"I hope I did enough yesterday," Trent muttered as he finished settling in behind the wheel.
"Trent!" Bea cried. "What!? You're kidding me, right?"
"No. I mean, I know I sold every book, I just...maybe I could've done better talking people into donating more, or something…"
Bea put her hand on his as he went to put the key in the ignition. "Trent, for the love of fuck, look at me. Look me in the eyes." He looked at her. "You went above and beyond okay? Like, fucking fuck, babe, you hand sold seven hundred paperbacks. Seven. Hundred. You brought in sixteen fucking thousand dollars. Yourself. Personally. How is that not just not enough, but way more than enough?" she asked, looking genuinely baffled.
Trent considered it for a moment. "I guess you have a point."
"You guess?! Are you fucking with me right now?"
"No."
She groaned. "Trent…"
"It's fine. I'm okay...what are we at right now?" he asked.
"Last count, with everything, including the take from last night, and all the donations coming in from our varied internet sources, puts just under sixty grand."
"Holy fuck," he muttered.
"Yeah, exactly. It's fine babe. We're gonna do it. I mean yesterday was impressive but there's like half a million people within driving distance of Possum Springs. You think everyone who's gonna show up did yesterday? No. Like, a lot of people will show up for a concert than will a book-signing...not to downplay what you did."
"No that tracks," he replied.
They looked over as the front door opened up and Mae and Ann hurried out, Mae carrying her bass. He'd offered to load it up but she had insisted she do it herself. She put it in the trunk, secured it, and then they both got in the back.
"Okay, okay, okay, we're good," Mae said, snapping her seatbelt into place.
"Excellent," Trent replied. "You locked the door?"
"I did," Ann said.
"Thank you." He started up the jeep, backed out, and hit the road.
He was still tired, but it was manageable at least. Trent had fully intended to have sex at least once before the night was out yesterday, but after a quick shower, he'd crawled into bed, exhausted and stoned, and then suddenly the next thing he knew, his alarm was going off. And because he felt like it wouldn't really be fair, he'd ended up not having sex this morning, either.
He'd been sorely tempted when Bea had come onto him, and she had a good point that they could totally do it while Mae was taking a shower, but then had reluctantly conceded that he had a better point about it not being fair, because then they'd be happily fucked, but Ann and Mae wouldn't, because there just wasn't time, not even if the two women fucked each other, because then Mae would have to take another shower.
And so now, here they all sat at ten in the morning, driving out to the woods, horny and tired and frustrated.
"We're almost done," Ann murmured. "Just two more big days, and then two little days. And I am totally here for everyone."
"It is very appreciated. I'm scared," Bea said.
"Same," Mae muttered. "Never actually played in front of a crowd before. Like...this is nuts. I'm super glad I've been regularly practicing my bass...Gregg and Angus are good, right?"
"Yeah, they went off ahead of us to stop by the Party Barn. They'll call if they have any problems. They're in my car," Bea replied. "They said they'll meet us there."
"Good. Okay. Um. Anything else?" Mae asked.
"Talked with Jackie just five minutes ago," Trent replied. "She said everything's shaping up good. Stan and Candy are already there. Jacob and his brothers are there, too, and Germ. They're helping her get all set up."
"Man, this is like so cool," Mae said. "It's so wild seeing all these people coming together and hanging out. Like, I never thought I'd be doing a thing that involved both Jackie and Germ's dad! It's like a crossover!"
"...you know that's actually a really great way to put it," Trent agreed. "And also yeah, it's fucking awesome. Oh! Ann! I just remembered something significant."
"Yeah?"
"Your mom, yesterday. She said something to me."
"...what?" she asked cautiously.
"She said that, however she feels about it, she's glad that I'm your, uh, 'roommate', and she's confident I'll take good care of you."
"...oh," she murmured, smiling. "That's...really cool. I'm really glad about that."
"Same. It's quite the feat to be on good terms with all my girlfriends' parents," Trent replied.
Ann laughed. "Yep. Until we toss Molly in the mix."
"You really think she'd date us?" Mae asked.
"I mean she wouldn't be dating me," Trent said.
"Eh...I dunno," Ann replied. "And yeah, I think so. Once we get a bigger place, maybe?"
"You know, there do exist bigger beds," Bea murmured.
Ann laughed. "Yeah, see, this is what I think is gonna happen. Molly's gonna come around again at some point, and we're gonna have more fun, and maybe after another few times, she'll realize she's fallen hopelessly in love with Mae, and ask to move in. And then she's going to convince Bea to experiment with some girl-on-girl, and then Trent is going to convince Molly to experiment with taking a real dick."
"...are you just writing real life fan fiction or do you believe any of that?" Trent asked.
"He asked excitedly," Ann replied, making Mae laugh. "I think I'm probably right. I don't know for sure, and obviously I'm not advocating trying to push Molly or Bea into doing things they don't want to, I just...I noticed some things when she was around. I think it's on the table."
"Man I hope so. Molly is like porn star hot," Trent murmured.
"Fucking her is amazing," Mae replied.
"Yeah, it is," Ann said.
"Wait so have we heard from Molly in all this?" he asked after a moment.
"No," Ann said. "Mae? Bea?"
"Nothing on my end," Bea said.
"No," Mae replied. "Although I've been crazy busy, but I think I would've noticed if she was trying to reach out to me. Should probably talk with her some more after all this."
"Probably," Trent agreed.
They all fell silent, back into their thoughts, as he drove through and then out of Possum Springs. There was a lot on his mind, mainly about what happened last night. He was a lot more paranoid now. Sometimes he didn't bother with his mace or having a switchblade on him, but now he knew he wasn't going anywhere without them.
"Mmm...Trent, piss me off," Bea said as they neared their destination.
"...what?" he replied.
"I'm getting really nervous! And nothing fights nervousness like anger. So piss me off."
"Uh, okay." He thought about it. "Actually, this is a perfect opportunity to bring something up that I know is going to piss you off...I think I should get you all promise rings."
"Wait why?" Mae asked. "I mean I'm not opposed to it. I used to think promise rings were stupid, but honestly, I wanna get one from you."
"Me too," Ann said. "I'm down. Why would it piss off Bea?"
She let out a growl and clenched her hands into fists. "I know why. Because we talked about this before, the whole, like, thing where guys will fuck off sometimes if they realize you are 'taken', and a ring on my finger would help flag this fact. And it is a smart thing to do, I'm just pissed about it, because I shouldn't fucking have to put a motherfucking ring on my motherfucking finger to let guys know to just accept it when I say 'no' when they hit on me. But good work, I'm pissed."
"So am I right?" Trent asked.
"Yes. Goddamnit. We'll go promise ring shopping."
"Can we all do it?" Ann asked.
"Yeah, we'll make a day of it. I think I saw a place out in Briddle," Trent replied.
"You know I used to be sad about the fact that, like, no guys ever really seemed to hit on me, but now? I'm like happy about it. But man, even with that, it's still happened to me," Mae said.
"You know Mae, I used to be, like, really jealous of you?" Bea asked.
"What? When?" she replied.
"In high school. When you started dating Cole. Like, I had a thing for him. And, God, I was so angry. It was dumb. But yeah, there it is."
"...I get it," Mae said. "Honestly I feel bad that I dated him. Like, we didn't even do anything. Literally the only thing we ever did was that kiss and, well, you know how that went. It wasn't like were mad fucking each other all the time or anything."
"I know but you still dated him for, what, three months? That's a long time in high school. And you must've had a bunch of conversations with him, had experiences with him," Bea replied. "It isn't all just 'did you fuck? Did you kiss? Did you do oral?', like, there's more to a relationship."
"Yeah I'll give you that. I still just feel bad, though. Because, it's like, he could've been dating someone more on his level. Or even just compatible?"
"He was definitely dating out of his league, I'll agree," Trent said.
"Shut up! That's not what I meant and you know it! He's honestly cute as fuck, not that it did too much for me," Mae murmured.
"No, Trent's right," Ann said, "you're so cool, Mae. He was definitely dating up."
"Shut up!" Mae growled.
"Ha ha, you're so embarrassed!" Bea said.
"Shut it, Bea!"
"Okay Mae, I guess if someone so cool is telling me to shut up I guess I should," Bea replied.
"ARGH! I WILL JUMP OUT OF THIS FUCKING CAR RIGHT NOW!" Mae yelled, making them all laugh.
"Okay, okay," Trent said. "Promise rings. We'll go shopping. And then maybe a noticeable percentage of dudes who would have otherwise started hitting on you and not take no for an answer will fuck off."
Bea growled and immediately crossed her arms again. "Fucking bullshit. But yes. I'll go. Don't you dare propose to me, though."
"Don't worry, babe, I remember. Okay, we're here. Let's see what there it is to see."
There were already a dozen cars there. They had picked a spot maybe two miles outside of Possum Springs. It was basically a big, open lot at the end of a patchy road that wasn't too difficult to traverse. At the far end of the lot, a stage made mostly of big foldout tables was being assembled. Trent was still unsure about how stable and safe that might be, but he trusted Jackie, and he trusted Jacob and Stan and Jacob's brothers to put it together solidly even more.
They parked and sat in the jeep for a moment.
"Okay, this is it," Trent said.
"Yep," Bea muttered. "Time to make the magic happen."
"So much magic," Mae said.
They got out. As soon as they did, Trent heard someone familiar call his name. He looked around and the moment he did, found himself being kissed by a familiar blonde ferret. He reacted almost purely on instinct, hugging her and leaning her back a bit, deepening the kiss.
"Whoa-ho!" Mae called excitedly.
Trent let the kiss go on for probably longer than was smart and finally pulled back.
"Hi, Melody," he replied.
She stared at him breathlessly. "...hi. Oh my goodness. I forgot what that was like."
"Trent...who is this girl you're kissing that, yet again, isn't my daughter?"
They both looked over and Trent almost let go of Melody so fast that she fell over, but managed to keep her from doing so.
"Oh shit," she whispered.
"Hi, Candy," Trent replied, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, this is Melody."
"Ah, right. Your...friend, from up north," Candy murmured, studying her.
"Shit, you're Mae's mom," she muttered awkwardly.
Candy stepped forward. "May I hug?"
"Uh...yeah. Yes, sure," Melody replied.
Candy hugged her warmly and, after a moment, Melody slowly hugged her back.
"Thank you, so much, for helping us," she said. "The money you sent is so deeply appreciated."
"Oh...right. You're welcome, Missus Borowski," Melody replied. "Um...I'm sorry. For kissing your...son-in-law? In public? I just really missed him."
Candy laughed as she pulled back. It was a hard laugh, one of those genuine ones that hits true. "Oh dear...it's all right. Yes, I'd say son-in-law is accurate. Nothing about our lives is normal, so I'm not angry."
"Hey, where's my sugar?!"
Trent turned around, his eyes bulging a little. "Holy shit Jen!?"
"Hello to you too, Trent," she replied, grinning broadly as she walked up. She looked over at Melody. "Huh...is this awkward? I can't even tell."
"Um...I don't know," Trent replied. "I-too much going on right now. Hi. It's good to see you." He paused. "Wait were you being serious? You want...a hug? A kiss?"
"Yes," Jen replied.
"...you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Trent. I at least know I still like the smooching with you."
"Uh…" Trent took a quick look around, then stepped up and kissed her. She let out a little moan and he felt her grab his ass. When she stepped back, she was grinning still.
"You embarrassed to be seen kissing me, lover boy?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"No, I was kind of worried you might be," he replied.
"What?! Hell no. I saw pics from yesterday. All those people! That was bigger n' Harfest! And for you! Mister Bestseller! You're a big shot now and I'm getting in good with the big shot," she replied.
"I can never tell when you're joking or not," Mae said.
"I'm half serious...oh hey, kiss me again!" Jen said and then literally leaped onto him.
Trent let out a startled shout as he caught her and then they were kissing again.
"Ew! Jen! Why!? Stop it!" Gregg cried, his voice rapidly growing closer. "I said stop! I don't wanna see my cousin making out with my friend! Come on! Mae's mom is here!"
"Don't mind me," Candy replied.
"You still gotta lotta payback coming, cousin of mine," Jen replied as she finished up and let Trent put her back down again. "Remember that time you pushed me off the boat when we was fishing in the lake?"
"Uh...that doesn't really narrow it down," Gregg muttered awkwardly, though he was grinning.
"Proves my point!" Jen snapped. "He did it so many times he can't even remember which one got me all fired up!"
"Well, Gregg dear, I say this with a lot of love, but I always knew you were a terrible influence on Mae, and Mae was a terrible influence on you. It sounds like Jen's right," Candy said.
"Ah, Missus Borowski! Don't turn on me!" Gregg cried.
"Oh sweetheart, I'm not turning on you, I'm just saying, fair's fair," she replied with a sweet smile.
He sighed. "Yeah, fine okay, whatever," he replied. "Regardless of this bullshit you always pull now, it's good to see you."
Jen laughed. "You too, Gregg. Catch me up, I hear tell you're moving out to Bright Harbor!?"
"Yeah!"
They began walking away, chatting happily.
"All right, um, I need to go talk with Jackie and start, like, getting ready," Bea said. "Melody, it's good to see you. I'm glad you're here."
"You too, Bea," she replied, and the two women shared a quick hug. They were only very slightly awkward. Trent wondered if any of them would ever not be awkward about the fact that the first night they met, Melody watched him fuck Bea...and then they fucked afterwards.
"Um…" Trent looked at Mae and Ann.
"Go on, you two, catch up. We're gonna go help the others get set up," Ann said.
"Yeah, if you fuck, film it, I wanna watch," Mae said.
"Mae!" Candy whispered harshly. "You two...three...none of you better be...doing that outdoors! It's illegal!"
"Oh whatever, like you never did," Mae replied, rolling her eyes.
"That's-that's besides the point!" Candy said.
A moment of silence went by.
"Mom."
Ann giggled.
Trent sighed. "Oh my God, Mae."
"What?! What did I do?!"
"I love you, please shoo," Trent replied.
She stuck her tongue out at him, then ran off with Ann and Candy following. Melody laughed softly and then joined him as they walked around to the front of his jeep and hopped up on the hood.
"So, um...it's great to see you," he said.
"You as well...who in the hell is that fox girl? I didn't realize she was my competition, good lord."
He laughed. "She's not your competition. We aren't even casual right now."
"Uh...coulda fooled me."
"She's...we're very friendly with each other, but she's...sorting some things out. We aren't sleeping together..anymore, at least. Also, no one's your competition." He paused. "Unless you're...trying to date me?"
"Oh, no," she said. "No. I'm not. I know better. I was mostly joking. More just...intimidated by how hot she is. Anyway, um, forget I asked. How is it going?"
"Uh...it's been a mixed bag," he replied. "On the one hand, today is the day we will almost certainly cross the threshold needed for saving the house. On the other hand...I almost got killed last night."
"Holy fuck, what happened?"
"Short version is: dipshit from out of town grabbed Bea when she said no to you know what. I...saw red and socked him in the mouth. Cops ran him out of town. He came back last night with friends, and a knife, and a pistol. Tried to jump me and Gregg."
"Oh my God, Trent, I'm so sorry...what happened?"
"Well we got really lucky. A, um...um...frenemy…? I don't know. Another person jumped in and basically saved my ass, and now it's weird because he's the guy who pulled a box-cutter on me and Mae a few months ago."
"That...has to be a complicated acquaintanceship," she murmured.
"Oh yeah, that's not even the half of it. But the dude saved my ass, put himself at risk, can't deny that."
"You sure he's not just trying to get into Bea's pants?" she asked. "If I remember right, that's what you two were fighting over, right? Bea? I think I remember talking about this at the party…"
"Yeah, fighting over Bea...sort of. Not really. More like, he was harassing Bea, and I and Mae very firmly told him to stop. I'd've done the same thing even if Bea had no intention of being with me," Trent replied.
"Which is very brave," she said. "So...um, yeah. Mixed bag. I'm glad you're all right...you are all right, right?"
"I'm fine, just exhausted," he replied. "We're all run pretty ragged, and we still have days of this." He shook his head. "But, um, enough about me, how are you? Everything going well? You look...fucking amazing."
And she really did. She was wearing a simple red summer dress that wasn't even all that revealing but it showed off her naturally tall, athletic figure. Her blue highlights were even more obvious now, mixed with white streaks to look like lightning.
"Thanks," she murmured awkwardly, "um, honestly? My life has been pleasantly boring since the last time we were...together. Mostly just hanging out with my friends, my parents. Exercising. I'm taking flute lessons. Mostly I'm just trying to enjoy myself…" She hesitated, awkwardly chewing on her lip for a moment. "I've got a very...personal question."
"Those are the best kind. Shoot," he replied.
She chuckled. "Um. All right. Have you...I guess there's no way to say it other than to just say it. Are you…" She paused once more and looked around, then leaned in and whispered in his ear, "are you banging Mae's mom?"
He laughed. "What!? No! I am not. Why do you ask that?"
"It's just...it was very strange how comfortable she was with the obvious knowledge that you and I had fucked. And then Jen came right up and kissed you like that. I mean…"
"She knows what we...get up to. And Candy is, um, she's a weird woman. But not in a bad way. I think she kind of really, really likes bizarre and socially uncomfortable conversations. But no, we've never even discussed it, and anyway, it's off the table."
"Mae is weird about it?" she asked.
"Yes. She told me flat out: no banging my mom."
She chuckled. "Well, I gotta admit, I'd be pretty weird about it, too...oh! I heard you finally found Bombshell. Can I see her? I'm really curious to see her after all the trouble you went to."
"Yeah, hold on," he muttered, pulling out his phone. "Uh...you want G rated, PG-13, or NC-17?"
"...what the fuck? Um, NC-17."
He laughed. "Okay then." He found a picture he'd ended up with of Molly butt naked, posing on their bed, showing it all.
"Oh-oh my goodness," she whispered when she sat it. "That's...good lord she is beautiful. She's sexy. Did you fuck her?"
"God I wish," Trent replied. "Here check this out…" He found a picture of Molly pounding Mae from behind with a strap-on while she ate out Ann.
Melody's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my God," she whispered. "That is...wow. Uh...got any with you?"
He laughed. "Yeah, here…" He found a video Ann had taken of him fucking railing Bea and Mae, both of them on their hands and knees. He only barely managed to remember to turn the sound down before showing it to her.
"This is making me feel things," Melody murmured.
Trent watched with her for a bit longer, then turned it off and put his phone away. She made an unhappy noise. "I get it, but...this isn't really the place to be watching, uh, this stuff."
She sighed. "Yeah, true."
"So...what brought you down here? Not that I'm complaining at all."
"Honestly? I missed you. I missed everyone, but I...missed you. I also wanted to show my support and I wanted to see Bea and Mae and Jackie play live. But...mmm."
"Oh," he said. "I didn't realize you...missed me."
"Yeah...I'm really trying hard not to make it weird. I know. It was a hookup. And we're barely even friends. And you already have three girlfriends that you're living with. And we live hours apart. And you aren't looking for new girlfriends. And I'm not saying I came down here trying to date you, or that it would even be a smart idea even if somehow it worked, but...I caught some feelings."
"Oh. Fuck...I'm sorry," he replied awkwardly.
She laughed awkwardly. "Yeah...it also makes sense, too. Like...you're the first guy who I've been any level of intimate with that wasn't after me for my body or my money."
"Well...I mean, our one sexual encounter was pretty driven by physical attraction…" Trent replied.
"I get that, but that isn't what I mean. I guess-how do I put it? You might have been with me just for sex and because you thought I was hot, but also, like, you were actually really nice to me? And considerate, and kind, and you listened to me. And that's...hard to find. Or at least it is for me...I mentioned some of this to Jackie."
"What'd she tell you?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"She told me that you're a really great guy, even if you're way too horny and a bit reckless, and that I was attracted to the fact that you weren't intimidated by me. By the fact that I'm rich or, like, really hot. And that's...very true."
"I am absolutely intimidated by your beauty," Trent replied.
She let out a strange giggle and looked away. "That's...you hide it well," she murmured.
"This is one of the most surreal things I've experienced," he said. "I cannot believe that you are catching feelings for me."
"Why?"
"Because you are so far out of my league it is a joke," he replied. "I am a poor idiot from Nebraska who is funny looking. You are a rich girl who is, like, a solid ten and could pull, like, any guy she wanted."
"You're a lot cuter than you think you are," she said. "And it's not like I care about how much money you have...although, I mean, you own your own house? Your own car? You're dating three women? Writing books successfully?"
"A lot of that fell into my lap," Trent replied, "and I'm...still getting used to having money." He looked at her for a long moment, then sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. "Have you talked to anyone about this?"
"No," Melody replied quietly. "I mean, I'm sure Jackie picked up on it. I didn't just come out with it and say 'hey I'm starting to really like Trent in that way', but Jackie's pretty sharp...I'm sorry. I didn't actually intend to say anything. But seeing you again in person, like…" She sighed. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Trent replied. "I'm not mad. I'm just...overtaxed right now. Believe me, I'm not unhappy about the fact that you want me in a more...serious capacity. Or at all, to be honest."
"Okay...I'm not trying to be difficult. I mean honestly it couldn't even work, really. Not without some kind of huge sacrifice on someone's part. Our lives are...I mean, I have to go back to college soon…"
"How about this?" Trent asked. "How about-well, how long are you here for?"
"I'm not sure. I could leave tonight or I could stay a few days, if I have a place to crash."
"How about you let me talk to the ladies in my life, and maybe you can crash at our place for a few days, and we just...have some fun? Work things out? Emotionally speaking. You're right, it's...too complicated, but I don't want to just send you packing with a 'no'."
"That's really nice, and I would like that a lot. And, um...is sex on the table? I'm still on my birth control and I actually went out and got tested and I'm all good for STDs."
"Well, put it this way, if I have my way, sex is absolutely on the table," he replied.
She laughed. "Well...that's good to hear. Um. Can I help? It looks like there's a lot going on."
"Actually, yeah. You would make a really good ticket seller. And…" He hesitated as something caught his attention. "Is that an engagement ring?"
"What? Oh! Yeah, um," she looked down and fiddled with the ring she was wearing. "I mean no, it isn't. Jackie told me I should pretend to be engaged or even married if I come down here because I'm...well, I'll attract a lot of attention."
"You got mace? Or a knife?" he asked.
"I have a tazer," she replied, patting her purse.
"Good. Jackie was right. Be ready to use it. Most guys here aren't gonna just grab you, but, um, it increasingly seems like enough of them have trouble hearing the word 'no' that it's worth strapping up," Trent said.
"Usually that means a gun, right?"
"Yeah, but I just mean in a general sense. Although I have to admit, I'm much more strongly considering getting a license and buying a gun," Trent muttered, scanning the area. He frowned as something abruptly occurred to him. Why hadn't he had a panic attack last night? Why the fuck did someone pulling a literal gun on him produce less panic than a fucking Lunchable? He didn't understand anxiety problems at all.
"Why am I perfect to sell tickets?" Melody asked.
"In total truth...you're wicked hot. I assume you know what the Halo Effect is," Trent replied.
"Yeah...and yeah, okay, that makes sense. What do I need to know?"
"Come on, let's go find Candy and she'll explain it to you and I'll see what I can do to help."
