Coming Home (Only Time Will Tell #1)

by Caroline Spencer

  I continue staring at him as my thoughts run riot in my head and all he can do is shove his hands into the pockets of his expensive-looking gray dress pants, straighten himself out and look past me, like I'm no longer there. Ignorant!

  “Ah, Kyle,” Mr. Johnson says from behind me, “they said you were coming up. I thought they were drunk already,” he laughs.

  I step aside, nervously fiddling with the straps of my purse as it's hooked into the crook of my elbow. Kyle Cooper. Kyle. Fucking. Cooper.

  I look at the pair of them, smiling and chatting. The whole time I want to slap him upside the head. I’m surprised to know he still has the power to send tingles down my spine, but that doesn't mean I don't want to cause him bodily harm. Not that it would be of much use, because by the looks of things, he doesn’t even want to acknowledge who I am.

  His smile hasn't changed. In fact, he has the same smile as Mr. Johnson. His hair is still blond, lighter at the ends, cut short at the sides and a complete mess on the top. Like he's just woken up. I used to like it like that. He has stubble on his chin and jaw, but I can still see how sharp it is. The suit, however, is completely not him, not how I remember him anyway. He hated the “corporate look.” He said he’d never walk in these kind of shoes. Yet look at him now. Although, it does suit him, especially with no tie and the top few buttons undone, showing a hint of his chest. God, it irritates me that I can’t help thinking about what I'd do to slowly unbutton it.

  “I see you've met Catalina,” Mr. Johnson says, nodding his head in my direction.

  Kyle looks at me, squinting his eyes. Shit. “Briefly.”

  Like hell it was brief. “I prefer Cat,” I say, hating my full name being used.

  Mr. Johnson claps him on his back, smiling like a proud father would. “This is Kyle. My nephew, of sorts.”

  I’ll try and remember that…oh wait, I know! But, instead of saying that, I go with, “Nice to meet you.”

  He squints his eyes at me again. “You, too.” He finally says.

  Finally hearing the clatter of heels against the wooden floor, I look at Nod, my eyes bulging out their sockets, urging her to get a move on. I need to get out of here.

  “Kyle,” she screams as she enters the lobby, clocking him. “I've not seen you in months. How's everything?”

  He starts rambling on to her, but I shut off. I don't want to know. I dig through my purse and grab my phone, firing up my emails just to check if I have any from family. None. Great.

  Mr. Johnson's cell starts ringing as he's arranging some magazines in the foyer. He answers and starts wandering around aimlessly. With one hand tucked loosely in his pocket, his heels click and clack against the wooden floor with every step he makes.

  Tucking my cell back in my bag, I look at Nod and Kyle who are still talking away. I huff and I'm about to get their attention when the bell on the elevator chimes, stopping the conversation for me.

  A fiery redhead comes stomping out before the doors are even fully open. “Kyle,” she screeches and her voice instantly grates me. “You said you wouldn't be long. I've been sitting out in that car for ages.” She comes to stand next to him, planting her hands on her hips and ignoring everyone else. “I really just want to go home,” she whines.

  Please tell me he's just giving her a ride.

  It churns my stomach to think that this is who he’s with. I’ve gone through hell and tried to build my life back up, and he’s been living the high life with that? I can’t even imagine being with someone, haven’t done for years. He ruined me by tearing out my heart and trampling on it. I’ve been in England, slowly crumbling. The whole time, he’s been here, falling in love and not giving a damn.

  Mr. Johnson must have finished his call because he notices our new guest. “Josie!” he exclaims as he walks over and gives her a quick hug, “How was your break? You both look like you enjoyed it.” He doesn’t give her time to reply before he adds, “This is Catalina, by the way, my latest employee,” pointing in my direction.

  Josie looks over and looks like she's about to growl at me with her snarled lip. Regardless of that, she still greets me with a “Nice to meet you,” even though she sounds completely bored while saying it.

  I smile back, but I can feel my lips quivering from too much effort. “You too.”

  I grab hold of Nadine's hand and drag her towards the elevator. “Come on, we’re going to miss our reservation,” I say as an excuse for my rude exit. My heart is pounding against my rib cage and my hands are trembling. I just want to go and drink lots of wine, just so I can forget that I ever met him and hope that when I wake up, and this is all a nightmare. Then I can carry on like I had before, like he no longer existed.

  Nadine is trudging along behind me, waving over her shoulder. I press the button for the elevator which is taking far too long to get here. Crossing my arms over my chest I begin to tap my foot, like the elevator would be concerned about my annoyance. Nod nudges my shoulder with hers and looks at me with furrowed brows. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I'm fine, I just want to get out of here.”

  She pushes the button herself a couple of times. “I didn't know you'd made reservations?” she asks, looking at me.

  “I didn't,” I mumble. “I just used it as an excuse.”

  Finally the bell pings and the doors open. Thank. The. Lord. I scurry on, feeling the need to escape from this place more than I ever have before.

  I walk to the back, pressing my spine against the cold, metal wall. Nod casually comes to stand beside me and I offer her an apologetic smile. I feel bad dragging her out of there while she was talking to everyone, but I need air and wine.

  The bell pings again as the doors begin to close. I look back at Kyle and see him staring directly at me with haunted eyes. Josie notices too and gives me the mother of all scowls. Why me? I'm not making him look at me. If anything, she should be pissed at him.

  I close my eyes as the elevator descends and rest my head against the wall. I need to forget about him and carry on. I've gone two months without seeing him around here. If I'm lucky, I can manage the rest of my life.

  This place really is something else, completely not us. The walls are all black, but there are three big, arched windows that let in as much light as possible. Failing that, there are spotlights around the edge of the ceiling, which is decorated with huge, bronze roses.

  The tables are all lined with perfectly white tablecloths. In the middle of each table there are a couple of silver candles, which gives a rather romantic feel to mine and Nods meal, not that we’re in any way romantic, but she does make a show about it when we’re seated, pretending that we are girlfriend and girlfriend. I don't argue, just laugh at her.

  “You are such an ass. Why did you have to tell him we were celebrating our anniversary?” I ask, picking up the menu that was placed in front of me.

  She scoots her chair in further, then picks up her menu and starts glancing at what's on there, which isn't a lot. “I'm sure a place like this can afford a champagne freebie,” she says, glancing over her menu with a wry smile on her face.

  “Well, I'm only going as far as holding your hand over the table and gazing into your eyes. Anything else, and you’re on your own,” I say seriously, but the minute we look at each other, we burst out laughing. I feel bad for the other guests because they do actually seem to be enjoying romantic meals with their loved ones, and then there's us two laughing like crazed hyenas.

  We order our meals along with a bottle of chardonnay.

  The minute the waiter leaves us, we both visibly relax, like it’s right at that moment the weekend begins.

  I slouch in my chair, looking at the roses on the ceiling, trying to keep my head away from earlier events, but I can't. I can't shake him out of my head, but I guess I never really did. I just pushed him to the back. Would we still be together now if I hadn't moved? But then again, life would have been completely different. I doubt we would have survived that together, I barely did. If
it wasn’t for the people around me, I would have done something stupid.

  I can feel my heart crumbling and the tears beginning to reach breaking point, so I change the subject. This is not the time or place to have a meltdown. “What time is Ryan due back?”

  She shrugs, “Not sure. Said he'd call when he was back, he's hoping early afternoon.”

  The waiter returns with our chardonnay—no champagne—and swiftly fills the two empty wine glasses that he placed on the table. As soon as his back is turned we simultaneously take a huge drink, like it’s water and we're deprived kids. “Have you gotten anything special planned?”

  “A few things,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

  I shake my head with a smirk, remembering exactly what she has planned. She showed me the lingerie she brought especially from Victoria's Secret during the week. “Poor guy won't know what hit him.”

  “Oh, he will. He'll probably schedule weekly meetings out of town just so he gets this treatment all the time.”

  We both giggle at that thought. “I feel cheated on,” I state, looking hurt and holding my palm over my heart, flowing with the anniversary joke she made earlier.

  “Don't worry honey, I have something extra special for you.”

  It's at that point the waiter returns with our meals and we know he heard that little tidbit, which makes us laugh again.

  I've ordered the pan seared salmon, and Nod chose the Chilean sea bass. Both of them smell amazing, and kick my hunger into gear. Nod has her fork loaded and is about to put it in her mouth so I decide to add, “For what you've just cost me, I want something mind-blowing when we’re done here.”

  The waiter is still standing there loitering, and Nod is looking at me open-mouthed.

  She drops the fork with a clatter and takes another drink.

  “Is there anything else I can get for you two?” he asks nervously, twisting his hands around the dish towel that he used to carry the hot plates out with.

  I look at him and smile sweetly. “No, that's everything.”

  He leaves—again—and Nod slaps my bare arm. “Oh. My. God. I could have choked.”

  “I'm not sure which one of you looked more shocked. I do like to entertain myself.”

  “By the sounds of it, he thinks I'll be entertaining you.”

  The giggles and banter eventually subside as we eat our meals.

  Afterward, I pay the bill and start walking out the restaurant, when the bar area catches my eye. This place is a huge building, consisting of a hotel with all the amenities along with the restaurant, which is clearly open to the public.

  I snag my friend’s arm and drag her into the bar, not ready to give up on the night yet, and also not wanting to be alone sooner than I need to be.

  I find an empty table, dump her in her seat and head to the bar before she can dispute my plan. Not that she would, she's more up for a free night out than me.

  After ordering another bottle of chardonnay, I head back to the table and pour us another glass. Nod's busy on her phone so she doesn't know I'm back until the bottle and glasses clatter on the table, rather loudly. “Anything fun happening?” I ask, pointing at her cell.

  “Nope,” she sighs. “Ryan was just checking in, wondering what I'm up to and all that. He says he may be home later than he thought.”

  “Oh, that sucks,” I say to her pouting face. “Later is better than never.”

  “I guess,” she says, throwing her cell on the table between us. “Are you going for it tonight then? The whole drinking yourself into a coma thing?”

  “Looks like it,” I say after swallowing a mouthful.

  I rest my forearm on the table, clutching at the stem of the wine glass while I work up the courage to broach my next subject, one that I really shouldn't ask about, but I want to anyway. “So, how do you know, Kyle, is it?”

  She looks at me with a raised suspicious eyebrow. “You know it's Kyle.”

  My grasp around the glass is becoming slippery, nerves consuming me, dreading that she knows I know him, or maybe he told her.

  “Everyone remembers his name, everyone wants him around here.”

  “Oh. Including you?” I ask, even though I'm dreading the answer.

  She splutters out a laugh like she's sitting with Jerry Lewis. “Me? Hell no. I like the guy, sure, but want him? No. I met him through Johnson. He called in one day to cover for his Uncle while he was out of town, turns out he didn't have a clue what to do. I'd only recently started, so we decided to sort through the stuff together. We flirted, sure, but it was just playful banter.”

  Okay, so it wasn't the worst possible answer, but it still churned my stomach.

  “I'd heard a lot about him from working in the bar. I knew his reputation from the start and I wasn't going there.”

  So, that got my attention. “Reputation?”

  “Reputation. He's known for being the 'love ‘em and leave ‘em' kind of guy. Seriously, Google him when you get a chance and I swear you'll not find a picture of him with the same woman, not through lack of trying on their end. They all swear that they'll be the one to change him and never do.”

  Wow. That's not the guy I remember him to be, not in the slightest. He was the sweetest guy you'd ever meet. Not a man whore.

  “Sounds like an ass to me,” I state. “I guess Josie's the cat who got the cream, eh?”

  Nod smacks her hand against the table, another fit of laughter erupting. “Josie? Oh hell no. She wants it, but he's not having it, not through lack of trying on her part either.”

  Now I'm all kinds of confused. “They live together don't they? Just got back from vacation?”

  “Sure, they have and do. But that’s something to do with a family friend or something. He said she could stay with him till she got back on her feet. That was a couple of years ago, though. She still claims that she's looking for the perfect apartment, but we all know she just wants to stay there with him.”

  “Oh.” I finish my glass of wine, the conversation still swirling around in my head while I refill our glasses and empty the rest of the bottle. At least he's a nice man whore. “Still seems like an ass.”

  We both sit in silence for a couple of moments. I'm listening to the pianist playing a slow number on the grand piano that sits to one side of the bar area, not having a clue what he's playing, but still enjoying the sound as it soothes all the clientele. As I look over Nod's shoulder towards the entrance, a couple of tall men walk in laughing and joking with each other. I recognize them instantly.

  Ryan spots me and quickly holds his finger up to his lips, signaling me to keep quiet. It's so sweet that he's surprised her.

  I look at Nod, checking that she doesn't suddenly turn around and spot him as he heads to the bar.

  As both men head over, I quickly readjust my dress while still seated. I feel rather bloated after our huge meal.

  Ryan sets the wine bottle on the table in front of her and then places his beer in front of an empty seat between us both.

  “Do you mind if we join you two lovely ladies?” he asks just as Nod realizes who it is and quickly jumps out her seat and throws herself around his neck.

  “Ryan?” she screeches. “What the hell are you doing here? I didn't think you were due back till tomorrow?”

  He removes her slightly, then places a gentle kiss on her lips. Even I'm swooning at them both, wanting to pinch both their cheeks and tell them how cute they are.

  “Thought I'd surprise you. Did it work?”

  “Yes!” she squeaks, then plants a kiss on his lips, a hell of a lot harder than the gentle one he gave her.

  While they’re kissing and muttering to each other so we can't hear, Kyle sits himself on the only free seat. I'm definitely ready for my weekend alone now.

  “Are you having a good night?” he asks

  “It's not been bad. You?” I reply flatly.

  He's still wearing the same clothes he had on earlier and is slightly slouching in his chair, twirl
ing the beer bottle around on the table with the tips of his fingers. I want to smack myself upside the head for licking my lips as I watch him. Remembering how I used to love the feeling of his hands all over me, even before we dated. He just always made me shudder whenever there was skin on skin contact, even if it was to stop me from doing something. “It's been okay.”

  “Good.” I leave it there. Not wanting to start a full conversation.

  Ryan and Nadine eventually sit themselves back down and they all start talking about this past week, I sit there, mainly in silence because this has very little to do with me.

  Ryan has explained everything about his business trip and Kyle has given us the sickening run through of his vacation. It's not that they did anything sickening, I just hate to hear him talk about the almost romantic getaway he had in France with that screeching bitch.

  About eleven thirty, I’m starting to think about calling it a night. As I prepare myself to tell them my plan, a stupidly thin woman with black hair comes running through the bar, launching herself into Kyle’s lap, her already short skirt hitching up further than should be legal. Nadine looks at me wide-eyed and knocks Ryan’s attention away with her hand before the whole restaurant is flashed. “Oh. My. God, Kyle. What are you doing in here?” she asks in one of those childish-adult voices. “I’ve been waiting for you to call, did you lose my number?”

  Yeah, because that’s what happened. “No, Maggie?” he replies, almost questions, as his face screws up awkwardly.

  She smiles at him with a pinched “I’m trying to be cute” face and corrects him. “You’re so silly, it’s Molly. Why don’t I come back to yours and I can remind you?” Winking at him and giggling.

  Grabbing my glass I down the contents, needing it, especially as I spot his hand running tenderly up and down her leg…over her “classy” rose tattoo that seems to go all the way around. I have nothing against tattoos. I just have things against people who get them done by the cheapest guy they can find… and you can tell.