt and went outside to the back of the house where I could sit on the ledge and watch the steady waves of the sea pull in and out of the beach. It was five a.m. but even at this hour it still had that soothing beauty that refreshed my mind.
Clarissa’s birthday was tomorrow.
Maybe I should go and meet with Dad and Pete. Maybe it was time to go and see the graves.
The thought gripped at my heart and I didn’t know if I could do it. My mother and sister were buried right next to each other. Seeing them, seeing the graves, would make it all too real and remind me that they really weren’t here anymore.
I watched the darkness fade away as the sun rose and basked in the glory as it kissed the sky and filled out the scene before me. I stayed outside for hours, just watching, and hoped Allegra would be gone by the time I got back inside.
I waited another ten minutes then made my way in. As I passed the sitting room I got the surprise of my life when I saw Amy sitting cross-legged on the floor eating cereal and watching Saturday morning kids’ TV.
I walked into the room believing I’d gone mad and was definitely hallucinating. This had to have been the effects from the drinks.
She didn’t acknowledge me at first, she just continued to watchCow and Chickenon the Cartoon Network.
I looked her over and grimaced. She had her hair up with two plaited buns on top of her head that made her look extremely young, like under sixteen, and the look was enhanced with the bright pink t-shirt she wore with Princess written on the front in pink glitter. The denim shorts, however, I liked. I liked looking at her legs.
I was actually happy to see her.
“What are you doing here? It’s Saturday, isn’t it?” These days I had to check. I’d been known to sleep through the whole weekend on a binge-drinking spree.
“Yes, and you have a bigger TV than me, with more channels and better food.”
I sat on the sofa opposite her. She looked over at me when an infomercial came on advertising slinkies.
“You came for the TV and the food?”
“Yes, what else is here? Oh right, the beach and the whole Malibu thing.”
I looked at her, trying to figure her out. “What’s with your hair?”
“Nothing, it’s my Saturday morning hair. So that by Saturday night it’s all curly. That way I don’t have to use my curling wand. Too much heat isn’t good, it gives you split ends. Especially if it doesn’t have a ceramic coating on it. But a ceramic coating with tourmaline is even better because it makes the ions all the correct charge for healthy hair.”
All that explanation for my simple question. Again I just looked at her.
“What?” She narrowed her eyes at me.
“Nothing.”
She focused her attention back on the TV and munched away on the cereal.
While she did that I continued to stare.
“There’s a surfing competition in about an hour. Do you want to come?” she asked.
I laughed. She was up to something. I didn’t know what it was yet, but she was definitely up to something. Imagine me and her hanging out?
“Since when does Kansas want to hang out with Joshua Mancini?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know who Kansas is. I don’t even know why you call me that.”
