The Wright Brother

by Marie Hall

  She knew what the Blue Moon was, it was the only blues club for several miles in any direction. Elisa’s brows lowered.

  “Music? You’ll be bored.”

  Tipping her chin up, he gave her a tender kiss before saying, “I can hear more than you think.”

  Laughing, she shrugged. “Okay then, I’ll call and see what they say.”

  Chastity and Luke were excited to go. Roman and Christian, however, couldn’t make it. The guys had opted to hit up a gentleman’s club instead. Considering all three of them had just turned twenty-one, Elisa wasn’t terribly surprised by their decision.

  Because Chastity had told Elisa that the place was a kind of throwback to the smoky elegance of a fifties club, she’d decided to go shopping. She’d gone to the mall with the hopes of finding a sequined flapper-style dress, because it just seemed like the right sort of dress to wear to a place like that, but the moment her eyes had landed on the floor-length, spaghetti-strap, form-fitting dark red gown, she’d known she had to grab it.

  It wasn’t often that Elisa got to dress up; she and Julian were well beyond proms at this point. Chastity had promised that everyone went in their best duds to this place, so she’d bought Julian a few items she’d found on clearance.

  Julian wasn’t a suit kind of man. He probably never would be. So she’d gone with black slacks, a steel-gray short sleeve, button-up shirt, a pair of suspenders, and a funky striped tie that she thought would look fun on him.

  Running the flat iron through her hair one final time, she applied a thick coat of nude lip gloss and then walked out of the bathroom only to come up short when she saw him.

  Julian hadn’t styled his hair, but he looked almost like a different man. The black tattoos trailing down his arms and up his neck made her heart thump violently against her ribcage.

  He rubbed his own chest before slowly offering her his arm.

  Remembering the last time she’d dared to wear heels, Elisa had decided on a pair of buff-colored chunky-heel pumps that she had to strap on. Last thing she wanted was to fall and break her foot this time.

  “You look beautiful,” he said and then trailed his knuckles down her cheek.

  “You too, Jules. How did I get to be so lucky?”

  “Beauty and the beast,” he said with a snort.

  Kissing his cheek, she shook her head. “I love the way you look. Now,” she said, grabbing her purse, “let’s go before we’re late.”

  The club was packed by the time Julian and Elisa made it there, but thankfully Chas and Luke had gotten there an hour ago, and, because Luke was friends with the owner, had managed to snag a choice booth by the stage.

  Elisa smiled as she slipped into the booth, taking a seat beside Luke, who leaned over and kissed her cheek before shaking Julian’s hands.

  She was so glad she’d dressed up the way she had, because Chastity hadn’t been lying. The people inside ranged from her age to over the hill, but all of them were dressed to the nines.

  The dress she thought might make her stand out like a sore thumb seemed sedate compared to some of the gaudy dresses parading around. Men were either in suits or at least dressed semi-formally.

  Chas herself was dressed in an eye-catching sequined mid-thigh gown. Half black and half white, it had a sweetheart neckline that showed off the ladies very nicely. Luke wore an all white zoot suit with a black tie and even had the hat on his head.

  Her friend’s eyes bugged. “Holy crap, you look so much like JLaw now—doesn’t she look like JLaw?” Chastity smacked Luke’s shoulder, and he just gave her an indulgent smile before nodding.

  Chastity was currently into all things Jennifer Lawrence, not that Elisa minded one bit being compared to her.

  “You’re so crazy, Chas, and you look gorgeous too,” she said as Julian slipped in beside her, placing an arm across her shoulder.

  “You found it okay, I see,” Luke said a moment later and spread his arm wide. “What do you think?”

  The smoky ambience of the place was what got Elisa, especially considering she didn’t actually see anyone smoking. The room was low lit, the tables covered in white table cloths, the booths so high as to give it a private feel even though the place was crowded, and the house band had her tapping her feet already.

  “It’s awesome,” Julian signed quickly, which made Luke beam.

  A waitress came by a moment later for their drink order, wearing a Playboy bunny-style outfit, complete with the black bow tie; the only things missing were the bunny ears and tail.

  Elisa smiled, already enjoying herself. She’d so needed this night and she was grateful now that Julian had suggested it.

  “So what are your plans for graduation?” Luke asked, signing it at the same time.

  Unlike her and Chas, he’d graduated the year before, but had managed to find an accounting job within twenty miles of the campus, making it possible for he and Chas to continue living in the same apartment.

  Chastity’s lips thinned as she patted Luke’s chest, as if to say, Don’t ask that. His eyes widened and he glanced between her and Julian with a wide-eyed “sorry” look.

  Shrugging, Elisa leaned into Julian’s side. “It’s okay. It’s obviously the elephant in the room.”

  Julian kissed her cheek, running his fingers lightly up and down her goose-pimpled bicep. Not talking, just touching.

  The band switched to a more up-tempo song, one with a strong back beat to it. Couples started getting up and going to the center of the floor to sway to the music.

  “I don’t know what we’re going to do,” she said a second later. “There aren’t many options for my career field around here. A few places in Massachusetts and New York, but yeah.” She ended on a sad little sigh.

  The drinks arrived a moment later and the conversation soon turned to other more neutral topics. But now Elisa couldn’t stop thinking about her and Julian and what they would do when the time came.

  “Hey, I want to dance.” Chastity grinned and, sliding out, held out her hand for Luke. Giving them a wink, she turned and sauntered off with Luke into the crowd.

  “I think she did that to give us some privacy,” Julian said a minute later.

  “I think they did too,” she agreed, giving him a sad little smile.

  “Smile Girl.” His beautiful sea-green eyes gazed at her tenderly. “Don’t think about this.”

  “Jules.” She scooted deeper into him. “It’s all I can think about lately. I try so hard to remember that we still have several more months before this becomes an issue, but it feels like time is just—”

  Grabbing her hands, he kissed her fingertips. It was what he did when she refused to switch the subject. Shoulders slumping, she leaned deeper into his touch.

  “Close your eyes and listen to the music with me,” he said, smiling deep into her eyes.

  “How do you do it? I see you all the time with the headphones, how do you hear it, Jules? Show me.”

  Sliding his hand over her throat, he placed his other palm flat on the table. The song playing now was slow with a smooth, and easy back beat. He didn’t move a muscle, as if waiting for something.

  Elisa sat perfectly still beneath him, her excitement growing as she waited to hear the world as he did. Then the song switched over, and the drumbeat was a forceful cadence.

  His finger moved on her throat, mimicking the beat just a half a second later on her skin. Her eyes widened as tears burned the back of her throat.

  She didn’t move, and barely took a breath as she lost herself not to the sound of the song, but to the rhythm of it playing along the column of her throat.

  Julian had closed his eyes, his whole body one of intense concentration as he focused. When the song finally ended, he looked up at her, and she framed his face with her suddenly cold hands.

  “You’re amazing, Julian Wright,” she said, his eyes immediately moving to her lips. “So amazing. How can I ever leave you?”

  When he kissed her, a quiet tear slipped out
the corner of her eye.

  Chapter 15

  Julian walked into the Adrians’ kitchen, sitting down beside her as he took a sip from their shared coffee mug.

  Elisa had graduated and since she’d no longer be back at campus, she and Julian had moved out of their apartment and back home for summer vacation.

  The job search had become less a source of sadness and more a source of frustration as the weeks rolled by and one library after another wrote back with the dreaded “Thank you for considering blah, blah, blah, but we regret to inform you that…” nonsense.

  She had, however, been invited to two libraries for interviews. One in Massachusetts, and one in Dublin—it’d been a cluster flying to Dublin just for the weekend to do that interview. The jet lag had been horrific, but Julian had been with her and his presence had settled her nerves enough to give a professional sounding interview, she hoped.

  The moment she’d stepped foot into the Trinity College library she’d just about had a heart attack. The place had been a nerd’s paradise, polished marble floors, bookshelves that seemed to run on for miles, and the book of Kells prominently displayed behind a glass case. Her fingers had gone cold, almost numb with a desire to hold it. To read it.

  The Boston Public Library had been nothing to sneeze at either, but if she had her choice, Dublin won her heart. Problem was, while she loved the idea of working in Dublin, she did not enjoy the idea of being so far away from Jules.

  “What’s the plan for today?” Julian signed. “Want to catch a movie, or—”

  Her cell phone rang. The song wasn’t one she was familiar with. She programmed different songs for different people, and this was her “stranger” ringtone. Eyes shooting immediately up to Julian, she froze.

  Frowning, he clipped his head, staring at the screen.

  “It’s Ireland.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  Each ring pierced her heart, made her feel like she wanted to puke.

  “Pick it up,” he said and then scooped it into his hands, answering the call before shoving it into her face.

  “Hel…hello?” she mumbled.

  “Yes, hello,” a pleasant female voice that didn’t sound at all like the one who’d interviewed her said. “May I speak with Elisa Adrian, please?”

  Shaking the cobwebs free, Elisa nodded her head. “That’s me. Yes, hi.”

  “Hi.” She could hear the smile on the other end. “We’ve had an opportunity to look over your packet, and we’re all in agreement that should you still desire to work here, the job is yours. We would also be very glad to assist you with finding an affordable flat in the city center.”

  Heart racing out of control, she gave a silent nod. She’d not yet heard back from Boston—what if they said yes?

  She already knew from her inquiries that Dublin wouldn’t pay half of what Boston would. Though she had no doubt she could find a roommate if she needed to help float the cost. But by no means would she be rich. All this she told herself, even as her internal little girl bounced up and down in exhilaration that she’d gotten the offer from the one she’d wanted most.

  “Can I have time to think about it?”

  “Oh yes, absolutely. Though we will need a firm answer by week’s end, I’m afraid.”

  Holding on to her chest, she nodded forcefully. “Yes, I understand, thank you.”

  When she hung up, Julian’s smile was broad, but it didn’t touch his eyes. “They offered you the job.”

  It wasn’t a question.

  Biting onto her bottom lip, she nodded. “They did.”

  “You seem surprised.” He traced her cheek softly. “I knew you’d get it.”

  Grabbing hold of his finger, she felt suddenly sick to her stomach, but tried to put on a brave face. “It was probably because of the way I kept gushing about their Strachan collection.”

  She swiped her fingers along the kitchen table, as if dusting it off.

  “You didn’t say yes.”

  Closing her eyes briefly, she sighed. “I need to hear back from Boston first. Besides, they pay more.”

  Giving him a weak smile, she got up from her seat. “I think we should go see a movie—give me a sec to go get ready.”

  She felt Julian’s eyes follow her out the kitchen like a hot brand searing into her shoulder blades.

  Two days later she got the call from Boston while Julian was out of town with his brothers.

  She hung up only to spot her mother and father looking back at her from their spots at the kitchen table. As one, they stood and walked to her side, taking a seat on either end of the living room couch.

  “So what’s the news?”

  “They accepted me, too.” She turned to her dad, but it was her mom who threw an arm around her, and with no warning whatsoever, Elisa began to cry big, fat, ugly tears. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Her father’s large, warm, and comforting hand rubbed up and down her spine as her mom petted her hair. “Baby girl, that’s the beauty of having choices, you can decide.”

  Sniffing, she wiped at her nose, wishing like hell she was ten again and back at the beach with the boys before they moved away, before Mr. Wright had died, before things with Julian had become so much more complicated.

  But she wasn’t ten. She was twenty-four and life was complicated, it was messy, and she had a huge decision to make.

  “You’ll make the right choice, Elisa Jane, you always do.” Her father’s deep voice brought a tiny smile to her face.

  Pulling away from her mother, she tried to get herself together. “I know what my heart wants.”

  “And that is?” Her mother took her hand, patting it gently as her father got up to putter around in the kitchen.

  Looking deep into her mother’s brown eyes, so similar to her own, Elisa envied her in a way she never had before. Mom had gotten it all. She’d married her dad straight out of college, found her dream job in her dream place, bought her dream home, and had lived the fairytale life.

  She closed her eyes. “I want to work in Dublin, but I want to live in Boston.”

  “Yeah,” her mother chuckled, “but we both know that’s not possible at all. So let’s weigh the pros and cons. Dublin?”

  She shrugged. “Pros. It’s probably one of the top three most prestigious libraries in all the world. I’ll have access to their rare and special collections department that literally makes me want to weep with joy. I’ll live in a new and exciting place.”

  “Now cons.”

  Her father came back in then and handed her a warm mug of chamomile tea. Elisa took it with a grateful smile. With a kiss to her forehead and one for her mother, he turned and walked out the door, heading out for his daily twenty-mile bike ride.

  Dad tried, bless his heart, to support her, but he’d never been very comfortable with heart-to-hearts. Especially after how she’d reacted when Mr. Wright had passed.

  “Cons.” She sipped from the tea. “It will only pay half of what I’d get at Boston. But more than that, the distance between Julian and I might as well be planets apart.”

  Agreeing with a gentle nod of her head, her mother plucked at her shell-pink capri pants. “True. And as much as I wish it were otherwise, long-distance relationships rarely work out.”

  “Really?” Elisa sat her mug down and turned her body fully toward her mother. “Don’t they sometimes, Mum? I mean, I’ve heard of it happening. I’ve heard of people making it, and Julian and I, what we have, it’s magical. I’d like to believe that if I choose Dublin we’d be able to make it work until he graduated and could come out to me.”

  “Ha.” She gave a surprised laugh, her blonde brows reaching up into her hairline. “Honey, that’s assuming an awful lot. Just because you want to go there doesn’t mean he would.”

  Her mother’s words made Elisa’s heart bleed. Deep down she knew it was true, but her desire to get it all beat strong inside her. “But he’s an artist, he can work anywhere.”

  “But baby”—
she patted Elisa’s knee—“the quickest way to make someone resent you is to force them to live the life you want. If Julian decided he’d like to go, that’s one thing, but don’t pin all your hopes and dreams on that.”

  “Even if I choose Boston, we’re still several hours apart. It’s long distance either way we go.”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Yes, that’s true. But one doesn’t require you to save thousands of dollars a year just to fly out to see you.”

  A tear leaked out the corner of her left eye. “Mom, I don’t know what to do. I applied at Ashe College, but there was nothing available. I applied everywhere I could think of… Do you know how improbable it was for me to get asked to not one, but two of the top libraries in the world? The odds of that are astronomical. I’ll never get this chance again.”

  Her mother hugged her hands to her breast in a Saint Mary type of pose. “Honey, I know. And I also know that he will understand no matter what you choose.”

  “So why is this so difficult?” She licked her dry lips, hating that she couldn’t even be happy right now. Either choice would take her far away from Julian. For a time their age gap had ceased being a problem, but now here they were again in the same situation as high school. She couldn’t afford to stay and he wasn’t able to leave.

  “Because you love him desperately, and he feels exactly the same way about you, and I’m going to be the bearer of bad news, Elisa, as much as I don’t want to. Two years is a long, long time. You could stay, get a job at a local Wal-Mart, bag groceries, flip burgers, whatever”—she flicked her wrist—“but as the weeks rolled by and turned to months, then years, and you’re stuck in a dead-end job with no prospects you’d grow to resent him for it. You’d think about everything you lost by choosing him and you’d grow to hate him.”

  The way she said it, with an emotionless tone of voice, gave Elisa chills. “You sound like you’re familiar with that.”

  Her mother had been staring off into space, but now turned her gaze back to Elisa. “Why do you think your father walked out of here? Elisa, if you think he and I have always had it easy, you couldn’t be more wrong. Your dad and I made it work, because we love each other, but there was a time…” She closed her eyes and a small shudder worked its way across her shoulders.