Chapter 4: Free Beer

BOOM! BA-Boom, boom, boom! The first fireworks explode high in the air over our heads. That first blast was immediately followed by subsequent blasts, which is accompanied by collective “Ohhh’s” and “Ahhhh, s” from the people watching” This a strangely familiar pattern to me. Leave it to me to attach sexual-connotation to something as simple as a firework show.

Renee looks at me, “Sounds like you have a story?’’

“Huh?”

“Those people over there. How do you know them?”

“Oh, yeah, my mind was wandering ... you know, blasts and Ahhhh’s.” I laugh.

She smacks my arm with the back of her hand, “Is your mind always in the gutter, Sport?”

“Yeah...” I admit.

“Good, mine is too. So, what’s up with them?”

I tell Renee the whole story about what happened to Marc, Jeff and I at Fucker’s Pond that day we were left naked.

“Hahahaha! I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, but you gotta admit that is pretty funny!”

“Maybe now, but it wasn’t at the time.”

“I can’t believe that girl just grabbed you like that. I know I can be pretty straight-forward, but geez-us...”

“It was probably all part of their game.”

“Did you like when she did that?”

“Nah, it was nothing...”

“Don’t lie to me, Kyle.” Renee is staring me down, trying not to laugh.

BOOM! Crackle-crackle! “Oh, look at that one!” I point to the crackle-firework.

My diversion attempt failed, Renee keeps her eyes locked on me, starting to laugh, “Tell me...”

“Yeah, okay,” I sheepishly admit, “It was pretty cool.”

“I never knew of a guy who didn’t like his cock handled, especially you.”

“Well...” I hold my hands up like, what was I supposed to do, run away screaming?

“I’m just messin’ with you, Sport. So, let me guess, you’re looking to get-even?”

“You got it. I mean, they deserve it, don’t they?”

“Yeah, they deserve it. But don’t get any crazy ideas, you don’t need to get yourself in a heap of trouble over it.”

“Yeah, I know...”

I hang out with Renee on the balcony for a couple more beers and the rest of the fireworks. The Grand Finale was awesome, always the most exciting part. Hmmm, Grand Finale’s ... Ever noticed how that works? You have a nice enjoyable build-up capped-off with a big Grand Finale ... she’s right, my mind is always in the gutter.

Riding my bike home, I keep thinking about how I now know where they live. What can we do to get back at them? It’s has to be something good, but what?

A few days later, I’m at work with Benny, Albert, Renee, Allison and Donna (a waitress). It was a slower dinner-rush today, I think a lot of people are out-of-town on vacation. Renee left early, around 6:00, she said she wanted to do some work at the apartment complex Main Office.

I see Albert in the back again, playing on his phone. There are about 5 tables out front that need bussing and the bathroom floors look like no-one’s mopped them in a week.

“Hey Albert, when is the last time you mopped around here?”

“Oh, I don’t know...”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Can this wait? I’m on break.”

“No, it can’t. You need to get that shit done before your break.”

“Since when are you my boss?”

“Fine! Fuck it! Do whatever you want.” I walk out.

“OooOoo, are you going to tell on me now?” I hear Albert from the back room.

I turn around and come back, “No, I’m not, I just know how we do things around here, and for as long as you’ve been here, you should too.”

“You know what you remind me of Kyle? The Teacher’s Pet. Or in your case, should I say the Boss’s Daughter’s Pet?”

I know if I stay back there any longer, I’m probably going be tempted to take a swing at that little fucker. I chose to take my leave and let my blood pressure calm down.

At 8:00, I receive a text from Renee, “Can you come by my apartment after you punch-out?” Punch-out, yeah that’s what I feel like doing to Albert.

I text my reply, “Sure, C ya then.”

I’m off at 9:00 and drive over to Fairlawn. Renee lets me in. “Hey Sport, come in. I found something you might be interested in.”

“What?”

We sit down at her table in the dining area. She shows me a few sheets of print-outs. “So, I was curious about your friends from the pond and I pulled up their files. I really shouldn’t be showing this to you because this sort of thing is confidential, but technically you work here at the apartments. Since you never quit or we never fired you, you are still (sort of) an employee.”

I tilt my head, “I am?”

“Last summer...? Painting?”

“Oh yeah! That really didn’t seem like work at the time.”

She laughs, “Didn’t for me either. Anyhow, here is what I found in our records: We have Dylan and Caleb Derrian, they’re brothers ages 24 and 26 residing in Building #11, Apartment #4. Under issues or complaints, it lists four times that they have been late on paying rent and two times they have been written-up for excessive noise and having too many people in their apartment.”

“Too many people?” I ask.

“When a renter signs our Rental Agreement, they agree to our terms, rules and by-laws. One of them states that a tenant may not exceed 15 persons in any single apartment at any given time. It’s basically there for fire evacuation safety-code reasons and to keep activities from getting too large and out-of-hand. We allow tenants to have get-togethers or parties, but to keep it below 15 people. In most cases, this issue rarely comes up. If a tenant wants to have a bigger party of over 15 people, they can reserve, and for a small fee, rent our Common Room by the pool.

“Hmmm, okay.”

Renee pulls out another sheet and continues, “Okay, here we have Madison Ridley and Alyssa Ludgate, they’re both 25 years old and reside in Building #11, Apartment #1. That means they are right across the hall from Dylan and Caleb, they probably met and became friends here. Under issues or complaints, it lists three times that they have been late on paying their rent and two times they have been written-up for excessive noise and having too many people in their apartment. The excessive noise and too many people complaints are the same dates as the complaints for Dylan and Caleb, so it must have been the same parties.”

“Okay, this is great, but how will it help me?”

“I’m not sure, but I thought you might be interested to know they are on thin-ice around here.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Maybe something will come up that we can use to our advantage.”

“We? Are you saying you want to help me get even with them?”

“If I can, sure.”

“What they did was a nasty prank, but I don’t want to get them kicked out of their apartments or anything.”

She runs her fingers through my hair, “Are you okay, Sport? You seem a little down today.”

“Yeah, I’m alright, Albert pissed me off again.”

“Uh-oh, what did he do now?”

“Do you remember me telling you that he seen me coming out of your room at Cedar Bay?”

“Yeah, you told him something about helping me get something down.”

“He doesn’t believe me and now he thinks he can use it against me.”

“I’ll lay into him next time I’m in.”

“Nah, don’t do that, he’ll know I was talking to you about it.”

“Yeah, I see your point. It’s no secret that Albert hasn’t been the best employee around there. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, guys like him usually end up being their own worst enemy.”

I look at the time on my phone, it’s a little past 10:00. I stand up, I probably should be getting home. “Thanks for digging up the dirt on those people.”

“No problem. Do you maybe have time for a little...?” she nods her head towards the bedroom.

She knows just how to twist my arm, “Mmmm, maybe ... if you really want me to, I’m kinda grungy from work.”

“I don’t mind grungy,” she grins, “How about a shower and a quickie?”

Out of the shower and straight into Renee’s bed, this works for me. There’s nothing like some great satisfying sex to make me feel better, feel better about everything. It is hard to make myself get out of her bed and get dressed again, I could lay here with her all night.

It is after 11:00 though, and I really should be getting home or Mom will start to worry. I kiss Renee goodnight and thank her again for digging into the office records for me.

On my way to my Jeep, I pull out my phone to text my mom that I will be home soon. Distracted with my text-typing, I barely notice the approaching girl, with long straight hair, pass me on the sidewalk from Renee’s building to the parking area.

Over my shoulder, I hear, “Is your name Kyle?” I stop and turn, it’s Alyssa.

“Yeah...”

“Oh my god, it is you,” she says, “Do you live here?”

“No. Visiting a friend.”

“Listen, I am so sorry about what we did to you guys at that pond.”

“Yeah ... about that...” I’m totally caught off-guard and don’t know what to say.

She comes over to me, “I just want you to know that stunt was not my idea, I had nothing to do with planning it. I didn’t even want to do it.”

“Uh-huh,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“I know you probably don’t believe me, but just the same, I really feel bad.” She leans in close, reaches down and rubs her hand on the front side of my shorts. Even in the dark, I can see a gleam in her eyes as she says, “Is there any way I can make it up to you?” As blatantly forward as ever, this girl is.

“Well ... I ... ah...” All I can seem to do is stammer here.

She gently brings her fingers together and squeezes, “I definitely remember liking what you have here...”

I nod, “Oh, yeah ... you sure did! You certainly like THAT!” Think Kyle, think ... How easily the male species is distracted by wandering female fingers. I need to play along, I want to hear how she thinks she’s going make amends, “Okay, how are you going to make it up to me?”

She kisses me on the cheek, “My friends and I are having a party a week from Saturday, you should come?”

I give her a skeptical look, “A party invite? Sounds like you’re setting me up again?”

“No, no, no, I would not do that to you, I like you. What I mean is, come to the party and we can pick-up where we left-off, you know, when we were in the water, touching each other,” she flutters her eyelashes and gives me another squeeze.

“So, you want me to take my clothes off at a party now, is that it?”

“Well, yes, but only with me, in my bedroom. How does that sound?”

It sounds like she thinks I’m a complete idiot, but I keep playing along, “Okay, what apartment?” I already know the answer, but still needed to ask.

“Come to Apartment 4 in Building 11, just across that park area over there.”