I awoke again in Randy's death grip, or at least that's what Eve called it that morning from the table. I had opened my eyes long before he did and I found myself stuck, but I didn't want to disturb him because I knew he had a hard time getting to sleep. I had felt him toss and turn for the longest time before he finally remained still.
"So?" Eve whispered from the table where she was playing a game on her laptop.
"So what?" I answered from the sofa bed.
"Did you and Randy … you know."
"Eve, is your mind always … on that subject?" I laughed.
My head was nestled comfortably on the arm Randy had under my neck and I didn't want anyone to know how much I enjoyed sleeping in a man's arms.
"No, but John's asleep and I'm bored. Oh, but wouldn't it be great if you and Randy started dating? It would be like we were on a double date all the time." I had to love Eve and her hopeless romantic's heart. She fell in love so easily and she wanted me to be in love too. I just hoped that John wasn't taking advantage. "I can't help it. He looks so peaceful."
Randy stirred and I thought I would finally be able to go and relieve my bladder. He yawned and stretched out his arm and I attempted to slip away, but subconsciously he noticed and he pulled me back, turned over and took me with him causing the small sofa bed to become unbalanced folded us up, depositing us beneath the metal that held the mattress and trapped us in the empty box.
Eve let out a slightly frightened cry and jumped to help, then started laughing.
"Oops," Randy was on top of me. He had landed on me with all his weight and I think he knocked the breath out of me. He grinned and stared at me, his lips were only inches from mine.
"Randy, I can't breathe," I laboriously complained. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed especially when he tried to rise and found we were stuck.
"Oh shit."
"John!" Eve hurried to wake her boyfriend and I thought we would never get out of the sofa because they both couldn't stop laughing.
"Guys, come on. I'm crushing Abbi here." Randy reminded them. It took both of them holding up the frame after removing the mattress for us to out of the hole. And after we had cleaned up the mess and put the bed away we collapsed on it and Randy put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed me gently. "I told you I have a slight sleeping disorder right?"
"Randy," I laughed. "That is not a disorder it's a health hazard. Next time, I'm tying you down with police tape."
"MMMM" I rolled my eyes, grabbed my bag and went to get ready for the day. We were already parked in a camp ground in the next city and the driver had set up the awning and placed chairs outside creating a little porch where he was napping. When I stepped outside, it hit me. We were in Randy's hometown. Suddenly, the depressed way he acted the night before made sense. He was parked in a campground when he would have normally gone home to his wife.
I was wearing my normal, long skirt and dress shirt buttoned all the way up. I carried my shoes in my hand and set them down. The nearby lake looked so inviting that I had to walk down the dock, sat down on the edge and dangled my feet in the water. It was a beautiful day and I wished I could take a swim, but I didn't have a swimsuit because I never had time to swim.
I twisted around and saw Randy had emerged. He and John stood outside stretching and soon they started jogging down the dirt road we were parked on. Eve emerged shortly after wearing shorts and had her iPod in her hand. She spotted me and came my way.
"Hey, you want to take a run with me?"
"I don't think I can." I laughed. I had never tried to run before, but I could imagine myself running out of breath before I made it ten foot down the road.
"Girl, you are not out of shape, come on, I don't want to jog alone." I never could say no to my only friend.
"I'm going to have to go shopping later." I chatted while I put on a borrowed running outfit. "I'm really going to have to buy some new clothes."
"You're speaking my language. We'll go after the rental car is delivered."
I was surprised at how easily I kept up with Eve and I found I enjoyed the jog. I could see myself doing it every day. It cleared my mind and I had time to think without any distractions. I thought about my life and how I really wasn't living the way I wanted. I desperately wanted to pull away from the conservative clothes I had always worn, but at the same time, I didn't want to be too revealing. I wondered if there was anything in between.
Two cars were brought to us. Randy had ordered one and so had Eve. Neither knew they had both called. Usually they had all shared a car.
"We are going shopping. See you two guys later." And we were jumping in the car and pulling out before they could even think about joining us.
It was my very first girl's only outing. I bought a few things to wear outside of work, like a running shoes and a couple outfits and a bathing suit and I even tried on a couple of dresses to wear in case we went out. I liked how they looked and I bought a couple of outfits mainly because I did want to gain Randy's attention, but I didn't want to admit it to anyone. Besides, what harm could come out of wearing a pair of well fitting jeans around when I wasn't working? I sure thought they were more comfortable.
I wore a pair out of the store along with a tee shirt with a sarcastic saying. I felt so alive.
"One more stop." Eve pulled me into a salon with me resisting the whole time. It took two hours for them to do everything to me that Eve requested, but when they were done, I had a brand new look. I had never imagined that my hair could do the things they made it do. It was very full and cascaded down to the middle of my back and it had a loose perm. The curls framed my face and I really liked it.
They had also helped me apply make-up and they taught me how to do it myself. By the time we left I had spent over three hundred dollars on make-up and hair supplies.
"Now, you look like you're happy." Eve had never criticized the way I looked and she never cared what I wore when we hung out, but I guess my friend knew that I felt out of place and she could tell that I wanted to be different. Eve helped me do what I had always wished I could do and after that day, I developed my own style, or I actually bought the things I liked instead of putting them back and buying the sensible outfits that my grandparents would approve of.
"I'm hungry. I wonder what the guys are doing." A few minutes later she picked up her cell phone and began talking.
"John," she said. "What are you guys doing tonight?" she listened for a moment.
"That sounds better than what I found. I think we will tag along." she laughed as he said something. "Oh boo who, you'll get over It." then she closed the phone.
"Well, we are going crash their boy's night out. They're going to a club Randy knows about." I dropped my mouth. I had never been to a club.
"I think I'm just going to stay behind and watch a movie."
"No you not. You're coming with me."
"Eve, I wouldn't be much fun. I'm more the type that sits home and reads a good book."
"Well tonight you're going to let your hair down and have fun." she insisted.
She wouldn't let me out of it so instead of slipping into my favorite P.J.'s that night after a hot shower as I had planned I got ready for a night on the town. Once I was dressed I applied my make-up the way I had been shown earlier and I slipped on a new pair of jeans with metal studs all the way down the legs and a flared at the bottom. I let out a deep breath and slipped my glasses. They had big black frames and I thought they looked good on me. I only needed them for reading but I read so much that I normally never took them off. They were part of who I was and I was comfortable hiding my blue eyes behind them.
"You look like you're going to work girl." Eve said as she put on her earrings. She wore a stunning tight fitting silver dress that glittered when she walked. She snatched my glasses and tucked them into my purse.
I felt so out of place at the club. Randy and John were already there and they were joined by Kofi, but we didn't join them right away. We took a seat at the bar for a little more girl time and let them do their thing which was acting like animals every time a girl wearing little more than nothing walked by their table.
"They have no idea that we're here." Eve laughed. I was in awe of how she could watch her boyfriend's eyes linger on another woman and she didn't become even the slightest bit jealous.
I again indulged in the drink and I tried different things with Eve at the bar. Soon, I was no longer hiding my smile with my hand as I always tended to and I was joining in with Eve, screaming after every shot. I was enjoying myself and I felt just as relaxed as I did when I was at home alone.
"Oh," we swiveled in our seats and gazed at the men's table. They had calmed some. Kofi and John drank and talked, but Randy sat with his eyes downcast, sipping his beer. He looked suddenly sad and depressed and when he lifted his gaze it always landed on a woman sitting not far away. "Damn, of all the people he could have run into tonight." Eve pointed at the woman in and I soon realized it was his ex. "And she's just doing everything she can to rub it in his face. He's so heartbroken."
I could tell by the way he stared that he had loved the woman very much and he was stuck watching her kiss and hug on a new guy. Every so often she would look over her shoulder to see if he was watching. It was so cruel.
"I really wish there was something we could do to cheer him up." I think it was the alcohol that orchestrated my next move. I took another double shot of courage and then I walked up to his table, bent down and kissed him. I was expecting him to push me away completely disgusted by what I had done, but instead, he kissed me back. He pulled me close and slipped his tongue into my mouth, and then he pulled me into his lap and kissed me even more passionately. His hand landed on my hip and he caressed my thigh and my ass gently.
When we came up for air, I took his beer and drank it, then handed it to him, but not before I caught a glimpse of his ex, who was staring with hatred. I guess she didn't think Randy would ever move on. Of course, I knew he hadn't, but at least he didn't have to give her the satisfaction of knowing it.
I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I had to catch my breath. I think what I had done had shocked me more than anyone else in the group. And I was feeling things I had never experienced before. The only ones at the table when I returned was Randy and Eve since John and Kofi had taken off to the jukebox. I overheard them talking.
"What do you think of Abbi?" I hung back. I knew what Eve was doing and I couldn't be mad at her. She never told him what I had told him. I think she was trying to embed the idea of me and him in his head. Hey why not? My drunken brain thought.
"She's um – something else." Randy laughed and then he watched the girl taking the microphone on the stage. His eyes never left the girl wearing the short black mini skirt until she got off the stage.
"She is but what do you think?"
"I think she is nice." he repeated. "She's really nice."
"I think you should ask her out." Eve said.
"What?" Randy said. "No."
"Why? You need a nice girl for a change and you said yourself she is nice."
"I don't know" he said shrugging.
"But you can't say you didn't enjoy kissing her."
"It was great, but you and I know why Abbi and I kissed and I'm grateful for her for doing that for me. She's a good friend, but she's not my type." I didn't want to hear anymore. I already knew I didn't have a chance with him anyway. I stepped closer into Eve's view and sat down in my seat across from them. Randy's eyes seemed to linger on me but I think it was my wishful thinking.
I downed a few more drinks to try and numb by crush on him. I wanted it to go away. I wanted him to be just another face in the business that I passed by without giving him a second thought. Why had I had such strong feelings for him so quickly? I suddenly wished I hadn't kissed him.
"Slow down." Randy laughed when I downed yet another drink. He took my glass from me and I looked around the table and saw that I was alone with him. I looked for Eve and found her on the dance floor dancing slowly with John Morrison. She gave me a wink.
"You want to dance?" he asked me.
"No thanks," I said but it didn't sound like my voice. It sounded more confident, more assertive. Actually I think I was too drunk to care. I already knew what he thought.
"They're starting karaoke." Kofi said with a big grin, returning to the table with Eve and John "You in Orton or are you too chicken."
"Pick a song Kofi." Randy said following him to the table to sign up.
"I'm so glad he's having a good time despite the fact that SHE is here." She watched Randy and the guys looking through the song book."We should get up there, too" Eve begged, but I shook my head.
"No.' I said too loudly.
"I've heard you sing Abbi, you're great. Come on. I don't want to do it alone."
"I'll go with you." WE turned towards the woman who had offered and we both groaned, but Jillian didn't catch on. "I'll do it."
"Oh, well okay." Eve said with a shrug.
"Yea." Jillian had had way too much to drink. I was shocked I wasn't as sloshed as she was.
"Let's hope she sings better drunk than she does sober." Eve said with a nervous smile. "Oh well it's suppose to be fun right?"
"Ya."
"You won't reconsider? Pleaaaase." she begged.
"No I'm fine here. I'm more of an on looker." I watched Randy, Kofi and John on stage. Randy wasn't really singing and his eye was on his ex again. She had somehow managed to get inside his head again by standing at the bottom of the stage waiting for her turn.
Kofi and John were doing more shouting than singing, but they were having a good time. Soon they were back at the table laughing about the song they had just butchered because they had forgotten some of the words, but Randy was glued to the stage watching his ex sing a duet with her boyfriend.
"Where's Eve." Kofi asked still laughing.
"She's in line with Jillian to sing." I pointed.
"Oh no. please tell me we don't have to put up with Jillian tonight. We hear her enough on the bus and the show."
"Sorry." I said.
"Why aren't you up there?" John asked.
"Man I love this town!" Kofi blurted out while he leered at the girl passing by.
"I'm not good at karaoke. I only sing when no one is around to listen." I answered John and took a drink.
"Anything is better than Jillian. I'll give you twenty bucks if you get up there and save us from her voice."
"She doesn't have the guts," Randy teased. He was trying to join in on our fun, but he still had the sadness in his tone. I didn't find his comment funny though. Not like his guy friends did. I stared at him a minute.
"I'm kidding honestly." Randy tried to recover but I ran my tongue over my lips and it felt like some strange soul jumped into my body because without really thinking about anything more than getting Randy's attention I stood up, took off my tee shirt to reveal a corset style bra and shoved my shirt in Randy's face. I took off my glasses and tossed them on the table, then took Randy's shot of whiskey and downed it.
Kofi was laughing hysterically but Randy's eyes were glued on me, his mouth wide open as I leaned over him and the table and stuck out my hand.
"You owe me twenty bucks Kofi." I said and Kofi still laughing dipped into his pocket and handed me a twenty dollar bill. I stuck it in my bra and gave Randy a dangerous look then made my way to the stage.
I had more than one reason for doing what I was doing. One I wanted to prove to Randy that I wasn't a bore and I wanted to again show up his ex. It was a trivial game that I had never played before and even though I had heard Randy tell Eve that I wasn't his type, I wanted to prove him wrong.
Eve and Jillian had already begun their song. I went to the table and the man running it was shaking his head. Jillian was being laughed at and booed but she kept on singing the beginning of chain of fools by Aretha Franklin.
"May I?" I asked the man.
"please." he said handing me a microphone. I switched it on and stepped up on the steps. I took a deep breath a pretended I was in my own home. Then at the beginning of the chorus I began to sing along with the music. Jillian looked shocked but kept on singing anyway.
I was good at singing. I had belonged to the school chorus all through high school and had landed many solos. Being on the stage never bothered me because I would always see myself home alone.
Eve smiled big when I joined them on stage and she gave me a big hug. I didn't sing the song like Aretha Franklin but put my own seductive sexy spin on it. Jillian tapped her microphone. The man at the booth had turned off her microphone. Now it was only me and Eve singing and she stopped singing the main song and only chimed in during the chorus. Everyone seemed to watching and cheering me on. I loved it. We danced sexily with the music and I smiled when I looked toward our table to see Randy still sitting with a shocked look on his face. He had seemingly forgotten all about his ex, but when the song ended I was confused. Did I want his attention? He was my co-worker and he was quickly becoming my friend. I wasn't so sure alluring him sexually was the best decision I could have made.
