“Jessie, your not listening.” I felt his hand grab my wrist and yank me back towards him. I stumbled and nearly ran into his muscular frame, but I caught myself. He likes the feeling of having power, and right now he had most of it. Right now, I‘m clinging to the little bit of power I had over him.

“I’m listening, you don’t like the answer.” I tried to pull my arm away from him, but he held on tighter.

“Jessie, I want to take you with me on vacation. All the guys are going and some of their girls are going.” Palmer stared into my eyes and his green-blue eyes seem to be hypnotizing me.

“Why should I have to go with you guys. One month away from me won’t kill you, will it?” I glanced away from his eyes, just in case.

“Why should I leave you here. Someone will come sweep you off your feet and you’ll throw me out the window.” Palmer used his free hand to run his fingers through his hair. Palmer had dark hair that he had pushed back from his face. I loved it.

“Just cause you did that to me, doesn’t mean someone else will.” I looked up into his face and smiled. He was at least a foot taller than me. I only reached up to his neck.

“Why can’t you just come with me?” Palmer let go of my wrist and rested his hands on my shoulders.

“I don’t know,” I was speechless because his eyes were glues on mine.

“Please,” he stuck his lower lip out and tried not smile.

“I’ll think about it,” I said softly and he leaned forward, kissing me so sweetly I felt my knee’s wobble, only once.


I stood in my little room, packing a year’s worth of summer clothes away in my hot pink suit case. Palmer was in my living room, watching some movie. He was suppose to be helping, but when he went to the kitchen for a drink of water, the TV accidentally turned on, and was accidentally on some movie. He accidentally fell on the couch and forgot about helping. It didn’t matter. I shoved my number of bikini’s in the pocket in the top of the suitcase. I refolded some t-shirts and checked to make sure I had all my shorts. I sat some extra shoes in and zipped the lid shut. We were going to Miami, or somewhere around there, that’s what Palmer had told me. I didn’t ask him how he had gotten the ticket and where he had gotten the money. That was his business.

“Are you done yet?” Palmer stood in the doorway of my room. His shirt was gone and his muscles were showing. I just smiled and nodded looking away.

“I look good don’t I?” Palmer was prideful and I just chuckled under my breath.

“Sure do, honey,” I glanced at him over my shoulder and he was flexing and admiring himself. “Maybe it’s a good thing I am going, so no ladies get you in Miami.”

“Yeah,” he grinned at me and disappeared back down the hallway. His movie must have been on a commercial break.


We stood in line at the terminal, waiting to hand over are tickets and enter the security area. Palmer was oddly quiet, not engaging in any of the wild energy that his friends were stirring up. They were singing and the girls were dancing and singing and one was pretending to take his clothes off. The security guards around us seemed pretty tense, ready to jump on anyone of us at any second. All of them had drank it up pretty good before we had met here.

“Next,” the nasally voice of the ticket lady drew us forward. Everyone handed over their ticket and stepped through the gate. Palmer pulled out his tickets, but I saw only one.

“Do you have mine?” I asked looking up into his face.

“Uhh, I think I forgot it at your house.” Palmer’s voice was flat and emotionless. “There’s no time to drive back and get it.”

“Palmer didn’t buy you one.” One of the other girls sneered at me and I felt my heart skip a beat.

“What?” I looked at Palmer confused and he just handed over his ticket to the lady.

“Sorry, Jessie,” he was looking around like I was bothering him.

“Fine, go, don’t call me and don’t come find me when you get back.” I stepped out of line, pulling my suit case behind me.

“No, Jessie, wait,” Palmer called to me as I hurried away, and I hoped no one noticed the tears streaming like rivers down the sides of my face.