by Aj Harmon
*****
After the cemetery was seemingly deserted, William joined his brother near the car. They were the last to leave. It was a pleasing day – the sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm. William had a hard time leaving.
“Shall we?” Lewis asked, heading for the car.
As William turned to follow him, a car pulled up, blocking the driveway and their exit. The door of the red sedan opened and a woman stepped out. She was in a black dress and her dark hair was pulled into a bun at the back of her head. She wore big sunglasses that hid her eyes, but William would have known her anywhere. Erica. Lewis was closer and as such, walked towards her, reaching her quickly. Their conversation could not be heard by William…he just watched the apparent uncomfortableness between them. Erica shook her head, looking disappointed, and started to step backwards when she looked up and saw William. She hesitated for just a second and then slowly pulled her glasses from her face, studying him intently from afar.
William froze, as though his legs were trapped in columns of concrete, unable to move. Erica headed in his direction and small beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead. For years he’d wondered about her, thought of her, wished to see her, and here she was…in the flesh. His mouth went dry and his heart was beating rapidly, his fingers twitching at his side. Still she strolled toward him.
“William! Is that you? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
She smiled. He melted. His fifteen year old self was back.
“Hello Erica.” At least he was able to form a couple of words.
She reached for him, startling him, and embraced him warmly. His arms lifted like wooden planks and he managed to bend them stiffly around her frame. He touched the fabric of her dress. It was soft and silky and felt nice under his fingertips. When she stepped back, out of his arms, William willed himself to speak.
“You look great.” It wasn’t much, but at least something, and he genuinely meant it.
“Thank you,” Erica smiled. “I’m so sorry I missed the funeral. I tried to get off work early, but…”
“Lewis and I appreciate you coming.”
The smile disappeared from her face. “Well, I didn’t come for Lewis. But I always liked your father. He was a good man and was very kind to me when…well, after the divorce.”
“Well, I appreciate you coming. It means a lot.”
The smile came back. “How long are you in town? I hear you’re a big shot cancer doctor in New York now.”
William chuckled. “I don’t know anything about being a big shot, but I am an oncologist.”
“So how long are you in San Diego? Are you staying with your brother?”
“No. I’m in a hotel downtown.”
“Maybe we could get together while you’re here and catch up?”
“I’d like that,” he nodded, his heart still beating wildly. “Dinner, maybe?”
“That would be nice. Give me your phone.”
“What? Why?”
“Just give me your phone,” she grinned. William hesitated but eventually pulled it from his pocket and Erica immediately snatched it away. She typed for a few seconds and handed it back. “My number is now in your contact list so you can call me before you leave.”
“Okay,” mumbled William.
With a swirl she turned and walked briskly back to her car. She climbed in and drove away, leaving William in exactly the same spot as when she’d arrived.
*****
Irrational for sure, but knowing that didn’t help Annie one bit as the panic attack swept through her on the sidewalk in front of the hospital. Evan ushered her to a wooden bench a few feet away and deposited the car seat and bag from his shoulder next to her feet.
“Breathe,” he begged.
Gasping for air, and unknowingly creating a scene, an audience gathered around her. “She’s fine,” Evan pleaded but to no avail. Within a minute or so, two nurses were at her side with a gurney being rolled out right behind them. They pushed their way through the crowd of onlookers and had her drop her head forward, trying to stop her from hyperventilating.
“I think its anxiety,” Evan offered. “It’s an overly stressful time for us and it’s all caught up with her.”
As Annie’s breathing slowly returned to normal, the gurney was sent back and one of the nurses disappeared back inside the hospital, leaving one with Annie. “In through your nose and out through your mouth,” she repeated over and over until Annie had a little color back in her cheeks. The gawkers dissipated and Evan was relieved the sideshow was over.
“Let’s get you inside and I’ll give you the once over,” the nurse offered.
“I’m fine,” Annie shook her head. “Embarrassed, but fine.”
“Your heart is still going a mile a minute and I’d like to take your blood pressure.”
“Let’s go in, just to make sure you really are fine,” Evan smiled.
“But Barbara will be here and she won’t know where we are, and…”
“I’ll watch for her and it will all go smoothly.”
The nurse helped Annie up and held her arm as they made their way to the door while Evan loaded up with the car seat, the diaper bag and Annie’s purse. He took a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth, and followed his wife into the hospital.
*****
Breathing was difficult for William as he sat at the wooden table across from Lewis. When agreeing to have a drink after the funeral, this was not what he had envisioned. The bar was dark and hazy with all the cigarette smoke and he was convinced within minutes of sitting down that the health department hadn’t been to inspect the establishment in years. But this is where Lewis had brought him, so in the spirit of reconciliation, he bit his tongue.
The bartender appeared to know Lewis…well. As did most of the patrons scattered along the bar. It actually seemed to be busy for three o’clock in the afternoon on a weekday. Lewis ordered two beers right off the bat. William stuck to a club soda, which Lewis frowned at but didn’t say anything. Within seconds, their drinks were placed before them and they each took a drink, extending the uncomfortable silence that was present.
“The lawyer wants to see us before you leave town. We have to decide what to do with the house and stuff.”
“I don’t need the house nor any money from its sale. You can have it,” William shrugged.
“I don’t need your charity,” Lewis replied with veiled hostility. “I do just fine even though I’m not a doctor.”
“That’s not what I meant, Lewis,” he sighed. “I haven’t been here. I don’t live here and I don’t plan on moving back. I wasn’t a part of Dad’s life. You were. Any assets should, by right, just pass directly to you. That’s all I meant.”
“Let’s just see what the lawyer has to say, okay?”
“Fine,” William agreed. “Can he see us tomorrow?”
“Anxious to get out of here, huh?”
The words stung. They shouldn’t. William was anxious to go home. New York was his home now. His heart held no special place for his childhood home. The only reason he thought about San Diego was Erica, and that thought made him feel guilty. He had a father and a brother that he’d ignored for years.
“No, not at all,” he lied. “But I do have to get back to work eventually.”
“He said he’d try to make himself available to accommodate your schedule, although I’m sure he’ll charge us for his availability. I’ll give him a call this afternoon.”
“Great.”
More silence as they sipped on their drinks. Lewis finished his first bottle quickly and started in on number two. William realized mending his relationship with Lewis would be much harder than he imagined. Maybe he should start with the one, and only thing they had in common.
“So do you see much of Erica?”
“Haven’t seen her in years before today,” Lewis shrugged. “We didn’t end on…great terms.”
“I heard.”
“Yeah. My fault. I accept
that. We shouldn’t have gotten married. I shouldn’t have gotten married. It’s not for me. I just made her miserable and she made me miserable.”
“Oh.”
“You know, I always thought you liked her, but you never made a move, even after you came home from college.”
“I couldn’t!” William’s voice raised a little and his spine straightened. “You were already dating her when I came home.”
“So you did have a thing for her?”
“What does it matter now? Everybody’s moved on since then. It was a long time ago.”
“Yeah, it was.”
The silence returned…and stayed.
“Well,” William said as he finished his drink. “You should call the lawyer and I’ll settle the tab.”
*****
“I’ve got sand everywhere,” Jill moaned as Greg shut their hotel door behind them. “I’d better jump in the shower and rinse off. Care to join me?”
The smile that immediately spread across Greg’s face told her he did indeed want to join her. “Don’t have to ask me twice.”
“I can’t believe you surprised me like this! It was so sweet of you,” Jill spoke as she stepped into the bathroom, Greg right behind her.
“I like being with you. I’ll take every opportunity I can get.”
Pushing her shorts down her legs, Jill swiftly disposed of her clothing piece by piece, leaving her standing before him naked.
“Damn!” he smiled. “You are gorgeous.”
“Why thank you Mr. Clark. You are too kind,” she grinned. Stepping into the tiled shower, she turned the faucet on and the water began flowing. “Are you going to come in here with your clothes on? Or are you gonna strip?”
Greg remained still, gazing at the woman before him. Flight attendants had a height minimum. Jill barely met it at five foot eight. Greg liked taller women…it made him feel not quite so self-conscious at well over six feet, and Jill was perfect; he still felt like a man with her at his side, but not a giant. Her dark brown hair flowed over her shoulders in soft waves that made him want to run his fingers through it, feeling the silkiness in his hands was a definite turn-on. He watched the water cascade down her hair, running over the mounds of her breasts and down her taut stomach. His arousal was instant.
Flip-flops off and clothing removed, Greg stepped into the shower and reached for Jill, her body quickly aligning with his once in his strong arms. With her arms tightly linked around him and her cheek resting on his chest, their embrace was filled with emotion and Greg knew that he wanted her with him always.
But doubt crept in as her words of previous conversations replayed in his mind. Her marriage had left wounds that she had healed with the resolve to never make that mistake again. She was content being single and was confident in herself and didn’t need a man to fulfill her. It was actually one of the many things about her that he was attracted to – her self-confidence and independence. And he knew that she would still be those things even if they were married. Would she feel the same?
His hands travelled up and down her back, feeling her smooth skin. They moved lower and grabbed her ass, pressing it to him, allowing her to feel the depths of his desire. Jill lifted her head and tilted it back so she could look up at him. “Well, hello,” she winked.
“Hi,” he smiled. And then there was no more talking.
8.
THE FRUSTRATION ANNIE WAS feeling at being confined to a gurney in the Emergency Department was nothing compared the anxiety she was feeling about missing Barbara. How would it look being late to pick up their new daughter?
“I’m fine,” she pleaded for the umpteenth time. “Please, I need to go.”
Dr. Cole was reviewing her chart and the look on her face was one of puzzlement. “Your appointment. It’s to pick up a baby?”
Evan answered. “Yes. We are adopting a baby that was born here a couple of days ago and we are meeting the social worker in twenty minutes to go and meet the birth mother and be introduced to our new daughter. It’s been pretty stressful the last little while and that’s why Annie had her…her little episode today.”
“More like a stressful few years,” Annie muttered.
“How so?” Dr. Cole asked.
“We’ve been trying to have a baby for a long time now. We’ve tried everything and now we are adopting. It’s all led us to today when we finally get to be parents. Please let me leave so I can go and meet my baby? Please?” Annie’s eyes welled with tears.
The doctor’s eyes looked at Annie and then over at Evan and then back at the chart in her hand. “I tell you what I’ll do. You can leave the ER and go upstairs and do everything you need to. Go and get your daughter,” she smiled. “But then you MUST come back here. I need your word that you will come back to see me this afternoon. It is extremely important that I speak with you and explain some things before you leave. Do I have your word?”
“Of course,” Evan replied solemnly. “But now you have us extremely worried,” he said as Annie grabbed his hand.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Dr. Cole assured them. “But I do need to see you again.”
“You have our word,” Annie nodded. “But we’ll have a baby with us.”
“That’s just fine. I’ll see you later then?”
Both Annie and Evan nodded in agreement and the doctor left the room, allowing Annie to get dressed. “So now I have to worry about what’s wrong with me?” Annie all but cried.
“No, no,” soothed Evan. “She said there was nothing to worry about. You finish getting dressed and I’ll meet you outside. Barbara should be here any time now.”
“Okay. See you in a minute.”
*****
Feeling bad about declining Lewis’ offer to return to his home for another drink after leaving the bar, William called him from the taxi on his way back to the hotel and suggested they have dinner together. Lewis surprised him by saying he’d love to and offered to meet him saving him another taxi drive. That suited William just fine. He felt comfortable at the Hyatt and it would be easy to pay for the meal by charging it to his room, thereby relieving Lewis of any awkwardness in who was going to pay. The differences in their lifestyles, and bank balances, had already caused tension in the one day he’d been home. Avoiding any more was a priority for William.
Not one to look down on others, he had no problem with his brother’s profession, or anyone else’s. Money was certainly not a way to judge people. He’d met plenty of assholes that had loads of money. Economic status did not automatically make one a decent human being. Yet at times throughout the day he’d allowed Lewis to make him feel embarrassed about his success. That wasn’t fair. He’d worked damn hard to get where he was and he shouldn’t let others make him feel guilty about it. If the opportunity arose at dinner, he would tell Lewis how he felt.
As he stepped into his hotel room, he checked his watch. He had plenty of time before Lewis was meeting him downstairs so he decided to shower and get rid of the stench left on him from the dive bar he’d visited. He called housekeeping to see if they could possibly have his suit cleaned and returned to him by morning, to which they gave a resounding “certainly.” With it left hanging on the door, he stepped into the bathroom and washed away the day.
His face was covered in soap when his cell phone rang. He let it go to voicemail. But when it rang not a minute later, he figured it must be important. “Hello?” he asked as he put the phone against his wet ear.
“You haven’t called yet,” came the reply.
“Erica?”
“I was beginning to think you didn’t want to see me so instead of making myself crazy I decided to just call.”
“Oh.”
“So were you planning on calling me?”
“Ah, I was going to, yes.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
“It is?”
“Of course it is. So when should we have dinner…or lunch…or something?”
“I can’t tonight. I’m havi
ng dinner with Lewis and then tomorrow we are meeting with Dad’s attorney about his will.”
“So, dinner tomorrow night?”
“Um, yes, I guess that works.”
“I’ll come to you if that’s easier.”
“I can get a taxi.”
“No. It’s fine. Why don’t you call me tomorrow after the lawyer’s then?”
“Ok.”
“Great! I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Bye.”
William tossed his phone onto the hand towel on the sink counter, a smile spreading across his face. Dinner tomorrow. He was looking forward to it.
*****
Blow dryer in hand, standing in front of the mirror, a towel wrapped around her and secured under her arms, Jill dried her hair. Greg stood next to her and shaved, leaving his goatee just the way Jill liked it.
“This is nice,” he smiled. “Standing side by side getting ready.”
Jill agreed. “You’re not a counter hog. I like that,” she teased.
“There’s plenty of room in my bathroom for all your stuff, not just the few items you leave there.”
Switching the dryer off, Jill swung around to face him. “And?”
“And what?”
“That’s what I’m asking you.”
“I was just saying there’s enough room for all your stuff.”
“But what does that mean?”
Greg was trying to gauge her mood…assessing the potential ramifications of pushing the conversation further. All he saw in her expression was curiosity so he continued…carefully.
“We’ve been together for a year. It’s been a great year, better than all the other years I’ve had.” He smiled. So did Jill. “You still keep an apartment even though you’re hardly ever there. Maybe it’s time we talked about taking the next step.”
“And what do you think that is?”
Marry me!! Instead, he said, “Move in with me. You know I have the space. It’s closer to the ‘L’ and would take twenty minutes off your commute to the airport. And…and I love you. I don’t want to be apart from you if I don’t have to be.”
Jill grinned. “It’s just as well you added that last part or I’d think you were being all cerebral and thinking just about the practicality of it. I love you. You know I do. And there would be lots of benefits of cohabitating,” she chuckled. “Let me think about it?”