Chapter 11 – Fireworks
"Sure you don't want any help?"
The fourth of July dawned scorching hot. By midday, the heat was suffocating. As Alex sat on a huge tree stump, elbows on knees, chin on hands, she could feel the skin on her shoulders crisping despite a thick layer of sunscreen. The sky was a stunning azure blue, devoid of clouds. Birds wheeled and swooped and sang against the cerulean backdrop. Further down the shore, voices carried over the water and the smell of sizzling barbecued meat made her stomach rumble.
"No, no, I've got it."
Bobby was crouched beside the old ATV, fiddling with the motor, the back of his t-shirt stained with sweat, the front with a smear of grease. Occasionally he would stand and crank the key in the ignition, swearing under his breath when the motor sputtered teasingly but refused to turn over. A squirrel bounded out of the bush behind the shed, stopping abruptly and sitting up on its haunches when it caught sight of the hulking obstacle in its path. After eyeing Bobby warily, it elected to change course and retreated into the undergrowth.
Smart creature. Stay away from stubborn men. Just like I should have.
She had called him a few days after the benefit dinner as promised, determined to be above reproach in maintaining communication going forward. Their conversation had been stilted at first, both on uncertain ground after their airing of grievances, but before long it had settled into more comfortable discourse and she became sharply aware of how much she had missed him. The Airbnb studio she was renting in Portland was lovely but lonely after an enjoyable week of shared meals, companionable evenings and a passionate kiss that left more questions than answers. When Bobby had haltingly asked if she would like to join him to watch the fireworks display, she had leapt at the opportunity. Now, watching the muscles in his arm flex beneath his tanned skin as he tinkered with the motor, she was incredibly glad that she had.
Keep it in your pants. Remember, the man deceived you.
It was wrong of him to lie to her, Alex knew that, but by the next day her anger had already abated significantly. He was right – she had indeed cut him out, and off. Lying in bed that night, staring at the cream ceiling of the studio, she reflected back on Bobby's dark period following the Tates fiasco. He had cut her off then and she had essentially stalked him, calling repeatedly, dropping by his favorite haunts, until she had finally tracked him down at that diner. She had convinced herself her behavior was acceptable because she was concerned for his well-being. Was that really any different than his motivation now? His ploy was more elaborate certainly, but the intentions in both situations were good. To what lengths would she have gone had he lived in another state at that time?
The sound of the motor finally jolting to life brought Alex back to the present. Straightening, Bobby wiped his hands on his shorts, a goofy smile illuminating his features.
"There. All set?"
"Yep. Let's go."
When Bobby informed her that he had borrowed an ATV from his neighbors to transport them to an overlook in the nearby hills, she had initially been dubious about the astuteness of that decision. She had considered the four-wheeling skills of her urban former partner highly questionable despite his assertions that he had been out on one on several occasions. Any concerns were allayed quickly however, as Bobby proved to be a capable navigator over the uneven terrain. He maneuvered the ATV expertly along the dirt path that started a short distance down the road from his cabin. The trail wound through the trees and up, littered with rocks and stumps of various sizes. In the open stretches, he picked up speed to tackle the inclines.
Alex had started the trip gripping the rack on the back of the machine to keep from sliding off around corners and over bumps. After a while, that strategy strained her shoulders and she was forced to lean forward, wrapping her arms around Bobby's waist instead to anchor her body in the seat. Given his girth and the length of her arms, she had to press herself tightly against his back to get a good grip. Bobby glanced at her but said nothing.
After twenty minutes, the trail suddenly narrowed drastically before flying wide open, spitting them out into a clearing partway up the hill. The overlook loomed fifty feet ahead, across a patch of bright green grass, the drop-off protected by a metal railing. From that height, there was nothing but treetops in all directions. A small waterfall cascaded from a ledge above, morphing into a creek that spanned a third of the plateau before disappearing over the cliff where it would eventually, some ways down, join up with the lake.
"Holy cow," Alex gasped as Bobby brought the ATV to a shuddering stop just outside the forest wall. "This is beautiful. It looks like an artist's rendering of Eden."
"It's a hidden gem," Bobby agreed, killing the ignition. As the motor noise died, the sounds of nature swelled up around them. "The locals know it's here. And you get a few, uh . . . hardcore hikers stopping by sometimes. Overall though, it's mostly undisturbed. That's why it stays so lush."
Realizing that she was still pressed against his back even though it was no longer necessary, Alex relaxed her grip and slid back in the seat to create space. "It's incredible."
"Best view in town. And see over there?" Bobby pointed to the sky due east. "That's where the fireworks will be tonight. I came here last year too. It's a truly impressive display at this height."
Alex suppressed the urge to ask if he had been alone last year, or if he had shared this exact view with another woman.
Not your business. And don't ask questions you don't want the answer to.
They hadn't talked about the kiss since it happened. Part of her was glad – if he had suggested it had been a mistake, or that it didn't mean anything, or that he hadn't felt anything, she would have been crushed. At the same time, the uncertainty surrounding their relationship status was excruciating. That kiss had ignited a fire in her belly that had been dormant for a very long time. She had been trying to extinguish it for days, reminding herself a million times of all the reasons that it couldn't be, shouldn't be.
You have a job, family, friends, an apartment back in New York. Your life is there. Bobby's life is here. He's happy here. You cannot ask him, or allow him, to sacrifice that to return to the city, where so many of his demons lie in wait.
No matter what she tried though, the flames just could not be smothered. Now that Alex had allowed herself to experience the depth of her feelings for Bobby, there was no turning back. She wanted more. She wanted him. It was his stance on the situation that remained a big question mark. For all she knew, he was still with Faith. It was entirely possible that they had reconciled and that was driving his avoidance of any discussion of that night. Another question she was afraid to ask for fear it would strain what they had just started to delicately rebuild.
They had brought a picnic for dinner – sandwiches, potato chips, macaroni salad, wine, fruit, chocolate chip cookies - and they fanned the containers out on a blanket on the grass. Butterflies skimmed past their feet and landed hopefully on the plastic wrap covering the fruit for a moment before floating away again dejectedly. The late afternoon sun may have lost some of its potency closer to the ground but it was hotter than ever on the overlook as they hammered a large beach umbrella into the soil to provide solace from its glare. By the time everything was set up, they were both drenched in sweat.
Alex wiped her damp forehead on the sleeve of her T-shirt. "I think that's everything. Are you good if I just jump under that waterfall for a second to cool off before we eat?"
"Sure." Bobby jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "I'm just going to go grab my cell phone. Left it on the ATV."
As he traipsed back to the waiting four-wheeler, Alex stripped down to her bikini, walked over to the creek and stepped under the gurgling waterfall. It was by no means powerful - the pressure wasn't significantly more than that provided by a full flow shower head - but it was refreshingly cool. As she let the water wash over her, she could feel the grime and sweat sloughing away. Closing her eyes, she pulled out her ponytail and turned her face up into the flow, letting her long hair stream down behind her.
Heaven.
She opened her eyes again just in time to see Bobby, returning from the ATV, walk straight into the umbrella.
He'd been staring at her so intently that he hadn't been paying attention to where he was walking. The sudden impact startled him and sent the umbrella toppling to the side. While frantically trying to keep it upright, he tripped over the pole, knocked over a cooler, stumbled, got his feet tangled up in a blanket and nearly did a face plant on the grass before finally regaining his equilibrium.
Alex couldn't help but feel a bit smug as she slipped back behind the cascading water and pretended she hadn't noticed his impromptu floor routine. She had selected her bathing suit with great care that morning, brooding for hours in front of the mirror. She tried to dismiss the uncharacteristic hyper awareness of her appearance on normal female self-consciousness, but truth was that she had really wanted to look good. For Bobby. Eventually, she settled on her most recent purchase, a cute little string bikini that highlighted her curves. She wasn't immodest but she knew that she had a nice body and Bobby's reaction clearly suggested that he had noticed that as well.
Hey, you teased me with a kiss. Now it's my turn. Eat your heart out, Robert Goren.
A bank of heavy clouds had built in the west as they set out their picnic feast, the white lids of the coolers doubling as tables. They sat across from each other, cross-legged, chatting amiably about the weather and other matters of negligible significance, both avoiding any dialog heavier than a friendly debate about politics. As Alex watched him, struggling to remove the cork from their second bottle of wine, she felt a profound sense of both affection and sadness. At best, there was a week and a half left in this teaching gig and then she would be heading back to New York. They would stay in touch this time, she was confident of that, but it wouldn't be the same. She had quickly acclimatized to seeing him every day again and knowing that that would soon be coming to an end bled some of the joy from an otherwise lovely moment.
As dusk fell, they strapped the coolers and umbrella back on the ATV and stacked outdoor cushions beneath their blankets so they could lay back and still be propped up enough to watch the fireworks. In the distance, spotlights swung through the air and a halo of light christened the treetops in the vicinity of the Portland fairgrounds where the fourth of July celebration was in full swing.
"Thanks for bringing me here Bobby." Alex turned her head on her pillow mountain to look at him, hair brushing against her cheek. "It's been a really nice evening."
Bobby remained staring straight up at the sky, wringing his hands absently. "I'm glad you . . . you came."
Two shared bottles of wine had instilled liquid courage in her veins and finally allowed her to cautiously raise the mildest of the questions that had been troubling her all night.
"So, where's Faith tonight?"
He took a deep breath, gaze still firmly affixed on the thickening clouds above. "I don't know. We, uh . . . broke up."
Her heart started pounding so hard that she was sure her entire body must have been vibrating. "I'm sorry, Bobby."
Bobby shook his head but still wouldn't look at her. "It's okay. It was a, a . . . mutual decision. She was obviously really hurt by . . . y-you know."
Oh, I know. I'm not likely to ever forget.
"She was hurt, and angry, and wanted me to say that the . . . the . . . kiss . . . was a mistake, that I regretted it," Bobby continued, running a hand through his hair. "If I had, maybe our relationship could have been salvaged. But I couldn't. And Faith deserves better."
Finally, he rolled onto his side to face her, propping his head up on a hand and fixing her with the full intensity of his dark eyes. "And I want to apologize to . . to you. I was out of line, pushing myself on you like that. You also deserve better. I was just . . . just . . . so caught up in you that night."
The first batch of fireworks rocketed up into the sky with a whistle before exploding into a bloom of color. Alex raised her eyebrows incredulously, pulse throbbing.
"Caught up in me? You barely seemed to notice me all night. You avoided me like the plague."
"Do I need to tell you why that . . . that was?" Bobby chuckled dryly. "I noticed you alright. In fact, I couldn't take my eyes off you. You looked . . . just stunning. I was worried, if I was too close, I would . . . lose control. I was right to be worried I guess, because I did."
Reaching over, Alex brushed back a curl that had fallen over Bobby's forehead. "You don't need to apologize. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself and I'm not afraid to use force where necessary. If I hadn't wanted you to kiss me, I wouldn't have let you."
She went to pull her hand back but Bobby caught it and held it in his, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"So what do you think would happen, if I were to kiss you again?"
One corner of Alex's mouth quirked up into a smile as the barrage of fireworks continued to light up the sky.
"I guess you'll just have to try and find out."
Bobby's smile mirrored her own as he cupped her face and covered her mouth with his. The mood was less frantic this time but no less passionate. He drew her closer, hand slipping beneath her t-shirt to lightly caress the bare skin of her back, sending an anticipatory thrill through her body. They lay together on the blanket, making out to a soundtrack of pops and cracks and fizzes, illuminated occasionally by the bright colors in the sky. They kissed, laughed and whispered to each other, legs tangled together like snarled roots, until they were both literally out of breath.
Neither noticed when the fireworks display reached its conclusion, the overlook descending into silence and the sky darkening. It was a loud rumble of thunder and the first few heavy drops of rain that eventually forced them apart and sent them scrambling to gather up the remaining blankets and pillows. They were halfway back to the ATV when the sporadic raindrops suddenly multiplied exponentially and the heavens unleashed a deluge.
By the time they arrived back at the cabin, they were absolutely drenched. Soaked to the bone.
They made a mad dash for the front door after tucking the ATV back into the shed, dodging hail, stumbling over the threshold, laughing, two drowned rats. Alex's hair was stuck to her face and her clothing clung to her body. Bobby was similarly soggy, his curls pasted to his forehead, his white t-shirt turned transparent.
Outside, the storm raged on. Heavy rain pinged against the windows, lightning reflected off the lake, thunder sent vibrations through the floorboards. Inside, the cabin was still and quiet except for the tick of Bobby's grandfather clock. As their laughter died they grew somber, standing opposite each other in the dark, catching their breath. Alex's heart drummed against her rib cage, her hands trembled, and her body blazed with anticipation. Her rational mind had been hijacked; all of the valid reasons not to let this go any further bubbled up in her mind but never made it into her stream of consciousness.
After only a moment's hesitation, Alex grasped the hem of Bobby's sodden shirt and slowly drew it up over his head, drops of water puddling on the floor as she tossed it carelessly over the back of a nearby kitchen chair. It was the first time she had seen him without a shirt on and her eyes roamed greedily over his broad chest. The coarse hair tickled her palms as she gently ran her hands down from his shoulders and over his stomach.
"Alex . . ." Bobby breathed quietly, grabbing her hands to still them, dark eyes boring into her face.
"No overthinking this," Alex whispered, the words almost lost in the cacophony of the storm outside.
Holding his gaze, Alex slowly drew her own t-shirt up and over her head, lobbing it onto the dripping pile. Bobby's eyes lowered to trace the contours of her body hungrily. Sliding one hand behind her back, he tugged at the strings holding her bikini top in place, his nimble fingers making quick work of the knots. When it was completely untied, he let it fall unceremoniously onto the floor. His breath was as ragged as hers as she pulled his head down for a kiss, standing on her tiptoes to meet him halfway.
At that moment, any hesitation either of them may have been feeling evaporated and Bobby kissed her back with a degree of passion that she hadn't ever experienced before in her life. Pressing one hand into the small of her back, he pulled her against him and began backing them up toward his room. Along the way, engrossed as they were in each other, they bumped into a side table, knocking it askew, and sent a floor lamp crashing to the ground. Cursing, unable to wait any longer, Bobby picked her up effortlessly. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, hands tangling in his hair, mouth hot on his as they strode the remaining distance through the living area and disappeared into his bedroom.
