C4 antho - Chamber Four

~264~ The Chamber Four Fiction Anthology
them, there in the food court just outside the Mongolian barbeque:
“I love catching these guys. Gives me a boner.”
On the patio, Darla said, “Great, Trevor.” She’d already
gotten into a fight with Jon earlier that summer about Trevor
going to a Hooters in the desert.
Trevor shrugged, his shoulders already burnt deep red.
“Those helicopters,” he said, his accent vaguely reminding
Darla of Frank Sinatra. “Some jobs have great perks.”
“There!” Mandy said, standing her baby up on the concrete
and toddling her towards Trevor. “Who’s my baby?”
Trevor scooped up the little girl and swung her over his
head, walking her into the shallow end of the pool.
Mandy leaned her hips out and picked up a wet dinosaur
sponge from the pavement. She said, “Be careful.” Her wide
white thighs caught the sun, her skin almost glowing.
Trevor waved an arm, “Don’t worry. The diaper alone
could keep her afloat.”
Mandy smiled at Darla a smile that said One day you’ll
know what I’m going through. “Did you get enough to eat?”
she said. “There’s wings in the kitchen.”
Darla touched her middle, which felt like a void, which
felt like static or white noise. “Good,” she said. “But thanks.”
“OK,” Mandy said, heading back into the cool of the
house. “I trust you,” she called out to Trevor, then shut the
sliding glass door behind her.
Jon ran a finger down Darla’s arm. “Does it hurt?” he
said.
“No.”
“Want a sip of my beer, Darla? Might relax you.”
“It said no alcohol.”
“One sip isn’t going to do anything.”