Junior Year Box Set

I looked down at my chest and was pissed to see there was paint on my leathers. Time to stalk my two friends down and make them pay. I raised my head to reconnoiter, and the front of my four-wheeler was hit, and I heard giggles. I noticed there was a compartment on the back of the four-wheeler that I hadn’t seen last time. Reaching up, I pushed the button to open it, and found a paintball gun. I snaked my hand in and pulled it out.

That brought a feral grin to my face; I was about to get even. I leaned around the corner and spotted Cassidy crouched next to a tree. She snapped off a round, but I had her dead to rights. I lined up the shot and … … … nothing!

“Shit!” I complained.

I hadn’t loaded it. That was when I was shot in the butt. Sneaky Brook had circled around and used Cassidy as bait.

“You surrender?” Brook called out.

I dove towards the back of the four-wheeler, peeked into the box, saw the paintballs, and grabbed the container. A split second later, a paintball exploded where my hand had been. I ripped open the package and promptly spilled the balls all over the ground.

“For shit’s sake,” I mumbled.

I scooped them up and loaded them into my gun. I spotted Brook and shot her.

“David! That hurt!” she whined and stood up.

I felt horrible.

“I’m sorry,” I said and stood up to go see if she was hurt.

It was like a scene from some action movie. I was hit with a hail of paintballs from both Cassidy and Brook. The thing was, they did kind of hurt. I turned and ran at Cassidy as I fired. I figured she would be the least proficient with the paint gun. What I forgot was she grew up around Marines. The little witch shot me in the balls. I collapsed in a heap and moaned.

“I get the kill,” Cassidy crowed.

Brook and Cassidy stood over me in triumph.

“Rub some dirt on it,” Cassidy chided me.

We had a blast the rest of the afternoon, flying around on the four-wheelers and shooting each other. Once I got the hang of the paintball gun, my training for my movie took over, and I was a deadly shot. Cassidy was just as good, and Brook wasn’t bad. It made it much more fun if you knew they would take you out if they got the chance.

We all came back to the house sweaty and covered in paint. I sure hoped that this stuff would wash off. Thankfully, it did.

We ended up having dinner at Brook’s, and then I took Cassidy home.

After I dropped Cassidy off, I drove home in a reflective mood. Cassidy and Brook were spending more time with each other and seemed to be bonding. Each of them was an embodiment of my more physical side, Cassidy with her conditioning bent and her skill in martial arts, and Brook with her adventurous spirit. At the same time, each of them had their own depths and qualities that reached far beyond the physical. Together or separately, though, thinking of them made me smile. It was a good thing.

◊◊◊

When I settled into my apartment, I found there were several messages on my phone. I took them in order of importance. The first one I returned was to Caryn, my potential PA/Manager.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.

“Cora’s a total bitch!”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re just now figuring that out? I was ready to trade for you in New Orleans.”

“I have my MBA from Berkeley, and she thinks I should run out and get her an Orange Crush because she had a princess craving. Despite what she thinks, I’m not her gofer. And Devin? Don’t get me started. He ordered me to go get it. I had actual work to do, and I had to drop everything to run to the Quickie Mart to buy the bitch a soda. Then they didn’t have Orange Crush!” she ranted.

“So how soon can you start?” I asked.

“You know what? You’re right. How soon do you need me?” she asked.

“Like, yesterday. Do you have money for a flight?” I asked.

“You’re serious?”

“Caryn, I wouldn’t have offered you the job if I wasn’t serious. I had a photo shoot last weekend and had to ask my mom to go with me. No joke, I need you. I’ll call Kendal, and you two can figure out everything she used to do for me before we head out to LA.”

“Where will I stay? Do I need to rent a car?” she asked.

“You’ll stay with us, and you can have my Jeep until we get you settled,” I said.

“This is happening so fast. Shouldn’t I give Range Sports notice?” she asked.

“I promise not to have my girlfriend make you do anything ever.”

I heard a slow release of air from her lungs.

“Okay, I’m in. I can afford to catch a flight. You can pay me back when I get there. Will someone pick me up at the airport?” she asked.

“Relax. If I have to hire a car, I will. Just let me know your flight information, and we’ll work it out.”

When I hung up, I did a fist pump. This was both exciting and scary. Caryn would be my first real employee. Yes, I paid Lily and Wolf, but they didn’t have to live off what I paid them. Actually, Frank Ingram now paid Lily. Wolf was more of an ‘as needed’ helper.

My next call was to Kendal.

“Hey, Sexy,” Kendal answered.

“Have you been drinking?” I asked.

“Maybe. What’s up? You never call me anymore,” she pouted.