Matters of the Heart

by Heather M Green

  "Cool. See you in a few hours."

  "I went to Oaks Park once years ago, but I threw up after the Disk'O and Eruption rides and I've never been back," Andy told us.

  "You can't expect us to be surprised by that, can you?" Sophie asked.

  "Why not?" Adri wanted to know. "Do you have a weak stomach?"

  "Baby, there's nothing on me that's weak," Andy responded with a cocky grin. I choked and then grinned at Sophie's scoff of disgust.

  Adri looked around the car at us and said, "There's a story here." Andy spent the remainder of the drive filling Adri in on his prom date fiasco.

  "They also have roller skating and mini golf if you are feeling queasy. No throwing up in my car." Sophie's warning came out as more of a plea.

  “I vote mini golf,” Andy said.

  “Me too,” Adri chimed in. “I can’t afford any freak accidents with roller skating when I’m going home soon. And I’d sympathy erupt right along with Andy when he barfed on the Eruption ride.”

  “Aptly named.” Sophie grinned at the irony.

  Eighteen holes and two wading expeditions to retrieve balls later, we sat in a dive that Andy suggested and stuffed ourselves with pizza and breadsticks. Talk and laughter circled easily around the table.

  After Sophie choked on her breadstick for the third time from laughing at stories she and Adri were reminiscing about, we decided to call it quits.

  “Take us home before Sophie dies right here on what’s left of the combo pizza,” Adri said.

  “It is getting pretty late,” Sophie agreed, checking the time on her phone. “I’d hate to have you miss your flight tomorrow because we slept in.” Adri and Sophie grinned at each other.

  “I wish I could have been here longer,” Adri agreed.

  “You’ve already seen all the important things,” Andy reminded her, flexing.

  I laughed as Sophie groaned. “Put it away, Andy, or we’ll all be revisiting this pizza we just put down.”

  “She’s right, dude,” I agreed. “Besides, everyone knows that I have you beat any day of the week.”

  “Oh, ho,” Andy choked out. “Let’s take it to the gym and we’ll see who beats who.”

  “Hey, look guys,” Sophie interrupted. “It’s karaoke night and they’re warming up the mics.”

  Andy’s head jerked in Sophie’s direction, terror in his eyes. “Since when does this place do karaoke? We’re outta here.” He scooted out of the booth, pushing Adri with him as he went, and made a beeline for the door.

  “I guess that leaves you with the check, Doctor.” Sophie grinned over her shoulder in triumph.

  “Pretty smooth, San Antonio,” I called out to her.

  “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, cowboy.” She winked, causing me to stumble, as she sauntered to the door.

  Sophie

  "I can't believe you leave tomorrow.” I plopped down on my bed and pulled a pillow across my middle. “It's gone by too fast. I'm going to miss you."

  Adri took a seat on the bed across from mine, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "Have you decided how much longer you are going to stay?"

  “I have kind of put off talking to Trevor and Stacy about it," I admitted. "I really want to get back and open my place, but I really don't."

  "Does your hesitancy have anything to do with a certain very good looking doctor?" She grinned knowingly. “And what’s up with the San Antonio thing?”

  I shrugged. “He started calling me that after our first beach trip. We were talking about weather and how I’m always so cold here.” I brushed the memory away with a wave of my hand. “Anyway, it’s kind of grown on me.”

  “It’s cute. Unique,” she said.

  "I love him, Ad,” I admitted. “I never thought I'd find him, but here he is. I'd be crazy to go back now and not give this thing time. Wouldn't I?"

  "I hate to play devil's advocate here, but has he said anything that hints at long term? What if he's the type that will never commit and you are just spinning your wheels?

  "No." I shook my head adamantly. "I can't believe he's the type who runs from commitment. Besides, it’s way too soon to have that kind of talk." But did I know for sure? He was thirty-two, a doctor, gorgeous, and not married. Why? And what was it he refused to tell me?

  “I can’t believe how fast the week flew,” I told Adri as we rushed into the airport. We were running late and I didn’t want her to miss her flight even though I would have loved for her to stay. “Good thing you checked in on-line,” I told her when I saw the lines. I hadn’t had a chance to ask her about her goodbye to Andy, so I’d go with her as far through the security line as I could.

  “How was Andy last night when you left?”

  “He was Andy. You know how he is. I couldn’t tell if he was just feeding me lines about missing me and will be with someone else the second my plane takes off, or if he really wants to keep in touch.” Adri paused for a moment. “You said he and I are a lot alike. Does that mean you think I’m shallow?”

  I hesitated. “Only around some people,” I replied honestly. “For example, I’d never seen you as crazy about your body and the gym as you were that night we played Trivial Pursuit at their apartment. The days you went to the gym with him, you came back Andy-fied. Don’t get me wrong, the gym isn’t a bad thing, but you aren’t normally that extreme.” I watched her closely trying to gauge her reaction to my words.

  She sighed, “I know. I could see it in myself and didn’t like it. That’s why I denied having any feelings for him when we talked the other night. We would have gotten tired of each other, I think. Two selfish, self-centered people together don’t last very long.”

  “You’re almost up,” I said, pointing to the security guard a few feet away. “I’m sorry that we didn’t get to all the places you wanted to go. Someday we will have to do a road trip back here and see it all. Let me know that you got back safely. I love you.”

  She reached out and pulled me into a hug. “Thanks, Soph. I love you too.” She pointed at me as she walked backward. “You better let me know how Tillamook goes.” I laughed and waved.

  Chapter 22

  James

  “You sure you are up for this?” I asked Sophie after driving a few minutes in comfortable silence.

  She pumped a fist in the air. “Bring it on.”

  “You’re not nervous at all? ‘Cause I am, honestly.”

  “I’m terrified,” she confided as she turned toward me in her seat. “You know how I get when I’m nervous. I spout ridiculous stuff. It’s so humiliating. They are going to think I’m a freak.”

  I laughed softly at her dramatics. “It will be okay,” I attempted to reassure her. “And anyway, you are just kind of a freak.” I laughed out loud when she hit my arm with the back of her hand.

  “Mean.”

  I grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s really going to be okay. They are as charming and fun to be around as I am.” To which she snorted. I tried again. “You like me well enough, right?”

  “Don’t be too sure about that,” she said dryly. I chuckled.

  “You like me so you will like them. And if you are a really good girl,” I continued as if talking to a small child, “we can go to the beach for a few minutes.”

  “I better get more than a few minutes of beach time out of this, Doc." She folded her arms. "And a sand dollar. And a sea cucumber. And some seaweed for a wrap…”

  I laughed out loud and reached a hand over and pulled her hand from her crossed arms. I threaded my fingers through hers, brought them to my lips and kissed her soft hand, then rested them on the console between us. She was so crazy, so adorable. I wanted to pull her to me and never let go. I had no doubt my parents would love her. If Kaley could be believed, they already did with all she had told them about Sophie.

  “…And ice cream at the cheese factory,” she added as an afterthought.

  “Anything else?” I asked chuckling.

&n
bsp; “No, that should do it for this trip. But if they hate me, you’re in big trouble.”

  “Noted.”

  “So, I brought something." I glanced at her as she leaned forward and dug around in the bag between her feet on the floor. "Ah hah!" she sang and sat back, waving a CD near my face.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  At her raised eyebrow and “ha, ha”, I add, "I mean besides the obvious answer of a CD."

  "This, Doctor, is a newly burned beach CD. I could have done something new age like a playlist on my phone or Ipod, but I decided to introduce you to some culture. I made it last night when I couldn't sleep. Take a listen. Tell me what you think." She inserted the CD into the car CD player- I was actually surprised my car had one- and the steady beat of drums and an acoustic guitar filled the car. I smiled when Sophie's alto voice joined the male singer on the CD. I listened as she sang about spending a week at a beach with someone whose heart was still twisting like a beach roller coaster. Minutes later, the music faded and another song took its place. This one about dancing at a seaside pavilion and leaving for Cleveland in the morning. Sophie sang along with each song word for word, harmonizing during some songs and singing in unison with others.

  Although I loved listening to her mellow voice, aside from the occasional vague references to sand, water, or summer, I didn't see how this was a beach CD and I told her so.

  "How can you say that?" she protested.

  "Easy. Just because I swim in the ocean, it doesn't mean I'm a dolphin," I reasoned. "These songs aren't beach songs simply because they reference a few grains of sand or a glass of water."

  Sophie laughed. "You know they talk about more water than just a glassful."

  "This is your feeble attempt to get me addicted to your country girl jams," I accused. "Admit it."

  "I won't admit to anything. What are beach songs, then, if you are such a beach music guru?"

  "You know. Something like Surfer Joe, Surfer Girl, Surfin' Safari," I listed off a few in a hurry.

  "So, they have to have the word 'surf' in them to be considered beach music?" she questioned, making quote marks with her fingers.

  "No. They just need to have more surf than spurs."

  "Although I do not agree, I have anticipated you," she informed me. She leaned forward in her seat to push the skip button and skipped ahead a few songs. "Number six." She sat back with a satisfied smile. The first strains of Surfin' USA by the Beach Boys filled the car.

  I cranked up the volume. "That's what I'm talking about," I hooted over the music, tapping the steering wheel to the beat of the music with my right hand. I glanced over at her scrunched up nose and laughed. "How many more of these do you have on here?" I yelled over the chorus.

  "This is the only one," she yelled back and rolled down her window. The wind caught her hair and whipped it into my face. I spluttered and pushed it away. She laughed and gathered it in her hand and secured it in a ponytail.

  I reached forward and lowered the volume, throwing her a questioning look. "This is the only beach song on this CD?"

  "By your definition, yes," she sniffed.

  I shook my head and laughed. "A beach CD."

  "Fine. Laugh all you want. I’ll have you know that forty percent of Americans, more or less, listen to country music. I was trying to help you acquire a bit of culture, diversity," she sniffed.

  I grinned at her. “Or you were trying to up the percentage to a less embarrassing number.” She scoffed, not believing I’d accuse her of such a thing. In my most humble voice I said, “Thank you for attempting to make me a Renaissance man.”

  “I can see some people are more prone to acquisitions than others. I am willing to compromise, however.”

  “Yeah?” I asked, intrigued.

  “To show you I harbor no hard feelings about your insulting remarks, assumptions, and backward thinking-”

  “Backward thinking,” I objected.

  “- I…” she held up a hand and continued over me. “I am willing to change the title of the CD from beach tunes to summer tunes if you are willing to admit that country music could grow on you.”

  “That is very magnanimous of you, pretty girl.” I grinned at her blush. “And in an attempt to right any wrongs, I accept your suggestion of a title change, agreeing that summer tunes is a better title, and make a counter offer.”

  “I’m listening,” she said.

  “Take a moment to listen to my talk radio. See what that does for you.”

  “You won’t agree that listening to my music has changed your opinion of country music?”

  “Not even to up the percentage a little bit.”

  She pushed another button. Gone was the country twang and the monotone voice of a radio announcer informed us we could buy previously owned cars for a great price.

  “Never mind,” she said in disgust.

  I tsked and reached out and turned the radio off.

  Sophie

  After a few minutes of comfortable silence, I asked, "Do you want to play a form of twenty questions since you balked at my beach music and we have over an hour to kill?”

  “Now, now. I believe we called a truce," James reminded me. "But sure. I’m game. And I get to ask the first question.”

  “Okay. Just know that if you ask a good question, I can ask you the same question back without it counting as one of my questions.”

  “How is that fair?" he complained. "That way you get like forty questions to my twenty.”

  “I said it was a form of twenty questions. I came up with the game, so I get to make the rules.”

  “Fine, I guess. Okay, first question. Indoors or out?” he asked.

  “Depends. If it’s bathroom usage, definitely indoors. But if it’s skinning rodents, I’d go without.” I had to grab the wheel when he started to laugh or we would have crashed.

  “Please tell me you have never actually skinned a rodent.” He glanced at me and then back at the road.

  “Skinned it, cooked it up, and ate it.” At his horrified look, I said, “Kidding. Rodents give me the heebie jeebies. Seriously, though, I’d rather be outside doing something than sitting and watching television, but I love sitting down with a good book. I love kayaking, but swimming isn’t my strong point. I love walks and riding my bike. Now you, same question.”

  “Outdoors for everything except surgery. That gets pretty tricky outside. I guess the bathroom too.”

  “You’ve had to perform surgery outside?” I couldn’t believe it.

  “Well, not a major surgery. When I was in South America on a medical humanitarian trip, our guide tripped and fell on his own machete. I had to sew him up right there in the middle of the jungle.”

  Sophie gasped. “Holy cow. I couldn’t have done that in a hospital let alone a jungle.”

  “We came upon a guy that had been bitten by a snake. We were too far in the middle of nowhere to get him to a hospital in time. I had to slice him open and suck the venom out, then sew him back up.”

  “No way!”

  “You’re right,” I admitted with a mischievous smile. “I had some anti-venom.”

  “Man, I totally fell for that,” she laughed. “Did he live?”

  “Yeah. We got him taken care of. There were other medical procedures we had to perform, but they were in a tent in the center of a village. So not technically outside.”

  “Wow. That’s all I can say. Wow.” I looked at James, admiration in my eyes. “My turn. Car or truck?"

  “Well, you can probably tell I like cars given that I drive one. I’ve wondered how it would be to race cars on a track." His eyes lit up. "That would be awesome. Haven’t ever really had a need for a truck. Now you, same question.”

  “Truck all the way. Cars are so limited in where they can take you. But I’ve recently acquired a taste for Lexus. This is one sweet ride, Doctor.” He smiled and reached for my hand. I looked down at our intertwined hands. Mine was tanner than his because I spent more time in the Texas sun, but h
is was big and strong, gentle- the hands of a surgeon. Could hands be sexy? Well, his were.

  I looked up and saw him glance over at me with a question in his eyes. I cleared my throat in an attempt to stop the blush filling my cheeks. Thank heaven he couldn’t read my mind.

  I cleared my throat again. “I love a little off-roading, mud on the tires, that kind of stuff. Adri and I went out with a couple guys once who had these diesel trucks with lifts. We told them the pond was too deep, but they were real hicks. I think they had probably already thrown back a few. Anyway, they gunned it and took off into the pond. We got about halfway through when the engines stalled. They were cussin’ and water started seeping in through the doors. Adri and I bailed and swam back to shore, but not before we had a scary little run in with an alligator. They aren’t common that far north, but they aren’t unheard of either.”

  “Hence the no swimming thing.”

  “Yes. Adri and I can laugh about it now, but we weren’t laughing then.”

  “Did you ever go out with them again?” James wanted to know.

  “Are you kidding? I’d have to be as drunk as they were before I’d go out with them again.”

  James laughed. “I wonder what you’d be like drunk. That would be funny.”

  “Yeah, well, you’ll never know. The closest I’ve come is when I got my wisdom teeth out and was on pain meds. My parents still laugh about that day. Lots of blackmail material came from a couple pulled teeth.”

  “What should I look up on YouTube?" He pretended to search the console and his pocket blindly for his phone.

  "I'll never tell," I laughed.

  "Ok. My turn. What were you thinking when you looked at our hands a few minutes ago?”

  I blushed and asked, “Do I really have to answer that question?”

  “With that blush? Absolutely.” He grinned.

  “I was thinking that if I ever had to have surgery,” I improvised, “your hands are the hands I’d want performing it. You have nice hands.” I had told the truth. Mostly.

  “Now you are making me blush,” he said.