A Summer Night Regret

A Summer Night Regret

By Tania Moreno



         Things got out of hand that night.  A few days before then, Stacy knew that she was going to be getting herself into trouble from the moment that one of her old friends from high school called her up and let her know,

         “….I’m throwing a party down at the beach for old times sake and a last summer hurrah. You should definitely join, it wont be as much fun without you!” Jalene was always persuasive, but not that she needed to be for Stacy to reply without thinking twice,

         “Oh I will be there. I need some time to let loose and have fun after my last break up with Tim. We are through for good this time.”

         “Aww. Really? You two were such a sweet couple, I’m sorry to hear that…but I am glad you will be there. I might have just the remedy for you.” Jalene responded, leaving Stacy stuck in the middle of space in time. She was hesitant about what to say next as she thought of the good old days when she and Tim would wait in the grass at the front of their school for the first bell to ring. They would always slack until the second bell whispering sweet nothings as they got up, and ending long kisses.

         The tender memories of kisses from that formerly new found love were quickly tainted with the memory of their last fight, where Stacy had been unsure of Tim’s late night whereabouts for the hundredth time since school ended, and their relationship had become more serious.

         “Well most of the time in relationships, sweet doesn’t always stay sweet now does it? Tim was going out and drinking every night. I couldn’t handle the stress of waiting for him to come home any more. It’s not fair that he always took off with his friends and left me here. I will be at that party. I deserve some fun” Stacy said with her cell phone to her ear, sitting curled up with her feet on the cushions of her red suede couch.

         “Yes. Come out and forget about Tim. He made the wrong decision. I’ll talk to you there, okay?” Jalene said, ending the conversation.

         “Okay, Jaylene. I’ll see you, bye.” Stacy took the phone from her ear and pressed end on the screen, letting out a long sigh as she did so. There was still a picture of her and a tan, smiling Timothy there on the wall paper of her screen. Immediately she lit the screen back up and deleted it, leaving the screen a generic back ground of waves on a beach.

         She then picked her tub of ice cream up from the coffee table, threw it in the trash in the kitchen on her way to her room, and began searching past the several hangers of clothes hanging in her closet.

         The first day of summer was that coming weekend, and she could hardly wait. To get out and mingle would beat sitting around in her pajamas all of the time. She would wear her sexiest summer outfit, and she would not think a minute about her former lover, now known as her scummy ex, Tim. With careful discrimination she picked out an outfit; She drew out a low cut pink camisole and a mini-skirt made of denim material then laid it on her bed. She then dragged a pair of wood based heels from their space on the closet room floor and set them in front of her laid out clothes. Amongst all of the flowery summer dresses, and conservative tops she had hanging in her wardrobe this was her naughtiest combination, a sure winner for a therapeutic, misbehaved night. Stacy placed the combined outfit out of the way and went on about her life until….

         That night arrived, and she was ready from pretty head to painted toes. Her hair was done up in a messy, blonde, bun sitting atop of her head. Her tight fit skirt and top hugged her curves as she walked through the sand at her own, slowed pace nearing a group of bustling people. They were all gathered in a circle around the bon fire, the flames dancing hotly against the night sky, and defiantly out of reach of the low ocean waves. 

         “Stacy! Over here.” Jalene called loud as she could over the DJ‘s music, with a drink in her hand. Her grin was bright as she motioned for her friend to come and join her off to the side where she and two good looking guys were standing with beers in their hand.

         Stacy returned her wave and made her way over. Almost as soon as she was in talking range, the man standing beside who was Jalene’s boyfriend, reached down into the cooler and handed Stacy a wine cooler.

         “Thanks!” She said with her smile full, and her eyes fixed flirtatiously on his face.

His eyes were narrow, and though she could not make out the color, she found the shape to be handsome. They sat perfectly atop the prominence of his nose, and the defined shape of his lips. The man was tall, and his thick, dark hair, gorgeous.

         “You’re welcome.” He said, the tone of his voice was just. Just perfect. He was a distraction Stacy felt she needed.

         “So…who’s this from which class?” Stacy asked her friend unable to hide her giddiness about how much she had analyzed his looks. She did not recognize him from their time at high school, but was oh so curious about him.

         “This is the guy that put the fire out in my apartment a few weeks back after I just moved in! He is a life saver…named Mark.” Jalene said suggestively in a way that made her boyfriend standing beside her question her liking to him. He leaned down to catch her eye contact before saying as if jokingly,

         “Really? I thought I was your life saver.”

         The jealousy causing Jalene to giggle, she then told him, while placing her hand gently on the side of his face, “No sweetie. You’re my lover boy. Lets go dance.” She said assuring him, then grabbing him by the hand, all the while giving Stacy  a tilt of the head in Mark’s direction that said, ‘Go get him.’

         Mark laughed, then took a long sip of his brew, almost as if he were nervous which of course Stacy found cute. She maintained a smile, then asked,

         “So you’re a firefighter. That’s kind of hot. No pun intended…What else are you?”

         Mark’s brows furrowed as he looked down in her direction, answering smartly after taking down his sip,

         “I’m a guy looking to enjoy the party with a great, beautiful girl, and have a little fun tonight. It’s rare that I get to.”

         Stacy ate it up, not questioning for a minute why it was so rare that he was able to get out. She was unable to keep from blushing and automatically assumed it was because of his work. Her affinity with him drove her to move from in front of him to standing closer, beside him. She stood in a way, that positioned her body to face his as she drank her beverage. He was leaning against the back table, watching their friends dance at the bonfire, while others simply socialized. They talked about little things for hours such as crazy exes, and loser old boyfriends.

         They were knocking back beers, exchanging numbers, ending up dancing and then sitting in the sand conversing deeply about their lives. Long after the party was over their conversation lead onto more serious, hotter, and heavier things.

         Their eager kisses and movement brought her to asking they go to her place, where they spent the rest of the evening getting to know each other further. Up until the next morning when Stacy awoke alone.

         It read 7:13 am on the clock at her bedside, and there was no trace of Mark. Stacy ran her hand across her own forehead as she held her sheets over her breasts, wondering how she could be so stupid.

         She left her bed, put on some clothes, and pulled her phone from out of her purse on the floor. There was not a call, not one text, and as she went through out her day there wouldn’t be one either.

         4 pm rolled around after Stacy had gone on a run. She checked her phone for the last time, and then scrolled through her numbers, finding Mark’s and deciding to give him a call. One call, turning into 2, then 3, then 4 with tears in her eyes. Her tears snapped dry by the answer of a woman on the other line,

         “Mark’s phone. Who is this???” The other woman said sharply. Stacy ended the call in a panic as her heart stopped for a moment, resumed beating as she toughened up and sat the phone on her dresser. Mark was never meant to become anything serious anyway. She let out a frustrated growl, then went straight for the shower in the bathroom connected to her room. She was not expecting to hear her door bell ring after she was done, and in the midst of preparing for herself dinner.

         To her surprise, it was Mark.

         “Stacy!” He said, his face beaded with sweat and his clothes a mess. He was wearing the same long sleeve shirt and khaki shorts that he had been wearing last night. Only, when he raised his arm to reach for her, Stacy noticed something, completely horrifying and different. He had a stab wound slit in the middle of his hand, bleeding out heavily into a wrap of cloth.

         “My girl- my ex girl friend. She kicked me out…” He began to explain. The first few words of his explanation making Stacy’s eyes pop out of her head,

         “But of course she didn’t do that before waking me off the couch with a stabbing to my hand. Which of course I know sounds bad, but let me explain.” Stacy shook her head and began to close the door as Mark moved closer. She looked at him through a peak opening of the door, at a loss for words for moment, until the words shout out of her mouth with anxiety in her tone,

         “Mark, you said you had a crazy ex! Not a crazy girlfriend!”

         “I know. But hear me out-” He pleaded.

         “ No I don’t think I can! Last night got completely out of hand. I was out of hand. You’re… out of hand.” She said with her eyes darting to the bloody bandage in his palm.

         As she shut the door instinctively, she could hear him shout,

         “No! Wait! I need your help. I need a place to stay. I have no where to go.” The words of his need leaving her in disbelief of what she had gotten herself now into, what she had caused. She stood with her back to the door and wondered whether or not she should help a man that she thought clearly had lied to her.

         “Go away Mark! Go to the police! I cant help you!” She called. The other side of the door going quiet, leaving her to her own guilt and confusion. She sighed, never have intending this, and worried about what would come next. Yet, unable to withhold gossip about it, picked up her phone and called none other than her best friend, starting the conversation with,

         “Jalene! What were you thinking?”