by Amanda Tru
“And I won’t.” She strode off toward the waiting cab. At least she was coming, and he wouldn’t have to scramble to find someone else to take the spare ticket. Addi was at school in the evening, so he couldn’t even ask her.
He rushed ahead and opened the door for her. As Kaylie slid into the cab, she gave him a scathing glance. “I suppose what you put in for your income was a lie, or you wouldn’t be using a cab.”
His ego wanted to defend himself, but he felt a soft prodding in the area of his conscience. “I don’t have my own car because I don’t really have a need for one. I didn’t lie to you, except by omission. I’m sorry that I didn’t come right out and say that I’m the guy from the coffee shop. But Betwixt did set us up. We must have some things in common, or they wouldn’t have.”
She crossed her arms and this time pouted for real, with sullen eyes and pursed lips. “I guess I’m the one who told you to apply, but I haven’t gotten any other notifications, and I did pay even after setting up a date with you. It’s just not fair.”
The few other business owners who were in his circle would never use a site like Betwixt to find a date. They would rely on friends in their sphere to set them up before letting a stranger do it. Until Kaylie found a way to break into those groups, she wouldn’t find the rich guy she wanted.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone. Give it time.”
“I haven’t got time. I want to quit now. Do you have any idea how stressful it is to run three stores? I just want someone else to handle it. I’ve even considered giving them back to my parents, but then I wouldn’t have an income at all.”
He’d wondered why she was insistent on a wealthy husband, but he had no desire to run coffee shops. “What if the man you find doesn’t want to take them over? Would you just sell them?”
Kaylie’s ice-blue eyes softened just slightly. “I don’t know. I’m not cut out for it. That much I know. If I have to work, I want to be in fashion, not coffee. I guess I was just hoping that a wealthy man might be able to hire someone to manage the businesses for me. It isn’t like they aren’t profitable. They are.”
Sure they were, thanks to people like Addi who knew the customers, made excellent coffee, and acted like she wanted to be there even when she didn’t.
“Why didn’t you go out with Addi?”
Kaylie’s question shocked him right out of his thoughts. Had she realized he’d been thinking about Addi?
“She isn’t my type.” Except she was far too close to his type for comfort.
“And I am?” She stared at him with that hard set to her face.
“I thought so.” He had thought so, weeks ago. That seemed like a long time ago, and he wasn’t so sure now.
“I think you’re wrong, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. I’ll go to the show and out to eat, then we can go back to the site and leave our feedback on our first date.”
“And you’ll give me a chance? You pretty much had me pegged as a loser the moment I walked into The Bean.”
Kaylie huffed and slid over a few inches farther from him. “You have a lot to overcome. It will be almost impossible for me to shift how I think of you, but you can try. You are a client, one who didn’t take no for an answer. You don’t hang out with the right people. The only thing you have going for you is that you like my shops enough not to sell them off.”
“Maybe. I’m in marketing. I have no interest in going into coffee right now. I’m not asking about our futures beyond the next four hours. Will you give me a chance?”
Her blue eyes burned into him like lasers. “I will do my best.”
It was more likely that he could survive a swim across an ocean. She would let him pay for a fun night, but she had no intention of changing how she thought of him. He let the cabbie know they were ready and settled back in his seat as Kaylie slid farther away.
Addi stared out the bus window as it pulled down the dark streets toward Main. The Belltown Theater Performance Center for the Arts was on Main, exactly where Drew and Kaylie were at that moment, enjoying a production of Oklahoma!.
As the bus neared the theater, the flashing lights and people drew her attention. Would she glimpse Drew, and if she did, what if he was happy? Wasn’t that what she wanted? His happiness was the most important, not that he chose her. He could choose her and be completely unhappy for the rest of his life; that wasn’t worth thinking about and wasn’t what she wanted. Though, he would never know he didn’t want her unless he actually tried, which he wouldn’t.
They passed the theater, and Addi pulled her phone out of her bag to check her email. Still no new messages, which meant the dating site couldn’t find anyone for her, either. The free three days had yielded nothing. Big surprise. She’d been trying for years. The idea some site could fix her problems in three days should’ve been laughable, except it wasn’t funny at all. There just wasn’t anyone for her. She’d be alone forever.
A text pinged through from Liberty.
Liberty: You home yet?
Liberty was the closest thing she had to a best friend, but sometimes Liberty was just too happy. Addi had a good funk going on, and she was ready to be miserable for at least the whole evening.
Addi: No, still on the bus.
The reply came back almost instantly as if she’d already had it typed, waiting for the reply.
Liberty: Good. Get off at my stop.
Addi let out a groan loud enough that people turned to gape.
Addi: But I have homework to do.
Again, she’d had a comeback ready.
Liberty: No buts. You need me tonight.
Fine, but she refused to enjoy herself. She yanked on the cord to indicate she needed to stop at the next bus stop and slid the strap of her backpack over her shoulder. If she went to Liberty’s, she’d have to catch a later bus, and that would end up costing even more money she didn’t have. Being poor was harder and harder to manage by the day.
Addi’s feet were like lead as she tromped off the bus in front of Liberty’s apartment. Addi had never been there, but they had shared addresses when Liberty had learned she attended Central Texas University. She lived in a nicer area of Grand River. There was even an attendant at the door to hold it open for her. He asked who she was and buzzed Liberty, then punched in the code to unlock the door and let her in when Liberty answered.
“Have a good evening, miss.” He smiled as he held the door for her, but it was one of those smiles people offer to everyone, a work smile that didn’t even warm his face.
Liberty already had the door open and waited for her in the hall as the elevator opened. “I wasn’t sure you’d remember where I live. I only told you once. I was ready to run out to my car to come pick you up in case you’d already passed this stop.”
“I can’t believe you guys have your own bus stop. How many people who live here even ride the bus?” Addi asked, her foul mood causing her to lash out at her friend.
Liberty let it slide without even noticing. “Not all that many. Doesn’t the bus stop near your house?”
“No, only four blocks away. The bus only goes around the periphery of my neighborhood, even though a lot of people ride.” When she’d started riding, she was almost sure they arranged the stops like they did to actually deter people in her neighborhood from riding.
“Well, don’t worry. I’ll drive you home.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Addi had told Liberty the route she rode home, but not the actual location. Drew, her parents, the college, and now Kaylie were the only ones who knew her real address. She’d used her school PO at The Bean when she’d applied, so even Kaylie hadn’t known before the Christmas party.
“Well, you’re welcome to just stay. We could hang out and eat supper, chat, and then I could go do my thing while you do your online classes. I have super-fast internet.” Liberty’s eyebrows rose along with the sides of her mouth.
The offer was generous and sounded like fun, but she had no clothes, and she would
have to get up earlier to go home for clothes in the morning if she stayed. “I’ll just catch a bus. Don’t worry about it.”
Liberty pulled her into the kitchen. Like Drew, Liberty had a real kitchen, not just a hallway with cabinets, a stove, and a refrigerator. It was bright with stainless steel appliances and white cabinets, an actual room. “I’m baking cookies. Sit here at the island and talk to me.”
They had been friends long enough to know that when Liberty asked you to talk, that meant give her a topic suggestion and she would run with it.
“I’m tired of being single.” Her raw mood refused to be filtered. After spending the afternoon with Drew yesterday, holding onto him on the ride home, and thinking about him all day, she felt inadequate. He’d still chosen to keep his date with Kaylie. A day with her hadn’t been enough.
“So, do something about it. Did you sign up for that site?” Liberty picked up a wooden spoon and stirred something in a big stainless steel bowl.
“Yes, and they have no matches for me. Not, ‘we’re working on it.’ Not, ‘you have these choices which match a few of your traits.’ Just none. No matches.”
“Hey.” Liberty slammed the bowl down on the counter and the huge lump of whatever was inside bounced once. “Pity, party of one. Your table is in the corner. Knock it off.”
Addi set her backpack on the floor. “What? You asked what’s up, I told you. That’s exactly how I feel right now.”
“Have you ever heard of God leaving a vessel empty?” Liberty turned back to her bowl and attacked the contents with fervor.
“What do you mean?” She was so tired from worry, hurt, and filling her mind with things she’d had to strain to recall in class. There was no room for thinking about all the possible things Liberty could mean.
“I mean, if God’s going to take the time to make you, shape you, direct you, and place you. He will fill you. It may not be with a relationship. Maybe He’ll suddenly fill you with a need to be a missionary in Zimbabwe, but if you ask Him to fill you, He isn’t going to ignore that request. Not having a boyfriend doesn’t make you any less of a person.”
“But I’m lonely, Liberty.” All the hurt Addi had collected from years of being everyone’s friend, but not special enough to date, finally burst. “I love that we’re friends, don’t get me wrong. But I’m probably the only twenty-six-year-old in the entire town of Great River who has never been on a date.” She was teased for being ‘sweet sixteen and never been kissed.’ If she’d known back then that a whole decade would pass and she still wouldn’t have had the experience, maybe she would have made different decisions.
“You aren’t.” Liberty smiled softly, and unlike usual, let the room go silent.
The tension grew between them, and Liberty dug a pan out of a lower cabinet. Addi rested her elbows on the counter, suddenly feeling about two inches tall. “You too?”
Liberty nodded and didn’t answer until she had the pan sprayed with cooking spray and the oven turned on to preheat. “About a year ago, I lost one hundred pounds. Not because of any special diet, but because I had cancer. It robbed me of a lot. I was so sick that I couldn’t eat. I had a really posh job at an advertising firm. About midway through my treatment, they claimed I wasn’t doing my job and fired me. Luckily for me, I didn’t have a husband and kids. All the extra money I’d earned had gone into savings, which let me keep my insurance plan, even though it cost me more than three times my rent every month.”
Addi took a deep breath and let her anger and hurt leave her as she exhaled. There was no way to feel sorry for herself in the face of someone who’d gone through what Liberty had.
“Is it in remission?”
Liberty plopped a gob of dough onto the pan. “Yes, fully. I still have to be checked in six months, but I just had my one-year checkup, and I’m clear for now. If my next six-month check is clear, I don’t have to be seen for a year.”
“But your job? Why do you work in a coffee shop when you could have an amazing, high-level career?” And how did she manage to be so positive, friendly, and energetic all the time?
“I don’t want to. At least, not right now. The people at The Bean don’t give me more stress than I can stand. I was able to heal because I could work full time without the stress of the agency. When I had to quit my Master’s, the first place I thought of to apply was the place I spent the most time, The Bean. My first few months there were pretty horrible, I was so sick, but Kaylie never fired me.”
The mention of Kaylie turned Addi’s stomach a little. “She’s been nice to you this whole time. I don’t know why she treats me like she does.”
“I can tell you. If you want to hear it.” Plop. Liberty let more dough fall on the cookie sheet.
“Have at it. This has already been a horrible day. A review can only make it better.”
Usually, Liberty either didn’t get sarcasm or ignored it. This time, she raised her eyebrows, took a small plate out of the cabinet by her head, flopped a cookie’s worth of dough on the plate, and then handed it to Addi. “You need this. Seriously, it’s like medicine only it tastes good.”
With the chocolate chip cookie dough before her, Addi pinched some off of the dollop and licked it off her finger. It was wonderful and sweet, with hints of brown sugar.
“Ready?” Liberty glanced at her over her shoulder but didn’t wait for Addi’s answer. “She treats you like she does because you let her. You don’t stand up for yourself. You don’t push back, and you never show her any personality. She doesn’t even realize you have one. You don’t have to be mean to have a backbone. But next time she snaps her fingers at you, ignore it until she asks you like a boss should.”
Addi popped another bite of the dough into her mouth and considered Liberty’s words. Because she’d thought she was completely replaceable at the coffee shop, she’d never said anything to Kaylie, only resented how Kaylie treated her. She’d set the expectation.
“So, you invited me over for cookies?”
Liberty smiled. “No. I invited you over for cookie dough. Whatever amazing ingredient is in the dough that makes people feel better, evaporates in the oven. They’re still good, but the magic is gone.”
She’d met Liberty just when her Rocky Road had lost its power, maybe the Lord had known all along she would need Liberty. “Thank you. This was exactly what I needed tonight.”
“Good. When these cookies are done, you can let me drive you home.”
After hearing Liberty’s story, she couldn’t refuse. There were no excuses left. Liberty wouldn’t judge her for her situation, and friends like that were too rare.
Drew had all he could do to stay in his seat. Kaylie yawned her way through the show, leaning away from him with arms crossed. She hadn’t welcomed any conversation during intermission. Now, she sat across from him at the table, fully engrossed in her phone, and probably complaining about the wasted evening to whoever would listen on social media. At least she hadn’t taken a selfie at the table.
“Would you like me to order you anything?” Drew sent the waiter away for the third time because he hadn’t been able to get Kaylie’s attention.
She finally glared up at him. “This is a sushi bar, so, no.”
She hadn’t mentioned a fish allergy or anything when he’d offered to take her to supper so he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the restaurant. “Help me out here? What am I not seeing?”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t look up from her phone. “I’m vegan.”
“They have vegan options here. The menu is right there.” He nudged it closer to her.
“You know, I just requested a cab.” She clicked a button on the side of her phone and slid it into her purse. “Drew, you’re not a bad guy, but you’re not for me. I just can’t—” The words died abruptly on her lips as she gazed up at someone over his shoulder approaching their table.
“Hey, Drew! How are you?” Tom Higgs, the owner of one of the local radio stations, stopped at their table. He was a long
-time acquaintance, and they worked together often since he was one of Drew’s advertising contacts. They had also gone to a few basketball games, but other than a friendly greeting, wouldn’t normally go out of their way to get together.
“Good, just wrapping up an evening after seeing Oklahoma!. This is my friend, Kaylie Viro.”
Tom reached out to shake her hand, and she pasted on a hasty smile. “Kaylie, this is—”
She interrupted Drew, “I know the owner of KDWJ when I see him, Drew.” She slipped her hand into Tom’s and stared up at him. “Care to join us?”
He laughed and slid his hand away, shoving them in his pockets. “Thanks, but the guys are waiting for me over by the bar. I just wanted to say hello. Have a good evening.” He nodded to each of them and went on his way.
Kaylie released her breath, and the smile slid back to her normal sulk. “You know him?”
“Well enough. We go out for drinks after work sometimes.”
“Is he single?”
Drew held his tongue. She was supposed to be on a date with him, not asking for dating advice or a phone number of one of his friends. “I don’t know, that usually doesn’t come up.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Fine. My cab should be here shortly anyway. I guess you can go up to the bar and join your friends.” Kaylie stood and strode out, and he wasn’t sorry to see her leave. The evening had been the worst date he’d ever been on as far as comfort level. Even awkward was better than hostile. Betwixt had asked for a review of the first date and as much as he hated giving any business a negative review, there wasn’t anything positive he could write. How had they even matched he and Kaylie, and how had he seen anything in her to begin with?
Addi might’ve had fun. She would’ve joked with him about the costumes during intermission, accepted the flowers he’d offered to buy, and would’ve sat here talking to him, even if she didn’t like sushi. She would’ve at least looked at the menu. He sighed and glanced at his watch. It was still early. She might be available to talk if she was home from school. Then his whole night wouldn’t be a complete bust.