Looking back, his eyes are on me as I pull my slip off and turn away from him and those assessing eyes to walk to the water. The water is not clear these days. It used to be when I was child, but then flooding happened and it made our river dark in color.
“Why are you hanging with them?” I ask. Glancing back over my shoulder, they can’t hear us now, but they’re all at that same table, which is covered in drinks and God only knows what else.
I sit in the water, which comes up to my belly button, as Tanika swims farther out and turns back to look at me. “I met them out one night. I like him. But don’t want anything more than what he can give me. He’s…” She looks over at the table where Blaze is sitting with his dark hair and a slight scar on his eyebrow. He’s attractive, in the very dangerous kind of way. “He doesn’t do relationships anyway. And well, me, I need to stop doing them. Live a little as they say. So, Blaze, he’s fun and he gets me.”
“Does he, though?”
“Do I what?” That voice makes me yelp. Blaze’s standing near me, his feet not quite in the water, but his eyes are now on Tanika as she floats with her tits out of the water, just barely covered by little triangular scraps of fabric.
“Rochelle is just worried for me,” Tanika says. There’s no shame in her voice at all, and she doesn’t stop floating or look our way.
“Is that right?” Blaze asks, not moving from where he stands.
I look up at him—the sun has fully set and the water’s warm—his dark and dangerous eyes are set on me.
Turning away from him, I look over at Tanika. “I need a drink, Tanika.” I stand.
“Blaze, are you coming in?” Tanika asks.
He watches me as I walk past him, and keep walking to where Tanika laid our bag down to search for my phone. Looking back, I watch as Blaze kicks his shoes off, followed by his vest—which he carefully places with great respect carefully on the sand. His back is covered in ink as he pushes into the water and goes straight to Tanika. I can hear her giggle from here.
“She talks non-stop about you. You must be all right, huh?” Snow stands next to me, his eyes dropping straight to my breasts. “I mean… you have a nice rack and all.” He winks.
I smile up at him. I like him. He’s easy to be around, not as tense as the rest. A little more playful in his mannerisms.
“I’m all right,” I say with a smile. He hands me a drink of beer and I take it with greedy hands.
“They…” I pause, thinking about what I want to ask and then nod out to Tanika. “How long has that been going on?” Snow looks down at me and smiles.
“Your girl not tell you everything?”
I look to the ground. “I’ve been, well… someone close to me died. I’ve not been with it lately.”
Snow’s face softens. “I’m sorry, girl.”
I shrug. Nothing can be done about it now. The pain is still there when I close my eyes, but it’s lessening, and I’m trying to work out how to live a life without them in it. Which is very unfair.
“They’ve been seeing each other for at least a month, but if you ask them, it’s just sex.” Snow chuckles. “Never seen prez so smitten before.”
I look out to the water and watch as his arms go around Tanika and he lifts her up from the water and throws her backward. She laughs as she rises and swims back toward him.
“So, what’s your story?”
“I’m more interested in yours,” I reply, drinking down the last of my beer.
Snow grips my waist and turns me around. “Come and drink with us, and I’ll tell you all about my wild ways.” He winks, walking over to the table where Blaze was previously sitting. Snow smacks one of the dudes over the head, which makes him move, making room for me to sit. A few guys stare at my breasts without one bit of shame.
“Guys, this is girl.”
I laugh at his silly introduction. “It’s Rochelle.”
“Okay…” Snow turns and looks at me. “Girl.” He laughs and turns back to the group.
Shot glasses line the table with a bottle of rum in the middle.
“What are you playing?”
“Take a fucking drink,” one yells. His jacket reads ‘Prospect.’ He was the one Snow hit to move.
“Basically, we ask you a question. If we think you’re lying when you answer, you have to take a drink.”
“That doesn’t sound great…” My eyebrows pinch together. “That sounds a lot like a drinking game.” As I speak the words, another carload pulls up with some girls and guys. A few make their way straight to the river while a girl with white-blonde hair walks over to us. Her hand goes around Snow’s neck and she kisses him on the cheek.
“Sis, this is, girl.”
She smiles at me and nods her head.
“It’s Rochelle, actually.”
“Semantics.” Snow waves me off. “This is Harper. Harper, be nice to girl. She’s Tanika’s friend.” Harper gives me a smile so large, I can’t help but return it.
“My brother annoying you?” she asks, rubbing her palm over her brother’s head. For some reason he takes it and only smiles as he starts pouring shots.
“Never.” I smile, and then someone calls her name.
Harper offers us a wave before she runs off.
“Okay, girl, you’re up first.” Of course, I am. “When was the last time you had anal?”
“What happens if I don’t answer?” I ask.
“You have a double shot.”
“Okay, double shot me.”
Snow throws his head back and laughs, then pours me two drinks. He goes next, and it’s the prospect who asks him a question. Snow slides the drinks over to me, and I shoot them fast, feeling the slow burn of the rum on the way down.
“Snow, when was the last time you got hard from a girl?”
Everyone goes quiet, puzzled by his question.
Then a hand goes around my shoulders as he answers, “Right now. From staring at girl’s tits.” Then he proceeds to look down at my breasts.
I don’t even bother covering them up, nor does it embarrass me for some reason. It’s simply funny. “They are mighty fine, right?” I reply, smiling up at him.
A truck pulls up and I recognize it. My heart starts to beat faster and I reach for Snow’s shot, downing it in one hit.
“Girl, you stealing my shit.” Snow laughs, pouring another one. He doesn’t need to have one, everyone believes his words, but he takes one anyway.
Harper runs up the hill and throws her arms around a pair of shoulders I recognize.
Snow turns and looks where I am then back to me.
“You know, Reap?” Snow asks.
I turn to him, confused by his words. I don’t know him as that, maybe I’m drunk. I must be. Turning back, I listen to the next one in the game, but my eyes keep flicking to where he’s located. Harper clings to him, and I wonder why he allows it.
“No,” I manage to answer, realizing I never did answer if I know him.
“You sure, girl, you’re staring pretty hard his way.” Snow pauses, turns, and yells. “Reap, get your ass over here.”
I hear Harper giggle as they turn while I try to hide behind Snow as they come closer, hoping he won’t see me and I won’t be able to see him.