Chapter 7
Ash jumped upright and clicked off the television in almost a hurried frenzy when he heard the front door open. Misty walked through the foyer and into the living room. Ash noticed she looked preoccupied.
"Hey, babe." He stood up from the couch and smiled at her. "Where did you head off to?"
Misty stopped and put her purse down on the coffee table, before settling down in the recliner. "Uh…I…went to…Lucy's." She wasn't exactly great at thinking quick on her feet, but that seemed like a pretty believable lie.
"Oh." He said, and Misty hoped he wouldn't pry. "For what?"
But he usually did and this time was no exception. "Girl stuff." She replied, trying not to sound too awkward.
Ash laughed. "Not my thing."
Misty stood up and walked into the kitchen, Ash followed her. "Hey, what do you say we call it an early night, hm?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and she hoped to God he wouldn't smell Brock's cologne all over her. "Hey, are you wearing men's cologne?"
"Uh…no." She pulled away from him, almost forcefully and laughed nervously. "I was at Lucy's. I mean, it just smells like their house. You know how Brock practically bathes in his cologne."
"Oh, yea." He laughed and followed her over to the fridge where she took a sip of water. "So, what do you say?" He pressed himself against her, and she felt the hardness of his arousal - even though it paled in comparisons to Brock's- against her rear.
"Oh, Ash, I don't know. I'm really tired." Misty was surprised to see him like this since she was convinced their was no sexual attraction between them. But maybe there was. Even so, nothing could compare to what she felt with Brock tonight.
"Tired?" Ash crossed his arms and regarded her. "You want to talk about tired? I should be the one who's tired! I worked all day!"
Misty turned around to face him. Something in his eyes told her it wasn't her who he wanted. He didn't have that same, indescribable look in his eyes like Brock had when he was holding her in his arms, in the shadowed, secluded gazebo.
She found herself wanting to rewind time, relive that moment again. Even if she did have to watch him drive back home to Lucy.
"I'm going to bed, Ash." She said, feeling guilty now that she was the one who had no desire to make love to her husband because her mind was somewhere else, with someone else. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom and laid back on the bed, knowing Ash would probably be angry with her.
After all, she had been waiting for this from him ever since they got married - before that, even- and now, she didn't want it at all. Misty plopped down on her side of the bed and the creak of the mattress made the sickening thought of that magazine she had found enter her head.
Somehow, Ash's excuse seemed made-up and untrue. Now that she thought about it, when she had walked into the house tonight he seemed to be acting jumpy. Frustrated, she sank her head into her pillow and was determined to get some sleep.
Landview mall wasn't usually busy on Monday nights, and tonight was no exception. For some reason, Misty had agreed to go shopping with Lucy on what little money she had, while Lucy brought along Brock's credit cards and some cash.
Lucy slurped the last of her iced coffee and threw away the plastic cup into a trash can. "So," She said as they walked by a flashy store with loud music. "how do you like married life?"
Misty looked up at her and she almost felt jealous of how Lucy seemed to flawlessly beautiful. It would take Misty hours to get her hair that straight, her make up was hardly ever applied perfectly and she wasn't as thin, or tall or…
She had to stop doing this to herself. Of course Brock wasn't going to leave Lucy for her, it was obvious who was the prettier one. At least in her eyes. Besides, he loved Lucy she knew that, even after what had happened on Saturday night.
"It's alright, I guess." Misty replied, not making eye contact with Lucy. Not because she was lying, but because she couldn't stop thinking about what it would feel like to have her husband make love to her, instead of Lucy.
"That doesn't sound like a newlywed bride to me." Lucy giggled, and grabbed her by the arm. "Let's go in here. They have the hottest clothes."
Loud hip-hop music played and laser lights flashed on the hardwood floor as Lucy dragged her through the maze of different display stands of clothes. Misty sifted through the clearance rack while Lucy sifted through the latest arrivals.
"Then tell me," Misty said, referring back to their conversation they had before she was drug into the store. "what's a newlywed bride supposed to sound like?"
Giggling, Lucy picked out a pair of jeans with a very tiny waist. Misty quickly put away her size six jeans, as if she was ashamed. "Well, when Brock and I got married we had sex constantly." She folded the jeans over her arm and picked up a strapless tank top that was gold and shiny. "We still do!"
Misty looked at the clothes rack again.
"He is the best lover in the world!" Lucy bragged and giggled again, catching sight of a pair of stiletto boots by the wall. "He loves these on me! I have a pair of exactly like this. You should buy these and wear them for Ash. That will turn him on!"
Misty flipped over the price tag. They were almost two hundred dollars. Not a bad price if you had Brock's kind of money, but for her, it was too much. "I don't think anything I wear is going to turn him on, Lucy." She admitted truthfully.
"Aw, don't say that!" She mockingly scolded her. "You're beautiful! Well, Let me pay for this stuff and we'll head home. Brock's probably going to be hungry when he gets home." She checked her watch. It was almost eight o'clock. He had probably been home.
Lucy picked up a pair of earrings at the last minute and paid an outrageous price before leaving the store with six bags. "So, Misty, can I ask you a personal question?" She asked, when they got out into the parking lot.
Uh oh. She knew the moment would come on the shopping trip. The girl talk moment. The one where one girl asks another about extremely embarrassing questions and somehow one would always feel like they had to answer.
"Uhm, sure." Misty replied as they approached Brock's Ferrari that Lucy had stolen the keys to.
"Has Ash ever…" She smiled and clicked the unlock button. "you know…given you an orgasm?"
Misty hung back a little as Lucy loaded her bags into the rather spacious trunk. "Well, of course…of course he has." She lied, and laughed nervously. At least this time she knew what an orgasm was and what it felt like. Normally, she was left in the dark about things like this.
Lucy shut the trunk and smiled. "Was it good? Brock can sometimes give me five or six. I can't get enough of him sometimes! Do you feel that way about Ash? I mean…even though you two haven't gone that far yet…"
Adjusting in her seat, Misty looked out the window. No, she didn't feel that way about Ash. Not at all. But she did feel that way about Brock. "Of course. I do." She leaned back into her seat and Lucy was quiet as she drove along the interstate.
Then, she finally asked.
"Do you think Brock's always been faithful to you?" She couldn't help it. Lucy was her friend and she felt guilty about letting herself get swept away by his kisses and his charm. It should have never went that far. Still, she would never confess what happened.
"Of course he's faithful to me!" She smiled. "Brock is like a little puppy dog. He's always so loyal and completely head-over-heels in love with me!"
The sun was just starting to set and Ash noticed the clock on the wall at the gym as he tried his best to keep up with Brock on the treadmills. He watched him running, keeping perfect rhythm with such grace and ease…
Then he realized he was almost going to fall off the end.
"The girls are probably home." Ash commented, pulling Brock's attention away from his workout. Right, Lucy. He had almost forgotten about her. He slowed down and grabbed his towel. "Alright, man, let's get out of here then."
Ash obliged and reached down to grab his own towel but stopped short when he saw Tracy Sketchit walk in. He began to sweat even more and he dabbed his neck nervously, then looked over at Brock who was gathering his things.
"Hey Tracy!" Brock greeted him and Ash's eyes flew open. Brock knew him? Did he know he was…gay?
"Hey!" Tracy smiled and they gave each other a high five. Ash recoiled behind a weight machine. What the hell was he doing in Landview? Why couldn't he just stay in Pine Valley? Forever!
Then, it happened. They made eye contact and he noticed the corner of his mouth twitch slightly upward. Ash shot him a dirty look and turned around, pretending to dry himself off.
"Oh, this is my buddy Ash!" Brock's voice carried across the weight room and Ash froze. "Ash this is my friend Tracy."
Ash knew he had to act casual, so he did. He walked over and took Tracy's offered hand, with a firm, powerfully grip that made Tracy's fingers turn blood red, and his own knuckles turn white.
"Nice to meet you." Ash said, almost urgently. Brock saw the flicker of disappointment enter Tracy's eyes and he smiled back.
"You too."
"Well, we better get going before the ladies get home." Brock smiled and waved and headed for the exit out of the weight room. Ash followed without another word. When they got outside, Brock's cell phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket.
"Hello?…Oh, Lucy." He said, almost sounding disappointed. Was Brock having trouble in his marriage too? No, it was probably because all women were hard to deal with. He was quickly finding that out with Misty. She was so unpredictable sometimes.
He looked back in through the window and scowled angrily when he saw Tracy exit the weight room. He made eye contact with Ash and smiled. Ash remained stone-faced and wished Brock would go to the car already.
If they hadn't carpooled to the gym, he'd be gone already. Away from Tracy Sketchit.
Tracy approached the door and pushed it open, walking right by Ash. Brock was babbling about something on the phone, but Ash wasn't paying attention. His focus, his attention was completely on Tracy for some odd reason…
"Can we talk?" Tracy whispered, glancing up at Brock who had his back turned and was arguing into the phone about dinner plans.
Ash hesitated, then nodded and without getting Brock's attention, he and Tracy went to the side of the large stone building. It was an awkward few seconds and Ash was constantly watching his back for Brock to come looking for him.
Tracy kicked a piece of lose gravel from the sidewalk. "I saw you in Pine Valley a couple weeks ago. At that little dinner…I quit there last week. Moved here…"
"Why?" Ash asked angrily, not even knowing why he agreed to talk to Tracy. He was the last person he really wanted to see or speak to right now.
"To start over." He shook his head and raked his hand through his raven locks. "Too many memories in Pine Valley." He paused. "I saw you with that redhead in the Buenos Dias café. Is she your friend?"
"No." He replied, tartly.
"Sister?"
"Do we look like brother and sister?" Ash rolled his eyes and stomped his foot. "Jeez, Tracy. She's my wife! We were on our honeymoon!"
"Wife?" Tracy stuffed his hand in his pockets and leaned against the cold brick of the building. "Didn't expect you to ever have a wife."
Ash shrugged his shoulders uncomfortable and kicked the same piece of loose gravel. "I've changed."
"Tell me about it." Tracy looked down at his feet and sighed, then back up to Ash who was staring at him and couldn't seem to look away. "What about college? Do you remember that?"
Ash felt as if the sidewalk had fallen out from underneath him and he broke out into a cold sweat. His felt like it was full of cotton, his throat felt parched, his lips were suddenly like desert sand. "That's all in the past."
"Sure it is! That's what I said to!"
"It was just an experiment I wanted to try, alright?" He looked away from and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I better get going! My wife is expecting me home."
"Have you slept with her?" Tracy asked, causing him to whirl around, angrily.
"Of course I have!" He screeched, his voice echoing across the parking lot. "I sleep with her every night! And it's great sex! Better than anything we--" He stopped and cleared his throat.
"You don't mean that!" Tracy swallowed the lump in this throat. God, why did he put himself through this? "You and me…we…we had something."
"We didn't! And we never will!" Ash turned his back to him and looked out towards the parking lot towards Brock's truck. "So, take you and your homo-erotic fantasies and get out of Landview!"
Just as he was about to walk away, Tracy whirled him around by his wrist and brought him close. His eyes were heavily lidded with dark, thick eyelashes. Ash's lips quivered and he clung onto Tracy's shirt.
Then, he felt the warm softness of his lips. That familiar feeling of his tongue against his, the rough stubble on his face. Ash wasn't sure if he wanted to pull away or embrace it. He couldn't even think straight right now, all he could do was live in this moment when he actually felt alive.
And aroused…
"Ash? We got--whoa!" Brock's voice caused Ash to immediately pushed Tracy away. Standing their stunned, Brock dropped his cell phone onto the concrete of the sidewalk.
"What the hell! Get the fuck away from me!" Ash screamed, and he spit in Tracy's face, causing him to flinch.
"Were you…kissing…a guy?" Brock, of course already knew the answer.
"No! He was kissing me!" Ash proclaimed loudly. "I'm fucking straight! Do you hear me? I am not my fucking father! I like fucking women!" His voice screeched and cracked as he shouted at him in a fit of rage.
"Ash…" Putting his hands on his shoulders, Brock dragged him away. "Calm down, alright? We'll talk about this in the car."
"There is nothing to talk about!" Ash argued, still scowling at Tracy who looked confused, upset, and hurt. In fact, Brock recognized the look in his eyes because he had the same one the day Ash married Misty.
That look of hopelessness.
"C'mon, Ash…" He dragged him along across the parking lot and Ash tore himself away when they got halfway to his truck.
Angrily, Ash clambered into the passenger seat and tried to calm his breathing down as he heard the engine roar to life. "If you breath one word of this to Misty…"
"I'm not going to say anything." Brock promised, whipping out of the parking lot which was mostly empty by now. He thought about the magazine Misty had shown him, the fact they have been married for two weeks and he hadn't had sex with her yet, and now this.
Things were all pointing in a direction Brock didn't want to go.
But he had to.
"Ash, be honest with me…are you gay?"
"No!" He folded his arms and slammed back into the passenger seat, staring out the window.
"I was just asking. I mean, with the magazine, and the fact you haven't had sex with Misty yet…" He paused and thought about Saturday night in the gazebo. She certainly wouldn't have been horrible to make love to and Brock couldn't find any other reason why she would still remain a virgin this long.
"I've had plenty of sex with Misty!" Ash protested, falsely and Brock couldn't help but grin, arrogantly.
"Don't lie, Ash!" Brock's grin disappeared as he headed down the road. He didn't like being lied to and he knew damn well Ash hadn't consummated his marriage yet, or even attempted to, and there had to be a reason for it. He couldn't think of a reason to turn a girl like Misty down.
"Alright…so we haven't had sex yet." He admitted, sighing. "That doesn't mean I'm g-gay." He stammered and looked out the window.
"So, you're telling me Tracy just pulled you behind the building and started kissing you?"
"Hey, he said he wanted to talk, not make out. How was I supposed to know?" Ash peered over at him, but Brock's eyes were focused on the road. "Tracy's been after me for a long time but I don't have any interest because I'm straight!"
"Wait," Brock turned a corner and leaned back into his seat. "you know him?"
Ash paused and started to sweat again. He pushed a lock of black hair from his face and replied. "Yea, I-it was a long time ago. In college. He was in a couple of my classes. We were lab partners in chemistry."
"Then how come you acted like you didn't know him while we were inside the gym when I introduced you?"
Again, Ash panicked. "Because…I…I didn't want him to know I remembered him. That's all. He would blow it way out of proportion and think that I was in love with him." He rolled his eyes. "He's like that you know."
"Ash, we've been friends for a longtime. Since junior high." Brock said this, knowing that if Ash ever found out what he did with Misty just two nights ago, it would mean their friendship meant nothing.
"Yea, I know."
"I can read you very well and I can tell that you're lying." He put on his brake at a red light and peered over at him. He could see in Ash's eyes the panic, the worry, the uneasiness. "Be honest with me, did anything happen between you and Tracy in college?"
Ash swallowed hard and he felt lightheaded. He thought about jumping out of the truck and making a mad dash home on foot. He thought about lying, but he knew Brock could see right through him. He thought about just being quiet.
After all, Brock couldn't make him answer. But then again, that would just show his admission of guilt even more.
Would sympathy work? Maybe he could beg him to not have to give an answer.
No, that wouldn't work either. Brock was as solid as stone and didn't work with sympathy. Plus, Ash knew he was just trying to protect Misty. And didn't she deserve that?
"Well," His voice quivered and he took a deep breath. His stomach lurched forward as Brock drive through the green light. "It was just an experiment. You know, I-I was curious at the time. And Tracy and I were spending a lot of time together and it just…happened one night." He swallowed painfully again. "We were working on this chemistry project and it just…happened."
Brock turned down Ash's street and stayed quiet until they parked out in front of the house. The kitchen light was on. Misty was probably in there cooking him dinner. He tried not to think about how beautiful she looked in her black and white apron, with her hair tied back messily.
"So, it was just once."
"A few times." Ash shook his head. "It doesn't mean I'm gay though. Didn't you ever experiment like that back in college?"
"Sure I did." Brock said, throwing the car into park. "Not with men, but with plenty of women. Too many, actually."
"But I promise you, Brock." Ash tugged on the sleeve of his shirt and he faced him. "I'm not gay. I'm not like my dad. I love Misty. I swear I do!"
He sighed and gave him a weak smile. "I know you do, buddy. That's why I know you won't hurt her. That's why you haven't slept with her. You don't want to hurt her like your father did to your mom."
At first, Ash was shocked that Brock had read him like a book. How did he know what was going through his mind. Then, his shock turned to embarrassment and anger.
"Don't go all psychiatrist on me, Brock!" Ash opened the truck door and stepped out. "I'm going to make love to her. When she's ready. You just wait and see…" He slammed the door and stomped towards the house where he swung open the door and slammed it shut.
Brock sat in his truck for a few seconds and turned up his radio before putting it into drive.
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