Simple Kind of Life

Avery would be lying if she said it didn’t hurt. She’d also be lying if she said she didn’t expect it. It was just a casual invitation to the beach; nothing more, nothing less and he ditched her. It was situations like this that reminded Avery of the stigma she carried around with her. If you’re a single mother, you must be seeking out some poor, unsuspecting schmuck to help raise your bastard kids. That was never Avery’s intention, nor would it ever be. She could provide for Lili on her own and she had a huge support system of people who adored the little girl.

The more she thought about it, the more she resented it. Who did he think he was? And what made him think he was even good enough to be in Lili’s life, that she would even condescend to invite him into their world?

“So he just got up and left?” Angie asked from her beach towel. She was sprawled out in the sun, belly down, bikini top untied.

Avery was perched in a chair next to her friend, watching as Lili and Aaron splashed around in the surf. “He said he had to help a friend with something. He totally panicked and hauled ass.”

Angie shrugged her tanned shoulders. “Maybe he legit had to go help someone.”

“Conveniently after a run in with Lili? Yeah, OK.” Sarcasm flooded her words as she rolled her eyes.

“Maybe you need to be honest. Tell him you’re not looking for a baby daddy, you’re just looking to get laid. I bet he’ll like that.” Angie flashed her devious, knowing smile. Aaron clued the women in, confirming that Jeff was, in fact, a hockey player for a Philadelphian team. A semi-successful one at that. She was ashamed to admit that they Googled him and found several blogs detailing his man-whoring ways. Angie found it hilarious while Avery was horrified.

“I’m sure he’d love that.”

Angie sighed. “I think Jeff is exactly what you need.”

Avery scowled. “How so? He’s egotistical, he’s rude, he’s probably had every STD imaginable-”

“He’s perfect.” Avery lifted an eyebrow at the blonde. Had she lost her mind?

“I think our definitions of perfect are very different.”

Angie laughed as she re-tied her bikini top and sat up. “You’re looking at this from the wrong perspective. He’s not relationship material, you already know that, so there’s no pressure. You can relax, have fun, get your feet wet. Maybe knock the dust off your pus-”

Avery nudged her friend with her foot—hard. “That sounds slutty.”

“Who cares?” Angie’s highly arched eyebrows wrinkled together. “You’re a grown woman. Besides, when’s the last time you even had sex?”

Avery sighed. She had lost interest in James long before he left, so her dry spell stretched well beyond a year. “Why does that matter?”

Angie smirked at the younger woman. “You don’t even remember, do you? That’s sad.”

“OK, smarty pants, when’s the last time you got some?”

The blonde’s smirk grew larger, showing off her white teeth. “Last night.”

Avery’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my God, who?!?”

“I don’t kiss and tell.” You practically invented the kiss and tell.

“Spill it.”

“That cute little Claude guy.” Angie practically squealed with delight.

“The gingery looking one?” Angie nodded smugly, obviously proud of herself. “Angela! He’s a little young, isn’t he?”

“He’s hardly a day over 24.” She dismissed Avery’s disapproval with a wave of her hand. “It’s just a onetime thing.”

Avery lowered her voice so not to attract unwanted attention. “How was it?”

The blonde’s glowing smile gave everything away. “He’s surprisingly attentive. And great with his hands.”

Avery shook her head, wrinkling her nose. Though she was slightly disgusted, she envied her friend’s carelessness. She wished she could relax and have fun like she used to; before James and before the kids.

“Good for you, babe. You deserve a little lovin’.” Avery was genuine with her words. It couldn’t have been easy for Angie to find out her husband was gay, thus changing their entire relationship. Perhaps their dysfunctional marriages were what made them such good friends.

Angie brushed some sand from her thighs and adjusted her bathing suit top. “So do you. See where it goes with Jeff.”

Maybe it wasn’t too late for her. After everything she went through with James, she deserved to have some no-strings-attached fun. And who better to partake in such fun than a commitment-phobe like Jeff? He was the perfect candidate for a summer tryst. She get it all out of her system then go home to Pennsylvania and return to her boring existence. The plan was ingenious.

And judging by his reputation, she’d have no problem convincing him. Granted, she didn’t like what she read online, however it further cemented how ideal he was.

*************************************************************************************

Jeff was perched on Cam’s bed, watching her pack her suitcase while Richie was downstairs waiting for her. Jeff never understood why she always waited last minute to pack her shit. And more often than not, she always left something behind.

“So she has a kid, huh?” She asked, folding up a pair of shorts and tossing them in her bag. It had been a week or so since he had hung out with Avery and Cam had inquired about her.

“Yeah. She’s maybe like 3 or 4. And very serious. She wouldn’t even talk to me because I was a stranger. How weird is that?”

Cam shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s not weird, it’s smart. Little kids shouldn’t be talking to big, blond strangers.”

Jeff scowled and picked at his fingernails. “It doesn’t matter. I told her little brother that I had something to do and got the fuck out of there as fast as I could.”

He could feel Cam’s stare burning a hole in his head. “You left without even telling her?”

“Shit yeah. I do not need that hassle,” He looked up expecting to get an earful, but it didn’t come. “What? No lecture?”

Cam shrugged. “I’m not saying anything. You’re a big boy, you can make your own decisions.”

“Thank you, Camille.”

“You’re still a jerk though.” He grinned at his friend, trying to hide the fact that he felt guilty about leaving. He had done a lot of ungentlemanly things to women in the past and never thought twice about it. For some reason, this situation felt different.

“I can live with that.”

Cam finished up packing and made Jeff carry her suitcase downstairs. Mike was pacing around the living room, arms crossed.

“The taxi is waiting.” There was an air of annoyance in his voice as he addressed the petite brunette.

“Keep your panties on, Richie.” Cam brushed him off with a brilliant smile and pinched his face. She directed Jeff outside to the cab and he placed her bag in the trunk.

“We’ll be seeing you at the tourney, right?” She asked, pulling the blond into a tight hug. Richie was hosting another charity golf tournament in his hometown and Carter wouldn’t miss it for anything.

“Of course.” They broke their friendly embrace. “Good luck meeting the Richards Clan.” He said ominously, lowering his already deep voice.

“Stop scaring her.” Mike demanded with a grin before hugging his friend. “See ya in a couple weeks.”

The three said their goodbyes and Jeff watched as their taxi pulled away. For the first time since summer began, he was alone. His teammates and friends had gone back to their respective hometowns and he wouldn’t have more visitors until the next night. He figured he find a way to entertain himself like he always did. Over the years, he had made friends with Jersey natives and had no trouble finding company on any given night. He made arrangements via texts to meet a couple of people at a local club. He got showered, dressed, and headed out.

Immediately, he was greeted by familiar faces. Eric was a guy he had met a few years ago when he first started coming to Sea Isle. He was on the shorter side with dark hair and a deep complexion. They had hung out a few times in Philly, having gone to a couple of concerts together. With him was his steady girlfriend Penny. She was a stunning blonde with long legs and a fake rack. If he and Eric weren’t such good friends, Jeff would definitely have made a move on her by now. They were with a group of people he didn’t recognize, but it didn’t faze him.

A few beers later, he was trying to hold a conversation with a friend of Penny’s though he found it difficult. She was about as deep as a puddle, boring, and the only thing that kept his attention was the fact that she was smoking hot. But even her epic hotness couldn’t stop his patience from wearing thin. His eyes began to wander around the hazy club and immediate fell onto the petite asian girl he had ran out on a week ago. She was standing by the bar with her blonde friend by her side.

“I’ll be right back, Dina.”

Her eyebrows knitted together. “Daisy.” She corrected him.

“Right. Just wait here.” He got up and made his way to the bar. He slid in next to Avery, bumping her shoulder and grabbing her attention. He wasn’t sure what to expect, considering he ditched her.

Her face was emotionless for a brief second before recognition set in and she smiled at him. “Jeff?”

“Hey, how are you?”

“I’m doing alright. You?”

He nodded. “Good. I’m good. Can I buy you a drink?” Instantly he felt stupid when her eyes fell to the martini-looking drink in her hand.

“You can get the next one,” she took a quick sip. “If you stick around.”

He deserved the needling and took it in stride. “That was really shitty of me.”

She shrugged. “I wasn’t worried about it. We had a good time without you.” Jeff could detect a hint of a smirk on her lips.

Avery finished up her martini while the two talked for awhile and as promised, he paid for her next one.

After a few more drinks, Jeff was feeling pretty good. “Come dance with me.” He demanded, gently grabbing Avery’s arm. She laughed and covered her face.

“I can’t dance.” She whispered coyly in his ear.

Jeff cocked an eyebrow at her. “Everyone can dance. Just move to the music.”

This was new for Jeff. The girls he usually associated himself with were never so shy and repressed. Most chicks were eager to please and would cater to whatever needs he had, all so they could brag about being with Jeff Carter. He relished in the fact that women came easily, but Avery didn’t seem to get the memo and it annoyed him. He was about to give up when she relented, allowing him to drag her to the crowded dance floor.

She was so stiff and awkward, he didn’t even try to hide his amusement. He gently grabbed her arms and pulled her closer to him, guiding her body with his. Her silly grin was contagious as it swarmed her face, making him smile too. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through his system or maybe it was the way Avery’s lithe body moved, but it had him leaning down and placing his lips on hers. And it didn’t seem to bother her. She slid her arms around his neck, still swaying her hips while kissing him back.

A make out session and several songs later, Avery yelled to him over the music. “I need to go outside, I can’t breathe in here.” She was right; all the humidity from the oppressive summer weather combined with heat from all the bodies around them made for a suffocating environment. She led him through the club and out to the street. The relief was minimal but the nice breeze from the nearby beach made it bearable.

“You really didn’t have a friend to help, did you?” Avery finally asked after a moment of silence. It took him a brief second to realize she was still stuck on last week when he left. He figured it was over with, but apparently not. He didn’t want to talk about it anymore; he would have been content with just staring at her flushed lips and wondering when he could have more of them.

“No. I didn’t.” He admitted, peering down at the diminutive woman.

“It was Lili, wasn’t it?” As much as he wanted to deny it, he didn’t see the point in lying again.

“Yeah, she was kind of intimidating.”

Avery pursed her lips, like she was debating on whether or not she was going to continue the conversation. “Listen, I’m not looking for someone to take care of us. I just...” She trailed off, dipping her chin in an attempt to hide her reddening face.

“You just what?”

She sighed, averting her eyes to the sidewalk. “I just want to have a little fun. Nothing serious, nothing long term.”

Jeff was speechless. A lot of girls wanted to change him, thinking they could tie him down. And here was the sweet next door neighbor proposing a summer fling. Perhaps he’d be willing to over look her baggage for just a few weeks.