Maisie

Holly was sitting in the largest Hotel suite she’d ever been in. The room they were in had a bar and a really nice sound system. The decor had a retro flavor, softly striped wallpaper giving a slight speakeasy vibe. It was more a space to host a private party than a room. She’d never been any place like it.

“You want something to drink?” Maisie asked her.

Holly shook her head, looked to Maisie’s fiancé standing behind the bar, he was mixing a drink and smiling at her with the same friendly smile he always had for her. He gestured to second the question.

“No, I don’t want anything.” Holly didn’t know if it was the thoughts in her head she was afraid might come out tonight or being scared to get any closer to Maisie’s man than she already was, but either way, she wasn’t going to drink tonight.

“You sure, he makes a killer Manhattan.”

Holly looked back to see him finish stirring Maisie’s drink before straining it into a very stylish gold-rimmed coupe glass. He brought it to Maisie then signed to Holly an offer to make her a drink.

“Really, thanks, I’m good.”

“Alright, then.” Maisie started. “If you don’t need a drink to get it out, then let’s get to it, how bad is the curse?”

“Just like that?” Holly asked.

“Yeah, I don’t see any reason to wait.” Maisie answered.

There were times Holly hated her sister. Times when she was really snotty or when Holly would see how she treated the long-time nerdy friend that was now her smoking hot fiancé.

“You know, Maisie, sometimes. . .”

“Can we skip that part of the conversation, Holls? I really want to know how you are doing.”

“Fuck you Em.” Holly replied, not really meaning it.

“I’m serious.” Maisie continued. “I heard from Dad, he’s really worried about you.”

The mention of their father broke any hope Holly had of getting through this without crying. Holly didn’t know if that was an intentional move by Maisie or not, but damn if it didn’t work.

“God, Maisie.” Holly sat on the couch and put her face in her hands. “I can’t even think about him now, I can’t even picture Dad without. . .”

“I’m sorry.” Maisie sounded sincere.

“It’s really hard. After the club it’s just so hard to trust someone, anyone, to just be a guy that will put on a damn condom, fuck me and leave.” Holly laughed, a sad, desperate laugh. “I mean, you’d think that would be a low enough bar to clear.”

Maisie sat down next to Holly and tried to put her arm around her sister. Holly flinched away.

“I’m sorry, Maisie.” Holly said, “I just. . .”

“I understand.” Maisie replied and stood back up, gave her the space she needed.

“You okay to tell me about Laney?” Maisie asked.

Holly told her everything. All the things she was doing to beat the curse. Stuff Maisie hadn’t heard from her, just second hand from their mom. Holly told her about the few really decent guys she’d been with, how it was worse than the fuckboys. She told her about fucking Jacob, her former co-worker at the bar the night Maisie asked her to be her maid-of-honor. How that ruined her work life. Told her about Dave Marino, who Holly still couldn’t think about without a part of her wanting to go back to him. Told Maisie about that, about the curse, or maybe some sick part of herself wanting to go back and tell Dave Marino, the serial cheater and narcissistic asshole, about her curse, just so she could get off like that again. She told her about the club. Sitting in a ridiculous hotel suite ugly crying, talking about how desperate she was for something to eat that night at the club, how she was willing to debase herself for chicken wings or some fries. How that wasn’t enough. That wasn’t low enough. The curse wouldn’t accept her being that low, it pushed her farther.

She told her about the next day, with their father. The moment that likely ruined her relationship with her dad for the rest of her life. The curse had her pining for Dave Marino, but her dad was worse. She had dreams about him. Her own father. It was sick, and all because he dared to hold her and try to comfort her like he always had.

She talked about the wedding, three days away. Holly had been doing her best to keep the curse under control, but they had a bachelorette party tomorrow night, the rehearsal dinner the night after that and then the wedding. Holly didn’t know how she was going to find guys to fuck that wouldn’t cause an issue for Maisie.

Maisie gave her space, just listened. But when Holly finished she called some local bar to order some food for them and sent her fiancé out to get it.

“The wedding doesn’t have to be that difficult, Holly.” Maisie said as soon as her man had left the room.

“Easy for you to say.”

“You know there’s a man coming back to this room, Holly.”

She just looks at Maisie, confused.

“It would just be for what, a few days? Just to get you through.”

“You can’t seriously be suggesting what I think you are suggesting.”

“I’m suggesting you could have sex with my fiancé.”

“That’s insane Maisie, I’m not fucking your guy.” Holly couldn't believe Maisie would even suggest it.

“Why not? The two of you seem really good together.”

“Is this about the bench, about him holding me? Maisie there was nothing more to that, I was having a rough moment and he helped me.”

“Then why not let him help you more.”

“What the fuck, Maisie?" Holly asked, Maisie was trying too hard, there was more to this. "What are you trying to do here?”

“It’s a simple solution. You need sex, and you deserve someone you feel safe with.”

“Your fiancé?”

“You clearly feel safe with him, and you two have really hit it off.”

“Oh my God, Maisie, you are reading way too much into this. I’m not trying to fuck your man.”

“I believe you Holly, but you should.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“Tell me it isn’t a good solution.”

“It’s a terrible idea, Maisie. He’s going to marry you in three days. Wait, is this some kind of loyalty test?”

“No. I’m not testing you or him, I’m being serious.” Her face backed up her statement. Holly was beginning to think Maisie really was being genuine with this ridiculous offer. It didn't make sense.

“Maisie, what’s really going on here?”

“What? You two are good together, and you said yourself you could really use someone you feel safe with.”

“You can’t seriously be suggesting I sleep with your fiancé.”

“It would be at max what, three times? It’s not like you would be stealing him from me, and it would get you through the wedding.”

“You don’t share Maisie.”

“You’re my sister.”

“You really don’t share with me, it’s been a thing our entire lives. Now you are about to marry your dream guy and you want to share him? That’s bullshit, and you know it. So what is really going on.”

Maisie’s face twisted slightly. Her scheme wasn’t working, whatever it was, and she was regrouping.

“I’m offering you something you say you want, something you need Holly. I can see how hard you’ve had it, let us help you.”

“Bullshit.”

“What?”

“That whole spiel was bullshit and you know it.”

“Holly, I’m serious.”

“No you aren’t. You are still lying to me. I know you too well to fall for it Maisie.”

Maisie stood up, started pacing.

“Stop the charade, Maisie, and tell me the truth. Why are you trying to sabotage your wedding.”

Maisie started crying, she quickly stopped her pacing, choked back her tears. She straightened herself, stepped in front of the couch Holly was sitting on, looked right past Holly, avoiding eye contact.

“I don’t deserve him.”

“Excuse me?”

“He’s been so good to me," Maisie said, a few tears escaping her eyes. "I tricked him and I’m lying to him about the curse. He smiles and does everything I ask of him and it's all a lie. He deserves better Holly, and you deserve better.”

“So what? You throw us together to make up for it?.”

Maisie nodded.

Holly was standing before she realized, and her hand was moving before she could stop it. As her palm struck her sister Holly realized how hot her face was, how angry she was.

“You took him, Maisie.” Holly shouted. “You picked him, you made him your master, and then you took away his voice. You chose this, Maisie. He didn’t choose this. I sure as hell didn’t choose this. You did. He's your problem. You don’t get to dump your problems on me and expect me to fix it all by fucking your man.”

Maisie stared at Holly, her face bright red where Holly struck her, her eyes wide in shock.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Holly continued. “but I’ve got enough going on in my own life. I don’t have the time nor the energy to deal with your fucked up relationship.”

Holly stormed out of the hotel room, down the stairs to a lower floor where she caught the elevator to the lobby, then walked out into the cool of the night.