“It’s harder than it looks,” Nok says, folding his arms over his chest.
I don’t reply, I stop breathing, I wait. I see a fish coming and I hold the stick in both hands then I jab. And miss.
Though only by a fraction.
I hesitated in the last second, something I’ve always promised myself I’ll never do. Never hesitate… never. It’s my number one rule. Hesitation is weakness and people exploit weakness. You miss chances because of said weakness.
I don’t say anything despite hearing Nok’s laughter. I concentrate, zoning in to the sounds around me. Watching the fish and how they move.
I jab again, pinching my lips together when I miss again.
I’m dedicated now through my frustration. I can do this. I know I can. I’m good at this.
Sweat beads on my brow, I maneuver my sweater from my body, revealing my black lace bralette. I kick off my shoes and stuff my socks into them.
Nok whistles low and long and stands with his fishing rod, trying to hook the fish I scare away from the pole. “I want to eat your tits.”
“Shush,” I admonish and roll up the bottom of my jeans.
I wait for what feels like minutes, maybe more, but I wait patiently. Patience is something I’m good at when I must be.
“Just give it up,” Nok says and I do it. I find the fish and it is huge.
I jab the stick and it crunches and pulls before hitting the muddy rocks beneath it, breaking the sharp point. For a moment I close my eyes, not daring to see if the large fish escaped.
It didn’t.
I raise it slowly, hold it up to the light. The scales shimmer and shine like they’ve been slicked with oil or silver. Water runs down the jagged pole to my hands and I feel suspended in this moment.
Nok and I look at each other and just stare for the longest time and then the lifeless fish. A clean kill.
“No… fucking… way.”
I jump and squeak and start cheering like a little girl who just got a new doll. I raise my stick in the air and do a bizarre laugh scream because words have escaped me. This is so exciting. I want to do it again.
“You did it.”
“Just call me queen of the forest, catcher of fish, blower of men, ruler of Oregon!”
He catches me by the waist and swings me around, his arms banding around my creamy, smooth skin. I struggle to keep hold of the stick because the fish is heavier than I thought it would be and the rod bends, threatening to break under the exertion. “You brilliant fucking female you.”
“Why thank you.” My feet touch down and I skip with my kill to the empty bucket where Nok takes my fish off the spear and drops it in. “That’s got to be a good six pounds.”
“Definitely, it’s a big fucker.” He looks at his rod that he discarded during the celebration and sighs. “Can I try prodding a few?”
I nod and hand it to him, wondering what good it will do with a broken end. “Have at it. But take your shirt off, if you please.”
Laughing, he obliges, yanking it over his head with one arm and throwing it at me. He kisses his solid biceps and hits a fist against his muscular chest.
I laugh too and hold his fishing rod while sitting in his chair and drinking his coffee. It’s lukewarm now but it hits the spot.
He steals my knife too and tries to fix the end of the pole. The way his biceps bulge as he scrapes the blade over the end is so erotic.
Ugh… my phone vibrates with a text from my sister.
Willow: Having fun?
Lilith: Fuck yes. Wish you were here.
Willow: I’m with you in spirit. What time will you be home tonight?
Lilith: Don’t wait up. That’s what time.
Willow: Don’t do anything stupid.
She should define stupid because it’s subjective in my opinion.
“Everything okay?” Nok asks.
I nod just as my phone vibrates again.
Loki: Party at Pammy Shepherd’s house on Friday, everyone’s invited. Gonna be mega. You in?
I look at Nok who is cursing at the empty spike of my stick. “Party this Friday night at Pammy Shepherd’s. You know him?”
“Her and yes, I know her.”
I lick my lips to wet them and sip more coffee. “She good people? Will she mind if I go?”
“She’s insane. She won’t mind at all.”
Well… good. “So are we going?”
He raises his brows. “You’re asking me?”
“Should I not be?”
“Well, I already planned on going with Ethan and Payne. But I guess I could go with you instead.”
I smirk and roll my eyes. “Don’t do me any favors.”
“I’m not. I might get laid if I go with you.”
“You’ll definitely get laid if you don’t go with me.”
He flashes his eyes at me. “You’ll give in eventually. I’m persistent.”
“Let’s see how persistent,” I mutter under my breath so quietly I know only I can hear.
“Huh?”
“Nothing. So, Friday. Pick me up at eight?”
He nods and looks back at the stream. He doesn’t catch one that way and I don’t try again.
Beginners luck and all that. I’m not screwing with my triumphant buzz.
There’s a bonfire and coal pits for the food. Elders sit near the ember glow, one of them is telling scary stories to the little kids who were running around but now no longer are, most are wrapped in blankets to keep the chill out. I have yet to be introduced as we got here late no thanks to Nok.
He decided it would be a good idea to go into Westoria to pick up a few bits, but realized he forgot his wallet. When he went back to the truck to find it, I walked out with the cart undetected. No way I was waiting for him.
His face was a picture when I started placing the groceries into his truck bed. But he didn’t argue, or chastise me, he just snorted, rolled his eyes, kissed my temple, called me crazy, and then we drove away.
There is so much food. Everybody brought something but not everybody caught something. I feel pride over that fact.
“I feel like your dad tricked me.” I motion to the buffet table full of foods from Walmart. I watch one guy dump a bag of cheese balls into an empty bowl.
Nok just laughs and gives me a playful shove towards the food table. “Eat. Mingle.”
“Are you seriously about to leave me?”
His eyes flare that light shade of brown and the reflection of the fire in them just makes them so much more dramatic. “I have people to see. My dad invited you, not me.”
And he’s back to being an asshole. But he also has a point. I don’t want him lingering around if he doesn’t want to hang with me. He has his own family and friends here. I’m good alone. I’ve had enough of him today too.
“Fuck you then,” I say with a shrug.
“Nokosi,” Dasan calls and approaches us with Nash by his side.
I’m surprised when Nash hugs me like I didn’t slash his brother’s tires on Friday night. “Dad said you’d be coming.” I keep my arms limp by my side for a moment because I don’t want to hug Nash in front of Nokosi. Or at all.