“Have you two spoken at all since he broke up with you?” Ana asked.
“Nope. Not one peep out of him in ten years, which was for the best, I guess. I’m just not thrilled about being trapped on a boat with him for a week. I was hoping maybe he wasn’t going to be there.”
“Even though I know you’re ready to hop on that dick?” she asked.
“I’m not ready to hop on anything,” I said. “Fuck, Ana. Is this whole thing good idea? Should we back out?”
“Hey. I upgraded our tickets on this cruise. We get all the top-shelf drinks we want. You aren’t backing out on me now. I need a drinking buddy.”
“Wait, you did what? How much did that cost? How much do I owe you?” I asked.
“Chanel, I did this for two reasons. One, we’re going to be in the Caribbean with some serious hunks. And, if Rhett is there and I have to beat his ass, then we can drink the nights away and have a bitch-a-thon. We can curse him out, you can slap his face, and then we can go have celebratory drinks and walk away with him out of your system.”
I stood and hugged the neck of my best friend.
“That’s a tad bit extreme, but I love you anyway for thinking of me,” I said.
“I love you too. Now, get that memory of your breakup out of your head. We’re about to head out for an awesome fucking cruise with shitheads we haven’t seen since high school. It’s gonna be great.”
“You and I have a very different definition of great,” I said.
But she was right. The closer we got to the date of the reunion, the more I was replaying that memory in my head. It was like a broken record, skipping on repeat. I couldn't stop it no matter how hard I fought, and the longer I stood there embracing Ana, the bigger the lump in my throat got.
“What happened that night, Chanel? You still won’t talk about it,” Ana said.
“Fuck, Ana. It was a nightmare. I still can’t belief it went down the way it did that night.”
I could remember as if it were yesterday. We planned on waiting until prom night to have sex for the first time, but the week before, we’d gone too far and ended up doing it in the back of his car, quick and dirty. I hadn’t regretted it. I loved him, and I’d been happy he’d been my first. Rhett, however, had wanted to make it up to me. We’d told our parents that we were going to stay at a friend’s house for an after party, and Rhett had his older brother rent us a hotel room and buy us a bottle of champagne. He wanted to make it a romantic night for us – or so I thought.
I shook my head and looked up at Ana. “I had gone to the bathroom and Rhett had told me to meet him in the limo, so we could go to the hotel. I was so excited, Ana.”
“I remember,” Ana said, her voice tinged with sadness.
I took a breath and continued. “When I got to the car and opened the door, Rhett was there with his pants around his ankles and some other girl I’d never seen before in his lap.
I turned and tried to run, but my damn heel got caught and I fell right on the sidewalk.”
I rubbed my knee absently, like I could still feel the pain. Part of me always would, I guess.
“Fuck, Chanel. Is that why you don’t wear heels anymore?” she asked.
“I’d never felt more weak and vulnerable in my life. I was crying on the damn sidewalk. I fucking hated that night, I hated that dress, and I hated those damn heels. I felt beautiful that night, Ana. Until he ruined it. And, all the beauty in the world didn’t matter because I still lost him.”
I panned my gaze up to my best friend as she nodded in understanding.
“Then this cruise isn’t gonna be about starting new,” she said.
“What?” I asked.
“This cruise is gonna be about reclaiming what’s rightfully yours. Chanel, we’re getting your confidence back. Plus, who knows, you might get bid on by some super-hot rich motherfucker who will rock your world.”
“Whatever,” I said.
“You can ‘whatever’ me all the way to my car.”
“I thought we were taking mine?”
“Girl, I know you better than that. I saw that backpack in the back seat of your car. I know what’s in there. We’re taking mine. You aren’t sneaking those ratty clothes onto that damn cruise.”
“I’m not wearing heels and skirts the entire time,” I said.
“Don’t worry. You’ve got flip flops in there, and I packed you a few surprises while you were buried in your thoughts. You’ll like them, trust me. Now come on, we’re gonna be late.”
Chapter 2 Rhett
Fuck. Am I really do this?
“You ready for a fucking good time, bro?” Tommy asked.
Tom waved for the bartender to order another round of drinks for us.
“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” I said.
“Come on. You know it’s gonna be awesome. Think about all the hot chicks we went to school with. You know how hot they’re all gonna be now?” he asked.
“Or they could all be moms that let themselves go and have four kids and drink like fish just to feel young again,” I said.
“Oh, yeah. Life of the party over here. You mean to tell me we’re about to take a week-long cruise in the Caribbean, and you’re not the least bit excited?”
I shrugged my shoulders as I leaned back in my chair.
“Rhett. Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on that girl you wasted the best years of your life on,” Tommy said.
“It doesn’t matter. She probably doesn’t even remember me anyway,” I said.
“You know who I’m hung up on? That girl’s best friend. What was her name?”
“Ana?” I asked.
“Was that her name? What’s-her-face’s friend?”
“Really? You don’t remember any of their names?” I asked.
“I’m shocked you do. With all the pussy you slayed as a SEAL, I’m surprised you’re letting this chick piss on your good time.”
“Her name was Chanel, and her friend’s name was Ana.”
“Fuck. That chick had some curves in high school. You think she’s still got them now?” he asked.
“Chanel or Ana?” I asked.
“We are not focusing on Chanel. That girl broke your heart,” he said.
“Nope. I broke hers.”
“Then what the fuck’s the problem?”
The problem was I had left my heart in pieces right next to hers. That had been the worst night of my life. I knew I’d had a lot to drink, we all had. Someone snuck some vodka in and spiked the punch, just like in all those old cheesy 80’s movies. I don’t remember being so drunk that I would fuck some random girl in the limo while waiting for Chanel. I don’t even know who the girl was, I just remember the look on Chanel’s face when she’d opened the door and caught us.
And worst part of it was I didn’t go after her. I avoided her until after graduation when I left for the Navy. I’d always known she deserved so much more than I could offer. Subconsciously, I knew that she wouldn’t break up with me, unless I first broke her heart.
In a way, the universe gave me what I wanted – as fucking twisted as was.
“Well, I know Connie Thomas isn’t married,” Tommy said.
“Our class president? That woman’s crazy,” I said.
“And it’s the crazy ones who always have the tightest pussies.”
“You’ve fucking got that right,” I said.
“Emma isn’t either. And neither is Lauren.”
“Emma Deese? The cheerleading captain? I thought she married Brian.”
“Nope. They were engaged, but he was apparently cheating on her. Poor Emma. I bet she hasn’t rebounded yet.”
“And I bet you have just the words to comfort her,” I said.
“Oh, my tongue can do some serious talking,” he said.
“And who the hell is Lauren?” I asked.
“You don’t remember Lauren? That chick who was all over you freshman year?”
“The one with the coke bottle glasses?” I asked. “Have you gotten that desperate?”
“Desperate? You haven’t looked at the RSVP list have you?”
“Nope,” I said.
“Then how did you know Chanel was going to be there?”
“I didn’t, but thanks for confirming that little tidbit. That’s sure to make this trip a fucking blast.”
“Dick. Anyway, Lauren’s fucking hot now, a bit thin, but I can work with that. Long as I can suckle on those nipples of hers, I can make do with everything else.”