Subtle Reminders

by D. J. Pierson

  I was having a blast with Vince, Lex, Jack, and some other friends, but kept hoping BC would come over. During a desperate moment, I even considered walking over and telling her Lex asked for her to join us but, since I saw she was catching up with family, I restrained myself.

  “You have that crazy look again, little brother,” Jack claimed. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

  “What? Nothing.”

  “Bullshit. What’s up?”

  “How bad will she hurt me if I drag her onto the dance floor?”

  Jack laughed. “My guess is, even if you’d been together all these years, she’d do some decent damage. Toss in how you embarrassed the shit out of her when you first came in and you’d be looking at a recovery time three to six months…if you’re lucky.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

  He swallowed another mouthful from his glass. “You’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?” I smirked. “Man, you’re an idiot. Let me know when. I’ll have dispatch on the line for a transport. Actually, maybe I’ll call now. The hot EMT I told you about is on tonight.” Nice to know he had my back.

  Every second BC spent on the other side of the room meant more time she had to forget how amazing we were together. While she stood with her mom watching Lex and Rich dance, my mind raced. We’d been apart too long. I needed to do something.

  When I saw BC and Lex leave the room, I used the opportunity to have a talk with Clay. He’d been doing the disc jockey thing as a side business for a few years. I hired him for the night, so he owed me. After listening to my request, he said he’d take care of it.

  As soon as BC was in my arms, the world righted itself. She was a bit apprehensive at first, but quickly eased up. I almost felt bad Jack missed his chance at seeing the EMT he’d been stalking. BC was so responsive to every move I made, there was no way she’d be leaving with anyone other than me. Only one hour left until the reception ended. It’d be over before I knew it.

  A large group of us went to the bar when BC and Rich took up residence there. Shannon and Aidan were among the crowd, but I didn’t give a shit. BC was relaxed and laughing. If she was good, I was good. Lex tried like hell to get her sister to dance, but she wasn’t having it. She even joked about what I did to her, reminding me how sweet payback would be. The sparkle in her eyes said I wouldn’t mind one second of whatever she had planned.

  At the thirty minute mark, Lex gave up pestering BC and recruited her new husband to dance instead. “You suck, big sister!” she declared, kissing her on the cheek and wrapping her in a big hug. “I still love you, though. Thank you for everything.”

  “I love you more,” BC told her.

  Lex came to hug me next. “Thanks, Sully.” In my ear, she whispered, “You are now free to ditch the bitch.” Squeezing me tighter, she continued. “I’m counting on you to make sure my sister comes home.”

  When she finally pulled back, I promised, “I’m on it.” Satisfied, she smiled and walked away.

  Turning back to BC, I saw her twisting the ring she wore on her right hand. That was a telltale sign she was freaking out. Soon, Aidan would be expecting her to go with him and she’d be telling him no. It bothered me there wasn’t anything I could do at the time, but I’d definitely be there when it was over. We’d get through it together, then figure everything else out.

  Downing the last of her beer, BC climbed off the stool. “Need another one?” the bartender asked. He’d been flirting with her, but as long as he stayed on the other side of the bar, we didn’t have a problem.

  She covered the top of her glass. “No, I’m good. Thanks.” Aidan put his hand under her elbow until she was steady on her feet. “I’ll be back.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “No. That’s okay. I’m just running to the ladies’ room really quick. You won’t even realize I’m gone.” She didn’t wait for him to reply. Aidan watched BC all the way to the door, then set his drink down before following her. I started to go, too, but Jack blocked me.

  “Give her a minute,” he said.

  “I want to help.”

  “I know, but she needs to do this.”

  I got it, but that didn’t mean I liked it.

  The guys discussed what they’d do after leaving the reception. All of us being off on a Saturday night at the same time was rare. Someone suggested we go to the bar near the station. Another proposed a trip to Atlantic City. One of the wives offered to have everybody over to their house since their kids were gone for the weekend. Once she said she would order pizza and sandwiches, the guys were sold. They dug into their wallets and bills piled up in front of her.

  “Joe.” Shannon was back at my side. She had disappeared for a while, but I hadn’t bothered searching for her. The break from her voice was too pleasant. “Can we go now?”

  “No,” I answered, looking toward the door. Still no sign of BC.

  She sighed. “How much longer?”

  “Didn’t you drive?”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “So go.”

  “Want to meet at your place?”

  “No.” I glanced over at Jack, letting him know I was heading out to check on BC. He lifted his chin. I had a feeling he’d be right behind me.

  “Then where are we going?” Her long fingernails scraped down my arm.

  “I don’t give a shit where you go.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’m done. We’re done. Whatever the fuck you want to call it.”

  “Joe.” She was close to losing her shit. I should’ve taken her outside and sent her home from there, but finding BC was more important. There were only a few other people standing around us. It was probably best to have witnesses around anyway. “You are not doing this to me.” She got in my face. “No fucking way.”

  “Shannon…” She took a step back, quite pissed. Irritated, I ran my hand through my hair. “I don’t have time to deal with you right now.”

  “Is it because of her?!” Fire burned in her eyes.

  “It’s for no other reason than you’re a fucking bitch and I can’t stand you.” She tried raising her hand to slap me. Since I knew her type all too well, I blocked the attempt without much effort. Surprisingly, she took one glance around us and stormed from the room, not saying another word. That was entirely too easy. A nagging feeling told me I hadn’t seen the last of Shannon, but I’d worry about that later.

  “It’s been too long. I have to find B,” I said when Jack came over.

  “Right behind you.”

  We jogged to the lobby. Jack checked the main doors that exited to the parking lot. Fortunately, the only thing he saw outside was Shannon getting into her car. One door led to the gardens where the pictures had been taken. It seemed too dark for BC to be out there. Another door was designated for employees only. I went to the exit at the farthest end of the long hall, but the only people out there were smoking.

  Retracing my steps, Jack held me up just before entering the main oval-shaped foyer. “Hang on a second,” he quietly voiced.

  “Did you find her?” I snapped. He nodded in the direction of the stairs. BC and Aidan were halfway up on the landing where the staircase split in opposite directions. From what I remembered, there was a different ballroom each way.

  They kept their conversation low enough that we couldn’t hear what was being said. Neither one noticed we were there. BC had her arms folded. Aidan had shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. Overall, the situation appeared to be under control.

  “Maybe we should go back. Give them a few more minutes.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Okay…,” he exhaled. “Let’s at least wait over there.” We strolled over to a couch off to the side.

  They must’ve been up there another ten minutes, but it felt like an hour. Side-by-side, they descended the stairs and headed straight for the doorway. BC stopped, her back to me. Aidan held both sides of her face, saying something. Then, out of the corner of hi
s eye, he finally saw me. We stared at each other briefly until BC twisted to see what he was looking at. Aidan dropped his hands and walked out the door.

  When I came to within a few feet of her, she started to cry. I froze. “B?”

  “I never meant to hurt anyone.” Her eyes darted to the door. Was she trying to decide what to do?

  “Let him go, Buttercup.” It was more of a plea to pick me.

  “This really fucking sucks!” She threw her arms in the air and followed Aidan outside.

  I took two steps and stopped. My body was trapped with fear, waiting for her to come back to me.

  “Joe…” I’d forgotten Jack was there. “Don’t do anything irrational.” Most of the time, I listened to whatever he had to say, but BC’s rejection was too much. I glanced at the door once more, then started back to the ballroom. “Joe!” I didn’t stop. “Give it a second. Let her work through this.”

  Fuck him and fuck her! I was done. How the hell did she manage to crush me again? Why the fuck didn’t I see it coming? She was the only person in the world who had the power to destroy me, and she did. Twice. Fucking twice!

  “Joe!” Jack yelled, yanking on my arm. I forcefully brushed him off. “You’re a grown ass man. Act like it.”

  “Fuck you!”

  “Real mature, asshole.”

  “Fuck you!” It was all I had…unless he wanted a punch in the face

  “Don’t walk out on this.”

  “She fucking walked out on me!”

  “Calm down. You don’t know that.”

  “Do you fucking see her?! Do you?!” I shoved him away from me. “No, you don’t because she chose him! I’m fucking done!” Not listening to another thing my genius of a big brother had to say, I left. I furiously stalked through the ballroom, out the side exit where they let us park, and never looked back. There wasn’t anything to see anyway.

  Hiding in restrooms to avoid people was becoming a terrible habit. Nothing good ever came out of prolonging the inevitable. It was time to face the music of the chaos I unintentionally created. How did shit like this always happen? After one last look in the mirror for a little encouragement, I left the safety of the women’s room.

  I flinched, seeing Aidan leaning against the marble column outside the door. One corner of his mouth rose in apology as he reached for my hand. “Walk with me. I won’t keep you long. Promise.” I went with him. Another party was going on at the opposite end of the venue, but nobody was lingering in the lobby.

  We climbed the stairs the photographer had used for pictures, but they didn’t seem nearly as welcoming as earlier. He guided me to the first landing before stopping beside the wall. When I looked at his face, a chill ran through me.

  “Seems as if coming to visit was a tad more stressful than you thought it’d be.” Aidan sighed. My heart sank, but I held it together. “I’m not going to torture either of us by having you tell me about him. Honestly, I can probably guess all I need to know.”

  “Aidan…”

  He shook his head. “The thing is, it doesn’t really matter. I meant every word I said to you last night, Brielle. From the very first day we met, I knew you were special. Besides your obvious beauty, you have this way of making everyone feel loved and cared for. Sometimes that’s the only thing a person needs in their life. I know it’s what I was missing in mine.” He rubbed his chin. “I’m going to leave first thing in the morning, and I’m not going to call all week.” What the hell? “It’s been quite a while since you visited, and there’s clearly a reason why. Just… Just do whatever it is you have to. I don’t care what the hell it is and I definitely don’t want to hear about it when you get home. Next week will be a new beginning. When you come to work, we’ll go back to where we were. I’m sure how I asked you for more made this whole situation worse.”

  “I…” He put his fingers to my lips, not letting me speak. I wasn’t exactly sure what to say anyway.

  “Please, don’t say anything right now. Seeing people from your past stirs up old feelings. I get it. The only thing I’m asking is not to make any final decisions until you get home.” I’ve felt more at home in this one week than I have in years. “Remember, there was a reason you left New Jersey and never looked back.” If he only knew that I’ve been checking the rearview mirror ever since.

  Aidan started down the stairs, so I went with him. We walked slowly, choosing not to speak. At the door, I paused, and he lightly placed his hands on my face. The words to say goodbye were on the tip of my tongue, but refused to leave my mouth.

  “I’ll see you soon,” he said. Something distracted him, so I looked over my shoulder to see what it was. I should’ve known. Aidan left without another word.

  Joey was there, so everything would be fine. The guilt was temporary and I’d get through it because he wouldn’t let me suffer alone. There was just one thing I needed to do. Aidan deserved to hear the goodbye I couldn’t get out. Actually, it was more like I had to let him go for Joey’s sake. If anything was going to come of us again, I wanted a clean slate. Consequently, that also meant I had to tell Joey about our angel. I’d do it right after the reception was over, then he could decide where we went from there.

  “I never meant to hurt anyone,” I cried, desperately wanting to collapse into Joey’s arms and stay there forever, but it wouldn’t be fair to either of them. When Joey said to let Aidan go, I knew what had to be done, even though I hated it.

  Running through the door, I caught a glimpse of Aidan cutting between the cars. I called out for him to stop. He didn’t appear all that surprised.

  “I know what you’re going to say,” he uttered, pausing and glancing up at the sky. “I just don’t want to hear it right now.” He tugged me against his chest, kissed the side of my face, then released me. “I’ll see you when you get back.” With that, Aidan walked away. I didn’t wait to find out if he turned back to me or not.

  When I walked back into the lobby, neither Joey nor Jack were anywhere to be seen, so I returned to the ballroom. Guests were starting to leave, which made it a bit tricky to get through the doors because some wanted to chat one last time. I kept it as short as possible, then searched for Joey. I was sick, worrying how he’d take the news I had to tell him. When I found Jack first, he stared at me as if he had seen a ghost.

  “Where’s Joey?”

  “He, umm… What are you doing here?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? Stop screwing around, Jack. Where is he?”

  “He left,” he sadly reported.

  “He left?” What the hell was he talking about? “Where did he go?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why would he leave?”

  “Brie, you should call him right now.” Jack saw the panic on my face and yanked his phone from his pocket. He tapped the screen a few times, then held it up to his ear. When he didn’t get an answer, he sighed. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He hung up and redialed.

  “Jack, what’s going on? What did he say before he left?”

  He held a finger up. “Joe, stop being an asshole and call me. Brie’s here. She didn’t go anywhere.” He had put his phone on silent, so he turned up the volume, ensuring he’d hear it when it rang.

  “I don’t understand. Where does he think I went?”

  “You walked out the front door, Babycakes. He assumed you chose Aidan.”

  “What?! Why?! How?! He told me to let Aiden go. I did what he wanted me to!”

  “I told him to give you a second, not to flip the fuck out.” Jack bit his lip. “Come with me. We’ll go find him.” He started to grab my hand, but I pulled back. “Brie?”

  “No.” I stubbornly shook my head. I did what he asked and he walked out on me? Anger replaced the panic. Truthfully, I was relieved because anger was manageable.

  “What the hell, Brie?”

  “Forget it.” I stepped back. If he thought Aiden would be my choice, I guess I didn’t mean all that much to him. “It’s just as well.”
>
  “I don’t think–”

  “I’m going back to Connecticut soon anyway. It’ll be easier this way.”

  “You two are driving me fucking crazy!” he yelled. “I give up. Deal with your own shit!” Then Jack left, too. Whatever. Good riddance to both of them.

  My parents and I went through the room, collected everything that needed to be gathered, loaded it in either my dad’s or Vince’s car, then checked the room one more time. Lex hugged all three of us repeatedly before Vince was finally able to get her in the passenger seat. She may have gotten a little too drunk. He’d be so disappointed if she fell asleep before they got home.

  “You coming with us?” Dad asked, looking around.

  “Yeah.” That was all I said, but he didn’t question further. Wrapping an arm around my back, we walked to his car, his head tilted to mine. No matter what went on, it felt really nice to know my daddy was always at my side. Opening the door, he whispered, “Everything will work out how it should.” I smiled, and he nodded.

  When we got back to my parents’ house, Mom didn’t want the car packed overnight, so we emptied it and put everything in the living room. As they headed toward the kitchen, they took off any loose article of clothing. Shoes, jackets, a tie, and a shawl were piled on an empty chair. They had enough of dress clothes for the night.

  “Are you hungry, Brie?” Mom asked. “We’re starving. What would you like?”

  “Nothing, thanks. I’m going to shower and turn in. It’s been a long day.”

  “Brielle?” Dad used his concerned voice.

  I smiled. “I’m just really tired.” He didn’t say anything else.

  Hot water was the ideal diversion. The heat soothed my tender muscles, and the steam cleared my head. Water rushed over my skin, leaving it revitalized. Getting the makeup off trumped it all, though. Since I did it earlier that morning, I hadn’t planned on washing my hair, but rinsing it felt refreshing. Wet hair and I didn’t mix well so, standing in the bathroom in only a towel, I blow dried it.