Page 14 of Off the Rim
Ugh,I’m fucked up. Why is Sebastian leaving me alone with some girl? Last week, some girl named… Fuck, I can’t remember… Something cutesy that couldn’t be taken seriously. Then again, I suppose not everyone is meant to be taken seriously. She actually told me she's only at college to meet an appropriate husband, whatever that means. That's why she was at the Alpha Omega Psi house mixer, and it was why she'd asked for an introduction. Then, as if I wasn't horrified enough by the entire interaction, she informed me that we are, in fact, second cousins on my mother's side. Which did not deter her, by the way. I am, after all, the cream of the crop when it comes to prospective husbands. Her words, not mine.
She then proceeded to help me get more fucked up than I ever have in my life, and later that night we were caught in a bathroom with our pants down. And by that, I mean I was naked, slumped back on the toilet half-conscious while she straddled me and tried to put my flaccid cock inside her. The hangover after trying to drink away that entire interaction was a doozie.
This one probably will be, too.
"Wow. You're taller than I thought. I'm not sure I'll be much help."
My head flops forward, and I look down. Yeah, the ground is pretty far down there. And so is she. This girl can't be over five feet tall, even in her scary tall heels.
"How do you walk in those things?" I'm reeling just looking at them.
"Practice," she says, smiling at me like I'm a giant kid. "I've been doing pageants since I was four."
Binky laughs, a sweet, tinkling sound that sounds a lot more genuine than her attempt at seduction earlier. "What's that face for?"
"Aren't pageants, like,"—hiccup—"super creepy?"
"You're funny."
"I'm totally being serious."
"You're really fucked up."
"That is an astute observation," I say, letting out a half-hiccup-half-belch. "I underestimated your intelligence, and I'm sorry for that." I boop her nose for good measure. She's so teeny.
Binky scoffs and rights me against the wall when I nearly tip over again. "Don't worry, big guy. I'm used to it." After a few minutes, she looks around. "Where did Sebastian go?"
I shrug. "Probably to make sure no one is drinking out of a can."
"Is he a big environmentalist?"
"Nah, I think he's worried his net worth might be negatively impacted if he's seen in close proximity to a red plastic cup."
She laughs again, and it sounds like bells.
Bells. Bell. Vell.
"What was that?"
"Huh?"
"You said something about bells."
"Oh. Yeah. It rhymes with Vell."
I'm not trying to impress this girl, but I'm also not trying to embarrass myself. I don't trust my drunk brain not to talk about Marcus. Clearly, I'm not drunk enough to keep him from slipping into my thoughts. I drain my glass in several large swallows, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and tossing the glass across the hall. It lands with a loud, surprisingly heavy thud, but doesn't break. Good thing I didn't throw it at the wall. It might have gone through the drywall. I eyeball the bottle of Macallan sitting on a table against the wall, just out of my reach. A wave of dizziness makes me stumble.
"Don't you think you've had enough?"
"Nope. I still remember."
CHAPTER 11
MARCUS, AGE 20
I'm not sure how to feel as I walk my mother down the aisle between rows of lawn chairs, smiling and nodding to our various friends and family members that have joined us. She looks beautiful in a simple off-white sundress with yellow flowers and a serene smile on her face. There are tears in her eyes, but I'm pretty sure they're happy tears. I think she's truly happy, and that's what matters the most.
It's a hard thing to be happy about something and sad about it in the same breath. She should have been, would have been, with my father for the rest of their lives. He’s been gone for almost five years, and now she's marrying Greg in the backyard of their new home, nestled in a little mountain town an hour north of our hometown. It was surreal to clear out the house I grew up in. Mom is going to rent it until I'm old enough to decide if I want to settle in Pinecrest or sell. Neither of us could imagine selling the house, so this is our way of easing into the idea. And it'll give mom some extra income since she's no longer working at the restaurant. Not that she needs it. Greg insists she focus on finding her passion rather than finding a job right away. He isn't rich by any means, but does well enough to provide for them both. I feel relieved knowing she won't have to struggle anymore.
