Phew I Made it! Chapter 12, first part

Phew! I made it. Here's the first part of Chapter 12. Not dinner out with all the guys, Sana. Sorry. We had this shopping trip to get to. Monday Michael's dive log will be at the dinner. But he doesn't drool over the guys. There's lots of juicy stuff here, though. Who knew Michael was moving Leesie into such a hot bed of jealousies and broken hearts? Well, it is a novel. Could it be anything else?

See you all Monday. Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

Chapter Twelve

LEESIE’S MOST PRIVATE CHAPBOOK

POEM # ?,

Saturday I’m strong enough to don

overzie rubber gloves, fill

a bucket with bleach, dish soap,

and the hottest water, open

the window, flick on the fan

and scrub down every inch

of that nasty bathroom.

I changed the water twice,

bleached all the towels

and threw out the rug.

I wipe down ours, too—mine

and Alex’s--for good measure.

“Now keep it clean!”

I scowl and try to look stern

while I serve the guys

grilled cheeses between dives.

Cooper eats four.

Brock and Ethan two.

Michael one.

Seth says, “Thank you,”

after his third.

Gabriel doesn’t show.

“Should I make one for him?”

I sit down with the sandwich

I’m splitting with Alex.

“I don’t think we’ll see him

much the rest of the weekend.”

Cooper tips back in his chair, points

out the sliding glass balcony door.

“Hot babe on our boat today.”

I lean around Michael so see

Gabriel sporting Speedo trunks

lingering with a bikini body

wrapped in thick golden hair.

I don’t let my hand rise to

my shorn head.

“Why do they always go for him?”

Cooper pulls a sad face.

“When they could have”—

he rises, pulls off his shirt—

“all of this?” He turns slowly

so Alex and I can assess.

Alex gives him two thumbs up.

“They must all be blind,

right Leesie?”

I nod. “Especially when you’re

sunburnt like that.”

He grins, flexes. “So I should

go down there and get in his way?”

Alex and I pull faces at each other.

“Ummm…..”

“Traitors.”

Michael gets up from the table.

“We gotta go.”

He’s kind of abrupt, kind of mad,

doesn’t kiss me before they leave.

Driving into Georgetown,

Alex and I crack up over

Cooper. “He’s always like that.

Sweet. Funny.”

“So Gabriel isn’t dating

the Governor’s daughter

or a supermodel?”

Alex shakes her head, but flashes

me a wicked grin. “He could

date anybody. He’s awesome

in bed.”

I try not to choke on the sip

of water I just took. Swallow.

Steady my voice.

“You slept with him?”

She nods, bragging. “Oh, yeah.”

My eyebrows shoot then, “I thought—?”

She shrugs. “Kai and I moved down here

together. Three years I gave that dude.

And that skank Dani steals him. Seth

figured it out first, told me. Before we

could confront them, they

were gone. Our Commonwealth

brothers took Seth into Georgetown

to get him smashed. That left Gabriel 

to look after me.”

She smiles. “I was crying on his chest,

and then we were kissing, and then

we were in bed. He’s one I won’t forget.”

“Did it make you feel better?”

I blurt it like a fool.

“He got me through the night.”

“Are you going out?” I touch her arm.

“Am I in the way?”

She laughs. “One nighter. I’m not

his type.” She says it likes she wants

to be. His type.

“What is his type?”

She rolls jealous eyes

in my direction. “Waitresses.

Well-endowed.”

“Isn’t it awkward now?”

Her face grows puzzled.

“I’m too busy being livid

at Kai to worry about Gabriel.”

“Would you do it again?”

I can’t believe I asked that,

but I need to know the rules

in this new kingdom I’m in.

“Maybe. It was good.

But in the morning I felt

as bad as Kai and Dani—

the creeps.” She punches

the accelerator and shakes

her head. “Yeah. I would do

it again. I’m not going to let

Kai wreck my fun.”

Fun? Not love?

Not commitment?

Fun. She pulls in the parking

lot and turns off the car.

“Hey, girl. Let’s shop.”

Okay. Fun.

I buy a white island scarf

with fringe and beads to wrap

my poor head in. It drips

down my back like cloth hair.

Next we find sandals that jingle

with gold charms, a white on white

floral print sundress, spaghetti straps,

and a low, bare back, a padded

underwire bra that gives me

a fake sense of cleavage,

low cut clingy T-s, shortest shorts,

and silky thongs that feel like sin

between my fingertips.

Alex’s phone rings. “Dinner?

Tonight?" A glance at me. "You in?”

I look down at my bags, nod.

“Sounds like fun.”