Chasing Daylight

by Carey Heywood

  She pulls my hand down. “So, what did you do?”

  At this, I turn and head toward the stairs leading up to my apartment. “Well, Mitch walked up and I kind of pretended he was my boyfriend in front of Carl.”

  I hear her gasp behind me, but I don’t stop and continue up the stairs.

  “He, um, then came over with his pizza and helped me paint.”

  She cuts me off once we’re inside my apartment and holds my upper arms. “Tell me everything.”

  “Don’t get any ideas,” I warn.

  She nods, but I can tell her mind is spinning with this news. That means ideas, tons of bad, bad ideas for me remaining single. I lead her over to my bedroom and she’s distracted for a minute looking at everything. This gives me time to figure out how I can nudge her off the idea that Mitch and I are a love connection.

  She flops down onto my bed, and rests her head on her elbow. “Your room is amazing. You have permission to decorate my house whenever you want; but time to get back to the juicy stuff. I want to know all about Mitch.”

  My shoulders sag and I lift both of my palms up. “All about Mitch? That’s a laugh. I’m not saying I’m interested, but I will say I’m not sure I’ve ever met a person who talks less than he does.”

  “So, he’s the strong silent type. So what? There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  Strong is right. I bet he could bench press me.

  Bad, bad train of thought.

  “Look, he seems like a nice enough guy; but given putting the important fact that I’m not looking for another romantic relationship, um, ever, what makes you think he’s even interested in me?”

  She sits up, crossing her legs in front of her. “Oh, he’s interested. I talked to Alec about it; and no single guy who isn’t interested would agree to sushi as fast as he did, if he wasn’t interested.”

  “Maybe he just wants to be friends with us,” I hedge, ignoring her logical response.

  “Did he say or do anything last night that could be construed as maybe being into you?”

  I gulp, remembering our goodbye. “Well . . .”

  Her mouth drops and she starts clapping. “What did he do?”

  I scratch the side of my nose before wringing my hands in front of me. “He told me he didn’t mind people thinking I was his woman and brushed my cheek with his hand.”

  I jump as she squeaks out her approval. Shit. There’ll be no changing her mind now.

  “Did he do anything else?”

  I pull my lips between my teeth and she’s onto me.

  “Tell me.”

  I sigh. “He waited for me to lock up behind him before he walked away from the door; and he tried to pay for my pizza, but couldn’t because I already had.”

  I watch her expression soften and her eyes get wet.

  My nose starts to tingle when she reaches her hand out for me to sit next to her on the bed.

  She gulps, looking at my ceiling and blinking before looking back at me.

  “I love you, Z, and I know you’ve decided you never want to risk your heart again. The things I want to do to that asshole for making you feel that way.” She pulls in a deep breath. “You deserve to fall in love with a man who will treasure you.”

  The tingle in my nose starts to sting as a tear rolls down my cheek. “Rachel.”

  She sniffles and holds up her hand, a matching tear sliding from her eye. “You are my best friend, Z.” She strokes the dandelion seeds of my duvet, knowing what they signify to me. ”Please don’t stop wishing for love.”

  My throat is too thick to reply so I nod.

  She wraps her arms around me. “That’s my girl.”

  “You are the best, best friend a girl could have.”

  She nods in agreement. “I am awesome.”

  “And, modest,” I tease, wiping my eyes.

  I make us lunch after that. Rachel thankfully keeps our conversation light as she asks what my plans are for the rest of the apartment. Grateful to talk about something that won’t make me cry, I explain my vision to her.

  “You make me feel so lazy,” she mutters before taking a bite of her sandwich.

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  She smirks at me before replying, “Alec and I have been in our place ages longer than you’ve been here and it still looks like ass.”

  Their house was a short sale, so they got it for a steal; but it was nowhere near move in ready. Sure, it technically had appliances and working bathrooms but it was (and still sorta is) butt ugly. It’s a split-level, which was clearly built sometime in the seventies. The lot it sits on has a great sized front yard and a kickass backyard with a screened in porch.

  The bones are great; how its decor is super dated though. Almost every room is wallpapered. I’ve seen some places where the wallpaper is so retro it’s cool again. Rachel and Alec were not that lucky. The wallpaper in their house is unfortunately not only Tacky with a capital T, but the patterns are all so busy they give you motion sickness just looking at them.

  I swear the print in the dining room moves. That’s a sure fire way to ensure upset tummies anytime you eat in that room. When Rachel and I first moved down, we pulled the paper from one of the rooms (thankfully the dining room). It was a nightmare. There was not one layer of wallpaper in their kitchen, but at least two, possibly three. It was hard to tell. We also learned that the wallpaper was covering up two decent size holes in the wall.

  Once we had all the paper down, we needed to get help and learn how to patch drywall. It sucked and was so time consuming, we had to stop at that room so we could focus on getting the Critter Haven and Spa up and running. Now that we’re almost ready to go here, we’ll be able to focus back on their place.

  Alec is trying to convince her to paint over the wallpaper to save time. Rachel is not okay with that so I know I’m going to be the deciding vote since I’m helping. Poor Alec, we always seem to gang up on him.

  I wonder what Mitch would think.

  Damnit, bad, bad train of thought.

  Waiting until Tuesday night to spend time with McKenzie again is the last thing I want to do. Idiot that I am, I didn’t think to ask her for her number, not that I’d call or text her, not that I wouldn’t either. Since I don’t have it, I’ll never know for sure, stranger things have happened. For example, I go from how I was living to suddenly being fixated on a woman.

  It’s been years since I’ve sent either my mom or my sister a birthday or Christmas present; but since Liz’s birthday is next month, I’m going to use it as an excuse to see McKenzie sooner.

  I rap my knuckles on the backdoor of the Critter Haven and Spa, glancing down at Zeus.

  “I’m crazy, aren’t I?” I ask him.

  He stares back up at me. It takes only a minute for McKenzie to open the door. She looks right and left of me with a puzzled expression before her eyes settle on my face.

  “Hey, Mitch. Was there something I could help you with?”

  I square my shoulders. “Could I ask your advice on something?”

  Her forehead wrinkles as she reaches down to pet Zeus; but after a moment’s hesitation, she relents. “Sure, want to come up?”

  I nod and Zeus and I follow her up the stairs to her apartment.

  “Would you like something to drink?” She offers once we’re in her living area.

  I shake my head and Zeus curls up on the floor by her sofa.

  “So, what kind of advice do you need?”

  I scratch the back of my head, hoping what I say won’t sound lame. “My sister’s birthday is next month, and I have no clue what to get her.”

  Her face breaks out in a giant smile. “You need shopping advice.” She reaches out to grab my hand and pull me down onto the couch next to her. “Why didn’t you say so?”

  I shrug and she laughs.

  “Okay, tell me all about your sister, favorite hobbies, colors, stuff like that.”

  How do I tell her I haven’t spoken to my sister or any of my family out
side of a brief work related call once a month with my aunt in years?

  I search my brain to think of the things Liz loved five years ago. “She loves horses and she wears a lot of blue. I think she likes those vampire romance books too.”

  “Oh, my God, was it Twilight?” She doesn’t wait for my answer. “I loved Twilight. Did you watch any of the movies?”

  When I shake my head, she laughs. “I had the biggest crush on Edward. Those books have been out for a while though. Has she mentioned any other series? Oh, and what’s your budget?”

  “I don’t remember her mentioning any other books.”

  She crosses her hands over her chest. “I wonder if she’s read the Hunger Games or Divergent. Those are more dystopian though and have been out a while too. With all of this Critter Haven and Spa stuff, I’m so behind on what books everyone is raving about.”

  I don’t know what to say, so I ask,” Does fifty dollars sound good?”

  She nods her head. “Does she read on an e-reader?”

  I blink at her. “I’m not sure.”

  She grabs my forearm and squeezes it. “We can check out her Facebook page. You’re friends with her, right?”

  Shaking my head, I admit, “I don’t have one of those.”

  I look down and realize her hand is still on my arm.

  “You don’t have a Facebook page?”

  I nod. She lifts her hand and leans back against the side arm of her couch, regarding me.

  “I’ve thought about getting rid of mine; but it’s the only way I hear from my mom nowadays. She’d probably get annoyed at me.”

  “You should do whatever you want and not worry about what other people think.”

  She stands, walking around her sofa to her fridge. Opening it, she pulls out a beer.

  “You want a beer?”

  “Sure.”

  She grabs another and passes it to me before sitting back down and twisting the top off hers. She takes a long pull and I open mine and do the same.

  “You’re a wise man,” she says, hand curled around the neck of her bottle, her index finger pointed at me.

  I laugh and shake my head. She’s a character. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever felt this comfortable even though I’m nervous around someone.

  “Why don’t you think you’re wise?” She teases.

  I lean forward to set my beer on the table in front of her couch and count off on my fingers.

  “I push people away, including my sister, and the healthiest relationship I have is with my dog.”

  She takes another swig of her beer, and then remarks, “That might be the most you’ve ever said to me in one shot.”

  “I’m not great with people,” I admit.

  Her eyes lock on mine as she lifts her beer to her lips. “You do all right with me,” she says, before she takes another drink.

  I gulp even though my drink is still on the table. “You seem to be the only one.”

  She blushes, lifting her hand to touch the neck of her tank top. She’s wearing cut off sweat pants that hit her mid-thigh and a white ribbed tank. I’m not sure how she manages to look so good in slummy clothes. Her hair is piled in another jumble on the top of her head, this time with a thin headband framing her face.

  I stand and Zeus lifts his head. “I should probably go.”

  “Please don’t,” she pleads.

  Before I met McKenzie, pushing people away was what I did best. I never sought out anyone’s company the way I have with her. It would be better for both of us if I walked out her door and never bothered her again. The problem is I’m defenseless against her asking me to stay.

  I close my eyes and exhale before sitting back down. Her cheeks are still tinged with pink from her earlier blush. I glance down at Zeus so she won’t catch me staring at her. It’s hard not to though. She’s the most alluring woman I’ve ever met. Her looks aren’t the only thing drawing me to her. It’s how brave she is and funny without being rude or mean. She’s kind and even the kids at the pizza place gravitate toward her.

  She has good friends and takes pride in her things. She doesn’t have a lot of money but is working her butt off to start a business with her friends and at the same time make her apartment a home.

  She reaches across me to grab my beer and hands it to me. “I have the perfect idea of what you should get your sister.”

  McKenzie grabs her laptop and logs onto a site that makes custom t-shirts. Together we order her a “my book boyfriend is better than yours” t-shirt; and once I get it, I’ll pick up a Visa gift card she can use anywhere to buy more books.

  An hour later, when it finally is time to leave, I struggle to go. Somehow, her presence makes me feel more human than I have in years.

  It’s only Sunday night and I’m stressing I won’t see her for two days. To take the edge off until then, I’ll use her lack of a security alarm as an excuse to drive by her place at night.

  There’s something relaxing about looking up into her darkened window. Each time I stop by, we sit for about half an hour before I head home to try to grab another hour of sleep.

  Zeus doesn’t mind getting up when I do; but he isn’t a fan of staying up with me. While I stare up at her window, he sleeps next to me. During the day today, I looked up different sushi places online and read all their Yelp reviews. One that’s only 20 minutes away has a decent looking courtyard. I called and asked if they’d be cool with me bringing Zeus.

  Businesses in Raleigh are military friendly, considering it isn’t very far from either Seymour Johnson Air Force Base or Fort Bragg. After I explained Zeus was a Warrior Dog, he was welcome; but if I wanted, they have a private room I could reserve at no extra cost, even though our party didn’t meet the seating minimum for it.

  I decided to go for comfort and reserve the room since this time of year we tended to get thunderstorms in the evening.

  Diane almost fainted when I asked if she’d ever eaten there. I gave up and walked out of the office before she had a chance to reply. I’m doing a test run tonight so I don’t look like an idiot tomorrow. I hope it tastes okay. If it doesn’t, I’ll know to eat before I go to McKenzie’s place.

  For now, I’m killing time cutting grass. Dawn and Kimber are by the pool like usual; but for once, Frank isn’t perving on them from his balcony. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Frank around at all the past few days. Once I finish the grassy area by the pool, I detour around the parking lot behind building C to see if Frank’s Kia is there. It isn’t. If I’m lucky, maybe he’s breaking his lease; but I won’t get my hopes up, since it’s more likely that he’s only out for the day.

  I pass April as I head toward the storage shed to load up the mower. She has been keeping Zeus company for me while I mowed, with strict instructions not to give him anything to eat or drink. I still didn’t know how Zeus got into the rat poison, but I’m not taking any chances. Ever since, I only let him eat food I prepare and water I get for him. She had a box of sidewalk chalk and was tracing around him. Once he got up to follow me, it looked creepy; but I kept that to myself.

  After work, I showered before loading Zeus in my truck to go pick up some sushi. I called my order in ahead of time and asked for a sample platter. When we pull up, I’m pleased to see the pictures online weren’t dated. I was nervous I’d pull up and the place would look like a dump. Happy that it didn’t, I clip Zeus’ leash onto him before we hop out.

  The owner, a woman who introduces herself as Yuki, turns out to be the woman I spoke to on the phone. She has my order ready and explains that since I’m new to sushi, they have packaged it in three separate containers for me. One has their spiciest rolls, which may or may not also include raw fish; the second is the rolls containing raw fish, but aren’t spicy, and the third is cooked fish that isn’t spicy.

  They also have written out a sheet to tell me which roll is which depending on the container and what is in each roll. It’s beyond kind of them to do that. I don’t normally tip more tha
n a couple of bucks for takeout; but they deserve the fat tip I’m leaving in this scenario. She also compliments my dog, which is a sign of good taste. If I like the food, I’ll make the trip even though they’re closer to the city than I normally go.

  Zeus doesn’t get table scraps, but he can’t keep his nose away from the to-go bag on the drive home. Ever since he got sick, I’ve thought about switching him from the dog food I buy to cooking his food myself. The brand I buy for him now is one of the higher end ones and has seafood options; but I figured he wouldn’t like them. I’m clearly wrong, seeing as how he’s all over this sushi.

  That alone has me pit stopping by the grocery store on my way home. This place isn’t cool with Zeus coming in with me so he waits for me in the back of my truck. I don’t want strangers approaching him, so he lies down on a blanket I keep in the cab for him. Since I’m only picking up some fresh tuna, he doesn’t wait long.

  Once we’re home, I cook the tuna before I open any of the to-go containers. When the tuna is done, I chop it up into smaller pieces and mix it up with his dry food. The way he goes to town on it has me kicking myself for not making him something before today. I need to do some research; but probably, he can eat plenty of things that I can as well.

  It’ll be a positive, if it means I’ll stop eating so much microwave shit. I start with the container that has the non-spicy, cooked rolls. I figure they’re my best shot if it turns out sushi is not my thing. They gave me wasabi and something else I can’t pronounce to add if I want. For now, I’m not touching either. I start with the shrimp roll and take a bite.

  It’s good so I make a check next to it on the sheet they gave me. Since I have a lot of rolls in front of me, I only take one bite from each so I can try them all out. Good news is I don’t dislike sushi. If I had to pick between it and a good burger or steak, there would be no competition. That being said, I can go out tomorrow and not look like an ass. Mission accomplished.