“Did you spit food all over her?” the driver asks.
Rupert and I both startle as we bring our attention to the front.
“Uh, excuse me,” I say and then motion between me and Rupert. “This is a private conversation.”
“No, no,” Rupert says, tamping my hand down. “Maybe our driver friend can assist us. Please, tell us how you messed up the situation with Renley.”
The driver nods. “We’re all ears.”
Unsure how he became involved. Then again, can’t argue with the guy, as he has my life in his hands at the moment.
“Well, you see?—”
“Can you catch me up first, so I have a general understanding of what’s going on?” the driver asks.
“Sure thing, Lamar,” Rupert says. “It all started when we were drunk and playing truth or dare. I dared this guy to sign up for a fiancé website, he said yes, but was caught by his family. Mind you, they’re pretty conscious about image, so his father gave him a hard time about it. Our friend Theo over here stupidly said he was serious about it, so then his father threatened him and said if he didn’t get married to the person he matched with, he’s to marry Neil’s daughter.”
“Oh damn, this is some medieval-type shit,” Lamar says. “Who is Neil’s daughter?”
“Someone you don’t want to know,” Rupert says. “She’s been known to sniff armpits. It would be a realyikessituation if Theo married her. Anyway, we came to Cape Meril to meet his bride-to-be, only to find out that she drunkenly thought the website was for financiers, not fiancés.”
“Funny how close those words are.”
“That’s what I said.” Rupert grips Lamar’s shoulder. “We are proper mates, don’t you think?”
“I think so,” Lamar says with a nod.
“Anyway, long story short, Theo here has made it his mission to woo her and he’s been doing an okay job?—”
“Uh, I’ve been doing better than an okay job.”
“We’ll be the judges of that, won’t we, Lamar?”
“We will,” he answers.
Jesus.
“So then, tell us how you messed up last night.”
“I didn’t mess things up with her, I messed up in my own head,” I say, wanting to make that clear since I’m being ganged up on. “I, uh…I kissed her out on the beach, under the moonlight.”
“Oh shit, under the moonlight?” Lamar asks.
“Not the moonlight,” Rupert says.
“Yes, the moonlight.”
“That’s…that’s serious,” Lamar says.
“Was it a good kiss?” Rupert asks.
I press my head to the headrest and let out a disgruntled sigh. “It was the best fucking kiss I’ve ever had in my life. The moment her lips touched mine, it was like I was transported into a different realm where all the worries and shit that had happened in my life slowly disappeared and all that was left was me and her. That was it, just me and Renley. Kissing.”
Silence falls over the car, and after a few seconds, Lamar says, “That’s poetry, man.”
“Beautiful,” Rupert adds.
God, I hate them.
