a why for the win

“Body? What body? There’s a body?”

I look around the room at the others. Am I missing something? I thought we were only going out for drinks, and then whatever else happens for a night of catching up for old times sake’s, but it’s evident something else happened before I got here.

Something told me not to reconsider wearing the 14-inch red stilettos, yeah to me they felt that high. After all, I haven’t dressed up since the pre-pandemic, and then it was mostly tennis, sweats, and an occasional baseball camp. None of it helped. Shoots I was either in slippers or tennis but never, ever high heels. And I would’ve made it to the bar in them, if I hadn’t tripped over the tip of the shag rug, and plummeted four steps down onto the concrete.

My knees still hurt from that one.

So, back inside for another pair, something preferably lower to the ground. Bare feet came to mind, but I settled for sandals. At least, if I’m going to trip and fall this time, I’m already closer to the ground and it shouldn’t hurt as much.

Tam gives me the eye roll, the same one she used in middle school when I announced that I was in a C-cup or maybe it was an A-cup. I was in a bra, okay – a sixth-grader in a bra. For me, it was a big deal!

What-eva...

“So there’s a body?” I repeat, calmer than before, looking over my shoulder at Mertis picking her fingernails, a sure sign that something had gone considerably wrong.

“Yeah,” said Tam, unimpressed with yet another eye roll. She seriously needs to grow out of that, it’s so unbecoming of a magistrate.

Should I even ask what happened or didn’t?

Mertis hobbles forward to me, spitting a long-lost cuticle. Her eyes are black from running mascara as if she’s been crying with one of her gold-studded pumps missing, to explain. “We had no choice, we had to do it? He, she shouldn’t have laid her hands on me.”

“Laying of hands,” I repeat, “was someone anointed?”

“Devra c’mon, you know the drill.”

I do? Honestly, I don’t, but I’m sure someone other than Mertis is about to explain.

“Ol’ girl, guy, I’m not sure at this point, came at Mertis to pick a fight.”

“About what?”

“Cause she looked at her funny, and she wasn’t looking at her, were you Mertis?”

Mertis shrugged.

“Please ya’ll, let’s not relieve 6th-grade all over again. We’re adults, we should be kicking up our heels or sandals somewhere, drinking and partying, not having to depose of a body, again.”

“I’m not touching it,” chimed Mertis.

“Well, don’t look at me,” said Tam, flouncing her beauty store-bought hair. Way too much on her head, it looks like a huge red cocoon or beehive, I just can’t, her head stays motionlessly cocked over to one side.

I toss my hands in the air, “so the only reason why I was invited was to dispose of the body?”

“Well, you do deal in bodies, Dev.”

“The alive ones! They are alive not in deposed!”

“Well if you got any ideas, we’re all ears,” said Pookey coming from the back, drying her hands on a piece of a Kraft-colored towelette. I knew she’d thrown up somewhere, she never had a stomach for the tough stuff.

“Take it to the hospital, drop it curbside.”

“And cameras are everywhere, someone would see the car, get the tags, and all of our faces and fingerprints,” twirled Tam. “You’ve gotta have a better idea than that.”

“Well, we wear gloves and face masks.”

“If we all buy gloves in the summer, someone is going to know something.”

“Gardening gloves then.”

“At night? What kinda gardening do you think we doing?”

“Burying a body?” blurted Pookey, then covered her mouth, rushing back to the restroom.

“Who invited her anyway?” Tam asked, rubbing her brow.

“She’s your sister.”

“Don’t remind me, okay what else you got Dev​?”

“Tie a rock and throw in the water.”

“You carry a big boulder or bag of rocks with you and some rope. Yeah, we’re going to need some rope.”

I twisted my mouth, mumbling “nope.” I’d taken a hack to the place, so my usual tools weren’t with me now. Someone should have said something before I got here. I could use a drink around about now, but Tam is insisting that we go and check on the body like it's going somewhere.

“Where did you put it this time?”

“In the trunk,” she says beeping to unlock the silver jag. The next button slowly raised the trunk.

“I helped,” added Mertis, “popped three, nope four nails in the process, lost a shoe too.” She nervously giggled.

By the time, we got to the car, it was open enough for me to peer inside. “Gosh, she, he is long.”

“Our tallest one yet.” Touching its arm, I pushed it over to see the face, when I noticed it was still breathing. “not dead.”

“What?”

“It’s still breathing.”

“You’re lying,” said Tam hunched over my back.

“We could just leave it off the side of the road somewhere,” Pookey mumbled, wiping her mouth, “and go on like nothing ever happened.”

“I vote for that,” my hand shot up in the air.

“You don’t get a vote,” Tam said, shoving me forward. I stumbled, falling into the trunk. She closed the door.

“What the hell did you do that for?” Mertis yelled, “she’s on our side.”

Tam’s lofty laughter told of other plans, “she thinks she knows so much like she has all the answers. I’m tired of her explaining things like we can’t think for ourselves. I know what to do and I don’t need a 2-bit nurse telling me what.”

“She runs a department, don’t think that has anything 2-bit about it.”

“Oh shut up, all of you just get in the car or I’m putting you in next.”

My head hit something hard, when I fell in, probably the spare tire. All I know is that I have a migraine and a half right about now, and it hurts like a mofo.

“You alright,” a voice grumbles.

“I think so. You?”

“Tired but good.”

“Did they hit you with something?”

“No, I think I was drugged. My drink didn’t taste the same after I came off the dance floor. Next thing I know I’m staggering in the parking lot, and the one in pink dress ...”

“Pookey?”

“Yeah,” he snickered, thinking what grown woman had a name like that?

“She helped?”

“Next thing I know, I’m here.”

Hmph, doesn’t sound like Pookey, but who knows a lot has changed since 6th-grade.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to get both of us outta here. Hi, I’m Dev.”

“Bri.”

“Pleasure to meet you Bri,” we reached in the darkness to shake hands and resorted to bumping elbows.

“You know, I’ve never been in the back of a car before, it’s kinda scary but romantic at the same time,” I say, nervously clearing my throat, “Did you think your night would end up like this?”

We hit a bump in the road, our bodies fling up to the top like sheets cascading in the wind. Then another and yet another, I’ve lost count as I attempt to listen for familiar sounds or at least imagine where Tam is taking us.

“Like the other night, I was like bae.”

“Is bae, a girl or a guy?” I don’t know why I said that, but it just came out. I say a lot of weird things when I’ve nervous.

“Does it matter?”

“Not really, just that whatever is thumping against my leg is not another high heel shoe. Because a lot of you look like a girl, but the way you sound and your elbow bump is like a guy. Not that I’m judging.”

“Then don’t.”

“I’m just trying to figure out the disposition of why they chose you?”

“Cause, I’m fine as wine, stacking and packing and eyes that’ll make you growl. Or grind,” he chuckled.

I swallowed hard. Dang it, I need this person in my life even as eye candy. I need it, him, her, they, them, whoever this is lying beside me. A hidden purr escapes my mouth, and we both laugh, punching wildly into the dark until our lips met.

We kissed like long-lost friends on a hot summer day at camp. Or maybe it was long-lost lovers rediscovering the first time they met. Or savage wild animals, I mean humans lost in the jungle-like Tarzan. Uh, I’m not making any sense; it was just meant to be. whatever it was, is. I was in for it with these hot, wet, juicy lips now scrounging my body for the fourth time. But wait, I pushed him, it, they away from me, “what will bae think?”

“That I’m finally in love.”

“But, you don’t know me. Who I am, what I look like, what do I do?”

“I know enough.”

Arms embraced me, pulling me closer, “you’re caring, but never on time, and you work with live bodies.”

I pulled away, “what?” Had he heard the conversation before me being pushed into the trunk, when had he seen me? Vague characteristics, but so me. What the hell? It is what it is for the moment, but I’ve gotta get out of this car.

The car came to a complete stop. I assumed train tracks, but it just set there with the engine off.

“If we’re going to make a run for it, the time is now,” I said in the dark. We fumbled around, grabbing whatever we could for a fight, a pair of shoes, a plastic bag, and a tire iron.

“When this is over, I want us to meet up.”

“And do what?”

“Continue what we had here.”

“We did what we had to do to survive.”

“Kissing?”

“It calmed us, now we’re ready to fight.”

“And love.”

I sighed heavenly, who is this?

“What are we stopping for?” asked Pookey.

“I gotta pee.”

“Really? We only passed 1,201 restaurants and gas stations back there for you to come out here in the middle of nowhere to pee.”

“Shut up, I didn’t ask for your advice.”

“I wasn’t giving it, this is the lamest night that I’ve ever been a part of. I thought we were going to mix things up, but same oh Tam doing the same oh shit. I’m getting too old for this.” She opened the car door, “I need some air.”

“What you think she’s about to do?”

“Shut up Mertis.”

“You know what, go to hell Tam, I’m with Pookey. This shit is getting old. I need something else?”

“Like what?”

Mertis thought for a while, chewing on her broken fingernail, “a win.”

Tam opens the door, looking back at her, “don’t do anything until I return.”

“Okay, what’s the plan?”

“When they open the trunk, throw everything you got, which should give us enough time to escape?”

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

“Does that mean I have to give you back too?”

I kept silent. Nice gesture, even the line, and damn it if I knew all the ends and outs, I’d say it again. It's a keeper. “For the moment, hold onto me a little while longer, until I know that we’re safe.”

“Bet.”

“Okay then.”

Footsteps on gravel approached the car, and someone hit the release button at the foot. When the trunk sprung open, we stopped the attack in mid-stream.

“Surprise to see me,” Mertis said, grabbing my hand, lifting us out, “you come too.” She helped him, she, it, they, them out as they all pushed her inside, and lowered the trunk.

“That wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Kissing you wasn’t a part of the plan either, but we did. Are you still disappointed?”

I surveyed the hunk of protein, squeezed in some cloak and pants or tunic something, straining to break free. Every stitch, fold, tuck, pleat cringed to hold those triceps, biceps, forceps, cep-ceps, and gluttonous-maximus now crouched beside me intact, when we heard Tam hurried walk between the trees.

“Where’s Mertis?”

Pookey shrugged, “beats me.”

“Ya’ll are supposed to have my back, not work against me.”

“You can’t have back when you doing wrong.”

Tam huffed, “what’s so wrong about tonight?”

Pookey only shook her head, she didn’t want to get into it, yet again about how Tam misconstrued her position.

“Well, get in the car. She’s probably out there walking somewhere.”

“Later, I need some air, and being in that stuffy car ain’t helping.”

“Suit yourself,” Tam got inside and slammed the door.

Mertis started knocking the moment she fell inside. I thought she would give us some time, but she must’ve panicked because she’s now pounding endlessly, followed by muffled screams.

Tam lowered the window, “do you hear that?”

“What?”

“Sounds like screaming.”

“Probably your visitors in the back.”

Tam listened closely, honestly, it didn’t sound like Dev. The voice was too high-pitched for her, and why wasn’t the other person sounding off? “I’m going to check it out,” she said, “cover my back.”

“For what?”

“In case they double team me?”

Pookey sighed heavily, hoping for an end.

“Cover me,” she repeated, “picking up a handful of gravel.” Pookey moved to the front of the car as Tam crept to the rear, while the body and I moved to the passenger side, keeping low to avoid anyone seeing us. Simultaneously, we opened the car door and crawled inside. He closed the door quietly as I started the ignition.

When I sat up, Po0key stepped outta the way with a smirk, seeing Tam in the rearview mirror, yelling ‘what the hell?”

I hit the gas pedal, the car surged forward with a cloud of dust hovering overhead. We sped away with Mertis still in the back of the car.

“Well, you could have at least stopped them.”

Pokey shrugged, “with what? I’m tired, you figure it out. Like you thought they wouldn’t try something to escape.”

“I thought they would at least wait.”

“For what, paradise?” Pokey clicked her teeth, “Don’t call me no more, I’m out for whatever this is.”

“It’s called a win.”

“How you figure?”

“TJ has been trying to get with Dev since 6th-grade.”

“That was TJ in a dress?”

“It’s a tunic.”

“Tunics stop here,” Pokey tapped her hips, “not here.” She touched her knees.

“It’s a long tunic.”

“It was a dress.’

“Tunic, dress, same thing, besides it's gone with our ride.”

“It won’t get far, believe me,” she started walking, Pokey ran to catch up with her.

“You don’t seem the least bit upset, whys that?” she walked back to see her response then spun back around to see exactly where they were trekking.

“The car can be traced once I report it; there’s less than a fourth of a tank and TJ’s got what he’s always wanted.”

“Are you sure that’s what Dev wanted?”

“I think he’ll grow on her.”

“And Mertis?”

“They’ll let her go eventually, besides she knows her way home.”

Tam shrugged looking off into the night at the dots of houselights along the cliff. “You said it yourself, you wanted a win. Does this count?”

“I guess so, but I’m confused.”

“About what?”

“How’d TJ find you?”

“In court...”

“Arrested?” Pookey frowned.

“No. A lawyer investigating me, of all people.”

“Probably because of those 6th-grade antics you won’t let go of.”

“Because of those 6th-grade promises.”

“Which was?”

“Set me up with your girlfriend, and I promise not to tell that you stuff your bras?

“Huh?”

“Thomas James?”

Tam did a slow nod.

“All of this was for Dev? We all thought you and Thomas had something going on.”

I kept pressing the gas pedal even after the gauge read red to safely stop the car off the side of the road. “Well, we’re done here. The rest we hoof.”

He laughed, opening the car door, “what about your girl in the back.”

“Let her out.”

We walk back to the trunk to let Mertis out but she was asleep, “don’t wake her, I’ll never hear the end of it. Let’s just see what’s around this bend, and we’ll come back.”

We started walking.

“How do I know you; you look vaguely familiar?”

“You don’t yet, but surely you will. Surely, you will,” he said, bumping my shoulder with his, cheesing.

I smiled too, under all of those clothes, he was definitely worth the look and more. Broad shoulders, tight ass, cheesy gorgeous smile, crystal gray eyes, even if he did kiss sorta like a fish.

Two figures came towards us, “Hey there you are.”

“Don’t start with me Tam,” I step back away from her.

“Congrats,” said Pookey shaking his hand, then mine.

I look startled, “what?”

“Doesn’t he look like someone you know?”

“No,” I shook my head, but it didn’t matter, I was hooked the moment we kissed me.

“Thomas,” Tam winked, “James.”

My eyes widened, “TJ, were you in on this?”

“Well...” he shrugged.

I swatted his arm, sighing, “I’m glad.”

“I am too,” he lifted me, and spun around, “I’ve been waiting since 6th-grade recess for this.” He gasped then sat me quietly on the ground.

“Sorry, if I’ve grown a little.” I tried tucking in my stomach.

He playfully grabbed his heart, “don’t worry about it, I’ve been working out. But, I may need a salve or an ice pack by the end of the night.” He winked.

“I got you. Maybe a massage too?”

“Poss-sib-ly,” he whispered in my ear, tucking my hand inside of his as we began a trek back to the bar where we first met, and our first night together began.

Boy, what a body!