by S. J. West
“Handle what?” I ask in frustration. “You haven’t told me what it is about me that bothers you so much. Maybe I can help you.”
“It isn’t bothering me as much anymore,” he says with a hint of a smile. “I’m getting used to it.”
Used to what? I want to scream. He can be so aggravating sometimes. I love him but I really want to strangle the answer out of him right now.
Julian stands. “Why don’t you finish packing up what you want to take with you? I saw an ice cream shop on the way here. I’m sure you could use a snack right about now.”
Why does the mention of food make me put everything else I’m thinking about on the back burner? A loaded banana split is the only thing I can concentrate on now.
I pack as quickly as I can. The ride over to the ice cream shop is just what I need to get my mind off learning about my father’s family. I just wish I could have brought Viktor inside the store with us. I have to leave him outside in the summer heat, but he doesn’t seem to mind sitting out on the sidewalk. I make a mental note to take him to a veterinarian for shots and tags. While I eat my ice cream, I talk Julian into making a short detour to Pet Smart for some cat supplies.
By the time we check out, I end up spending three hundred dollars on things for Viktor. I couldn’t help myself, though. Every time he seemed interested in a toy, I had to get it for him. I would have bought him a tree apartment but I couldn’t. It simply wouldn’t have fit in my car. But I did get him a plush fur-lined cat bed, an automatic cat food and water feeder, a white leather collar encrusted with rhinestones, a retractable leash, a self-cleaning litter box, a box of Fancy Feast variety pack gourmet cat food, toys, and grooming items. Everything a self-respecting cat of an alfar princess needs.
It makes me wish I had asked the queen about his personal effects. Well, I guess she was my aunt really. Aunt Shael, the alfar queen. Honestly, it sounds like a bad title for a B-movie.
By the time we get back to Julian’s house, my home away from the apartment, it’s five o’clock. We’ll need to leave by 5:50pm to get to the block party on time. Julian helps me get all my stuff into the house and set up in my room. Once we’re done, Viktor yawns and immediately curls up in his new bed for a nap. I hop in the shower to rinse off. After the motorcycle ride earlier, I feel like I have grit in places that need to be washed.
By the time I’m ready, we need to leave for the block party. I don’t have the luxury of eating anything before we go, and all I can do is hope I won’t completely embarrass myself by overeating at the cookout.
The block party is already in full swing by the time we arrive. We have to park Julian’s Aston Martin on the side of the street because they’ve already set up table barricades to block thru-traffic. The center of the party starts at Kaylee and Ben’s house and stretches out a block on either side of them. It looks like everyone is here, at least fifty people in all. Some are already in their lounge chairs, sitting in groups of three or four talking and enjoying each other’s company on this balmy summer evening.
The requisite mosquito-repelling lamps are out in full force on every table surrounding the partygoers in a force field of DEET. The smell of barbecue is definitely in the air, making my mouth water at the mere thought of grilled hamburgers, sausage, and chicken. I pray everyone brought too much food to eat so there will be enough to assuage my insatiable appetite. As Daniel said, it’s nice to be able to eat anything you want and not gain any weight, but it’s also a curse to be almost constantly hungry.
I spy Kaylee resting in a foldout chair as she nurses a frosty glass of ice water with Susan, Pete, and Ben sitting beside her in front of her house. A gaggle of neighborhood children stand huddled around her, taking turns putting their hands on her belly to feel the baby kick. The smaller kids giggle with glee at feeling the tiny life of Little Miss Em inside Kaylee’s womb. When we approach, they scatter like leaves in the wind, allowing me to finally introduce Julian to my adopted parents.
Pete and Ben stand from their lawn chairs, like most men usually do when being introduced to another man. I guess it’s some sort of genetically-engineered response. If they remained in their seats, it would probably be taken as a sign of weakness.
I give Kaylee’s dad a hug. “Pete, I would like to introduce you to Julian.”
Julian holds out his hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hughes.”
“Glad to meet you, too, son.”
I make the same quick introduction to Ben and notice Pete sizing Julian up. He seems pleased by what he sees, but remains wary. I assume his guarded attitude is for my benefit. He wants to make sure Julian is good enough for me, like all fathers do when their daughter brings home a young man, even though Julian isn’t that young. He’s actually older than the neighborhood we’re standing in.
I introduce Julian to Susan while Ben unfolds two chairs he had lying on the sidewalk beside his seat for us to sit in. He positions them directly in front of their chairs. As I had suspected, it’s the Hughes firing line. I’m curious to see what sorts of questions they will ask Julian.
It’s definitely shaping up to be an interesting evening.
“So tell us a little about yourself,” Pete says to Julian as he sits back down in his chair and twines his fingers together over his belly. “What kind of accent is that?”
“Partially Hungarian, partially British and French. I moved around a lot when I was younger,” Julian answers. I get the distinct feeling he expected to be questioned by my family. He doesn’t seem to mind. He’s completely relaxed, and seems to welcome any inquiries they have for him.
“What brings you here to Pecan Acres, if you don’t mind me asking?” Susan leans forward slightly in her chair, her full attention focused on Julian.
“I have a sister who lives in New Orleans. I wanted to be closer to her and this seemed like a nice quiet town to settle down in.”
“Why not just live in New Orleans?” Kaylee asks.
“I didn’t want to live in such a large, busy city. I don’t like a lot of heavy traffic.”
“What do you do for a living?” Pete asks.
I knew this would be one of the questions most important to him.
“I own a few businesses, but they’re mostly taken care of by people I’ve hired to oversee them.”
“What kind of businesses?”
“Hotels mostly. We cater to traveling business people and other special guests. I usually try to visit each one twice a year to make sure they’re running smoothly.”
“What do you do with all your free time?”
“I have a lot of hobbies that keep me busy, but I have to admit working on my motorcycle is a favorite one of mine.”
That is pretty much all Julian had to say to get Pete to forget about the interrogation and switch the conversation to talk about motorcycles. Pete has wanted one for as long as I can remember, but he hasn’t been able to talk Susan into letting him have a bike. She argues that they’re too dangerous and that he’s too old to be riding one. While Julian tells Pete about his custom motorcycle, Ben gets up to tend to his barbeque. Susan and Kaylee ask me to help them bring out the food they have in the house.
As soon as we step inside, Susan takes me by the arm.
“Kaylee told me Julian was gorgeous, but I had no idea!” Susan says, giddily excited for me. She truly hopes I’ve found someone to love in the man I brought to meet my family.
“So, spill,” Kaylee says, opening the refrigerator door to pull out a bowl of potato salad. “What happened in New Orleans? What did the two of you do there, or do I even have to ask?”
She sets the bowl on the counter and looks at me, waiting impatiently for some sign of my true feelings for Julian and probably some juicy details about our trip.
“We had a good time. Julian’s sister had a party. That’s why we went.”
“That’s what Helen told me,” Kaylee says, completely unsatisfied with my answer. “I want to know about the intimate details. What did the two of you
do?”
I just rolled my eyes at her. “We didn’t do what you’re thinking we did. We just started dating, Kaylee.”
I can feel Kaylee’s frustration with me, but she simply sighs her disappointment.
“Well, I don’t see how you’re keeping your hands off him.” Susan grabs a couple of bags of potato chips off the kitchen table and the bowl of potato salad from the counter in front of Kaylee. “If I was dating him, I’d make him stay in bed with me for at least a week.”
“Mom!” Kaylee shivers at the thought of her mother being a sexual creature. “Unless you want your granddaughter to be born prematurely, don’t paint pictures like that inside my head.”
Susan sticks her tongue out at her daughter. “I’m just trying to give Sarah something to think about. I’d better get back out there and make sure Julian doesn’t talk your father into buying a motorcycle. That’s all I need.”
Susan walks out of the kitchen, leaving Kaylee and me alone.
“Sarah.” I always know Kaylee is going to talk seriously when she says my name like that. “Don’t cut yourself off from him like you normally do when you start to have feelings for someone. Ever since you lost your parents, you’ve been standoffish with people. I know you say it’s because of your abilities, but you and I both know it goes deeper than that. You’re just scared of caring for someone and then losing them. Don’t do that this time. I really like Julian. I think he would fit in with us.”
“You barely know him, Kaylee,” I point out.
“I know enough,” she says confidently with a slight lift of her head. “I may not be an empath like you, but I can read people in a different way. Judging from the way he looks at you, I think he cares for you a great deal. Just promise me you’ll let your heart lead you in the right direction this time. Don’t overthink things like you usually do when things start to get serious with a guy.”
“Ok.”
“Promise?”
I nod. “I promise.”
I’m not sure I have a choice in the matter anyway. My heart has already decided I’m in love with Julian, even though my head keeps warning me that it’s probably a horrible mistake.
Susan comes back in and helps us take out the rest of the food, which includes a delicious-looking strawberry shortcake. It taunts me with its delectable sweetness, begging to be devoured on the spot.
Julian is still talking with Pete, but the conversation has apparently moved on to cars since Pete is sitting in the driver’s seat of Julian’s Vanquish. Julian stands on the sidewalk, talking to Pete through the open door of the car. He must feel me staring at him because he looks up and gives me a wink and a smile.
Didn’t I tell him not to smile too much while we were here? I wasn’t just worried about the older ladies at the block party. I was hoping to keep my heart rate at a normal pace for most of the night, but if he keeps winking and smiling at me I’m not sure how I’m going to manage that feat.
“That sure is a good-looking man you’ve got there, Sarah. How did you manage to land him?”
Standing beside me is Martha Rite. She’s lived next to the Hughes family all my life. Martha is the quintessential nosey neighbor. I was told she had been quite a beauty in her younger years. I could only assume she was trying her best to hold onto her youth by keeping her hair dyed black and slathering on so much makeup I’m sure she has to use a Dremel to sand it all off at night. She’s one of those people who smile and say kind words to your face, but as soon as your back is turned she’ll spread wild rumors about you, even if there isn’t a kernel of truth to them just to stir things up. I hate being around her and always try to find a way to stay out of her gossip-mongering reach. I’m surprised she hasn’t come up with some asinine story about me, because I’m pretty sure she knows I can’t stand her.
“Just got lucky, Ms. Martha.” If you keep your answers short and simple with her, there’s less ammunition she can use against you later.
“That’s certainly true. Lucky, lucky girl,” she says, eyeing Julian with ravenous eyes. Feeling a woman in her early seventies become sexually aroused is not a pleasant experience.
When I look back at Julian, he has a slight frown on his face. He says something to Pete and leaves my second father sitting in his car to play with the controls. Julian walks over to me like he’s on some important mission.
“Hello,” he says to Martha, stopping to stand beside me.
“Julian, this is Martha Rite.” I feel compelled by common courtesy to make the introduction. I would rather have spared him from having to endure her presence, but there’s nothing to be done about it now. He is officially in her clutches.
“A pleasure to meet you, Julian.”
The way Ms. Martha is undressing Julian with her eyes suddenly makes me lose my appetite, and that is quite an accomplishment in my book.
“If you don’t mind, Ms. Martha, I would like to have a private moment with Sarah.”
“Of course.” Martha seems a little taken aback by being dismissed so quickly after just meeting Julian. “I need to go talk with Mimi anyway. You know she and Grady are getting a divorce.”
I hate hearing that news. I’ve always liked the couple who lived across the street from the Hugheses. I hope it’s just one of Martha’s overexaggerations.
“You two have fun.” She smiles her fake smile and walks away from us, swishing her hips a little too much for my liking.
I look at Julian. “Is something wrong?”
“No. It just seemed as though you were uncomfortable talking to that woman. I thought I would provide you with an excuse to get away from her.”
He certainly is perceptive. “Thanks. That’s precisely how I was feeling.”
Julian takes a step closer to me, closing the distance between us to only an inch. He places his fingers underneath my chin, tilting my face up until our eyes meet. He smiles at me and lowers his lips to mine in a kiss that doesn’t last very long, but is long enough to not be misconstrued by those watching as just a friendly peck.
When he pulls his lips away from mine, I feel him place his arms around me loosely. He stares down at me, searching my face with his eyes.
“Have I ever told you how naturally beautiful I think you are?”
I have to swallow before I can answer. “I don’t think so.”
“You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen,” he tells me. “And I’m not just saying that. I mean it.”
I understand what he’s implying. He’s telling me he isn’t just saying it because we’re surrounded by people who are supposed to think we’re dating and on the precipice of falling in love with one another.
“Thank you.” I don’t know how else to respond. I feel extremely shy all of a sudden.
“Why does it embarrass you to get compliments?” he asks, still holding me close like we’re lovers.
“I’m just not used to it,” I confess, “especially not from someone like you.”
“What does that mean, someone like me?”
“Someone gorgeous and completely out of my league. In the real world, guys like you don’t go out with girls like me.”
“That’s ridiculous, Sarah.” He sounds offended by my statement. “Any man would be thankful to have someone like you on his arm. Just look at the way Daniel practically falls all over himself whenever you’re around him.” I note a bit of jealousy in Julian’s tone. “Plus, that warlock was irritatingly persistent at Mira’s party, too.”
“It was just a dance he wanted, not me.”
“Don’t be naïve. He wanted you. A lot of men at that party wanted you.”
I wasn’t comfortable talking about this subject with Julian. I only want one man to desire me and he’s holding me in his arms, acting like a jealous lover about would-be suitors who are miles away from us. All of them are merely footnotes in my mind.
Was Kaylee right earlier? Does Julian care about me the same way I care about him? How am I going to know the real answer to that question
unless I ask?
“Do you care about me, Julian?” I hear the words come out of my mouth but am completely dumbfounded I found the courage to ask the question. My desire to know the depth of his feelings for me seems to have overridden my better judgment.
“I do care, Sarah,” he answers in a hoarse whisper. “Probably a lot more than I should.”
“Why would you say it like that?” My question comes out sounding like a desperate plea.
“Because you make me feel things I haven’t felt in a very long time. I’m finding it hard to keep our relationship the way it should be.”
“And how is it supposed to be?”
“You have to understand something. Your family has been my family for centuries. In a way, I’ve always felt like a second father to most of the ones I’m bonded to. But since your mother took you away before you were born, I don’t feel that sort of connection with you. Yet, I still feel loyal to your mother and grandfather. I’m not sure they would approve of me wanting you the way I do.”
This just keeps getting better and better. “What do you see happening between us, Julian?”
“I’m not completely sure,” he confesses, cupping the side of my face with one of his large, warm hands. “But I do know I haven’t felt this way about anyone in a long, long time.”
I’m about to pluck up my courage to ask him if he loves me, but the same group of kids who were standing by Kaylee when we first arrived start to recite the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song to us, ending the verse about me and a baby carriage. I feel slightly embarrassed and warn them that the first one I catch will be the recipient of a good tickling.
There’s always one slowpoke in a group of kids and this one ends up being little three-year-old Sue Anne Bridget. I catch her underneath the arms and lift her high in the air. The other kids end up tackling me, and we all fall into a heap of arms and legs on Martha Rite’s lush green lawn. If there is something Martha loves just as much as herself, it’s her front yard and its immaculate landscaping. She rushes over to shoo us all off her grass, telling me I’m old enough to know better. I completely agree with her to keep the peace and half-heartedly admonish the children for causing damage to Ms. Martha’s turf.