by Sandra Alex
“Did you try to patch things up with her after your dad got better?”
“Na, she’d already moved on. It was over.” I try to hide the pathetic tone in my voice. Anita broke my fucking heart. I’ll never admit that to anyone.
“So, she was the dream-crusher, too.” Kayla sighs.
“I suppose in a manner of speaking, yes.” I agree. “But she knew I was going away when we started going out. She knew it and she still wanted to pursue things with me.”
“And you remained loyal while you were away.”
“Yeah,”
“Gotcha.” Kayla says. “Nick ‘moved on’ while we were still married, too.” She air-quotes ‘moved on’.
“It’s like a sucker punch to the gut, isn’t it.” I state, feeling not so bad about sharing my personal turmoil now. Especially with someone who evidently has suffered the same.
“At least you were away when you got sucker punched.” Kayla scoffs. “Mine was happening right in front of my face.”
“There’s that.”
She pauses for a moment, and then tilts her head contemplatively. “Did you ever get over her?”
“My brother will tell you no, and I guess maybe he’s right.” I admit. “It’s not so much that I never got over her per se, I just never got over the hurt, you know.” I look at her and she’s nodding.
“I get it.”
I cover her hand with mine and then remove it. “Yeah, I figured you would.”
“So, is that why you describe him as a pain in the ass? Because he’s got you figured out and you can’t stand it?” she probes.
“Partly.” I cock my head sideways. “But also because he really is a pain in the ass. That’s where I’m one up on you; you don’t have any siblings, so you can’t relate.” I point at her with my finger.
“True. But I also hate it when someone thinks they’ve got me figured out and they don’t. Heather’s good for that.”
“She seems that way. What were you two whispering about in the kitchen when I arrived?”
Her eyes bulge. “Believe me, you don’t want to know.”
Chapter 9
Kayla
When we arrive back at my house, it’s just Heather and Brenda left. “What happened to Kyle and Greg?” I ask.
“Kyle had to work, and Greg’s ride came to pick him up.” Heather answers. “What’s up with that? He doesn’t drive?”
“No.” I’m not sure how much to share. If it was just Heather here, I wouldn’t care, but I don’t know Brenda well enough. Heather senses that there’s more to the story, so she comes into the kitchen with me.
“What’s going on with your mom? She okay?” she murmurs.
“Yeah, she’s fine. False alarm.”
“What did she think of Daniel?” her gaze slides over to him, but she’s careful to keep her voice down.
I roll my eyes. “What do you think?”
She smiles. “What’s the deal with Greg? How come he doesn’t drive?” she says, barely moving her lips. She sounds like a failed ventriloquist.
“DUI.” I whisper.
She tilts her head sideways. “Really? He was talking on the phone to someone about meeting up for drinks.”
“I’m sure you’re mistaken. He’s been clean for a year. Daniel said he took him to an AA meeting just the other night.”
Heather lifts a brow. “Okay,” her tone says she’s not buying it. I make a mental note to mention this to Daniel later, when Brenda is gone. I’m not even sure why she’s still here; the meeting is over, the food is gone, and there is nothing left to do except clean, which Daniel has already started. “Do you want me to ask if Brenda needs a ride home? Her car’s in the driveway, but maybe she’ll take a hint.” Heather raises a brow and tilts her head towards Brenda, who is sitting at the table, drinking out of a can of ginger ale, and chewing on her fingernails. It’s like we aren’t even here; she’s staring off into space. Suddenly she shakes herself out of her reverie and rises.
“I’ll head out now, if that’s alright.”
“Sure, thanks for coming.” I say, smiling. “Do you know what to do for the next meeting?”
“Sure do.” She nods. “Thanks for having me. If you ever want to hold a meeting at my place, just let me know. I’ll have to give my roommate a heads up though.”
“Sounds good.” I say. Heather gives her a tight grin and rolls her eyes as Brenda puts her shoes on. When she leaves, Brenda watches her pull out of the driveway.
“That’s a weird one if I’ve ever seen it before.” Heather barks. “She gnawed her nails down to the quick while you were gone.”
Daniel approaches with my books, stacking them on the counter by the wall. “Is she? Maybe she’s just hungry. We are taking a nutrition course.” He winks.
“Cute.” Heather says. “She barely spoke to anyone, but she kept speaking under her breath, like she had an imaginary friend.”
“I guess Kyle got weirded out by her.” Daniel adds. “He was afraid of me, so I’d assume he’d be afraid of her, too.”
“Why was he afraid of you?” Heather asks as Daniel pulls the tablecloth off the table and walks towards the garage door to shake the crumbs off.
“The guy is ninety pounds soaking wet. Generally, guys that small are intimated by me…at least that’s what my brothers tell me.” he opens the door and shakes the cloth out a couple of times before reappearing and placing it back on the table.
“Well, I can’t blame him there.” Heather turns to me. “I should go, too. I promised Barry I’d cook him ribs tonight, and that takes forever.”
“Ribs?” Daniel asks, interested.
“Yeah. Doesn’t that go against your Keto diet?”
“No.” We both shake our heads and say in unison.
Heather folds her arms across her chest. “Well, I’m not making enough for everyone, so you’ll have to invite yourselves over another time.”
I giggle. “Okay, fine. Thanks for coming over and playing chaperone.”
“You’re welcome.”
Heather leaves and Daniel heads over to the sink to wash the dishes. “You know, my mother isn’t here; you don’t have to try to score points.”
He’s standing with his back to me and his hands in the dish water. He pivots on his heel to glance at me. “Hardy har. Your mom already likes me. I like her, too. I just figured it’s the least I can do. I mean, you supplied all the food and drinks and hosted this thing. I hope you don’t expect to always do that. I’ll pay for everything the next time. We’ll take turns or do a potluck or something.”
I wave. “It doesn’t bother me. I love hosting things. I never got to do much of it while I was married. Nick was a little anti-social. He didn’t have too many friends other than through work.”
I grab a towel and start drying the dishes. There aren’t many, so it doesn’t take long. When we’re done, Daniel looks around. “You’ve got a nice place here. Is there anything else I can help with?”
“No, that’s fine.”
He hesitates. “What are you up to for the rest of the day?”
I shrug and frown. “Nothing. I was going to clean up, but you’ve already done the honors.”
“You wanna go catch a movie or something?”
“Sure.” I rattle off a movie that looks interesting.
“I’d see that.”
Daniel pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks the listings. “There’s a show starting in an hour. You want to go, or catch the later one?”
“Sure, we can go. Whatever. Are you hungry?”
“No, not really. You?”
“Not yet. Maybe we can grab something on the way back.”
“Sounds good.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re sitting in a packed theater, not realizing that the movie only opened the night before. The guy beside me smells like he smoked an entire pack of cigarettes before coming to the show. The girls sitting beside Daniel are acting stupid; like teenage kids on dope…maybe they are�
��who knows. “Maybe they just think you’re cute.” I wink.
“Maybe smokey smokerson next to you thinks you’re cute.” Daniel teases. We each have a bucket of popcorn and a drink. I pull a piece of popcorn out and toss it at Daniel’s nose, nailing him.
He chuckles, picks up the kernel that falls in his lap, and tosses it in his mouth. “You know what would be even funner? If you throw popcorn at the silly sisters next to me.”
“Dare me?”
He hesitates, and then shakes his head no. “Na, forget it. They’ll probably just freak out.”
“Can I throw another one at you then?” I lift my brows and a kernel.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
I toss it at him, and this time he catches it in his mouth.
“Wow. What’s your next trick?”
“I’ll walk to the bottom of the theater and then you throw one at me. Now there’s a trick. This is only a couple inches away from me. I bet you could do it too. It’s not much of a challenge.”
“Try me.” I goad.
He pulls a kernel out and tosses it at me. It bounces off my face and lands at my feet. “I’m not eating that.” I snuffle, shaking my head.
He tilts his head and lifts a brow. “Two second rule.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Alright. You’re off the hook.” He leans into me with his shoulder. The lights dim as the movie is about to start. The beginning of the preview startles the crap out of me as it comes on super loud. I actually shriek a little. Daniel chuckles at me and I playfully punch him in the shoulder. He lifts his hand and rubs the spot, feigning that I hurt him, even though his shoulder feels strong enough to pick up a boulder.
The movie is a gripping suspense, and in the middle, Daniel leans over to me and whispers in my ear. “I think that guy did it.” he points at the screen. His breath tickles me, giving me shivers.
“Shh…” I hiss, leaning into him, fighting him off. “Don’t spoil it.” I smirk. He snuffles a soft laugh. “You don’t think he did it?” he whispers.
“No, I think the other guy did it.” I whisper in his ear.
“You wanna make a bet?” his eyes go to my lips for a second.
“There’s a hotdog stand outside.” I murmur. “Whoever wins buys dinner after.”
Daniel sticks his hand out. “Deal.” I shake his hand.
Turns out, Daniel won. “Pay up.” He says as we approach the vendor outside the theater.
“Fine.” I pretend that I want to squelch, but I don’t. “You drive a hard bargain, Mr…” I hesitate.
“Lynch.”
“Oh, wait…should I be calling you doctor?”
He shrugs. “In a couple more years when I’m done my residency.”
“Wow…your parents must be so proud of you.”
Another shrug as he bites into his hotdog. “Both my parents are doctors, so to them I’m just following in their footsteps. But I suppose it is something to be proud of.” He’s talking with his mouth full, which, for some reason, I find adorable.
I take a bite of my hotdog after I pay the vendor and we start walking. “I suppose I’m lucky in that way. My mom would be proud of me if I was a used car salesperson.”
“Salesperson or saleswoman?” he challenges playfully.
I squeeze my lips to one side and stare upward. “I’m not sure.”
He waves. “How’s the hotdog?”
“Not bad. I’ve eaten better ones from home, personally. Yours?”
“Same. Who’d have thought a hotdog vendor outside a movie theater would suck.”
I chuckle. “How about we go for ice cream after this? Kill the crappy flavor?”
“Sure.” He lifts a brow. “Who’s paying this time? Got any more bets you want to lose?”
“Wow, for a future doctor, you sure are a tightwad.” I joke.
He chuckles. “I’ll pay.”
I lift a finger. “You see…this is why I hated dating. You never know what’s appropriate for paying. Probably one of the reasons why I married so young.”
“How old were you?”
“Twenty-three. A child.” My voice is flat.
“And you were married for how long?”
I give him a sideways glance. “If you want to know how old I am, just ask.”
“No, seriously. I’m curious how long you were married for.” He says honestly.
“Fine. Ten years.” I admit.
“And how many were actually good?”
“Hmmm…seven…eight, maybe?” I pause. “The last two years we lost our business and it just went downhill from there.” Another pause. “So, tell me…how old are you?”
“I just turned the big three-o a couple of months ago.”
“And your parents aren’t bugging you to get married and give them grandchildren?”
“Well, it’s kinda hard with three out of five of us deployed in Europe. Christopher, my little brother, he’ll never get married. He’s too wild. My other two brothers…who knows, and my sister…she wants kids, and I know she’s coming home in a few months. Her boyfriend is patiently awaiting her arrival. I’m pretty sure a wedding is coming soon.”
“Ah, so your sister is keeping your parents at bay.”
“No, not really. Mom and dad have never really driven home the fact that they want grandchildren. I mean, I’m sure they do, but they’ve never said as much.”
“That’s all my mother’s ever talked about.” I growl softly. “It’s exhausting. I suppose it’s different for her; because she only ever had me. She was never surrounded with kids like your parents with five children.”
“And my mom, before she retired, was an obstetrician; so she saw her fair share of babies.”
“Ah. It’s like the girls who work in childcare at the center. None of them are gung-ho about having kids.”
“Exactly.” We go into Daniel’s car as we head to the Dairy Queen. “So, do you actually want to have kids? You mentioned you’d been unable to…err…make a baby.”
“Well, to be fair, that mystery still remains. But yes, maybe one day, before my eggs are too old, I’d like to have kids. Of course, this going back to school thing puts a wrench in that for a while.”
“But it never was a huge priority.” He clarifies.
I sigh. “I’ll never admit it to my mom, but no.”
“Well, you’re the first girl I’ve met who didn’t place having kids front and center.”
“That’s not true.” I lift a finger. “Heather too.”
“Really.” He’s literally shocked.
“Really.” I nod.
We pull up to the Dairy Queen. Daniel orders a banana split that we agree to share. As we sit and eat it together, I ask. “So you took Greg to an AA meeting?”
“Yeah. I dropped him off at the church where the meetings are held. Why?” A gob of whipped cream slides off his spoon and lands on my side. I fight him for it briefly, with a spoon sword fight, and he gives up. I eat it and answer him, with a victorious smile on my face.
“Heather said something about him talking to a friend on the phone about meeting up for drinks.”
A ‘v’ forms between his eyes. “Is she sure? I mean, the guy’s pretty clean and has been for almost a year.” His face colors slightly. “I can’t tell you how I know this, but, he can’t wait to get through his first sober year so he can be in a relationship again.”
“Horny?” I ask, stuffing my mouth with banana.
He almost chokes. “What?”
I bark out a laugh, watching his face turn pink. “I was referring to Greg…I wasn’t…” I can’t finish the sentence.
His eyes bulge as relief sweeps over his face. “Jeez.”
“Why on earth would I ask you that?” I point out.
“I don’t know…whipped cream…hotdogs…” he can’t look at me.
I lift a hand. “I get it.” I shake my head.
He laughs once again and suddenly it’s contagious. We keep laughing every time we try
to look at each other. This goes on for a couple of minutes, until we’re gasping for air and wiping our eyes.
“Oh…man. My stomach hurts.” He chuckles, placing a hand on his belly.
“Mine too.” I giggle. “I think that’s enough ice cream.”
“Good idea.” He rises, taking the almost empty tray to the trash. When he comes back, he asks if I’m ready to go.
“Sure. Let’s head back.”
I rise and we head to his car. “All kidding aside, do you think there’s any discrete way to poke around and see if Greg has fallen off the wagon? I mean, I’d like to help him out if he’s on the edge, you know?”
“I don’t think there’s a discrete way…unless I like, follow him around or actually attend one of those AA meetings with him.”
“Maybe you could do that…go to a meeting with him. Or I can. And maybe we could both kind of hang around him more often.”
Daniel’s hand goes to his chin as he scratches it contemplatively. “I don’t know if you spending more time with him is such a great idea.”
“Why not?”
“In case you didn’t notice…he has a crush on you.”
“No he doesn’t.” I argue.
We hit a stop light. Daniel’s face changes, and I notice my stomach gurgles in the quiet. Daniel gives me a pointed look. “He totally does.”
That voice in my mind calls to me. It says, “and what about you?”
Chapter 10
Daniel
My stomach is bubbling, and I can hear hers, too. “You feeling okay?” I ask her.
“A little queasy from the ice cream, I think. You?” Her expression is somewhat sour.
As we get closer to her house, I feel sicker and sicker. She’s looking kind of green, too. “I left my books at your place. Do you mind if I come in for a minute to pick them up?”
“No. Not at all.” She says, holding her stomach.
“You okay?” I touch her arm.
“I’ll feel better once I have some water.” She answers unconvincingly.
Once we get to her house, she doesn’t even remove her shoes before she trots to the bathroom. “Make yourself at home.” She says in her wake.