Crossing Paths

by Melanie Stinnett

  “You’re probably right.”

  “Will you be seeing your brother while he’s in town?”

  “I’m actually headed out the door soon to meet him for lunch. It sounds like he has a pretty busy schedule while he’s here though.”

  “He really needs to slow down.”

  “I’ll tell him you said so, Mom, but he’ll probably want me to call you back and tell you the same thing.”

  “Alright then. Well, you two enjoy your lunch. You should really think about coming home to visit soon. We would all love to see you.”

  “I’ll try, but I’m not sure when I’ll get time off work.”

  “I love you, Caroline.”

  “Love you, too. Are you sure everything is okay?”

  “Yes. It’s fine. Just enjoy yourself.”

  “Okay. I’ll call you soon. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  After we hang up, I still feel like something is off with her. Maybe my brother will have some insight. If he doesn’t, I’ll have to make sure and call John tonight.

  Growing up, my brother and I were always really close. Much like Liam was for June, my brother was protective to the extreme, but he was also my biggest cheerleader. I’ll never forget the time I decided to run for student council in elementary school. He had to have known that my opponent was the most popular girl in school, so I had no chance of winning, but he still stayed up all night with me, making posters for my campaign. We agreed to hang them in the hallways at school. When he realized just how dismal my chances at winning were, he cut holes in the tops of two signs, attached them with rope, and wore them on the front and back of his body all day. I still lost the election, but it felt good to know I had his support.

  After my downer of a weekend, it will be nice to see him.

  We decided to meet at a diner near his hotel, and when I walk in the door, his huge grin greets me instantly. Taking quick steps toward his open arms, I accept his embrace like it’s the air I need to breathe. There’s no one in the world that can infuse joy in my heart like him.

  We laugh through the entire meal. I take time to ask him about Mom, but he says he hasn’t noticed anything different when he talks with her. I should have known that a man probably wouldn’t have picked up on the subtle attitude changes of his mother. Plus, he has his own issues to deal with back home.

  We talk about nothing of importance, and it feels nice to let go of all the stress I’ve been feeling over the past few days.

  Before I’m ready, it’s time for me to leave and head to June’s house. My brother and I agree to try and catch up later this week before he heads back home. He gives me one more solid embrace before we both get into our respective cars.

  Flipping on the radio, I begin my drive across town to meet June at her parents’ house. As I pull into the neighborhood, I slow down when I’m just a few houses away. I park against the curb, and lower my head down to the steering wheel.

  I begin to talk out loud, going through the situations that might occur once I walk up the steps into their home.

  “What if he ignores me? Should I say hi to him first or let him approach me? If he says something about us in front of his whole family, I might die. Then again, at least it would be out there, and we could move on, right? June would totally freak out. I’ll have to come up with a way to explain—”

  A loud knock startles me.

  I jerk my head toward the window and see Liam. He’s on the other side of the glass, grinning down at me. His muscular arms are crossed above his head, shadowing his face from the sun, as he leans on my car. I can see that his gray T-shirt is half-soaked in sweat, and his hair is glistening in the sunlight. I remind myself to close my mouth, so it doesn’t appear as if I have lost complete control just from the sight of him.

  “You doing okay in there?” he asks with a slight laugh through the glass.

  I lower my window. “Uh, yeah. Listen, I need to apologize about yesterday.”

  “No need. I had a good time. See you at the house. You do remember which one is ours, right?” He’s still smiling as he leans further into my window.

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “Okay then, I’ll see you in a few.” He jogs away into the sun.

  I watch him jog down the sidewalk, up the walkway, and into the front door. I replay our short conversation as I slowly drive up to their house. He basically dismissed my apology, but he wasn’t very specific about why he had a good time. Did it have anything to do with me? Maybe he just enjoyed the game.

  I walk up to the front door and knock as softly as possible. I’m hoping no one will hear it, and then I can pretend I thought no one was home, so I can leave. I hear a faint, “Come in,” and I open the door into an explosion of fall holiday decor strewn across the foyer floor.

  June’s mother smiles. “Hi, Caroline! June is out back, supervising her father’s grill work. Get yourself something to drink in the kitchen on your way out.”

  “Alright, thanks,” I say, trying to fake a smile. I glance up the stairway and around the corner as I head to the kitchen. No sign of Liam.

  As I push open the door, he is leaning against the counter, just finishing off a glass of water. His head is tilted back slightly, getting the last drop, before he swallows. I never knew drinking water while covered in sweat could look sexy. I close my eyes to limit the visual stimulation as I try to ward off the blush I feel creeping into my cheeks.

  “You took your sweet time getting in here,” he states.

  When I open my eyes, he is standing closer to me with his hip resting against the kitchen island.

  I walk toward the door that leads to the backyard and pause briefly to face him. “Um, well, I had to traverse the mountain of holiday decorations in the entryway.”

  Laughing, he steps toward me and places one of his hands against the door just above my shoulder as his opposite hand takes hold of my hip. Before I know what’s happening, my back is pressed tightly against the door.

  “I was hoping we could talk tonight,” he says softly.

  My heart begins beating quickly, and it feels like it’s in my throat. “Really?”

  He nods and leans in closer to me, his nose brushing against the skin just below my ear. “Have you told June?” he whispers, touching his lips to my neckline.

  Goose bumps rise all over my body, and I feel certain that I might faint at any moment. “No,” I respond in a voice so hushed that even I have trouble hearing it.

  His lips trace the line of my jaw. Each time he moves to another place on my skin, the prior space feels numb and neglected. When I feel his hand tighten on my hip, my body tenses in response. Just as he is about to reach the corner of my lips, the doorknob turns, and the door jolts against my back. My eyes widen in concern, and Liam hangs his head, sighing in what seems like frustration.

  He looks into my eyes as the door continues to shake, and then he nods his head toward the other door. Continuing to hold his weight against the door, he releases his body’s pressure from mine, and I walk slowly backward through the opposite doorway.

  I hear a loud thud as the door closes behind me. As June begins yelling something unintelligible, I hold my hands over my mouth, attempting to stifle a laugh. Liam runs through the door at lightning speed, closely followed by June.

  Although she stops when she sees me, she’s still yelling loudly. “One day you’re going to regret playing all these nasty jokes on me. I could have gotten a concussion! You are such a buffoon!” She clenches her teeth and stomps her foot like a small child. “Hey, Caroline. I didn’t know you were here.”

  “Just got here a few minutes ago,” I say, trying to act nonchalant. Glancing up the stairway to the wooden railing across the upstairs loft, I catch a glimpse of Liam smiling.

  “I’m thirsty. Let’s get a drink,” I say, giving Liam a small smile in return before I walk out of sight.

  About twenty minutes later, we are all gathered around the table. The only difference from last week
is that Liam is sitting opposite his father at the end of the table. This places him catty-corner to me, and it makes me nervous. I assumed by his actions at the baseball game that he wasn’t interested in more than a friendship with me, but based on what happened in the kitchen, I’m now feeling confused.

  One thing is for sure—I’m going to have a tough time keeping my eyes off him with his just showered look complete with wet hair. When he walked into the dining room, I caught a glimpse of his crisp blue T-shirt and his gray sweatpants hanging low on his waist, and I came to the quick conclusion that this guy would look sexy in just about anything.

  “Liam, are you trying to avoid my wrath by placing Caroline between us?” June asks, pointing at him with her fork.

  “No, sis, and there’s no need for violence. I’m just practicing for adulthood, trying out the head-of-the-table business.”

  “Well, it looks good on you, son,” Mr. D., responds, effectively ending the discussion.

  Liam rests his foot against mine. His constant touch keeps me distracted throughout dinner, earning questioning glances from Addison. June eventually clues in to my unusually reserved nature.

  “Are you feeling okay, Caroline?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I state simply.

  “Are you sure? You’re really quiet tonight.”

  “I’m okay. Just a little worried about my mom. I talked to her earlier, and I could have sworn she sounded like she had been crying. She said it was just a cold, but she was acting weird. I asked my brother about it, and he said he hasn’t noticed anything different about her.”

  “Oh, it’s probably nothing to be too concerned about. Maybe she just misses you and didn’t want to tell you,” June’s mom suggests.

  “Maybe,” I say before taking a drink of my water.

  Liam sneaks in a quick squeeze of my knee as we are getting up from the table. I trip over the leg of my chair, barely keeping the contents of my plate in place. I swear that I have never acted like this before, and it has me out of sorts. As much as I want to spend time around Liam, I’m glad to join June upstairs as she gets her things.

  “Hey, can you grab my flowers?” she asks, pointing toward the nightstand.

  “Sure.” As I pick up the vase, I notice the card is missing from the plastic holder. “Did you throw away the card?”

  “No,” she says, pulling it out from under her pillow.

  “Even if you slept here last night, it would be strange to sleep with that under your pillow.” I smirk.

  “Oh, shut it. I had to hide it when my mom walked in. I didn’t want to explain who they were from.”

  She hands over the card, and I read it again as I slip it into the holder. “Who signs their name with an initial? Even rappers put forth more effort than that.”

  “First of all, I wouldn’t have much insight into the way rappers sign their names. Second, the card is sweet, so I don’t care how he signed it.” June sticks out her tongue.

  I laugh, and then we head downstairs to say a quick good-bye. Liam and Addison are nowhere in sight, but June’s parents are waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Her mom gives us each a hug and steps out onto the front doorstep as we walk to our cars.

  “See you girls for dinner next week.”

  “Alright, Mom. See you then,” June says loudly as she gets things settled into her car. I walk toward the street, and my phone chimes in my purse. Digging it out, I see Liam’s name, and I can’t help but smile.

  “Is that a message from your boy toy at work? I expect full details when we get home!” June shouts from her driver’s side window.

  “Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” I reply.

  I tap on the message.

  I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you at the table next weekend. Are you going to tell June we’ve been seeing each other? —Liam

  Not sure. It didn’t seem like you were too keen on informing Eli at the baseball game. —Caroline

  We should talk. Let me know when you’re available. I’ll make time. —Liam

  As I drive home, I think about the implications of telling my best friend that I am kind of, sort of dating her brother. I am beyond “Hey, do you think this would be okay?”, and I’m pretty sure I’m not to “It doesn’t matter what you say because I’m in love with him.” This is going to be tough, and I will have to tread lightly. Maybe I can test the waters tonight when we get home.

  Monday

  I’m beginning to worry about Caroline. Last night, she mentioned something at dinner about her mom, and I’m hoping everything is okay.

  A few years ago, we had a scare with my mom when she had some weird pains in her stomach. When the doctor ordered scans, there were spots they weren’t sure about, so they ordered a few more tests. The process took several weeks, and of course, the entire family was throwing around the word cancer in hushed voices. That made the situation much more stressful. We were relieved when everything turned out normal.

  I think Caroline is doing the right thing by trying not to worry too much—at least until she knows more. Although, I’m sure it’s weighing on her more than she wants to admit.

  Last night, I tried to brighten her mood and get details about this new boy she’s went out with a couple of times. She all but blew him off as nothing, but I can tell it’s more than nothing. When she gets messages from him, she smiles and laughs like a giddy schoolgirl, making me think she might actually be into this guy. The only weird thing was that in the middle of talking about him, she asked me if we could meet Liam for lunch one day this week. I know how commitment-phobic she can get, so she better not try to avoid this new guy by making plans with me. I’m going to encourage this relationship even if it only lasts a few weeks. Considering the longest she spent with the same guy in college was a weekend, anything would be an improvement.

  Alright, back to the task at hand. I shouldn’t be thinking about Caroline this morning. I’m sitting in my office, typing and retyping a document. Every two seconds, I look out my door toward the entrance, waiting for a glimpse of Cohen. I know, I know. It’s ridiculous.

  This morning, Mr. Hargrove told me the three of us would be having lunch together, and it’s almost eleven o’clock already. Oh crap! I forgot to text Caroline to let her know that I can’t meet her for lunch today. Leaning down under my desk to retrieve my phone from my purse, I notice a slight scuff on my shoe. I rub my finger gently across it, but I’m only making it worse. That’s awesome. Now, I have officially caused a wardrobe malfunction. Oh well, at least my hair cooperated this morning.

  “June?” a familiar voice says.

  It’s a voice I didn’t realize I had memorized.

  I lift my head too quickly and bang the back of it on the edge of the desk. “Ow,” I whine, closing my eyes.

  “Are you okay?”

  Before I see him, I feel Cohen’s hand on my arm as I open my watering eyes. His hands are gentle and reassuring, but I curse myself for letting this be our reintroduction—and for possibly messing up my hair.

  “I know I told you not to attack me, but that didn’t mean you should attack yourself,” he says while smiling down at me.

  “I am so sorry. I should probably go to the restroom and take a look at this.”

  “Here, let me. You probably won’t be able to see that far back on your head.”

  He laughs, and I roll my eyes at him.

  “Is it tender?”

  “A little,” I say, wincing as his hands work their way through my hair to the spot where I hit my head.

  “I think a little knot is coming up. If you start feeling tired or dizzy, you need to let me know. You might need to have it checked out.”

  “Oh, I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” I say, trying to dismiss my clumsiness. Is it ridiculous that I want to throw him onto my desk right now? Maybe I do have a head injury. “Let me see if Mr. Hargrove is ready for lunch.”

  I pick up the phone and dial my boss’ office number.

  He answers
after half a ring. “Yes?”

  I’m taken aback by his abruptness. “Uh, Mr. Hargrove, Cohen is here. We were thinking about leaving soon for lunch.”

  “I’m sorry, June. I won’t be able to make it. I’ve got an overseas conference call that’s been rescheduled for twelve thirty. Go on without me.”

  “Oh, okay. We’ll see you this afternoon,” I say before hanging up the phone.

  “Well, it looks like it’s just the two of us,” I say, turning to Cohen.

  “Great! What’ll it be?”

  “Hmm…do you like Mexican food? There’s this amazing Mexican place just a block or two away.”

  “Perfect.” He smiles.

  “I’m just going to step into the ladies’ room for a quick second.”

  I walk into the restroom, pull out my phone, and dial Caroline’s number.

  She picks up after just one ring. “Hey, are you busy for lunch?” she asks.

  “Yeah, sorry, and I’m going to be late for dinner tonight.”

  “Business crap?”

  “Well, remember that guy I got the flowers from?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “He’s here, and he’s hot. We have to go to lunch alone because my boss is busy. I’m freaking out.”

  “No big deal, June. Just be yourself, and try to relax.”

  “Right…relax. I can do that.”

  “Sure you can.”

  I hear her laugh, and I roll my eyes, knowing she probably thinks my high-strung personality will make lunch pretty awkward.

  “Try to find something in common with him, and talk about that,” she says.

  “Okay, I can try that. I need to get going, but I’ll try to text you later and let you know how it goes.”

  “Have fun and do lots of things your mother would disapprove of.”

  “You are almost as bad as my mother.”

  “I know. Bye.”

  “See you later.”

  The restaurant is within walking distance from the office, so we make our way while we briefly talk about his company’s contract and the new media campaign taking off this year. Even though our discussion is short, I can hear the passion he has for his company’s products and services. His enthusiasm excites me for the ongoing project we’ll be working on together.