I heard voices. It was Olivia saying, “Excuse me. Excuse me, please.”
Then I heard another voice. A woman’s voice. “Whatever you’re selling, I don’t want any.”
“I’m not selling anything,” Olivia said. “I was hoping you could give me some directions. This neighborhood is so confusing. I’m supposed to meet a friend of mine, but I got lost.”
The voices became muffled, and I wondered if they had stepped outside. I cautiously moved back into the living room. I could see Olivia through a crack in the door. She glanced at me and flashed her eyes towards the back of the house. She was telling me to get out. Before I rushed away, I noticed who Olivia was talking to. It was Julie.
Amazingly, I escaped undetected. I still couldn’t believe I had just broken in to Max and Julie’s house. What was I thinking? It was becoming clear that my obsession with Max was going to destroy me. I had to let this thing go.
I met Olivia back at the car. “Was she suspicious?” I asked.
“Not at all. You know it was Julie?”
“Yeah. I saw her.”
“You’re taking this rather well. You realize that she’s going to hear the message. Or did you erase it?”
“Someone else erased it. I thought it was Max, but maybe it was Julie. It really doesn’t matter. She’s moved back in. They are back together. It’s time to forget all of this. Besides, I still have my date with Elton. One week from Saturday.”
“That’s the spirit. But, please, Kat – don’t start thinking that Elton might become straight if he meets the right girl. I don’t feel like chasing you all night, and I don’t want us to get thrown in jail.” Olivia was totally serious.
“Don’t worry. I just want to shake his hand and get his autograph. I’ve wasted one lifetime trying to get Max. I’m not ready to waste another one trying to get Elton to switch teams.” We laughed together, and I felt pretty good. I had lost Max many times and survived. This was just one more. This was the last time.
Chapter 17
Brad and I had a new boss on Tuesday. His name was Milton Starr, he was a distinguished gentleman around fifty-five years old, and he had been an IT manager at another company for over ten years. I liked him from the start, and he seemed impressed with the work Brad and I did. Brad and I rejoiced in the fact that our work might finally be appreciated.
I spoke to Olivia several times during the week. I was finally listening to what she had to say. I had discovered what she really needed – a sympathetic ear. She and Lee were progressing nicely. They saw each other almost every day, and they spoke on the phone frequently. In a few weeks, she would be starting college. The thought excited and petrified her. I assured her that everything would work out fine. Remarkably, we didn’t mention Max once during the week.
Time seemed to fly. It was Saturday and in one more week, I would be up close to Elton John. The excitement was almost more than I could bear. I met Brad for breakfast at a small French pastry café downtown. I had a blueberry sconce and a glass of OJ. Brad enjoyed some beignets and some cappuccino. We talked about work and some of Brad’s phobias. Our friendship was still strong and intact.
After Brad drove away, I sat in my car and contemplated how I would spend the rest of my day. I thought about Hurricane Gardens. I really did love that place, and I wanted to go there. I had to get past the memory of Max and start doing the things I loved again. I decided that the garden would be the place to start.
It was as lovely as ever. The spring flowers were in full bloom and the garden was Mother Nature’s showcase. There were beds of tulips, irises, gladiolus, and hyacinths. Another bed held tiger lilies, daffodils, and calla-lilies. My favorite was the rose bed that had roses of all sizes and colors. Wild honeysuckle grew along the fences and gave off the sweetest aroma. I was so happy that I had decided to visit.
I noticed that a fountain was now in the middle of the garden. It was flowing with clear water. I took a seat in one of the benches in front of it. For a moment, I felt as if I was back in my fantasy garden – the one I created at the Bellanovas’ home. I closed my eyes for a moment. I was suddenly overcome by the feeling that someone was standing behind me. As the feeling gave way to certainty, I felt a prickly chill run up my spine. I hurriedly opened my eyes and turned around.
“Hi, Kat. I thought I might find you here.” I knew I must be dreaming. It was Max.
I stood up to prove to myself that he was real. “Hello, Max,” I managed. I was nervous. I wondered if he somehow knew I’d been inside his house. I felt very uneasy.
“I’ve sort of been avoiding you these last two weeks.” His eyes were level with mine. I couldn’t read them. Was he here to chastise me? Or was this his obligatory meeting to confirm his and Julie’s reconciliation?
“That’s understandable. It surprises me to see you here. I figured you and Julie would be on a second honeymoon by now.” I wasn’t going to let him lower the boom on me. I had made up my mind. Max was never going to hurt me again.
He chuckled softly. “We never even had a honeymoon to begin with. I could never afford one.”
His eyes were so intensely blue, and they sparkled when he laughed. Stop it, I told myself. Don’t let him get to you.
He looked away for a moment. “I never knew this would be so hard. Please give me a minute.”
At least he was trying to break my heart gently. Still, he didn’t look as if he dreaded telling me anything. He seemed rather content.
He stepped around in front of the bench and faced the fountain. Looking at him, I wondered why he meant so much to me. He was just an ordinary guy. He wasn’t handsome or extraordinarily smart. He wasn’t a king or a god. He was only human. He wasn’t even the same Max that often appeared in my dreams and my fantasies. I had turned him into some kind of legend when in fact he was just a normal, everyday, imperfect man. Realizing this did nothing to diminish the yearning in my heart. It simply made me question my sanity.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked. “I’m glad they added it.” I looked at the fountain. It was only ordinary concrete and steel, but, to me, it was beautiful. Maybe I wasn’t insane after all. The seemingly ordinary often holds a secret charm – a mystical appeal – for some people. I suppose that is how I feel about Max.
Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t noticed that Max had returned to my side. We were standing toe-to-toe, and I knew he was about to let me down easily. He slowly lifted his face to mine. Our eyes met for one brief instant and his hand touched my face, but that moment never had time to register. Out of the blue, Max was kissing me. His lips pressed against mine as he pulled me into his arms. My body was at war with itself as I felt my insides catch on fire at the same time thousands of chills rushed through me. I never wanted that moment to end, yet I needed to know why he was kissing me.
As we moved apart from each other, I felt a tear leave the corner of my eye and trickle down my cheek. Max gently wiped it away. “Hey – this is no time for tears. I thought you would be happy.”
I couldn’t speak. My tongue was in knots, and I knew sobs would follow if I opened my mouth. I smiled and nodded my head. I hoped he would realize that my tears were expressing my elation.
“I guess I should explain.” Max pushed me down on the bench and sat beside me. He held my hands in his and continued. “I never really understood the depth of your feelings for me, Kat. I always thought I was just the guy you had a crush on. When I learned that you had loved me for all these years – well, that really blew me out of the water. On top of that, you wanted to help me get back with Julie. At first I thought you were on some kind of masochistic kick. But then I realized you really did love me and you wanted me to be happy – no matter what the cost to you. I started thinking about that, and I started thinking about Julie.”
Here we go. He found out about Julie, and he was rebounding to me. I made myself say, “You heard Olivia’s message, didn’t you? I wish...”
“Olivia’s message? I never had a message from
Olivia. Was it about Julie?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yes.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now. Julie and I are getting a divorce.”
“She’s leaving you? Is that what this is all about?” Why was I trying to argue? Why couldn’t I just take him and forget about the reason?
He squeezed my hands tightly. “I’m divorcing her, Kat. Let me explain. Two weeks ago when I left your apartment, I was planning to go to Evelyn’s to see Julie. Halfway there, I realized that I didn’t know if I wanted to see Julie. All I could think about was you. I drove home, and I spent the next week trying to figure out where my head was. I went back and forth with this. When I finally stopped listening to my head and started listening to my heart, I immediately knew what I wanted. I called Julie and asked her for a divorce.”
I felt the chills coming again, and my eyes were starting to water. I was afraid that I would wake up and this would all be a dream. Max’s hands felt so real – rough and sweaty, tender and warm. It couldn’t be a dream. Max really cared for me. The flood of emotion that was sweeping over me was daunting. My knees were weak, and I wondered if I was going to collapse out here in public.
Max sensed what was going on. “Let me drive you home. We can take your car if you want. I can come back for my car later. I don’t think anyone would want to steal it.”
He helped me to my car, and we drove back to my apartment. When we got inside, he brought me a glass of water and he stroked my hair. “I should have known this would be a shock to you.”
“It’s a good shock, Max. I’m still having trouble believing it.” I was feeling calmer, but there were still some unanswered questions that I couldn’t overlook. “I still wonder what could have happened to Olivia’s message? She left it on your answering machine Monday. I guess it’s not important, but it is a mystery.”
“She left it Monday – this past Monday?” I nodded my head, and Max went on. “That explains it. Julie came over after I told her I wanted a divorce. You see, she had decided that she wanted us to work things out. She brought all of her stuff with her so she could move back in. I tried to make her see that it was over, but she was insistent. I finally packed my bags and went over to my dad’s. The next day – Sunday – Dad and I had a yard sale and I got rid of most of my furniture. Julie kept the futon she had taken with her to Evelyn’s, and she stayed in the house. I guess she thought I would come back, but I didn’t. She was in the house Monday – in fact, she’s still there – so she got the message. It’s not such a mystery.”
It all made sense. The house had changed, and Julie came back before I could leave. Now came another difficult task: I had to tell Max not only about Julie, but also about my housebreaking act.
“I must tell you about the message. Julie has a boyfriend – or at least he appears to be her boyfriend. He was at Evelyn’s that Saturday when Olivia and I went by there.” I watched Max’s face for any signs of emotion, but there were none. “I didn’t want to tell you. I was afraid you would hold it against me some day. Besides, I wanted you to love me for me – not because you couldn’t have Julie.”
Max stared at me intently, but he didn’t speak. I decided to go on. “Olivia felt you had a right to know, so she called and left the message for you. Then she had a change of heart. You won’t believe what we did next...” I continued on with the tale of our break-in, the missing message, and Julie’s untimely arrival. Max remained stern faced through the entire account, and I feared that he was becoming outraged. When I finished, I said, “Can you ever forgive me?”
At last he smiled. Then he laughed out loud. “I wish I could have seen that! I can’t believe the two of you broke into my house. That is really hilarious.” I stared at him, dismayed by his reaction. “What?” he said. “Did you think it would upset me to know that Julie is seeing someone else? I couldn’t care less what she does. Not anymore.”
“That’s it then?” I asked.
“Yeah. I forgive you, Kat. I forgive you for everything. Wait – there is one thing I can never, ever forgive you for...”
I felt panicky. “What’s that?”
“I will never forgive you for giving our club that stupid name. Do you know I still can’t pronounce it?”
We both began laughing, and Max pulled me into his arms. As he kissed me again, I knew I wasn’t dreaming. Max was real and he was mine at long last.
I spoke with Olivia early Saturday morning. I was out of bed by seven o’clock. I was so eager to see Elton John that I couldn’t sleep. Olivia was still sleeping, but I woke her up anyway.
“Are you ready for tonight?” I asked her.
“Kat, it’s not even eight o’clock. The concert is twelve hours away.”
“I know, but I’m excited. What time should we leave?”
“If you really want to, you can give my ticket to Max. You did pay for it.”
“I want to go with you, Olivia. Max understands. When should we leave?”
Olivia thought for a minute. “I guess we should go around four-thirty. Is that okay? It takes about two hours to get to Biloxi.”
“I guess that’s okay. Maybe we’ll have time to eat. But I want to get there early.”
“I understand. We will get there in plenty of time. Just let me get some sleep.”
Max came over at around eight. I attempted to cook him some breakfast, but we wound up eating out. We went back to my apartment and spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon snuggled up on the couch watching some rented movies.
At three-thirty, Max said he was leaving so I could get ready for the concert. He stood up and pulled me to my feet. He kissed me and said, “I love you, Katrina. I really love you.”
It was the first time he had said those words to me. He held me in his arms and I melted into him so that we felt like one being. This was indeed the happiest day of my life.
Olivia and I arrived at The Coliseum in Biloxi shortly before seven. The parking lot was already crowded, and we had to park far from the entrance. I was wearing a neon jacket that I hoped would catch Elton’s eye. Olivia wore a black blouse because she hoped to remain anonymous. For one night we seemed to be exchanging personalities. On the way to our seats, I bought a program and a T-shirt. Olivia bought a program, too. Finally we made it to our front row destination. I felt certain that I would explode before Elton ever made it to the stage.
At precisely eight o’clock, Elton appeared in a black suit that sported rhinestones on one shoulder. He wore rimless glasses with a red tint. He was a little less flamboyant and a little chubbier, but he was the same old Elton. Emotion swept over me at the sight of him and tears flowed down my cheeks. He did many of his old tunes and a number of his newer songs. He made Olivia’s night by doing “Crocodile Rock”, and, of course, he played my favorite, “Daniel”. About halfway through the concert, he stopped to sign a few autographs. He didn’t make it to where I was standing, but I still held out hope.
As eleven o’clock drew near, I started to worry that I might not get his autograph. He finished up “Rocket Man” and then disappeared from the stage. Of course, the crowd begged him to come back for an encore, and suddenly he was coming back. Olivia and I jumped up and down, and I almost fainted when he shook my hand and signed his name on my program book. I barely heard the last songs of the night – I was floating somewhere on a cloud between heaven and earth. Three hours and two encores after he first stepped on stage, Elton took a final bow and the lights came up. I now knew why Elton John had always been my idol, and Olivia finally understood, too. She joined the ranks of Elton’s fans that night.
As the crowd slowly dispersed, Olivia and I waited in our seats – still somewhat mesmerized by the talent of the man. Olivia looked over at me. “Well, Kat, how do you feel?”
I looked at my friend. This had happened because of her. “Like all of my dreams have come true,” I told her.
“They have. You saw Elton in concert, got his autograph, and shook his hand. And y
ou found true love with the man of your dreams. It took twenty-five years, but it all finally came together.” Olivia was happy for me. She was such a good friend.
I thought about what she’d just said. She’d missed one important fact that I had only just realized myself. I said to her, “I have everything I ever wanted, Olivia. Seeing Elton was great. And finally winning Max – well, that was miraculous. But I’ve also got something else that’s even more important. I just hate that it’s taken me twenty-five years to realize that you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You’ll always be my best friend. I love you, Olivia. Without you, none of my dreams could have come true.”
She sat there staring at me – unable to speak. Life was as perfect as it would ever be. All the blind squirrels had finally found their nut.
I stood up and hugged Olivia as the people continued to file out of The Coliseum. Then the lights in the building went down before anyone could see that we were crying.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Blind Squirrels Page 24