text: Three’s a Crowd By: Jessica B. Taylor ~ Joy ~ The tension was thick. The old expression, ‘you could cut it with a knife’ applied. An icy silence filled the space between us while the raucous, loud music and frivolity took up the rest of the space around us. The place was packed...the band was playing one of my favourite rock anthems, and I sat frozen in my chair. “Do you want to dance”? he spoke the words carefully. I averted his eyes and declined his request. “What’s wrong”? he asked. “Nothing”. I lied. I looked around the room, trying any possible way to get myself back to the present moment, and away from my inner turmoil. It had happened much the same as it always did. We were out walking, having a great time, enjoying another sunny, warm day in Paradise. “Do you want to stop in at ‘Frankie’s’ and have a drink?” Frankie’s was a fun bar a grill, with live music and great food. The vibe was carefree, and the owners knew everybody’s name. They greeted their guests, whether new or old, with a big smile and a kiss on the cheek. “Ok, yeah. Let’s go” I was in a mood to have some fun. As we approached the building, I could hear the thumping of the music, and knew it was probably packed inside the small, open-air tavern. We exchanged greetings with the smokers standing by the entrance and were greeted by ‘Maria’ the barmaid shortly after stepping inside. “Ola! What ken I getchya” she smiled her recognition of us. We each ordered a beer as we looked around for an open chair or table. “There’s two over there”, he pointed out two bar chairs against the wall. I spied the chairs and agreed they looked to be available, so we made our way over there, passing the dance floor to our left...and then I noticed her. She was sitting on the stool beside the unoccupied chairs. She was wearing a black, spaghetti strap sundress, and her ample breasts were protruding from the low-plunging neckline. Her blonde hair was cascading around her shoulders, and she looked to be alone. She had a pretty face with blue eyes, and her skin was perfectly bronzed. ‘A fucking Barbie doll’ I thought to myself. My steps became shaky as we approached the open chairs. “Are these seats taken?” he asked her. “No Sirrr! They’re all yours...” Her words were a bit slurred as she leaned back in her chair to give us both a full-frontal view. We took our seats. I of course selected the seat beside ‘Barbie’ to put some distance between them. “Hiiii....I’m Stacey” she leaned over to me and extended her hand. I extended my hand to meet her, “I’m Joy...and this is Frank...” I turned to acknowledge him...and he turned to acknowledge the introduction. “Wellll, hulllloooo there” she dropped my hand to reach for his. “I luuuuuv your hat” she extended a compliment to Frank as she leaned toward him giving him a great view of her cleavage. I sat upright in my chair, wishing I would’ve worn a dress instead of my mustard-coloured tank top and overly worn jean shorts. Stacey was wearing cool, strappy sandals and I had worn my flip flops. The barmaid found us in our new location and brought us our beer. Frank asked her to bring another round when she got a chance, and looked over at Stacey to ask if she would like a drink. “Tequila!” she accepted his offer with gusto. “A round of tequila then” he placed the extra order with the barmaid. I feigned a smile as I took a large gulp of my Corona with lime. My body swayed to the music even though my mind was no longer present. It had already gone into ‘freeze’ mode...as the other options, ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ did not seem to be available. My body felt trapped. My breath was shallow. I did not know whether I could contain the ball spinning uncontrollably in my stomach without heaving. My chest felt tight, and I thought for sure anyone who looked would see my heart thumping outside of my chest. Frank and I had only been dating a short time. He had invited me to Mexico, a place he loved on the Pacific side of the country. I still couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have met him. How generous he was to have taken me on an all-expense paid trip, no strings attached. We had hit it off from the moment we met, talking into the wee hours of the morning. Waiting to have sex until the time was right and BOY, was it right when it was right! He was a generous lover too. As the icy silence continued to creep over my entire being...the familiar feeling of dread washed over me... “Do you like the band?” Frank looked at my now vacant eyes. “Yes” I gave a curt reply. “What’s wrong, honey?” I knew he was trying to get me to look at him. “Nothing” my voice pitch was now an octave or two or higher than normal. “Do you want to leave?” he asked courteously. Everything in me wanted to say ‘yes’... “No. Do you?” I turned the question on him. “Well, no...but you don’t seem to be having a good time” he was looking at me with concern. The barmaid brought us our round of drinks and we clinked our shot glasses with Stacey, before downing the Tequila contained in them. “So, do you come here often?” I turned away from Frank to Stacey... ~ Stacey ~ Stacey had woken up feeling groggy from the night before. She had stayed out late with a couple of people she had met at a beach-front bar. ‘Why did I even come on this trip?’ she thought to herself as she gazed in the mirror, fighting back the tears she refused to allow since she arrived in Mexico, alone. The trip was planned months ago when she was still...when she was still with...She felt her chest heave and then it started...the waterfall of emotion she had been trying to contain. Tears streamed down her face as black streaks covered her face from her mascara from the night before. She leaned over to catch her breath and her knees gave out as she fell to the floor, lying on her side, hugging her legs in a fetal position, rocking herself like a mother would comfort her newborn baby. She couldn’t contain her wails of despair. She didn’t know how much time had passed when she found herself in a muddled mess on the floor with her tear-sopped blonde hair stuck to the side of her face. She stood up shakily and gripped the vanity to steady herself. She turned the water faucet to full speed and splashed her face with cold water...again and again and again trying to wake up from the nightmare she found herself in. This would be her last night in Mexico. The vacation getaway that was planned with...with...This time she bit back the new cascade of tears waiting to descend from her Ocean-blue eyes. She decided she would go to ‘Frankie’s’. The friends she met last night said they were going there and invited her to meet up with them. At least she wouldn’t have to be alone. The place was packed when she arrived, and she scoped out one single seat along the wall. She looked to see if she recognized anybody in the crowd, but they weren’t there. Shortly after sitting down, the two people beside her got up and left. She ordered a shot of Tequila, then another, then another...as she swayed to the music. She began to feel self-conscious as she adjusted the straps on her black sundress, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the very revealing neckline...but she had bought it for...for...She couldn’t think about that now. She always admired women who looked so trim and put together with small, perky breasts. Hers were large and could only be covered up with bulky sweatshirts or oversized t-shirts. She didn’t like to flaunt her breasts. About an hour after she arrived, the two chairs beside her remained vacant. Then, she looked up and saw them approaching. A man and woman - a very attractive man and woman. The woman looked so carefree and put together with her fitted tank top and jean shorts. She had beautiful, dark brown hair that flowed down to her perfectly sized breasts. Stacey wondered if they were a couple or just friends...She could only hope... ~ Frank ~ Frank loved the Ocean air, and he loved being in Mexico with the love of his life. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was. He had only met Joy a month before, and she was exactly what he had dreamed about. His chest stuck out a little further when they’d walk down the Malecon together. He saw the gazes she got from other men. The approving nods men gave him as they strolled along. She was funny and smart...and drop-dead gorgeous! He wasn’t sure how the trip would go when he suggested it to her. But here they were in Mexico together, and it had been GREAT...except for...well, except for that night at the Italian place. He couldn’t figure out what had happened. They were having fun, and then she went cold. He didn’t know what was bothering her, and when he asked her, she just seemed to get more annoyed with him. And now, it was happening again as they sat at ‘Frankie’s’. He thought they had been having a great day when he suggested they stop for a drink. Then, BOOM, they sat down, and she went cold. Her pretty face now looked sullen and edgy. He looked across the room and noticed a younger man standing at the bar facing them. He wore a tight-fitting muscle shirt and faded jeans. His arms were well-defined, and his dark, curly hair brushed the top of his muscular, bronzed shoulders. Frank had just turned sixty-two. He had shaved what little hair remained on his now bald head. His beer-belly protruded under his button-down shirt and the grey hairs on his chest curled up over the open buttons at the top. His skin was not as taught as it once was. He was getting old. ‘Was she disappointed to be there with him?’, Frank thought to himself. ‘Did she wish she was with a younger man?’ Maybe the girl beside her would cheer her up. Stacey seemed to be having a good time... ~ Stacey ~ The man and woman sat beside me, and he generously offered to buy me a drink. I suggested Tequila and when the barmaid brought them, we shared a festive ‘cheers’ and downed them. I noticed they weren’t talking to each other much. I wondered again if they were a couple or just friends on a trip to Mexico together. Then she turned to look at me. Man, she was beautiful, just like...just like...No, now was not the time to think about Giselle. She was no longer my girlfriend. “So, do you come here often”? the woman seemed a bit nervous as she asked me the question and I noticed she seemed to be a bit preoccupied with my chest. I looked over at Frank who also seemed to be preoccupied, looking over at a young guy across the room. I then leaned in a little closer to Joy as I was pretty sure it was safe to get to know her a little better.