Honor: a novella

by Chasie Noble

  I heard her laugh. “You make sure you call tomorrow, and be safe. I love you.”

  I grinned. “I will call first thing in morning. I love you too.”

  Once I said goodbye and put my phone back in my purse, I walked back into the coffee shop and saw a voluptuous brunette standing in front of my seat. I could hear her giggling uncontrollably as I approached.

  “Excuse me,” I said. She turned quickly and her smile fell when she looked me over.

  “I’m sorry. I was just talking to your boyfriend about how good the coffee is here.”

  I smiled. “He isn’t my boyfriend, but you are blocking my seat.”

  When she realized what I had said, she moved and pulled a card from her back pocket. She handed it over to Osric. “I can show you all the good coffee places in town. You should give me a call sometime.” She winked and trotted away. I watched as Osric put the card down on the table.

  “I am sure she would love to show you a lot more than coffee shops.”

  He grimaced at my comment, and even that was attractive. I wondered if I had not been with him if he would have taken her up on her offer. She was by most men’s standards a beautiful woman. I took a drink of the coffee and thought to myself: this isn’t as good as the trollop said.

  He watched me with his amazingly blue eyes and, as if he was reading my mind, said, “It isn’t very good coffee, is it?”

  I laughed. “No, it is not. I think your admirer might have been wrong.”

  “I have never been here before, I just thought we could try it—I don’t think I will be coming back though.”

  When he said this I grew inquisitive. “Did you just move here?”

  He shook his head. “With work I move around a lot. I moved here about three months ago.”

  The thought suddenly hit me that he wouldn’t stay here long, and I didn’t like that. “Well, how do you like it so far?” I tried to act cheerful.

  “It is nice here. I bought a house out by the river and started remodeling it. I am going to stay here a while and see how work goes.”

  I knew the houses over by the river were charming older homes. “Congratulations! The houses over there are really beautiful.” I smiled at him.

  “When I came across the house I had to buy it. It isn’t in the best shape, but it can be something really special. I enjoy what I do and I just thought it would be gratifying to turn it into something exceptional.”

  For the first time since we had met, I could see contentment in his eyes instead of the sadness that seemed to dwell there. I could not help but smile. As he smiled back, both of us seemed to be unaware we were sitting in a run down coffee shop, surrounded by people. We sat there and talked for hours, both of us oblivious of the time.

  “We should probably go. It looks like they are closing,” he pointed out.

  I looked around to see that all the chairs had been put on the tables and a waitress was sweeping the floor across from me. “I didn’t realize how late it was,” I told him. We got up from the table, and I noticed as we walked away, Osric left the card the brunette had given him.

  Once we reached my apartment, he did walk me to the door, but made no attempt to kiss me. This made me think he was either trying to be a gentleman or was just not interested, and I hoped the hurt didn’t show on my face. I was turning the key to go inside as he called my name from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Honor. Thank you for tonight. It was nice to have someone to talk to,” he said.

  I smiled down at him. “I had a good time too.”

  He started to walk away and I went inside. I shut the door and locked it. I stood there for a moment, lost in thought over the last two days. My phone beeped and I pulled it from my purse.

  It was Lilly:

  CALL ME FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!!!

  I laughed out loud, I would be making a lot of phone calls in the morning.

  Chapter 6

  I woke up to see I had three missed calls: two from my mom and one from Lilly. I called my mom back first and answered all her questions, omitting the part about Osric following me to the downtown branch. I knew she wouldn’t be happy about that. We talked a bit longer about non-Osric things and made plans that I would come home for Thanksgiving. I called Lilly next, but she didn’t answer so I left her a message.

  The day flew by fairly quickly. I was in the tub that evening and heard my phone beep. Once I was out of the tub, and in my pajamas, I grabbed my phone to check it.

  I AM SO SORRY ABOUT LAST NIGHT! PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR MAKING A FOOL OF MYSELF. GLAD YOU CAME. SEE YOU AT WORK TOMORROW.

  Poor Brenda, I thought to myself. I was sure she had probably felt sick most of the day after last night.

  I went to charge my phone in the kitchen, and as I passed by the flowers on the counter that Osric had given me, I saw something sticking up through the middle of the bouquet. I reached for it and realized it was a card. I pulled it out of its holder and opened the tiny envelope. In the same perfect handwriting I had seen on the piece of paper he handed me at the library, the card read:

  Nice Try! I hope you enjoy the flowers.

  — Osric

  Inside, along with the card, was the cash I had left in his car for the battery. I laughed at the card and placed it down on the counter. I was glad he couldn’t see me at the moment as I stood there smiling from ear to ear like a little schoolgirl.

  I arrived to work early the next day and started coffee for everyone. As I put my stuff away, I heard Lilly come through the employee entrance humming to herself. “Hey, I called you back yesterday but you didn’t answer,” I told her.

  She smiled like she was hiding something. “Ryan and I got into a huge fight Saturday night after Brenda’s party.” She acted like this was no big thing as she made herself a cup of coffee.

  “What happened? You guys seemed fine Saturday.”

  She set her coffee down and put her stuff in her locker. “Well, when we got to the movies we ran into his ex-girlfriend.”

  I stared at her waiting for more of an explanation but she just blew on her hot coffee. “You see his ex-girlfriend and then you guys fight about it?” I asked her.

  “We didn’t just see her, she came up to us and hugged him. She was all over him,” Lilly said nearly spilling her coffee. “She was rubbing his shoulder and he was smiling at her. It was awful!” Her face had turned red as she recalled the ex-girlfriend encounter. “Once she pranced away, I just looked at Ryan like you have got to be kidding me.”

  I sat down next to Lilly. “What did he say about it?”

  She swept hair from her face with her hand. “He acted like everything was fine. Then I told him to take me home.” She sipped her coffee, then added, “So we yelled at each other all the way back to my place. He told me it was no different than me checking out Osric earlier that night.”

  I laughed, thinking about how most of the women that night had checked him out, but quickly looked over to Lilly hoping I hadn’t upset her. Finally, she laughed too and I admitted, “He is gorgeous, isn’t he?”

  Lilly smiled, “He is! I told Ryan I wasn’t pawing all over Osric though. Anyway, one thing led to another and he apologized and told me it was disrespectful of him to allow that to happen. Then…” she trailed off and her face grew pink.

  I stood looking down at her waiting for her to finish what she was saying. “Then what?” I asked her.

  “Well, let’s just say we were busy all day yesterday, if you know what I mean!” She laughed as she told me.

  “Gross Lilly!” I shot her my disgusted face.

  “I know he is no Osric or anything, but I think I love him Honor.”

  I smiled at her. “You should tell him. I am sure he would like to know that.”

  The employee entrance opened and Brenda came in. “Good morning you two! Mm…coffee, just what I need!”

  “How are you this morning?” I asked her.

  “Well, I have just about recovered from Saturday, if that’
s what you mean,” she laughed.

  “I totally see what you mean about your hubby’s brother and his wife,” Lilly said. We all laughed at Lilly’s comment.

  “I don’t have to worry about them coming back for a while now,” Brenda said. “Did you ladies get my messages? I am so sorry. I never drink that much, but it was just an awful night.”

  I smiled at her. “I did get your message. Don’t worry about it,” I assured her.

  “How was your movie?” Brenda asked Lilly. I knew what was coming and excused myself.

  When I got to my desk, I saw that Celia had left me a list of things to do, so I set to work. The day seemed to be never ending with people looking for this or that. When my lunchtime rolled around, I grabbed a book that I had been wanting to read and headed outside.

  It was a cloudy day. I noticed the leaves had started to turn red and orange. I found an empty bench and sat down to read. I had become absorbed in my book when I felt someone sit down next to me. I looked over to see a handsome face staring back down at me.

  “Good book?” he asked.

  “Yes, it is actually,” I told him.

  Osric smiled at me, and I noticed he was wearing a flannel shirt, worn out jeans, and work boots. He spotted me looking him over. “I am done working for the day.”

  I felt embarrassed that he was aware I was looking at his clothes. “I wish I was done, it seems to be never ending up here today,” I said.

  “That is why I am here. I wanted to know if I could show you something after you get off work today?”

  I couldn’t help but beam back up at him. “Are you going to show me how to change a car battery?”

  He laughed out loud at my comment. “I probably should teach you that…but, no, it isn’t how to change a car battery.”

  “Yes, Osric, you can show me something,”

  He stared at me for a moment and then rose from the bench. “I will pick you up at seven then?”

  I stared up at him. “Seven sounds good to me.”

  He turned and walked to a large red truck. The truck seemed even nicer than his car.

  “I like your truck!” I called after him.

  He turned back to me. “Thank you!”

  I watched him climb in and drive away as the leaves whirled in his wake.

  Chapter 7

  After work, I rushed home to get ready for whatever it was Osric was going to show me. As soon as I hit the door of my apartment, I went straight to the bathroom and washed my face. I brushed my hair out and reapplied my makeup. Once my teeth were brushed, I started to pick up the mess I had created from getting ready.

  I heard a knock at the front door. I opened the door to greet him and saw that he was dressed much nicer than I was. I could smell his cologne from where he stood. His looks combined with his smell put me in a daze.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  I thought about telling him I just needed to change real quick, but he seemed anxious. “Yes, I am ready.” I grabbed my purse and shut the door. When we reached the parking lot, I noticed he had his car. “What happened to your truck? I was looking forward to a ride in that thing,” I said.

  He opened the car door for me. “I mostly use the truck for work.” He smiled.

  Once he had pulled out of my apartment complex’s parking lot, my curiosity got the better of me. “So what is it that you have to show me?” I noticed, as we drove, we were headed towards the river.

  “I wanted to show you my house. Is that okay?” He looked at me waiting for a reply.

  I laughed at how sincere he was. “It is fine Osric. I think we are past the point of you being an immoral stranger who is out to harm me.” He had a look on his face that I couldn’t quite decipher when I said this.

  “How can you be sure?” He peered over at me with a serious expression.

  “You had your chance on a dark empty street. You have been alone with me twice in my apartment. Yet, here I sit next to you,” I said trying to act as serious as his face looked.

  “You seem certain that I am of good character. Honor, I hope you are not so unguarded with everyone.” As he said this, I realized it wasn’t a question, just a statement—a statement that hurt. I tried to look away so he couldn’t see my face. He knew he had upset me and reached for my hand. “I am grateful you show me such trust though.”

  I was at a loss for words and just stared at his beautiful face. I was certain, at that moment, there was no turning back. I had fallen for this amazing man.

  Once we reached his house, I understood why he had chosen to buy it. The house was indeed older, but it gave it a certain charm new houses lacked. The porch wrapped around to the back, as did the driveway.

  “Osric, your house is impressive. I can see why you bought it.”

  He helped me from the car, and as we walked up to the back porch I turned to see his view of the river. It was like something out of a travel brochure. “Let me show you the inside,” he said as he opened the back door for me. We walked into a kitchen with tall dark cabinets. It was by far the nicest kitchen I had ever set foot in.

  “Did you do all this?” I motioned to the cabinets.

  “I did. The kitchen was in the worst shape out of everything in the house.”

  I followed him into a hallway that led to a sitting room. This room looked to be untouched and had tools throughout. “I do most of my work out of here, so I haven’t begun working in this room yet.” He started down the hallway with me close behind. The next room was a bathroom that looked to be bigger than my kitchen. There was marble tile and a huge claw foot tub.

  “I can see why you wanted to show me this place, it’s beautiful.”

  He reached for my hand and led me to a doorway that had a plastic covering over it. “This is what I wanted to show you. I haven’t made as much progress as I would have liked just yet, but I thought you would like it,” he said as he pulled back the plastic so I could walk through.

  There were shelves from ceiling to floor all around the room. Each shelf had intricate designs etched at the top and bottom. In the middle of the room was a grand window that looked out over the river. “You’re building a library!” I exclaimed. “This is a perfect room for it too,” I assured him. “You are very talented Osric.” I began to grow aware that maybe I was too excited because he was staring at me intently.

  “You really like it?” he asked.

  “Yes, this room is incredible.”

  He was still staring at me. I began to feel uncomfortable for the first time since I had met him. I moved to look out the window as he gently reached for my arm. He turned me to face him and placed his hands on both sides of my face. My stomach fluttered with nervousness and I felt weak in the knees as he lightly rubbed my bottom lip with his thumb. His lips softly brushed up against mine and then I lost all control. My arms reached up around his neck and I pulled him toward me. His muscular arms wrapped around me and our kiss intensified. As quickly as it had started, it ended. He pulled away. The look on his face seemed torn.

  I felt like I had done something wrong. “I am sorry. I don’t usually…” I exclaimed.

  He ran his large hands through his hair and turned to look out the window. “I shouldn’t have done that Honor. I get wrapped up with you and forget…” he stopped talking.

  I wondered what he was going to say. I reached for his shoulder and he stepped away. “You forget what?” I asked.

  “It’s nothing, I am sorry. I don’t know what it is about you, but I am drawn to you. I have never felt this way before. I can’t even put it into words.” He sat down on the floor and leaned back against a shelf.

  I couldn’t believe what this gorgeous man was telling me. I sat down across from him and reached for his hand like he had done several times with me. “I feel the same way about you, if it makes you feel any better? Or worse?” I trailed off.

  He looked over at me with sadness in his eyes. I felt like there was something more, but he said nothing. He took his hand out
of mine and reached for me; pulling me into his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, and I rested my head against his chest. We sat there on the floor together, each of us lost in our own thoughts, though there was no other place I wanted to be.

  Chapter 8

  After that night things changed between Osric and I. When we weren’t working, we were together. He had become the person I told everything to, and the person I always wanted to be with. He was the guy I couldn’t shut up about.

  Lilly had many opinions about our relationship. She would ask questions often, always wanting to know one particular question, which had to do with sex. I would inform her that I was not a tramp like herself, and in return she would act insulted.

  I was on my lunch break the day of my birthday when Lilly came up to me. “You want to go out for your birthday tonight? I will pay.” She sat down next to me and was stirring her coffee.

  “Let me see if Osric has any plans,” I told her.

  “You guys are like an old married couple. You could come alone Honor. It wouldn’t hurt to have one night away from your boo,” she said giggling.

  I laughed too after she said it. “All right. Even if he doesn’t come along, I will go.”

  “Good! We are going to have so much fun. Where would you like to go?” she asked.

  “What about that new sports bar you were talking about? We could go there. Hot wings and beer, what more could a girl ask for on her birthday?” I laughed.

  “They actually do have good wings birthday girl,” she teased.

  I tried to call Osric to tell him, but he didn’t answer.

  Celia let me off early, saying it was her birthday gift to me. I thanked her and was on my way. I tried to call Osric again and still didn’t get an answer. It worried me.

  As I was getting out of the shower, Lilly texted me saying she was running late and to meet her there. After I was dressed and ready to go I was going to try to call Osric again, but my phone rang. “Hello,” I answered.