Quarterback Bait

At long last, I deposited the five of us in the empty parking lot outside Pop's church. His twenty or so other regular parishioners all seemed to have made it out for the big day. I wondered who'd be doing the honors, considering Pop was the only Pastor at the Holy Congregation of the Ascension. I supposed he had friends inside, preparing to pop out of the woodwork and lend their congratulations. And this must be the son we've heard so much about, the congregants might say. You must be a proud man, Father!

“You're never allowed to drive my truck again,” said De

I nodded dully, sliding the emergency brake up. It took a swift elbow in the ribs from Zora to get me out of the car, where apparently Doll needed to change into her wedding clothes. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, trying my damndest not to imagine her movements. Her tiny body, pressing up against the familiar terrain of the truck...her big naked breasts, swinging in the reflection of my rearview mirror... her pale, taut, back flush against the car seats.

The fogey, playing the gentlemen, hopped out of the car and came to stand next to me on the sidewalk. Jerk barely reached my shoulders. He looked shrimpy, like he'd never clocked an hour at the gym. What could she possibly see in him?

“You're the football guy, right?” Old Man River said, in an irritatingly chirpy voice. Catching a slice of Zora's expression, I nodded. I guessed it would be showing my hand to be outright impolite to my stepsister's wedding date.

“She's talked about you,” he said. Then, he lowered his voice and leaned toward me. I caught a whiff of some froufy, adult cologne. “I'm Nate Dempsey. I hope this isn't too weird for you. Ash and I are friends from the school, and she just kind of invited me last minute. I'm really grateful to be included.”

“You look a bit old for a high school senior.”

“How's that?” De

“You look a little older than high school, man. All I'm saying.” I bit my lip. The truck bed wobbled back and forth, and I heard a cute little squeal from within. Doll was clearly struggling with some part of her dress. A part of me wished I could tap on the window and offer my aid. Untangle that bra strap. Smooth down those hose.

“I'm not too much older than you are, actually. And what can I say? Your sister's mature.”

My nails were suddenly digging into the flesh of my palms.

“Step-sister, bro.”

“Whatever you say.” We stood shifting on the sidewalk for another few moments, awkward as hell. Then the ancient one opened his trap again. “She had a really shitty year at that high school. We got to be close. I totally understand this protective brother vibe, Landon, but you don't have to worry about me. I'm one of the good guys.”

He even sounded like a creepy teacher. All amiable and calming, like a person trying to talk someone off a ledge.

“I think Ash is a doll. Honestly.”

I didn't even realize I'd done anything weird until I got a cue from Zora again. Her eyes had lifted from her cell phone, and now appeared to be boring their way through my face. De

“What the fuck, Landy?!” he shouted. It was then that I co

Before I could come up with even the glimmer of a lie, Doll emerged from the opposite door of the cab. She wore a silky, purple, sleeveless dress that clung to her frame. She had a bright white daisy tucked behind one ear. Her lips were shiny, bearing just a trace of pink. The dress looked made for her body. As she walked towards our group on the sidewalk, the swampy air seemed to bend around her. It was like she was gliding through water—silent, impossible, lovely. The exact vision from my recurring dream.

None of us three guys said a word at first. Then my girlfriend cleared her throat.

“Come on, goons,” said Zora, in her iciest, she-wolf voice. “Don't want to miss your Dad's wedding because of some pair of legs, do we?”

Chapter Fourteen

Ash

July 23rd

My mother looked surprisingly good in her polka-dotted white chiffon dress. Carson had deigned to help tailor it, and the fabric magically seemed to make curves of her nonexistent hips. When she said “I do,” Anya's face broke open like a raincloud, and I felt for an instant that maybe—just maybe—all this marriage hullabaloo was for real.

The Pastor, in his rented tux, didn't look half so trucker-y as usual. His greying hair was slicked back from his face, and without the shadow of his baseball cap covering his eyes, I was more than a little shocked to learn that his cheekbones were strong and his jawline pronounced. I couldn't quite understand what she saw in him, but when I saw his eyes also go liquid at the sound of the ti

Mr. Dempsey—or Nate, as he'd told me in the truck—seemed more emotionally affected than the whole congregation slapped together. He fidgeted beside me, and I snuck a peek of a fat tear hovering on the lip of his eyelid as the newlyweds sashayed down the aisle. I smiled to myself. He was definitely cute, in a hipster kind of way. He was older, and sort of a teacher, sure—but he was kind. And I figured I deserved to have someone who was kind to me.

Carson shot me a strange look from further down our little bridesmaids’ aisle (for the “church” was too small for us to stand up next to our mother, like proper attendants). At one point, I caught her trying to mouth a question in my direction. She had a right. I had basically brought a stranger along to my family's most intimate moment to date. But my sister's curiosity was nothing compared to the unrelenting gaze of Landon, who hadn't stopped staring at me since I climbed out of De

In turn, I tried not to look at him. It was kinda creepy. There was something almost violent in his intensity—and an irrational part of me wondered if he would come gu