E. Montes - Perfectly Damaged

When I last saw Jenna on Monday in the shed, it was clear that something was bothering her. The moistness on her cheeks and the red rim around her eyes clearly showed she’d been crying. I know I shouldn’t have allowed it to bother me as much as it did. Women cry all the damn time, but Jenna seemed to be lost deep in thought. I’ve seen that sad, empty look a dozen times before in my mother’s eyes—when she cries, when she thinks back on my father, and when she thinks about Sean’s death.

“Ladies,” Santino greets with a nod.

Charlie smiles brightly and walks over to our table, dragging Jenna the entire way. “Hey, guys. What are you all up to?”

Santino leans in and whispers to us, “Watch and learn, guys. Watch and learn.” He turns, giving Charlie his winning smile, and begins spouting off stuff in some made-up language in an attempt to sound sexy.

Charlie smiles, pleased. “What does that mean?” she asks.

Santino looks at her with smoldering eyes. It takes every bit of me to not burst out laughing. “It means, ‘I was thinking maybe you and I could be up to something.’” I was doing well biting back my laugh, but the moment my gaze shifts over to Jenna and I see her pressed brows and the look of disgust aimed right at Santino, I lose it. I burst into the hardest laugh I’ve ever had, which starts everyone else up. Laughter erupts around the table. Everyone but Santino is howling, but he just glares at us. That makes us laugh even harder.

“That’s not what you said,” Jenna pipes up.

Santino drags his glare her way. “Oh yeah? Then what did I say?”

“I have no clue,” she replies. I snort louder. Her eyes meet mine, and for a second I think her lips are about to twitch into a slight smile. But just as quickly, they fall back into the thin line she’s famous for.

“If you don’t speak Spanish, it may sound like gibberish to you. So, yeah, that’s exactly what I said.” Santino states matter-of-factly.

Charlie snakes her arm around Jenna’s shoulder, pulling her in closer. “But Jenna’s fluent in Spanish.”

Oh my God, this might be the best day of my life. I’m crying from laughing so hard. “Busted!” I cough out, pointing at Santino, who’s completely dumbfounded at this point.

Jenna nods. “Esto es cierto.” I’m not sure what she just said, but it’s priceless. It’s the cherry on top of this entire conversation.

Staggered and a bit played, Santino smacks his lips aside in a cocky way. He then changes the subject. “Anyway, you ladies still coming to the lake house party this weekend?”

Now this brings me to full alert. I wasn’t aware Santino invited them. I don’t care, but we typically keep the invites to a minimum, only inviting people we know and trust to our yearly summer bashes.

Originally, it was a family vacation getaway in the Poconos. My uncle built the home himself. I spent most every summer of my childhood at the small cottage by the lake. Sean, Bryson, and I looked forward to it every year. But as we grew older and my uncle’s business expanded, our little family vacations slowly vanished. It wasn’t until Bryson’s twenty-first birthday, when he convinced his father to give him the keys to the lake house for a small get-together with friends, that our new summer tradition began. Let’s just say that the “small” get-together was a major success, one we repeated most weekends that summer. Ever since, we’ve been throwing parties there on the weekends every summer, starting with Bryson’s birthday bash.

“I’m trying to convince this one to go.” Charlie points her thumb at Jenna. “She’s not so keen on spending a weekend with you guys.” I look over at Jenna, whose wide eyes have zoomed in on Charlie.

Santino gets up from his chair and makes his way over to the girls, nestling between Jenna and Charlie. He wraps his arms around the both of them. “I promise we won’t bite, ladies. We’ll be perfect gentlemen, unless you want us to have a taste. That’d be awesome too.” He says, looking at Jenna.

She shoves out of his hold. “No, thank you.” I can see her repulsion at the idea when she glances over at me one last time before marching to the opposite side of the pool. I watch as she tosses her towel on the ground and belly flops onto one of the lounge chairs.

“What’s up with your friend?” Santino asks. “She’s so uptight.”

I’m still focused on Jenna when I hear Charlie say, “No, she’s just going through a rough time.”

“Is she always like this?” I ask. I met Jenna less than a week ago, and I’ve already seen so many sides to her.

“Like what, exactly?” Charlie asks.

My eyes meet hers. She’s staring at me inquisitively, making me feel a bit uneasy for having been caught staring at her friend. I’m not sure why; I never feel uncomfortable or even a tad bit embarrassed—especially not in front of women. “Up and down. Like you’re not sure what to expect when you’re around her.”

Charlie crosses her arms over her chest and drops her hip as she sizes me up. “Yes. She’s always like that.”

“Pfft. Cray-cray,” Danny interjects.

Charlie jerks her head around and glares at him. She chucks Santino’s arm off her shoulder and bends over Danny. Her small frame looms over him, creating a shadow across his surprised face. One small hand goes to his shoulder, the other rests on the edge of the table. “The next time you call my friend crazy, I’ll show you just how crazy I can get. And never, ever say that to her. Do you understand me?” Damn. For a tiny thing, she can be deadly. Danny nods. “Good,” she finishes. Then she stands and strolls off to join Jenna.

Bryson lets out a long, low whistle. “That was intense. What the hell was that about?”

“I have no idea,” I respond.

The rest of the lunch hour we all poke fun at each other. Santino finishes the story he tried to tell when we first sat down, and a few of the other guys tell stories of their own. All the while, I sneak glances at the girls from across the pool. My eyes may be playing tricks on me, but I think Jenna’s been sneaking a few glances over here as well.

“Hey. Maybe we should make amends?” Bryson nods toward the other side of the pool. “The last thing we want is my father finding out that Santino’s sexually harassing our clients.”

“Yeah. You’re right. Let’s get it over with so we can focus on finishing today’s goals.”

The rest of the guys head back to work as Bryson and I make our way over to the girls.

Jenna

“Are we going to keep doing this, Jenna?” Charlie whines. I continue to ignore her. The last thirty minutes were hard to get through since I can never go very long without talking to her, especially when she’s practically in my face, hounding me. “Jenna.” With my eyes closed, I adjust myself in the lounge chair, making myself a bit more comfortable. As hot as it is, I soak in the sun and allow myself to tan in peace, disregarding her. “Jenna!” she cries out again. I think I’m enjoying this. This is payback for forcing me out of my room and then embarrassing me in front of the guys.

“That’s it!” I hear her wet flip-flops squishing across the patio. Before I can utter a word, Charlie’s legs are straddled on either side of my hips. I pop my eyes open and she leans forward, her face inches from mine. Charlie grips my wrists, places them over my head, and humps me. She’s literally humping me.

“What the hell are you doing? Get off me!” I struggle beneath her.

“Oh, yes!” she yells out, panting. “Fuck. You feel so good, Jenna.” Still humping. “Oh, God…harder.” She looks ridiculous. “You know how I like it, baby. YES!” Her back arches, her eyes roll to the back of her head, and then her body shudders as she acts out her fake orgasm.

Is she serious right now? “You’re absurd!”

She releases my wrists from her hold and sits back on my thighs. I lift myself up with my elbows and look up at my friend’s crooked grin. “Is that a smile plastered across your face, Jenna McDaniel?” I force my lips back to a thin line. “Well, I think I’ve succeeded. One point for me.” She shoves her hips, one time, into mine. “Boom!”

“Get off me.” I wiggle beneath her and push forward to move her off. But I can’t. Her legs are practically glued to my thighs.

“Careful. My pussy lips are twerking again. I may go another round.”

“I hope we’re not interrupting?”

Charlie and I turn our heads toward the voice. Can this day get any more embarrassing? Both Bryson and Logan are standing there, Bryson with a curious raised brow, Logan with his arms crossed and an amused grin on his face. Great. “I mean, we can come back if you need your privacy.”

Charlie, loving the attention, smiles mischievously. “Oh no, we’re not afraid of public affection. Are we, baby?” She looks down at me and winks.

For a split second, I imagine that I have eyes that can shoot out painful darts, and I aim those eyes right at the center of Charlie’s forehead. Since nothing is happening, I crook my neck, focusing on Logan and his charming blue eyes. He yanks my chain by lifting a hand and pointing his thumb behind him, silently questioning whether or not he should leave so Charlie and I can continue fooling around. Smart ass. He must have read my facial expression because his lips curl into a wide grin. An adorable grin. I shake my head. “No. It’s fine. What do you need?”

Bryson takes a step forward. “We won’t take much of your time,” he says. “We just wanted to apologize on behalf of Santino. It was unprofessional of him to treat you ladies that way. We’re sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“I don’t mind,” Charlie declares.