by Alisha Watts
Chris was quiet for a moment and then smiled. “Heh, trust a biker to be the one to start talking fire.”
It was Steve’s turn to give him a flat look. “Very funny. Regardless...?” he prompted as he looked at him expectantly.
“All right, fine. I might have a crush on Skylar.”
“That girl from highschool that you always talk about?” He thought about what he had said for a minute and then grinned. “You always talk about her if you’re talking about a girl. How come I didn’t realize that before?”
“Must be the fact that I’m too clever to get found out before I want to be?”
“Nah, that’s not it. If you were that clever then I wouldn’t have to kidnap you.”
“Yeah, about that-”
“No, no, the more interesting matter is about her. What are you going to do about it?”
“I want to tell her but she’s been so busy lately. I was tempted to go and get coffee by her work since that’s where we usually bump into each other. I just don’t have any more research to do and thought it might be creepy for me to just hang around there hoping to see her.”
“Guys do it all the time, they just don’t like to admit it.”
“Well, I don’t want to be creepy.”
“It isn’t creepy to go for what you want. Besides, don’t I remember you saying that she was into you but you had to shut her down because you still had school to deal with?”
Chris sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he shut his eyes. “Did you have to bring that up?”
“Wow, it’s that bad, huh?”
“Steve!”
“Okay, okay, sorry. Do you want me to talk to her, then, and field whether she’s still an option?” Steve asked hastily.
“No, I’ll talk to her. I’m sure it’s not going to be too much of a problem since she’s had so much difficulty finding the person that she connects with best. She’s not the kind of person to rush into anything.”
Steve caught his breath as he gazed fixedly at a point above Chris’s shoulder. “Anything like finding someone that looks like he stepped out of a teenage high school movie?”
“She runs into people like that all the time. From the sound of it she never lets it get too far past talking since they usually do something to make her upset.” He was swishing his drink idly around the cup and hadn’t noticed Steve’s inattention.
“And she’s not the clinging to someone while batting her eyes out of their sockets at them.”
“No, not really. She’s more sensible than that.”
“And she certainly wouldn’t get engaged to anyone.”
“No, why are you asking...” he trailed off as he turned to look at what had caught Steve’s eye so thoroughly. His shoulders tightened but he did not otherwise react outwardly. Steve watched him warily as Chris took several measured breaths and then turned to shrug awkwardly at his friend. He smiled but Steve was pretty sure it was the last thing he wanted to do. “Huh. Well, I hope she’s happy.”
“You hope she’s happy? Chris, weren’t you just saying that kind of thing was out of character for her?”
“Maybe I don’t know her as well as I thought I did,” Chris retorted. The ice in his tone made Steve wince.
“Come on, man, it’s not that bad. Maybe she’s just here with him and happened to forget that she shouldn’t be wearing jewelry on her ring finger or something.”
Chris gave him another extremely flat look. “No girl just forgets that she’s wearing a ring on her wedding finger. At least, not any girl that I know.”
“It... could be a purity ring?”
“No, it’s not. It’s fine, if that’s what she wants then I am happy for her. Or I will be. I just will find something else to do rather than pursue her, so I guess I should thank her for settling that problem that I was having.”
“You don’t sound like you’re fine with it, dude.”
“Well, I can’t say I trust that guy she’s with. I don’t know anything about him and the way he’s holding her elbow all the time like she might wander off is not okay. Is he afraid she’ll wander off and start getting opinions of her own rather than just staying as close to him as possible and listening to him talk?” Chris watched them bitterly for a moment but forced his expression to be as neutral as possible when he saw Skylar notice him.
Steve glanced nervously at his friend as they watched her drag the guy she was with through the crowd towards them. “You sure you’re cool?”
“As a cucumber.”
“Chris! Congratulations!” Skylar said as she hugged her friend. She didn’t seem to notice that Chris was more rigid in her hold than usual. “I’m so happy for you!”
“Seems like I should be saying the same thing to you. Who is the guy that finally swept you off your feet?”
Skylar giggled and fussed with her hair so it would be out of her face as she shyly but proudly indicated the man standing next to her. “This is Grayson. He’s a singer.”
“Nice to meet you,” Grayson said as he held out a hand.
Steve winced and wondered if they were trying to break each other’s hands. The way the two of them stared at each other was intense but Skylar continued to prattle on about how they had met or some nonsense before telling Grayson about how she and Chris went way back and were such good friends.
“Funny, I think I would have met him before if he was such a good friend for you.”
“I’ve been finishing my thesis. Can’t graduate without doing some work,” Chris responded mildly. Steve was impressed that his tone was so level when he could tell that Chris was shaking. It was definitely time to rescue him.
“Besides, Chris’s head’s always been in a good place. He’s been trying to have more time for his friends but said he was having trouble getting in touch with Skylar,” Steve said as he ignored Chris’s warning look.
Skylar at least had the grace to look embarrassed. “With all that Grayson and I have been up to I haven’t had much time for other people. I’ve barely even talked to Tara, come to think of it.”
“Well, that’s normal when you’re getting engaged, I should think. They know you haven’t forgotten them, you’re just busy right now.”
Skylar smiled and clung to his arm so she could rest her head on his shoulder and stare up at him adoringly. “Isn’t he just the sweetest? Anyway, I’m glad you’re finally out of school and all that, Chris. Hope that it all works out for you, and I’ll text you later, okay?”
“Where are you going?” Steve asked suspiciously.
“I have a gig this afternoon so we didn’t have much time to hang,” Grayson said with a careless shrug as he wrapped a possessive arm around his fiance. “Cool party, man.”
Chris took a calming breath and forced a smile. “Enjoy your afternoon.”
Steve watched them go and scoffed disgustedly. “Is he controlling her life or something? She should be allowed to do what she wants, not be ruled by his schedule.”
“He’s definitely something,” Chris said softly. The hurt and worry was so obvious that Steve couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable.
“Are you still up for going to the bar after this? I don’t want to push you.”
“I can’t stop living my life because she’s got her own. I’m cool.”
Steve wondered just how good an idea it was to take his ‘cool’ friend out to a place designed for hanging out and drinking but at least he’d be there with him. If Chris got too messed up at least Steve was there to be the designated driver and corral him back home. Besides it might just be what Chris needed to go out and just not think for the night. He did enough of that as it was without heartache making it worse.
Chapter Five
“I’m glad you invited me to help out.”
“Of course I need you around, Tara, how else am I going to make all these important decisions? I have at least fifty different errands to run before I even have an idea of what I’m going to want.”
“Skyl
ar, the wedding isn’t for five months. And I still think that’s too soon.”
“Really? But everyone loves a spring wedding.”
“Skylar. I’m serious.”
She turned away from looking at the row of white dresses to stare confusedly at her friend. “What is the problem? I thought you liked Grayson.”
“It’s not a matter of not liking him. I just think that you’re moving too fast. I don’t hear from you for a few days and then suddenly you’re inviting me to be your maid of honor? I think you’d be worried about me if I just decided that Andrew and I were getting married.”
“But you guys have been together for years and you said you didn’t want to get married.”
“We have been but that’s not the point. If I changed my views all of a sudden then you would be worried.”
“I suppose, but you know that I’ve been looking for someone to get married to. It’s not like what I want in life has changed drastically.”
“You’ve only known this guy for a few months, though, so how do you know he’s who you should get married to?”
“I just know, okay? Some things you can’t explain, they’re just right. If all the stars align and point to a certain destiny then I’m not going to question it. I deserve to be happy and he makes me happy.”
“I just don’t know what to make of it and I think that you’re moving too fast. I’m more than happy to help you out here but please promise that you’ll think about what I said. Okay?”
“Fine, I’ll think about it. I just don’t think it’s as big of a deal as you think it is.”
“The growing divorce rate is all the proof I need. Marriage ruins relationships.”
“Maybe that’s why you won’t get married but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. Besides, those are just statistics and I’m not a number.”
“Neither are any of those people, they... you know what, just forget it.”
“No, tell me what you’re thinking,” Skylar said as she realized that the clerks were staring at them and returned to browsing the dresses.
“No one expects bad things to happen to them.”
“Grayson’s not a bad person! He’s a perfect gentleman.”
Tara sighed and pulled out a dress that she thought was pretty. “Of course he is. What about this one?”
Skylar came to examine the dress and smiled as she fingered the material. “I like that it’s not really all that scratchy and the fabric gives a little. Most of these feel like they’re full of starch or something.”
“Well, they’re supposed to look a certain way and usually that means that they have to take drastic measures to make the dress do what they want it to. Fashion statements usually are uncomfortable to wear and restrictive in some manner.”
“This coming from the girl that would wear long tops and leggings every day if she could.”
“Hey, they’re comfortable and I never look like I just slipped on comfortable things that morning. I like looking like I made an effort to dress pretty when I didn’t.”
“Yeah, you’re definitely the kind of person that wears all their prettiest things when you have to do laundry and all your comfortable clothes are dirty.”
“I don’t mind the dresses and stuff but they are definitely more your style. That is, when you’re not in jeans and cowboy boots. Maybe you should find a dress that lets you wear your favorite boots with it.”
“Like that wouldn’t be one of the silliest things. Big, pretty white dress, beat up cowgirl boots. That would be so attractive.”
“It would be par for the course with you. I bet you’d have it in your will that you want to be buried in those things.”
“Tara, geez, it’s not like I’m married to my boots. I can wear ballet flats or something that goes with the dress and it’ll be just fine.”
“You could but it will be interesting to see you trying to walk in them. It would be even better if you were to try heels.”
“More people have hurt themselves falling in heels than I care to count. And they hurt my back.”
“So your solution is to always wear cowboy boots? You don’t even do the kind of labor those are built for.”
“You never know, I could decide that I should be part of the 4H club.”
“If you ever do then you should bring me along. I would love to see you pretending to know anything about ranching.”
“Don’t the girls in that kind of club just do quilting and embroidery?”
Tara stared at her and then rolled her eyes. “On second thought, don’t bring me along. I don’t want to get hogtied with you by some of those rodeo girls when they hear you say things like that.”
“What? I don’t know what girls do in that kind of lifestyle. I don’t think about it all that often.”
“Apparently. So a country wedding is probably pretty out the door.”
“Well that only makes sense. I’m getting married to a rock singer so I probably shouldn’t come in all country.”
“We could find a way to dress you up like a rocker, then. Give you platforms and rip one of these babies up, safety pin it obviously in a risque fashion, and get you some crazy jewelry and black eyeliner.” Tara started as if something amazing had just occurred to her. “Does Grayson ever wear some?”
“Some what?”
“Guyliner, obviously.”
“Um, sometimes. It’s not that big of a deal.”
Skylar spent the rest of the afternoon after that trying to defend Grayson’s life choices to a guffawing Tara as they circled the store and annoyed the other patrons. Tara, for her part, was judging Grayson far too much to be won over by her friends nearly constant protestations that wearing guyliner did not make Grayson a bad person.
Not that she had a problem with guys that rocked the makeup but Grayson wasn’t nearly famous enough of a singer for that kind of thing. The proportion of makeup a man could wear and still be hot and awesome was directly proportionate to how famous they were, and any man that tried to look more famous by wearing more makeup was not okay in her book. Not that that was the main reason she disagreed with Skylar’s decision to fall for him but it was definitely a reason.
~~~
Chris signalled to turn into his mother’s subdivision and set the car to park in her driveway. He checked to make sure that her car was gone and could not help a sigh of relief. Good. She was at work, probably pulling at least a double shift since she had sounded busy when he had talked to her on her break. He’d told her that he was dropping by to pick up some stuff and she had not asked him many questions about it. She was much more interested in how the job search was going.
The answer, of course, was well and he had several prospects to choose from. He just hadn’t decided yet if he was going to leave the state or stay in the area. There were some job offers that were local but it seemed like there were so many more options out in the world.
The fact that he wasn’t sure if the options out of state were more appealing because it meant he would have a better job or because it meant he would not be running into Skylar as frequently. Having a new life meant a new coffee shop, new friends, and a new life. He just wasn’t sure if he was unhappy enough with the life that he had to go.
Steve had expected him to drink more, to be angrier. The truth was, though, that he was more hurt than angry. Even if he had put Skylar off it had only been a few months that she would have had to wait if she had just stopped meeting new guys since they’d last hung out. Granted, he could have told her that she should wait for him and so it was partially his fault, but that didn’t stop him from being hurt.
No, Chris had known what he needed to do. His bike had been in perfect repair when he had put it into storage and shouldn’t need too much of a boost to be ready for the road again. He left his mother a note explaining what he was up to and checked to make sure the duffel he had packed strapped properly to the back of the bike.
“I’ve always wanted to see how far I could go. Riding with you has m
ade me think of it, I guess, but your mother would fret herself to death if I went all the way to Alaska like this. Nothing but a duffel bag and some cash. But can you imagine what that must be like? What kinds of people you would meet or sights that you would see? I think doing something like that would be good for everybody.”
“Why do you think that, Dad? Isn’t Alaska just cold and far away?”
“It’s not about Alaska, son. It’s about going, and doing something. Everyone should spend a year working in food service to learn common courtesy and everyone should take a long backpacking trip to learn value. The value of life and of not having anything with you, or anything holding you back. How far you get that day depends on you, and how soon you go home is your decision. I bet it would be magnificent.”
“Well, maybe we’ll go someday.”
“No, I don’t think so. If I go, I go alone. Wouldn’t want to feel like I have to march double time to keep up with you. Younger people move so much faster, after all.”
“Dad. You’re not that old.”
“And you’re not that young. Take a semester off and go to really learn something and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Clear skies and open roads would be good for you if you’d just enjoy them instead of sit there theorizing all day.”
Chris smiled and ran his hands over the handle of the bike. The break that Steve had taken him on had been good, had seemed sent to him at just that moment for a reason. It might not have been a sign that he was meant to have the things that he thought that he wanted when he came back from that. Maybe the message had been that he still had a long way to travel before he discovered where he was going.
He kicked the stand to one side and got took his seat. As he strapped his helmet on he took a deep breath.
Maybe he would end up in Alaska. Maybe he would see a road sign and decide to go somewhere else. Maybe he would get across state lines and camp out for a week or two and decide to come home. He had his phone with him but maybe he would decide not to answer it. Going to Alaska would be living his Dad’s dream, and that wasn’t what he wanted. Otherwise he would have asked Chris to just go with him.