by Craft, Maggi
We walked around and talked for about an hour after we finished eating and then went back.
I was dressed and ready at five. However, she didn’t show up or answer my texts. By seven o’clock, I had gone from hurt to pissed. Not long after, I got a call from Slayde. “No Kenedy?”
“How’d you know?”
“Because I just saw her at a bar down the street with a guy from our building. I don’t think she’s coming back anytime soon. You wanna come over?”
It only took me a second to decide. “Be there in a minute.”
When I got there, he opened the door and handed me a glass of wine. “I told you that you should have stayed with me.” He hugged me.
“I know. I just hoped we could hang out a little.”
“Well, I’m sure that you will when it’s convenient for her.” He laughed.
I rolled my eyes. “I’d hoped she would have grown up some.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” he said, leading me to the couch.
“Maybe not.”
We both sat down, and he looked at me with a silly smile and held up those damned decks of cards. “Why not?” I said and took them from him.
After four glasses of wine and two hours spent on a stupid card tower, I said, “I guess I better go. I want to beat her home.”
“Why? Just stay.”
“And when she asks me where I was, what will I tell her?” I asked, straightening the cards so that they would fit back in their boxes.
“Here.” He grabbed my hands. “Tell her you were here. Why should she care?”
“You’re just a little troublemaker,” I said and handed him the cards.
When I went back to Kenedy’s apartment, she still wasn’t back, so I went to sleep.
When I heard her banging around, I glanced at the clock. Three o’clock. Assuming she was drunk, I didn’t get up.
Then I heard her say, “No, let’s go into my room.”
What? I sat up right before she and some guy fell onto the bed. “Kenedy!” I shouted.
“Damn, Arden, you scared me. I forgot you were here.”
“Obviously,” I said, pulling on some pajama bottoms.
Grabbing my arm, she pulled me out of the room and shouted back at her friend, “I’ll be right back.” After shutting her door behind us, she whispered, “Hey, will ya sleep on the couch tonight? He’s so hot.” She reeked of alcohol, and I sure as hell wasn’t in the mood to do this. I just threw my hands up. I mean, did I really have a choice here?
“You’re the best,” she said. She went back in her room, shutting the door. Of course she didn’t bother giving me a pillow or a blanket. Was I dreaming? She’s really a selfish bitch!
Part of me thought about going back to Slayde’s, but I decided against it and went to the couch. I’d no sooner fallen asleep then Kenedy and her “friend” decided they were hungry. They turned on the light in the kitchen, and it shined directly into my face. “Kenedy!”
“Oh, sorry, go get in my bed.”
Oh, gross! “Uh, no thanks,” I shouted.
I grabbed a throw pillow and put it over my face and dozed back off.
When I got up the next morning, I was alone in the apartment. I took a quick shower and went to go meet Slayde at the park for lunch.
He was smiling like always when I walked up. “You sleep good?” he asked.
“Far from it.”
“Why not?”
“Let’s just say Kenedy brought home a friend, and I got the boot.” He burst out laughing and I playful slapped his chest. “Really funny.”
“I’m sorry. I just wish I could have seen that.”
I leaned away from him. “Oh, really?”
Still laughing, he shook his head. “No, not that. I mean, your expression when she kicked you out.” After he quit laughing, he looked at me seriously. “I’m sure she feels really bad about her behavior today, though.”
We both laughed, knowing that was the last thing she was worried about.
He was right. She never apologized.
I barely saw her at all that week. I was getting dressed to go meet Slayde for dinner when Kenedy and Holly came in from shopping. I had hoped to be gone before they got back. “We’re going to eat and go to a club — you wanna go?” Kenedy asked me.
“No, thanks. I’m going to an art gallery with this girl I met. Then she and I are going to eat and hang out at one of her friend’s. I’ll probably just stay there.”
“Well, that’s a cute outfit to waste on a friend. Are you sure you’re not really going on a date?” She smiled and winked at me. Shit! Could she tell I was lying? What if she asked her name? What would I say? Think, Arden!
“Thanks.” I tried to get out of there as quickly as possible and without making eye contact with Holly. She knew I was going to meet Slayde, and she had obviously done what she said she would — she stayed out of it.
“Where are you going to eat?” Kenedy asked.
“I forget.”
“Then how do you know where you’re meeting your friend?”
I was getting nervous. She was asking too many questions. “She said she was meeting her at the art gallery, Kenedy. Are you her mother?” Holly asked.
“No, but I just think it’s odd. Why don’t you and your friend go with us? I thought you wanted to spend time together.”
“I do, but I already promised her. Tomorrow maybe? I’m already late. You have fun. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I left before she could start another round of questions. This was exhausting. What am I doing anyway? I obviously felt that dating Slayde was wrong, or I wouldn’t be lying to her. What was I going to do? Maybe I should just tell Slayde I couldn’t do this anymore. But was that what I wanted to do? No. It definitely wasn’t.
By the time I got to our little meeting spot in the park, I was late. He was sitting on a bench, playing with his phone. He looked up at me when I walked up. I thought he looked annoyed at first, but then he smiled at me. “I was worried you weren’t coming.”
“Sorry. Kenedy was asking a million questions.”
“Where does she think you are?”
“At an art gallery.”
“Oh. I see.” He looked down and picked at skin on his finger. He looked like that hurt his feelings.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “I just don’t want to fight with her.”
“You’d rather meet me in some dark alley and hide? Are you scared she would be mad? Or are you embarrassed?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Embarrassed? Why the heck would I be embarrassed?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, but sometimes I feel like you are.”
“Really?” That surprised me. I didn’t want him to feel that way.
“A little.” He was serious. For once he wasn’t smiling, and he wouldn’t make eye contact with me, which was not normal.
“Well, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. And we’re just friends, anyway. Why would I ever be embarrassed about having a fun friend like you?”
He took a deep breath and shook his head a little. “Let’s go eat.”
I didn’t even think that I would need to worry about running into Kenedy and Holly in freaking Paris, but when Slayde and I were leaving the restaurant, I saw them walking across the street toward us.
I grabbed Slayde’s arm and turned and dragged him back up the sidewalk away from them and into a little shop. He didn’t put up a fight, but he was dragging along like dead weight. Did he want her to see us? Maybe.
When I looked up at him, he was just staring at me like I was crazy. He wasn’t at all amused. He took a deep breath and shook his head again.
I was afraid he was mad, but not as afraid as I was of my sister.
I was pretty sure she hadn’t seen us, because if she had, she would definitely have made sure we all knew she’d caught me lying. Caught me hanging out with her old boyfriend. What was I going to do?
“Don’t you
think Holly has told her? They’re friends. Why would she keep a secret from her like that?”
“Because she knows her, and she knows she’ll get mad.”
“Why? She has no right to.”
I gave him a dumb look. He knew good and damn well she would flip out whether she had a right to or not. “Can we just drop it and go on about our night?” I asked.
“That’s fine. What do you want to do now?”
“I don’t care.”
I made sure the coast was clear before we headed back out in the open. “You want to go to a club or something?” he asked once we were on the street.
With my luck, we’d end up at the same club as Kenedy and Holly. “No. They’re going to a club, and I forgot to ask which one. Let’s just go back to your place or something.”
I thought he’d be disappointed, but he seemed fine with that idea. He smiled at me. “OK, what’s your curfew?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Oh! Are you planning on shacking up with me?” He stopped and looked at me with a silly expression on his face.
“Not necessarily,” I said with a big grin.
“Well, we’ll see about that. To the liquor store, then home. That way you won’t think about going home tonight.” He grabbed my hand, and we headed back to his place.
He was right — I didn’t go back to Kenedy’s, but as always, he let me have his bed and slept on the couch.
When I was honest with myself about Kenedy, I wasn’t sure why I cared that she would be mad. After all, she had slept with my ex-boyfriend when we were still dating, so it shouldn’t have been a problem for me to hang out with hers. When I thought about it, I realized she had never asked about me staying with Slayde. But that was a subject I wanted to continue to avoid like the plague, so I didn’t bring it up.
The next day, I went home to clean myself up, and then Slayde and I were meeting at our spot in the park. We had talked about going to get some lunch. He was a little late, which was odd, but I decided not to dwell on it. When he showed up, he had a funny expression on his face. I could tell something was wrong, and my stomach dropped.
“What’s the matter?” I asked him.
“Nothing,” he replied and kissed me on the cheek. “How’s your day?”
“You’re a bad liar, but my day was great until now. So, tell me what’s really going on.”
He laughed and grabbed my hand. “Nothing is wrong. I’m just tired of sneaking around. I want to be able to do whatever we want without you worrying about what Kenedy thinks. I don’t care what she thinks, and I really don’t understand why you do.”
“She’s my sister, Slayde. I don’t want to fight with her.”
“Exactly — she’s your sister. Doesn’t that mean she should be happy that you’re happy? If you aren’t going to say something to her, I am. I’m so sick of living like this.”
That made me angry. “Well, I don’t see anyone holding a gun to your head, making you live like this. Maybe it would be best if we didn’t see each other at all.” I got up and started to walk away.
Slayde jumped up and grabbed my hand. He looked frustrated, but at the same time, his eyes said something else. Like that I had hurt him. “You know that’s not what I want. I don’t want to not see you. I’m just tired of sneaking around. I want to be able to take you on a date in broad daylight in the middle of the city whenever I want to.”
“A date?” I asked. I knew I was blushing.
“Yes, a date, a proper date. One where I pick you up instead of meeting you at the park. One without all of your pinkie promises and ‘I can’t touch you’ rules.” I looked up and saw he was smiling at me.
My cheeks were flaming. “I don’t know about that, Slayde. I’m only here for a few more weeks, and then I’ll be heading back to school. I would rather keep it simple.”
“I don’t think it’s that complicated, Arden. I like you, and you like me. Whether you want to admit it or not. And we’re always together, so really, we’re already dating. Except you won’t let me touch you. I think admitting that makes it all pretty simple.”
“Simple for the moment, maybe, but what happens in a few weeks when I leave? What then?” I asked.
“I’m not going to be here forever, and I can come see you at least every other weekend. I’ll finish this contract six weeks after you leave, and then I’ll be back in LA.”
“You can’t fly home every other weekend — that’s crazy.”
“Yes, I can. My dad has a jet — I can come and go as I please. So, are you in?” He was dead serious. I couldn’t believe Slayde Price was asking to date me. Is that what he’s asking me? When I didn’t answer, he frowned. “If you have to think about it that hard, I guess I got my answer. I’m sorry. I guess I had it all wrong.” He started to walk away. I couldn’t just let him leave, but was I really ready for this? I knew this could end very badly for me, but it would be a huge mistake to let him walk away.
“Slayde.” He turned around and looked at me. He seemed so insecure; it was so strange. He looked as if he were really afraid I was rejecting him. Had a girl ever said no to him? I highly doubted it. “I would love to go out on a date with you.” His face lit up with that smile that made me melt.
As I walked back to the apartment, I tried to figure out what I was going to tell Kenedy I was doing that night so she wouldn’t figure out I was going out with Slayde. And what in the world am I going to wear? If this was what he called a “proper” date, what would it be like? Every moment we were together was one of the best moments of my life. I didn’t see how it could be any better.
I was kneeling on the floor in Kenedy’s room, pulling everything out of my suitcase that I still hadn’t unpacked, when Holly came in and interrupted my mental psychobabble. “What are you doing tonight? Kenedy went to London for the weekend, and she said to tell you she was sorry she couldn’t take you along.” Holly rolled her eyes. We both knew Kenedy didn’t want me to tag along with her. “I told her I would keep you busy. I’ve got a date, but I’m sure Slayde can pick up my slack.” She winked at me. “How’s the secret love affair going, anyway?”
“Ha-ha, that’s really funny,” I said sarcastically. But I needed to talk to someone. Someone besides Slayde. I followed her into her room and spilled the whole story.
“Holly, what do I do?” I lay on her bed with my head buried in the covers.
“I wish there was an easy answer. If I was in Kenedy’s place, and you were truly happy with him, I would be happy for you. But Kenedy doesn’t care about anybody but Kenedy. I know she’s going to be furious, but she will get over it. They’ve been broken up for a few years — it’s not like they were married and you broke up their family.” When she said that, I looked up. Catching my eyes, she asked, “You didn’t, did you? You’re not the reason they broke up, are you?”
“No. The truth is, they broke up because Slayde caught Kenedy with my boyfriend, his brother, Brady.” I buried my face again.
“What? You’re making this up. This is some Jerry Springer shit.”
“No, unfortunately, it’s my life to live, not One Life to Live. I’m not sure someone could have written something so crazy for daytime TV.” We both laughed.
“She slept with your boyfriend, and you’re worried she’ll be mad about this? Are you crazy? I say to hell with her.”
“She doesn’t know that I know. That’s the reason Slayde broke up with her, but no one told me. Slayde didn’t know that I didn’t know, until the other day,” I explained.
“Well, the last thing I would be doing if Slayde Price were following me around like a little lost puppy would be worrying about what your hoochie momma sister thinks. You better get your ass out there and apologize to Slayde for your lack of mental sanity these last few weeks.”
I knew she was right. I wasn’t going to let Kenedy’s feelings, or lack thereof, stop me from being with Slayde. Holly and Slayde were right. If the tables were turned, Kenedy wouldn’t think twice abou
t my feelings. She’d even proved that.
I must have tried on twenty-five outfits, and nothing looked right. I went through my stuff, Kenedy’s stuff, and even Holly’s stuff. Finally, I resorted to my favorite pair of Hudson jeans, a pink silk top of Holly’s, and some amazing Jimmy Choos that were in Kenedy’s closet. Why she left them behind I would never know, but her loss was my gain.
My long blond hair was in a mood all its own. It was not cooperating at all. Holly must have heard the profanity coming from the bathroom, because she came in, curling iron in hand. “I got this,” she said and smiled at me. And she did. I have no idea what she did, but my hair looked amazing. She also applied my makeup. “You don’t hang out at photo shoots all day without picking up a thing or two.”
“Wow, I look amazing. I look like a model.”
She laughed. “No, honey, you look way better than a model. You don’t need makeup and all this to be pretty. You’re naturally pretty.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I barely recognized myself in the mirror. “What if he doesn’t recognize me?” I asked.
“You know, you might have a point. Not that he won’t recognize you, but I’m sure he likes you the way you are without all this extra stuff. I think the prettiest thing about you is how soft and natural you always look. Let me take this makeup down a notch.” In less than five minutes, she brought me from MAC runway show back to normal girl ready for a first date with a hot guy. I was very impressed.
When Slayde showed up to get me, I could tell he was also impressed. He was smiling more widely than usual and looked a little surprised. He grabbed my hand and made me twirl around in a circle. “Wow, you look amazing,” he said, and he kissed my cheek.
I was blushing. I could feel the heat in my cheeks. “Thank you! You look great too!” And he did. He always looked great, whether he was wearing an old T-shirt and shorts or all dressed up. Tonight was no exception. He was wearing some jeans that looked like the designer had made them for him and only him, a yellow polo that made his tan skin look three shades darker than it was earlier this afternoon, and as always, that amazing smile. I thought if I were a toothpaste company, I’d hire him to be my spokesmodel.