Deux Semaines (Two Weeks) Read online

it was everywhere, especially after the high surf the previous day. As we sat back down, I started to feel antsy I looked at the time. It was only about 9:30.

  Holly smiled and asked, “What time is she coming?” I replied, “Are you going to start with me too? Christ, I met a girl, she’s pretty. I’m a man. What’s odd about this?”

  Ron gave me shit as usual and said, “He’s a man alright. I knew him before the operation. How’s the hormone replacement therapy going?” Naturally I told him to shut the fuck up and laughed.” The usual exchange between best friends, you know.

  Anyway, I said, “Really Holly, what’s with you giving me a hard time about inviting Naeva?”

  She replied, “I wasn’t giving you a hard time, Angie was giving you a hard time. I just asked what time she’s coming?”

  Then Cori who didn’t say a word up until then mumbled, “Why don’t you ask Angie why she‘s giving you a hard time?” to which Holly smirked and giggled a bit.

  Ron asks, “Wait what? What’s the joke?”

  Cori says, “You guys really don’t know do you?”

  I spoke up saying, “I know. It’s Angie, and that’s what Angie does. She gives me a hard time.” All of a sudden, Holly looks at Cori and they both start laughing their asses off.

  In a surprised but sarcastic tone, Holly says, “My God, neither one of you know why Angie doesn’t want this girl to join our group do you, are you serious? C’mon Jay, even after last night?”

  I asked, “Why, what happened last night?” Ron yells out, “I wasn’t even here last night?”

  Holly shook her in disbelief. She turned back to Cori saying, “Oh my god, men are just stupid. All men, it’s a disease. They’re stupid and blind like mole children!”

  I thought that was a little harsh and said, “C’mon Holly, friends should honest with one another. Don’t worry about offending us, just tell us what you really think.” Ron now getting irritated said, “What the fuck happened last night?”

  Holly moved closer to me and started to speak to me like I was five years old. “Jay, you joined us after dark last night and said you met this beautiful girl accidentally, because you thought she was Angie. Later that night, you’re doing your musical guitar sex, love song thing and she’s melting all over you like butter on an English muffin. Now, she’s pissed you invited this girl to join you tonight. Please tell me you can figure this out.”

  Ron sat up straight said, “Wait, Angie melting on Jay? Are you saying that Angie suddenly has a crush on Jay?”

  Holly turned to Cori and said, “Oh God, it’s like watching someone try to make fire for the first time! Amazing job Ron, you don’t miss a thing.”

  All I could do was sit there in disbelief. I said, “But wait, she’s dating that Marine guy with the weird name? What is it? Barnabus or Bernhard something really exotic…” Holly rolled her eyes and blurted out, “His name is Ben. Ben you dork!”

  Ron starts to laugh and says, “Wow! Jay you were right, that name is exotic! How do you say that again? B…Beh…Ben was it?“

  I took the twig that was fiddle with in my hand and whipped it at his head. Then I remembered what had happened with Angie the night before and said, “Damn it, did you know the reason that Naeva didn’t join us last night was because she saw Angie hanging all over me?” Holly replied in a patronizing tone, “Really? You don’t say, it was almost like she planned it that way.”

  Now the whole thing started to make sense, and yes, I did feel stupid being too blind not to fit it all together. Worse yet, Angie would be back soon, and I didn’t know what to say to her. I knew if I said nothing, she might try to sabotage the night with Naeva, and if I did bring it up, the whole thing could just crash and burn.

  Finally I said “What the fuck! Where was all this attention two years ago when I wanted to go out with her? Now she decides she wants to give me a go. Well this just sucks because it's a little late now.”

  No one said a word. I just shook my head and said, “I need to talk to her right now when she gets back.”

  Holly sincerely looked surprised by my reaction and said, “OK Jay, you impressed me. Telling her how you feel is the right thing to do. That actually makes a lot of sense. I take it back, you aren’t a mole child. What are you going to say to her?”

  I sat for a moment considering my situation. Seriously, I had no idea what to tell her. and just felt pissed off at this point. There was a time I would have jumped at the chance to date Angie, but that was a long time ago. Things change, you know?

  Everyone got a bit quiet right about then, and I decided to say something that I didn’t even plan on bringing up. I said, “I need to say something that may seem off topic and a bit strange right now.”

  Ron remarks, “Your gay? That’s not strange, we totally knew.” Cori punched his arm and Holly yelled, “OK I’ll say it this time, Ron shut the fuck up! So what were you saying?”

  I said, “I know I just met this girl, and this is the part that seems strange but, we kind of clicked you know? I just want you guys to help this evening go well.”

  Holly giggled and said sarcastically, “Oh no! That means I can’t take off my bathing suit and climb on your shoulders like usual? No heroine or Meth or group sex either? What ever can we do tonight?”

  I just laughed and said, “Holly, I ’m not saying that you guys are embarrassing or should act differently, I’m just saying that I really like this girl. I mean I "really" like her.”

  When I said that, I think Holly heard the passion in my voice and it surprised her.

  She smiled warmly and nodded saying, “I’m just messing around, I get it.” Then I looked over at Ron who was laying with his head on Cori’s lap playing with the fingers on her hand. Cori nodded at me with a smile and Ron looked like he knew exactly what I meant and said, “No worries. I got you covered.”

  Another 20 minutes passed, and we could see Angie and B-Bob coming back with of all things, whiskey and tequila. Let me tell you, I didn’t waste any time having a few shots of that whiskey to build up the courage to talk to Angie. I waited until she got up to get some ice from the cooler, and I got up with her. Then I said, “Come with me, we have to talk.” and I yelled out to the rest of them that we were taking bathroom break.

  All we did was walk closer to the tree line by the dunes. It was pitch black by then. As I stopped her she said, “This is worrying me, what’s wrong? You’ve never done anything like this before.” I just took a deep breath and started talking, “I wanted to tell you something very important, and I just want you to listen to me for a minute OK?”

  “OK” she said.

  “Do you remember when we first met during that crazy party at Cori’s house two years ago?” She nodded.

  “Well, back then, I had a killer crush on you, you knew that right?” She nodded, smiled and pulled her hair to one side looking a bit nervous.

  "You were dating that one guy who moved to Milwaukee. I remember how he was a complete dick to you all the time. I thought that maybe I’d have a chance with you if he wasn’t around, but then when you started dating someone else and dumped him, I pretty much knew that we would stay friends you know?”

  She started to speak, but I interrupted her, “Please, just listen for now OK?” She rolled her eyes and snapped, “OK, fine.”

 

  “My point in all of this is; I really got used to us being friends. I have a hell of a great time with you, and I’m happy that’s the way things turned out. Just you and me as really good friends. I just wanted you to know that, is that cool?”

  She looked sad for a moment, and seemed a bit surprised I was that direct with her. Then she shook her head and replied, “I suppose it’s fair right? I mean, the way you wanted more from me back then and not getting it, and now, well…it’s fair.”

  I felt so bad at that moment and said, “I’m really sorry Angie. The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt y
ou, I….” I stopped talking because she put her arms around me and kissed my cheek, and then just held me for a while. As I hugged her back, she whispered in my ear, “I know your sorry and you would never hurt me. It’s because you’re such a sweetheart, and it just took me too long to figure it out.”

  I held her for a while and she finally let me go. I could see that she wiped some tears from her eyes and then she seemed to shake it off. She said, “So, buddy. How about we get back to the other outcasts? I smiled, took hold of her hand and we walked back to join our friends.

  When we arrived back at the fire, it reminded me of a movie scene where strangers walk into a small town bar and the music stops, and everyone turns to look at who came in. I gotta hand it to Angie, she was smooth. She looked up at me with a confused look and back at everyone. In a really convincing tone she said, “OK what the hell? Is there some reason all of you are staring at us, it‘s creepin’ me out.”

  She did such a great job at pulling it off, I’m sure that everyone thought I chickened out from talking to her. Surprisingly, things went right back to normal, business as usual.

  I would say about an