Mr. Always & Forever

by Ashlee Price

  “You were drunk, not me,” Jack inserts.

  “Okay, I was a little drunk,” Eliza admits. “And then we kissed, we went back to his hotel room and…” She shrugs. “Well, you know what happens next.”

  “I do,” Jack says.

  Eliza looks at him, blushing.

  “So, you had sex?” Ingrid asks in a serious tone.

  “Mind-blowing sex,” Eliza says with a smile.

  “Now she admits it,” Jack mutters.

  “And then the next day, I see him at the dog show that I’m competing in. He never told me he was a handler, and neither did I, so imagine my shock when I found out we were in the same line of work.”

  “Yup, I can imagine,” Ingrid remarks.

  “Worse, we were competing with each other, like in the same division, like neck and neck.” Eliza’s eyes roll to the ceiling. “Oh, I hated him then. I wanted to kill him. I wished I’d never met him.”

  “Yeah.” Jack nods. “You should have seen her. She was so mad. She almost strangled me.”

  “And that wasn’t the only time. We kept seeing each other in these shows—dog shows, cat shows, even bunny shows…”

  “Don’t forget the duck show,” Jack reminds her.

  “I’d be there and he’d be there and we’d always be like competing for the top spot. Sometimes I’d end up first and sometimes he would and I’d hate him even more. I always thought he cheated whenever he won.”

  “Just to be clear, I never cheated,” Jack says.

  “I know, honey.” Eliza squeezes his hand. “Then there was this one dog show where for some reason our dogs just wouldn’t behave like we wanted them to. At one point they ran all over the place. Everything was a mess. We chased after them, of course. He ended up catching my dog. I ended up catching his, but by then, we were both, like, frazzled and haggard, and we had stuff on our clothes and on our hair, and then his dog, well, my dog that he had in his arms, just peed on his pants and I started laughing. But not the make-fun-of-him kind of laugh. It was just genuine laughter and he started laughing, too. I guess we both went crazy. Anyway, we just realized how stupid everything was and we kissed and we got back together.”

  “If you ask me, we were in love the whole time,” Jack says. “We were just too proud to admit it.”

  “Oh,” Eliza gushes. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.”

  They lean over, about to kiss, but Ingrid clears her throat.

  “So, you’re saying you never really hated each other?” she asks.

  “We did, but that also meant we loved each other,” Eliza answers. “You know what some people say, that hate is just a twisted kind of love, that it isn’t the opposite of love.”

  Ingrid’s eyebrows crease. “Of course it is. How can it not be?”

  Eliza taps her fingers on her knee. “Um…”

  “We were stupid,” Jack speaks. “We weren’t fighting each other. We were fighting what we felt for each other, but we couldn’t, not really. It was doomed to defeat from the start.”

  “The attraction was just too strong,” Eliza adds. “That’s why we just kept showing up at the same dog shows and ending up in the same situation over and over again.”

  “I just couldn’t resist her.” Jack squeezes Eliza’s hand in turn. “So I just knew I was in love with her.”

  “But how could you be sure it was love and not lust?” Ingrid asks.

  I glance at her in surprise.

  “Oh, it always starts with a little lust,” Eliza says. “We’re stubborn. Our bodies decide for us before we can decide for ourselves, and we often try to overrule our bodies. That’s why it gets complicated. Look at animals. They just follow their bodies, so it’s simple.”

  “But that’s not love,” Ingrid tells her.

  “No, but what I’m saying is that our bodies know these things. Everything starts with physical attraction and lust, but as humans, we feel the pressure to know better so we disregard all that. But if only we don’t, if only we’re a little less proud, then we can just go with the flow and eventually the attraction becomes something else, and…”

  “I disagree,” Ingrid cuts her off.

  “What?” Eliza looks at her in shock.

  I clear my throat. “Why don’t you tell us about how you decided to start this business now?”

  “Oh, that idea came naturally,” Jack says. “We were just talking about it while we were walking our dogs, and we both thought it was a great idea and we just went for it, so here we are.”

  “We wanted a place for people to hang out with their pets,” Eliza says. “And a place for pet lovers to hang out with each other and, you know, maybe fall in love.”

  “That’s thoughtful,” I say with a smile.

  “That’s bull,” Ingrid blurts out. “Love and lust are two different things. If you…”

  I place my hand over hers. “Ingrid.”

  She shuts up, her eyes meeting mine.

  I squeeze her hand, shaking my head slightly in hopes of getting my message across.

  That’s enough, Ingrid.

  She looks away but thankfully seems to calm down.

  “Sorry about that,” I tell the couple.

  “It’s okay,” Jack says. “Not everyone shares the same opinions. That’s why they’re called opinions.”

  “Are the two of you a couple?” Eliza asks all of a sudden. “Because you two seem…”

  Ingrid stands up. “Well, that’s all for now. Thank you for your time.”

  She walks away, leaving me sitting there with my eyebrows raised.

  Okay.

  “Sorry, I apologize again. But, really, thank you for your time. Your story is so… fun.”

  “I think so, too,” Eliza says, her smile back on.

  I offer her my hand. “Thank you for sharing your story with us.”

  She shakes it. “You’re so welcome.”

  “And I wish you all the luck with your business.” I shake Jack’s hand.

  “Come over anytime,” Jack says. “With a pet, though.”

  “Yeah. Maybe I’ll get one someday.”

  I pat the cat on his lap before getting my things and following Ingrid. I catch up to her in the car, finding her leaning against it with her arms wrapped around her.

  “Hey.” I approach her. “Are you okay?”

  She just looks at me.

  “What happened back there?” I ask. “You know you’re not supposed to…”

  “I think I’ll go for a drive.” She opens the door to the driver’s seat. “I need to clear my head. You can get a cab, can’t you?”

  “I…”

  “Could you pick Alexa up from school for me?” she asks, not giving me a chance to speak.

  I sigh. “Okay.”

  “Thanks.”

  She gets inside the car. Moments later, the engine starts and she drives off, leaving me behind.

  I scratch my head.

  What the hell just happened?

  ~

  “What happened to Mommy?” Alexa asks me the same question when I pick her up.

  “Oh, she just had to do some stuff for work,” I say, slinging her tiny purple backpack over my shoulder.

  “But I thought she didn’t have work,” Alexa says.

  I place my hand on the top of her head. “Technically, she still does.”

  “Is she okay?” Alexa asks. “She looked upset yesterday. And this morning, too.”

  I frown.

  Of course she noticed. How could she not?

  “She’s okay,” I assure Alexa. “She just has a lot on her mind.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”

  I kneel in front of her, placing my hand on her shoulder. “Of course not. Whatever it is that’s bothering your mom, I promise you it’s not your fault.”

  “Then why didn’t she fetch me?” Alexa asks, pouting. “She always fetches me even when she’s so busy. Well, not always, but most of the time she does, and I
kind of want her to.”

  I squeeze her shoulder. “Like I said, she just has a lot of stuff on her mind right now. You know, being a mom and working—it’s not easy. But your mom is so good at it. She’ll pull through. I know it.”

  Alexa says nothing.

  I pinch her cheek. “Why? Am I not good enough for you?”

  She looks at me.

  “What about if I carry you on my shoulders, huh? Will that make you feel better?”

  Slowly, her lips curve into a smile. “I always wanted someone to do that.”

  “Come here, then.”

  I help her get on my shoulders, then stand up. I wobble at first under her weight, drawing a squeal from her, but I steady myself, holding her hands.

  “Are you alright up there?”

  “Yup.”

  I don’t see her face, but I can imagine how happy she looks, which makes my chest feel tight and warm.

  To think such a little thing could make her so happy.

  I start walking. “You know, your Mom and I went to this place with lots of animals earlier today.”

  “A zoo?” Alexa asks.

  “No. It’s called a pet haven. It’s a place where people with pets can go and just have fun.”

  “I wanna go there.”

  “But you need to have a pet to go there.”

  “I wanna have a pet,” she says. “I’ve always wanted one.”

  “Can you have pets at your apartment?”

  “Yeah. Janine has a crab, and someone on our floor has hamsters.”

  “Really?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Well, if you could have a pet, what would you like?” I ask her.

  “A mouse,” she says. “Can I have one, please?”

  I can imagine those puppy dog eyes on her.

  “You’ll have to ask your mom about that.”

  “But she’s not here. Please, can we get one right now?”

  “I don’t know, sweetheart. Getting a pet isn’t a decision you should make on the spur of a moment.”

  “But I’ve been wanting one forever,” she argues.

  “Having a pet isn’t easy,” I point out. “Even if it’s just a small pet, it can be a huge responsibility.”

  “What’s respinsobility?”

  “If you don’t even know that word, how can you have a pet?”

  “I know it’s not easy, but does that mean I can’t try?” Alexa asks. “I’ll do my best, I promise.”

  I sigh. She really is too smart. And too adorable.

  “Please?” she begs, resting her head on top of mine.

  “Fine,” I give in, unable to resist. “I guess your mom won’t mind.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ingrid

  “What part of ‘don’t make major decisions about her life’ did you not understand?”

  Once again, I’m seething as I pace the living room. And this just after I went to a spa and the movie theater to relax.

  “I didn’t think it was a major decision,” Conner argues, sitting in the middle of the couch.

  “All I asked was for you to pick her up from school. That was all.”

  “And she begged me for a pet, so we stopped by the pet store.”

  I glance at the cage with two white mice on the coffee table.

  “Just like that, huh?” I place my hands on my hips. “What? If she asked you for the moon, you’d give it to her?”

  “If I could.”

  “You’re the adult, Conner. You could have said no. You should have said no.”

  “It was just a present.”

  I stop walking and stand across him. “A present I decided long ago not to give her.”

  He crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh, is that what this is about? Because I made you look like the bad guy? Because you’re afraid she’ll like me more than she likes you? Is that it?”

  I step forward, fists clenched at my sides. “How dare you.”

  He stands up. “Why don’t you just admit it? You’re afraid I might steal her from you.”

  “Well, you do have a record for stealing.”

  He chuckles, hands falling to his hips. “Finally, some honesty.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Isn’t that why you ran away earlier? Because Mrs. Richards’s words got to you? Because you couldn’t bear to hear the truth or face the fact that other people can be true to themselves?”

  I point a finger at him, shoulders heaving. “This isn’t about me. It’s about you breaking the rules, rules I made.”

  “What? Are you being like Damien Shore now, all obsessed with the rules?”

  I plant my hand on my chest. “I have no choice. I need to make rules because I’m her mother.”

  “And I’m her…”

  The door to the bedroom opens before he can finish, and Alexa comes out.

  I take a deep breath. “Honey, I told you to stay in the room.”

  “You’re scaring Lulu and Lily.”

  She kneels by the coffee table and scoops one of the mice out of the cage.

  “Put the mouse back in the cage, sweetheart,” I tell her.

  She doesn’t obey, holding the mouse against her heart instead.

  “Alexa…”

  “Why are you getting mad at him?” she asks. “I was the one who wanted the mice. Why don’t you want them, anyway? I said I’d take care of them.”

  Great. Now I am the bad guy.

  I point to the bedroom door. “Put the mouse back in the cage, sweetheart, and go back to the room.”

  “Why are you being so mean?”

  “Alexa, this isn’t…”

  “Ow!” she yelps as the mouse tumbles to the rug.

  I rush over to her to check her hand. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She holds up her mitted hand. “I’m wearing a mitten so there’s no cut. It just hurt a bit.”

  “See. This is why…”

  I don’t finish because the mouse scurries between my feet and I jump.

  “Lulu!” Alexa shouts.

  “Get that mouse!” I shout.

  Conner goes after it, but it’s scurrying too fast across the living room.

  I chase after it as well. “Come here, you!”

  I dive at the floor the same time Conner does, resulting in a head butt.

  “Ouch!” I rub my head as I pick myself up.

  “Sorry,” Conner mumbles, rubbing his head as well.

  “I got her!” Alexa says, following the mouse as it scurries into the bedroom.

  My eyes grow wide. Not the bedroom!

  I rush in there and find Alexa crawling under the bed. I prepare to crouch, too, but the mouse scurries out and races back to the living room. I chase after it, only to stumble across Conner, who’s still sitting on the floor, and fall over his lap.

  “Whoa!” Conner says. “You okay?”

  “Don’t you get any weird ideas.” I push myself off his lap before he tries anything.

  He puts his hands up. “Nope. No ideas.”

  I spot the mouse on the other side of the room and run after it. “Get up and help me catch that rat!”

  “It’s a mouse,” Alexa corrects, rushing back into the living room.

  And just in time. The mouse passes in front of her and she dives to the floor and snags it.

  “I got it!”

  I place my hand on my head, letting out a sigh of relief—which quickly vanishes as Alexa’s elbow hits the stool while she’s getting up. Its legs wobble alarmingly.

  “Alexa, watch out!”

  Conner rushes over to steady the stool, but it’s too late. The paper bag that I’ve set down on it slides off the edge, and the jar inside, which I got from the spa, flies out. Its lid, which I must have neglected to close properly, flies as well, and the open jar lands on Conner’s head with a plop. The green seaweed moisturizer oozes down his hair and face, some of it dripping onto his shirt.

  I cover my mouth to gasp in
horror, only to end up bursting into laughter seconds later.

  I can’t help it. With that green, foul-smelling slime on his head, he reminds me of some bizarre B movie menace, like a creature from the deep or a lake monster or something.

  Alexa starts laughing along, and while for a moment Conner looks like he’s about to get pissed, he, too, breaks into laughter.

  Then Conner stops. “Oh, you think it’s funny, do you?”

  He grabs some of the goo and splatters it on Alexa.

  “No!” she squeals, turning away.

  Conner stands up, looking at me.

  I put a finger up. “Oh no you don’t.”

  He ignores my warning and rushes at me.

  “No!” I scream as I run away.

  Jumping over the couch, he catches me and starts rubbing the moisturizer on my cheeks as Alexa giggles in the background.

  “Now you have something green on you, too,” he says.

  I ignore the allusion, wiping the substance off my cheek and staring at my fingers.

  “Ew.” I grimace. “That stinks.”

  “You’re the one who bought it,” Conner reminds me.

  “Yeah. What was I thinking?”

  I head to the bathroom, touching Alexa’s shoulder on my way. “Let’s go wash this stinky, slimy stuff off.”

  ~

  “Well, that’s the last of it,” I say as I wipe the last drop of green slime from the floor with a paper towel. I’ve been at the task since I finished taking a shower.

  At least the stuff comes off easily and the smell doesn’t linger once it’s gone.

  Throwing the paper towel into the wastebasket, I go to the couch and turn on the TV. As I’m flipping through the channels, Conner comes out of his room, drying his hair with a towel.

  “So, did it come off?” I ask him.

  He takes the towel off his head to show me his hair. “Did it?”

  I nod. “I think you got most of it out.”

  “Good.” He continues drying his hair. “That doesn’t mean I like it any better.”

  “Just think of it as conditioner,” I tell him. “Oh, you know what? You might have stumbled across a new product. Seaweed conditioners. Perfect for when you come out of the pool or for days when you just miss the sea so much that you want to smell like it.”