You Make It Easy || Nikki Sixx

Chapter 9

     "Hey, who's got the Corvette out front?" a man asked, coming around the open garage-style door.

     "Heyy Carl, what's up?"

     He trilled his lips "Same ol' same old. Who's this?"

     "This is Nikki, Nikki this is Carl." they shook hands. "He and my dad grew up together and his parents have a place across the street."

     "Nice to meet you man" Nikki said.

     "This the boyfriend?" he asked.

     I got flustered and didn't know how to respond since Nikki and I haven't yet talked about it. "We've been hanging out" I replied with nervous laughter.

     "Have I seen you before? You look pretty familiar." Carl pointed out.

    Nikki giggled with a sense of proudness on his face. "Oh lord" I sighed. "Carl, you're going to freak out, but this is Nikki Sixx..."

     "What?... Like Nikki Sixx of Mo-

     "-tley Crue, yep" Nikki responded.

     "Holy shit, Preston you really pulled that off." Carl stood impressed.

     "Thank you, thank you" I flipped my hair.

     "Nice, well your dad called me over to put in the wave runners in."

     "Yeah, I told Nikki that maybe my dad will start to like him a little more if he helped out so Im making him put in the pier." I smiled.

     "You're a smart girl." he high-fived me. "I'll come get you when we're gonna leave to put yours in so you can take it back."

     "Sweet, we'll be in here."

     Nikki and I turned up the radio and began getting to work. I made sure to give him some good grip gloves so his precious bass-playing fingers don't get ruined. I, on the other hand, don't mind getting mine a little dirty. I put him in charge of putting down the metal supports, with my guidance. I was terrified that he was going to fuck it up somehow.  As we were getting to the end sections, a familiar sound went flying by us on the lake. It was Carl, swinging by on his waverunner. We could see my dad all the way on the other side of the bay driving back Carl's truck and trailer.

     "Fuck how long have we been doing this?" Nikki said, catching his breath.

     "Way too long." I reply, catching my breath as well.

     "How long is this thing?"

     "About 80 feet. And we haven't even put  the bench or corner ladder on yet."

     "Nope. Fuck that! I quit." Nikki begins walking back which I follow.

     Nikki and I took a break and sat down in the chairs, leaning back and closing our eyes for a few minutes. "Hey, I saw you guys working on the pier while I was getting the seadoo out. Nice job." My dad said as he walked in. Nikki responded with a thumbs-up and nothing else. He was too tired to even look his way. "Ari, you ready to put 'er in?"

     I sighed and groaned as I got up. "Nikki, stay here, we'll be right back. You'll be able to see us over there. It won't take long." Nikki replied the same way to me, with a thumbs up and nothing else. I grabbed my life jacket, key, and water shoes, and followed my dad up to the patio. "So... what do you think about Nikki..." I asked with hopes of approval.

     "I still haven't changed my mind about him yet." he replied.

     "He just put in your whole pier! It looked like you guys were getting along last night" I defended.

     "Which I appreciate you doing for me, it took the weight off my back. Literally."

     "Like seriously- what can he do to prove-"

     "Aria!" he cut me off. "You know that one or two things aren't going to change my mind, so don't expect it to. Plus I wasn't exactly keen on some of his responses last night."

     I sighed as I got in the passenger side while my dad hooked up the trailer. We made the short drive to the launch and slipped her right in the water. The process took no more than five minutes. Clearly, we knew what we were doing. I took her on a standard test run then right back to the dock where Nikki had his feet in the water. I thought he needed to cool down, so as I slowly got closer to the pier, I turned the handles and went full throttle, causing water to fly, completely drenching Nikki. I looked back to see him wiping off his eyes with a pissed look across his face. I burst out laughing seeing him with his hair covering his face. "Ha! You look like a wet rat!" I shouted. He sat there with no response but stared at me the whole time I pulled back into the pier. My dad was walking down the hill ready to put in the lift. "Hey Nikki, since you're already wet, do you mind helping my dad with the lift?" I flutter my eyes and pout my lips.

     I guided them as they brought it further back waiting to put her up. Nikki helped me get off and even decided to raise it for me. He then turned to me and gave me such a beautiful smile but the next thing I knew I was underwater. "Payback! Bitch." he remarked.

     "Ok ok, we're even." I laugh accepting my fate.

     "Ohhhh no no no- that was payback from this morning. I still need to get you back for this."

     I lift myself onto the pier from the shallow end "How about two rounds of drinks on me and we call it even?" I propose.

     "Deal." he put his hand out for a shake. I went in for it but I should have known it was a trap. He just pushed me right back in. When I emerged from under the water he blew me a kiss and I returned with a sweet little flick of the bird. Everyone was eager to finally get on the water now that everything was in. I ran the switch while my dad made sure the boat went down the rails without complication. Everything was ready and I had the honor of starting the engine for the first time of the summer. The engine roared, making Nikki jump from lack of expectation. I sat in the back with Nikki as my dad made his way around the point to pick up Carl at his pier. He hopped in, sat in the passenger chair and we took off. We went for a ride down to the dam and I pointed out a bunch of things I've seen a million times to Nikki.

     Heading back toward the direction of the house, we continued past the ferry, under the bridge, and to a bar called Luckys. There was the super short bridge that was right before the bar that we had to go under, and the boat fit just perfectly. Nikki and I went straight to the lower deck bar "There's my Sarah!" I greet the bartender.

     "Do you know every bartender in the state?" Nikki whispered in my ear.

     I got Nikki and I drinks and we headed straight upstairs and grabbed a seat at the bar where Nikki was memorized by the view out the window.. "So.. Nikki." I got his attention. "What do you think so far?"

     "I think I should stay far away from your dad" he laughed.

     "He'll come around.. That's if you plan to stay around..." I bit my lip, nervous about the conversation I just started.

     Nikki bit the inside of his cheek, thinking about his answer. "You're really making me say this right now?" he smiled.

     "Well no- not exactly-" I became flustered and stuttered through my words.
    
     "I like you, Ari... I like hanging out with you"

     "Buuuuut..."

     "There's no but. I.. like you." he bit his lower lip.

     I began to blush "Well then... I- *coughs* like.. You.. too" Nikki and I looked at each other with smiles we didn't know how to contain.

     "So is this like the part where we go fuck in the bathroom or...?"

     "I- maybe- I have no idea how this works." I giggle.

     Nikki laughs too "Great, then let's order lunch."
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