The Rebel

Dylan-2

We’ve known one another since we were ten, and we’ve gone through a few crazy things together. We both have had success with women even though are styles differ a lot. At Liam’s side I was always cast as the bad boy, while he starred as the gent. No idea how the f**k it works, but the girls fall for both. We both have had our share of affairs until Liam met Zoey. Since then, there was never another woman for him but her. I laughed at him and made fun of him a lot just for the record, but also saw that he was really himself when he was with her. He is a real, monogamist guy. The dream of every woman. I mean, every woman’s dream even on the long run.

The girl glances from side to side between us, not knowing whom to try to impress more, when Cody waves her over to the other side at last. Cass places the beer in front of Liam, rolling her eyes unwillingly, but leaves us. We clink our glasses.

“Everything all right?” I ask, scratching my stubble.

“Yeah. Except, it was a madhouse today. I’m all knackered,” he says, massaging the nape of his neck.

“A madhouse?” I raise my eyebrows. What kind of a madhouse can there be at a dental practice?

“We’ve had two emergencies,” he shrugs his shoulders.

“Okay,” I wave him off. “Don’t go into the details, or you’ll be number three.”

He laughs and takes a good drag of the beer.

“What about you?”

“Ditto. A madhouse, Plus, the new menu really sucks as well.”

“You weren’t here when Collin put it together, so don’t complain.”

“I’m not complaining,” I mumble. “But it will take some little time until I get into the routine.”

“You got out of practice during these six months, right, bro?” he nudges me with laughter. “No wonder, after such a long holiday.”

“I have worked more than you all added together,” I snort, because regarding the physical part, life on open waters, navigating the ship in a storm, fighting with the waves in bad weather – these are all strenuous work. Liam just giggles at me, even though the fact that he goes down to the fitness centre and goes for a jog amounts to nothing compared to what you go through for half a year, on board a ship. We always give a hard time to each other about that.

“Yeah, right. You were sailing for a few months and bathed in the sun on board.”

“Shut it, Parker. Instead, tell me why the hack you are still alone?” he raises his eyebrows, casting me a sharp glance behind his beer glass. “I remember, there was that short girl from the pub. She was so crazy about—”

“You’re beginning to sound like my mother,” he interrupts, shaking his head slowly. He puts down his glass and wipes his mouth. “What’s up, dude? Are you beginning to get sentimental?”

Beginning? Hell. I didn’t mean to. I’ll just keep on drinking, just to keep my mouth shut.

“By the way, the girl was a nightmare,” he continues with a shrug. “We didn’t match.”

Since Zoey died, Liam is never a ‘match’ with anyone. I know him too well. I know he is lonely, even if he would never actually say it. I’m not a mind reader, so I don’t know what it would take for him to open up again and let a woman come close to him, but I honestly hope the miracle will happen soon, whatever form it will arrive in. Liam was not made to be alone. He’s not like me.

“What about Cass?” I point my chin towards the bar tender girl, who, while tending to the others, still keeps eyeing us.

“Cass? Are you joking? She’s crazy about you.”

“Both of us,” I correct him. He laughs out. He knows I’m right. “Take her, if you want.”

An inarticulate groan wakes from his throat, and not the good kind. Cass is not his type, I’m sure about that.

“And how the hell would I take anybody home while I’m stuck with you?” he asks, laughing.

True, I’ve been staying with him since I came back. I have a room above the restaurant, but when I’m in London, I still choose to stay on the ship. I usually anchor near Hampstead Road Locks, near the restaurant. But since the Black Swan has been slightly damaged in the most recent storm, I had to take it to the workshop to get it fixed. It could take weeks, but it’s not too urgent at the moment. Liam said I could sleep at his place if I am fed up with the room at the restaurant, so if I’m not on the ship, I’m at his. This was a natural arrangement after Zoey’s death. None of us discusses it, it’s just the way it is.

“We could take her home together,” I raise my glass to him.

Liam frowns, then glances towards Cass. I’m so familiar with all his moves that I already know his answer even before he speaks. He doesn’t want the girl, and not even because he would have to share her with me. She’s simply too ordinary for his sophisticated taste. I’m not so picky, though.

“Bro, I’ll pass. Anyhow,” he scratches the back of his neck, “aren’t we a little too old for this thing?”

“For what? s*x?” I raise my eyebrows.

“You know what I mean,” he rolls his eyes.

I know what he means, but it’s bullshit. I don’t think I’ll ever be too old for this kind of fun. Anyway, it works with me, and I’m not going to change the state of things.

“Don’t be so choosy, bro.”

“I’m not. But Cass?” he makes big eyes at me. “I’m not desperate yet, man.”

I shrug my shoulders. We talk for a while more about Lily and her arsehole boyfriend, then, in about half an hour Liam leaves, followed by the bartender girls’ longing eyes. I mate sits down next to me and the black-haired chick whom I met in front of the pub also comes over, so I decide to stay a bit longer. We talk, they ask me about sailing, while the girl is stroking my thigh. It looks like she feels comfortable with me, and hard as I try, her name just escapes me. When it’s beginning to feel awkward, to my luck, the others call her name, so it turns out she is Ashley. I give her the usual chick-magnet talk about the hard days on the ship, which makes the girls go wet in a matter of seconds. It’s working now as well. Ashley leans in very close to me, begins to whisper into my ears while her lips are touching my earlobe.

“Listen up, Dylan. We’re going to pop into Luke’s tonight. There’ll be a little party there, food, drink and all. Wanna come?” she blinks at me significantly from under her artificial eyelashes.

I don’t have the foggiest who Luke is, but all in all, it makes no difference. We both know why she is inviting me; the location is trivial. With a sigh, I run my fingers through my hair. If I were smarter, I would beat it and get a good night’s sleep after this day, especially because tomorrow will be just as busy. On the other hand, I haven’t shagged for months, so I feel rather horny. The girl has aroused me already with her licking, and even now, her hand is on my thigh. Common sense tells me I should just let it go, but my d**k is sending me different signals. Cass is watching us with a sharp gaze, and as I wave her over to say I want to pay, she leans close and tells me she will finish at midnight, and I can wait for her if I want to. This happens when you want to be a decent kid. Not that I’ve ever been one. Not that I’ve ever tried. I place the cash in front of her and add a juicy tip.

“Next time, dear,” I wink at her, and turning to Ashley, I say, “Shall we go?”

Luckily, this Luke guy doesn’t live too far away, because I don’t feel like a big walk. We go down the street, then through the square, while Ashley folds her arm into mine, as if I was no less than her boyfriend. I would instinctively push her away from me, but then change my mind. I’m too tired to deal with this, and for sure, I will lose it if she begins to whine. *I let her do it. I don’t even care that the whole time through she’s not shutting her mouth, going on about such people’s private lives who are total strangers to me. I don’t give a s**t who does it with whom and why, and I’m already considering I should get the hell out of there when the guy called Luke stops in front of a two-storey and swings the key in his hand. We are about ten people, maybe more, and all zonked, so the sound level is high. He keeps missing the keyhole, but when he eventually finds it and he invites us into the house, he visibly shines.

“This house is damned nice, you’ll see. Luke’s parents are full of dough. They’re away to Sicily just now, so the house is empty,” the girl murmurs into my ear.

I look at her incredulously. Is she trying to tell me that the guy is staying with his parents? Or… - I size Luke up and down as he switches on the lights and begins to take beer out of the fridge – what the hell do I know… somewhere between 25 and 30. I would cut my own balls off if I still lived with my parents at that age. God! That’s so f****d! The last time Liam and I were at a party that was held at a mate’s home whose parents were on holiday, we were seventeen. I look around the place and, you’ve got to admit, it’s really posh. This Luke kid has got to be his parents’ joy and pride – I laugh inside, and then as the Xbox consoles turns on; I laugh out loud as well. Why the hell not – I think, taking a beer from the counter and throwing myself down among the guys. Music comes from invisible loudspeakers, some techno crap, and the girls begin to shake themselves in the middle of the living room. I’ve got one eye on Ashley as she twists her hips and licks her mouth. Sexy. In a cheap and ordinary manner, still, sexy. I look back at the screen, they are playing some car race thing, then the guy with this hair up in a ponytail puts the console in my hand while he goes out for a piss. I swear I feel ten again as I run the circles on the track. On the rare occasions that I sit down to play with Liam, we like to do FIFA, but I can’t remember when we did it last. I cast a glance around myself, all the adult blokes are so crazy with excitement as if their old men had banned them from playing, and now they were having some secret fun. Good God, where am I? Luckily, the ponytailed loser comes back, I quickly place the console into his hand, and focus my attention on Ashely. She is moving seductively with two other girls in front of us, but the guys don’t give a damn, they are so busy with the car race. What a nursery! I lay back putting an arm under my neck, drink my beer and watch the girls. Ashley turns her back to me, and as she wiggles her arse lifting it to the sky, her shirt slips up enough to reveal the tattoo on her waist. I stare at it, tilting my head. It’s a red rose. Awfully original – the thought crosses my mind, but as I take a better look, it’s becoming more and more familiar. I suddenly remember that we were once doing it in the toilet at the pub, while she was leaning over the wash basin. How grand, I remember a girl better by the tattoo on her backside than looking at her face, but what can I do. We had fun at the toilet, and anyhow, she has a nice, round butt – I remark while downing my beer. We could give it another go, nobody would take any notice, while all these losers are stuck to the screen. Anyway, this music makes me puke by now. I put the bottle down onto the coffee table, stand up and slowly start walking towards Ashley. I make a point to fix my eyes on her with such seriousness, it always gets them started. I stop beside her, lean over and whisper into her ear.