by Karen Pokras
“I can see that.” His eyes gleamed as he smiled down on her. Apparently all was forgiven.
Holly tried to smooth down her hair. She imagined she was a mess after that escapade, and she knew she smelled like a brewery. The stink was beyond overpowering. Hopefully he didn’t think she was wasted. It was time to do some damage control.
“Well, I’m not going back in that place … ever, that’s for sure. I’m way too old for that scene. I’m not even a big drinker.”
“To be honest, I’m a bit surprised you were in there at all,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “I didn’t take you for a dollar Heinie girl.”
“A what?” she asked. She’d been called a lot of things over the course of her life, but she’d never been called a dollar Heinie girl. It didn’t sound good. She could feel her cheeks getting hot.
“Dollar Heinies,” Tessa repeated, now standing next to Holly, pointing to the sign hanging in the bar window. “You know, Heinekens? They’re a dollar every Wednesday here. It’s a big deal for us college kids. We usually don’t get to drink the good stuff for cheap. That’s one of the reasons it’s so packed in there.”
“Ah,” Holly said. “Well, no, I can’t say that I am one … even tonight. In fact, I definitely have more Heinie on me, than in me.” She sniffed her arm and cringed. “Yeah. This will be going to the dry cleaner tomorrow. Tessa, maybe the next time you invite me out on a Wednesday, we can go somewhere where they don’t have imported beer on the clearance rack.”
Her sister rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t that bad in there.”
“Uh-huh. Ben, you remember my younger sister, Tessa. Apparently she is a dollar Heinie girl.”
He laughed. “Yes, I do remember. We didn’t really get a chance to talk at the wedding.”
“Ava’s Wedding?” Tessa asked, shaking the hand Ben offered.
“Yes,” Holly said. She gave Tessa a strange look as if it would help jar her memory. “He’s Max’s cousin, and … he was my Soph Hop date from high school. I introduced the two of you as we were finishing up dinner.”
“Right! You’re yellow frilly tux guy!”
“Awesome,” Ben said. “Is that how I’m forever going to be known in your family?”
“Pretty much,” Holly said, grinning.
“Not to worry,” Tessa added. “Your choice of attire at Ava’s wedding was a big improvement.”
“Ah, thank you,” he laughed. “I’ve been redeemed. I swear on all of my most prized possessions to never wear yellow ruffles again … or any ruffles. That was just a bad fashion trend. Very, very bad—one that will hopefully never come back.” He flashed his smile at Holly. She’d forgotten what a great sense of humor he’d always had.
“Agreed. So, um, do you normally hang out around here?” Holly asked, shoving her hands in her pockets to keep them warm. She knew the plant he worked at was not far from campus, but this was kind of a young scene for him—although with that smile and his new and improved haircut, he could probably get any girl in there he wanted.
“No. My car broke down.” He pointed to an old blue clunker sitting on the side of the road. “I’m waiting for the tow truck.”
“Oh, no. Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
“Thanks, but I’ve got to stick around for the repair guy,” he replied. “Listen, I don’t want to hold the two of you up. You seemed like you were headed somewhere. It was great seeing you both again.”
Holly couldn’t help but notice while he said both, he was only looking at her, gazing at her, really.
“Actually, we were going to grab a burger from the place around the corner. Can we bring you something back while you wait?” she asked, her heart fluttering from his stare.
Ben’s dark eyes appeared even more intense under the dim light of the setting sun. She’d always loved his eyes. They were almost an exact match to his wavy dark brown hair… yet, she’d never noticed the golden flecks in them until now, or the way they glimmered in just the right amount of light. All these years later, and she was still so attracted to him. It’s okay to think another guy is cute. Why did Tessa’s words suddenly pop into her head? Maybe she really didn’t imagine the spark in his eyes at Ava’s wedding.
“You know what?” Ben replied. “That would be great. I was just getting off of work, and of course I picked today to skip lunch.” He reached into his pants pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed Holly a twenty. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure,” she answered, noticing he held her hand a little longer than he probably should have as he placed the money into her palm.
Chapter 12
“So what’s the deal with him?” Tessa asked as they walked back toward Holly’s car. They’d brought Ben his burger right as the tow truck pulled up. While they’d offered to stay to make sure everything went okay, he’d insisted they go. They said their goodbyes and decided to head back to Holly’s apartment.
“What do you mean?” Holly stopped to fish her keys out of her purse. She knew exactly what Tessa meant. She just wasn’t sure how to answer the question. She had Jared, and he was doing all the right things now. And even her sister had said it was okay to think another guy was cute. It’s not like she was going to go after him or anything. Besides, even if there were no Jared, Ben was already in a relationship.
“I told you,” Holly said, as she and Tessa got into the car, “we’ve known each other since high school. Besides, he’s Max’s cousin. I guess that makes us family.”
“Not really. I mean, not in a your DNA could mix and your babies would have three arms sense.”
“How did we jump to making babies with him all of a sudden?”
“It was the way he was staring at you, Hol. I don’t know, like he was sizing you up or something. And not in an I’m your cousin way. It was more romantic.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He has a girlfriend.”
“He does? She wasn’t at the wedding, was she? If I remember correctly, you and Ben danced—slow danced.”
“We did, and she wasn’t. She was away on a business trip, but that doesn’t mean anything. Jared wasn’t there either. Well he was, but he wasn’t. You know.”
“And why wasn’t she here tonight? Helping him when his car broke down? You would have come in a second if Jared’s car had broken down.”
“Jared doesn’t have a car,” Holly reminded her. “He takes the bus most of the time.”
“I mean if he borrowed yours. Which he does a lot, by the way, when you’re not using it. And your car isn’t much better than Ben’s, no offense.”
“Thanks, I think,” Holly said, scanning the interior of her car. It was old, yes, but reliable. She’d bought it used when she was in college, and so far, it had been fine.
“My point is, if Jared was driving your car, and it had broken down, you would have figured out a way to get here to help … and not just because it’s your car.”
Her sister was right. She would have been there for Jared. Why wasn’t Michelle here helping Ben? Hadn’t he said she didn’t travel much?
“I don’t know. He mentioned she’s an executive or something. She probably couldn’t get out of work, or maybe he didn’t call her. Anyway, it’s really none of our business.”
Holly watched as the driver finished hitching Ben’s car up to the tow bar. When they climbed into the cab of the truck, she started her engine and headed in the opposite direction.
“Do you believe in fate?” Tessa asked.
“I don’t know, why?”
“I think it’s odd, that’s all. I mean, what are the chances of running into Ben again after all these years—first at Ava’s wedding, then again tonight right as we’re leaving the bar. I feel like the universe is trying to tell you something. There was no mistaking the way Ben was looking at you. Trust me.”
“It’s a small town. We were bound to meet again eventually. I don’t think fate, or the universe, had anything to do with it. Besides, if the universe was so interested in reuniting us, why would th
ey give him a girlfriend and me a boyfriend? A boyfriend, who by the way, after three years finally wants to have a committed relationship.”
Tessa looked over to her sister with a stunned expression. “Are you saying Jared proposed? Why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded.
“No, not that,” Holly said. “At least not yet, but he’s so devoted to our relationship right now. Things between us have never been better. Plus, he’s been talking about a big surprise, and you know, my birthday is coming up in a couple of months.” She felt like a schoolgirl the way she was gushing, but she couldn’t help it. Everything she dreamed of was finally falling into place. “He’s even hinted at starting a family, and you know how much I want to have children one day. If the universe is trying to say anything, it’s that Jared is the one for me.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“About what?” Holly asked.
“About Ben? I wasn’t imagining what I witnessed back there, Hol. And to be honest, I was getting vibes from you, too.”
“I already told you. He has a girlfriend, I have Jared, and you have an overactive imagination. Case closed. Come on. Let’s go eat our dinner.”
Chapter 13
“Knock, knock. Do you have a minute?”
Holly looked up from her desk to see Gus Shaw standing in the doorway. He must have been filling in for the gym teacher again based on the whistle around his neck and the bright blue oversized mesh tank top, which hung over his red T-shirt and running shorts like a dress. Interesting outfit. What was he doing here? She only had one free period before the next group of fifth-graders were due to arrive, and she’d hoped to get a jump on grading homework from the previous class.
“Sure, Gus, what’s up?” she asked, regretting the words as she spoke them.
“Well, it’s about this talent show,” Gus responded, bounding into the room.
“What about it?”
“I know Dan didn’t ask me directly, but you may remember I’m actually pretty good with these sorts of things. I guess he didn’t know since this is his first year at West Place Elementary.”
Holly did her best to hold in her sarcastic remarks. Last year, Gus performed some sort of modern interpretive dance wearing a neon green spandex outfit that covered him from head to toe, including his face. He looked like a monstrous inchworm that escaped from a nuclear science lab. He not only scared the kids, he scared most of the parents and staff as well. She was fairly sure Dan knew about Gus’ horrific act.
“I’ve been giving it some thought,” he continued, “and have come up with a few math related ideas for the show. I’ve also got costumes planned. Believe it or not, I’m pretty good with a sewing machine.” He came closer to her desk. She leaned back in her chair as far as she could to avoid his breath as he whispered, “I have a lot of down time, and the sewing room is empty most of the day.” He cleared his throat and, thankfully, backed out of Holly’s personal space. “Anyway, I thought I could make you look like a giant addition sign, while I could be multiplication.” He jumped out like he was doing a jumping jack to make his arms and legs into the shape of an ‘X’. “See? There’s a ton of fabric left over to work with. I could make them puff out with pillow stuffing, like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.” He filled air in his cheeks and walked around with a stiff gait, but looked more like a robot than a lovable squishy icon. “Then we can do a dance together. Or I can play piano and sing, while you do acrobatics. You know, somersaults and whatnot.”
“Oh—” she said, not knowing how to even begin to respond.
“That sounds wonderful,” Dan interrupted, walking into Holly’s classroom, “but I’m afraid Holly has a partner for the talent show. Me. We’ve already started on something together. It’s kind of a surprise, so if you don’t mind …” He took Gus’ arm and led him toward the door.
“Okay, okay. Fine,” he stammered, “Holly— you can be multiplication!” he yelled in a final plea, as his boss gently pushed him into the hallway.
“We’re good, Gus, thanks,” Dan said, before closing the door. He collapsed into the chair in front of Holly’s desk.
She covered her mouth and burst into a fit of laughter. “Thank you,” she said, trying to compose herself so Gus wouldn’t hear her. The poor guy might be weird, but he meant well. “You have perfect timing.”
“Actually, I really was coming in to talk to you about the talent show. I’m not going to be able to meet with you after school as planned.”
Holly felt a pang of disappointment.
“Oh, well …” She wasn’t sure how to respond. Disappointed? Indifferent?
“Yeah. Unfortunately, I have to meet with some parents instead.” He sneered and rolled his eyes.
“I thought only teachers rolled their eyes at parents. Aren’t principals supposed to be more diplomatic and professional?”
Dan leaned in closer. “Only in public. I’ve got some good stories … especially from my prior school. I’m sure you’ve had your share of fun parents as well?”
She nodded and smiled.
“Maybe we can trade tales over lunch today? And talk more about the talent show, you know, so we’re not just sitting around making fun of moms and dads who make our jobs harder than they have to be.” He winked as he got up.
“Sure.” She was a bit stunned at the invitation, and confused about his true intentions. “I have lunch at eleven forty-five.”
“Great. Meet you back here with a couple of gourmet sandwiches from our five star cafeteria.”
~~~
“No!” Holly said with a laugh. “They didn’t really say that!” She took the last bite of her sandwich and ran her tongue over her teeth, hoping there were no embarrassing pieces of food stuck there.
“Scouts honor,” Dan said, holding up his three fingers in perfect formation. “Apparently they were proud of the fact that their kindergartener had such an advanced vocabulary.”
“They do know there are better ways of encouraging language growth other than teaching him curse words, right?”
“That’s what I tried to explain.”
“What’d they say?”
“What do you think they said?” Dan raised his eyebrows.
“No they didn’t!” She started laughing all over again.
“They did!”
“What did you do?”
“You mean after I scraped my chin off the floor? I told them if their child told the teacher to f-off again, he’d be suspended. The next week, I received a notice from the district that the family decided to homeschool.”
“Wow, you really have heard it all.”
“Pretty much, and I’ve only been doing this five years.” He paused as he propped his elbow on the desk and rested his chin in his hand. Smiling at Holly, he said, “I can’t wait to see what the next five brings.”
He was talking about being a principal, wasn’t he?
“I hear kids coming,” he continued, sitting back up.
Holly peeked at the clock. Lunch period was way too short, especially when she was in good company. Good company with cute dimples.
“I guess our time’s up,” Dan said, sounding as disappointed as she felt. “I’ve been going on about my job so much, we never did talk about the talent show. Sorry about that.”
“That’s okay. Actually, I’ve been working on our routine a bit. I’ve got another few lines together … and some dance steps.”
“Dance steps?” he asked, a concerned expression crossing his face.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing fancy. I’m not that coordinated. It’s more like a stepping back and forth while we rap type thing.”
“So we’re not talking Gus-style moves,” Dan said, chuckling.
“Oh God no!” Holly snorted and cackled at the same time. She brought her hand up to her mouth, embarrassed at the sound that had come out of her. She had to admit, despite her snackle, this was one of the most fun working lunches she’d ever had.
“Well, I can’t wait to see it. D
o you want to meet Thursday after school?”
“Sounds perfect. See you then. And wear your dancing shoes,” Holly teased.
Chapter 14
Holly was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when she heard the apartment door open. The eggs were a tiny bit runny, and the bacon was almost burnt to a crisp—just the way Jared liked it.
“Hol! Where are you? Holly!”
“I’m in the kitchen,” she called out. If he’d stop for two seconds to take in the aromas, he’d know exactly where she was. The apartment wasn’t that big. She poured a tall glass of orange juice and reached for a plate to start dishing out his food. “Your breakfast is almost ready.”
It was ten in the morning, and Jared was getting in from working another overnight at the hospital. He was supposed to work the day shift, but traded with a co-worker so he could have Sunday off. She knew he’d be hungry and tired and wanted to make sure he had a hot meal waiting, as well as plenty of time to catch up on some sleep. They’d be heading out to her parent’s house at around three for a visit. A least one Sunday a month Holly’s mom liked to have her girls come over for a big family meal.
“Forget breakfast.” Jared caught her around the waist and twirled her, nearly knocking her into the pans on the stovetop. He kissed her fully on the lips and spun her around again, before reaching up to the cabinet above the refrigerator to pull down a bottle of wine—the one Holly had been saving to bring to Thanksgiving dinner in a couple of weeks. “We need to celebrate.”
“Celebrate?” she asked, looking from the wine to Jared. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him so happy. “It’s not even noon yet. What’s going on?”
“Babe,” he started, fishing around one of the kitchen drawers for a corkscrew, “remember how I asked my boss for a raise last month?”
“Yes,” she said, her enthusiasm growing with Jared’s excitement. She could feel the electricity in the air. “Does this mean he gave it to you?”
He kept searching without answering. When he finally found what he was looking for, he glanced up at her and said, “He did better than that. He gave me a raise and a promotion. I’m now the team leader for the second and third floors of the Galloway Wing.”