“Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch, Alex? I hate to make you stay down here,” he said, collecting our beer cans and placing them on the pool table.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, not wanting to ask to sleep with him or have him stay with me. I might have given in earlier when we were kissing, but now I was just mad. And embarrassed. Denied. Rejected. How I so wanted my car so I could get the fuck out of his house.
“Well, if you’re sure.” He paused, giving me another chance to blurt out my thoughts. I refused and just smiled up at him, fake and phony. “Okay, well, you can come up and get me if you need. My bedroom is the first door on the right in the hallway off the kitchen. Wake me up when you want a ride home tomorrow, okay?”
“Got it. Thanks,” I said, the icy tone impossible for him to ignore. Right?
“Well, goodnight, Alex,” he said, turning away.
“Night,” I replied, on the verge of tears. What had I done wrong?
Before I could think another thought, Henry was back in front of me, his lips on mine. My eyes widened in surprise before fluttering shut, happiness once again coursing through my veins.
When Henry finally pulled away, we were both breathless again. He leaned his forehead against mine, then found my mouth again. I could only keep kissing him back, no questions asked. “You have no idea how badly I want to invite you into my bed,” he growled against my mouth, his words causing my body to react with excitement.
I just stared at him, my eyes asking why. He kissed me again, this time soft and sweet. “I like you, Alex. I like you a lot. Sleep well.” And then he was gone. Grabbing the beer bottles off the pool table and disappearing up the stairs. I leaned back into the couch, mulling over his words. Maybe Lila was right. Maybe he was just a nice guy. Could he be gay? No. No gay guy would take me on two fantastic dates and kiss me like that. A player? Possibly. Involved with someone else? I hoped not. But maybe he had a girlfriend stashed away somewhere, like back in Truvista, and kissing didn’t count as cheating but sex did.
I hunkered down on the couch, pulling the quilt to my chin. I needed Lila.
$$$
“So, wait, back up. He went to go upstairs, then came back down and kissed you again, and said he liked you?”
“All correct.”
“But he made you sleep on the couch?”
“He didn’t really force me, but he didn’t invite me into his bedroom either.”
“Very weird. What do you want to eat?”
“Just that sausage biscuit. And an orange juice.” I leaned back in my seat and pulled my hat farther over my head. Lila’s rearview mirror screamed that the outside temperature was a brisk twenty-two degrees. I wished she had seat warmers like Henry’s car. My leggings were not protecting me against the cold leather.
Lila ordered our food and pulled her car towards the window. Fast food for breakfast was always the cure for a hangover, even though I wasn’t really hungover. But I could tell Lila was, and she still came and picked me up from Henry’s at six in the morning. A true trooper and friend.
I had felt like I was doing the walk of shame out of Henry’s house that morning, especially since I believed Max had seen me sneaking out of the house. Right as I opened the front door to make my escape I heard someone say my name behind me, but I hurried out without looking back and ran to Lila’s awaiting vehicle. I think the voice was Max’s. I hoped it wasn’t Henry’s. Or Peter’s. For some reason, Peter catching me walking out with smudged makeup and morning hair embarrassed me the most.
After we received our food and headed back towards campus, Lila started talking again. “So. What the hell. We need to figure this guy out. Maybe we could have Hannah ask Peter––”
“No! I do not want Peter to get involved. It would be too embarrassing if he starts asking Henry questions. Let’s not go that route.”
“Okay. No involving other guys. But, Alex, I’m confused. Why he turned you down,” I winced when she said that, “why he didn’t at least let you sleep in his bed, or why he said he liked you but then walked away. It’s too weird for me.”
“I know. Me too. Maybe Carmen and Emma will have some more ideas for us.”
$$$
“He’s gay.”
“He’s not gay, Carmen. I already thought it and ruled it out. He doesn’t walk, talk, dress or act remotely gay. He took me on two amazing dates and kissed me like he actually liked it. And I felt him when I was sitting on top of him. Not gay.” I shoved the sausage biscuit in my mouth, relishing in the grease. We rarely had fast food, especially with Lila’s new diet, but sometimes you just had to cave.
“Maybe he’s saving himself for marriage. Is he religious?” Emma wanted to know.
I paused, chewing thoughtfully. “You know, that could be it. Really. I know he has a somewhat religious family, and went to a Catholic school all the way until college. Do people really still do that? Save themselves for marriage?”
“Um, hello? Hannah,” Carmen said.
“Oh, yeah. Hannah. I wonder if Peter is, too. Weird. What if all those guys are virgins?” I asked, the picture just not adding up in my mind. A house full of dude virgins? Practically unheard of. Minus the practically.
“No, I’m pretty sure Max is not a virgin. He’s the partier of the group, the player. And I really don’t think Kyle is either,” Carmen said. “But Henry and Peter....Peter definitely yes. Henry could go either way in my opinion.”
“Hmm. Emma, you could be on to do something here. It’s actually kind of hot if it’s true,” I said, sucking down some OJ.
“You find inexperienced guys hot now?” Lila wanted to know, crumbling her wrappers and depositing her garbage in the trash can.
“I don’t know. No one to compare me to is kind of a nice thought.”
“And you can train him. Teach him all your tricks,” Emma said, her blue eyes sparkling with a devilish glint.
“Yeah, Emma, sweetie, I don’t think I have quite as many tricks as you,” I told her, causing Carmen to bark with laughter. “Or you, darling,” I said, flashing my smile at Carmen. “I’ve only been with two guys before. I don’t have the most experience in the world either. Oh, no. What if our sex is terrible? Two people just bumping uglies without a clue what they’re doing!” I wailed, envisioning rotten, awkward sex with Henry.
“I’m sorry, what? Bumping uglies? Where the hell did you get that crass expression?” Lila asked, wrinkling her nose at me.
“I don’t know. Probably a movie or something. But, guys, this is awful!” I shrieked.
“Calm down. For all we know, he is not a virgin and is really a man whore. Maybe he has herpes and had a flare-up and was doing the respectable thing by not passing them to you.”
The three of us stared at Carmen. “What?” she said. “You never know these days.”
I sighed. “Well, we’ve gone from he’s gay to he’s a virgin to he has herpes. I would say we’re no closer to figure out his deal.”
“Are you going to see him again?” Emma asked me.
“I don’t know. We didn’t plan anything last night. And I certainly don’t want to make the first move. I guess I’ll just wait and see if he texts me today,” I said, my outlook feeling glum. “What if he doesn’t? What if he’s just done with me?”
Lila slung her arm around me. “Don’t think that way. He’s a nice guy, Alex. I have that vibe from him. You’ll get this all figured out. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“Thanks. Thanks for waking up, too,” I said to Carmen and Emma. They had both passed out in our room last night, and when Lila and I had woken them up this morning to discuss my issue, there were only minor complaints from them both.
“You’re very welcome. Now, I’m going to go back to sleep in my own comfy bed. Alex, do you plan on getting called into work again today?” Carmen asked, standing and helping Emma to her feet.
“I fucking hope not,” I said, then saw the startled expression on my friends’ faces. “Sorry. Violence unnece
ssary. No. I hope not to get called in. I want to try to catch a few more hours of sleep, go to late mass, and I have so much homework to get caught up on. I can’t afford to miss some of these assignments.”
“Well, maybe we could all do lunch together somewhere. Get Hannah to come along as well. We’ll go once you guys get back from church. Just have a nice girls date. We haven’t had one in a while,” Emma said, and we all agreed to the plan. I considered briefly turning my cell phones off so Blissful couldn’t reach me with any problems, but I knew I would just get into more trouble that way. Better to leave them on and just hope and pray that there were no emergencies.
I said good-bye to the girls then made my weekly Sunday phone call to my sister, and was able to talk to all three of my nieces as well. The one time where I was hoping for a super quick phone call with only Alicia had to be the time all the girls wanted to chat. But I knew it was terrible to complain about being able to talk to them, so I forced a smile and kept my eyelids open while hearing about their school, friends, and all the new books Candace wanted to check out from the library. After almost an hour of phone time, I was finally able to hang up and think about sleep.
After wiping off my makeup and changing into suitable pajamas I crawled into my bed, carefully setting both my Blissful phone and personal phone on my nightstand. I wanted to be available if Henry called. Not so much if Blissful summoned.
Chapter 14
“Lila Medlin, here for my facial.”
“Hello, ma’am. Have you been to Blissful before?”
“Nope. And I hear it’s awful!”
Lila and I cracked up as I checked in her on the computer system. “Gee, thanks. Keep boosting my already fragile ego, why don’t you?” I said, trying to make light of my situation.
“Still no word from Henry?”
“Nada. It’s been three days. Do you think it’s over?”
Lila drummed her fingertips on the glass counter. I noticed she needed a manicure as well and made a mental note to schedule her for one. “I don’t know, Alex. I really thought he was into you. We all did. It’s just so bizarre.”
“Bizarre. Good word.” I pushed a clipboard her way. “Fill out the form please, so Allie will have all your info when she’s ready for you.”
Lila continued to stand at the counter while she answered the questions. “Is my skin dry, oily, or a combination? Um, I don’t know. Alex, expert opinion?”
I peered at my friend’s face, thinking back to all the times I helped her with her makeup. “I would say more dry. Especially this time of year with the cold weather. She could do a moisturizing mask on you that I’m sure you’ll love.”
“Okay.” Lila continued writing. “What are the reasons for my appointment today? Can I say to support my roommate?”
“Just say that you want better skin and for some relaxation. You get an awesome shoulder, head, and foot massage.”
“Really? I don’t think I knew that. What does that have to do with a facial?”
“I didn’t tell you about the massages? My bad. They’re my favorite part. But yeah, when the masks are settling in the estheticians have to do something with their time.”
“Good point. Awesome.” After a few minutes, Lila handed her completed form back to me. “I can’t believe I spaced on Thanksgiving. Are you sure you’re not mad that you have to stay in town?”
“Nah. I just found out this morning that I couldn’t get it off anyway. We’re closed on Thursday, but I have to work Friday. Most of the employees asked for it off, and Dani does the Black Friday shopping. It sounds like I’ll be working the whole day actually.”
Lila’s meeting with Mary Strubaker was the Friday following Thanksgiving, so instead of going back to Okana to visit her family like we usually did, we would both be staying in town for the holiday. Lila and I were just going to celebrate the day together by doing nothing, being couch potatoes, and possibly ordering a pizza. Neither of us wanted to attempt a turkey.
“Oh. Sorry to hear that. I told Frank that I would work the weekend, but he only scheduled me for Saturday and Sunday. I have all of Friday off, which is good since I’m not sure how long the meeting will last.”
Allie entered the front then, her black hair set in a high bun and very little makeup on. Her permanent tan always made her look like she was glowing, so she didn’t need the help. “Hi, ladies!” she greeted us, enthusiastic as usual. I tried to make sure my smile looked as normal as possible, though I was still a tad shaky around Allie. Could she really be with Kevin on the side? There was just no way–– I hoped. “You must be Lila. I’ve heard so much about you!” Lila and Allie shook hands, then Allie swiped Lila’s intake form off the counter. “I know Alex says you have a pretty special occasion going on next week. Let’s go and get started right away then, yeah?”
“Sounds good to me. Alex just informed me that massages are included!”
“That’s right! Is this your first facial?”
“Yep. First time for any sort of spa treatment actually.” Lila waved bye and she and Allie disappeared into the salon. I shook my head, grinning at how excited my friend was. I hoped she would enjoy herself.
A few minutes after they were gone, the bell tinkled when the door was opened, and in walked a familiar looking man with two young children in tow. I couldn’t place how I knew him, but his face was familiar. “What do you say, kids? Does Mommy deserve a massage for her birthday?” he asked the two children.
“Yeah, yeah!” the kids shouted, jumping up and down. They looked adorable in poufy jackets and oversized hats. I had to smile at their enthusiasm for their mommy’s birthday.
The man approached the counter. “Hello. Do you offer gift cards?” he asked.
“We do! You can place any amount you would like on one,” I answered, smiling at him and his kids. The little girl gave me a big grin back, her mouth full of tiny baby teeth. I giggled. She giggled.
“Okay then. I’m thinking a massage will be great. Maybe the ninety-minute massage. Yeah, that will be good.”
“All right. Would you like to add a gratuity on there?” I asked, pulling out a gift card from the drawer and clicking ‘gift card sale’ on the computer screen.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You can add a gratuity onto the gift card so that way the person receiving it doesn’t have to worry about leaving a tip after the appointment. It’s all taken care of for them,” I explained.
“Oh, I see. Yes, great idea. Let’s add on twenty percent.”
I went through my screens then scanned the barcode on the card. I rescanned the card just to make sure everything was loaded properly. Looked good. “Do you want me to write out the to and from for you on the gift card holder?”
“That would be great. My handwriting is terrible, and I can’t quite trust these kiddos with that duty yet,” the man said, glancing at his children.
I laughed. “I can see your reasoning. Are they twins?”
“They are. Only three minutes apart. Luke is the older one, and sure likes to let Erin know that. He’s the big bully but protective big brother all rolled in one.”
I glanced at the children again, who now sat on the floor with each other playing with a red truck that appeared out of nowhere. I assumed one of them was holding onto it when they walked in, because they surely wouldn’t have found it in the salon. They looked to be around three or four I guessed with my inexperienced eye. I took the client’s credit card and ran it through the machine, pausing when I saw the name. Marcus Baylor. Marcus Baylor? It was him! He was Mr. Suit and Tie from Saturday. I would have never guessed the woman with him that day was his wife. They had acted too, well, giddy and lovey dovey for a husband and wife. I remembered thinking they were going to get engaged that day. But they already had two kids? I was way off.
“Here’s your card back, Mr. Baylor,” I said, handing it to him. “What was your wife’s name?” I thought it had started with a T, but couldn’t be sure.
“Lisa. Lisa Baylor. If you can just say from Dad, Luke, and Erin, that would be perfect.”
I scrunched my nose as I wrote in my best calligraphy skills. I could have sworn it was a T name. Lisa rang no bells. I finished writing, slid the gift card into a Blissful envelope, and handed it to Mr. Baylor. “There you go. And here’s the receipt for you. Thanks for coming in! I hope she enjoys her gift,” I said, itching to pull up the schedule from Saturday.
“Thank you so much. Ready, kids?” He scooped up Erin in his arms and pressed Luke into his side and with the tinkling of the bell, they were off. I clicked out of the sale screen and found Saturday’s schedule. Sure enough, a twelve-thirty couple’s massage for Marcus Baylor and Tamara Schmidt.
I leaned forward on the counter, thoughts in overdrive. Clearly, Marcus had been cheating on his wife with Tamara. They were all over each other on Saturday. I couldn’t even begin to pretend it was his sister or just a friend. Scumbag. And he seemed like such a nice guy! I was a little surprised he didn’t recognize me and feel bad that I had just checked him and his mistress in for a couple’s massage three days prior. And the kids? They were so cute and unknowing their dad was a two-timer.
The icky thoughts stayed with me until Lila and Allie reached the front again. Lila had her makeup reapplied, but her face glowed with difference from the effects of the facial. “How did everything go?” I asked.
“Great! It was really good, Alex. Thanks for making me try that,” Lila said. Her words sounded sincere, but her voice seemed a little off. And why was she staring at me so weird? I smoothed down my hair, wondering if something was out of place. Was there lipstick on my teeth?
“Glad you liked it, hon. You’ll have to come back in for another one after you get signed with Mary.” Allie grinned at Lila, who smiled faintly back. Something strange was definitely going on with her.
The Green Ticket Page 18