The Do Over

The sun beat down on the pavement, and the heat was oppressive for a late November morning. I counted on a breeze, but I was disappointed as the palms stood still like soldiers guarding their post. Other than the potential chill of air conditioning, there was no reprieve in sight.

I braided my hair as I walked toward Van Dyke's. The sundress I was wearing offered little comfort. Maybe the umbrellas covering the tables outside would provide the respite I was looking for. Doubtful. I sighed as I concluded that we'd just have to eat inside.

I didn't want to admit why I wanted to eat along the sidewalk. I wondered if he was running today. A part of me liked seeing him. I convinced myself that it didn't mean anything. We were just two old friends. I felt better about what had happened or hadn't happened between us. I stopped mid-step and shook my head. I had to stop this foolishness.

What the hell am I thinking? It was so much easier when I hated Rick. Now, it felt complicated. I didn't know how to explain it. I'd enjoyed his company. For a brief moment, it had seemed like we had traveled back in time to when we were together. I had forgotten how he'd caused me so much heartache. It was crazy, but it was no different than all the love affairs I had with my book boyfriends. I wasn't acting on anything. A few stolen moments hadn't meant anything, and it never would.

Anyhow, it had all been coincidences, just like Rick had said. I doubted he was running today. It was too hot. The weather had to be a sign that I needed to let it go.

I looked inside a storefront and checked my reflection in the glass. As I tucked in a few strands of hair that had fallen out of my braid, my phone chirped. I smiled.



Liam: Hey, baby.



Dani: Miss me?



Liam: All the time.



Dani: I love you.



Liam: Love you.



I loved Liam. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I closed my eyes, savoring my thoughts of him. My heart fluttered, and my smile widened.

As I opened my eyes slowly, I caught something in the reflection in the glass. No, it couldn't be. I turned around, and there he was. Lying on the ledge by the fountain, he clutched his phone against his chest. He looked pathetically delicious.

I walked over and stood above him, casting a shadow. His eyes were closed. He must have felt my presence as he opened one eye to look at me.

Staring down at him, I said, "Is this part of your reinvention? You've become a bum, sleeping near the fountain?" I laughed.

He chuckled. His upper lip curled into a smile, making his cheek dimple. "I'll have you know that I'm many things, but a bum isn't one of them." He used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "I'm dying."

"You're dying?" I raised my eyebrow and laughed some more. He can be so dramatic. "And why is that?"

"I'd rather not say. Just know that I had my last dying wish fulfilled. You're standing here. You laughing at me in my despair wasn't part of it, but I'll take whatever I can."

"At least I'm giving you a little shade. It's hot as hell. Come on, get up. Let's get you some water." I held out my hand to help him up.

"I have water right here." He splashed his hand in the fountain. "Don't laugh. I pulled my hamstring, and right now, this is the most comfortable position. I'm waiting for it to fix itself."

"What kind of runner are you?" I put my hands on my hips. "Don't you stretch?"

I couldn't believe I was going to do this, but he was injured. I had no other choice. I was a nurse, and I had a duty. "Okay, look, I'm going to help you stretch."

"I think I've died and gone to heaven." He sighed and winked. "Just don't hurt me."

"You're such a baby. Now, which leg is it?"

After I put my purse down, I kneeled on the ledge in front of him. As I moved his sore leg to rest on my shoulder, he clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut. He really was in pain.

"I promise to be gentle," I said.

"Cariño, you have your hands on my leg. You can do whatever you want."

His skin glistened in the sunlight as sweat streamed down his face. His hair was slicked back. When I leaned in slightly, his hands reached up and grazed mine. He opened his eyes and met mine.

He smiled wickedly. "I always liked you on top."

"Behave," I scolded.

I reminded myself that I was a professional. However, that didn't stop the pounding in my chest or the blush that kissed my cheeks. The heat wasn't helping the situation either.

"Why? Being bad is so much more fun."

I forced myself to look away. I'm just helping an old friend. I released the pressure from his leg, letting it rest on my shoulder and then pressed my body forward, moving his leg toward him. I needed to distract my mind and fast. What am I doing?

"So, how was your Thanksgiving?" I asked.

"For the most part, it was great. I ran the Turkey Trot, fed the homeless, and ended the night with the family." He propped himself up on his elbows. "That helped. Thanks."

"Liar. You didn't feed the homeless."

"First, I'm a bum, and now, I'm a liar. Your opinion of me is really low and…wrong."

"Nope. I don't believe you."

He slowly swung his legs over and sat up. I moved to sit next to him.

His face brightened, and his perfect smile burst wide. "As a matter of fact, I have proof."

He tapped on his phone and pulled up a picture of him. He was wearing a shower cap and being silly with his arms stretched wide as he stuck out his tongue. He looked like a complete goofball. Rick was playful, but I'd never seen him look this happy.

"It was quite an experience. I think I'm a better man for it," he said.

I nudged him on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you." I'd always known that deep inside, this man was hiding and waiting for the right time to come out. A part of me felt vindicated. I hadn't been delusional when I'd known there was more to him. He'd always had so much potential.

"I sometimes surprise myself. I couldn't believe something that knocked me down a peg could be rewarding. I was so pumped that I'm now getting my mom involved." He nodded his head with a look of satisfaction.

"Who are you? What have you done with the self-centered, arrogant a*shole who broke my heart?" I asked, half-joking, as I leaned into him.

I was crazy for even talking to him. It was downright insane to engage in this game. My friends would ring my neck, and I knew Liam wouldn't understand. He'd go ape-shit caveman. The truth was that Rick had hurt me, but this made me feel better. It didn't make sense, but for once, I decided not to overanalyze it.

His shoulders slumped, and the corner of his eyes dropped slightly. "I was waiting for you to bring that up." He let out a deep sigh and looked over at me. "I know I hurt you, and saying I'm sorry doesn't seem to be enough. All I can do is try to be a better man and hope that you'll forgive me one day."

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled softly. "I honestly don't know how I feel, except that I don't hate you anymore. This," I said, motioning between us, "has helped." I felt the need to lighten the moment. "Don't think that I'm letting you off the hook. One day, you'll have to give me an acceptable explanation, but for now, it's too hot. I'm melting."

Leaning back, I dipped my hand in the fountain and then splashed him. For a few moments, we were back to that place where the playfulness was familiar, and the hurt started to slip away.

"I should probably move, so my hamstring doesn't tighten up again." He stood up and grimaced. "Thanks for the stretch and the cool down."

"Will you be okay?"

"Me? Of course. I'm Superman. It's going to take a lot more than a pulled hamstring to keep me down." He limped around in a circle.

"Superman," I scoffed. "Says the man who was crying on his deathbed just a little while ago." I laughed as I offered him my shoulder to use as a crutch. "Come on, I'll walk you to your car. Please tell me you didn't park far away."

He placed his arm around my shoulder as mine wrapped around his waist. I could feel his tight abs under my hands.

"Been working out?" I asked, patting his stomach. Why did I go there?

I had to remind myself that I was helping him. I was being a Good Samaritan. When I tilted up my head, he smiled at me. Damn that dimple.

"I run, lift weights, and do a little yoga now."

"You and yoga? I can't picture it, but I'll take your word for it." I chuckled. "I love yoga."

"Thanks for taking care of me. You're an angel and normal. It's refreshing," he said, gimping his way to his car. Why can't Madison be more like this?

"You're welcome, and thank you, I think."

That was the strangest thing anyone had ever said to me. I looked down at my watch to see that I had about fifteen minutes before Macy and Candace would arrive for our last brunch together. I was cutting it close. I ran possible excuses in my head. The most plausible one was that I'd left something in my car and had to go back for it, but I knew that wouldn't work. I finally settled on telling them that it was too hot outside, so I'd decided to read in bed and meet them on time. That seemed like a good excuse. I had to rehearse it a few times until I believed it. I didn't want it to sound like a lie.

"I'm impressed with this transformation of yours."

He straightened his shoulders and smiled proudly.

"You haven't used your colorful language, especially when you were dying," I added.

"With so many words in the English and Spanish language, I've found that I don't have to resort to vulgarity when expressing my thoughts or feelings," he said, staring up at the sky with a look of anguish on his face. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.

I laughed and shook my head. "You're so full of shit. You forget that I know you're the master of all salesmen. The question is, what are you selling?"

He reached over and played with my braid. "I'm not full of anything other than wanting to be a better man. I swear. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life because I was an idiot. I'm trying to make better choices and fewer mistakes."

"I want to believe that. If what I've seen is any indication, then I think you're moving in the right direction. You're a good man, Rick." I tucked in a strand of hair that had loosened out of my braid. "I better get going."

"Daniela, thank you for everything. If it weren't for you, I'd still be paralyzed and dying by the fountain. You saved me."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Rick, you're laying it on a little thick there. It's sweet but unnecessary."

"You're killing me. I'm being sincere. Seriously, it means a lot to me that you see that I'm not who I used to be." He closed the gap between us and pursed his lips into an impish grin. His eyes darkened, locking on mine, as he placed a kiss on my forehead. "I owe you a Coke. I'll see you next week."

The guilt started to eat away at me. This is wrong. I didn't want to lead him on. "Rick…" I glanced over at him with a dull ache building in my chest. "I love him. You need to know that. I really love him." I looked away, my lip slightly trembling.

He tilted my head toward him. "Look at me. I know how you feel. You remind me every single time I see you. I've told you time and time again that I'm no threat. Less than an hour ago, I was dying in the sun, and now, here I am, walking. You're a miracle worker. So, yeah, I'm buying you a Coke next week. It's a small price to pay for my health."

"I'm being serious here."

"So am I. Cariño, you're a miracle worker. Lay your hands on my legs, and I might just start dancing right here." While biting his lower lip, he started moving his upper body and circling his hands in the most ridiculous attempt to dance. "In fact, I think you can make some money on the side. We can pitch a tent right here on Lincoln Road. All the weirdos will come and want you to touch them. It's a sure thing."

His eyes sparkled, and his playfulness disarmed me.

"You're such a dork." I laughed, shaking my head.

And just like that, old patterns reemerged. He was harmless. I knew I could handle this.





I raced back. I didn't want to tell a bold-faced lie to my friends. It wasn't who I was. I wasn't doing anything wrong. At one point, as I entered a light jog, I thought about how ironic it would be if I pulled a muscle from rushing back. I shook it off, but I knew if that happened, I would deserve it. I had about five minutes to get to Van Dyke's.

Macy was the most punctual person I knew. She had a magical internal clock. She had probably parked her car by now. Right now, I'd bet that she was checking her makeup in the rearview mirror, fluffing her hair, and smiling at herself.

As I crossed the street, I could see Van Dyke's. I saw that Françoise was working the outside table service. When he saw me, he waved. I felt hopeful that everything would be just fine.

I arrived, panting, as I tried to catch my breath. Françoise directed me to our usual table, and my diet soda was waiting for me. He was an incredible server—a godsend, angel, fairy godfather, and elf wrapped in one. He was definitely getting a huge tip.

With two minutes to go, I slumped back in my chair and sucked down half of my diet soda in one sip. I pulled out my body splash and spritzed myself. While cooling down, I closed my eyes and did a few yoga-breathing exercises. I glanced up, and sure enough, I saw Macy strutting her way over. I fanned myself with the menu. I made it.

"Hola!" Macy flipped her hair back as she sat down. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?" I drank the rest of my diet soda. I smiled at Françoise and raised my empty glass to him. "It's hot."

"Are you like in menopause or something? Having a hot flash? The weather's kind of nice." She started looking through the menu.

Perusing the menu but ordering the same exact thing every single time was part of our ritual.

"Oh, please. It's a sauna out here. It has to be at least a hundred degrees. And my hormones are fine," I huffed. "I started the pill last week. You know what that means?"

"Girl, check your hormones. Talk to your doctor. That pill is screwing with your thermostat. It's eighty degrees." Then, she leaned toward me, placing her elbows on the table. "Are you going to tell me anything juicy? Please? I'm dying here in this dead zone."

"You're still on probation."

I couldn't tell her anything personal about Liam, and there was no way on earth I would talk to her about Rick. Not only did she hate his guts, but I also knew that she would break the code of silence to protect me from harming myself. She wouldn't understand.

I had to deal with this myself, and I felt confident I could handle it. It wasn't that bad. If Rick were really dangerous, he would've already made his move. What he'd said was true. He was no threat. The worst thing that could happen would be Liam getting pissed off because I didn't tell him sooner. But, really, Rick and I hadn't done anything wrong, and I wasn't taking my Rick-crap out on Liam anymore. It was win-win for all involved. All of this was reconciled in my head in a matter of seconds.

"Throw me a freaking bone. I've been so good. I promise I won't say a thing. Please. Test me," Macy pleaded.

"Nope." I craned my neck, looking down the road. "Where's Candace? She's late."

Macy grabbed the iced tea Françoise had brought her. "This guy's amazing. He actually remembered what I ordered last week. Too bad we're not coming back while Candace is gone."

"What do you mean? We're going keep coming. It's a tradition," I insisted.

"Dani, I see you all the time, so I don't need to keep waking up early just to drag my ass over here. I could be in bed with Chris right now." She juggled her hands up and down as she said, "You. Chris. You. Chris." She laughed. "I know the whole chicks-before-dicks thing, but seriously, he's got a fabulous dick. Remember, I'm addicted to it. By the way, how's Liam's dick?"

"We're going to keep coming," I snapped and then sipped my fresh diet soda. "No pun intended. And Liam's dick is a-dick-tive. Now that I'm on the pill, we can be even more spontaneous."

"Don't tell me he's a bore in bed," Macy deadpanned. "That man is too gorgeous to have a limp dick. After that near CPR orgasm, I'd be so disappointed if he didn't know how to use it."

"Macy, if this is your way of fishing for information, you're shit out of luck." I raised my eyebrow before polishing off my second diet soda and signaling Francoise for a refill. "Liam is a keeper. When Candace arrives, I'll let you know how the inquisition went, and then I might share another little development involving him."

"You need to slow down with that soda." She matched my raised eyebrow. "You're drinking that poison like it's water. Your kidneys must really hate you. I know I do right now since you're being such a tease."

"Now, this is what I love to see," Candace said as she dropped her purse on the table and pulled out her chair. She straightened up her table setting as Françoise made his way over with her water and bowl of lemon. "My two besties are getting along like the sisters they are. I can go to Jacksonville in peace now. I need details, and hand me the menu."

Françoise brought over our orders and refilled our beverages before we even put our menus down. He made sure that our time together was seamlessly perfect.

Surprisingly, the temperature was dramatically dropping. I looked up and noticed that the palms were swaying against the bright blue sky pebbled with white clouds. The reprieve and comfort I'd sought was found as we dined on the sidewalk of Lincoln Road. It was a pleasant Saturday morning at Van Dyke's with my friends. Yes, life was good, and everything was falling into place perfectly.





I limped into the lobby with my leg f*cking hurting like hell. F*ck. "Good morning, Walter."

"Good morning, Mr. Marin. Are you okay?"

I nodded. If I did anything more, I was going to explode with every single vulgar expletive I'd held in while Daniela had tortured me with that damn stretch. The only thing that had gotten me through that punishment was the fact that my leg had brushed up against her tit while her hands had been holding on to me for dear life. F*ck. She'd looked hot on top of me. I could picture her riding my dick while my hands reached up to squeeze her tits. Soon.

"Ms. Stuart is expecting you by the pool. Take the east elevator up to the fourth floor, and follow the hallway to the end. You'll see the entrance for the pool deck," Walter informed me.

I'd never ventured past the lobby. This could be Madison's olive branch. We'd barely spoken yesterday. Except for the obligatory good-morning greeting, we had run in complete silence. I was still f*cking pissed off at her. I didn't know why what she had done bothered me. Why the hell do I care who she f*cks? Maybe I was jealous that she was getting laid while I was jerking off. She didn't have to rub it in my face.

This morning, I'd started run with a sprint. When I'd felt the sharp pain in the back of my leg, barely able to put my weight on it, I'd automatically called Madison. If I had called my mom, she would've sent the paramedics. In a good and unexpected turn of events, Daniela had shown up and nursed me back to health. I owed her my life. Madison, was just a f*cking bitch.

I'd called Madison because I was a glutton for punishment.

"Maddy, I'm dying. I need your help," I said in pain and suffering.

She sighed heavily. "What did you do now?"

"I pulled my f*cking hamstring. Show some compassion." I winced. "I dragged myself to the fountain. I'm lying here and can't move. I need you to rescue me."

"Rick, for crying out loud. This is a golden opportunity. Be a man and suck it up, work it to your advantage. Then, come see me."

So, here I was, riding the elevator to go see her. Like a motherf*cking-son-of-a-bitch idiot, I was following her orders. She better not have some a*shole with her. As far as I was concerned, I'd graduated from the Madison Stuart School of Castrating Rick with an A+.

I pushed open the door that led out to the pool. The sun was bright, and the deck overlooked the bay. Lounge chairs surrounded the pool, and there she was, the lone sunbather in her tiny bikini. With each debilitating step I took, I hated her more.

I stood in front of her. Blocking her exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays, I thought she should be grateful that there would be one less f*cking wrinkle she'd have to deal with. To the right of her, there was a bucket with ice, a couple of water bottles, and Advil on a small table.

"Good morning, Madison." My words were laced with venom.

"Good morning, Rick. Take this," she said, pointing to the table. She didn't even bother to open her eyes. "Then, get in the pool."

I did as I was told because I had become her f*cking lapdog. I sat down slowly on the lounge chair next to her, stifling the grunt of pain that begged to escape. As I took off my shoes and socks, she glanced over at me.

I wiggled my eyebrows. "You want to watch me take off my clothes?"

She rolled her eyes and closed them again. "Leave your shorts on. This isn't a private pool."

Even though I hated her, I had to admit that she had the hottest little body. Her bikini left little to the imagination.

I took off my shirt and turned to glance at her as I stepped into the crystal blue cold-as-shit water. Madison came over and sat on the side of the pool, dipping her feet.

I waded over to her. "I'm pissed off at you, and I know this is going to make me the biggest a*shole ever, but I hate you half the time."

"Yeah, I know," she said flatly, staring past me. "The feeling's mutual. You need to let it go and focus on what's important. Only two things matter right now—your leg and how it went with Daniela."

I stood between her legs and placed my hands on them. She cocked her head to the side and smiled softly.

"I hurt my leg because I didn't warm up. Daniela nursed me. I didn't even have to ask her to do anything. It's in her nature to take care of me. It's only a matter of time. She has to get over her fixation that she's in love with that idiot. She's enamored with him, but what we had was intense and deep."

Madison's smile faded as she looked away. "The Advil should help your leg. I'll ice it for you when you get out of the pool." She glanced back toward me, showing no emotions. "I'm glad that Daniela is falling into place. Soon, you'll have everything you wanted."

She started to get up, but I held her down.

"Maddy, why do you hate me?"

I ran my fingers up and down her thighs, drawing designs. It was the most natural thing to do. Her legs were soft and toned with a sun-kissed tan. She shrugged her shoulders and looked away.

I tilted her face toward me. "You're my best friend. When I was dying, you were the first person I thought of even though I hated your guts and blamed you for my injury."

She laughed. "So, it's all my fault? Oh, Rick." She tossed her head back, shaking it.

When her neck elongated, I wondered how many mouths had licked, nipped, and bitten down on it. F*ck. I wondered what it tasted like. Her hair waved from side to side, begging to be pulled and tugged.

"I hate your inability to stay focused, and these tantrums have to go. You don't trust me even though everything I've done for you has worked. I haven't cut off your dick. I've given it a second chance. And the thanks I get? An ungrateful, entitled, spoiled a*shole. When are you going to get it through that gorgeous thick head of yours that I'm Team Rick?" She reached over, tousling my hair.

My eyes followed the path my hands were making up her thighs. When they came to rest on her waist, I looked up, and I f*cking smiled. It wasn't a big smile or anything like that. It just felt good to touch a woman's body. It was even better because I was touching her. I wanted to keep moving my hands until I pulled down the tiny triangle over her tit. I wanted to feel her nipple get hard between my fingers. F*ck. My dick was hard. I had to stop because my hands slowly moved up her back and my fingers were starting to toy with the dangling string holding her top on.

She shifted her eyes to the side before settling them on mine. She gave me a bashful look as her lips parted into a playful pout. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought she looked innocent. This was a joke, of course, because I knew under my hands was a vixen, siren, and man-eating whore. But, for a brief moment, I saw her, and I couldn't stay mad anymore.

"Maddy, I don't want to fight with you." I didn't want her to know that she'd gotten to me. I straightened my shoulders and cleared my head of the images of Maddy's body under mine. I got serious. "So, let's agree that you aren't going to piss me off again."

"You're impossible." She narrowed her eyes at me. "Let's go, so I can ice down your leg." She got up, shaking her ass as she walked to her lounge chair.

As I got out of the pool and walked over, I caught her checking me out. Yes, Maddy wants me in the worst way.

"You need to make this up to me. I have limited access to Daniela, and I spent this last time in pain and suffering."

As I was lying face down, she put the ice on my leg.

"F*ck, that's cold."

"I owe you nothing. The balance on the account is the other way around," she said.

"You do, and you'll do what I ask you to do." As I turned my face to the side, I yelped when Madison put pressure on my hamstring. She's a damn sadist. "I need you, babe. I want you to help me push Daniela over the edge."

"Rick, you're an a*shole. I won't do anything I don't want to do. Daniela was a little Florence Nightingale, coming to your rescue and taking care of you. It was poetic and perfect. You should thank me and maybe even build a shrine in my honor. Let's say that I am crazy enough to buy into your bullshit. It wouldn't work. I don't run in Daniela's circles. I don't even do that girlfriend thing. It's for weak women who can't stand on their own two feet as they rely on the camaraderie of others to get through life."

"Damn, you're bitter. Maybe you would benefit from meeting her. She might warm up the ice in your veins."

I buried my head in my arms as she placed more pressure on my hamstring. Between the Advil, pool, and ice, my leg was feeling better. I hated her, but she took good care of me.

"Help me get her to your yoga class, and you take it from there. Think of Daniela as one of your charities. Be that dynamic, energetic, and driven woman who wants to right the wrongs done in society. We'll call it Operation Escalation," I suggested.

"And why on earth would I do this?"

When I sat up, she stood with her arms crossed and lips pursed.

"Your attitude is f*cking hot." I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And you'll do this for me because when you aren't hating my guts, you love me and want me to be happy."

"I'll think about it."

When she stepped into a strapless cover-up, my dick was on high alert. Damn. I watched as she moved and shimmied into that dress.

She threw a towel at me. "Dry up. Is your leg feeling better?"

"Maddy, thank you," I said, drying off with the towel. "Yes, my leg is better. You're the best. I'll pick you up in a couple of hours. We have things to do."

"I'm busy," she said impassively.

"I know you're busy. You're going Christmas shopping with me. I made an appointment with Daisy to see some of her jewelry."

She was hesitating. I could tell she was about to say something.

I stood up, towering over her tiny barefoot frame. "I'll see you in two hours. Don't fight me."

Finally, she relented. Putting two fingers in the air, she walked away.