The Wrong Woman

Maddie had since apologised for leaving me alone (I ended up going home without even saying goodbye) and in her next breath invited me to a pool party her Father was holding that weekend.

In the meantime, I couldn’t get the idea of Felicity and Louis together out of my mind.

Felicity had told me the entire story that night.

She had gone to university four years ago to do a business degree as a mature age student, where she had been hit upon by none other than Louis Tomlinson who was studying to be a teacher. They had gone on one date and he seemed nice enough, but before long he was inundating her with text messages and phone calls. Felicity backed off and they never went beyond the first date.

“I don’t know…” Felicity told me. “There was just something about him that made me nervous. Lucky for me he disappeared and I never saw him again.”

“Didn’t you see him at Maddie’s birthday party?” I asked.

“No.” She replied looking surprised. “I never noticed him.”

Workwise everything was going well. I had quit my supermarket job. Mr. Hennessey had been visibly surprised (and relieved) to see me go. Macy, on the other hand, was inconsolable.

“Who am I going to talk to now?” She moaned.

“You’ll find someone else to bother.” I told her and we exchanged numbers because although she pissed me off, I knew I was going to miss her anyway.

Now I was solely working for Campbell (apart from my weekly gig at the bar) and Felicity and I had settled back into our friendship again. Only this time it had a bit of a flirtatious edge. I don’t know if it was because of the whole aloe vera incident or what. We had been tiptoeing around each other for so long now that Felicity finally touching me, even in a platonic way, made us look at our situation from a new perspective. It unleashed a new way of interacting and when I flirted with Felicity, she shamelessly flirted right back. It was harmless and fun and we would laugh about it. But beneath the innocence, I couldn’t help but feel the sexual undertones of every glance and every throwaway comment.

“Mmm… nice dress.” I said to her as she walked into the office. God, it felt good to voice my thoughts, rather than bottle them up. “Nice legs too.”

“Do you like it?” Felicity self-consciously straightened out her plum coloured dress.

“Uh huh.” I nodded, eyeing her up and down.

“Well thank you.” She smiled.

It wasn’t long before she left the room and Campbell barged in.

“Harry.” He boomed making me jump in my seat. “First delivery needs to be dropped today.”

Huh? I then remembered I had promised I’d be doing a few deliveries for him.

“Sure.” I responded.

He placed a medium sized cardboard box on my desk and gestured to a slip of paper.

“That’s the address. It needs to be delivered tonight. 6pm sharp. Bryan is the contact.”

I looked at the address and although I didn’t recognise the street name, I merely nodded.

“Okay.”

“6pm. Bryan. Just Bryan.” Campbell instructed.

“Bryan.”

One word answers with Campbell seemed to be the safest and easiest option. He nodded with a satisfied look on his face before walking away.

X

My fight with Maddie hadn’t been that big, but we had barely spoken since that night. So I was a little hesitant as I arrived at the pool party at her house. The music pounded as I walked out onto the back patio. I could see it was filled with scantily clad teenagers which made me feel a little self-conscious in my blue jeans and white t-shirt. I had left my board shorts in the car, but I wasn’t really in the mood to swim. I was about to ask someone where Maddie was, when Campbell approached me, wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt.

“Didn’t you get the memo?” He asked. “The theme’s Hawaiian.”

He shook his head and didn’t wait for my answer before leaning in closer.

“How did you go with the delivery?”

“Okay…” I shrugged.

“What’s okay supposed to mean?”

I paused for a moment. Bryan had not recognised Campbell’s name but had taken the
delivery anyway. I opened my mouth to tell him, but then changed my mind.

“Nothing. Everything went fine.”

We made it to the little makeshift bar and Campbell wordlessly poured me a drink. I scanned the patio and pool until my eyes finally fell upon Felicity who stood by the pool talking to a guy I didn’t recognise. My eyes widened at her hot pink bikini and flower lei around her neck. Her eyes shone as she spoke and I felt a stab of jealousy to see her laughing and joking around.

“Here you go.” Campbell said. “Maddie is somewhere around here.”

He blocked my view as he handed me a drink and when he moved, I found I had lost sight of Felicity. Maddie appeared soon after, surrounded by her friends. She caught my eye and bounded over to me, as I took in her little hula skirt and fluoro yellow bikini top.

“Why are you so dressed up?” She smiled up at me as she tugged on my shirt. “You should take this off.”

From the corner of my eye I could see her friends whispering behind their hands and giggling, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the fact I was wearing jeans, or that they still couldn’t believe Maddie was dating someone older.

“Leave it.” I growled, although I couldn’t help but smile at her. “Thanks for telling me about the Hawaiian theme.”

“Oops, I forgot didn’t I?” She said and I nodded before we were interrupted by someone calling her name. She looked over to see a new arrival and before I knew it, she excused herself and I was standing on my own again. It wasn’t long before I found Felicity again, so I made my way over.

“Hey.” I said, letting my fingers trail across her arm.

“Hi!” She said brightly and I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was buzzed. She was drinking what looked like a cocktail and I found myself gesturing toward it.

“What’s this?”

“It’s called a Haviana… want to try?” She placed the straw between my lips before I could even respond, so I took a sip.

“Mmm… sweet.” I said. I took a longer sip and she pulled it away from me.

“Get your own.” She laughed.

We hung out for briefly before she was called to the kitchen to solve an emergency.

I spent the next couple of hours with Maddie and her friends which was a definite eye opener. I sat there and listened to them gossip about the boys and what everyone was wearing, whilst Maddie held my hand like I was her very own carnival prize. When she left my side to go for a swim or greet a new arrival I found myself seeking out Felicity. I watched as she switched to wine, and realised that it had been a long time since I’d seen her so relaxed, as she gently swayed to the music.

“Want to dance with me?” Maddie interrupted my thoughts.

“Let me just have a drink.” I told her. Or four. Or maybe more. I was feeling a little out of place and I didn’t know why. So I spoke to Felicity whenever I got the chance and we gently flirted as I polished off a couple of Havianas. Campbell seemed to be permanently ensconced in the cabana, surrounded by his mates, so it was good to have no interruptions.

I noticed she kept gravitating toward that guy I initially saw her talking to and so when I saw her alone, I quickly sidled up to her.

“Who’s the pretty boy?” I asked out of the corner of my mouth.

“Who?” She turned to me quizzically.

“The guy you were talking to.”

“Oh him? Just someone from the office. Jay, I think his name is.” She suddenly smiled. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you’ve been talking to him all night.” I grumbled.

“You’re so cute when you pretend to be jealous.” Felicity said.

“Who’s pretending?” I childishly pouted, but gave up when we both burst out laughing.

Later on in the evening, she laughed at my outfit and took off her flower lei.

“Here, wear this.” She told me and placed it around my neck. My skin tingled from her touch and I could only grin in response. I couldn’t help but stay within a few feet of her all night, popping up out of nowhere to make a smart ass remark, get her attention- anything really. I didn’t realise how obvious I was being until Felicity narrowed her eyes at me.

“Are you following me?” She finally asked, unable to hide her smile.

“Maybe.” I half slurred as I downed my last drink.

“Well I’m going inside to get some more wine.” She told me.

“Well then, I guess I’m following you.”

I tried to not to stumble as I let her take the lead, and then had enough sense to give her a headstart, suddenly nervous that someone might notice. Campbell was still in the cabana and Maddie was nowhere in sight. I waited another couple of minutes passed before I made my way down to the basement where I knew there second fridge was located. I grinned when I found Felicity standing there with a triumphant smile.

“We have wine.” She announced happily, and she lifted the two bottles of wine in the air to show me, when her white sarong slipped off her hips and fell in a heap on the floor. I chuckled at the surprised look on her face as she helplessly looked down at her feet.

“Let me help.” I advanced toward her. Felicity promptly held out the bottles but I went straight for the sarong. I lifted it from the floor and gently wrapped it around her waist. A couple of steps more and I had her backed against the wall.

“Put the bottles down.” I ordered firmly. “Put the fucking bottles down.”

She did as she was told and I took her hands and held them. We were so close, that I could feel her soft breath quicken and her breasts gently press against my chest. My now hooded eyes bore into her, taking in her slightly parted lips and the look of anticipation etched on her face.

Without thinking I leaned forward and pressed my lips against her neck and inhaled her coconut scented skin. We stood there for what seemed like forever, until I untangled my hands from her tight grip and wrapped them around her waist to hold her close.

“I really want to kiss you.” I confessed.

She blinked back silently and I took that as my cue to slowly trail my mouth over her neck and face until I found her lips.

Notes