by Anne Carol
“How about we walk towards the theater?” he said, after studying me for what seemed like an eternity.
I nodded. “Lead the way.”
We continued walking and eventually came upon the open air theater. The box office was closed, but we checked out the schedule posted on the window.
“Have you ever seen a play here?” I asked him.
“Yes, a few times. Once, the show got scrubbed in the middle because of rain.” He shook his head.
I laughed. “Yeah. I see how that can happen.” I wasn’t surprised given London’s unpredictable weather.
David and I were having such a nice time getting to know each other, I almost forgot about my cousin; that is, until we ran into her and Simon near the lake.
“There you are!” Jenny called out. “We’ve been looking for you.” She eyed us back and forth. “What’ve you two been doing?”
“Just taking a walk,” I said, praying she wouldn’t embarrass me. Thankfully she kept quiet.
Later on, as the four of us paused on one of the bridges, a breeze kicked up and a gust of cool air grazed my skin, causing me to shiver. Leaning on the railing with my arms crossed, I attempted to rub out my goose bumps.
“Silly girl, did you forget your jumper?” David’s voice sounded from behind as he wrapped his shirt around my shoulders. The nearness of him caused a tiny earthquake inside.
Slowly twisting around and leaning back against the railing, I found myself peering into his sweet face. As he helped me into the sleeves, he gifted me with a radiant smile, making me speechless. I wondered if he had any clue what he did to me.
Then, not able to resist, my gaze fell below his neck. For a few brief moments, I scanned his upper body, now merely clothed in a thin gray T-shirt. It was the first time I noticed how defined his muscles were, and my eyes were helplessly fixated on every inch of his torso. Heaven help me, he’s gorgeous.
“Are you warm now, Beth?” I glanced up to his gentle brown eyes and instantly felt guilty for gawking at him like he was a piece of meat, for he was so much more than that.
Self-consciously, I looked down at the shirt, tucked it closely around me, and muttered, “Yes, thank you.”
As we continued walking, I stayed close by his side, close enough that we brushed up against each other every so often. When I spotted a few raised goose bumps on his arm, I bravely slid my arm around his, resting my hand on his prickly skin in an effort to warm him.
“That feels nice,” he whispered.
“I don’t want you to be cold.”
“I won’t be as long as you stay there.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
We stayed at the park a little longer, but Simon and Jenny had a date to get ready for, so we soon headed home.
I whipped out my pocket map. “Which Tube station?” I asked.
“I’d rather we walk through the park. It’s a lovely afternoon, what d’you say?” Jenny suggested.
“Alright, what’s a little more walking?” I snarked.
Several minutes later, once Jenny and Simon were well ahead of us, David spoke up. “Getting tired?”
“Can you tell I’m not used to this much walking?”
He laughed devilishly and picked me up, carrying me like a damsel in distress.
“What are you doing? Put me down!”
He taunted, “I think you like this.”
“If I do, I’m not telling.”
“Then I’m not putting you down.”
My mouth fell open. “Come on, you’re embarrassing me.” I buried my face in his shoulder to cover myself from any onlookers.
“Alright, I’ll put you down if you do one thing for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Agree to go to dinner with me.”
Oh boy.
“You’re too much, you know that?” I shook my head. “Do you even know what you’re getting yourself into?”
“No, but I’m willing to take a risk.”
Fingering the back of his hair, I succumbed to his charm. “Okay, I’ll go, but I can’t promise you anything.”
“You don’t have to promise anything, Beth. I just want to spend an evening with you.” His expression turned serious. “And I vow not to embarrass you.”
“Well, when you put it that way …”
“It’s a sacrifice,” he said as he carefully set me down. I wanted to hold his hand, but he made that impossible when he shoved both hands into his pockets.
As we drew closer to my aunt’s house, I tried to suppress the crazy thoughts in my head by thinking logically. As in, at my age, did it even make sense to date someone who lived on the other side of the world?
Apparently David wasn’t having those same doubts, for when we arrived on my uncle’s porch (having passed up my cousin and her boyfriend as they kissed on the street corner), he told me how much he was looking forward to our evening out.
“We’re good together, aren’t we?” he remarked, his eyes full of hope.
Taken aback by his sudden confidence, I said, “Yeah, I guess so.”
Not missing a beat, he continued, “May I ring you tomorrow so we can set up our date?”
This is too easy, I thought to myself. There’s got to be a catch. A few seconds later, I knew what the catch was when I was haunted by that pest of emotions: guilt.
David picked up on my mood shift immediately.
“What is it, Beth?” His face darkened. “You’re not backing out on me, are you?”
I stayed silent for a moment; afraid of hurting him.
“It’s Rick, isn’t it?” He sighed.
I nodded reluctantly, explaining, “I can’t cheat on him, David.”
“I understand.”
I smiled. “Hey, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still hang out as friends.”
He smiled back, but his eyes didn’t light up like they usually did.
“Friends, then. I’ll take it.” He held out his hand for me to shake, but I hugged him instead, trying not to let the quick pace of his heart affect me.
“Thanks for keeping me company today,” I said, coming out of the embrace.
“It was my pleasure.” He paused for a moment and then pointed to his shirt. “Are you planning to keep that?”
“Oh, I almost forgot!” I started unbuttoning it. “Thanks for letting me wear it. Kept me from freezing.” I took it off and handed it to him.
“Good, I’m glad.” He casually tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Well, I suppose I should let you go now.”
He started heading down the steps, only to turn back around. “Do you mind if I ring you tomorrow, ‘friend’?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
I chuckled at his relentlessness. “I don’t mind.”
We said our goodbyes before I floated inside and closed the door, leaving it cracked so I could watch him walk away. To my surprise, he put the shirt to his nose, sporting a sneaky grin. Goodness, either this guy is crazy or he really digs me.
“How was your day?” The sound of my mom’s voice startled me, and I whirled around, shutting the door behind me.
“I had a great time.”
“With David?” she said, perking her eyebrow up.
“Mom …” I breathed out, looking away.
“It’s okay, honey. You should be dating other guys. And he’s a nice one.”
“We’re just friends, I swear.”
“For now,” Jenny piped in as she came through the entry way.
I shot her a wide-eyed stare.
“What?” she said, wearing a smug look. “It’s only a matter of time.”
I threw my hands up. “And what about my boyfriend?”
Jenny rolled her eyes and skirted past me. “Yeah, what about him?”
By the way she smiled, I’m guessing my mom had the same thought.
Though I saved myself a lot of guilt by turning down David’s invitation to dinner, the fact was I couldn’t get him out of my mind no matter how hard I tr
ied. I couldn’t figure out if it was his charming pursuit of me or if it was because his foreign status made him seem exotic. I mean, what young American woman wouldn’t be attracted to a good-looking guy with a gorgeous accent? No doubt my girlfriends back home would be swooning like crazy if they were in my shoes.
But I knew it was more than that. David was everything Rick wasn’t: kind, humble, caring, well-mannered, and respectful. Spending time with David, I realized what I’d been missing in a boyfriend. When you added the intense attraction between us, it was only natural that I was drawn to him. Yet I had a loyalty toward Rick. I sincerely hoped things would improve with our relationship once I returned home. We just needed some time apart, I was sure of it. David was a nice distraction, but given the fact he lived in England, I knew he could never be more than just a friend anyway.
So why did I get excited at the sound of the phone ringing the next afternoon? The six of us were sitting at the kitchen table playing cards, and I nearly jumped out of my seat when it rang. My mom gave me a curious glance, like she was trying to read my mind.
“Are we expecting a call from someone?” she had the gall to ask.
Blushing, I said, “No, Mom.”
To my surprise, Jenny said my name, but from the look on her face, I knew it wasn’t David.
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know; it’s a girl,” she said, muting the receiver with the palm of her hand.
I sat on the sofa and cautiously put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Beth, its Melissa.” Her tired voice naturally put me on guard.
“Melissa, what’s wrong? You sound awful.”
She yawned. “I’ve been up and down all night.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“There was a huge party at Sam’s last night.” She paused for a torturously long time. “I don’t even know how to tell you this, Beth.”
My stomach lurched. “What is it? Rick? Did something happen to him?” I started panicking as a million different scenarios played out in my mind.
She grunted. “You should be so lucky.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He cheated on you, Beth. The asshole cheated on you!”
It was like somebody had jabbed me in the side.
“What? How do you know? What did he do? And who was it?” I fired off.
“Well, he actually started off the evening griping about you being gone, and then he got totally trashed. Before I knew it, Denise was all over him.” She paused again. “They were upstairs for a long time.”
A long time … a long time … Her words echoed in my mind.
“Beth? You going to be okay? Because he’s not worth it—”
“—I need to go.” My throat tightened and my eyes filled with tears. “Thanks for telling me,” I choked out.
“Wait, Beth—” I hung up, not able to hear another word.
I sat there for a second, a still-life portrait, before racing upstairs and into the bedroom. Enraged, the first thing I did was grab the framed photo from the nightstand and throw it on the floor. It made a violent sound as the glass shattered. Kicking the broken frame under the bed, I dropped down on the mattress and buried my face in the pillow, shedding angry tears as I punched the soft fabric.
Not long after I broke down, I sensed a warm hand on my back making circles in a soothing manner. “What happened, dear?” my mom asked.
I whipped my head around. “He cheated on me. Stupid, stupid, useless piece of shit,” I growled, gritting my teeth.
“Beth,” Mom admonished; she had no tolerance for profanity. “Are you sure? Who was that?”
“Melissa, and from what she saw at last night’s party, there’s no mistaking what he did.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” She shifted her position and promptly took me in her arms, smoothing down my hair.
She held me patiently while I emptied myself of tears. By the time she left to give me some space, I was worn out. I lay on my pillow and stared up at the ceiling, wondering how I could’ve been so stupid to believe Rick and I had a chance.
After a short rest, I spent a good hour thinking, journaling, and writing nasty letters to Rick that I knew I’d never send. I kept telling myself that this wasn’t the end of the world, just the end of one already shaky part of it. As far as I was concerned, it was over. He’d made his choice, and the sooner I was able to come to grips with that, the sooner I could move on with my life. But for now, my battered heart required a little mending.
Scooting off the bed, I was suddenly craving the comfort of shortbread and a cup of hot tea. I grabbed my latest romance novel and headed downstairs to escape my troubles for those of a fictional character.
The card game was long over, and everyone had since scattered to do their own thing. I was glad, for that meant I had the kitchen to myself. As I poured myself some tea at the counter, I heard the shrill sound of the telephone ringing.
“Hello?” Jenny answered.
Pause.
“Oh, hi, David …” she hesitated, obviously caught off guard.
Shoot! I’d forgotten he was supposed to call. I stood quietly at the kitchen counter and listened.
“David, I don’t think Beth is in the mood to chat right now.” She whispered something into the phone, most likely blabbing to him about the humiliating event of earlier.
Wonderful.
“If I were you, I’d give her a good few days. She took this quite hard,” she said in a low voice. “Yeah, she cried the better part of the afternoon.”
I nearly choked on my tea. Thanks a lot, Jenny!
“David, David, she’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Was she calming him down? “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Give her a bit of space, and you can come round in a few days.”
There was another long pause, and I wished more than anything that I could hear the other end of the conversation.
“She likes you, too, trust me.” Now she was back to whispering, so I inched my way closer to the living room. “You just have to be patient. … Alright, I’ll let her know. Good night, David.” After she hung up, she headed upstairs and into the bathroom.
Thinking fast, I set my cup in the sink and hurried up to our room. Soon she came wandering in and slumped onto her bed across from me. I was pretending to read my novel.
“I just got off the phone with David,” she said.
I acted surprised. “Really? How is he?” I asked with genuine interest.
“Worried. Beth, I hope you don’t mind that I told him what happened.”
“Oh?” I was really putting on an act now. “How much did you tell him?”
“Well, everything.” She looked down at her feet. “Did I mess up?”
“So he knows I bawled like a baby?” I confirmed.
She nodded, guilt playing across her gentle features.
“Great. I guess the mystery’s gone.” I lay back on the bed, feeling defeated.
“Beth, I think the mystery was gone after fainting on him last week,” she reminded me.
Not expecting her quick response, I tossed my pillow at her. “Jenny!”
She caught the pillow, giggling. “It’s true!”
Throwing the pillow back, she asked in a sincere tone, “Are you feeling any better?”
“A little. Well, a lot, considering the way I felt earlier.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind.”
Thoroughly talked out (and cried out), I lay in bed that night physically and emotionally exhausted. The debilitating grief was starting to overstay its welcome. Now I was angry. The fact that I pushed a sweet guy away in favor of a jerk who couldn’t stay faithful for more than a few weeks made me want to scream. Rick’s betrayal was more than I could take. Any hope of a future with him was gone.
Roses, I smell roses. Slowly waking up, I became aware of something in my hand.
A stem. Looking down, I caught the velvet r
ed petals of a rose.
“Jenny?” I called out, shuffling out of the covers.
I heard the wispy sound of something falling to the floor. Reaching down, I picked up a handwritten note addressed to me.
“What’s this?” I wondered aloud.
Jenny came dashing into the room with wet hair which she was finger-combing.
She smiled. “Did you read the note?”
I shook my head.
“Well read it, silly! It was on the porch first thing this morning, along with the rose.”
After she left to go dry her hair, I unfolded the paper and started reading the elegant script:
Dear Beth,
I can’t stop thinking about you. You deserve better than what he did to you. Ring me when you’re up to it.
Take care, my sweet friend.
David
Grinning, I sank down into the sheets, clutching the letter to my chest.
I carried my beloved flower with me all day long—from the bedroom to the bathroom to the kitchen and on to the living room, where I spent most of my day curled up with a book.
“You seem in better spirits today.” Mom joined me on the sofa, carefully balancing her cup of tea on a saucer.
“Mm-hmm.” I nodded, engrossed in my novel.
She casually picked up the rose from the coffee table and breathed in its scent.
“I think somebody has a crush on you.”
“Motherrrr …” I rolled my eyes, leaning on my chin while looking away. I couldn’t help the generic teenage reaction, but in actuality I was glad that Mom seemed okay with David.
“So do you plan on going out with David?”
“Uh, sure, if he asks me. Why?”
“I don’t know, I wasn’t sure you’d be in the mood after what happened with Rick.”
“What Rick did only makes me want to be with David more,” I said pointedly.
“And I don’t blame you for that. But …”
“What?”
“Just make sure you aren’t using David to replace Rick. He’s a nice boy and I don’t want you to hurt him, unintentionally of course. Also keep in mind we’re only here for the summer.”
I knew what she was getting at and I felt my body tense up.