Tragic Soul Read online

  “I might get a cheeseburger, too.” My eyes roamed that page.

  Chad almost choked on his water. “You what?”

  “Get a burger,” I reiterated.

  Paulie patted my arm. “You get what you want.”

  “You feel OK?” Chad stared at me as if I had three heads.

  I laughed. “What? I can’t have a cheeseburger once a year?”

  Chad shrugged. “You can. It’s just not like you.”

  Our server brought us our drinks and smiled. “Where’s that hot one with the crewcut who was here with you last time? I was hoping he was into older women.”

  We all stared at her for a few seconds before Paulie spoke up, “He passed away a few weeks ago.” His tone held sadness.

  Her hand went over her mouth. “I am so sorry. I had no idea.” She looked away a few seconds. “So young,” she muttered softly. “Should I give you a minute?”

  Chad cleared his throat. I could tell he was trying to hide his sorrow. “No. I think we all know what we want.”

  After we ordered, the four of us were silent again for a while. Paulie had his arm around my shoulders. I laid my head on his chest, needing to feel grounded. He kissed the top of my head and squeezed me. It was comforting.

  I looked across the table. Amy had Chad’s hand in both of hers. She was rubbing his skin, lovingly. I wondered how she felt about him. He told me they were quite casual. They were exclusive, but they had no true commitment. He liked her, but from what he said, she was more friend than girlfriend. She made him happy, so it was fine with me.

  By the time our food arrived, I had relaxed. Chad seemed to be better, as well. He reached over and stole one of my fries.

  “Hey!” I frowned at him.

  Chad smirked. “Tastes better from your plate.” He grabbed another and pointed it at me. “You won’t eat them all, anyway.”

  I shook my head. “Fry thief.” He was right though. I rarely finished anything bigger than a salad.

  “I call the other half of her burger!” Chad shouted, laughing.

  Paulie joined the laughter. “Wow. You know her well. I get her fries.” He swiped one of mine, too.

  I looked to Amy, my eyes pleading. “Think I’ll get any?”

  “Eat fast.” She giggled as both Chad and Paulie took another fry. Chad hadn’t set his eyes on her omelet.

  I covered my plate with my hands. “You can have my leftovers. I’m hungry.” I shot them both a glare.

  As soon as they started in on their burgers, I tried to take a bite of mine. It was huge. I managed to get a small bit into my mouth. They were almost shoveling theirs in. I tried again, then gave up. Picking up the knife, I cut it in half, then I cut one half a few more times. That was more manageable.

  “Mine!” Chad cried out like a kid as he snatched the second half of my cheeseburger from my plate. He took a bite, and then set it next to the rest of his food.

  I had to laugh. “You’ll never grow up.”

  “Nope,” Chad replied, with his mouth full.

  When everyone else had finished their food, I still had most of the fries and part of my burger left. Admitting I was full was inevitable. I glanced around the table. Paulie, Chad, and Amy were talking about doing something else, since no one was tired.

  I pushed the plate away. “OK. I give. It’s yours.” In seconds, my leftovers were gone.

  Soon, we all piled into Paulie’s car and headed toward home. At a red light, Paulie said, “Why don’t we go to the park? We could swing, run around. It’d be fun.”

  “Yeah.” Chad patted the driver’s seat. “I need to get this energy out.”

  I turned to him. “You OK?”

  He nodded. “Just been a long few weeks.” He gave me a half-smile, but I knew what he meant. Losing Nick was difficult.

  Amy leaned closer to him. “We could go to your place and—”

  He put a finger over her lips. “I’m sorry. I’m not ready. Soon.”

  My cheeks heated up when I got his meaning. I turned back around and stared out the windshield. They were obviously talking about sex. At least, it was obvious to me. I tried to erase the thought of him making love to her from my head, but the image kept returning. Paulie suddenly rubbed my thigh.

  I turned to him. “You hyped up, too?”

  “Kinda.” Paulie smiled. “Hope you won’t turn me down tonight, too.” He clearly heard the conversation behind us as well. “I’d love to work out my energy on you.” He had become less squeamish about my cycle over the last few months.

  I swatted his arm. “Shut up!”

  “They’re not listening.”

  I chanced a look back and saw Chad and Amy making out. “Guess not.”

  Once at the park, we took a walk around. Thousands of square feet of grass and trees surrounded the playground on all sides. There were concrete paths that wove through the area. When Chad and I were kids, we rode our bikes up and down the hills, scaring people who were walking or running the trails. That was the best park for hide-and-seek as well. Our parents took us there a few times a month. Memories flooded my mind as both couples strolled hand in hand.

  We eventually reached the swing set. It was fun. I pumped my legs hard, trying to get higher. Then my skirt blew up, and I slowed down. No one seemed to notice. After it had gone up again, I stopped and stood.

  “What’s wrong?” Paulie halted his swing and came to me. “Tired?”

  I smiled and shook my head. “No. It’s just, this skirt is kinda flare-y.”

  “Ah.” His eyes raked over my body. “Wish I’d caught that.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. “Love getting a glimpse of those sexy-ass panties of yours.” He sighed and looked over my head. “Hey, Chad. Wanna play some ball? I got mine in the trunk.”

  They had started playing basketball together months ago. I flashed back a few years. There was a basketball hoop over the garage at Chad’s parents’ house. He and his brothers used to play. They didn’t hold back, often knocking each other to the ground. Sometimes it started fistfights, especially between Will and Chad. They still didn’t get along most of the time.

  “Sounds good,” Chad called out.

  Paulie retrieved the ball, and the rest of us met him on the court. Amy and I each played on our respective man’s team. We laughed, and they were easy on us. When I had the ball near the hoop at one point, Paulie lifted me up so I could dunk it. When he set me down, Chad had his eyes on me, and his cheeks were pink. I thought nothing of it.

  We started to get a little serious. I jumped, trying to get the ball from Amy and heard a whistle. I ignored it and swatted the ball away. Then I leaped to make the basket and just made it. The groans behind me caught my attention. Both Chad and Paulie were staring, a look of lust in their eyes.

  “What?” My eyebrows rose as I caught my breath. “What?”

  Amy laughed and walked towards me. “Your skirt keeps going up,” she whispered in my ear.

  “Oh.” My face heated up.

  She winked at me. “Hot ass. Chad likes the view, too.”

  “Maybe I should quit for a while.” I walked to the nearby bench and sat down.

  Paulie watched me for a few seconds. “You OK?”

  “Yeah.” I waved my hands. “Play. I’m just gonna rest a bit.”

  Amy soon joined me. “So.” She sat next to me and smiled. “Chad’s a great guy. Does Paulie know?”

  “Know what?”

  She leaned closer to me. “That Chad’s in love with you.”

  “Huh?” I stared at her slack-jawed. “He told you?”

  After a sigh, she replied, “Not in so many words, but yeah. That walk we took after Raj… Uh, well, we talked about a lotta things. You, Brianna, Natalie, Raj, some more about you. He understands you can’t handle dating him, but he’s still hopeful.”

  “I’m sorry.” I felt awful Chad was holding back because of me.

  She chuckled. “Don’t be. I don’t want his heart. This is like a fling; fun an
d safe. It’s what we both need right now. However long it lasts, I’m grateful you’re cool with us seeing each other.”

  “I’m glad, too.” I patted her leg, and she laid her hand over mine. Looking up at her, I worried she was going to come onto me. I wasn’t sure how I would react.

  Amy smiled again. “Would Paulie be into a foursome? I know Chad wants to see you naked—and to touch you.” She looked away. “I kinda do too, but that’s up to you.”

  I froze in shock. Would he? Could I allow it? I couldn’t decide. Then I glanced at the two of them. It could never work. Paulie would freak if Chad put his hands on me.

  “Uh, Chad kissed me the day Nat left him.” I closed my eyes. “Paulie flipped out. He’d hate the idea. It took a while for him to let the jealousy go.”

  She put a hand on my back. “Just an idea. I want Chad to be happy.”

  I heard her, but my brain was zeroed in on her proposal. The image appeared clearly in my mind. Chad over me, thrusting into me, loving me, kissing me. I could feel his body weight. Having been under him more times than I could count, it wasn’t hard to remember. Then Paulie was there, switching with Chad. They took turns until both of them came deep within me.

  “Hey.”

  I heard fingers snap, and that broke me out of the fantasy. I looked up to see Paulie, sweaty and panting. Guilt filled me. If he knew what had just gone through my mind, he would be hurt.

  “I asked if you were ready to go.” Paulie lifted my chin a bit higher. “Where were you?”

  After a few seconds, I replied, “Just thinking. Nothing important.”

  He put his hand out, which I grasped. “Let’s go.”

  Chad came to us, carrying the ball. “That was great.”

  My eyes moved over him from head to toe. Damn, is he hot. Yeah, it could be fun. One night of no expectations. No worry of anyone getting hurt because it was casual fun. Then he took off his sweaty shirt, and I gasped involuntarily.

  Paulie tugged me away from Chad, and I let the thought go. “I need a shower,” he said as we walked towards the car. “What d’ ya think?” He quickly embraced me, mashing my face into his sweaty shirt. “Do I stink yet?”

  I struggled to get away. He was sweaty and most definitely stinky. “Yes. Get off. Ew!”

  He chuckled and loosened his grip. “Now you need a shower, too. My plan is working.”

  I rolled my eyes. He was as silly as Chad, sometimes. “You brat.” I smiled, though.

  Chapter 18

  Chad and his roommates threw a huge Fourth of July party the next week. In the backyard, they set up a volleyball net. Several of the guys and a few girls had a game going. The grill was just off the rear porch. Chad and Devon were cooking burgers, chicken, ribs and more.

  I was lying on a lounge chair, trying to get some sun. Unlike Chad’s, my skin was able to tan a bit. He burned much too easily. I had reminded him multiple times to reapply sunscreen already, and it was only mid-afternoon.

  “You want a beer or something?” Chad stood over me, blocking the sun a bit.

  I smiled at him. “No alcohol for me.” When he turned, I noticed his shoulder was already turning red. “Chad. You need sunscreen.” I rose from the chair and followed him to the cooler. “Come inside.” I tugged him unwillingly into the bathroom, where I had a bottle of aloe and another of sunscreen.

  “I’m fine,” he insisted.

  Shaking my head, I poked his shoulder.

  “Ow.” He groaned. “OK, fine. I put it on hours ago.”

  I climbed up onto the closed toilet. “It doesn’t last all day long.” Normally, I reapplied it to myself and then did him. He had been running around, so I hadn’t gotten a chance yet.

  First, I kissed his shoulders several times. Then I slathered aloe onto the red areas. He gasped. It had been in the refrigerator. When it had dried, I carefully rubbed the sunscreen in.

  “After the party, I’m putting more aloe on you. Whether you like it or not.”

  He sighed. “Fine. You’re more pushy than Amy.” A laugh escaped him.

  “That’s ’cause she didn’t know you when you got sun poisoning.” I glared at him when he shrugged. “That week sucked. Don’t you remember?”

  A nod was his response. “You took good care of me.”

  “Good thing we weren’t skinny-dipping that day.” I chuckled imagining his cock sunburned.

  He cringed. “Ouch. No thanks. I like my dick the way it is. It was fun having you rub aloe on me all day.”

  “Not being able to wear a shirt musta been interesting.” My cheeks reddened as I recalled his half-naked state that entire week. “Let’s not have a repeat.”

  Chad nodded. “I get it. I’ll be more careful.” He turned around when I finished and hugged me. “Thanks for always lookin’ out for me.”

  “Back at ya.” I toyed with his hair, trying not to touch his shoulders again. “Always on your side.” I stepped back. “Lemme do the rest of you.”

  He stood still as I applied sunscreen to his chest, then his arms. I was meticulous about it, not missing a spot. Then I crouched on the floor and did his legs. He usually ignored them and wound up regretting it.

  A knock on the door startled me. “Be right out.”

  Chad laughed. “Maybe.”

  “You’re in there together?” Paulie asked.

  My eyes opened wide, worried he would assume wrong. “Door’s unlocked. Come in.”

  Paulie appeared. “Oh, I see. Was wondering what was goin’ on.”

  “She’s worried I’m gonna burn.” Chad turned for me. “Me and the sun don’t really get along.”

  With a grin, Paulie watched us for a few seconds. “Glad I don’t have that problem.” His skin was a nice olive color naturally, and in the summer, he tanned even more without effort.

  “You done for the day, or are you on lunch?” I asked as I finished Chad’s right calf.

  Paulie exhaled loudly. “Just lunch. We’re crazy busy. I had to say my mom was in town to get away for an hour.” He leaned on the doorway. “I get off at seven, but if it’s still this busy, I might be there till late.”

  “Tell them you have dinner plans,” I suggested. “Not fair you have to work a double shift.”

  He put out a hand to help me stand. “I’ll try.”

  “Nice bikini, right?” Chad winked at Paulie.

  Paulie licked his lips. “Hell yes.” His eyes roamed my body a few times.

  I bought the red, white and blue bikini for that day, not realizing Paulie would have to work. “Glad you like it.”

  “That I do. Showcases these babies just right.” Paulie suddenly squeezed my breasts, putting more cleavage on display. Then he ran his thumbs over my nipples, making them harden instantly. “The stars right here are perfect.”

  Chad stared at my chest, making me blush. “They sure are.” He leaned on me slightly, and I felt his half-hard cock twitch. “Best tits.”

  Paulie glared at Chad for a few seconds. Then he tugged me into his arms. “Any food ready?”

  “Should be.” Chad shook his head and slipped out of the room. “I’ll go check.”

  Paulie held me close. “Missed you.”

  He had gone to work early in the morning to set up for Charlie’s annual Fourth of July bash. They always had a barbecue in the parking lot, all-day happy hour, raffles and a fireworks display. It was quite popular. We had gone the year before with Keith and Brianna.

  I snuggled into him, unhappy that I woke up alone, but I understood. “Missed you, too. You didn’t eat at work?”

  “Not much.” Paulie kissed my forehead. “Chad’s a better cook. Anyway, I wanted to eat with you.” He pulled back and smiled down at me. “Let’s go outside.” He led me by the hand.

  I covered my breasts with one arm, embarrassed by my obvious arousal. If there had not been so many men I didn’t know, I might have been fine with it. It didn’t seem to faze Paulie at all. He was most definitely showing off in front of Chad. I was almost a
s if he were saying, “They’re my tits. Look but don’t touch.”

  We found Chad at the grill, flipping burgers and adding more meat to be cooked. “Got burgers and hot dogs there.” He pointed to a covered platter on the folding table next to him. “Steak and chicken there.” That was next in line. “Ribs’re almost done.”

  Paulie filled a plate to the brim. I grabbed some chicken and some salad I had made. There were chairs spread out all over the back yard. We sat together under a tree. I knew we didn’t have a lot of time, so I tried to make the best of it by isolating us a little.

  “Hey. Hey. Shut up!” Andy suddenly shouted.

  I looked towards the house. Andy was on the porch, his phone to his ear. His expression was hard to read, but he seemed excited.

  “Guys. Guys. Come ’ere!” Andy waved at us. “Chad, Daniel!” He was practically jumping up and down.

  We set our plates on our chairs and followed Andy into the house. He checked all the rooms. At least one person occupied every room downstairs. Then he entered the garage.

  “OK.” Andy was grinning from ear to ear. “We’re all here. Let me put you on speaker.” He covered the mouthpiece for a few seconds. “It’s Charles Dillinger.” He put his phone on a table and pressed the speaker button. “Got it.”

  Charles’ voice echoed, “Sorry to bother you on a holiday, but my work never ends.” He took a breath. “We made our choice. Three bands are on the short list. You guys are number one. I’d like to officially offer you a contract.”

  The room erupted in shouts. My stomach flipped. The dread had returned. I gripped Paulie’s hand tightly, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It didn’t take long.

  “I expect you all on a plane to LA in two weeks. We have an apartment for you to stay in. The first phase will take possibly six months. So get all your affairs in order and a limo will pick you up at LAX.”

  He all but assumed we would agree to their terms. I looked at everyone. Only Chad was unhappy. Our eyes met. An unspoken agreement of, this won’t work, passed between us. I knew what he was thinking about: school. Unsure what to say, I stayed silent.