All Shook Up

by Annalisa Daughety

  Nick watched as a guy in a Memphis Runners shirt tacked pages up on a board. “I think the results are in. . . . You ready?”

  Suzanne stood and dusted off her shorts. “Are you kidding? I was born ready.”

  Laughing, they tossed their trash in one of the large cans nearby and made their way over to the results board.

  “Here I am,” Nick said, sliding his finger down the results for men in his age bracket. “Thirty-seven minutes and forty-four seconds. You?”

  She groaned. “You’re not going to believe this. Thirty-seven minutes and forty-six seconds.”

  “And by the smallest of margins, Nick Taggart wins the contest,” he said in his best sports announcer voice. “A two second victory, ladies and gentleman. What will Miss Simpson fix for his victory dinner?”

  Suzanne laughed. “How do you feel about letting the good people of Domino’s Pizza take care of that?” She smirked.

  “The lady knows the way to a man’s heart is pizza,” he said with a smile.

  “How about Monday night? My place?” she asked.

  A night at home with Suzanne sounded perfect. “Works for me. And I’ll bring another bone for Charlie, just in case.”

  She chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Nick walked her out to her car. He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. He knew they’d just gone out last night, but he’d kind of hoped their dinner would be tonight. Maybe she already had another date though.

  Even though he knew he had no claim on her and had no intention of having a claim on her, he hated the idea of her spending time with someone else. As he climbed into his grandmother’s car, he was overcome with an unfamiliar feeling.

  Jealousy.

  Chapter Ten

  Suzanne wouldn’t want to admit it to anyone, but her calf muscles were killing her. She’d hobbled through the parking lot at church and then forced herself to walk normally once she stepped inside the building. But after sitting still in the pew for more than an hour during the morning worship service, she was finding it hard not to hobble as she left the building.

  “Um. . . Are you okay?” Jade Denton looked at her curiously. Her dark hair hung in waves around her face and made her green eyes stand out from her pale skin. “You have a weird expression on your face.”

  Suzanne clung to the pew in front of her. “I think my legs are going to fall off,” she confessed through gritted teeth. “I ran in a 5K yesterday, and I guess I didn’t stretch good enough or something.”

  Jade burst out laughing. “Those shoes probably aren’t helping.” She pointed at Suzanne’s high heels.

  Suzanne rolled her eyes. “I have one pair of flats that aren’t flip flops and wouldn’t you know it? Charlie decided to turn one of them into a chew toy last night. I guess I fell asleep on the couch and didn’t wake up when he wanted to go outside. Because when I finally woke up, he’d chewed my shoe to pieces and had the most satisfied expression on his face.” She couldn’t help but smile.

  “He knows how to push your buttons, doesn’t he?” Jade worked for the Memphis Zoo and was always touting a study on the different personalities animals had. “He’s figured you out over the years.”

  Suzanne nodded. “Well, he definitely won the argument.”

  “So are we on for lunch still?” Jade grinned. “Or do you need to go home and prop those feet up?”

  Suzanne gingerly tested a few steps. “No. I’m starving and have zero groceries at home. And I certainly don’t feel like walking through Kroger today.” She grinned. “What are you in the mood for?”

  “How about Blue Plate?” The Blue Plate Café served breakfast and country cooking. It was one of their favorite after-church spots.

  Suzanne nodded. “Perfect. Meet you there?”

  “Yes. You want to invite Emily?” Jade and Emily had met through Suzanne, but were friends now in their own right.

  Suzanne shook her head. “Already did. She’s on call and can’t make it.”

  Twenty minutes later, they were seated and had ordered at the restaurant.

  “So tell me what’s been going on with you,” Jade said. “I ran into Emily the other day, and she mentioned something about a guy and an airplane. . . . What’s the deal?”

  Suzanne filled Jade in on Nick. “This will sound crazy, I know. I’ve always thought that if a certain kind of guy came along, it might make me consider settling down. And Nick is that kind of guy.” She laughed. “Of course, the only problem is that he has no interest in that either. He’s definitely a footloose-and-fancy-free kind. Travels a lot and keeps everyone at an arm’s length.”

  Jade wrinkled her forehead. “So you’re going to let him just leave after his grandmother gets better? You don’t plan to tell him that you’re interested?”

  Suzanne shook her head. “What’s the point? I may be way off base anyway. For all I know a couple more dates and I’ll see that we’re totally incompatible. Which I’m sure is the case.” Although the past couple of days had been fun. “At first I thought that since I knew he was only here temporarily, it would make it easy to just hang out and have a good time. But instead it makes it harder. I’ve been having such a good time with him that I’ve sort of put my guard up. The last thing I want to do is fall for someone who is about to leave.”

  “There’s always long distance though, right?” Jade had never understood Suzanne’s preference for long-distance relationships.

  Suzanne shook her head. “Not this time. With Nick I’d either want everything or nothing at all. He and I are just . . .” She trailed off for a long moment. “We’re alike. I don’t know how to explain it exactly. But we seem to see eye to eye on a lot of things. I think we look at the world the same way.” She lifted her glass as the waitress placed their food on the table.

  “That’s going to be hard to let go of even if you have your guard up as you say,” Jade observed. She sipped her sweet tea and gazed at Suzanne, her green eyes thoughtful. “But at least you’ve got someone to have a good time with for a little while. That’s more than I have.” She sighed.

  Jade had always been the most serious of the three friends. Where Suzanne dated for fun and Emily dated because she attended a lot of social functions and hated to go alone, Jade had always looked for Mr. Right. She didn’t accept dates with just anyone, so whenever she went out with someone new, Suzanne knew it meant something. “Dry spell?” Suzanne asked.

  Jade nodded. “I went out a couple of times with a teacher. I thought he was a good prospect, but the last time we went out he was more concerned with his truck than he was with me.”

  Suzanne drew her brows together. “How so?”

  Jade let out a small laugh. “This is one of those dating horror stories that only happen to me. We went to Starbucks after dinner, and the only parking space was next to this giant bush. When we went back later to get in the truck it was raining. Even so, he made me stand in the middle of the parking lot so he could back the truck up and get me. He was afraid that I might scratch his truck door on that stupid bush if I opened it where it was parked.”

  Suzanne burst out laughing. “Okay, that is bad. I’m guessing there won’t be another date?”

  Jade shook her head. “Nope.” She grinned. “Your temporary relationship with Nick is sounding better and better, isn’t it?”

  “Compared to that, yes.” She absently played with her straw wrapper. “I’m seeing him again tomorrow night.” She couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “I think that will be the one that will tell me if we’re really compatible. We aren’t doing anything. Just staying in and ordering pizza.”

  “Wow. When’s the last time you did that on a date?”

  Suzanne shook her head. “Years ago. Maybe when I was in college and was dating Chad.” Ever since then, Suzanne had kept her home off limits. Because when someone was comfortable enough to just hang out and have a quiet dinner and watch TV, it meant the relationship was shifting toward permanence. At least Suzanne had always thou
ght that. So she’d only accepted dates that were activities: dinner, a movie, a concert. Never just hanging out at home. It looked like that would change tomorrow night.

  ***

  Nick hadn’t had the heart to go to the church he grew up in. Instead, he’d driven out to a mega church near the Wolfchase Galleria mall. He figured with hundreds of people in attendance, he’d just be a face in the crowd.

  Even though he had indeed blended in among the throng of people, there’d been a moment during the service when he’d wished he’d joined his childhood congregation. He visited their website sometimes and knew they still had the same preacher. In fact, no matter where in the world Nick was, if he had a bad day, he’d log on and listen to an archived sermon. Sometimes he could even pick out his grandmother’s high soprano voice during the song services.

  He drove straight to the hospital after church. He knew his grandmother was going stir-crazy. Yesterday, she’d told him that if her surgery didn’t happen as scheduled this week, she was going to insist the doctor send her home. And one thing he knew about Madelyn Taggart, she usually managed to get her way.

  He tapped on the door.

  “Come in,” she called.

  Nick pushed the door open and was surprised to see Mr. St. Claire sitting at Grandmother’s bedside. “I didn’t know you’d have company,” he said.

  Grandmother beamed. “Thomas came by after church to bring me a bulletin. Wasn’t that thoughtful?”

  Nick fought to hide his smile. From the looks these two were giving one another, he’d guess that Mr. St. Claire must be something of a suitor. “That was very thoughtful. Nice to see you again, Mr. St. Claire.” He shook the elderly man’s outstretched hand.

  “Please, call me Thomas.” He grinned.

  Grandmother piped up. “I hear you went to visit the old house I’m so glad. The place looks nice, don’t you think?”

  Nick nodded. “The roses look the same.”

  Grandmother motioned toward a vase in the corner. “Thomas brought me a few pretty blooms today.” She smiled broadly.

  “Nick, what have you been doing to keep busy while you’re in town?” Thomas asked.

  Nick sat down in an empty chair. “I ran in a 5K yesterday, and Friday night I went to the Orpheum to see the Elvis tribute finals.” He hadn’t mentioned it to his grandmother during their visit yesterday because he’d known there was no way to keep Suzanne out of the conversation. But maybe today she’d be so distracted by Mr. St. Clair, she wouldn’t press for details.

  Grandmother widened her eyes. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to go to that. I forgot this was Elvis Week. Being stuck in here has thrown me off.” She frowned. “Have you met up with some of your old friends then, dear?”

  “I’m having dinner with Ryan tonight,” Nick explained. “But other than that, no.”

  Grandmother raised an eyebrow. “So you went to the Orpheum alone?”

  Nick sighed. She could’ve made a fortune as a private investigator. Or a talk show host. Grandmother’s gift for reading people was unmatched. “No. I went with a friend.”

  Her face broke into a wide smile. “A lady friend?”

  “Well yes. She’s a lady, and she’s my friend. No big deal.”

  “That’s nice, dear.” Grandmother smiled knowingly. “You should bring her by sometime.”

  Nick made a face. He was enjoying his time with Suzanne, that was for sure. But he wasn’t about to introduce her to his family. Dinner and a show was one thing, but meeting his grandmother was entirely different. “We’ll see.” He stood. “Well since it looks like you’re in good hands, I think I’m going to try and get some work done before I meet Ryan for dinner tonight.” He’d like to at least sketch out his article. Yesterday provided a buffet of characters, from the running Elvises to the baby Elvis he’d seen being pushed in a stroller. He’d even glimpsed a dog with faux sideburns. Definitely fodder for his article. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Hopefully the doctor will be able to give us a definitive date for your operation.” He leaned down and kissed his grandmother on the cheek.

  She patted his hand. “You’re getting my mail aren’t you? Will you bring it with you tomorrow?”

  Nick nodded. “Sure.” He turned to Thomas. “It was nice to see you again. Take care.” He sauntered out and pulled the door closed behind him.

  After a few hours of work and a nice nap, Nick left his grandmother’s house to meet Ryan. He tried to remember the last time they’d seen one another. Must have been sometime while they were in college. Ryan had stayed in Memphis and attended Rhodes College, but had driven to Nashville to visit Nick a few times. Then he’d met Lila and hadn’t wanted to spend a weekend without her.

  Nick pulled into the parking lot at Huey’s right on time. A local chain, Huey’s had been serving burgers in Memphis since the 1970s. Nick always chose to celebrate his birthday there when he was a boy. He’d loved the tradition of sliding a toothpick into a straw and blowing it up toward the ceiling to try to get it to stick. Years of toothpicks filled the ceiling at Huey’s. Nick and Austin used to try to outdo each other and see who could get the most to stick. Sometimes Dad joined in, but Mom would declare their behavior uncouth and lament that she never had a dainty girl. Then she’d laugh and show them all how it was done.

  He climbed out of the car and hurried inside. He immediately spotted Ryan sitting in the corner.

  Ryan stood, a broad smile on his face. “Hey, man.” He pounded Nick on the back. “It’s great to see you.” Ryan looked almost the same as the day they graduated from high school.

  “You, too. It’s been forever.” Nick settled into the familiar seat and glanced around. “How have you been?”

  Ryan grinned. “Life is good. Lila and I are about to celebrate six years in December. And we have two kids. Abby will be five on her next birthday, and Christian turned three yesterday. They keep us busy.” He flipped through his iPhone and held up a picture. “This was at the party yesterday.”

  Nick peered at a photo of a little girl with blond curls who had her arms around an equally blond-haired little boy. “They’re adorable.” He smiled. “I’m so happy for you.” He pushed away an unfamiliar pang of jealousy. He’d never given much thought to having a family of his own, but Ryan’s obvious pride in his children made him feel as if he were really missing out.

  “I work at the University of Memphis in development, and Lila stays home with the kids. We’re doing well,” he said.

  “Do y’all know what you want yet, or do you need a minute?” the waitress asked.

  Nick raised his eyebrows at Ryan.

  Ryan nodded. “I think we’re ready.”

  They quickly placed their orders—original Huey burgers, fries, and sweet tea for both of them.

  “I’ll have your drinks right out,” the waitress said with a smile.

  “How about you? Seems like you’re always on the move,” Ryan said.

  Nick shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t stay in one spot for long.”

  Ryan furrowed his brow. “That must get old. Don’t you ever want to settle down?”

  Nick’s thoughts automatically flashed to Suzanne. She was the kind of woman he could actually see himself with. Someday. Maybe in ten years. And there was no way she’d still be available then. “I’m not sure. I guess that’s one of those things I’ll just have to wait and see about.”

  The waitress set two glasses of tea on the table. “Food will be right out,” she said.

  Ryan sipped his tea. “Lila has a couple of single girlfriends. I think one is a lawyer and one is a teacher. She’s already asked me if you’re available for a set-up.” He raised his eyebrows. “Guess I should tell her no?”

  Nick nodded. “Yeah, I don’t plan to be here too long.” Besides, if he was going to spend time with anyone while he was in Memphis, it would be Suzanne. He might not know where he’d be a year from now, but at least he knew that much. “So do you see the old gang much?”

  Ryan nodded. “We missed yo
u at our five-year reunion. But you know, the ten-year reunion is coming up soon. You think you’ll still be here?”

  Nick had no desire to come back for a high school reunion. He knew the memory most of his classmates would have of him, and it wasn’t one he liked to remember. “Probably not. But send me the details, and I guess if I happen to be in town I could go.”

  “So you’re a writer now,” Ryan said. “I ran into your grandmother a few months ago, and she mentioned a few publications your stuff has appeared in. That’s awesome.”

  “Thanks. I enjoy it.” He took a sip of tea. “But I don’t know that it’s what I want to do forever.”

  The waitress put their plates on the table. “Let me know if you need anything else,” she said.

  “I’ll offer thanks for the food,” Ryan said. He said a quick prayer, thanking God for their meal and their friendship. Once he finished he poured ketchup on his plate. “So you don’t want to write forever? What do you want to do next?”

  Nick shook his head. “I wish I knew. I’d still like to do freelance work for magazines and all, but there are times I think maybe I should find something a little more meaningful.” He’d been considering a career change for a few months. The only problem was that he wasn’t totally sure he could give up his nomadic lifestyle.

  Ryan grinned. “Well if you ever decide to come back to Memphis, my brother-in-law works in HR at St. Jude. It doesn’t get more meaningful than that. You might be good in their fundraising department.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” The odds of him moving back to Memphis were slim to none, but he didn’t want to hurt Ryan’s feelings. “I’d forgotten how good these burgers were. Might be the best in the world.”

  “And you would know,” Ryan said with a smirk.

  Nick grinned. It was nice to be back with someone who’d known him since before he could write cursive. As much as he’d complained about coming back to Memphis, his time here was turning out to be a real blessing.