The ball sped up the red-carpeted ramp and bounced against one of the octagonal borders. The ball shot into the clown’s mouth, and the women watched as it spiraled down until it eventually reached the giraffe tunnel that was its destination. The ball circled gracefully and dropped with a resounding plunk into the metal cup.
“Oh, yeah. I’m good!”
Both women doubled over in laughter. Juliana swept Hobie into a hug and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. “Thanks to my excellent caddy,” she said to more laughter.
Baylor watched the two women walk away, now arm in arm and still laughing. She turned to discreetly follow and tripped over an oncoming golf ball.
“Hey, dude, you playin’ or peepin’?” Three young men now stood before her.
Baylor arched an eyebrow and put on her most intimidating look, which wasn’t hard considering the mood she was in. “Do I look like a dude?”
“Uh, matter of fact, yeah!” The three boys laughed.
Baylor took a step closer to the young man who had spoken. She towered over him. “How’d you like to have a ten-foot ice cream cone shoved up your ass, funny man?” she demanded, glancing up at the statue beside her.
He swallowed hard and backed away until he stood with his friends. Baylor walked off after Hobie and Juliana. “Sometimes it’s good to be king,” she said with an evil smile.
“Okay, all I have to do is ace this one hole and I will be the undisputed putt-putt champion of the world.” Juliana waved to an imaginary crowd.
Hobie laughed. “The whole world may be pushing it. Let’s just say Ana Lia. Besides, that one’s harder than it looks.”
Ten minutes later, Juliana was still trying for the same hole, swearing profusely. “Goddamn it! It did it again!”
“You know this is supposed to be fun, remember?”
“I am having fun,” Juliana said as she ground her teeth together. “Can’t you tell?” She finally looked up with a sheepish grin. “It’s that stupid hippo. Every time my ball gets close to going into his mouth, those stupid teeth pop out and knock it out of the way.”
“Okay, quit pouting, it makes you look like Noah. Step aside.” Hobie gracefully pushed Juliana to one side of the green. “It’s all in your timing and the wrists. Are you watching?”
“Oh, yeah.” Juliana grinned as she crouched on one knee. Her unintentional stance afforded her a picture-perfect view of Hobie’s backside.
“Asshole!” Baylor muttered to herself. “Jules is doing exactly...well, what I’d do. Okay, I can’t fault her for sneaking a peek, but that is not going to stop me from beating the living crap out of her tonight.”
“Jules, I asked if you were watching my wrists, not my ass.” “No, as I recall, you said, ‘are you watching?’ You didn’t specify any particular body part.”
“Touché. How’s the view?” Hobie asked with a sly grin. “Bloody good, if I may say so without getting my face slapped.”
“You certainly may not!” Baylor hissed under her breath. “You certainly may. Say so, I mean, not get your face slapped.
As a thirty-eight-year-old mother, I’m happy to know someone still looks,” Hobie said. “Okay, here goes.” She swung the club in a gentle arc. The timing was perfect as the ball ricocheted off two chomping plastic teeth and rolled into the hippo’s mouth.
Hobie held her hand up to her mouth and blew on her nails, then polished them on her blouse. “What can I say?”
“Come on, Tiger, let’s see how you do over the water hazard. I’m taking a par for this hole,” Juliana said.
“Cheater,” Hobie cried out as Juliana dragged her away by one arm.
“Cheater is right,” Baylor said. She stood up from her place within the shadows where she had hidden behind a massive version of the birds that bob up and down to drink from a glass of water. She stepped away from the brightly colored bird just as a group of girls in Scout uniforms entered the green.
Baylor thought later that she should have moved faster, but at the time, she was intent on watching Juliana and Hobie walk away. She didn’t anticipate that one of the eight-year-old girls would get a hole in one.
“Ow!” Baylor cried out as the bird dipped and its beak hit her shoulder. She tried to move away, but the bird turned as she did and pecked her sharply on top of the head.
“Jesus Christ,” she screamed and punched at the bird, which only resulted in knocking the red bowler hat from its head. The hat fell to the ground with a clatter, but the bird succeeded in hitting Baylor two more times before she could anticipate in which direction its head would move next.
Baylor could feel something—was it blood?—running down the side of her face, but she couldn’t stop the attacking bird long enough to check. Unfortunately, at the precise moment she finally achieved her bearings and could duck the bird’s advances, her casted foot stepped directly into the open bowler. Unable to right herself, she spun around as the hat slid against the concrete.
“Motherfu—” The last thing Baylor remembered about the putt-putt golf course was the way her body felt as it flipped over the three-foot hedge surrounding the greens. She lay in the dirt, and right before passing out, she saw the bird’s face. Later she would swear that it had been smiling.
“What was that?” Hobie asked Juliana. The two women looked back in the direction from which they had come.
“Must be some bloke fooling around,” Juliana said as they walked toward the exit.
“I had a great time tonight, Hobie. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I had that much fun,” Juliana said.
Hobie slipped an arm around Juliana’s waist and walked with her back to the guesthouse. “I had a great time, too, and boy, did I need one.”
They stopped at the bottom step to the wooden porch. “No offense, but I’m not going to try to kiss you good night,” Juliana said. They parted, but she retained her hold of Hobie’s hand.
“Well, there’s none taken.” Hobie smiled and her brow furrowed. “Mind telling me why not, though?”
“Please don’t take this the wrong way because I mean it as a huge compliment,” Juliana began. “It’s just that going out with you has been amazingly similar to going out with my sister. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister. In fact—”
“Jules,” Hobie interrupted. “It’s okay. I don’t have a sister, but I think I know what you’re driving at. It was nice going out with a friend and having fun.”
“Spot on,” Juliana said in relief. “We’re in perfect agreement then?”
“We make great buddies and nothing more.” Both women chuckled.
“Want to sit for a while?” Hobie asked, indicating the porch swing.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
“Can I get you anything to drink, maybe a glass of wine?” “Only if you’re having some.”
Hobie quickly returned with two glasses of pinot grigio and lit the bamboo torches.
“Thanks. It’s beautiful out here. I didn’t realize this place was that close to the water.”
“It’s only about two hundred yards. When it’s quiet like this, I love to sit here and listen. You’re right, it is beautiful. Hot, but beautiful.”
They talked for a while about nothing of great consequence, just relaxing and enjoying the evening. Juliana was amused by how often Hobie brought Baylor’s name into the conversation. It was always something interesting or funny that Baylor had said or done. What made it so amusing was that Juliana was sure Hobie had no idea she was doing it. She wavered regarding her next move, but she couldn’t resist.
“So,” she turned and put her arm on the back of the chair, “tell me about Baylor.” She cupped her chin in the palm of her other hand.
“B-Baylor? Tell you what about her?” Hobie suddenly felt a warmth creeping up her neck that had little to do with the tropical evening.
“Tell me about you...and her.”