Dirty Little Secret

So I kissed him, and no I didn't regret it. It was weird because I was expecting to feel something, mostly expecting it to be bad, but it wasn't, it was far from that. I wouldn't let him know that though. I am already risking so much just being in a different city with him.

Tate didn't ask about the kiss, he maintained his normal jackass behavior the whole duration at the beach.

Tate finally had enough with the sun and had collected some of the water and now was pulling me out of the water and back to dry land. "I told Sam that we would be there already."

Sam is a tall, buff guy, covered head-to-toe in tattoos. At first glance Sam looks terrifying, but once he started to talk, I found out that was not the case.

"Corinne, this is Sam. His dad was my dad’s best man at my parents wedding and Sam was the ring bearer," Tate introduces us. Sam shakes my hand warmly.

"It's nice to meet you, Corinne."

"Cori, please. It's nice to meet you too. Have you done all of Tate's tattoos?" I ask Sam.

"I've done a few; he was brave enough to be my guinea pig. Tate was the first person I ever put ink on, so I thought I owed him a free tattoo now that I've opened up my own shop. You have any tattoos?" Sam asks while starting to prep his station.

Tate scoffed. "Barbie would never ruin her perfect body, it's her temple."

"How do you know I don't have any tattoos? I didn't know you did until you had your shirt off. You've never seen me with my shirt off, so for all you know I might be covered."

"I'd bet my soul you don't," Tate says while taking off his shirt and laid on the padded table on his side, facing me.

"Do you?" Sam asks, looking up to me from the outline drawn on a piece of paper.

"No," I look down once I see Tate's smirk. "But I've thought about getting one. I think tattoos are interesting and cute."

I don't know what was funny about what I said but Tate started to laugh. "You'd actually get a tattoo?" He asked once his fit of laughter was finished.

"Yeah. If I knew what I wanted now, I'd do it now."

"I'll tell you what, if you think of something you really really want, I'll pay for you to get your very first tattoo. And none of those generic tattoos like butterflies or angel wings. It has to be meaningful."

"I know, I know," I pull up a chair next to the table.

Sam places the outline on Tate's rib cage and has Tate look in the mirror to see if it's where he wants it. Soon the buzzing of the gun is the only thing that fills the room as Sam starts on the outline.

"Why did you get Carol?"

"It was Jackson's and my favorite book as kids. Jackson would always say that he was Max and I was Carol because they were best friends."

Tate smiles up at me and I smile back as I take his hand into mine.

Nearly two and a half hours later Tate is staring at his reflection in the mirror. His newest addition to his artwork is now complete.

"It's great man, you're the best," Tate shook Sam's hand.

"Any time Tate. You little lady, I want to be your first, so you've got to make another trip to the East Coast sometime. I'll even give Tate a discount."

"I will. It was nice meeting you Sam."

Tate and I walk hand in hand to his truck. He helped me in and shut my door before sliding into the driver’s side and putting the vehicle into drive as we started to Okeechobee Lake.

We stopped at a diner for lunch. They only served three things, burgers, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. We both settled for the burgers.

It didn't take long; soon we were pulling off the road and willing a bottle labeled 'LAKE O' with some of the water from the lake. All too soon we were off in the direction of Naples.

I fell asleep soon after getting into the truck. I sat with my back against the door and my legs stretch out across the bucket seat with my feet resting on Tate's lap.

I was awoken by Tate shaking my legs.

"Are we home?"

"No, my truck broke down," Tate stated.

"Oh, where are we?"

"The middle of nowhere. But there was a sign back there not too long ago that said the next town was a couple miles away. I can push it if you steer."

I look out of the windshield. It was pouring rain. I couldn't see much of anything, the raindrops blurred everything together.

"Lock it and we'll both walk to the town. They've got to have a tow truck that can tow your truck to get repaired. Do you have triple A?"

"I tried that, no signal. I looked on your phone too. You have a couple texts from your friends but I didn't read them. You sure you want to walk?"

I nodded while I read through some of the texts. Tate took off his jacket and wrapped our phones in it and stuck it in my bag. "There now they won't get wet. I'm glad you're not wearing heels."

Within five minutes I am soaked. You can definitively see through my white dress as it clings to my skin.

"We should have taken my car. My car would have never broken down in the middle of this storm in the middle of nowhere!" I complain.

"Quit your bitching. My truck is way better than your overpriced speedster."

I rolled my eyes, we were back to insults.

After what felt like a lifetime, the silhouettes of buildings took form. The town is badly worn down. There is a dumpy motel, liquor store and as I thought a mechanic were all sitting at the end of an empty road along with some other empty buildings.

We walked through the mechanics front door to was greeted by a man who seemed to be in his twenties.

"Looks like you guys went swimming."

"My truck broke down a couple miles from here. How much will it be to get it towed and repaired tonight?"

"Sorry kiddo. I'm not going in that storm. I'll be more than willing to tow your truck first thing tomorrow morning."

"Seriously? It's just a little rain. We walked all the way here and we're fine."

"Not from the looks of her," The mechanic smiled, eyeing me up and down. I folded arms quickly over my chest. "My cousin Billy is doing the night shift at the motel across the street. Tell him Roy sent you and you need a room. He'll give you a good deal. Then bright and early you and me will go and get your truck and take a little look under the hood, sound like a good idea?"

"Sure, I'll see you in the morning."

Once we walked into the motel lobby my mood took a nosedive for Shitville.

"Tate, I'm not sleeping here," I whisper. He gives me look for me to shut up before he rings the little bell on the counter.

A lanky teenager came from the backroom. His name tag read Billy.

"Your cousin Roy is afraid of rain so we have to stay the night for him to tow my truck to his shop. Got any rooms?" Tate asks.

"Of course they have rooms. Only hookers and meth addicts come here," I whisper harshly in Tate's ear. He gives me another harsh glance.

"Yeah we have a room available. It'll be seventy dollars even."

Tate produces a card from his wallet and gives it to Billy. Billy slides it through his machine before handing it back to him.

"Thanks, do you have any vending machines or food for sale?" Tate asks as Billy hands him the key to the room.

"No but there is a liquor store across the street. My brother Fred works there, tell him we're friends and he won't card you."

"Are you related to everyone who lives here?" My question receives another stern look from Tate.

"Yeah just about," Billy laughs before heading back into the room he came from.

"Okay you go up to the room and I'll go visit the brother Fred. I'll see you in a bit."

"I'm going with you. I don't want to be alone."

Tate rolls his eyes and takes me hand to lead me out of the door.

Fred is much different from his brother. He is red and plump while his brother resembles a toothpick.

"You must be Fred?" Tate asks.

"Yeah, why?"

"I've just met your cousin Ray and your brother Billy, I thought I might as well meet the rest of the family."

Fred laughs and his belly shakes. "You're funny. What can I do for you and the pretty lady?" He winks in my direction. It takes everything in me to hold back my vomit.

"I need something strong if you expect me to sleep tonight, and if you think I'm a bitch now, you should see me with no sleep," I threaten Tate.

"What is the strongest thing you have?" Tate's lips set in a stretched smile.

"You're not cops are ya?" He asks.

"Do we look like cops? We are both soaking wet and she looks like she needs to be in a dirty magazine.

I give them both dirty looks tightening my arms around my chest.

"You’re right. I've got some Everclear from a buddy of mine. It's illegal to sell it, so I'm not going to. I will gift it to you though if you give me forty dollars as a gift in return."

Before Tate can speak I've fished my wallet out and produce two crisp twenty dollar bills. "Here, give me it."

"If you throw up, I will make you sleep in it," Tate says shaking his head.

Tate grabs some chips and a bottle of Coke and places them on the counter with another twenty dollar bill. Keep the change.

The room is small. With only one double bed, a dresser with an old television and a door that leads to a very suspicious bathroom.

"God," I open up the bottle and take a quick drink. I was never a big alcohol drinker so I knew that only a drink of this stuff would knock me off my feet.

Tate took my bag from me and unrolled his jacket to produce our phones. "Here," He hands me his jacket. "You can sleep in this tonight."

I took another drink straight from the bottle before taking his jacket. I stripped from my dress in seconds and zipped the jacket over my body. It hung down to the middle of my thigh and the sleeves were way too long but it was warm and dry and it smelled like Tate, which I liked a lot.

Tate has stripped out of his wet clothes too. He is now only wearing his boxer shorts, sitting on the edge of the bed typing out a text message.

"I told my mom what happened. She told us to be safe, and to not drink anymore of that."

I look down at the bottle and take one tiny more drink before passing it over to Tate.

"I hope you don't mind me wearing this."

"No I don't mind, you're nice to look at."

"Yeah, okay. I'll sleep on the floor."

"No no, sleep on the bed with me."

"Cori, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well you've already kissed me when you were sober so I hate to think what might happen with alcohol involved."

I look down at my feet that are still in my sandals. I flip them off and they land on the opposite side of the room. "You don't want to sleep with me? You don't think I'm good enough?"

"No, no, no. Corinne, you're great, it's just I respect you too much to take advantage of you."

"You wouldn't be taking advantage of me," I move to straddle Tate. I take the Everclear bottle from his hand and take another large swig.

"Corinne," Tate says as he moves his hands to my hips to try to push me off him.

My stomach start to churn and I feel the contents of today's lunch. I try to get off of Tate but I stumble and fall to the ground. Tate already knows what is going to happen and scoops me up and in one long stride I am sitting on the cold tile floor with my face in the toilet, spewing my guts out. Tate has my hair gathered in one hand and is rubbing my back comfortably with his other hand.

"You said you'd make me sleep in my throw up," I say in between series of dry heaves.

"I'm not," He reassures. "I'll take care of you."

I didn't know if it was the alcohol or if it was Tate in general but my body warmed and for once I let my walls down, knowing that I didn't need to be protected.