Whipped (Hitched, #2)

"Well…" She turns back, holds out her glass. "Well, okay."

I grab it and drink. My throat burns. My eyes leak. "Oh fuck. This is like ten times worse." I run to the sink, turn on the cold water, and splash it over my tongue.

I hear Marvin's shocked voice. "What are you drinking ladies?"

The ladies giggle. "Vi added pepper when you weren't looking," says Angela.

Vi makes a clicking noise. "How's that for your special ingredient?"

I lick at the sink water. This makes no sense. "I like spicy foods. What kind of pepper is this?

"Carolina Reaper," says Vi. "Hottest pepper in the world."

My mouth cools off. I turn off the water and dry my face. Marvin pats me on the back, a sympathetic frown on his face. "Sorry, son. But I've tried as well. Like I said. There's no way to know."

Some warning would have been appreciated. But then I realize he called me son. I feel warmth in my belly. It might be happiness.

It might be the pepper.

I pour myself a cold glass of milk and silently swear vengeance on my girlfriend and her mother.

Marvin pulls a silver box from a closet. "Ready for the barbecue?"

"Yeah. Watch the seasonings, or we might end up with Carolina Reaper steak."

Vi pouts her lips. "I'm sorry, baby."

"No, you're not."

She caresses my face. "I am if I hurt your feelings."

I smile. "You didn't."

She steps back and her devilish grin returns. "Oh, good. Watching you lick the tap water was hilarious."

***

I flip the steaks over and apply a layer of barbecue sauce with a brush. Angela and Vi sit at an outdoor table overlooking a backyard of colored rocks and vibrant bushes. The landscape requires less maintenance than a field of grass and looks more beautiful. I'll have to get something similar for my house.

Marvin slides open the back door, joining us outside. "We're out of beer. I'll go grab some."

Vi taps the table. "Oh, you should take Lachlan with you."

"Great. Let's go."

I close the barbecue lid. "Sure, but the meat's not done."

Vi walks up beside me and grabs my spatula. "I'll take care of it."

I remember she doesn't like to cook. "You sure?"

"Of course."

I slip off my barbecue glove and pass it to her. "Thank you." I kiss her on the lips. It's hard to pull away.

I walk into the house. Marvin and I throw on our jackets. We're halfway out the door when we hear the scream. I rush back outside.

Vi is cradling her hand. "It burned me!"

"Let me see." I examine her. There's a small red spot on her index finger. It will heal easily. "You're fine. What happened?"

She sways her arms. "I… um… tried to flip the meat."

"With your hand?"

She huffs and looks indignant. It's adorable. "No. Of course not. I flipped it with the spatula, just, right off the grill. Then I tried to lift the steak. It hurt."

I notice the piece of meat on the wooden patio. I chuckle and hug Vi. "Does this make it better?"

"A little. Thank you so much—oh shit!" She spins toward the grill, turns off the heat, and opens it. The meat is black. "Shit. I burned it." She bites her lip. I can see she's close to crying.

I laugh to diffuse the tension. "What are you talking about? The crispy bits are my favorite. It's Cajun style."

Vi smiles as I begin to serve the food.

Angela takes a bite and looks at Marvin. "She still cooks better than you."

***

We finish what we can of the steak, and Vi offers to show me around town. She wants to show me where she grew up. I can't say no.

She drives me to her old high school, where her favorite teacher taught art, and to the mall, where she hung out with friends. She drives to the movie theater she used to frequent, and we watch a romantic comedy. She drives to the restaurant she loved, and we eat a pair of burgers. She drives to the beach.

We sit on the sand and watch the sun set, and I toss rocks into the ocean. "Is this where you brought all your boyfriends?" I ask, jokingly.

Instead of laughing, Vi frowns. "One. Pete. He was kind of like you."

"No one's like me."

She rolls her eyes. "No, of course not. I just mean, he wasn't a sub. All my friends had a crush on him."

Not all guys can handle talking about exes. I don't mind. It lets me learn more about Vi. I can tell this guy affected her. "Not that I'm complaining, but what happened?"

She tosses a stone into the water. "I crashed my car. I had a black eye the size of a pinecone." She sounds casual. The crash must have been minor. "The next week, we all went to an amusement park. I couldn't go on most of the rides. Pete could. That weekend, I caught him and my best friend making out in his car."

I wrap my arm around her. I'm starting to see why she had trouble with me taking control. "That's horrible. And stupid. What kind of guy chooses a roller coaster over you?"

"I know. Fucking bastard."

"And with your friend…"

"Yep. She's the reason I have a hard time with female friends. And you'd think that because I know that, it'd be easier, but it's not." Vi tosses another stone. It falls with a big wet thud.