So this is a prequel, but not really, to my fic "Post-Apocalyptic Dating Survival Guide," featuring Stella, Marie and the delicious Daryl Dixon. In the PADSG, Stella and Daryl have a conversation about how they wouldn't have looked twice at each other if they'd crossed paths in their old lives. So I decided to do an experiment and put them together to see what would happen. This takes place in pre-ZA Atlanta (2008ish), but since Stella didn't know Daryl when he showed up in the PADSG, it's more of a "what if" kind of story.
"Jesus Christ, it's hot here," Marie complained, fanning herself and sipping a margarita.
"Um, there is a pool right there," I pointed out to her. Lifting my sunglasses, I frowned at the pinkish tint to my pale skin. I set my book down and pulled my deck chair into the shade. The two of us were quite a pair, me fair-skinned and red-haired, while her Puerto Rican genes were allowing her to toast to a nice golden brown in the blazing summer sunshine.
"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "But I'm tired of swimming already."
"You're kidding me. We just got here a week ago! How the hell can you be bored already?" We were in the Atlanta suburbs for the month, house-sitting for Marie's rich aunt. It was a pretty sweet deal for a couple of 20-year-old college kids. The house was enormous and luxuriously decorated, with an in-ground pool and hot tub (which we definitely weren't going to be using during this sweltering visit), movie room, pool table, and a well-stocked refrigerator and bar. It was the first one built in the cul-de-sac, so we had no neighbors to bother us. On top of all that, we were also getting paid a grand each for what really amounted to a nice vacation. In my mind, it couldn't get much better.
"Yeah, but there's nothing to do but swim and drink. We don't know anyone in this town, and we can't get into the bars to meet new and interesting people." If you hadn't figured out already, Marie was a party girl. We were roommates back at Ohio State, and while I was content to spend a Friday night wrapped up in one of my biology textbooks, she was constantly dragging me from party to party. I have to admit, I did have a lot more fun with her in my life. She glanced over at me, frowning. "For fuck's sake, will you put that damn book down? I can't believe you signed up for a class while you were here."
I shrugged, not lifting my head from my reading. "I can get three credits in one week. You can't beat that!"
"You're such a nerd," was her verdict. I didn't argue. I absolutely was a nerd, so she wasn't saying anything that I didn't already know. She was quiet for a minute, and then commented, "At least the view is nice."
I looked over at her, and then followed her line of sight to the house that was being built next door. There was a crew of tanned, shirtless construction workers up on the roof. I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Jesus, Marie, you are always thinking with your ovaries," I teased her. She was absolutely right about the view, though. While there were several pot-bellied old dudes, there was some serious eye candy who merited a nice, long stare. "Looking for a rebound guy?" Right before the end of the school year, Marie had been dumped very abruptly by the guy she'd been seeing for most of our sophomore year. Since then, she'd been keeping an eye out for just the right guy to take her mind off the situation.
I had been teasing about the rebound comment, but Marie responded seriously, "Maybe so, my dear Stella. Maybe so." She stood up. "Do you want another margarita?"
"Nah. I'm not going to remember any of this shit I'm reading for class tomorrow if I keep drinking." Marie went inside, but instead of finishing my homework, I set the book on the ground and lay back in my chair.
0000000
"We are going to have guests!" Marie told me excitedly, waking me from the nap I didn't realize I was taking.
"What? What are you talking about?" I said groggily. "Are Molly and Theo and those guys coming in early?" Our friends were coming to town in a couple weeks to see the Band of Horses show.
She rolled her eyes. "You haven't been asleep that long. I went and talked to our neighbors!"
"Neighbors?" My brain was still fuzzy with sleep. "Wait, you mean the construction workers?"
"YES! And oh my God, Stella, there are a couple of HOT-ties over there." She stood up, straightening the little sundress she'd put on over her bikini. "You are so gonna thank me for this!"
"So let me get this straight, you just strolled on up to the construction site?"
"Yep."
"And you invited a whole bunch of strange guys over to our house?"
"Yep!"
"A house where there are just two young, single females?"
Marie saw where I was going with this. "Seriously, Stella, quit being so suspicious. You never have any fun. You're like a forty-year-old trapped in a twenty-year-old's body. I don't think you've ever been young."
She was kind of right about that. My life hadn't exactly been easy, not nearly as easy as Marie's, to say the least, and I had to grow up fast. I didn't have time to ruminate on that, though. "Come on," she told me. "We have to clean this place up. It's a fucking disaster."
0000000
As I was throwing the last empty beer bottle into the recycling, I heard a knock at the door. "Oh shit, they're here!" I heard Marie squeal from upstairs. "Can you let them in?"
"Yeah, yeah." I was still not really thrilled about our visitors this evening. I had actually taken the precaution of setting a baseball bat casually against the back door and slipped a butcher knife under a couch cushion. As I approached the front door, I could hear the sound of a quiet argument.
"Jesus Christ, Daryl, are ya blind? That girl is smokin'."
"Yeah, and fuckin' jailbait, I'm sure," the one who I assumed was Daryl muttered. "Have ya seen th' other one? They're kids."
It was really weird to hear them talking about me, and my hackles rose to hear them refer to me as a "kid." Like Marie said, I'd never really been a kid, so it came off like a slur to me.
"Aw c'mon. They're at least eighteen. My money's on twenty-one," the other guy replied.
"An' how the hell old are you, man? Too fuckin' old to be gettin' tangled up with college girls," Daryl grouched.
I figured I might as well let them in before Daryl convinced the other guy that their coming was a bad idea because Marie would have been super pissed at me if I ruined her plans for the evening. Plastering on a grin, I threw open the door, and I shit you not, there stood two of the most beautiful men I have ever laid eyes on. "Uh, h-hi," I stuttered, I'm sure sounding just like the kid I'd been accused of being. "Come on in."
Marie swooped down the stairs, hair carefully done up so as not to look done. She also had put make up on, once again taking care not to look like it. She still had that little minidress on over her bikini that made her tanned legs look a mile long. I, on the other hand, had a ratty t-shirt thrown on over my bikini, and my hair was in an actual sloppy ponytail, as opposed to Marie's precisely cultivated one. I was thankful that my face was already a little pink with sunburn so at least these guys wouldn't notice my furious blush.
"Heyyy guys," Marie crooned. "Welcome to our home. The kitchen is this way. Come in and have a drink."
Daryl threw his buddy a dubious look, but they came further inside. We followed, and I glared at Marie. She just shrugged, giving me a look that said, Maybe you should listen to me next time.
0000000
Daryl and I were sitting at the table on the deck, while Marie was in the pool, flirting like mad with his buddy, Jimmy. When I mentioned before that these guys were gorgeous, let me assure you, I wasn't lying. Jimmy was sporting a bit of a California look, even though he clearly sounded like Georgia through and through. He had longish blond hair that he had pulled back in a ponytail and dark brown eyes with ridiculously long lashes. Daryl had short, kind of spiky brown hair, about a day's worth of facial scruff, and these amazing, clear blue eyes that were currently hidden behind dark sunglasses. Both guys were tattooed, tanned, and ridiculously muscular. Not "I go to the gym every day" muscular, but the lean, defined muscles of someone who works his ass off for a living. Honest to God, in my whole life I don't think I'd ever been that close to anyone who just oozed sex like these two did.
There was a half-eaten pizza, a couple of empty beer cans, and about a mile of silence between Daryl and me. Despite his jaw-dropping gorgeousness, I was still irritated with him over his "just a kid" comment from before, so I didn't make any effort at conversation. He didn't seem too much for talking, either, so I was considering going inside to finish my reading for class tomorrow when we were suddenly distracted by Marie squealing in the pool. Jimmy had grabbed her around the waist and was pretending he was going to dunk her, and naturally a minute later they were making out.
I just shook my head slightly. Surprised it took that long, I thought ruefully. As you have probably gathered, Marie was not one to beat around the bush.
"Y'know, you might wanna warn your friend 'bout what she's gettin' herself into," Daryl commented.
"What're you talking about?" I asked. I had a feeling I knew where he was going with his remark, and my annoyance with him grew again.
"Just that, well, Jimmy's a grown-ass man. Not sure if she quite gets what's on his mind." Daryl reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "Ya mind?"
I shook my head, rolling my eyes at how completely he misjudged Marie. "I can guarantee you that Marie knows exactly what she's getting into. She's a grown ass woman. She doesn't need me or anyone else to tell her what to do." I guess my voice must have given away my anger because Daryl just stared at me from behind his sunglasses, slowly blowing smoke out of his mouth. I probably should have just shut up at that, but my mouth got away from me, as usual. "We're all adults here. We're allowed to decide for ourselves who we do or don't want to fuck."
He was definitely surprised at my choice of words, and he sat back in his chair, a smirk spreading across his face. An unbelievably sexy smirk which made me blush furiously, in spite of myself. "Got quite a mouth on ya, College Girl," he said, with just a hint of admiration in his voice.
I stood up quickly. "I'm gonna get another drink. Want one?"
Smirk still firmly in place, he said, "Sure, 'nother beer sounds good."
I went into the kitchen, grateful for the air conditioning to cool my fiery face. I was irritated with Daryl and also with myself for being so fucking attracted to this guy. Being an aspiring scientist, I prided myself of being logical and straightforward. And here I was in that oh-so stereotypical situation of being drawn to someone who also pissed me off. Too bad Marie was otherwise occupied or I'd have her talk some sense into me. Shit, what am I thinking? She'd tell me to get over myself and sleep with him anyway.
Returning to the deck, I handed Daryl his beer and sat back down in my chair. The sun was sinking below the horizon, and I now had no excuse for hiding behind my sunglasses. Daryl's demeanor had changed completely. He was now slouched in his chair, feet stretched out in front of him. Even though he clearly was more at ease, I still felt uncomfortable.
"So where are y'all from?" Daryl drawled, lighting up another cigarette.
Jesus Christ, can this guy get any fucking sexier? "Ohio. We go to school in Columbus." I really needed something to occupy myself, so I bummed a cigarette off of him.
"You a smoker?" he asked, pushing the pack and a lighter across the table at me.
Honestly, I rarely smoked. I probably smoked more pot than cigarettes. It just seemed like it might make me feel better to have something to do with my hands. "Yeah, sometimes when I drink."
The goddamn sexy fucking smirk came back. "Oh, so you're one a those kinda girls, then?" he teased. I bristled but didn't say anything, just taking a draw off the cigarette and hoping not to have a coughing fit. "Aww, don't take me so serious. I was just kiddin'."
Marie disconnected from Jimmy's face long enough to yell to us, "Why don't you guys get into the fucking pool instead of just sitting there like a couple of assholes?"
Daryl chuckled. "Do they teach you all to talk like that in college or somethin'?"
"Like I want a fucking ringside seat for the face-sucking," I yelled back.
Marie said something to Jimmy that I couldn't hear, but I got the gist of it when they got out of the pool. "The pool is all yours," she said with a little bow, pulling Jimmy into the house behind her. For his part, Jimmy looked like a guy who had just won the lottery on a ticket he'd forgotten he'd bought.
Daryl and I smoked and sipped our drinks in silence for a few minutes. "Soooo..." I said finally, "how about this crazy hot weather we're having?"
He laughed, a genuine laugh this time. It had a really nice sound to it. "Yeah, how 'bout them Braves?"
"They're looking hella good this year!" I doubt he expected me to have something to say about the Braves, but man did I love baseball.
"You like the Braves?" Daryl said, eyeing me curiously.
"Oh hell no. It's the Reds all the way. I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, so they are the closest thing to a home team we had." I leaned back in my chair, finally starting to relax around him.
"They're havin' a pretty good year, too, ain't they?"
"Yeah, not looking too shabby," I replied. We talked baseball for a little while and then lapsed into silence again. Standing up, I pulled off my t-shirt. "You want to go swimming?"
Daryl shook his head. "Didn't know I was goin' to be comin' to a pool party tonight, so I didn't bring nothin' to swim in."
"Oh, you could just swim in your under..." And once again, my face was beet red. This time, I at least could hide under the cover of the evening twilight. I turned around and dove into the pool. I stayed under until I felt my skin cool down, and then floated on my back, staring at the stars. I thought about Daryl sitting at the table, imagining that it would probably be pretty fucking nice to kiss him if I could just quit embarrassing myself long enough to do it. It had been ages since I'd gotten laid. I dated a guy freshman year but was single all this year, and I was no Marie. I wasn't the kind of girl who could just pick up a guy at a bar and bring him home that night. But maybe I could be... Marie was always encouraging me to loosen up, not be so serious, have some fun. That was her general attitude about life, and she was upstairs reaping the benefits of that carefree attitude.
My train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a belt buckle hitting the deck and then the splash of Daryl jumping into the pool. My stomach tightened as I imagined pulling a Marie and bravely swim over to him and... But fuuuuck, how embarrassing would it be if he wasn't interested? Then I began to have the distinct feeling of his eyes on me. I snuck a peek out of the corner of my eye, and he was looking at me. Of course the minute he met my stare, he busied himself with taking a swig of his beer. Now or never. Screwing up my courage, I swam over to him, and before he could say or do anything, I kissed him.
Daryl was reluctant at first but quickly warmed to the idea. And oh how right I had been in thinking it would be so awesome to kiss him. I opened my mouth against his, tentatively touching his tongue with mine. He tasted so amazing, smoky and somehow sweet. I pressed up against him, and he slipped his hands around my waist. His hands were broad and calloused and made me feel tiny and delicate. I could feel his heartbeat quicken and mine sped up to match it. Then through the thin fabric of his boxers, I could feel him start to get hard so I pushed my hips up against his.
He tensed up and pulled away slightly. "Oh shit, Stella. This is such a bad fuckin' idea."
It was like I'd been slapped. "Oh. Oh, sorry. I-"
"Hey man, we gotta go!" Jimmy came out the back door, followed by Marie who was staggering slightly. She had a blissful expression on her face, and I don't think I've ever been so fucking jealous of her in my life. "Shit, dude, sorry! Never mind. I can-"
Daryl was already getting out of the pool. "Nah, it's cool. Lemme get changed real quick." He disappeared into the house.
Jimmy threw me an apologetic look. "Sorry 'bout that. We can stick around for a lil while, if ya want."
I just shook my head, floating back out to sea again. Well, to the center of the pool, but I would have been happy for a whale to come up and swallow me up right about now.
Daryl returned in a minute. "Thanks," he said to Marie. "Had a good time. See ya 'round, College Girl!" he called to me. I resisted the urge to flip him off, just giving him a half-hearted wave instead.
"Had a great time," Jimmy said to Marie.
"Me, too. You guys can come back any time. We're here all month," Marie replied.
Miserably, I floated, listening to their car start up and then pull away. Marie came and sat on the edge of the pool. "So I guess things didn't work out as well for you as they did for me, huh?" she said sympathetically.
I went over to the pool steps and sat down. "How come I got stuck with the one with a conscience?" I complained.
"I guess like attracts like," Marie replied philosophically. "We can try again tomorrow, or another day. They are right next door."
"Ugh, I don't think I could handle that kind of embarrassment again!" I got out of the pool, wrapping myself in a towel. "I'm going to bed. I have fucking school in the morning."
