Lingus

by Mariana Zapata

  After I bowled a strike — thank God — I went back to sit between Zoey and Tristan again. Her smile looked a little crazy and it scared me.

  "What dress are you going to wear to the wedding?" she asked like she really cared.

  "I don't know."

  "Wear that cute blue one, the strapless one that's almost too short? You can show off those legs, tiger." Her voice was even and calm, but the look on her face was a contradiction of alert and amused. Her eyes flickered back and forth between my face and Tristan's. "I told Ry that he needs to think about settling down before all of his friends get married and he's the lonely loser."

  Uh. For the record, Zoey could care less about marriage, so her little rant about wanting Ryan to get married was a whole pile of bull shit. When Tristan stiffened next to me, making a noise that sounded like he was clearing his throat, the little vixen gave me a thumbs-up. Oh. My. God.

  "I'm gonna go pee, I'll be back." She stood up, wiping imaginary lint off her jeans. "Just bowl for me, KAB." Then, she was off, practically skipping to the restroom.

  Tristan decided to turn and look at me then, giving me the opportunity to appreciate the fact that his superb, finely cut jaw was clenched. He didn't say a word as Nikki and Calum sat back down, but he did wave me up to follow him so we could grab our balls to bowl. I was a little faster than him at prepping, so my ball was flying down the lane a few seconds before his.

  "You're going to a wedding?" he asked me casually, while we waited for our balls to come back.

  "Yeah, on Saturday." I answered, looking at the machine that returned the balls. I glanced up at him, but his broad frame was facing the lanes while his hands were shoved deep inside his jean pockets.

  "Cool," he muttered in a deep voice.

  I knew he was leaving on Friday again, because he told me about it a few days before and that familiar, sickening feeling in my stomach made a mess of my intestines. I had a brief flashback to two days before, when I woke up in the middle of the night to Tristan's form against mine. By the time I got up in the morning he was already awake and attempting to make French toast. He didn't say anything about the night before, and I sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to point out anything he potentially could have done in his sleep. Why couldn't I be a telepath? Or even have some balls to invite him to spend the night again?

  I bowled again for Zoey and waited for Tristan to bowl before I gave him a high-five. Josh was up and talking a whole lot of shit before our turn, and by the time I made it back to the seats, Zoey hadn't made it back. My auburn-haired friend was sitting in his seat with his spine straight and shoulders pushed so far back it looked border-line painful.

  The lovely green eyes I was so fond of were looking between my still colorful cheek and eyes. "Want to come over for a while after we finish here? I'll make spaghetti."

  Damn him and his mom's spaghetti recipe.

  I was such a sucker.

  Chapter 38

  "I haven't been here in years," I said quietly, peering into the huge water world just a few feet away.

  Tristan leaned into me, bumping my shoulder against his arm. "I come here with my mom a couple times a year."

  We were at the Miami Seaquarium on Thursday. He managed to get off work early and invited me to go with him for fun. It was the first time we'd actually gone anywhere besides the animal shelter, grocery store, and pet store. Not that I minded staying at his house for the most part, because we're both home-bodies but this was a nice change. Still in his work clothes, Tristan was too much for the human eye in his black dress pants, light blue button-up shirt, and rolled up sleeves. Professional Tristan was way too much for my eyes and hormones, and by the sultry looks every woman in the aquarium had shot him— they all agreed with me.

  The killer whale and dolphin show had just finished and we were heading to the main reef aquarium to cool down for a bit. I could tell that Tristan regretted keeping on his work clothes because the sun was unforgiving and the heat was blistering. The air conditioning felt like a miracle to me and I was wearing half the amount of clothes he was. We paused in front of one of the biggest tanks, taking in the shades of blue that teamed with fish.

  "I'm going to the restroom," he whispered into my ear, squeezing my wrist.

  I wasn't sure exactly how long I stood there staring at the homes of blue water right ahead of me, but I knew it was awhile when I started to get bored and look around the rest of the aquarium for Tristan. There were only about fifteen other people in this part of the building at the time and none of them were my beautiful friend. The problem was that I didn't have my cell or my purse with me. I'd left my things in the trunk of his car since I didn't think I'd need any of it. I was worried, because I couldn't even call him to check and see if he had bubbly guts, or if maybe he'd fallen and hit his head on the toilet.

  Once I located the restrooms, I sat on the bench closest to the doors and waited a solid fifteen minutes. There was an older man walking in the direction of the restroom, so I got up and headed toward him.

  "Hi," I said as gently as possible. "I was wondering if you could do me a big favor?"

  Both of his salt and pepper eyebrows went up in response. "Okay."

  Oh God. He probably thought I was a hooker. "I'm a little worried about my friend who was in the bathroom. His name is Tristan. Do you mind seeing if he's still in there?" I spat out as quickly as I could.

  The man nodded sharply before ducking into the restroom. Only a couple of minutes later, he came out, shaking his head. "Sorry ma'am, no one else was in there."

  "Oh, okay." I told him as evenly as I possibly could.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  Where was he? I didn't want to risk walking around the Seaquarium looking for him because it might take hours to run into each other. A slight panic clawed its way up my spine, reminding me of the time that my dad forgot to pick me up from school and I got stuck being taken home by my principal. I cried the entire way there feeling alone and abandoned. I didn't think Tristan would just up and leave me, but I had no idea where he could've gone. I didn't move an inch while I waited for him.

  Plopping back down onto the bench, I tried to steady the tremor in my hands while trying my best to control my emotions. Nikki's office was only a few blocks away so I could walk over there to get a ride home, but then I ran the risk of showing up only to have her be gone. I couldn't remember whether or not she had a trial today. Shit.

  A long figure stopped in front of me and I looked up, expecting to see green eyes and lightly tanned skin, but the eye color was off, it was a shade of sea foam green and the skin color was a creamy white. "Do you need some help?" the stranger asked in a gravelly voice.

  "I don't know," I replied, taking in the polo shirt he had on with the aquarium's name stitched neatly over a pocket. The man was really good-looking and I mean really good looking. He was almost as hot as Tristan with a straight nose, flat forehead, inky black hair, and full lips. Fuck me. I was worried about being abandoned but didn't waste any time in checking out the nice employee like the hussy I was. Ha.

  The man squatted down so he was almost eye level with me. "I've been watching you for awhile," he said before grunting, pink coloring the cartilage of his ears. "That makes me sound like a stalker, I'm sorry. What I mean to say is that you look lost."

  I giggled a little at his words because he did sound like a creep by saying he'd been watching me. Hell, he was a hot creep so I was okay with it. "I came with my friend and he disappeared."

  "Have you tried calling him?"

  I pointed at my leggings and lack of pockets. "I left my phone in his car and I don't have his number memorized," panic laced my words at the end. I knew there wasn't a real reason to freak out but my body couldn't comprehend it.

  "Boyfriend?" he asked slowly with a twitch of his cola colored eyebrows.

  "No," I told him, trying to fight back a smile at his question.

  This time the man smiled. "Do you want to wait a little while lo
nger and see if he shows up?"

  I had to remind myself that if I left it would probably be harder to find him. I'd gone on quite a few field trips with my kids that the words my mantra to them, floated through my brain. If you get lost, stay where you are. Did it count if I was technically not lost but Tristan might be? I voted yes. Looking at my watch briefly, it was barely three. If Nikki was at work she normally didn't leave until closer to five, so I was safe to catch a ride but only as long as long as she was there.

  "Yeah, I should probably just wait a few minutes."

  He nodded, gesturing toward a spot on the bench right next to me with his head. "Do you mind if I wait with you?"

  "Of course not," I told him as he straightened up, and then sat down. "I'm Katherine," I outstretched my hand in his direction.

  "It's nice to meet you," he said, shaking my hand. "I'm Kieran."

  "Kieran," I sounded it out. "That's a neat one. Irish?"

  He nodded, a big smile covering the lower half of his face. "First generation."

  "Nice." I pointed at the stitching on his polo. "Do you work here, or do you just wear that for fun?"

  Kieran laughed, and then explained that he was a biologist, which I thought was really cool. Then he asked me what I did, launching us into a conversation about being a teacher and school in general. He'd just turned thirty and loved working at the aquarium. Our conversation flowed easily and quietly for short minutes that fell right after another in a domino effect. It was easy to forget that I might have been abandoned by someone that I cared about more than he deserved at this point.

  "Kat!" a familiar voice exclaimed from the entrance to the exhibit.

  I was so focused on Kieran's raspy voice that it took me a second to look up and find Tristan speed walking in my direction as he looked back and forth between Kieran and I. His face was flushed and desperate as he made his way over. "Where were you?" I managed to ask, standing up to face him.

  "Walter called me and there was a problem we needed to resolve," he hesitated. "I'm so, so sorry I left you here for so long," he apologized, finally reaching me. He reached up to grasp my shoulder, but his eyes stationed themselves on my new acquaintance. His look was anything but friendly as Kieran stood up as well. Tristan was just an inch taller, I noticed.

  I was stuck between introducing them to each other and just letting the awkward silence continue, but Kieran cleared his throat and faced me instead before smiling gently. "I should be getting back to work, but it was a pleasure meeting you, Katherine." He fished in his pocket for a moment before handing me a business card. "I'd really like to get to know you better... please feel free to e-mail or call me," he winked and my ovaries started screaming, "If you'd like."

  I nodded at him in response, watching him take a few steps away before Tristan's steaming presence next to me brought my attention back to him. I felt really irked all of a sudden, I thought it was the fact that he did in fact leave the exhibit without so much as at least telling me I'll be right back. I wouldn't have cared if he needed to talk to Walter for whatever porn-related issue he had going on. I felt betrayed, and by the look on his face I knew he could tell that I was a little upset with him.

  "I'm sorry, goldie. I had to run out to my car and it took a lot longer than I expected," he sighed, staring at me with those intense gem colored eyes.

  "I thought you left me."

  His face took on a pained expression at my words. "I'd never leave you, you should know that."

  You should know that. It drove a microscopic stake into my heart. I shrugged in his direction while averting my eyes to the wall behind him. "Okay," slipped out of my mouth, but even I could hear the frustration that tainted my words.

  "Goldie," he whispered.

  He sighed too loudly and wrapped his arms around me, one over my shoulders and the other across the middle of my back. His warm lips pressed against my temple, making it the first time he'd ever put his lips directly on my skin without the excuse of sleep, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle up in response to his affection. He brushed those full lips against my other temple while tightening his hug. "You're my favorite person in the world, Kat. I could never forget about you."

  His words were like a soothing balm to his actions, dulling the emotions that had been wrapped around me before. His words and touches were enough to ease him back into my good graces because I believed him. I felt his affection toward me through his hug and chaste kisses, but the sharp edges of the business card in my hand reminded me of Kieran. I wondered briefly if words and apologetic actions were really enough when it came to this thing with Tristan. At times I felt like he thought of me as more than a friend or sister, but it fluctuated so much I didn't understand and was not willing to push for an explanation.

  I figured if he wanted me, he'd make it known.

  Later that night, Tristan was running up the stairs to my apartment, his long legs pumping him up the stairs faster than I imagined he could possibly go. His fist was clenched and his teeth were grinding. The poor sucker needed to pee, and I was taking my sweet ass time making it up the stairs. "Kat!" he hissed at me.

  "I'm coming, I'm coming," I said, walking over to the door and unlocking it.

  He pushed passed me and dodged into my bathroom with Matlock trailing after him. He'd been exceptionally sweet the rest of the day after the aquarium incident, taking me to eat at this cool Japanese restaurant before taking us back to his house to play with Yoda a while. Tristan would brush his fingers through my ponytail randomly, put his arm around my shoulder more often, and then kiss my temples a couple more times. Needless to say, I was turned on beyond belief. I swear he radiated magical sexual energy with his hands and lips. Maybe I was just so interested in him that my desperate body would take any attention it could get and milk it shamelessly.

  I wanted him to give me a sign that he felt something for me besides friendship.

  I know that his actions and looks were more than just platonic. Over the course of my life, I'd had male friends before that were just that — friends — and it was never like this. Never. Tristan was different, I knew that but I wanted it to be really different. The notion that he was leaving the next day to go fornicate with other girls killed me inside. It killed me because I wanted him to do those things with me.

  "I may have peed on your toilet seat by accident," his velvet voice stated from the doorway to my bathroom. He stood there in all of his muscular, professional glory and a sheepish face.

  I grimaced and tossed one of my pillows at him. "Did you at least clean it off?"

  He nodded, holding my pillow between his hands before plopping down on the bed right next to me. "I did, don't worry."

  "Yuck." I told him but honestly, I really didn't care too much. Having shared a bathroom with Josh for a year, I'd become pretty desensitized to the things that could happen when a man peed. Josh used to leave puddles on the floor and lets just say I was fond of walking around barefoot. I figured that as long as my ass didn't come into direct contact with it then I was fine. A sudden thought popped into my brain, and I felt a little like Zoey as I hopped off the bed and pulled the sliding door to my closet open. She'd be so proud of me and my plan. "Tell me which dress you think I should wear to wedding. I can't decide on one."

  Silence answered me and I had to bite back a snort. Every time I'd brought up the wedding, which had really only been one other time besides Sunday, Tristan's mouth would lock up like a jail cell. I grabbed the three dresses I had in mind from the closet and laid them out on the bed right next to him. The strapless dress Zoey had brought up the day we went bowling didn't fit anymore and I was relieved by it. Tristan rolled over so he was propped up on his elbow, while his other hand was free to touch the three very different dresses laid out.

  One was short, gold, and sparkly with thin straps and a black band of fabric right below where my breasts would be. I thought it was a little on the short side but maybe not. The other was a sea foam color that remin
ded me of Kieran's eyes for a brief moment, it was strapless and a decent length. The third I was definitely not sure about, the midnight blue dress was silky and sleeveless with the material bunching up on one shoulder, leaving the other completely exposed. It was pretty fucking short and if that wasn't bad enough, I couldn't wear a bra with it. I didn't have huge boobs but they were still too large for me to successfully pull off going braless.

  "Try them on," he suggested with a smirk on his face. "They might be too short to be appropriate for a wedding."

  I nodded and grabbed the dresses to change in the bathroom. I tried on each in order, stepping into the bedroom to show him each time. He simply nodded at the first two, but it was when I wore the dark blue one that I saw his eyes widen. I swear his nostrils flared as I stood in front of him and tugged at the hem. That one was definitely way too short, it barely covered my ass, and the material against my nipples made them pucker up like some of the fish I'd seen earlier in the day.