Susan smiled and shook her head. “You are gonna cause me nothing but trouble, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t believe I invited you to come today. I mean, I’m glad you came, but it’s really not appropriate.”
“Yeah, I know. You’ve been saying that all day. But you asked me, and I’m here. So now I’m asking you to go to dinner with me.”
Susan hesitated. “I really shouldn’t. I have to pick up my son.”
“He can come with us.”
Susan opened her trunk, taking her time putting the equipment back in so she could have a moment to process what Finn was proposing. She had never introduced Andrew to any of the men she had dated in the past. So what would it mean to do it now with a guy she isn’t even dating? He’s only a patient. What kind of confusion would that bring to Andrew?
“No, Finn. I don’t think so. Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. But thanks for coming today. I’m glad you had fun.”
Finn leaned against Susan’s car. “So that’s it?”
“Well, I’ll see you on Thursday for our next session.”
“Okay. Fair enough.”
Susan closed the trunk and got into her car. Before she closed the door, Finn made one last effort to see her again outside the parameters of her office.
“Look, I know your answer is gonna be ‘it wouldn’t be appropriate,’ but I’m going to just throw this out there. My friend Seth is having a party next Saturday. I’m going. And I’m inviting you to go.”
Susan, while touched by the invitation, couldn’t help but laugh at the preposterous idea. “I’m going to be twenty years older than everyone. I don’t think I’d fit in very well.”
“You’ll fit in just fine. No one will care.”
Susan thought for a moment. “And you’re right. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
“Susan, please.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll let you know by Thursday, okay? But my answer is probably going to be ‘no.’”
“That’s fine. As long as you promise to think about it.”
“I have to go. I don’t want to keep Andrew waiting.”
Finn closed the door for her and lingered for a moment. “I had a lot of fun today.”
“Me too,” said Susan, allowing Finn to hover over the open car window. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat. “I should go. I’ll see you Thursday.”
“And then again next Saturday.” Finn couldn’t resist egging her on.
“Bye, Finn.” Susan drove away leaving Finn behind with a rather goofy grin on his face.
CHAPTER 22
The flickering light outside the Macy’s dressing room set the perfect tone for where Harper’s brain was at right now, flickering on and off with images of Kiley. Since her feelings for Kiley had been brought to the surface, nothing else has been on Harper’s mind. She continually tried to make sure it wasn’t written all over her face whenever Kiley was around, which was often.
The flashing images of Kiley soon turned into the real thing when she stepped out of the dressing room donning a blue and white spaghetti strap dress. Harper was rendered speechless the moment she looked up and saw the older girl in front of her. She was a vision, utterly stunning. Harper soon became conscious of her mouth hanging wide open and closed it immediately.
“What do you think?”
Harper excitedly and emphatically nodded her head. “Yeah. That’s the one. Definitely get that.”
“Good. I kind of love it.” Kiley spun around to look at the dress from behind. Harper instantly felt her crimson cheeks get warmer as her eyes darted from Kiley to the floor. A tinge of excitement came alive inside of her, but she made it a point to not let it show.
“All right, enough stalling. Time for you to try those on.” Kiley gestured to the dresses hanging up in the next dressing room.
“Fine, but no laughing at me if you see my chub sticking out.”
“You have no chub! You’re the fittest person I know. Stop being a woman and fishing for compliments.”
Harper started trying on the dresses she picked out and heard Kiley trying on her last dress, just to make sure she wanted to go with the blue and white one.
Slouching in front of the mirror and feeling frumpy, Harper immediately took off the first dress. “This one just doesn’t hang right.”
“Yeah, I’m not a fan of this last one,” replied Kiley through the divider. “So how are things with Emily? Still doing okay?”
“Yeah, I think we’re a little more relaxed around each other. And she really likes her job. It seems to be helping her. She’s even made a few friends there.”
“You mean there are people out there who actually like her personality? Weird.”
“Hey, that’s my sister you’re talking about. Watch it.”
“Oh, I see. She can insult me all she wants and you let her, but when I say something about her, you scold me.”
Harper tossed her next dress aside. It was too baggy on her. “I play favorites. You know that. Maybe you shouldn’t have told her the Monopoly story. I’d be a little nicer to you.”
“Touché.”
Harper struggled to zip up her next dress, but once she did and looked in the mirror, she perked up. This was definitely the dress for her.
“Um…”
“What? Did you find one?” asked Kiley, as she finished getting dressed.
“I think so.”
“Then get your ass out here. Let’s see it.”
Harper stepped out of the dressing room giving Kiley a coy smile as she revealed the dress.
Kiley froze, unsure of exactly what to say. Harper looked down and brushed the dress with her hands, trying to make it as smooth as possible.
“What’s the verdict?” She looked back up at Kiley who couldn’t take her eyes off of Harper.
“If you don’t buy that dress, I’ll buy it for you. You must own it.” Kiley didn’t know what else to say. She couldn’t decide if the sexiest part was that it hugged the hips and accentuated Harper’s curves, the short hemline stopping four inches above the knees, or the plunging neckline that made Harper’s assets rather prominent.
“It’s kinda hot, isn’t it?” Harper was feeling rather pleased with her find.
“I’m thinking that might be the understatement of the century. Damn.” Kiley couldn’t stop gawking and Harper was secretly loving every second of it. “Turn around.”
Harper obliged and slowly spun around so Kiley could get the full effect.
“You are so gonna get laid at this party.”
“Oh gee. Just what I’ve been dreaming about. Hooking up in a skintight dress with some beer-guzzling guy fumbling for the zipper.”
“Hey, don’t knock it. Besides, the zipper won’t be needed. That’s the beauty of wearing a dress. Easy access.”
“Wow, you are a class act, aren’t you?”
“Just promise me you won’t stand next to me in that dress. I’ll disappear into the ether.”
Silence fell upon them as the two girls stood there almost mesmerized with each other. Kiley couldn’t believe how incredible Harper looked and couldn’t tear her eyes away. Harper desperately searched Kiley’s eyes for any sign of what she may be feeling or thinking at this moment.
Little did she know that Kiley wasn’t really thinking anything. Her brain had somehow forgotten how to do the thing that makes it think. She was purely working on impulse right now and her impulse led her to take off the necklace she was wearing, turn Harper around to face the mirror and leisurely place it around her neck. The hair stood up on the back of Harper’s neck as her friend’s hands grazed her skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps. Once the clasp was secure, Harper played with the dangling necklace as Kiley remained fixated on the neck it was hanging from.
Harper watched in the mirror
as Kiley started to close the gap between her lips and Harper’s neck, both girls feeling the extreme heated energy that passed between them. Suddenly remembering how to breathe, Kiley anxiously exhaled, breathing warmth onto Harper’s skin.
Kiley was now centimeters away from Harper’s neck when her brain chose that exact moment to start working again. She was yanked back into reality in time to realize what she was doing, then suddenly pulled back. The movement jolted Harper, who turned around to face her friend.
Kiley backed up all the way to the wall, grabbed the dress she wanted to purchase and started to walk out of the dressing room.
“Um…I’m gonna go stand in line. I’ll meet you out there.” She turned around and gave Harper one final glance. “You should wear that necklace. It looks good with the dress.”
All Harper could do was nod.
“I’ll meet you at the register.”
***
When Finn walked through the door into the lobby of Susan’s office, there was an extra spring in his step.
“Good morning, Janine.” He happily greeted Susan’s secretary.
“Hello Mr. Lewis. Go ahead and take a seat. She’s running a little behind.”
Finn sat down and right away, he took notice of a young boy dividing his attention between playing with matchbox cars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures. His Angels baseball cap was a little too loose on his head, but he wore it with pride.
“You like the Angels?” asked Finn.
The boy didn’t look up from his toys. “Yeah.”
“I’m a Dodger fan, myself. But the Angels are a close second.”
“Dodgers are okay.”
Finn chuckled. He didn’t know why he found this kid so endearing.
“Who’s your favorite Ninja Turtle?”
The boy held up a turtle with the blue bandana.
“Leonardo, eh?” He reached over and picked up the turtle with the red bandana. “I’ve always been partial to Raphael. I didn’t even know these guys were still around. I loved them as a kid.”
“My mommy thinks they’re silly.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, but she likes to play cars with me.”
Finn handed Raphael back to the boy. “Sounds like a cool mom.”
“She’s taking me for ice cream after this.”
“Ice cream?”
Susan stealthily appeared in the doorway. “Yes, ice cream. If he behaves and obeys Janine.”
“I have been,” affirmed the boy.
Susan gave the young boy a kiss on the forehead. “Just a little bit longer, kiddo.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
Susan gestured to Finn. “Shall we?”
Finn was dumbfounded. It hadn’t even occurred to him that the boy he was talking to was Susan’s son. He assumed the kid belonged to a patient.
Susan closed the door behind them as Finn stayed standing, leaning up against the desk.
“So, that was your son?”
“Yup. That’s Andrew. I forgot his school had a half-day today and I couldn’t find a sitter in time.”
“He’s a nice kid. Very opinionated.”
“Yeah. He gets that from me.”
“He really dotes on you.”
“Probably because I bribe him with ice cream.” She leaned up against the desk next to Finn. “I wasn’t expecting you to talk to him. Sorry if that was weird for you.”
“It wasn’t weird at all. I liked talking to him.”
“I tried to warn him of the dangers of talking to strangers. I guess he’s just a really trusting kid, which just gives me more reasons to worry about him.”
“I guess I have a trusting face.”
Finn could feel Susan’s arm brush up against his. Her hand grazed against his hand and lingered there.
“Do you have an answer for me about Saturday?” he asked, trying to control his excitement.
Truth be told, Susan had given it a lot of thought and decided against going. However, after seeing the interaction between Finn and her son, she had a change of heart. “Well Finn, this is going against everything I believe in and everything I’ve been taught and it couldn’t be more wrong, but…yeah. I’ll go with you. As friends.”
“As friends. Okay, I’ll take it. You know, you’re such a pushover.” He leaned over and nudged her.
“I am not. I just need a fun night out.” She nudged him back.
That physical contact pushed Finn over the edge and he couldn’t resist the urge any longer. His hand caught her hand and their fingers intertwined.
Susan turned to face him. “Finn…”
“What?”
“I can’t be doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“This is really…”
“Inappropriate?”
Susan nodded. That was the last thing she remembered before her lips attached to his as she hungrily gave into every desire she had been fighting over the last few months. Finn wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in tighter. He had been fantasizing about this moment for quite some time, but didn’t expect it to actually happen–at least not right now in the middle of her office. When they finally peeled their lips away from each other, Finn knew he had to say something to palliate the situation before Susan began to regret anything.
He gave her a half-smile. “That was, like, nineteen kinds of inappropriate.”
***
Emily tugged at the collar of her dark blue uniform shirt. She was beginning to work up a sweat unloading the new shipment of field berries they just received at Gulcher’s. She wasn’t exactly used to manual labor, but welcomed this as a humbling experience. By this point she had been reminded ten times over of what a great life she had growing up and how easy she had it. Even after their parents died, Harper made it clear to Emily that she would never have to want for anything. But she was young and stupid and her restless ways led her to rule with her stubbornness instead of her heart.
As she moved on from the strawberries to the blueberries, Emily’s thoughts led her to become even more contemptible of herself. She hated who she had become. Look at her, she was a walking statistic: drugs, alcohol, theft, a black sheep, a runaway. No one wants to be defined that way, least of all her.
“Hey Foley, do you need a ride home?” Emily’s supervisor seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Oh, that’s okay. I usually walk.”
“Well, it just started raining. You’re off in an hour, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, if it’s still raining, I can give you a ride if you want.”
“Okay, thanks.” Emily peered out of the sliding glass doors of the entrance and watched the rain soak up the cement outside.
***
The bus stopped at a station just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. This was as far as Emily could get with the money she had left, so it had to do for now. After asking a bus station attendant where the closest hostel was, she lugged her bag a mile and a half northwest. Halfway through her destination, the sky opened up and rain started violently pounding down upon her. The drops were the size of marbles and the torrential downpour soaked her from head to toe within sixty seconds. This is one thing she definitely missed about Los Angeles: there were no flash floods or sudden thunderstorms that started out of nowhere. The hood pulled over her head didn’t do much to keep her dry.
It was nearly pitch black outside and after finally reaching her destination, she ran up the walkway leading to the hostel and tried to open the door, but it was locked. She knocked loudly on the door until someone answered.
“Sorry. This door sticks when it rains.”
Emily looked pleadingly at the young man who answered the door. “I don’t suppose you have any vacancies.”
“I’m sorry, but we’re all filled up.”
“Seriously?” Emily was partly disappointed and partly relieved. With four dollars in her pocket, had there
been a vacancy, she wouldn’t even have had the money to pay for one night.
“There’s a motel about a mile down the street. They might have a room available. It’s about fifty a night.”
Emily stared at the young man, unsure of what to do or say. She started shivering violently and dreaded the thought of being stuck out in the deluge of rain. The young man at the door watched as her eyes began to well up.
“Look, we’re completely full but maybe you can come in and just wait out the storm.” He stepped to the side and allowed a profusely grateful Emily to walk in. “Our lobby is this way. It’s not really a lobby. More of a fancy way of saying ‘common area.’”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“No problem. I wish I could help you out with the sleeping situation. If you want to try to call the hotel down the street, there’s a pay phone in the corner.”
Emily made her way through the near-empty common area and grabbed the receiver of the pay phone. She put her last two quarters in to the slot and began to dial, her hands shaking from a mixture of nerves and the cold.
“Hello?”
It had been a while since she heard Harper’s voice.
“Hello?”
Emily hung up the phone and backed away. There was fifty cents well wasted. With nowhere to go, no one to call and no money, she sat on the musty, stained couch in the middle of the room weighing her options. She hoped she wouldn’t have to spend another night in a bus station.
The front door swung open letting in a brisk wind. Emily spotted the guy who walked in. He looked like he was in his early thirties and his closely shaved head contrasted his unshaven face. He took off his coat to reveal a tight muscle shirt tucked into his jeans. Her attention moved to the McDonald’s bag he was holding and she suddenly realized how hungry she was. Emily caught the man’s eye and he swaggered over to her grinning in a way he thought was charming, but in reality looked creepy.
“Hungry?” He sat down next to her.
“Starved.”
“I always order too much. I’m Albert.”
“Michelle.” Emily did not feel comfortable enough to share her real name with this guy, so she opted for her middle name.
A Fine Mess Page 21