She crosses her arms and refuses to discuss it anymore. A moment later, though, I see a potential solution. “What about that?” I ask, pointing down at the picture. The stubborn set of her face relaxes and I know she’s intrigued. The tattoo in front of us is a butterfly, but its similarity to the pink and purple girly monstrosity ends there. Instead it’s a simple red and black monarch perched atop an empty cocoon.
“I kinda like it,” she says, peering closer.
“I think you might have judged butterflies unfairly,” I say. “They’re actually kind of cool as symbol—transformation and hard work.”
She looks up at me, that soft look back on her face. “Yeah?”
“Sure. I mean, they go through so much of their life one way and then they go through this completely transformative experience and they end up being something entirely different.” I reach over and tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “I think that’s a pretty cool thing to be reminded of.”
She surprises me by leaning forward and kissing me, fast, on the lips. “Okay,” she whispers. “If you’re okay with it, I’ll get this one instead.”
“Ellie, you don’t have to get anything,” I tell her. “It was a silly deal—”
“No,” she says, her eyes intent on mine. “You were right, what you said before. I want something that makes me think of tonight. Of adventure and taking chances.”
“That sounds good,” I whisper. She looks away, apparently embarrassed, but she slides a little closer to me on the table, so our arms are touching. Just as Vick starts up the tattoo needle, Ellie places her head on my shoulder. As he works and the pain increases, we sit like that, together, silent.
It hurts like a bitch but I’ve never felt so good in my life.
Chapter Thirteen
Fred
I’m riding pretty high on Wednesday afternoon. I’m pretty sure I passed my first observation with flying colors. My professor said I had definitely displayed an aptitude in my studies and they had made the right call in giving me the job. As Professor Davies left, my supervisor, Rick, laughed at the visible relief on my face.
“Why don’t you take off?” Rick suggests. “You deserve a little celebration.”
“Yeah?” I can’t hide my pleasure. It’s gorgeous outside, fifty and sunny, one of the last nice days we’ll have before fall starts to slide into winter.
“Yeah¸” he says, slapping my shoulder. “Good job, Fred.”
I walk out to my truck with a bounce to my step. Sure enough the sky is still a cloudless, vivid blue. The air is crisp but not yet cold. There’s only one thing I can think of to improve on my mood. I have my phone out before I even reach the truck.
“Hey,” I say when Ellie picks up. “How’s it going?”
“Good,” she says. “How was the observation?”
I know that I must look like an idiot, but I can’t help the grin that appears when she asks. The fact that she remembered makes me ridiculously happy. “It was great,” I tell her, opening my door and tossing my bag into the passenger seat. “I don’t get the official report back until later in the week, but my professor said it was great. Apparently I’m well-suited to the job.”
Ellie laughs on the other end of the phone. “I am not at all surprised by that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I mean, you’re such a nerdy egg-head, I figured you’d do well.” Her teasing has me grinning even bigger.
“What are you doing right now?” I ask, starting the car. “You’re off work in a bit, right?”
“Yeah,” she says, but the teasing lilt has left her voice.
“They let me out early to celebrate,” I explain. “Want me to swing by the salon and pick you up?”
“Well, uh, actually…” she sounds really awkward and uncomfortable, and I’m suddenly struck with the horrible thought that she might have a date. In spite of all of her insistence on the non-exclusivity of our relationship, I hadn’t really stopped to consider that she might be seeing someone else. We’re together most weekend nights and I guess I just kind of assumed she wouldn’t have time for someone else.
“Are you seeing someone?” I blurt out without thinking. Shit. If anything is going to make her panic and push me away, it’s me acting like a jealous boyfriend.
“No,” she says, her voice much more adamant than I had expected. “I just…I have plans.”
“What kind of plans?” I don’t bother to keep the relief out of my voice. After all, she didn’t make a big deal out of me asking.
“I’m…hanging out with Zoe.”
I frown at the car in front of me. I know for a fact that Zoe has class on Wednesday afternoon—Jet takes his only full shift in the shop on Wednesdays for exactly that reason. “You’re lying,” I tell her. “What are you doing that you don’t want me to know about?” I take a deep breath, trying to strengthen myself for the next words. “If you have a date you can just tell me. I told you I was fine with us not being exclusive.”
“I don’t have a date,” she says, sounding annoyed. “I have…I’m going to visit my grandma, okay?”
I have to fight not to laugh. I’m so relieved—and so endeared by the idea of her playing bingo with old people every week.
“You’re laughing at me,” she sighs. “I know you are.”
“I am not,” I say, but I’m sure my voice doesn’t dispel her fear very well. “I think it’s totally cool that you still do that.”
“Shut up, Fred,” she mutters, and I finally allow myself one loud chuckle. Ellie only sighs. “So, are you coming or not?”
“Coming where?”
“To play bingo with me and my grandma.”
“Are you inviting me?”
She sighs again. “I’m starting to regret it already, but yes.”
I feel strangely giddy at the prospect. Not only is it a chance to spend time with her, but I’ll get to see her in a totally different environment. Playing bingo at a nursing home. “If you think there’s any way in hell I would miss this you’re crazy,” I tell her, turning onto the freeway entrance ramp. “Do I have time to go home and change?”
“No way. If I have to suffer through the mortification of bringing you with me, you can at least be dressed like a respectable young man. Nana will like that.”
That causes another thought to occur to me. “What do you wear to play bingo at the nursing home?”
“You’re pathetic,” she mutters. “Hurry up or I’ll leave without you.”
I’m still laughing as I hang up the phone. I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this afternoon.
***
When I get to the salon, Ellie shows me around a little. She claims she’s not friends with any of her co-workers yet, but I can tell just by the way they interact with her that several like her. Then she shows me her work station and I have to do everything in my power not to smile at the pictures she’s chosen to hang up there. In addition to the ones of her, Zoe, and Hunter, there’s a Polaroid of the two of us at a party this summer. Just the two of us. Ellie has a picture of me at work.
“Who’s your friend?” a male voice asks just as we’re turning to go.
“Oh, Chad. This is Fred.”
I shake the guy’s hand, quickly assessing him. This is the boss, apparently. Ellie had mentioned once that he was very flirty. Something in his eyes tells me that it’s more than that. I get a very predatory vibe from this guy and I don’t like it at all. When I release his hand he smiles a little, raising his eyebrows. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s challenging me.
But then Ellie is pulling on my arm to leave so I follow her from the building. As she slips through the door ahead of me I can’t help looking over my shoulder; Chad’s eyes have followed her all the way to the door.
“I don’t like that guy,” I tell her as soon as we’re in the truck.
She shrugs. “He’s not that bad.”
“He has a thing for you.”
“He’s married, Fred.”
“That doesn’t mean he can’t have a thing for you.”
She fidgets for a moment, as if debating something. “Okay, he kind of hits on me when his wife isn’t around.”
I stare at her. “He’s your boss! That’s totally inappropriate!”
“It’s not a big deal. Besides, he cut it out. For the most part.”
“For the most part?” I know I’m practically yelling and I do my best to reign it in a little. But I don’t like this—don’t like the creepy vibe I got from the dude or the things she’s telling me.
She arches an eyebrow. “You sound a little jealous, Fred. Which would be silly, considering you’re not my boyfriend. Right?”
“Right,” I grumble, starting the truck.
The nursing home is right on the outskirts of town and we arrive only minutes later. “My Nana is a very sweet lady,” Ellie warns me as I park. “She would be horrified if she knew half the shit I get up to. So you better watch your mouth, buddy.”
I give her a skeptical look. “Do you honestly think I’m going to, like, blab about our sex life or something?”
Ellie narrows her eyes at me. “You better not even breath the word sex in there. Or talk about alcohol or partying or, dear God, smoking weed.”
“Hell, Ellie. I’m a functioning member of society—I have a job and interact with adults on a daily basis. I think I can be trusted not to bring up taboo topics in front of innocent old ladies.”
“I hope so,” she says with a sigh, climbing from the passenger seat of the truck. I scurry out of my own seat and scramble to catch up with her. “So,” I say once I’m at her side. “What’s our story?”
She gives me a suspicious look. “What do you mean, our story?”
“What are you going to tell her? Who am I, to you?”
“My friend,” she says through clenched teeth. I know I should give her a break but it’s so much fun to tease her—and she certainly deserves a taste of her own medicine once in a while.
Just as she approaches the door I lean in and whisper in her ear. “Not your fuck buddy, then?”
“Oh, my God,” she mutters, rolling her eyes. I think she might blush a little, too—a thought that gives me an enormous amount of pleasure. “You are so going to make me regret this, aren’t you?”
I’m still laughing as I follow her into the foyer. The building seems nice enough, in a homey, antiseptic-smelling way. There are plush couches in the waiting area and flowered curtains around all of the windows. Ellie waves at the nurse in the reception desk and the nurse calls out a friendly, “Hey, Ellie.”
“You’re a regular around here, huh?” I say, poking her arm. She reaches behind her to smack my chest, hard. I rub the tingling area, reminding myself to keep in mind that she’s a hell of a lot stronger than she looks.
She leads me down a bright yellow hallway, stopping at an open double door on the right. As she peeks into the room, a smile breaks across her face. “Ellie!” several voices cry happily and her smile grows.
“Hey, guys,” she says, walking through the doors. She beckons for me to join her. “I hope you didn’t start without me.”
There’s some giggling in the room, which quickly cuts off when I enter. We seem to be in a library or den of some sort—the walls are lined with wooden bookshelves and there are about a dozen people sitting at round card tables. I watch as Ellie approaches several of the women, patting shoulders and even stooping to kiss a few cheeks. Her earlier embarrassment is gone, replaced by what appears to be genuine happiness at seeing these people.
“Who’s that you brought?” a wheezy male voice asks. “Are you cheating on me, Ellie girl?”
She stops in front of the oldest man I’ve ever seen. He has to be at least ninety. Completely hairless with a huge nose, he has papery thin hair and prominent liver spots on his face. When Ellie puts her hands on her hips to scowl down at him, he grins at her, revealing a nearly toothless mouth.
“You think I’d ever cheat on you, Hank?” she asks. To my surprise she bends down and kisses his cheek. “You should know better.”
He grins up at her like she’s the best thing he’s ever laid eyes on. I know the feeling, buddy, I think to myself.
“So who is your friend, then?” Hank asks, and Ellie pats his shoulder.
“My friend’s name is Fred.” She stops in front of a short, plump woman with white curly hair. “Hi, Nana.” Ellie’s grandmother looks up at her with much the same expression that Hank wore. In fact, looking around the room, I see that most of the people here have that same look in their eyes. They’re crazy about her, I realize. Every single one of them.
Ellie bends to wrap her grandma in a hug, flipping her blue tipped hair over her shoulder as she does so. I want to laugh at the contrast. Her grandmother looks like she spent the afternoon baking or knitting or something. She’s dressed in a long, yellow dress with a fluffy blue cardigan on top. Her soft, white curls are piled up on top of her head, and dainty little round glasses are perched on top. And then there’s Ellie, with her black jeans and t-shirt, vivid tattoos clearly visible. She hadn’t even bothered to remove her nose or eyebrow ring.
“It’s so good to see you, dear,” her grandmother says, patting her cheek as Ellie pulls away. She catches my eye over Ellie’s shoulder and grins. “Fred, you say? Introduce us, dear.”
Ellie turns to me, rolling her eyes as she does. “Everyone, this is my friend, Fred. Fred, this is my grandmother Faye and all of her delinquent friends.” There’s a murmur of laughter around the room at her little joke. Her grandmother, however, is still watching me.
I approach her, holding out my hand to shake hers. “Hello, Faye.” She surprises me by grasping my hand instead, pulling me toward her so she can kiss my cheek.
“Hello, dear. It’s so good of you to come visit with our girl.”
“It’s my pleasure,” I tell her, looking up to see Ellie rolling her eyes at me again—but she’s smiling this time.
“So, are we playing Bingo or what?” Hank calls from his table.
“Hold your horses, you impatient old putz,” Ellie calls back, and everyone laughs again.
“How do you know my Ellie?” Faye asks. She still hasn’t released my hands.
“Do you remember my friend Zoe, Nana?” Ellie asks. “Fred is her boyfriend’s best friend.”
“Ahh,” the woman beside Faye sighed. “That’s such a sweet way to meet a fella.”
“He’s not my fella, Gina,” Ellie says. “Stop being so sentimental.” She turns to me. “Grab a couple chairs, would you?”
I head to the side of the room where several chairs are stacked against the wall. I can’t help but notice that many of the female eyes are following me as I go, and there’s a distinct murmur of giggling in the room. “Donna!” Ellie says loudly, her voice gleeful. “Stop checking out Fred’s butt. It’s not polite.”
The titters of giggling erupt into full out laughter. “I can’t help it!” one of the ladies sitting near Ellie’s grandma calls out. She’s short and wrinkled, her body hunched over, but there’s a sparkle of wickedness in her eyes. “He’s so cute.”
“You failed to mention that your grandma’s friends are so flirty,” I tell Ellie as I bring the chairs back to our table.
She shakes her head, her eyes glinting at me. “They’re horrible, aren’t they?”
“Hey, Ellie!” A tall woman in pink scrubs and a cardigan enters the library, grinning at Ells. She’s carrying a stack of paper and a small wire cage filled with plastic balls. “I’m so glad you made it.” The woman’s eyes flick to me with interest. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Fred,” Ellie says. “Fred, Terah. She works here.” Ellie raises an eyebrow at Terah. “You need to control these people better, Ter. They’re being very inappropriate around such young ears.”
Hank snorts from the back. “Yeah, you’re so innocent Miss.”
I laugh along with everyone else, including Ellie, and it suddenly occurs to me
that she doesn’t just come here out of a sense of duty. She’s not here just to be nice to her grandma. She’s here because she enjoys it—she enjoys these people and spending time with them. And they love her right back. What’s more, I can definitely see why. After a round of bingo I realize that I’m having way more fun than I ever thought possible in a nursing home. The elderly players are throwing taunts and trash talk around like teenagers playing basketball in the park. There’s a lot of laughter and teasing and when Ellie wins the second round several players throw crumpled up pieces of paper at her while she stands doing a victory dance.
I’m actually disappointed when Terah tells us that it’s time to wrap up; the residents have dinner soon. Before we leave, it seems like everybody in the room wants to hug Ellie goodbye, several of them hugging me as well. I’m pretty sure Donna actually squeezes my butt. Ellie assures them that she’ll be back for their haircuts soon, kissing her grandma one last time before taking me by the elbow and leading me back out to the reception area.
“You have to get out of there without messing around,” she tells me. “Or they’re liable to dither-dather over you for hours.”
“What was that about the haircuts?” I ask as we step out into the waning fall sunshine.
“I come in once a month to cut hair,” she says. “They seem to enjoy it.”
I shake my head. Just when I thought she couldn’t surprise me any more, she throws out something like that.
“What?” she asks, her posture transforming into defensive before my eyes. “Most of them can’t afford to get out to salons—or they have too hard of a time with mobility.”
“So you bring the salon to them.”
“So?”
I stop in the middle of the parking lot and wrap my arms around her, kissing her so hard I feel her gasp against my mouth. “What was that for?” she asks, her voice shaky, when I finally pull away.
“I just like you, Ellie Canter. I like you a lot.”
“Dork,” she mutters under her breath, but I’m pretty sure I catch her smiling as she climbs into my truck.
Escape With You Page 12