Fight For Luna

Pool Party

ARLO’S POV

No one else was going to join Luna in the pool, so I took my chance to have some one on one time with her. I don’t know if I will fight Atlas for her, but I certainly am not willing to share her with someone like Atlas. I love him like a brother, but he’s a total tool to women and it sounds like Luna is the type of woman who certainly deserves better. I jump into the pool right next to her, splashing her with my cannonball.

“Jerk!” She slaps my arm. I notice the deeper end of the pool is farthest away from the cabana, so I motion my head that way while Atlas and Ezra are preoccupied with their 3 women. Hazel looks angry and like she’s in her own world, but I’m not really concerned about her.

Luna follows my lead and swims faster than I’ve ever seen a person swim before and is at the other end of the pool before I can blink. Once I make it to her, out of breath, I question her. “Holy sh*t! Swim Team?”

“No, I’ve just always been one with water," she moves her hands through the top of the water, slicing through it, making it seem as if her hand demands the water part for her. "I tell my mom I was definitely a mermaid in a past life.”

“Ha! But mermaids aren’t real.” I deadpan to her.

“You know, I think there are a lot more real things people don’t know about than we think. I think all the books and movies got them all wrong, but I think there is at least a little bit of truth to the legends. They had to stem from somewhere, right?”

“How so?” She’s caught my attention.

“Well, I mean, have you ever woken up and been like ‘Today I’m going to start a rumor of a blood s*cking human that can control minds and not enter my house unless invited in’?” I shake my head no, “Not to mention how dumb is that kind of for a ‘supernatural’ creature?” She puts supernatural in air quotes.

“So, what's your theory, Einstein?”

She glares at me for the Einstein jab, “I think energy is measurable and energy can never stop from existing. I think the population is continuing to grow and we all get our energy from somewhere, let's call it a ‘magical source’ right?” Again with the air quotes, “So what if energy is presented in different ways to different people? I mean we’ve harnessed electricity, how’s a person being able to harness some kind of energy so far off? Not to mention there is WAY more “evidence” for that stuff than there is that Jesus fella and loads of people believe in him but then say nothing else exists? I just don’t buy it,” she blushes, “I sound crazy don’t I?”

“Not at all, I get it, people have auras and that’s because their energy is different, not like good or bad, but different in each person.” She nods her head violently like I’m the first person she has ever talked to that has understood. “So if you believe all this stuff, why not study that instead of music?”

Her face lights up as if I just said her favorite actor was standing behind her, “Music IS energy!” She exclaims. “Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those hippy vibration healing people. But like, you can literally FEEL music's energy, you can measure it. Honestly, can I trust you?”

“Absolutely,” I say confidently.

“Okay, because I haven’t even told Isla this and she’ll be bored anyway or think I’m dumb, but I write my music through science. I have a program and I measure the soundwaves and kind of make graphs and patterns out of them. It’s such a cool and unique process. So, my music doesn’t follow the typical patterns of modern day pop, and I think that is why my shows are growing so drastically.” She beams proudly.

“They getting that big?”

“Well, last year I was approached by a ‘manager’ while I was busking. I had never done anything other than busk before. He said he could ‘make me into a star’ and I was excited I’d caught the attention of someone so well connected. He took me to this ridiculously fancy dinner to ‘meet his partners’ and he said they canceled so it was just us. Of course, but at the end of the night, it was clear that the only star he wanted to make me was in his bed.” She shivers in disgust. “At that point I was kind of tired of it, Hazel or Amelia never supported me and the only one who did was Isla. I told her about what happened and how I was so sick and tired of people not taking my craft seriously just because of WHERE I did it. She said ‘You know the best revenge is to prove them wrong.’ The first bars wouldn’t even consider me, and then I got my first booked gig for $50 about 10 miles away from the strip. Then I just kept working my way closer and closer and now look at me, I’m performing on the strip and my social media following is booming. All in less than a year.” She is so passionate about her music and I have no idea how, but in the 15 minutes I’ve been in this pool with her, I think I’m falling in love. “Goodness, I’m talking all about me, well, what about you?”

I’m caught off guard by her question, “What do you mean?”

“I mean what about you? What do you do for a living? What's your passion? Is your job your passion? You know what they say, if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” She smiles sweetly.

“Oh, um, well I’m a numbers guy. We’re from the Flagstaff area and we have a couple of firms that range in a bunch of different specialities under a single umbrella. I’m the CFO for the umbrella corp.”

“CFO?” She questions, “Aren’t you a little young to be CFO already? What are you? 25?”

I feign hurt, “25?! Ouch! I’m 22, what am I already graying?” I pull at my hair acting as if I can see it, she simply laughs. “You could say I inherited the position. I’m naturally good with numbers, so when the position opened unexpectedly and Atlas became the CEO of one of the companies, I was the best fit for the position.”

“You’re avoiding a question.” I co*k an eyebrow at her, “Is it your passion? Is it what brings meaning to your life?”

“Damn, over here with the heavy hitting questions.” She tilts her head, closes her eyes slightly and shrugs. F*ck, she’s so gorgeous. She looks back at me with an expression telling me to answer the question. “Well, no, not really. But it’s a position that I think can get me there. My passion is community. My goal is that those that surround me and the company feel like family and enjoy being such. I want them to look forward to being part of our community and culture. I want to organize events and make sure birthdays are never forgotten. The company was like that once, but we’ve lost sight of that the last 3-5 years. I guess you could say my passion is public affairs.” She’s looking at me the way a girl looks at a puppy and I don’t know how I feel about it.

Put out your tongue and pant, see if she pets us! Flint teases in my head in response to my inner dialogue.

“That’s really sweet, too many people forget the impact that those around us have on our lives. It’s always good to remember them and take care of them anyway that we can.” She states matter of factly. A look of nervousness flashes across her face and she glances back to the group we left at the cabana, “So, um, do you think you all will be at the show tonight? I can text you tickets so you don’t have to pay.”

I see an opportunity, “What’s your phone number? I’ll text you if we need them.”

She looks at me questioning, “Are you going to get your phone to put it in?”

“Nope, don’t need it.”

She squints an eye at me in disbelief and I widen my eyes telling her I’m serious, “808-672-2023. You’re going to forget that.”

“No I won't. Do you get the ticket sales?”

“I only get a portion of them, up until about 2 months ago I got flat rate, but any show expected to have more than 100 guests I get a portion of the ticket sales and a small percentage of the alcohol money. It’s like 2% of the alcohol and 50% of the tickets but it’s more than I was making before,” she shrugs.

“Well, I will certainly be there, I can’t speak for them,” I throw a thumb the way of Atlas and Ezra, “But I wouldn't dream of letting you give me tickets. I’ll pay. Anything I can do to support!”

“Really?!” She envelops me in a hug and quickly lets go, not before I notice the searing sparks between us, “Gosh, I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I did that.” She blushes. “It’s just, I refuse to sleep my way to the top, so every ticket sale really helps me move up. Isla buys her tickets too, but Hazel and Amelia demand I provide them,” she rolls her eyes.

“What’s up with those two anyway?”

“Oh,” she pauses and looks at the group in the Cabana, “I shouldn’t speak badly about them, they are good to Isla and I’ve always told Isla any friend of hers is a friend of mine. If they treat her well, then I’m happy.” She pauses, “Hey, if you were going to pay, why’d you ask for my number?”

F*ck, this woman is a f*cking saint and I don’t deserve her. I smirk at her realizing I led her to believe I wanted tickets for free.

“HEY! LUNA!” We hear someone calling from the cabana. We glance over to see Isla pointing at the drinks. “MORE FIRSTS?!” She blares across the pool.

“F*ck,” Luna dips under the water and is back to the other side so fast again. She probably didn’t want her friend embarrassing her across the pool. As I walk up the stairs Atlas is staring daggers at me. F*ck. He instantly breaks into my mind.

Dude, what the f*ck, that’s my mate ya know?

Hey man! She asked for someone to join her and you weren’t moving. You wanna see the girl tomorrow or not? He thinks about that for a moment. There is no way I’m telling him she is my mate too. He’ll kill me in my sleep without even thinking about it.

You’re right man, thank you for that. I can always count on you to be the best wingman.

“Earth to Arlo?” I turn to see Luna staring at me.

“Oh what, um sorry?”

“You might want to get that checked out, y'all, there is something in the water where y’all come from. Always zoning out.” That b*tch Hazel finally speaks up. She’s been so quiet I forgot she was here.

Luna rolls her eyes. “Drink? I saw Atlas snatched your whiskey last time, so I’m guarding them.” She looks at me proudly and throws a playful look over to Atlas. I see there are indeed two whiskeys sitting on the tray. Bingo. I take them both and she giggles as Atlas watches me carefully. Fu*k, her laugh is just music to my ears. Luna turns to Atlas, “Hmmm, so that leaves, what did you say again, Ezra? S*ck, B*ng, and Blow and Golden Showers,” she giggles again. “Any firsts for you today?” She beams, trying to stifle the laugh that is sure to follow his pick.

“Well, I’m only having one, so who is going to take the other?”

“Oh, I will,” she replies before anyone else can claim it. Where is this girl putting all of this?

“Well boys, I guess I’m getting my first golden shower,” Atlas says embarrassed, and takes the drink.

“Thank God.” Atlas looks at her confused. “This one is actually called Group S*x on the Beach and I knew you’d take it, so I took the most emasculating drink name I knew and told you it was that.” She laughs hysterically and the girls join her. “Glad to know you aren’t into golden showers though…. Yet.” Her friends and her laugh harder. Well, if I wasn’t in love with her before, I certainly am now. I’ve never seen anyone play Atlas like this.