by Alison Tyler
Mia kicked me under the table to get my attention.
‘All I’m saying is that Alden’s obviously still involved with Sheila,’ I continued. ‘Even if he claims they’re only friends now. Or acquaintances. Or whatever. They have a serious history together. And here I come, unintentionally play a role in their little romantic dramedy and set everything in motion again.’
‘So should I leave?’
‘Do you want to?’
‘Not yet.’ Mia shook her head. ‘I like Noah,’ she said. ‘He’s a challenge. And I could really use the vacation.’
‘Then stay. I’ll see what’s up with Alden, and I’ll let the gaggle of girls go crazy over you.’
‘It’s not the girls I want to drive crazy,’ Mia said with a wink. ‘It’s the boys.’
That might have been Mia’s goal, but it was the girls who spent the next few days in a state of commotion about the new stranger in town. I heard an earful at my next yoga class.
‘Rumour has it,’ I heard a woman in a purple halter whisper, ‘that she’s already slept with Noah.’
The girl next to her said, ‘Yeah, but I heard she was flirting with Alhambra by the end of the night.’
Ooh, that was news to me. What hadn’t Mia told me?
‘I didn’t hear that.’
‘Yeah, Geneva was going out of her head.’
I sat on my pale-green yoga mat behind them, trying to breathe softly through my nose so they wouldn’t notice me. In fact, I did my very best to become absolutely invisible, inhaling as silently as possible.
‘So what if she’s getting off with Alhambra. Why would that bother you?’
‘I just like to know what’s going on.’
Oh, God. Had Mia really made out with Geneva’s girlfriend? Then it really would have been a mistake to let her see us together at Plate. I could understand now how gossip could be addictive. I was learning more about Mia than she might have intended to share with me. But could I trust the things I heard?
I got through yoga without worrying too much, and then walked down to the bank to do an errand. This was a test. I wanted to know if the locals would react the way they had to me previously on the morning after I drove home in Alden’s truck. So far, nobody had paid me much attention. While in line for the ATM at the bank, I heard two men talking. ‘Rumour has it,’ one said, ‘that their boxes were right next to each other at the post office. They have this one-night stand at a party, and he’s hoping to avoid her for a few weeks, and then bam – he goes to get his mail, and she’s getting hers exactly at the same time.’
We inched forwards in line.
‘So what happened?’
‘They’re moving in together at the end of the month. He couldn’t figure out any other way out of the situation.’
‘Well, what did he think was going to happen? He was bound to run into her one way or another.’
‘He thought that she’d hook up with someone else on the weekend. Somehow, they’ve had neighbouring boxes for six months and never checked them at the same time.’
‘Crazy.’
So Mia wasn’t the only person on this morning’s gossip radar. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? I couldn’t decide – but I realised that my tryst with Alden seemed to be fading from people’s memories. And that was definitely positive.
I deposited my cheque and then walked down the street to the gift store, the only place in town with a photocopy machine. The elderly women behind the counter were gossiping as usual. It suddenly seemed to me that gossiping was like the town’s designated hobby. Talk dirt about your friends – it’s fun!
‘So, they have this monster fight,’ one woman said, ‘and she drives off in a huff. She’s sure he’s going to come after her, but he doesn’t. So she goes out later, just to walk the dog, and she sees Isabelle’s car parked in his driveway. And she goes ballistic. She told me she thought of slashing her tyres. Can you believe that, after one fight, he went back to his ex?’
‘That’s not what I heard, though,’ the other woman said. ‘I heard that Isabelle learned of their fight through David’s sister. You know that his sister has always hated Caren. And she told Izzy to get her ass over to David’s house quick. To be sweet and cute and charming, and he’d forget all about the other one.’
‘Whatever happened, Izzy was there, and Caren couldn’t believe it. And she also couldn’t believe it when David showed up later at her house.’
‘He’s double-dipping?’
‘You put together what you will.’
‘Did she take him back?’
‘What do you think?’
So Mia hadn’t made an impression on two out of the three gossips I’d heard. I wondered what that meant in the grand scheme of things. Had it been a waste to bring her out here? I photocopied my work and then went to the counter to pay. I recognised one of the women, the one who was actually supposed to be working at the store, and she gave me a small smile as she rang me up.
As I headed out of the store, I heard the other woman say, ‘Did you see where Sheila’s car was parked last night?’
I wished I could stop and listen, but how could I? My heart raced as I exited the store. It seemed a lot of the gossip was based on whose car was parked where. And it seemed that everyone was watching everyone else.
When I went to the grocery store, I heard in one aisle about someone who was having an online affair with a high-school boyfriend while her husband was away on business. In a second aisle, I was gratified to hear about the stunning blonde at The Saloon, a femme fatale who could only be Mia. In line, I picked up news about a woman in a trailer who had three separate male visitors in one night. In that conversation, the woman doing the talking was speaking with heartfelt emotion. Apparently, one of the male visitors was her most recent ex, taking a turn with the new divorcee, Nicole.
‘Where is she fucking them, anyway? She lives in a one-room trailer with her two sons.’
‘Maybe the dad had them.’
‘The dad was drinking off a binge in the county jail.’
‘Or her parents.’
‘Why would he go to her?’ The girl was near tears.
‘Because it was his turn,’ her friend said matter-of-factly, ‘like it was your turn to date him when you had him.’
When the women got to the front of the line, their conversation style changed. They bantered with the check-out boy, who they clearly both knew in the carnal sense. He said, ‘Did you hear about Noah and the new blonde?’
‘Oh, yeah,’ one girl said, ‘I was there. I saw it all.’
I looked at her. She didn’t look familiar to me. Had she truly been in the bar?
‘The girl was really not that pretty,’ her friend said. ‘She was just all dressed up. I mean, who gets all gussied up like that to go to The Saloon?’
‘You do,’ said her friend teasingly, poking her in the ribs.
‘That’s not what I heard anyway,’ the guy said. ‘Noah told me she’s gorgeous.’
I pretended to be reading the national gossip magazines, wondering why the kids weren’t looking my way. Gossip blinders, I guessed. And then I realised that someone was staring at me, and I turned, quickly, to see Cody.
‘You don’t read that shit for real, do you?’
‘No. Not as a general rule.’
‘I wouldn’t have thought so. So why do you care about the rest of it?’
I didn’t answer him. I didn’t want to talk about the subject in the middle of the store. The two girls paid for their purchases and I paid for mine. Outside, Cody caught up with me. ‘Really,’ he said, placing one hand on my shoulder. ‘Why do you care what anybody thinks?’
I shrugged. I couldn’t explain it.
‘You have to rise above the chatter,’ he said. ‘You’re better than that.’
‘Is that what you did?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You have some sort of secret, Cody Lassiter,’ I said. ‘I’ve heard bits and pieces.’
After all I’d been through with Johnny, I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready for someone like Cody.
Chapter Thirteen
In spite of all the romantic activity, my work couldn’t have been going better. For years, several clients had promised me that, if I ever decided to go freelance, they’d follow me. Now, I had a large project due for a New York client and they were so pleased with the spec work they’d seen so far, they’d hired me to do a second job once the first was finished. It seemed I might actually be able to make my plan work – to break free of my LA ties and go it alone. But did I want to live in Raysville after all? I considered the point that Johnny could be right about small towns. They seem fetching at first, only to drive you crazy after you got to know what went on behind the scenes.
To keep my mind off Alden and Sheila, I forced myself to work regular hours at my desk. Generally, I play the radio while I work, but here there was only one station in town. Milly, the postmistress, who had her own bluegrass show on Tuesday nights, explained that the poor reception of other stations had to do with the fact that the transmission tower was right in the centre of town, blocking out all other signals.
‘I’ll explain it all to you if you want to be my guest on the show.’
‘I don’t listen to bluegrass,’ I told her. ‘No offence. It’s just not my style.’
‘That’s reason enough to be on,’ she said. ‘A bluegrass virgin.’
I laughed.
‘Besides, I’ve had everyone else in town on already. Some people twice. You know almost everyone here has their own show. I’m surprised you haven’t been a guest before.’
I told her I’d think about it, and then returned home. When I got back to my place, I realised that Milly had been friendly to me. She hadn’t looked at me as if I was the whore who tore apart Sheila and Alden. Maybe my plan was starting to work. Maybe people were already focused on something else: Mia and Noah.
Maybe –
Alden tried to explain the situation to me again, on the same day that he tried to figure out how I’d got home the previous Saturday. He danced around the question for a while, clearly wanting me to come clean with him. I was surprised he hadn’t heard. Wouldn’t at least one of the locals have seen Cody and me on the horse, and wouldn’t that news have travelled through town by now?
‘So do you like KETR?’
‘It’s fine, I suppose. I’m just accustomed to having more choices.’
‘That’s something you’ll have to get over quick if you’re planning on staying in Raysville.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Limited resources,’ he said, ‘on all counts.’
‘It’s fine,’ I said again, but this time I meant something else, and I was fairly sure that he did, as well.
‘You walked home four miles?’
I didn’t answer.
‘I was sure you were only going out for some air. That you’d be back in a few minutes. That you’d go home with me.’
‘So how long did it take for you to miss me?’
He sat down on my sofa and motioned for me to sit with him. I hesitated, not wanting to let him off so easy, yet wanting to go to him just the same. What sort of pull did Alden have for me? Something fierce and magnetic.
‘Come on, Charlie. Don’t be like that.’
‘It’s not me who’s been misbehaving,’ I said.
‘Come on –’ he insisted, and when I finally walked over and sat at his side, he pulled my legs over his. Even though I was still upset, I let him manipulate my body. Was he that good of a lover, or was I just that damn lonely?
‘I missed you from the start.’
‘It didn’t seem like that to me.’
‘I went looking for you in the truck. You must have taken the backroads. Pretty brave for a city girl.’
I thought about being nestled against Cody’s chest, leaning against him, feeling his arms strong around me as he guided the horse. I thought about the safety of being in his embrace and the romance of the moonlit ride. And then I thought about his kiss. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’d done. Taken the backroads. I wondered, yet again, what Cody’s secret was. The bartender had told me to look out for him, and he’d told me to look out for Alden. Who was telling the truth? Could I believe any of them?
‘And then you were gone again.’
‘I’m not like you locals,’ I said with a grin. ‘I go over the hill when I need a break.’ I’d heard of a woman who hadn’t been ‘over the hill’ in more than six years. She had her friends and family pick up anything she required that wasn’t readily available in the immediate vicinity, and she stayed in her safe little enclave, without ever needing to drive further than ten miles. Although the women who shared this story with me at the Cowpie thought it was wonderful, I found the concept almost unspeakably frightening.
‘I’m used to LA living,’ I reminded him. ‘You have to drive to get wherever you want. From the beach to Hollywood. From downtown to Pasadena. At least the drives are prettier out here.’
A new DJ took over the station and the music shifted unceremoniously from bland female folk music to old-fashioned rock. I reached across Alden to turn up the dial. The voice was recognisable, but it took me a minute to realise that Cody’s sexy vocals were coming over the airwaves. ‘This is KETR,’ he drawled. ‘End of The Road radio. Hope you’re in the mood for some Rolling Stones.’
‘Geezer rock,’ Alden sneered.
‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ I replied. ‘He’s playing The Stones.’
He shook his head. ‘I like a more modern sound. The Chili Peppers. Monster Mouths. The Dust Bunnies.’
‘Even people with modern tastes can appreciate classic rock,’ I said, automatically quoting Johnny without meaning to. I thought of Johnny’s bedroom, a homage to the golden voices of the past. Alden started to trace his fingertips along the gold seam of my jeans, apparently appreciating the rhythm of the music despite himself. But I wasn’t ready to give in again.
‘You have to see where I’m coming from,’ I said, pushing his hand away. ‘You left me for over an hour in order to talk to your friends.’
‘You’re not upset about that. You’re upset that Sheila was nearby.’
I didn’t respond. ‘Nearby’ was not how I’d describe the way she’d manhandled him. And then she’d kissed him, open-mouthed, where everyone could see. What did he call that? ‘If I’m not wanted, I’m not going to play the game.’
‘You’re already playing.’
‘I’ll forfeit.’
‘Not your style.’
‘How do you know my style?’
‘Charlie, you’re an easy read. I could tell what you liked from the moment I saw you.’
‘Yeah?’ Cody had said just about the same thing. Was I that transparent? If so, how come I couldn’t see myself so clearly? Maybe this magical skill only worked with other people. ‘Could you tell how much I liked being left alone? Or how much I enjoyed the view of your other girlfriend fondling your ass?’
‘You’ve got a temper.’ He sounded pleased. ‘I know that much from being around redheads.’
I glared at him.
‘You could have come over and joined us,’ he continued, as if that had truly been an option.
‘Is that what you wanted? Her hand in one back pocket, mine in the other?’
‘It would have made the evening more interesting, that’s for sure.’
I started to laugh. ‘I have no desire to get to know your ex. I don’t need to be shunned by her friends or talked about at the Cowpie.’
‘Wait.’ He held up a hand. ‘Speaking of the Cowpie.’
‘You’r
e trying to change the subject. It’s not going to work, Alden.’
‘I have to. This is good. Did you get a load of the hot blonde who strolled in right before you left?’
‘I’m not Geneva. I don’t have an eye for the ladies.’
‘All ladies check out other ladies.’
I was surprised that Alden was aware of the concept of female fascination with one another. And in truth, I was desperate to hear what he’d say about Mia, but I worked hard on my acting skills to keep my expression normal.
‘Well, this girl comes in looking like hot shit, and she captures Noah’s attention in a heartbeat. And the Sweethearts go ballistic. They can’t control themselves. They’re accustomed to bickering amongst each other for Noah’s charms, but they can’t handle outside competition. That’s why they’re not so cold to you. I got you before Noah could make a play.’
‘They’re not cold to me?’
He shook his head. ‘You have no idea what those three can be like. They can be flat-out ice queens. Once you’re on their radar, they can be extremely devious.’
‘And what do you mean “before Noah got” me? Was that some sort of competition the two of you were having?’
‘Like I said, Charlie, resources are slim. You have to stake your claim from the start. That’s what I did with you.’
I looked directly into Alden’s gold-flecked brown eyes. Christ, he was handsome. This whole thing would’ve been easier if I didn’t melt each time he gave me that sexy smile or touched me the way he was touching me now. I’ve always been a sucker for men with dark good looks.
‘OK, Alden. If that’s the case, then you’d better start staking. Because I’m not going to give you a second chance to do what you did to me the other night.’ I wanted to mention the gossip I’d overheard about Sheila’s car, but I couldn’t make myself do it. And although my voice sounded stern, I realised that I wasn’t actually angry at him. I was simply trying to set down some ground rules for the future.
Rather than offer any explanations or excuses, he simply nodded. ‘Fair enough. So how do I start to win back your trust?’