by Scott, Lisa
He pointed at her. “Corporate law. It’s your destiny.”
The little girl gave him a look. “Please. Personal injury is where the money’s at.”
He searched the lobby and the terrace and finally went out to the parking lot, where he spotted a parked car running, probably for the heat; it was freezing out. He walked over and tapped on the window. Kyla looked up, tears streaming down her face. Then she swore.
Stone’s heart fell, seeing her like that. “Can I come in?”
She pursed her lips then hit the unlock button. Stone dashed around the car and climbed in the passenger seat. “So I met your brothers,” he said, rubbing his hands in front of the heater. “I do believe that’s the closest I’ve ever come to getting pummeled.”
Kyla wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “Why? What did you do?”
“Seriously? I’m usually the clueless one. When you ran off, they figured it was something I said,” he told her.
“Sorry.” Kyla said, her spunk and sass totally drained away. “When the three of them are together, it’s like testosterone overload, but one-on-one, they’re pussycats.”
“I don’t care about them. Are you okay? You don’t strike me as the type to run off and cry.”
She looked out the window. “It’s been building for a while.” The wipers swiped across the windshield.
Stone touched her arm, and then pulled his hand away, remembering the look Kyla had given Jessie when she’d touched her. “Wanna talk about it?”
Kyla shook her head.
“What could be worse than all the horrible things I’ve told you? Everyone has their issues, Kyla.”
“I’m too embarrassed to tell you.”
“Why?”
“You’re a PhD and I’m a stupid high school drop out.”
“You’re not stupid. Maybe I’m the stupid one spending years of my life on a degree that’s getting me nowhere so far. For putting my life on pause for my career. What could be worse?”
“It’s nothing.”
Stone shook his head. “No, it’s not. Something got you this upset.”
Kyla blew out a breath and stared at the ceiling of her car. “Fine. It’s not like we had a chance anyway. Like Jessie said, I was near the top of my class in high school. I had big plans for college, my guidance counselors were talking about scholarships and the whole deal.”
Stone titled his head. “What do you mean you and I don’t have a chance? What does that mean?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
Oh, lord. It was like he was in a foreign country where he only knew a few words of the language. He’d almost gotten run over by a bus when he asked for directions in Italy once, and this was more unnerving. He shrugged, his brows knitted as he tried to keep up. “So, what happened?”
“Dale O’Connor happened.”
“You dropped out because of a guy?”
Her hands covered her face like she was saying a prayer. “He got me pregnant. Everyone had such big expectations for me, and I was mortified to have disappointed everyone. So I dropped out.”
“Didn’t the guy help you?”
“He moved south after graduation. I never saw him again.”
This time, Stone set his hand on her shoulder and left it there. “So you’re a single mother?”
She shook her head. “The baby was adopted. I was torn, but my mother insisted I’d never reach my potential raising a child at such a young age. She had big dreams for me. But once I gave the baby up, I fell into such a depression. I just stopped caring about everything.” She sniffed. “I guess when I gave the baby up, I gave up, too, and I ended up blaming her. We had a huge fall out.”
He reached for her hand, and surprisingly she didn’t slap him away. “And you haven’t had a serious relationship since?”
“Who said that?” Kyla asked.
“Your brothers.”
Kyla’s eye widened then narrowed. “Those jerks!”
“So, it’s true?”
“Yeah, who would want me?”
“I would.”
She snorted. “You have your doctorate. I got my GED mailed to me. Men like you don’t go out with women like me.”
Stone closed his eyes and shook his head. “No, you’ve got it wrong. Women like you don’t go out with guys like me. Total nerd. Social moron. You made it very clear when you first met me that you weren’t interested.”
She tipped her chin in the air. “I don’t let myself be interested in unattainable men.”
“You can attain me. I’m attainable. For you.” He frowned. “God, that sounded stupid.”
“No, it was sweet in a weird way.” She blushed and sunk down in her seat. “But my life’s a wreck. I’m not what you’re looking for.”
He shifted in his seat so he was facing her. “And I am? I’ve got a PhD, but I don’t have a job. Your life is stalled. And so is mine. Maybe together we could change that.”
She thought about it for a moment. “It’s like I’ve been frozen in place for a long time.”
Stone snapped his fingers. “Maybe that’s why you’re so cold.”
She sat up in her seat. “Excuse me? I’m cold?”
He groaned. “Where is a worm hole when you need it?”
“Huh?”
“To climb back in time, get things right? It’s the prevailing hypothesis on the possibility of time travel.” He growled in frustration. “I don’t think this is going to change, you know. Me, always saying the wrong thing. I don’t really think you can help me with that.”
She looked at their hands linked together, then up into his eyes. “I don’t want to change you.”
“Really?”
She shook her head. “I like you just the way you are.”
“Good. Because I don’t think you can change me. None of your lessons were really working, anyway.”
“Thank god,” she said, smiling at him.
Stone let out a long sigh. “So, I’m going to be honest. I’m not sure what to do here. Can I try to kiss you, or will I get smacked?”
“You’ll get smacked if you don’t.”
“Understood.” Stone wrapped one hand around the back of her head and slowly, softly moved his lips over hers.
Kyla pulled away and sucked in a breath. “Damn, who taught you how to kiss?”
He pulled away and smiled. “My sister.”
Her eyes went wide then she laughed. “Ah, yes. Your football-loving sister.” She whacked him in the arm. “See, maybe there is hope for your humor.”
He moved back in for a kiss. “I’d rather work on this instead.”
***
The next night, Kyla was nervous as she waited for Stone to come over to her place to watch the Super Bowl. Maybe they’d just gotten carried away at the wedding. Maybe it was just the magic of the night. Maybe he’d walk in, see her brothers again, and run. He wouldn’t be the first. “I want you all to apologize to him,” she said to her brothers, sitting on the couch, waiting for the game.
Aubrey sat in a chair across from them. “Like meeting a great guy isn’t hard enough without three meddling brothers.”
“We thought he upset you, Kyla,” Nick said. “Sorry.”
“You don’t pick out the best guys. Remember Dale?” Toby asked.
Kyla gave them a look. “Of course I remember Dale.”
She heard a knock on her apartment door. “Now be nice!” She ran to get it, and Stone came in and handed her a single candle taper.
“What’s this for?”
“It’s a candle. Remember you really wanted the candles in that body lotion gift basket at the baby shower? The one I let Nana Clark win?”
“Right. Wow. You’re so thoughtful. Thank you so much.” She took the candle from him and set it on the table by the door. Then she led him out to the living room where her brothers and sister sat.
He froze. “Hey, fellas. And Aubrey. Nice, gentle, Aubrey. How ya doing, guys?” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his t
hroat.
They all stood up and Stone took a step back. And then another.
“Hang on, we’re just going to say sorry. We came to Kyla’s tiny place on Super Bowl Sunday. Give us some points for that. But I haven’t seen Kyla this happy in a long time,” Nick said.
“How would you know happy?” Eric asked Nick. “You’ve been miserable for years.”
“Of course I am, with siblings like you,” Nick said.
“I know what would make you even happier, sis. A bigger place,” Toby said. “How are we all supposed to watch football here?”
“Seriously, Kyla. My bedroom is bigger than your apartment,” Aubrey said.
“I’m all for Kyla being happy, too,” Stone said. “The two of us were talking about getting ourselves unstuck. Maybe you can get a better place, go to college if you want. Anything, Kyla.”
“Or maybe you can just knock that chip off your shoulder and take the money mom left you,” Toby said.
“You don’t even have to go to college. You could live off that money for the rest of your life,” Eric said.
Stone looked at her. “You’ve got money?”
Kyla glared at her brothers, then looked back at Stone. “My mom left us all a pretty big inheritance. But I don’t want her money. I want to make my own way.”
Toby made a timeout sign with his hands. “Stone, you didn’t know that—and you liked her anyway?”
“I met her at the perfume counter at Macy’s. No, I didn’t think she had money,” Stone says. “And if she doesn’t want to use it, that’s fine with me.”
The three brothers said “Aww,” all at once.
Kyla tipped up her chin. “Good. Because I might never touch it.”
Stone put his arm around her shoulder. “I don’t care if you have money or not.”
She looked up to kiss him, but Stone hesitated. “I’m not sure if I should do this in front of your brothers.”
Eric nodded at him. “Go ahead. We’re cool with you now.”
Stone curled his arms around her and held her tight. Then he set his hands on her shoulders. “But just out of curiosity, why are you working at a job you hate when you’ve got lots of money available?”
Good question, asked the voice in her head.
“Guess I had something to prove,” Kyla said.
“Mom’s dead, Kyla. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. You never did,” Toby said.
Kyla shrugged. “To myself, I did.”
“So quit,” Stone said. “Take some time to figure out what you’d like to do. Take some time to spend with me.”
“Ugh. They’re getting romantic. Can we watch the game at your place, Toby?” Eric asked. “We still have time to get there.”
Kyla threw a pillow at him. “Please do. Get out of here.”
“Kyla’s got a boyfriend, Kyla’s got a boyfriend,” the three brothers chanted as they left the apartment.
“Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it little sis?” Eric said, closing the door behind him before a pillow hit bounced off it.
Kyla cleared her throat. “You, too, Aubrey?”
Aubrey sat staring and smiling at them. “Oh. Yes, of course.” She wiped away a tear. “I’m just so happy for you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find you a boyfriend next,” Kyla said. “We’ll get to work on it tomorrow.”
“Let me just get out of here.” Aubrey gathered her things and quietly slipped out the door.
Stone looked at her, awed. “It’s a miracle you ever dated at all.”
And it’s time for you to start dating again, said her mother’s voice. I’m sorry.
“Sorry?” Kyla said.
“For what?” Stone asked cautiously. “I am. Sorry that is, if I did something. I’m just not sure what it is. But I’m sorry.”
Kyla looked up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry, too.”
“Okay…” Stone said cautiously. “Maybe we should just kiss and make up. For whatever it is.”
“And miss the Super Bowl?”
“Oh, right.”
She slugged him playfully, and then clicked off the TV, tossing the remote over her shoulder. “I’m kidding. We’ll tune in after half-time.”
Stone trailed a finger across her lips and kissed her like she’d never been kissed.
“Thank you,” she whispered, hoping her mother heard her.
Stone grinned. “You’re welcome.”
She slugged him again.
He held up his hands. “I swear to god I’m going to figure this out one of these days.”
Not likely, her mother’s voice said, and Kyla giggled as she kissed the man who was incredibly, the perfect new start for her.
“I’m going to do it,” Kyla said.
“What?” Stone asked cautiously.
“I’m going to get a bigger apartment. And maybe a place on the Cape. And I’m going to contact my baby’s mother and set aside some money for college.”
“That’s great,” Stone said, pulling her closer.
“Maybe I’ll go to college, too. But right now, I’ve got more important things to do.”
Stone looked at her. “Me?” he asked quietly.
She pushed him down on the couch. “Yes, you. I’ve got many more lessons to teach you.”
Ex Therapy
By Lisa Scott
Aubrey Carter walked into her therapist’s office and sat on the couch. Then she popped up and paced the room. “You’ve got to help me.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” her therapist, Diana, said. “What’s going on?”
Aubrey stopped to wring her hands. “My sister, Kyla, has a new boyfriend, and now she’s determined to find me one.”
Diana shrugged. “So tell her you don’t want one.”
“That’s just it—I do. I don’t want Kyla finding me one, though. She thinks she’s this great matchmaker.” Aubrey looked around the room and lowered her voice to a whisper. “But she’s not.” Aubrey sat on the again, pulling down the throw on the back of the couch and draping it over her lap. “I know she won’t be able to relax with her new guy until I’m paired up. I think she feels guilty. Kyla and I have always been single together on Valentine’s Day. It’s our night. We compose a top ten list of reasons why we we’re glad we don’t have men. We go out for karaoke and make up lyrics to stupid love songs. We share a box of chocolates. She eats the gross maple nougats; I eat the coconuts.” Aubrey sighed. “She’ll be worried about me alone on Valentine’s Day. It’s only a week away. She’ll probably invite me out with her boyfriend.”
“Tell her you met someone,” Diana said.
“She can see right through my lies. It’s like a super power or something. But even if I do find someone, I know how it’ll end. I’ve been thinking about it, and every single guy I’ve dated has dumped me. Isn’t that strange? There’s gotta be a reason I end up with guys who leave me.” Aubrey shook her head. “I’m sure you remember them all—Dane and Simon, and that whole debacle with Quinton and my missing shoes.” Aubrey threw up her hands. “I don’t get it—I can cook killer Italian, change my own tire, and do an hour on the elliptical, but I can’t do romance right—and I try so hard.” She pressed her fingers against the corners of her eyes. “I will not cry over this.”
“Aubrey, most people can’t get it right. What do you think keeps me in business?” Diana said.
“Me. I keep you in business. You’ll probably have to change careers if I ever get engaged.”
“It’s a tempting idea.” Diana took set down her notebook and looped her hands around her knees. “Listen. I think we should try something different. Instead of sitting here wondering why things didn’t work out with your exes, why not ask them?”
“Ask them what?”
“Ask them what went wrong,” Diana said with a shrug.
Aubrey’s eyes widened. “Like, with a survey?”
“Or just a conversation,” Diana said quickly.
“A conversation and a questionnaire. Kyla a
nd I talked about creating a pre-dating survey before she hooked up with her new guy.”
Diana leaned forward. “You could just talk to them. On the phone.”
Aubrey snapped her fingers “I could meet them and bring pictures to prompt memories, along with the questionnaire and maybe video tape it, too?”
Diana shook her head. “Your skills are underused as a receptionist.”
“I don’t want a job that’s going to stress me out, or leave me working sixty hours a week. It gives me a reason to get up, and I get to socialize. Plus, I have so many friends who can’t find a job, I’d hate to take one of the good ones when I don’t even need it.”
“You’ve handled the shock of your mother’s inheritance well, especially since you were still in high school when you found out you’d be a millionaire at eighteen. I just think you could strive for more.”
“Hey, I do a weekly poll on which candies I should have on my desk—I like to shake it up—and I rotate decorations monthly. They love me at the office. Debbie, the other receptionist just answers the phone. She adds nothing to the mix. My talents are appreciated.”
“Let’s save that for another session.” Diana made a note on her legal pad.
Aubrey waved her off. “So, do I approach everyone I’ve ever gone out with for this survey?”
Diana twirled her pencil between her fingers. “How about anyone who lasted more than three dates.”
“Going back how far?”
“High school?”
Aubrey was counting on her fingers. “Six guys.” Her smile fell. “I’m twenty-three years old and I’ve only dated six men.”
“That’s because you’re incredibly selective and only accept dates from men you think you could marry—once they match up to 80% of the requirements on your checklist. Over the years, you’ve turned down plenty of dates which could’ve led to more boyfriends.”
“True.” Aubrey sat thinking for a minute, and then jumped up from the couch. “This is brilliant! They’ll tell me everything I did wrong! I’m going to get started today.”
“We’ve still got fifteen minutes left,” Diana called out, tapping her watch, as Aubrey dashed out the door.
“Take a break! Go get a cup of coffee!” Aubrey hollered back.
Aubrey went straight home and started composing a fifty-part relationship-in-review questionnaire. Some were yes-no questions, others had a few lines for essay style answers, and others had a points-ranking system from one to ten. She was pretty confident she’d score high on the “Was I a good kisser?” question. She changed “Was I too dramatic?” from a yes/no question to an essay question, and added a 1-10 scale. A few of her exes may have mentioned the word drama from time to time.