8. Mac
Mac
F uck, fuck, fuckity fuck . I’m cursing myself as I pull back into my dad’s shop and see Blake’s truck there, too. I had sent a message to the BAMF chat for an emergency meeting at the shop after another shitshow of a meeting with MJ and her dad.
“Hey hey,” Austin says as I approach him and his twin standing outside the shop’s door.
“Hey, guys. Thanks for coming over so quickly.” I unlock the door and lead them inside. Walking straight to the fridge, I grab three sodas and then head into the office.
“How’re things going? Any updates on the restaurant?” I ask them while settling into the office chair. The worn seat is hard on my ass, but it’s better than the concrete floor.
The pop of Blake’s soda can echoes when he opens it. “Things are good. Still planning and putting ideas together,” he responds.
“Yeah, you know, when you suggested opening a restaurant I thought cool, good food, drinks, and a cool space for parties. I did not think menus, interior design, decorations, and pricing,” Austin jibes his brother.
The overwhelm rolls off them in waves. While I’m sympathetic, I can’t help but laugh.
Typical Blake with a legit idea and Austin going along with it until he realizes it means he has to work.
Shaking my head, I respond, “I told both of you that owning and running a business was way more than fun times and hot chicks. Plus, it’s Oakridge. I still don’t know where the hot chicks are coming from, do you?” I try to lighten the mood and Austin smirks while Blake shakes his head in annoyance.
“Tourists though!” Austin hollers and pumps his fist. “They’ll show up from somewhere. Why are you so worried, though? Don’t you have your own chick to ogle now?” He wags his eyebrows suggestively. “Have you seen her since last weekend?” he asks.
“Did I call it? She’s totally helping Mr. L with your case, huh?” Blake guesses.
“Yeah, yeah, you were fucking right, of course.” I run my fingers through my hair and sigh. Blake takes a drink of his soda and looks at me over the top of the can, raising his eyebrow as if to say okay, go on.
“I’m in so much fucking trouble.” I sigh.
“Well, yeah, we know the case. I still think you’re stupid to be—” Blake starts, but I cut him off.
“No, no, not the case. Well, yeah, the case too but, fuck! Yes, she’s sitting in on the meetings. She was in the one on Monday and the one this morning.”
“And . . .” Austin prods for me to continue.
“And on Monday, she asked me to call her Emmalynn,” I reply .
“The fuck?” Austin says, and Blake nods, showing he’s wondering the same thing.
“I don’t know, but I told her no way was I gonna start calling her Emmalynn. But fuck, I forgot. Even before that, she invites me in and leads me to the library.” Blake’s eyes go wide.
Yeah, the library is a special place for me and MJ. We spent so many days lounging around, reading together in that library. Most of the time reading separate books, but sometimes together, one of us reading out loud to the other. I think that’s when I fell in love with her, with her mind at least.
“Yeah, the library. So, she’s sitting there scrolling through her phone and I see she’s reading one of my favorite books.
I know she’s already read it a few times because we read it together at least once when we were younger.
Anyway, she was practically ignoring me, and I don’t know why, but when she headed into her dad’s office, I swiped her book.
” I blurt out and take a deep breath, looking at my friends for their response.
“You did what? Why?” Blake asks, raising his voice a bit.
“Honestly, at the time I wasn’t thinking, maybe for old time’s sake?”
“You guys haven’t read together since . . .” Blake reminds me.
“That summer, yeah, I know,” I finish for him.
“The summer your dad got sick?” Austin asks.
“Yeah, and he pulled away,” Blake fills in for me, and I nod.
“Fuck, dude.” Austin blows out a breath.
“You just stole her book? Did you keep it?” Blake asks.
“I thought about it, but I also thought maybe this could be my in.” I look up at the guys and they both look confused. “We used to annotate books for each other when we were too busy to read together.”
Annotating kind of became our thing once we became teenagers.
It was too hard to make time to read together, so instead we would read separately, jot our thoughts down in the margins, and then swap.
My copies were usually just my handwriting scribbled all over the pages, but MJ would always put these cute little tabs throughout the book.
She would tell me what the colors stood for, but I always fucking forgot.
I didn’t really care about them, anyway. I just enjoyed reading her thoughts.
“So, you wrote little love notes in her book thinking it would make her like you again?” Austin asks.
“I mean, I guess?” Shrugging, I continue, “I annotated it for her, and I gave it back to her this morning.”
“Bro.” Austin sighs. I look at Blake who’s trying not to grin.
“I guarantee she had something to say about you stealing her book.”
I tell them about her genuine curiosity if I liked it, and how she handed me another book on my way out.
“So you guys are swapping books again?” Blake asks, and I shrug but nod. “Well, it’s a start.” He leans forward on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees and tents his fingers together. “Can I ask you something? What’s your end game here?”
I look up at the ceiling and blow out a breath. “Fuck if I know.”
Austin rolls his eyes and Blake chuckles. “Seriously, are you just looking for friendship again, or are you finally gonna shoot your shot?” Blake asks with sincerity.
“Shoot what shot? I’m no good for her, man.” I shake my head.
“You’re the only one who thinks that,” Blake says. Pity sits in his eyes.
“Nah, pretty sure the whole fucking town thinks that.”
“That’s because they don’t know the truth. I’m serious. If you just told Mr. L the truth, this would all be over,” Blake suggests.
“I can’t do that, and you know why!” Austin winces at my outburst. “It’s fine though. I’m the bad boy everyone loves to hate, right?”
“Mac, come on,” Blake tries to reason with me, but I’m over it.
“Nah, it’s fine. It’s all good.” I shake my head and get up to toss my now empty soda can into the recycle bin.
“Well, would you at least try to be her friend again? Let her back in just—” I start to interrupt Blake but he puts his hand up. “Just enough so that we can all hang out like we used to?”
“Yeah, dude, it’d be nice if we could all chill by the creek and have fun again. I hate having to split my time now that she’s back home,” Austin chimes in while scrolling on his phone .
I blow out a breath. It’s one thing for her to give me a book she annotated, but it’s another way to spend more time with her outside of the professional setting.
“Look, dude,” he hands me his phone. “You’re obviously on her mind, because I’m pretty sure that’s your handwriting.”
On his phone, Instagram is open and there is a photo of MJ in her hammock. Well, it’s of a book propped up on her legs in the hammock.
Caption : Early morning by the creek. Can’t wait to dive in. #sunrise #sunrisebythecreek #readingbythecreek #divingintoagoodbook #annotationsfromafriend
I hand Austin’s phone back to him. So, she’s reading the book I returned to her.
Doesn’t mean much and I guarantee it doesn’t mean what the hope blooming in my chest wants it to.
Can I be just friends with MJ, though? We were friends for so many years before feelings became more than friendly and it was all fine. Until it wasn’t. Fuck .
All three of our phones ping, pulling me from my swirling thoughts.
“Dude, here’s your chance.” Austin bounces on the couch with excitement.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at the message in the Dream Team chat.
MJ: Hey heyyy, it’s Friday… Who’s up for another grill and chill by the creek tomorrow?
AUSTIN: Hell yes! What time and who’s cooking ?
I look over at Austin, who’s wearing an encouraging look on his face. My eyes scan over to Blake, who’s also looking hopeful.
“Come on, man. Just try?” Blake says.
Sighing, I roll my neck and look back down at my phone. It would be nice to get to know her again and see if I can’t start repairing our friendship a bit. I look at Austin, who looks like a puppy waiting for a treat, and I smirk and start typing.
ME: I’m in.
Austin and Blake’s phones both ping and then Austin yells, “Fuck yes!”
June 15
The gravel crunches under my tires and dust kicks up around me as I roll into the makeshift parking lot off the side of MJ’s parents’ house.
Rumbling at an idle beneath me, I cut off the engine of my ‘72 red Chevelle. Dad always tells me to take pride in my things and the Chevelle is one thing I definitely take pride in. However, dirt roads are the norm in Oakridge, so she has to get a little dirty now and then. Thank fuck Sheriff Clayborn didn’t impound her when he pulled me over a few weeks ago.
All the evidence was within eyesight and there was no need to take her in and further search.
Minor miracles and all that. I’d probably still be fighting with him to get her back if he had taken her in, and who knows what would have happened in the Cedar Bend impound .
Before hustling down the hill to the creek, I grab my backpack, sling it over my shoulder, and pocket my keys.
I’m already late and I know I’m gonna catch shit from the guys.
I’m surprised my phone isn’t blowing up with the assumptions that I bailed.
My stomach has been in knots all day thinking about this evening and spending time with MJ again.
I almost put coolant in the oil reservoir of the car I was working on.
A fuck up like that and I probably would have bailed, but I caught it just in time.
I crest the hill and see Austin standing by the picnic table, talking with Blake. Blake is, surprise, standing in front of the grill. The wonderful smell of chicken wafts up the hill and my stomach growls in response.
“If you have corn on the grill too, I just might have to marry you,” I call out to Blake in jest. Both twins turn to face me, Austin cracking a smile and Blake nodding his head in acknowledgement.
“Holy shit, you actually came,” Austin greets me as I approach, giving him a quick bro-hug.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m here,” I reply.
Blake sets the tongs down and greets me in the same fashion. “Better get down on one knee because I most definitely have corn on the grill.” I look over Blake’s shoulder and, sure as shit, he does.
“I don’t have a ring. Maybe next time.” I wink at Blake playfully and then take a quick inventory of the area.
It’s just Blake and Austin up here, and I’m curious where the girls are.
“Where’s—” I stop when I hear water sloshing in the creek.
I turn and am instantly stunned by the sight before me.
Picking my jaw up off the ground, I take in MJ walking out of the creek in a red bikini. Holy fuck, I’m in trouble.
Her wet skin glistens, already tanned from the time spent out here under the sun.
With every step she takes, her thighs ripple with power, and I wonder how it would feel to squeeze them.
Shaking that thought out of my head, I continue to scan up her body, taking in her soft stomach, the way she spills out of her bikini top, and then finally her gorgeous face.
She’s smiling from ear to ear as she pulls her hair over her shoulder and wrings out the water from it.
My eyes are likely the size of saucers, and Blake practically confirms it when I turn around and he nearly chokes from laughter.
“Fuck,” I whisper. Facing the grill, I take a moment to adjust myself in my swim trunks.
Fucking perfect. Blake throws his head back, laughing at my expense, and I shoot daggers at him with my eyes.
This is going to be a long night. I gotta get it together and quick.
Adjusted and confident she won’t see the evidence of my arousal, I turn to face MJ as she grabs a towel off the table and dries off.
“Mac, hey.” Her breathy greeting makes my cock twitch, and I try not to groan.
Her eyes scan my body slowly, and I swear they linger a little too long on my swim trunks.
MJ flicks her eyes up to mine and the briefest hint of a smirk graces her full pink lips.
Standing awkwardly for a beat, I break the silence. “I’m gonna go grab a drink.” Dropping my bag gently on the seat of the picnic table, I head toward the cooler and hear heavy footsteps following me.
“Dude,” Blake whispers. “You good? ”
“Fuck no!” I whisper-yell back.
“Come on, man, it’s just MJ. You’re old friends. Nothing has changed.”
“Bullshit,” I scoff.
“Okay, some things have changed. But it’s still MJ. She missed you, you missed her. Get your head out of your ass and go talk to her. Break the ice, something.”
Grabbing a soda out of the cooler, I nod and take a deep breath.
I can do this. We walk back to the picnic table, and I see MJ has already headed back into the water.
She always was quite the little fish when we were younger.
I go to sit at the table, but Austin clears his throat and gives me a pointed look.
“What?” I groan.
He looks down at the creek and then back at me. “Go talk to her. You see us almost every day. You’re not here for us. Go.” He whines like a petulant child. Fucking friends, man.
My T-shirt hits Austin square in the face and he laughs. I head down to the water where MJ is floating on her back. No sign of Shannon; she’s likely tending bar at Hal’s like the little workaholic she is.
MJ must hear the water splash as I wade in, because she sits up and pops her eyes open. Her hazel-green eyes are almost haunting and full of surprise as she locks in on me. Thankful for the water covering most of her body, I will myself not to pop another woody out here in the water.
Go talk to her, they said. Yeah, it’s not that easy. But I have to try.
“Mind if I join you?” I ask. She shakes her head, and I dip under, enjoying the cool water that sends a chill of familiarity down my spine.
I haven’t been out to the creek in quite a while.
Even though it technically runs through my backyard too, it’s much harder to get to from my house.
Plus, it always felt weird to come down here without MJ.
The smooth trickle of the creek lulls us into silence. I’m waiting on bated breath for her to say something, anything. But she kicks her feet back up and leans back into a float. Well, this is going swimmingly.