interior seemingly untouched since the eighties.
Given the size of the David estate she hoped that she would be able to avoid Julian for her upcoming weekend getaway.
***
The swimming pool glowed green, then blue, then red, then purple. The night was slightly warm, but tolerable. Ari, Bailey, Maura, and Fiona watched as Courtney gave a recount of each item before throwing it on the fire pit to be consumed.
From the hot tub attached to the pool, Ari and Fiona giggled as a Calitones T-shirt Courtney got at a concert with Travis went up in flames.
They all mumbled die-Travis-Miller-die and did another round of tequila shots. Bailey and Maura occupied the loungers next to the pool while Courtney stirred the contents of the fire bowl that rested on the corner of the custom pool.
“Ten dollars says she catches the palm tree on fire.” Bailey wagered.
“I’ll take that action.” Maura didn’t think the flames could reach that high.
“Next up the peppermints that I begged him to partake of after our Valentine’s Day dinner at Ezra’s. He refused and I had to endure his garlic breath the entire night.”
The mints hit the pit with a plink. “Travis sounds like a real loser.” Bailey said.
Courtney held her shot glass high in the air. “die-Travis-Miller-die.” They all took another shot and Maura began to worry about Bailey and her new kidney.
“Bails, should you do any more tequila shots?” Maura whispered.
“I’ve only done one. Threw those last two over my shoulder.” Bailey winked at Maura.
Maura’s eyes filled with tears. She wasn’t used to this new Bailey. The old Bailey threw caution to the wind at every turn, living her life on fast forward, not worried that her system might not be able to keep up. Since she’d met Parker she’d been different. She’d slowed down to live life. In that moment Maura had so much love for Parker that if he were out here with them she would have surely gushed all over him.
“Behold! The Chanel Number Five perfume Travis gifted to me that same evening.”
“No!” Maura yelled. She watched the bottle fall from Courtney’s hand and she leaped over Bailey, slamming into Courtney and propelling them both into the pool with a big splash. Limbs tangled together and Maura saw the orange glow of the fire above them. Through the water she heard muffled voices conversing loudly. When they came up for air Parker and Everett were fighting the fire with an extinguisher and Julian had jumped into the pool fully clothed.
His hands raced over each one of them as he inspected them for burns. “Are you okay? Maura? Courtney?”
Maura was still in shock and unable to speak. It seemed Courtney was too.
“Hey.” He shook each one of them by the shoulders and then snapped his fingers in front of their faces.
Maura coughed the burning lump from her throat while Courtney mumbled the words Julian wished to hear.
“I think I’m okay.” Maura finally managed.
Courtney turned to her and her arms pulled her into an embrace. “Oh, my God! Maura, you saved my life!”
“What the hell were you thinking, Courtney?” Everett yelled.
The fire had been contained. Unfortunately for the tree, it had been scorched and now Maura owed Bailey ten dollars. Courtney regarded Maura with wide eyes and then both of them fell into a fit of drunken laughter.
Julian pulled Maura in to his chest. “You’re completely shit faced.”
“I am not.”
“What the hell were you girls doing out here?” Julian yelled. Ari jumped on her brother’s back attempting to pull him into the water.
“Maura, help!” Maura slid her foot beneath his and he went down. Given his strength they weren’t able to hold him down long. His hands grasped whatever they could and at one point he’d cupped her breast.
“Hey! You copped a feel!”
Julian held his hands up in surrender. “I was only defending myself. I felt threatened.”
“I told you he’d cheat.” Parker announced.
Julian pulled
Given the size of the David estate she hoped that she would be able to avoid Julian for her upcoming weekend getaway.
***
The swimming pool glowed green, then blue, then red, then purple. The night was slightly warm, but tolerable. Ari, Bailey, Maura, and Fiona watched as Courtney gave a recount of each item before throwing it on the fire pit to be consumed.
From the hot tub attached to the pool, Ari and Fiona giggled as a Calitones T-shirt Courtney got at a concert with Travis went up in flames.
They all mumbled die-Travis-Miller-die and did another round of tequila shots. Bailey and Maura occupied the loungers next to the pool while Courtney stirred the contents of the fire bowl that rested on the corner of the custom pool.
“Ten dollars says she catches the palm tree on fire.” Bailey wagered.
“I’ll take that action.” Maura didn’t think the flames could reach that high.
“Next up the peppermints that I begged him to partake of after our Valentine’s Day dinner at Ezra’s. He refused and I had to endure his garlic breath the entire night.”
The mints hit the pit with a plink. “Travis sounds like a real loser.” Bailey said.
Courtney held her shot glass high in the air. “die-Travis-Miller-die.” They all took another shot and Maura began to worry about Bailey and her new kidney.
“Bails, should you do any more tequila shots?” Maura whispered.
“I’ve only done one. Threw those last two over my shoulder.” Bailey winked at Maura.
Maura’s eyes filled with tears. She wasn’t used to this new Bailey. The old Bailey threw caution to the wind at every turn, living her life on fast forward, not worried that her system might not be able to keep up. Since she’d met Parker she’d been different. She’d slowed down to live life. In that moment Maura had so much love for Parker that if he were out here with them she would have surely gushed all over him.
“Behold! The Chanel Number Five perfume Travis gifted to me that same evening.”
“No!” Maura yelled. She watched the bottle fall from Courtney’s hand and she leaped over Bailey, slamming into Courtney and propelling them both into the pool with a big splash. Limbs tangled together and Maura saw the orange glow of the fire above them. Through the water she heard muffled voices conversing loudly. When they came up for air Parker and Everett were fighting the fire with an extinguisher and Julian had jumped into the pool fully clothed.
His hands raced over each one of them as he inspected them for burns. “Are you okay? Maura? Courtney?”
Maura was still in shock and unable to speak. It seemed Courtney was too.
“Hey.” He shook each one of them by the shoulders and then snapped his fingers in front of their faces.
Maura coughed the burning lump from her throat while Courtney mumbled the words Julian wished to hear.
“I think I’m okay.” Maura finally managed.
Courtney turned to her and her arms pulled her into an embrace. “Oh, my God! Maura, you saved my life!”
“What the hell were you thinking, Courtney?” Everett yelled.
The fire had been contained. Unfortunately for the tree, it had been scorched and now Maura owed Bailey ten dollars. Courtney regarded Maura with wide eyes and then both of them fell into a fit of drunken laughter.
Julian pulled Maura in to his chest. “You’re completely shit faced.”
“I am not.”
“What the hell were you girls doing out here?” Julian yelled. Ari jumped on her brother’s back attempting to pull him into the water.
“Maura, help!” Maura slid her foot beneath his and he went down. Given his strength they weren’t able to hold him down long. His hands grasped whatever they could and at one point he’d cupped her breast.
“Hey! You copped a feel!”
Julian held his hands up in surrender. “I was only defending myself. I felt threatened.”
“I told you he’d cheat.” Parker announced.
Julian pulled
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