by Anne Carol
When I was through rehashing the drama, she got eerily quiet. Then, to my surprise, she reached over to my framed photo and turned it face down.
“What’d you do that for?”
“Beth, you deserve better. Gorgeous or not, he’s not a nice guy. Why are you still with him?”
“Geez, you sound like my friend Melissa.” I slumped against my pillow. “And as I’ve told her … I don’t know. Honestly, I almost dumped him last weekend, but I think the hopeless romantic in me wants to hang on and see how things turn out at the end of summer.”
“I guess I can understand that. But from my perspective it doesn’t look promising. Sorry to be blunt.”
“It’s not like I haven’t heard it before.”
I was ready for a change of subject, so I asked Jenny if she had a boyfriend.
The way her eyes brightened up told me she did, and she began to tell me about Simon, whom she’d been dating for three months.
“And he is so funny. One day in class he—” she stopped, probably when she noticed that I was nearly comatose. “Beth, have you heard anything I’ve just said?”
“Of course,” I said, my eyes remaining shut. “Can’t wait to meet him.”
“Alright, we’ll talk more tomorrow. Clearly you need sleep.”
“Good night, Jenny.”
“Good night, Beth. Sweet dreams.”
And I did have good dreams, filled with warm brown eyes and a breathtaking voice.
Funny how reality gets hurled at you when you least expect it. When you’re stuck on an underground train with nothing to do but people-watch, it’s hard not to gravitate toward the hot guys. The one that got on at St. John’s Wood was decked out in a three piece suit, but when he turned my way, I could swear he was Rick. My palms actually got sweaty.
Of course it wasn’t him, but I felt a stab of guilt for being attracted to David, particularly when I thought of all the times Rick had angered me by flirting with other girls. In a way I felt like a hypocrite. So I decided today would be the day to call my boyfriend, if only to relieve some of that guilt.
While Jenny and I enjoyed tea and biscuits later, I let her in on my plan to call Rick. I was hoping for moral support, but instead she turned up her nose. “I hope it goes well for you.” Then her tone lightened. “Incidentally, I bumped into David today, and he asked about you.”
Sighing, I replied, “Jenny, please don’t tempt me. I really shouldn’t be thinking about another guy.” But her remark gave my nervous system an unexpected jolt.
“So you don’t care that he asked how long you’ll be staying in London?”
“He did?”
“He has a thing for you, Beth.” Her eyes were dancing with pure delight. “You should’ve seen his face when I told him you’d be here all summer.”
“Really?” I said, and then continued in a determined tone, “Okay, stop it. I need to get my head together for calling Rick.”
“Suit yourself.”
Once early evening rolled around, Jenny left me alone in the living room while I timidly dialed Rick’s number. His mom picked up on the third ring.
“Hi, Mrs. McGuire, it’s Beth. Is Rick up yet?”
“Beth, hi! How is England?” Mrs. McGuire was one of the nicest women I knew, and I often wondered how she got stuck with Rick’s dad, who was, quite frankly, a chauvinistic jerk.
“I’m having a nice time so far. It’s been great catching up with family here.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. I hope you enjoy every minute. I’ll go get Rick. He’s about to head out the door.”
My heart started thumping as I waited on the line.
“Beth?” The sound of Rick’s voice immediately put me back in Garden Valley.
“Good morning, Rick. Well, it’s not morning here, it’s actually five in the evening, but it’s morning for you …” I babbled like a child.
“Bethy, I can’t talk right now. Dad’s expecting me at the shop. You understand? It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Oh, okay. Well, can I call you tomorrow?”
“Uh, tomorrow … what’s tomorrow?” he mumbled.
“Friday,” I said, exasperated.
“We’re going to Tahoe for the weekend. Sorry, babe. Call me next week, okay? I miss you.” He sounded distant.
“I miss you, too. Get to work. And have a fun weekend,” I said coldly, gripping my forehead with my fingers.
After hanging up, I staggered into the kitchen and flopped down at the table beside Jenny, who was looking at a magazine.
“That didn’t take long,” she said, looking concerned.
“He had to get to work.”
“Bugger. Are you going to try tomorrow?”
I rested my chin in my hand. “He’s going out of town, so I’ll have to wait until next week.”
“Sorry.” She put her arm around my shoulder. “Tomorrow after school I’m going to take you shopping, and we’re going to relax and have fun. Sound alright with you?”
The mere suggestion of shopping brightened me up. “Sounds wonderful.”
Friday’s weather turned out to be drizzly, so I convinced my mom to let us stay in and have a quiet day; that is, until I had to leave for my shopping excursion. Mom was glad that I was getting out with Jenny and had no qualms about my meeting her at school.
With my umbrella in hand, I enjoyed a leisurely stroll up to Jenny’s school, admiring the brick houses and their accompanying gardens along the way. I arrived early, so I leaned against the brick wall bordering the entryway and fiddled with a loose thread on my sweater. Meanwhile my mind wandered back to yesterday’s disappointing phone call with Rick.
“Hello, Beth.” I looked up when I heard a familiar voice. David was standing in front of me with a glow about him, contrasting the gray skies. Rick who?
“Hi, David.” Big burst of adrenaline. “What are you doing here? I thought you were done with classes.” I noticed he wore casual clothes, not the school uniform of navy pants and a red blazer.
“Oh, I was using the music room.” He gestured to the guitar case swung over his shoulder.
“Ah, good reason.” I raised my eyebrows. “You do that every day?”
He grinned. “Most days.”
The rain started coming down a little harder, so I opened up my umbrella and held it over the two of us.
“Thank you. Sorry about the difficult weather.” He ran his hand through his spiky brown hair; though in my infatuated mind, I saw my hand instead.
I shook the image away and replied, “Well, it’s not your fault, and I don’t mind anyway. It’s nice and cool, better than the stifling heat of California.”
“I wouldn’t know.” He met my eyes and smiled. “So, have you been enjoying your holiday?”
“All three days of it.” I chuckled. “Jenny and I are spending the afternoon together, and tomorrow we’re doing some sightseeing, my whole family.”
“Nice, hopefully the weather will cooperate.”
“It’d better, I can’t stand this rain!” Jenny’s voice piped in as she appeared behind David.
“Hello, Jenny.” David smirked, looking from me to her.
“Hi again.” Again? “Sorry, David, but I’m going to have to steal her from you. Beth and I have an afternoon of shopping to get to!”
“Well, don’t let me stop you.” He winked at me. “Nice to see you, Beth. Have a lovely weekend.”
“You too, David.” As he walked away, he grabbed a hat out of his bag. Hmm…
With him out of ear shot, Jenny snorted. “You should’ve seen him make a beeline for you.”
My jaw dropped. “You were watching us?”
“Not intentionally. I was walking this way when I caught sight of him. I’ve never paid much attention, but he really is quite good-looking.” She stole a quick glance as he vanished into the crowd.
I stared after him. “He’s beautiful.”
“Beautiful? Oh dear, you’re hooked.”
&nbs
p; “Come on, let’s go shopping,” I said, snapping out of my hopeless fantasy.
“Ready for school, Dad?” I snickered as we sat around the breakfast table Monday morning. After a busy weekend of sightseeing, it was back to work and school for everyone but me and my mom. Dad was starting his summer course work today, and I was beyond amused by the image of him—salt and pepper beard, brown trilby hat, and studious reading glasses—blending in with the twenty-year-old undergrads.
He sipped his tea. “I’m actually looking forward to being the student rather than the teacher. It’ll be a welcome challenge.”
“Grandpa Henry must love the fact that both of his sons have been students at his old university.”
“You never know, you or your cousin might carry on the tradition,” Dad mused, smiling.
“Dad, just let me get through this summer first,” I deadpanned. Not likely.
Thankfully Mom had stepped away, thereby missing Dad’s remark. I could imagine her flipping out over the thought of me going to college in England. She’d struggled when Rachel moved to San Diego!
Later that afternoon, I sat staring at the phone. I knew Rick was supposed to be back from his weekend away, but for some reason I just dreaded making that call.
“So phone him already!” Jenny said, glancing up from her schoolwork.
“Alright, alright …”
Only because I didn’t want my cousin nagging me did I finally pick up the receiver and dial the McGuire’s number. And after getting all worked up, I was naturally disappointed when the McGuire’s phone went unanswered. Strike one.
After a treacherously long Tuesday, which had me pulling my hair out, I tried their number again, but the phone rang and rang. When it got to (an insane) fifteen rings, I gave up.
After striking out the second time, I wandered into the kitchen, where Jenny was helping Aunt Ellie chop vegetables. As I leaned against the countertop, I muttered, “I don’t understand it. Where could they be?” I sighed. “I wonder if he’s trying to avoid me.” I crossed my arms over my chest in my classic insecure pose.
“I think you’re being a bit paranoid. How would he know it’s you ringing him?” Jenny asked.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just frustrating.” I grabbed a carrot slice and popped it in my mouth.
“I’m sorry. Just be patient and have another go tomorrow.”
“I’m not a patient person, but I’ll try.”
That evening, as I sat in bed penning a letter, Jenny looked up from her textbook and said, “Punk rock.”
“Hmm? What are you talking about?”
“David likes punk rock. I saw him in the corridor at school and asked him. Weren’t you wondering?”
“Yeah. So he was using the music room?”
“He must’ve been, he had his guitar with him. He asked how our weekend was.”
I set the pen and paper down. “Really? He asked about us?”
“Yes, well about you, I’m guessing.” She grinned. “And don’t pretend that doesn’t please you, starry eyes.”
As much as I tried to hide it, my smile couldn’t be tamed. “I’m flattered.”
“Oh, I’ll be sure to let him know if I see him again.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
Giving me a mischievous look, she giggled. “No, don’t worry. Just go to sleep. You look knackered.”
I was knackered, but happy just the same. It was nice knowing I still held David’s interest, whatever that meant for me.
After a solid night of sleep, I awoke with a nervous stomach as conflicting thoughts flooded my mind. I realized it’d been over a week since I hugged Rick goodbye, yet I found myself not missing him. That fact, coupled with my increasing interest in David, made me uneasy. In a word, it felt like I was cheating.
Fortunately Mom was entangled in a mystery book, so we stayed home, where I spent all morning journaling. I drank loads of tea but could hardly get two bites of food in. Usually a healthy eater, I tended to lose my appetite when I was anxious about something. I was glad my mom didn’t notice—she hardly looked up from her novel—otherwise she would’ve asked me questions I wasn’t ready to answer.
Later in the afternoon I grew restless, no doubt due to the countless cups of tea. I’d long since finished journaling and had moved on to reading. As soon as I reached a good stopping point, I put the book on the coffee table and decided to go for a walk. I figured a little fresh air would do me some good.
When I told Mom my plan, she asked, “Where exactly are you going?”
“Uh, think I’ll walk up to the shops. I won’t be long.”
“Alright, be careful.”
I threw on a sundress and sweater and set out into the cool late afternoon. While getting dressed, I’d made up my mind to visit the record shop to check out the punk rock section. My obsession with David was driving me crazy, so I figured I might as well feed my curiosity while there was nobody around to grill me.
I made it over halfway there when I felt my blood sugar drop. Oh, God, help me, I prayed silently as I fought through the dizzy sensations. Using all my inner strength, I strode forward, determined to make it there, browse a little, and head home.
But my body had other ideas. Though I made it to the shop, when I was sifting through a stack of Sex Pistols albums, I suddenly became disoriented. As I clung to the shelf, a nearby male called out, “Beth, are you okay?”
I knew that voice; it was locked in my memory.
“I’m feeling really dizzy.” I brought my hand to my forehead and slowly turned to confirm who the voice belonged to. “Oh, Lord,” I breathed, right before everything went black.
“Oh, please be okay. Please,” I heard someone whisper frantically.
This person had a masculine scent and was warm, that much I knew as I felt his arms firmly wrapped around me. Though I was slowly coming around, I kept my eyes closed and imagined his sweet smile, until I was awakened by a strange tingling sensation on my face. Cautiously opening my eyes, I put my hand to my cheek only to discover his hand lightly patting it. Sparks vibrated through my fingers at the touch of his skin.
“Oh, thank God, you’re waking up.” He sounded relieved. “Are you alright, Beth?”
As my vision came into focus, the only thing I saw was the handsome boy from my dream peering down at me with his familiar chestnut eyes.
“Am … am I dreaming?” I mumbled. “What happened?”
“You fainted.” Even in my loopy state, I could read the concern in David’s eyes.
“Oh no, did I hit anything?” I touched the back of my head.
“Yes.” He grinned. “Me.” His eyes were glowing, mirroring my imagination.
My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t help but grin back. “Did you catch me?” I whispered, though I felt like shouting with joy.
“Yes, so don’t worry. I kept you quite safe.” He smiled like he’d just won a prize.
So this is what it feels like to swoon.
“Do you want to try standing up?” he asked, his breath tickling my skin.
“I don’t know, I’m pretty lightheaded. I’ll try, but don’t let go of me, okay?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you go.” I think he meant something else, but I wasn’t sure.
A part of me didn’t want to move as I felt at peace in his arms.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” I said airily, focusing on his gentle eyes. In a trance, I put my arms around his shoulders, and he slowly raised me to a standing position. When I wobbled, he kept me stable.
“I think you should sit for a moment. Maybe have a bite to eat?”
“Okay,” I nodded, willing to do anything to stay close to him.
He put his hand at the small of my back and steered me away from the crowd of people who’d gathered. He stopped in front of a carpeted staircase which led to a vacant-looking second floor.
“Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”
I sa
t on one of the bottom steps and glanced upstairs. Faint sounds of guitar chords could be heard, followed by a barely audible voice. I strained myself to listen as I leaned against the railing.
Soon enough my hero returned and sat beside me, holding open a bag of cookies.
“Hope you like shortbread. My mum made these for my birthday.”
I perked up. “It’s your birthday?” I reached in the bag and grabbed one.
“Yesterday.”
“Happy Birthday. How old?” I asked, not realizing how feeble I sounded.
“Eighteen,” he said, watching me bite into the shortbread cookie. My mouth was filled with a buttery, sweet-but-not-too-sweet flavor. Perfection.
“How do you like it?” He grinned.
“I love it. Nice little birthday treat. Thanks for sharing.” I ducked away from his intense stare and asked, “So what’s on the second floor?”
“Music lessons, rehearsal space. My band uses it when the school’s not available.”
“Oh, yeah?” I was dying to ask him more questions about his music, but my body was failing me, even with the sugar boost.
He assessed me for a moment, making me feel self-conscious.
“Forgive me, but you’re not well, are you?”
“Not really,” I sighed, disappointed.
“I think I should walk you home, alright?”
“Alright.” Oh, yes!
He stood up and held out his hand to me. “Come on, then.”
I let him pull me up. “Thanks. It’s not far.”
Out on the sidewalk, he kept a slow pace with me, which was comforting. “Feel free to lean on me,” he said.
“Thanks for being so nice.” His good manners made him even more irresistible, if that were possible.
“I want to help you, Beth.” The longing in his voice revealed more than his spoken words, and I wished I could read his mind.
He filled the silence by telling me he’d just gotten a job at the record store. Apparently he took guitar lessons upstairs, and his instructor recommended him for the position. He seemed excited to begin work after the school year wrapped up. Music was obviously a big deal to him, as shown by his daily use of the school’s music room. And while I wanted to share in his enthusiasm, I was so lightheaded I could barely manage a nod.