Cherishing Mrs. Right

by Debbie White

“Hostile? You think I'm hostile?”

  He reached out and took hold of her arm and

  pulled her near him. “Let’s go outside and have a

  talk.”

  Cody pulled her along, not hurting her, but she

  definitely got the idea that he wasn’t pleased about

  something. “You can let go of my arm. I’m able to

  walk by myself,” she pleaded.

  He let go of his grasp as he held open the door at

  the back of the kitchen that led outside. He stepped

  aside and let her go through first.

  He briefly looked back at Marcus and gave him

  one last dirty look.

  Darla folded her arms across her chest. “What

  was that about?”

  “He was flirting with you. I didn’t like that. I felt

  like I was breaking up a little thing,” he said angrily.

  “A little thing! Are you kidding? You’re jealous

  of Marcus?” she said.

  Cody paced the parking lot. He ran his fingers

  through his hair. He paced some more, stopping

  directly in front of her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what

  got into me. I wasn’t sure what was happening.”

  Darla dropped her arms. She reached out and

  pulled him toward her. “Cody. I don’t treat people

  that way. I may have been treated that way, but I

  don’t treat others that way. I know how it feels to

  have your feelings trampled on. We were just going

  over the menu. He’d just cracked a joke about

  vegetarians, and we were laughing at it when you

  walked in. It was totally innocent.”

  Cody nodded. “I owe Marcus an apology. I made

  an ass out of myself.”

  Darla softened her face. “It’s okay. He’ll

  understand. Let’s go back in, and then I have some

  things I want to discuss with you regarding the

  décor.”

  Cody motioned for Darla to move toward the

  door. He quickly grabbed the door and held it open

  for her.

  Cody walked up to Marcus and held his hand out

  to him. “Man, I don’t know what got into me.”

  Marcus looked at the gesture and gripped his

  hand. “No worries, man. We don’t ever have to talk

  about it again.”

  Cody released his hand from Marcus’ and gently

  patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

  Darla stood back and watched as the men made

  amends. A small tear formed on her bottom lid. She

  couldn’t believe that Cody felt this way about her.

  She’d never had anyone be quite so devoted to her

  and in such a short time. It was kind of strange.

  * * *

  Cody looked at the drawings and didn’t say a

  word until she was through showing him. He paused

  a few moments to gather his thoughts.

  “Your plans are very detailed. Did you have

  formal training in drafting?”

  “I went to college to become an interior

  designer.”

  “You have a lot of talent there. I especially like

  that you used colored pencils so I could really

  visualize the room.”

  Darla smiled. “You like it then?”

  “I do. However, not sure it’s right for the

  restaurant. I like some of the softer elements, but it is

  still a steakhouse first and foremost.”

  “Agreed. Where would you like some changes

  made?”

  “I like the look of the restaurant now. I just

  thought maybe adding a little color to the stark

  whiteness and soften the industrial feel would be a

  starter. I don’t think I’m ready for velvet, beads, and

  feathers,” he said.

  Darla started to speak. Cody quickly put a finger

  to her mouth. “But—I think these ideas are great for

  another restaurant. I think you should open your own

  place.”

  Darla chewed on her bottom lip. “My own

  restaurant?” she repeated.

  “Yes. I think you have some great design ideas,

  and I already know your recipes would be a hit. I

  think you should open a vegetarian restaurant. We’ll

  still incorporate a couple of your recipes on our menu

  here, but, Darla, I really think Dallas is ready for

  you.”

  Darla’s grin widened. She softened her face and

  then she reached out and hugged his neck, giving

  him a quick peck on the check. “Thank you!”

  Cody reached back and unclasped her hands and

  placed them on the table. “For what?”

  “For rescuing me. For taking me away from the

  sadness I felt and allowing me to once again feel

  loved and appreciated. I didn’t think I would ever

  feel this light again.” She lowered her head.

  Cody lifted her chin and searched every inch of

  her face before locking his eyes with hers. “I should

  be thanking you. I, too, was in a very dark place.”

  She leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. She

  stopped for a moment, leaning back slightly to see

  his eyes. “Let’s go visit Bryan. I want him to see you

  again, and see how you’ve lightened my life.”

  Cody lowered his head. When he rose, she was

  right there, looking for an answer. “Okay. Let’s do

  that. I think it’s time.”

  Chapter Seven

  

  Road trips were always exciting. Cody calculated

  the trip and made all the necessary reservations for

  overnight stays. He figured it would take them four

  long days. He was feeling a bit anxious about seeing

  Bryan again, but he knew it was the right thing to

  do—regardless if Darla hadn’t come into his life.

  They’d been buddies for a long time, and although

  Cody tried to put the war out of his mind, Bryan

  lived it every day.

  After Darla had listened to the tenth country

  song, she asked Cody if he minded if she changed the

  station.

  “I just assumed everyone loved country music,”

  he said, as he rotated the stations that came in.

  Most of the stations were just a lot of static

  because they were in between towns and the

  reception was not strong.

  “Do you have a CD player in this truck?” she

  asked.

  Cody pointed to the slot. Darla unbuckled her

  seat belt and stretched to the backseat to dig inside

  one of her bags. “Here it is. This is what I was

  looking for,” she said with a wide grin. She held up a

  plastic CD case and popped it open, taking the shiny

  metal and glass looking disc out and popping it into

  the slot. Soon Cody and Darla were listening to Janis

  Joplin, Carole King, and James Taylor.

  After driving for ten hours, the couple made their

  first overnight stay. When Cody made all the hotel

  reservations he made sure, it was for two double

  beds. He didn’t want her to feel like they had to sleep

  together just because they were traveling together.

  When he pushed open the door and saw one bed in

  the center of the room, he slammed his keys down on

  the dresser.

  “I told them two beds, darn it!”

  Darla rushed u
p beside him and rubbed his arm.

  “It’s okay. I’ll go to the office and see if we can

  change rooms.”

  Cody nodded. “I’ll wait here.”

  When Darla came back, Cody could tell she

  wasn’t successful.

  “All the rooms are booked. We can make this

  work, Cody.”

  Cody stormed out of the room and went to his

  truck. Darla waited a moment and then followed him

  out to the truck.

  “We’re grown adults. I can stay on one side of

  the bed and you on the other. I promise not to touch

  you,” she whispered.

  Cody nodded. He reached into the backseat and

  grabbed the suitcases. He didn’t say a word. He

  didn’t want to tell her, but it wasn’t her that he was

  worried about. He wasn’t sure he could make such a

  promise.

  He lay next to her, listening to her breathe softly.

  He was staring at the ceiling although the room was

  dark and there was nothing he could actually see. He

  stared into the dark. Every now and then she’d move,

  toss, or turn. He made sure his arms were close to his

  sides, and he felt like he couldn’t move a muscle,

  fearful of waking her up, or worse, take her into his

  arms and forget all about the promise. He wasn’t sure

  when he fell asleep, but he finally did. When he

  woke up, he had a kink in his neck and his lower

  back was hurting from staying in one position all

  night.

  “How’d you sleep?” she asked.

  He wasn’t sure if he should tell her the truth. He

  didn’t want her to feel bad.

  “Okay. I’m used to my bed, though,” he said.

  “Do you want to shower first or shall I?” she

  asked as she dug in her suitcase.

  Cody paused before speaking. She was going to

  be showering in the room right next to where he was.

  It was different than when she was staying at his

  house. It was a big house. This was a small room and

  the thought of her wet and naked just a few feet from

  him stirred some deep emotions.

  “I don’t care. You can go first. Women usually

  take longer in getting ready,” he said.

  She rose up from the suitcase and gave him a

  dirty look. They both broke out laughing.

  He closed his eyes and rested his head on the

  pillow while he listened to the sounds of the water

  running. When he heard the shower turn off, he sat

  up and leafed through a magazine. Darla came out of

  the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her and

  one on her head.

  She giggled. “Your turn,” she said, as she made

  her way around the bed. “I’ll get dressed out here

  while you’re in there,” she assured him.

  Cody jumped off the bed and grabbed his stuff. It

  would be the fastest shower he ever took.

  He cautiously opened the bathroom door. He

  didn’t want to be surprised by a Darla in her

  underwear scenario. Or maybe he did. Darla was

  completely dressed, sitting in a chair leafing through

  the same magazine he had been looking at. He

  wondered if she’d been listening to him shower like

  he’d been listening to her.

  “Okay. Let’s get packed up, get some breakfast,

  and hit the road,” he said.

  Darla closed the magazine. “Sounds good to me.”

  * * *

  “I feel bad that you couldn’t find much to eat on

  the menu,” Cody said, as they began their long drive.

  “It’s okay. I’m used it,” she said. “In California, I

  was able to find a lot of meat substitution items on

  restaurant menus. And of course, there was always

  some kind of fruit.”

  “Figures. California …” he started and then

  stopped himself. “I mean, yeah, California. They

  would have lots of fruit with all the orchards out

  there,” he finished, trying to get his foot out of his

  mouth.

  Darla frowned. “Now, Cody. Don’t be so

  judgmental. I mean, after all, did you ever think for

  just a fleeting moment that you’d be attracted to a

  hippie from Idaho?”

  Cody shot her a look. “Hippie!” he laughed.

  “Yeah, never even for a fleeting moment,” he said.

  He reached over and patted her leg. “I have to tell

  you … I like how different you are. How innocent,

  and to a certain degree, naïve.”

  She put out her bottom lip and pouted. “Naïve?

  You think I’m naïve?”

  “In a cute sort of a way. But you know, Darla,

  sometimes being naïve about something is like

  having your head stuck in the sand. Sometimes you

  have to be more assertive and research things and

  become better educated on matters so that you can

  make a more informed decision or choice about

  something.”

  “Like what?” she asked.

  “War for instance. You can be against killing, but

  you should know what an important function the

  military has in protecting your rights. Rights of all

  Americans and how it fits in with freedom.”

  She nodded. “Agreed. I guess I always felt that if

  I knew too much, it would make me more cynical.

  And I don’t ever want to be that.”

  “Just the opposite, really. Knowing more about a

  subject will help you make better choices, and even

  if we agree to disagree about any subject matter, at

  least you’ll know more about it so I won’t feel like

  you’re just some flaky person who is against

  everything that says establishment, without really

  knowing why. I respect that you march to a different

  drummer. Really I do.”

  Darla widened her grin. “Thanks for saying that,

  Cody. I appreciate that you don’t want to change me,

  just make me a better person.”

  “Hey. You’re perfect in my eyes. I just want you

  to be aware of more than just your circle.”

  She nodded. “I agree. And with you opening your

  mind to eating tofu and drinking green tea, I think

  we’ll make a great couple.”

  “A couple? Is that how you see us?”

  Darla shrugged her shoulders. “I think so. I don’t

  if we’re too different to make it work, but I’d like to

  try.”

  They were on the freeway so he couldn’t just pull

  the car over. But he had an overwhelming desire to

  kiss her. She did that to him. He turned to look at her,

  but she was looking out the window on her side. He

  quickly looked her over and then turned his attention

  to the road. He secretly hoped the next hotel would

  make the same mistake and give them a room with

  one bed. This time, he wasn’t sure he could keep the

  promise.

  * * *

  “Sushi!”

  “Yes. It’s really good. You’ll like it,” she said,

  tugging on his arm to go into the restaurant.

  Cody dragged his cowboy boots on the

  pavement. “I don’t eat raw fish!”

  “They’ll have something you can eat, trust me,”

 
she said softly.

  They were seated at a table for two in the back

  corner. Cody looked around at the décor. Dark beams

  and ceiling, Asian-themed wall décor and beads

  hanging in the doorway to the bathrooms.

  “Interesting,” he said as he fingered the

  chopsticks. “I hope they give forks out too. I still

  don’t know how to use these very well.”

  Darla laughed. “I’ll teach you.” She scanned the

  menu. “Let me do the ordering, okay?”

  Cody furrowed his brows. “I think I’ll starve

  tonight.”

  Darla peered over the top of the menu and

  flashed a look at him. It was as if she was throwing

  daggers with her stare. “Don’t be silly!”

  Darla smiled as she watched Cody attempt to

  pick up the sushi with the chopsticks.

  “Here. Hold it like this,” she said showing him.

  He watched her for the umpteenth time. He tried

  once more. He was so happy when he was able to put

  the piece directly in his mouth without dropping it.

  “Which one is this?” he asked as he pointed to

  some piece from the roll he’d just tried.

  “That’s a California roll. Crab, avocado, and this

  is sesame seed on the outside. Most people try that

  one first. It’ll get you hooked and then you’ll want to

  try other ones.”

  “I don’t know about that, but I agree, this is

  pretty good,” he said, dipping the piece in some soy

  sauce concoction she’d made.

  Cody put down his chopsticks and watched Darla

  as she artfully secured her piece and popped it into

  her mouth. He watched her as she chewed. She had

  the most voluptuous mouth. He studied her for a few

  moments while she enjoyed her food.

  “What? Why do you keep staring at me?”

  “I’m just enjoying the view. Has anyone ever told

  you how pretty you are?”

  Darla could feel the heat travel straight to her

  face. She imagined her cheeks looked like little balls

  of fire.

  She put down her chopsticks and moistened her

  lips with her tongue. “Well, to tell ya the truth, not