The Sun Still Shines

AJ took a deep breath, her muscles bulging as she lifted the weights up one last time. Her breathing was more labored than she liked, the effort taking more of a toll that she’d have expected. As she struggled, a concerned face appeared in her field of vision.

“Need some help?” Rachel asked from above her.

AJ grunted and shook her head. Her too-long hair stuck to her face as she did, but she **** herself to finish the rep even as it obscured her vision. With a final push, she lifted the bar up over herself and let it settle on the rack with a heavy clang.

“Shit,” She breathed as she sat up. “I’m getting soft. Too much time in the office and not enough in the yard.”

“Doesn’t feel very soft to me,” Rachel said, poking her hard biceps with a grin. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re fitter than most women who come through my door.”

AJ felt a flush that was equal parts pride and arousal. Was Rachel flirting with her, or was her thirst playing tricks on her?

“Most women here, or back in the real world?” She asked, fumbling for a distraction.

“Both,” Rachel said at once. “Not like you got much competition here.”

AJ snorted.

“Yeeeeah. Jake does have a type.”

Rachel giggled. The sound brought a smile to AJ’s face. They were settling in, the lot of them; getting used to their changes, surroundings and their shared circumstance. Still, they weren’t ready to be themselves yet. That, she suspected, would take a bit more prodding. But they were gradually reverting to less shellshocked and destitute versions.

“You’re not wrong,” Rachel said, “but what I meant is that you’re actually the first ‘client’ I’ve had here.”

AJ looked back over her shoulder at the gym that unfurled around them. It was a gorgeous facility, utterly pristine and filled with any form of exercise machinery or weight training equipment the mind could conjure. It even had studio space for yoga, dance, and meditation. All with the fresh, new car smell of a building freshly opened.

“Kinda surprising,” She said. “This place rules.”

Rachel shrugged.

“I dunno, man. I’m just glad to have something to do.”

AJ opened her mouth to buck her up further when the loud clang of the big metal double doors drew her eyes to the entrance.

Julie walked in, a pair of cheap headphones tethering her to her phone. The tight yoga pants she wore splendidly accentuated the return of the volleyball player’s figure that her regression had returned to her.

Settle down, AJ….

“Hey!” Rachel waved, standing on her toes to be seen over the machinery. “Come on over!”

She didn’t. Instead, Julie gave the pair a cursory wave in return, and moved to an exercise bike without any further introduction. A moment later, she was pedaling away with her head down.

Rachel furrowed her brow, then took a step toward her. AJ stuck out her arm to stop her, and shook her head when their eyes met.

“Leave her be,” She said.

“AJ, I’m a trainer. How am I supposed to help anyone here if they don’t let me train them?”

“If she wants company she’ll ask for it,” AJ said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Give her some space. Woman’s been through a lot.”

Rachel nodded once, paused, then did so a little more firmly.

The sound of the door banging rang out again and, this time, Emily strolled through it. She was naked and radiant, just as she had been when AJ saw her last.

Rachel was quicker on the uptake than AJ, gasping as she rushed over to her friend.

“Oh shit,” AJ muttered, as understanding dawned.

“Oh my god! Are you okay?” Rachel said, embracing Emily.

Emily accepted the hug stiffly, nodding. Her eyes were puffy, and though she seemed reasonably composed now, it was clear she’d been crying recently.

“I’m fine,” She said in a tired voice. “Jake picked this as my permanent change on accident. Like the magic or whatever here was fucking with us. He’s currently beating himself up about it in his room.”

AJ frowned. That couldn’t be the whole truth; she’d seen him earlier. Though now that she thought about it, he had seemed troubled by something. She just hadn’t thought anything of it because of many reasons this game and its island were giving them to be troubled.

She watched Rachel, nervous for her reaction. But the girl only squeezed her friend’s shoulders.

“I believe you. I’m not mad at him,” She said. “I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine,” Emily said. “Embarrassed as all hell, but I wanted to check in with you.”

“Stay here for a bit, Em,” Rachel encouraged, her eyes darting toward the yoga studio. “We can hang out. Do something fun.”

“No, thank you,” Emily said, withdrawing. “I’m alright, really. I just wanna get back to my room. This was a mistake.”

AJ stepped up then, putting an arm around the girl. She didn’t know what “this” was, but she wanted to send an unequivocal message that sharing herself with was no mistake.

“Stay with your friend. It'll be good for you,” She said. “Me and Jake were just talking about this. You gotta be active. Spend time with your friends.”

She shrugged.

“I can fuck off if you want some privacy or whatever. But the only way we’re gonna get through this is together.”

Emily’s uncertain blue eyes darted between the two but, after a moment, they seemed to harden as she made a decision.

“Yeah. Okay,” She said. “I’ll do that. AJ, you should stay, too. It’s sweet of you to offer, but I wanna get to know you better.”

AJ smiled at the invitation and nodded. In truth, she was already making efforts to get to know everyone a little better. But she’d owed it to Emily specifically for a while now.

Looking up, she found Julie watching. She was pretending not to, but the furtive glances she made over her shoulder weren’t subtle, and AJ rather suspected her headphones were serving a more decorative than practical purpose at the moment. When their eyes met, she looked away quickly.

Rachel didn’t seem to notice, her attention fixated on Emily as it was.

“Let’s go do some yoga. It’s relaxing!” She said. “I can teach you some breathing techniques, too. Y’know, to calm you down and stuff when you get too freaked out or whatever.”

“Yeah. Okay,” Emily said, brightening. “I think I’d like th-“

They were interrupted by the slamming of the front door. All three of them turned to look at it, but it had already closed. Julie was nowhere to be seen.

“What is her problem?” Rachel asked, looking cross.

AJ laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t mind her,” She said. “Even by our fucked up standards, that woman’s going through a lot.”

*****

Through all her challenging years and difficult times, Julie had found one universal truth. There was no cure for a troubled mind like good, hard, distracting work.

That principle in mind, she’d volunteered for every shift at every job the hotel had listed, the more strenuous the better. She scoured dishes in the kitchen, cleaned and tidied rooms alongside Amelia and cooked and served food to the other guests ahead of mealtimes. If a job needed doing, Julie volunteered.

It all served to keep her hands busy and her conscience still.

But even working, there was downtime. Twelve guests alone didn’t constantly need to be fed and, as she stood in the kitchen trying vainly to open a package of ground beef, she felt her mind threatening to wander.

Julie tried prying a knife between the plastic slits of the clamshell, trying to lever it open where her fingers had failed.

She was making hand made spaghetti, or at least trying to; the go-to family meal that she alone had been able to prepare in her old household. Stacy was lazy, and never let a sauce develop like it should. Wayne tried to make it, but his mastery in the kitchen didn’t extend even as far as frozen pizza, and his sauce was always bland and flavorless.

Julie would have scarfed either of theirs down and asked for seconds, if it had meant she’d been able to do it with them.

And suddenly, her eyes were swimming. The knife slipped, nearly cutting her but leaving the clamshell unharmed.

“Fuck!” She cried, before throwing the knife across the room.

It bounced off the wall, clanging down into the prep sink. Her fury still on her, Julie swept the carton of beef off the counter to set it clattering to the floor; the proper way to handle it, apparently, as it popped open obediently as it settled.

Julie placed two hands on the metal counter to settle herself, taking deep, long breaths. She needed to make the noodles now. Flour and eggs. A well in the middle to begin mixing them together. After that, she just needed the pasta maker to squeeze the noodles through.

Given this task to focus on, she gradually relaxed. But no sooner did she begin working again then the red light above the serving counter indicated that a guest had entered.

Julie cursed. As much as she wanted something to do, she had no desire to see anyone. This was particularly true in the uniform they’d given her to waitress in; a pair of ass hugging, bright red hotpants, knee socks and a revealing white halter top.

She let out a sigh as she left her congealing eggs and flour to investigate.

She found the Farras seated at one of the tables. They (or she, Julie supposed. The situation was still hard for her to wrap her head around) wore matching pencil skirts with stylish, yet conservative purple blouses with tasteful sequins; professors’ clothes incongruous with her barely-post-graduate bodies. One Farra took inventory of the menu while the other read a book titled The Dawn of Everything. The only thing telling them apart was their hair, which one wore tied in an over-shoulder ponytail, and the other loose and styled into waves that fell to her rear, and a pair of reading glasses perched on the nose of the latter.

“Hello, roomie!” This Farra said, turning up to her.

Her amber eyes stared up at her over the rims of her glasses. Somehow, it made her even prettier; an accentuation of the sharp wits that lay beneath her comely face.

“Good afternoon,” Julie greeted. “Is there anything I can get you?”

“How big would you say the plates are?” The Farra holding the menu asked.

“I couldn’t eat one of them by myself,” Julie said. “It’s two meals, basically.”

“Perfect,” she said, snapping the menu closed. “I’d like the Bucatini Amatrician.”

As she annunciated her order, her Middle Eastern accent vanished into perfect Italian. Not for the first time, Julie found herself wondering about this woman she shared a hotel suite with; how far she’d traveled and how deep her experience ran.

“Have you eaten?” The Farra with the book asked. “I wouldn’t mind a bit of company.”

Julie opened her mouth to protest, but the rumbling in her stomach betrayed her. She didn’t know if Farra could hear it, though the arching of her thin dark eyebrow indicated she might have.

“Uh. Yeah. Sure. I could eat,” She said, a bit more stiffly than intended.

Farras’ smiles lit up both her faces.

“Good!” One of them said. “I’d love some company!”

A short time later, she delivered two plates of red-sauced pasta to the table, one for the Farras to share, and one smaller serving for herself, along with a bottle of wine and a glass for each of them. She took a seat, not unaware of the glance at her ass that one of them took.

For propriety’s sake, she ignored it.

“So… what’s up?” She began awkwardly.

“Oh, catching up on some reading for work,” Farra said, tapping the book.

Her other self began to eat, attacking the plate in polite, modest forkfuls while the other addressed Julie.

“How are you doing?”

It was the question she’d dreaded. The point of all this was to avoid any close examination of her feelings. By herself and certainly by all of these strangers.

“I’m fine,” She said. “Working a lot.”

Farra nodded.

“That you have,” She said. “I got a peek at your schedule this morning. Are you keeping it loaded, or our new television masters?”

Julie had a feeling she knew where this was going. She fought her reaction down like a stiff shot.

“I am,” She said, simply. “Busy is better than idle.”

She hoped it would put an end to the matter, but Farra nodded, missing the hint.

“I suspected as much,” She said. “I remember when my life fell to pieces. Even as young as I was, I took every job the world made available to me.”

Julie’s patience finally snapped.

“The hell do you know about it?” She asked. “I’m leaving my whole life behind to become somebody’s fuck toy right now. Aren’t you and your husband rich or whatever?”

“Incredibly,” Farra said without batting an eye. “Moreso than I ever thought possible when I left my entire world behind at only 13.”

She held up her finger.

“Hold that thought.”

Her double slid the plate to her, now half empty, and the loose haired one she’d been speaking to began to eat as the other picked up her story.

“Those who haven’t lived through a real revolution, the genuine type that upends all of society, tend to romanticize them. But we were on the upper crust of ours when things turned upside down,” The other said, picking up the story. “My mother and father supported it at the time. They were wealthy and modern and chafed at the Shah. But when we understood where the wind was blowing, we left everything we had in our home and fled in the middle of the night. We even left dirty dishes and food on the table; like we’d been called out in a hurry instead of fleeing on impulse.”

Julie absorbed that.

“What was that like?” She asked, curious in spite of her previous irritation.

“Better than it was for most,” Farra admitted. “We were wealthy, and had ties to the west. We had options unavailable to many.”

Farra shook her head.

“Today, I’m glad my parents did what they did,” She said. “I’d have no hope of being the woman I am today in the regime that took over. But as a teenaged girl with friends, a school, a life and a beloved older sister back in the old country, leaving everything behind with nobody but Mom and Dad at my side? It was hard….”

Farra slipped a hand across the table.

“I know what it is like to leave everything behind, friend,” She said. “And a lot else about what you’ve been through beyond that.”

Julie jerked her hand back, the sudden turn of the conversation bringing back what she’d meant to avoid.

“Like what?” she snapped.

Farra shrugged, still nonplussed.

“Raising a child who means everything to you, even though they drive you crazy, for a start,” She said.

Julie groped for something clever, but came up empty.

“I guess,” She admitted out loud, “Are you doing okay? With your son and all? I can’t imagine.”

Farra gave her a weak smile.

“For what it’s worth, I barely can either.”

She gave a shrug.

“Ryan texted me that he… she…” She shook her head, as if it would help her focus her thoughts. “Ryan told me she was getting a makeover with that roommate of hers. That was two days ago. I haven’t seen her, or what she’s decided since.”

She barked a wry laugh.

“I don’t even know what type of daughter I have anymore.”

"I guess I can understand that. I didn't know what type of daughter I had, either."

Not after she fell weeping into my arms when I saw her, anyway. She thought, though she kept that much to herself.

“Why are you telling me all this?” She asked, cautiously.

“Because we’re the only two mothers,” Farra said with a sigh. “You’re not the only loving parent who needs some support around here.”

The door opened then, and Loretta stepped through.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said in her pretty Southern drawl. “I got lost. There’s ten restaurants on this damned Island and I couldn’t remember which one you said you wanted to meet at.”

“So you put this all together, you two?” Julie asked, bitterly.

Why were they all so worried about her? Like she were some porcelain doll that had cracked beyond repair, ready to splinter at any moment.

“Talked about coming to see you, more like,” Loretta said. “Me and Farra got to talkin’ this morning. The three of us got more in common with each other than anyone else here.”

“Like our children,” Farra added. “I also know what it’s like marry a man out of expedience and to fall in love with him anyway.”

“And we’ve all had husbands we had to walk away from because of this damn game,” Loretta said.

“You at least wanted to,” Julie said, though her resolve not to talk to these women was already softening.

Loretta shook her head as she took a seat next to the other two (three?)

“I wanted to leave the man Hunter became,” She said. “I still grieve for the man I married.”

Julie nodded, chewing that over. She remembered Wayne the night they married. Tall, barrel-chested and handsome; warm and supportive even though her pregnancy had made her a sick, cranky asshole.

“I get that,” She said.

Julie shook her head.

“But why are you guys doing all this? I don’t mean to sound like I don’t appreciate it, but I don’t know either of you from Adam.”

“Because you’re not alone,” Farra said softly. “Even if it feels like it, you don’t have to be.”

Loretta giggled.

“’Sides. Us old wives gotta stick together,” She said. “Too many kids runnin’ around.”

Julie scoffed.

“That’s kinda wild, isn’t it?” She said. “Even the ones who are a few years younger than me feel like they’re not.”

“We grew up fast,” Loretta said, pointing to the glass next to braided Farra. “You gonna use that?”

Farra’s double shook her head.

“I only like to let one of myself get drunk at a time.”

Julie cocked her head, suddenly curious.

“How does that feel?”

“Being drunk and sober at the same time?” Farra asked, then shrugged. “Kind of like reading and holding a conversation at the same time. Or eating while I’m jogging. It’s disorienting at first, but exciting as you get used to it.”

“Sounds kinda nice to me,” Loretta said. “You really can be in two places at once.”

Farra gave them a sly smile.

“It has its uses,” She admitted. “Especially in a place like this.”

Loretta leaned into Julie conspiratorially.

“Farra wants us to think she’s a mastermind,” She said.

“It sounds as though I’m in danger of blowing my cover,” Farra said, motioning to Julie’s glass. “Start drinking before I completely soil my reputation.”

Before she could argue, Loretta was filling it up.

“To growing up fast,” She said, lifting her own.

Julie was smiling in spite of herself. Only later would she remember it as the first time her family hadn’t troubled her.

“To managing the kids,” She added.

“To new friends,” Farra finished.

Their glasses clinked together, and each took a long swallow. Julie, hardly a teetotaler, grimaced as it burned its way down her throat. It was strong, whatever it was, and left her coughing.

“Careful,” Farra cautioned, giving her a gentle, ladylike pat on the back. “That’s a port wine. Probably a deal stronger than what you’re used to.”

They sat together through lunch and on into the evening. When the wine was done, she cleared the table and brought back a pitcher of beer.

“I should probably stop,” Julie said, interrupting a conversation about their husbands. “I’m signed up for the dinner shift, too.”

Loretta scoffed, then crossed the room.

“There’s 5 other restaurants on the island. And room service.” she said, turning the deadbolt and switching the sign from Open to Closed. “The other girls can take care of themselves for the night.”

“I agree,” Farra said. “You must be sitting on a mountain of points by now anyway.”

Julie shrugged.

“I don’t know, honestly. The work’s been more about keeping myself busy.”

“You’re busy now,” Farra said with a wink. “Getting to know new people.”

Her double had left by then, headed back to their room in case Ryan decided to come visit.

“You were saying about George,” Loretta said, letting Farra continue with her story.

Her tanned cheeks were flushed as she did.

“Oh, just that he was a store manager when I met him,” She said. “Only 17 and already managing. I knew he’d be something special, so I sort of attached myself to him as he rose.”

Farra spread her hands.

“Now he owns a major grocery chain that paid for my life as an intellectual.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Julie said, her own head a little fuzzy as she raised her hand. “What do you mean ‘attached yourself’ to him? That’s a cheap answer if I ever heard one.”

“Oh, you know. A randy young boy from a smaller city,” She said. “He was curious about me and I… indulged his curiosity. It didn’t hurt that I was filling out by then.”

“You make it sound like a calculation,” Loretta said. “Surely there was something there.”

“Of course there was!” Farra said, sounding almost offended. “I admired him. His work ethic. His intelligence. George wasn’t just a provider. He was a partner. Someone I could match wits with.”

She shook her head.

“How about you, Julie? You know all about George and Hunter. Tell us about Wayne.”

“If you’re comfortable with it,” Loretta said, placing a supportive hand on her thigh beneath the table.

“No...” Julie said, shaking her head. “If it’s all the same, I’d rather think about anything else right now.”

“My apologies,” Farra said. “I didn’t mean to rub salt in any fresh wounds.”

“It’s fine,” Julie said.

A thought crossed her mind. It wasn’t a very polite one, but given the situation they were in, a little forwardness seemed called for.

“You were talking about… you know, eating and jogging and reading and talking and stuff,” She said.

“With my two bodies, yes.” Farra said.

“Have you…y’know?” Julie asked.

The woman cocked her head.

“I’m afraid I don’t,” She said.

“I think she means to ask if you’ve gotten intimate with yourself yet,” Loretta said, speaking the thought for her. “Don’t know about y’all, but it’s one of the first things I woulda done.”

Farra cocked an eyebrow.

“I’ve been intimate with myself since I was a girl,” She said.

“Oh, stop beating around the bush,” Loretta pushed. “You know what she means.”

“I’m sorry. It’s the wine,” Julie said, flustered. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Oh, you’re fine. We’re all adults here.” Farra said, rolling her eyes. “No, to answer your question. I haven’t. In fact, I’ve been spending more and more time with my bodies in separate places since I made it so easy on myself.”

“Is that because of the curse they put on you?” Julie asked. “The… y’know… thing at the end of this round.”

“Making me lust after myself? No. It’s plenty distracting, but that’s not why,” Farra said with a shrug. “I’m just a driven woman. Maximizing my time is important to me.”

Julie nodded, though she suspected Farra wasn’t being entirely honest with her. Loretta moved to fill her glass again, but Julie waved her off.

“I’ve gotta cut myself off here, sorry,” She said.

“Oh for goodness’ sake,” Farra said. “We’ve already established that you’re not working tonight.”

“It’s not that! It’s my night with Jake,” Julie protested. “Besides, I’ve got a shift sailing a boat between the hotel and the village tomorrow.”

“Do they teach people how to sail in Indiana?” Loretta asked.

“Not really, but I seem to know whatever I need to for the jobs I’m doing,” Julie said. “Doesn’t mean I wanna try it for the first time with a hangover.”

“Fair enough. That’s kinda perfect, though,” Loretta said. “Farra and I were gonna go shopping out that way tomorrow. Reckon we could take a boat just as easy as the train, if you don’t mind the company.”

She didn’t, but she also wasn’t ready to say as much.

“Depends… I don’t suppose either of you know much about Jake that might help me pass the time with him, do you?”

“Fraid not,” Loretta said. “Tell you the truth, I don’t remember him a bit. And it’s been a whole mess of years even since I did. He’s as much a stranger to me as he is you.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Julie said.

But Farra was smirking.

“The boy’s been a regular guest in my house since he was in diapers,” She said. “I know him quite well.”

“Any advice?” Julie asked, feeling a flutter of excitement.

Farra thought it over.

“Take it slow with him,” She said. “I don’t think he’s quite ready to take the plunge when it comes to sleeping around. If you push him too hard about being intimate, you might scare him off.”

“I see…” Julie said, a little disappointed.

She was in no great hurry to sleep around herself, but she was perfectly aware of the advantage it represented if she were able to win him over.

Still, advice was advice.

“What are you two going to the village for?” She asked, changing the subject.

“I want to go clothes shopping,” Farra said. “I’ve enlisted Loretta’s impeccable eye for fashion in constructing a wardrobe more suitable for my newfound youth.”

Loretta made a show of tossing her hair, as though flattered.

“I just wanna take a peek around,” She said. “We’re gonna be here for a while. Figure we might as well learn what’s what.”

Julie cocked her head.

“Your accent’s gotten deeper,” she mused.

“Yeah. Since I redid my history and all that,” Loretta agreed. “I downright sound like I belong in rural Carolina.”

“How are you feeling about all that?” Julie asked. “You had a family you walked away from, too.”

Despite the bubbly demeanor she’d been given, Loretta’s smile was strained.

“Let’s leave that subject be for now,” She said. “You’re not the only one who's going through a lot in that regard.”

Julie yawned, then stretched.

“I guess I should probably get changed and ready,” She said. “Sorry if I pried or whatever.”

“Don’t be,” Loretta said, the cheer returning to her voice. “You’re just being friendly. It’s kinda what we were hoping for when we came here, far as that goes.”

“Thanks, guys,” Julie said. “It felt good to… feel good again.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Farra said. “AJ’s been preaching about sticking together, and I think she’s right.”

“It sure is,” Loretta said. “I uh… haven’t had a lotta friends since me and Hunter got to DC. A lot of associates, maybe, but I’ve been a bit too busy playing the Good Wife to do much friend making.”

“And I’ve been a bit too busy taking care of the house too,” Julie agreed. “I dunno if we can quite call each other friends yet. But… well, I hope we get there.”

She sighed.

“I’ll admit… I missed this. I love my family, but I missed just being with girls, y’know?”

“Absolutely,” Farra agreed. “And hey… let’s not get too maudlin here. We’ll be seeing each other tomorrow, no?”

Julie nodded enthusiastically.

“Please, come on by. Rowing or sailing all the way out to the village isn’t gonna be much fun unless I have some folks to do it with,” She said. “I’d be happy to.”

“Sounds like a date then,” Loretta said, “Julie, I know you gotta go see Jake tonight. You got any plans Farra?”

“None, really,” She said. “Though I warn you, I may require some emotional support if my son-turned-daughter shows up as half a different person.”

“I’m up for that,” Loretta said. “Though if I can be selfish for a moment, I kinda hope it doesn’t come to that. I’d like to hang out without the drama tonight.”

Farra frowned.

“Insomuch as I’ve enjoyed your company today, I want to know how she’s doing.”

A semi-uncomfortable silence fell over the three then. Julie decided to break it.

“Thanks again, guys. I think I’ve been trying to tackle…everything, all by myself. And it’s not good for me,” She said. She was able to keep her voice from cracking, but only just. “I don’t think I knew how badly I needed this.”

“I didn’t either, til’ AJ dragged us all out for that damn drinking game,” Loretta said.

“Now there is a one-in-a-million woman,” Farra mused. “And she doesn’t even realize it.”

“I’ll make some time for her, too. For all of you,” Julie said. “But you two really are the most like me, for lack of a better way to put it, I guess.”

She stretched.

“I have to get rolling, though,” She said. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. The wine and beer and shit is in the back, so feel free to take as much as you like.”

“I guess that makes sense. It’s all free anyway,” Loretta said. “Guess’n it just feels a bit weird to take whatever I want from a restaurant.”

Julie smiled, genuinely, for the first time since the fateful parent-teacher conference.

“Well, I will let your inner Jiminy Crickets guide you on that. But I wouldn’t lose a whole lotta sleep over taking some wine from the folks who kidnapped us and locked us on Fuck Island.”

Farra laughed at that, the sound rhythmic and musical.

“I think I can live with myself with a drink or two,” She said, turning to Loretta. “How about you, gorgeous? Think you can morally countenance a little petty theft?”

“Mazel Tov, baby,” She said, lifting her glass.

The two clinked, and Julie left with a smile. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy.

*****

Jake fussed with his hair, parting it back and then again against his sides. Examining it, he frowned. He looked like a banker; which he supposed he technically was, despite his affectations to the contrary. Annoyed, he mussed it up, then began to tame it with his fingers again. This time he left it in well groomed, though still boyishly messy waves.

Boyish, he thought, then shuddered. Not exactly the image he wanted to project to his former babysitter.

Why was he doing this? He didn’t intend to sleep with Julie. He just wanted to look good in front of someone he’d once had such a crush on.

In truth, he didn’t really know what he intended to do with her. He hadn’t seen her since he was 10 and she was 16. She’d raised a whole family since then, and he wasn’t exactly a little boy anymore. What on earth did they still have in common?

He sighed and shook his head. Whatever else, this display of vanity was getting him nowhere.

Suddenly, a blaring synthetic bell cracked the air, heralding the coming of the elevator. Jake cursed under his breath, and shook out his hair into something that resembled its normal form before exiting the bathroom to greet his guest.

Julie looked pretty as she stepped into his suite. Her hair, a true spun gold blonde, fell about her chest in an over-shoulder ponytail. It revealed her slender neck and pretty, yet approachable face. That her fit, youthened body was clad in plain (though tight fitting) jeans and an old t-shirt only enhanced her beauty, reminding him of the girl-next-door responsible for his first crush.

“Uh…hi,” She said, shifting the duffel bag on her shoulder.

Goddammit, Jake, He chided himself. You’re gawking at her.

He steadied himself, stepping aside to let her in.

“Come on in. Make yourself at home,” He said.

She did, tossing her duffel bag on one of the couches.

“Nice place,” She said, plucking a food delivery sack from the dining area table.

She began to make a walk through it, idly picking up spare bottles and napkins to toss them in her makeshift trash bag.

“Uh, yeah. It’s really nice,” He agreed feebly. “I’m…sorry about the mess.”

She looked up at him, amusement in her cool green eyes.

“Are you nervous?” She asked.

“A little,” Jake admitted, rubbing the nape of his neck.

Her slight grin turned into a slightly warmer one, though it didn’t quite evolve fully into a smile.

“Me too,” She said. “Tell you the truth, I haven’t been alone with a strange man in a little over a decade.”

He’d been so caught up in his own feelings that he hadn’t even considered hers. But he could see it now. Her posture was tense, and there was a blush in her cheeks that, while comely, clearly betrayed that she was a few drinks into the night.

“I guess that makes sense,” He said, her evident unease oddly soothing some of his. “You wanna come see the view?”

It took her breath away, as it had all of the others, but after an appropriate number of stiff “Oohs” and “Ahs”, they fell back into an uncomfortable silence. Their awkward tension was so tangible that there was nearly a wall between them.

“So what have you been up to?” He asked finally.

Julie looked over at him skeptically.

“Same thing we’re all up to. Kidnapped and Shanghai’ed into this awful fucking show.”

Jake felt that phrase was a little problematic, but didn’t go through the trouble of correcting her on it. His embarrassment must have shown, because she seemed to soften a bit.

“I’m sorry,” Julie said. “I’m a little rough around the edges, I guess. What did you mean?”

“Uhm…just that…well…” He stammered. “It seemed like you’d, y’know had some wine or something before you came over.”

Her expression brightened at that.

“Oh! I was with Farra and Loretta. They came by to hang with me while I was on shift at the Italian place,” She said. “They’re really nice. I think maybe I’ve made a friend or two in them.”

“That’s awesome!” Jake said, “I guess you three do have quite a bit in common.”

“Yeah. All married. Me and Farra have kids,” She agreed. “It felt nice to spend some time with folks who’ve shared some life experience, y’know?”

Jake nodded, but thought an implied “Unlike you” had been left hanging in the air. And on that decidedly unhelpful reflection, the two descended back into awkward quiet.

“I’m sorry,” He said, shaking his head.

The look Julie gave him was quizzical.

“What for?”

Jake struggled to articulate his thought for a moment.

“Just…this,” He answered, waving a hand. “How uncomfortable it all is.”

“Don’t be,” She said, reaching out across the deck table to place a sisterly hand on his shoulder. “It’s a pretty uncomfortable situation. Don’t beat yourself up.”

He nodded, but wasn’t appeased.

“I just wish there was something we could do. I don’t even know what you like.”

Julie snorted a laugh at that.

“Well, that makes two of us,” She said. “I think I need to re-learn, myself.”

Abruptly, she turned in her deck chair, her lithe body contorting.

“You know, there is one thing I’d really love to do. Now that I can again.”

Jake sat up a little straighter.

“Oh yeah?” He asked, encouraged.

She was looking almost excited now.

“Let me get changed, then I’ll show you!” She said, hopping up out of the chair.

*****

Jake dove for the ball, but the sand beneath his feet shifted, and a leg went out from under him. His hands were still cupped as he collapsed awkwardly on his side, prepared to punch back a ball that landed well out of reach.

He lifted himself from the sand with a groan.

“Awww…you okay?” Julie called from the other side of the net.

Despite her concern, he could tell she was barely holding back laughter.

“I’m perfectly fine,” Jake said, standing up and shaking sand off his body. “My pride, is not.”

Now she did laugh. If she’d been pretty before, here in the glowing sun, with her toned thighs and tight tummy gleaming with sweat on display in the bikini bottoms and sports bra she wore, she looked positively radiant.

The sweetest part was her smile, finally showing itself now that she was doing something she loved. It melted away any traces of the sour older woman she’d grown into, leaving her so girlish that her plump older self that entered the game seemed like a distant memory.

“You’ll walk that off,” She said with a coy grin. “You ready to give up and go home yet?”

Jake was more than ready, but he could tell how much fun she was having.

“And just hand a win to you?” He said, taking a deep breath. “Nah, man. Like Washington said, I have not yet begun to fight!”

Julie cocked her head.

“Y’know, I may not have one of those fancy college degrees, but I’m pretty sure that wasn’t Washington.”

He shook his head.

“Well, that’s embarrassing.”

At this, Julie actually giggled.

“Aww…there’s no reason to get all self-conscious about that,” She said, “The way you’re playing is more than enough reason to feel humiliated.”

“Ah, tough talk,” Jake said, grinning like an idiot in spite of himself. “But you just wait for the comeback.”

He beckoned her with a gesture.

“Bring it on, JuJu,” Jake said, evoking Megan’s childhood nickname for her.

“Oh, that does it,” She said, lobbing the ball up.

She jumped up after it, and for a split second, he was too distracted by her perky, bouncing breasts to pay any heed to where the ball was headed.

He never stood a chance.

Later, as the sun set over the beach, the two sat together, sharing ice cold beer from a cooler. Side by side, though not quite touching, they watched the waves crest and crash, the ocean turned a deep purple by the encroaching twilight.

“This is great,” Julie said with a contented sigh.

“Yeah,” Jake agreed. “Credit where it’s due, this is a hell of a vacation destination.”

“You know what we need?” Julie said. “A nice bonfire. And some weed.”

Jake gave her a look.

“Who’d have thought you had that in you?” He said. “JuJu. Master criminal.”

He laughed as she punched his arm.

“You’d be surprised at what all I enjoy, Cooper,” She said. “I was a real wildcat back in my day.”

“Y’know,” He said after a moment, “I can hook you up on that request.”

Julie cocked an eyebrow.

“The weed, or the bonfire?”

“Well…both, probably,” He said. “But I meant the former. Emily left her pen in my room, if you don’t mind vaping the stuff.”

“Oh. My. God,” Julie said, rolling her eyes. “You kids and your vapes. Back in my day, we had to roll that shit up and smoke it the old fashioned way.”

That one stung a bit, but Jake tried to keep his response playful.

“You know, we’re really not that far apart. Agewise, I mean,” He said. “You gotta stop thinking of me as the kid you used to babysit.”

She turned to him, giving him a long look.

“I really don’t,” She said. “Honestly, it’s been so long since I’d even thought of you that you’re more of a total stranger.”

“Fair enough,” He said, relaxing.

It had been a stupid thing to get tweaked over, but Jake found the words reassuring in spite of that.

“I guess…it’s weird, right?” He said. “Since they changed you and all that, you’re like, exactly the girl I used to have a crush on. At least you look like her.”

The beer was making a bullrush from his empty stomach to his head, and he could tell his mouth was well outpacing his judgment.

“It’s a little…I dunno, nostalgic, I guess?” He said. “I know that sounds dumb, but when I was a kid, I had such a huge crush on you.”

He regretted saying it as soon as he had. He fell quiet, embarrassed, but when she finally spoke up, she seemed cheerful enough.

“Well go on,” She teased. “You don’t get out of buttering me up that easy.”

“I used to dream…well, you know…daydream about you being my girlfriend,” He said. “I really wanted you to be my first kiss.”

“Really? Not Farra?” Julie asked.

Jake shook his head. He was grateful for the oncoming dark. She wouldn’t be able to see how embarrassed he was.

“I…uh…no,” He said. “That was more…I guess I didn’t really have a grasp on it yet. I was starting to really be aware of girls by the time I started crushing on you.”

She lay a hand on his.

“Don’t be embarrassed. If it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t exactly being honest when I said I hadn’t thought of you since we’d babysat,” She said.

“Oh, yeah?” He asked.

Julie took a long swallow of beer before she answered.

“Me and Wayne visited Williamsburg back when Stacy was 7 or 8,” Julie said. “Seeing the folks and stuff for Christmas. I was out walking her when I saw you. I was like, ‘damn, he’s cute’. Then I saw you head into your house and it was like, ‘Holy shit, I just checked out Jake fucking Cooper.”

Jake chuckled.

“Maybe it’d be best if we just acted like all that old stuff didn’t exist,” He said. “Like you said, we’re whole different people now.”

At this, Julie let out a relieved sigh.

“Oh thank god,” She said. “That’s exactly what I was about to say.”

She stretched then, letting out a huge yawn.

“Getting tired?” He asked.

“A little,” She said. “I’ve been up since about 5:30 this morning making breakfast and stuff.”

“Well, we could head back to the room if you’re getting sleepy,” He said, starting to stand up.

But Julie grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“No…no. This is great,” She said. “I just wanna stay here a bit longer.”

“Okay. Glad to do it, then.” He said, settling down in the sand again.

This time, the silence that fell between them was companionable rather than awkward.

“I needed this,” Julie said quietly. “You have no idea how badly, either.”

Jake opened his mouth, but couldn’t think of what to say. Far from the teasing, flirty Julie she’d been a few minutes ago, the woman beside him now was sincere. ****.

“I’m glad I could help,” He tried. “But…what is it you needed?”

She seemed to puzzle over it for a moment.

“I don’t know,” She admitted after a moment. “To have fun again, I guess. To be young and carefree again.”

She was looking away from him now. He tried not to stare, watching as she drew her knees up to her chin from the corner of his eye.

“I can’t remember the last time I felt like that. Young. Fun,” She said. “After everything that’s happened, even before the game…”

However she intended to finish that thought, it disappeared into the air. Instinctively, he put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze, hoping to head off anything too heavy before she got there.

“I’m glad you had some fun,” He said. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Julie relaxed under his arm. When he looked down at her, their eyes met.

“Fuck it,” She whispered.

She slid her shapely legs beneath her and sat up straight.

“I may have missed the boat on being your first kiss,” She said. “But you earned this one anyway.”

She planted both lips on his, closing her eyes. Their mouths opened, and the kiss deepened. They shared it for what felt like a long time before she pulled back, grinning.

First Kiss! +1 VP

“Was it everything you’d hoped for?” She asked.

Jake may not have been ten anymore, but he felt like it in that moment anyway.

“I uh…yeah,” He said.

She giggled, putting her arms around his neck to kiss him again. This time, he let his hands explore her shapely, athletic body.

“I…I wanna take this a bit slow,” Jake lied, forcing himself away from her.

He said it less because he meant it, and more out of a sense of obligation. He knew he should say it, so he did, but he wanted her very badly in that moment.

Julie’s grin turned teasing.

“Easy there, tiger,” She said. “You’re being awful presumptuous for a boy who just got his ass kicked by me.”

He blushed, abashed.

“Uh, yeah…sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Julie said. “Farra warned me you might get up in your head about this.”

Her expression grew more serious.

“Tell you truth, I don’t think I’m ready yet either,” She said, but she pulled herself into his arms all the same. “But there’s no harm in making out for a bit, is there?”

“No,” Jake said, relaxing. “I guess not. Honestly, my fantasies didn’t get much further than that anyway.”

Second Base! +2 VP!

“Well there you go,” She said, giving him a peck on the cheeks. “You let me live out my fantasy, now I help you live out yours.”

Jake was puzzled.

“Your fantasy? What would that be?”

She kissed him again.

“We can run our mouths later,” She said. “Right now, I’ve got something else in mind for them.”

(This song was so musically inspired that I'm gonna steal directly from Dissonant on this one. Roll credit Song!)