SWNOVELS Pump Two: Chapter 9
we have to go shopping,” Ash moans as I peruse the rails of the thrift store. He loiters behind me with his skateboard, his horribly bleached hair hanging in front of his eyes.
“You needed a ride, and that ride means we pass the thrift stores,” I explain, hovering over a cute skirt. I’m dropping Ash off to go skating with friends. As usual, we stop off to shop.
“Well, it fucking stinks in here,” he says, checking out some basketball shorts. I flash him a warning glare at his choice of words. He’s right, though. It does smell a little musty, as most thrift stores do. The stench does little to deter me from looking at the clothes, and I continue flicking through them. Ash, on the other hand, lets out a dramatic sigh.
My brother doesn’t hate thrifting. I know this because a good portion of his wardrobe contains clothes from second-hand stores.
He does, however, hate going thrifting when it’s somewhat against his free will—I guess shopping with me falls into that category.
“Can we at least get food? I want a fat burger.” I side-eye him a little because I swear I witnessed him devouring half the contents of our refrigerator before we left.
“You eat like a beast, Ash. Didn’t you get food before we left?” I brush him off. He can eat after I pick him up from hanging out with his friends. Ash narrows his eyes at me and flicks his hair out of his face, scoffing loudly.
“Of course I ate before I left, but I’m hungry again. I’m a growing boy and you’re depriving me of sustenance.”
“I’m depriving you? You’ve cleaned out the refrigerator. What about my sustenance?” I argue. I’m sure we’ve bickered over this exact same topic earlier this week.
Ash then playfully smacks a mannequin and earns a glare from the older woman behind the cash register. I spot another woman’s head shoot up from behind a clothing rail at the sound of the smack. I recognize her.
“Mari?” I ask, excitedly. She looks confused for a second, her brown eyebrows furrowed before raising with recognition.
“Violet! Oh my gosh!” Her face lights up, and she walks around a clothing rack to face me. “Long time no see, how have you been?” Mari wears a green beret over her hair, it’s cute and matches her overalls and loafers.
“I’m good, I haven’t seen you since the race! Are you okay? What happened?” I ask, my questions coming out at rapid fire.
“I’m okay…” she trails off, avoiding my eyes for a moment. “Isaac and I aren’t on great terms, so I haven’t been to any more races,” she says solemnly. “Sorry about him by the way, he was a little upset.”
“Upset? Your boyfriend went crazy. I also saw how he treated you after the fight.”
One thing about discussing a friend’s relationship is that it’s hard not to cross a boundary when you really hate the person they’re with. I barely know Isaac or Mari, but I’ve seen enough to know that Isaac is a complete and utter asshole from the ten minutes I’ve spent in his presence.
“Yeah, he just gets like that when he loses sometimes. We’re having a break right now, so you don’t need to worry.”
A break? I give Mari a concerned look and she averts her gaze. Ash coughs loudly and shoves me a little when he moves to stand in front of me.
“Hi Mari, I couldn’t help but overhear your little conversation with my sister here.” He slaps his hand on my shoulder like we’re best buddies. “I’m Ash. Ashton Lee, brother to Violet Lee. I apologize for my sister’s failure to introduce us. I don’t know who this Isaac guy is, but if you need a real man, I’m available.” Ash winks flirtatiously, and I shove him away from her. Mari lets out a musical laugh and shakes her head at my brother.
“Ignore him. Ash, go outside for a second whilst I speak to Mari,” I say, shooing him toward the store exit.
“Dogs are treated better than me,” he mumbles and says something under his breath about me buying him food as he strolls out of the store. The worker looks relieved when he leaves.
“Well, why don’t we exchange numbers, and we can hang out at some point?” Mari asks enthusiastically. “I should’ve asked when we met, but you know, things were a little rushed.” That’s one way to describe the night of the race.
“Sure, we can go for coffee now if you’re free? I really want to catch up. I just need to drop my brother off somewhere, but I can be back here in fifteen,” I suggest, hoping to get to know her more. Mari is nice, she was so welcoming to me at the race. It would be silly not to become closer friends, regardless of the conflict between Devon and Isaac.
“That’d be amazing, Violet,” she replies, her voice warm. “I’ll get us a table.” I go outside to look for Ash, locating him like a bat by following the sound of rolling skateboard wheels. When I find him, he’s attempting tricks in the courtyard area of the mall.
“Ash!” I call, noticing a security guard eyeing him with displeasure. “Are you ready to go?” I dangle my keys.
“Finally,” he huffs, kicking up his skateboard and making a beeline for the parking lot.
I drive him a couple of miles to the skatepark, instantly noticing his group of friends. They’re all dressed similarly in spray-painted pants that they’ve designed themselves. Ash is about to close the car door, but I lean across and stop him.
“Ash, I’ll pick you up in a few hours, okay? If you mess me around with picking you up again, you can get the bus.”
The last time I dropped him off, I returned to pick him up at the time we agreed on. He made me wait an hour by sending me texts claiming he was ‘almost there’. When he did arrive, he handed me a cold, half-eaten burger as a peacemaker. Peace was not made.
“Yeah, sure. Love ya.” He blows several air kisses in succession at me, slams the door shut, and then hops on his skateboard to join his friends.
I text Mari asking if she still wants to hang, and she says that she’s got a table for us in the cafe next to the thrift store. I rush back to find her sipping tea and reading something as I pay for my drink.
“Younger brothers are exhausting,” I sigh and drop into the chair opposite, which causes her to slam the book closed.
“He’s funny.” Mari smiles, tucking her book into her tote bag. I can’t help but notice the shirtless man on the cover and suppress a smile as she continues talking. “I wish I had a sibling. I only have cousins…lots of them.”
“It’s fun, but we argue a bunch. I think he’s just at that age. My parents are pilots and are out of the country most of the time. They work odd schedules,” I explain. “It’s why Ash and I are so close and why I’m his chauffeur.” Mari snorts a little at my sarcasm.
“I’d rather be giving a younger sibling a ride than my drunk boyfriend at three a.m.,” she says, obviously referring to Isaac.
“Thank god you didn’t have to pick him up from the party yesterday.”
“Party?” she asks, confused. Oh no. Does she know that Isaac was trying to get into a party?
“Yeah, I saw Isaac with a group of friends. I didn’t see you, were you there?” I ask, taking a sip of my drink.
“Oh, that’s why he wasn’t home this weekend,” she replies, completely unfazed. “And no, I was at home. I haven’t been to a party in forever.”
“Yeah, he got turned away as soon as he arrived. Some guy called Connor was driving.” Mari scrunches her nose and nods, familiar with the name.
“I’m glad they got turned away, I can’t stand his friends,” she huffs. She’s happy her boyfriend and his friends were refused entry to a party?
“Wait, why don’t you like them?” I’m probably crossing a boundary by asking. It’s none of my business.
“They’re bad people. All of them are involved in criminal activities. Isaac has his moments too, but he just does racing now.”
“Then why are you with him?” I ask, a little too intrusively. Tone it down, Violet.
“Financial struggles. Moved in together when we were young, and I can’t afford to move out. We’re kind of broken up right now anyways, remember?” True, she did say they were on a break earlier.
It must suck to live with someone you’ve split up with. Especially with someone like Isaac.
“If you need somewhere to stay in the meantime, feel free to let me know. You can stay at mine,” I offer. She declines, shaking her head.
“I’ll be fine. Thanks though, Violet.” I leave the conversation there. I’m tempted to rant about how awful Isaac was at the race and decide to keep my opinions to myself instead. I’d also be a complete hypocrite.
Devon’s no angel, and she probably knows that.
Mari gets up to order some more tea before we fall into a conversation about ourselves. It turns out that she wants to be a sports photographer, which is why she was photographing the race—she’s building up her portfolio.
“Oh, I have access to a local art studio if you want to share the space?” she asks. Excitement flares up in me, studio space would be a complete dream. “I work at one part-time, so it would be nice to go halves on space if you’re interested?”
“Are you serious?” I can’t believe this. What are the chances that the one girl I befriended at a race is willing to share studio space? Maybe I should get out more.
“Yes! Nobody uses it on weekends because it’s closed. I have a spare key. Just make sure you don’t leave it wrecked so that Monday classes can take place.”
“Are you sure I won’t get into trouble?” I ask cautiously. “Also, how can you trust me?” I know Mari is kind, but she barely knows me.
“You won’t get into trouble because I’m a loyal employee. Also, I’m pretty confident that I can trust you. You stood up for me at the race, and you just offered me a place to stay.” I have no choice but to take her word for it. We sip and chat until the dreaded conversation comes up: Devon.
“So…Devon Blackstone, hm?” Mari perks up and I smile awkwardly. Devon Blackstone. His full name.
At this point, Mari probably knows more about him than me considering they go to the same races. Devon also made it seem like they went to the same school when he mentioned her the other night.
“What about Devon Blackstone?” I experiment with his name on my tongue. I don’t know if names can be considered attractive. If there’s a list, the name Devon Blackstone would be up there.
“Are you two…you know? Dating? You said you weren’t when we last spoke, so I’m curious if things have developed.” Mari’s smile is a blend of anticipation and excitement. Developed. Sure, if we’re being modest.
“I don’t know what we are, actually,” I answer truthfully. There’s a subdued pang in my chest. Whilst I told Mari about Devon and I not being together at the race, the events that have transpired since make the words taste bitter in my mouth.
I know that I wish there was something more than whatever friendship limbo we’re in now.
“Fine, fine,” she yields, peering over the rim of her mug. She looks a little shifty, like she’s unsure of my reaction to her words. “It was kind of attractive when he walked through the crowd to reach you at the race…and the way you stayed back like you knew he was going to come and get you.” She rests a hand over her heart and visibly swoons.
I take a deep breath, feeling a knot of anxiety in my stomach.
“Yeah, I guess it was kind of attractive.” I try to keep my voice light and unbothered.
Mari raises a thick eyebrow. “Just kind of?” It feels like she’s chiseling away at my lies, or at the very least, knows that I am lying.
My face heats a little and I tear at a napkin on the table. “Yes, just kind of. But I don’t think it means anything, you know?”
“No, I don’t know. All I know is that you’ve got one of the hottest guys ever wrapped around your finger, and you’re sitting here acting oblivious. Either that, or you’re in denial about your feelings for him. If you like him and he likes you, what is this weird uncertainty?” Mari flaps her hands in exasperated confusion.
One of the hottest guys ever? Oh my god.
I really hope Mari and I’s definition of hot is somewhat similar. It’s physically paining me to not just search him online now that I know his entire name.
“Violet?” Mari asks, drawing me out of my thoughts. I completely forgot to respond to her question, and she looks a little concerned.
“You’re right, it’s just a little complicated.” If only she knew that Devon Blackstone is faceless to me. A biking enigma. Mari’s words make sense, but Devon’s hidden identity and my back and forth in wanting to see his face is enough to keep us in a constant teasing state. Mari nods silently and focuses on pouring herself another cup of tea.
This discussion about Devon rekindles my burning desire to know as much as I can about him without seeing his face. I’m admittedly getting more impatient now, especially since I’ve slept with him.
I watch Mari add a packet of sugar to her drink and bounce my leg under the table. I try to restrain myself from asking her about Devon, afraid that revealing how little I know about him will be embarrassing.
Each passing second feels like an eternity as I withhold the need to satisfy my curiosity. I’m going to approach this calmly, no need to rush into it.
“How much money does a winner get from racing, anyway?” I ask. Devon mentioned it when I asked what he did for work, so I’m interested to know how much he earns.
“I don’t really know, but it’s a lot. One time, when Devon didn’t race, Isaac won and got around five thousand,” Mari explains. “I think the betting pool is huge for these races, and the way it’s organized means the winner gets a large payout. People who don’t attend also place bets.”
“Damn.” I don’t know how much mechanics earn, but with Devon’s need to constantly overpay me at work, I’m sure he’s living comfortably with all of that income combined.
“Exactly. Your man always wins, so it’s easy money for him.”
I make a face at Mari referring to him as my man, and she looks at me apologetically. Although he’s not yet mine, I can feel myself burning up as we talk about him.
“What do you know about Devon?” I ask as casually as possible, sipping my drink. The hot liquid only makes me warmer, and I shrug off my cardigan before I start to sweat.
“Um…” Mari’s glossy, brown pencil-lined lips press together. She looks at me with a baffled expression. “I think you know more about Devon than me.” I lean forward out of impatience, causing the table to rattle slightly. Mari looks at me with panicked doe eyes.
“Mari, I promise I was telling you the truth when I said that I don’t know what we are. It’s more of a…” How do I even describe this? Dating? A talking stage? A blind date?
“We are in a situationship.”
If I thought that made things clearer, Mari looks ten times more confused.
“What is a situationship?” she asks.
Fuck it. I’ve been dying to tell someone about this.
“Forget what I just said, here’s the thing…”
I explain everything to Mari. By everything, I mean all except the X-rated details. From the first time he filled up his bike, all the way to seeing him at the party.
By the time I finish speaking, Mari takes a huge gulp of tea and sets it down calmly. She takes a slow breath in and releases it along with a string of questions.
“You have never seen his face?! How did you only just find out his name at the race? Wait, so you don’t even know if he’s hot?” Some very good questions to which I have no reasonable answer for.
“I don’t know, it just kind of happened. The whole anonymous thing was fun and we just…continued, I guess.” Mari looks at me in complete shock, her dark eyes wide and incredulous.
“I don’t even know what to say.” She thinks for a moment before letting out a loud gasp. “Do you have a mask kink?” I choke on my tea, not expecting those words to come from her mouth.
“No!” I sputter. Though, she might be right.
“Hmm.” Mari ponders over my words. “Whatever floats your boat. The only question I have is when do you actually plan on seeing his face?”
“I don’t know. There have been times when I could’ve, but I just chose not to.”
“All he has to do is take off his helmet…or mask, or whatever. This could’ve been done in the first meeting, how strange.” Mari giggles and I laugh along with her. It does sound odd when explaining it out loud. “And it’s only been a few weeks. You haven’t tried to search for him online or anything?” She looks at me in exasperation.
“No! That’d ruin the reveal. Besides, you only just told me his last name,” I admit, winking at her.
“Oh gosh, you didn’t even know his last name!” Mari throws her head back in a fit of laughter, her soft chuckles causing a few heads to briefly turn in our direction. “You know, you could’ve just searched Dynamite Devon. It’d probably just show images of him when he was a kid. You have good self-control, I would’ve found his extended family by now,” she says.
For two hours, Mari and I engage in mindless chatter with the occasional poke at my so-called mask kink. My phone then buzzes with Ash’s message, letting me know he’s finished skating.
“I wish we could chat for longer, but Ash needs picking up,” I say, pouting.
“Same! This was so fun, I’m honestly so excited for you to see Devon’s face. I’m not going to say anything about the way he looks, even though I let it slip that he was good-looking earlier.” Mari pretends to zip her lips as I shoot her a smile.
I can’t help but wonder if I have a thing for masks, Devon, or both. I’m sure it’s both.
Suddenly, my feelings of apprehensiveness start to seep back into me.
“Oh, Mari. Before we leave, I want to get some advice,” I say, toying with my car keys.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Devon has an amazing personality, and we get on so well. A big factor in our friendship is that he hasn’t revealed his face. I know his mask shouldn’t make a difference, but I can’t help but wonder if things will just fizzle out once this is all over.”
“Are you worried you won’t be attracted to him?” she asks. “I can assure you that I doubt that’d be a problem.”
“No, it’s not that…it’s because this anonymity plays such an important part between us. I dunno, what would you do in my position?”
“Oh, I see.” Mari ponders over my words for a moment, placing her tote bag on her shoulder as she stands up. “You’re overthinking it and approaching this way too pessimistically. I mean, why don’t you just ask him to show you his face next time you see him? The whole mask thing seems fun, but maybe as time goes on, you’re both realizing that the mask is becoming pointless. Communicate with him, Vi.”
She’s so right.
“You’re a genius,” I say, holding the cafe door open for her.
“You could’ve totally come to that conclusion yourself.” She laughs softly as we approach my car. “I think you just wanted someone to validate your choices.”
“Probably. I also just needed a verbal slap in the face to relax.”
“Well, that’s what friends are for, right? One of us spirals about something minor, and the other makes them see sense. Or I could just feed into your delusions.” I let out a sharp laugh.
“Thanks Mari, seriously. It feels pretty good to talk to someone about this.”
“I can imagine how relieving it must feel to admit that you have a mask kink,” she jokes, and I twist my lips in amusement.
“If you don’t drop the mask kink thing, I might conveniently forget to text you when the big reveal happens,” I say to her, unlocking my car.
“This has gotta be blackmail. You know I’ll be waiting for your text regardless.”
“We’ll see,” I joke, shutting the car door and rolling down the window. “You need a ride?” Mari shakes her head, hitching the strap of her bag higher onto her shoulder.
“I’m good, thanks. I was just seeing you off. I need to do some more errands anyway.” With that, we quickly say our goodbyes, and I watch Mari enter another store before heading to the skatepark.
Now, there’s only one way I’ll approach Devon the next time I see him: I’m going to ask him to take off the mask.