responded
with a shamefaced nod. “Visine gives you the runs.”
Ben arched an
eyebrow into the middle of his forehead. “You must really hate your wife’s
Christmas party.”
“The CEO is a
recovering alcoholic so there’s never a bar.”
Ben leaned his
head back and closed his eyes again. “That’ll do it.”
“I was into
squashing for three months last year and never told anyone.”
The entire group
fell silent, slowly rotating their heads around to Jon.
Shaun bunched
his face up. “Say what now?”
“Squashing,” Jon
repeated. “It’s when you let a heavyset chick sit on you in their underwear.”
Water gently
slapped the sides of the boat for a few taken aback seconds before Kat and Sky
busted up laughing from beneath the blanket.
“That is so
wrong!” Kat said.
“I had to give
it up when one of my ribs cracked.”
A shocked laugh
somersaulted from Shaun’s gaping mouth. “I thought that happened playing basketball!”
“That’s what I
told everyone.”
“That is really
weird, man,” Ben said.
Sky shrugged,
smiling up at Jon. “Hey, we all have our things .
I won’t judge you.”
“Thank you, Ty.”
Her smile fell.
“It’s Sky.”
Will cleared his throat. “Every time I go into the kitchen after
midnight I hear a puppy whining in the basement.”
Silence mixed
with their puzzled looks.
“What?” Ben
finally laughed.
Will lowered his
voice to a grave whisper. “And here’s the weird part...we don’t even have a
puppy.”
“That’s not a regret ,” Jon said flatly. “And you already had your turn.”
“Sorry, I just
needed to tell someone. Laura thinks I’m getting dementia, but I know what I
heard.”
Ben leaned his
chair back on two legs. “Have you gone downstairs and checked it out?”
“I don’t go down
there anymore, which is a shame because we just remodeled the basement
bathroom. Bowl sink and everything.”
Jon stretched
his arms out and yawned. “Bummer.”
They studied
each other in the faint light while Dean stared off into space.
“I’m pretty sure
our house is haunted,” Ben said.
Will frowned.
“Don’t mock me, Ben.”
“I’m serious. I
found out from a neighbor that the guy who used to live there died in his sleep
in the master bedroom. Brooke wants to switch to a different bedroom now.”
“Get out,” Will replied dully.
“Lot of weird
noises and stuff,” Ben continued with a yawn of his own.
“Probably just
the wind,” Will said , tipping his can back. “That’s
Laura’s explanation for everything and she’s probably right.”
The calmness of the
lake slithered over the edges of the boat like tentacles, pulling them into a
subdued state of mind. A crane leisurely flew past, its legs dangling through
the air behind it, a prehistoric silhouette against the brightening sky.
“I once jerked off
on a girl who had passed out ten minutes earlier,” Shaun said.
“Will you just shut
the fuck up! ” Dean said, concern flooding his tired face.
“All of you! Quit acting like nothing is wrong here because I can assure you
that could not be farther from the truth.” He shook his head. “Fuck!”
They did as he
asked, avoiding his searing eyes as well for good measure.
“Dean,” Will said
softly, “I will help explain everything to Evy. I am her father and she knows I
would never lie to her. It’s always easy telling the truth when you did nothing
wrong.”
Ben nodded. “He’s
right, Dean.”
Dean leaned
forward in his chair, hitting Will with a pointed glare. “You and I both know
that no matter what we say to Evy, she will always have this… doubt in the back of her mind after this.”
He glanced to the girls and then looked down to his stained clothing.
“I’m not so sure
about…”
“You know she
will! She may act like she doesn’t but she will. I know her and so do you.”
“Listen, Jon is
the only one who had sexual relations with those women.” Will
cast a cold look Jon’s way that made him
with a shamefaced nod. “Visine gives you the runs.”
Ben arched an
eyebrow into the middle of his forehead. “You must really hate your wife’s
Christmas party.”
“The CEO is a
recovering alcoholic so there’s never a bar.”
Ben leaned his
head back and closed his eyes again. “That’ll do it.”
“I was into
squashing for three months last year and never told anyone.”
The entire group
fell silent, slowly rotating their heads around to Jon.
Shaun bunched
his face up. “Say what now?”
“Squashing,” Jon
repeated. “It’s when you let a heavyset chick sit on you in their underwear.”
Water gently
slapped the sides of the boat for a few taken aback seconds before Kat and Sky
busted up laughing from beneath the blanket.
“That is so
wrong!” Kat said.
“I had to give
it up when one of my ribs cracked.”
A shocked laugh
somersaulted from Shaun’s gaping mouth. “I thought that happened playing basketball!”
“That’s what I
told everyone.”
“That is really
weird, man,” Ben said.
Sky shrugged,
smiling up at Jon. “Hey, we all have our things .
I won’t judge you.”
“Thank you, Ty.”
Her smile fell.
“It’s Sky.”
Will cleared his throat. “Every time I go into the kitchen after
midnight I hear a puppy whining in the basement.”
Silence mixed
with their puzzled looks.
“What?” Ben
finally laughed.
Will lowered his
voice to a grave whisper. “And here’s the weird part...we don’t even have a
puppy.”
“That’s not a regret ,” Jon said flatly. “And you already had your turn.”
“Sorry, I just
needed to tell someone. Laura thinks I’m getting dementia, but I know what I
heard.”
Ben leaned his
chair back on two legs. “Have you gone downstairs and checked it out?”
“I don’t go down
there anymore, which is a shame because we just remodeled the basement
bathroom. Bowl sink and everything.”
Jon stretched
his arms out and yawned. “Bummer.”
They studied
each other in the faint light while Dean stared off into space.
“I’m pretty sure
our house is haunted,” Ben said.
Will frowned.
“Don’t mock me, Ben.”
“I’m serious. I
found out from a neighbor that the guy who used to live there died in his sleep
in the master bedroom. Brooke wants to switch to a different bedroom now.”
“Get out,” Will replied dully.
“Lot of weird
noises and stuff,” Ben continued with a yawn of his own.
“Probably just
the wind,” Will said , tipping his can back. “That’s
Laura’s explanation for everything and she’s probably right.”
The calmness of the
lake slithered over the edges of the boat like tentacles, pulling them into a
subdued state of mind. A crane leisurely flew past, its legs dangling through
the air behind it, a prehistoric silhouette against the brightening sky.
“I once jerked off
on a girl who had passed out ten minutes earlier,” Shaun said.
“Will you just shut
the fuck up! ” Dean said, concern flooding his tired face.
“All of you! Quit acting like nothing is wrong here because I can assure you
that could not be farther from the truth.” He shook his head. “Fuck!”
They did as he
asked, avoiding his searing eyes as well for good measure.
“Dean,” Will said
softly, “I will help explain everything to Evy. I am her father and she knows I
would never lie to her. It’s always easy telling the truth when you did nothing
wrong.”
Ben nodded. “He’s
right, Dean.”
Dean leaned
forward in his chair, hitting Will with a pointed glare. “You and I both know
that no matter what we say to Evy, she will always have this… doubt in the back of her mind after this.”
He glanced to the girls and then looked down to his stained clothing.
“I’m not so sure
about…”
“You know she
will! She may act like she doesn’t but she will. I know her and so do you.”
“Listen, Jon is
the only one who had sexual relations with those women.” Will
cast a cold look Jon’s way that made him
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