by Allie York
15
Noralee
Dungeons and Dragons, Saturday rush, and a late night out with the girls to cheer Greer up means that by Sunday I’m exhausted and still sleeping at two in the afternoon. Or I’m asleep until my phone starts ringing on my nightstand and I want to murder whoever has decided to ruin my beauty sleep. Doctors say you can’t make up for lost sleep but why would anyone interrupt me trying? I grab blindly for the phone, knock it to the floor, and then fall out of bed with a thud trying to reach it. Everything on my nightstand rattles when my entire body hits the floor. The phone continues to yell at me, buzzing its way off my rug and on to the hardwood, playing the Harry Potter theme at full volume. I roll to my back, pretending my whole body doesn’t hurt, and grab it up.
“What?” I shove all my hair from my face.
“Noralee?” Wyatt’s voice instantly soothes my anger, but not my actual pain.
“Hey.” I clear my throat and change my tone.
“You okay?” he asks.
“I fell out of bed trying to grab the phone I dropped, but yeah, I’ll live. Good morning.” I clear my throat and rub my eyes.
“It’s two,” he laughs.
“I only got home at one fifteen! Why are you calling me?” I groan and curl up on the floor, groping my bed for one of several blankets.
“In the afternoon. It’s two in the afternoon, Noralee,” Wyatt clarifies. “I texted you like five times and was getting worried. You fell out of bed?” I finally get a blanket by the edge and pull it to cover myself up. I get more than I bargained for, of course, and at least three blankets come down on me, followed by four pillows and a stuffed Porg.
“Well shit.” I push the pile off my face and attempt to stand up. “What did the texts say?”
“It said I’d pick you up at four. I thought we’d do early dinner then a movie,” he answers tentatively.
“That’s in less than two hours,” I say lamely, like he didn’t just tell me what time it is.
“It is,” he agrees.
“I’m going to get off of the floor and get ready now. See you at four.” I end the call and pull myself the rest of the way from the floor. I grab my hair and groan. I’m a mess. In the bathroom I realize that the scene is even worse. Apparently going out is a better idea when people aren’t buying me drinks. I lost count an hour after Reggie was informed that I got laid. Apparently, this is cause for celebration. The circles under my eyes say that I got very little sleep and drank far too much. I don’t have time to dwell, so I turn on an uncomfortably cool shower and suffer through it until I feel awake enough to turn the heat up. This takes a long time. As soon as I’m satisfied that I’ve rinsed my hangover down the drain, I get out to start my hair routine. This takes longer than usual because, well, hangovers have a way of sticking around. I pull up the weather on my phone and see that the high for dinner and the movie is around twenty degrees. It’s also supposed to snow. Okay, cool. This means I need shoes that have the most slip resistance. I put the phone down so I can separate my hair with my fingers while drying it. The idea for my outfit hits me, but then I realize that I don’t know where I’m going for dinner. I grab my phone and check the texts from Wyatt, then send one asking about the level of casual I am allowed to wear.
Me: How dressy is dinner?
Wyatt: Warm and comfortable is fine.
Perfect. I finish my hair and go to my closet. As a kid I always wanted my outfits in a revolving closet like Cher in Clueless, but then I became an adult and realized that shit is expensive. So, my walk-in closet is going to have to do. I push shirts and dresses out of the way until I find my black skinny jeans, black tank top, and oversized red sweater. I flip through my scarves and find the black one with silver spiderwebs, grab my red, waterproof boots, and start putting it together.
By four I have my Spiderman vibes all together complete with bold red lips and black eyeliner. I grab my black coat and red gloves then head down the stairs to meet my date. I salute Katniss on the way to the front and his headlights illuminate the shop as I get to the door. I make sure to lock up behind me and pull out my phone to remotely arm the alarm system before running through the flurries to the truck. Before I reach the truck, he jumps out and comes to greet me.
“Hey.” I go in for a hug, but Wyatt grabs my chin and tips my head up for a kiss. “Hi.” I try again, a little spacey from the kiss.
“You look amazing as always.” He opens my door and I carefully step in, making a point to ensure my footing before putting weight down. Before I can compliment his attire, he closes my door and runs around to get in. The truck is toasty, and I pull my gloves off to put my hands in front of the vent.
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” I say once he gets back in the truck. Actually, he looks damn good. Dark wash jeans, gray sweater, black coat, boots and a scarf. It’s the two days’ worth of stubble on his face that really sells me on the look though. I’m a lucky girl.
“Thanks. Ready?” He puts the truck in reverse and backs out. “Have you been to the food truck park?”
I look out at the snow and back to him. “Are you serious?” I’m not a huge fan of cold, or hot now that I’m thinking about it.
“Don’t worry, they have a pavilion and those heater things to stand by. There was one truck that I saw listed that I think you are really going to like. I had to make sure I wasn’t crazy when I saw it.” He glances over at me with a huge grin on his face.
“I trust you.” I lean back in the heated seat and let my butt get toasty.
We drive for about thirty minutes to the historic district of East Hollow and then weave through the cobbled back roads to the artsy part of the neighborhood. It’s full of independent breweries, art shops, and coffee shops. Bike trails zigzag all over and there are more people walking than there are cars on the road. Wyatt pulls off into a little lot, pays the man in the booth and we get a spot toward the front. We unload and Wyatt grabs a couple of blankets from the back seat. Across the cobbled street is a circle of food trucks, all decorated in lights with tall heaters in between each one. Picnic tables are set up in the center and a pavilion with at least a dozen tables is over to the side. About ten people with dogs and kids are milling about. The snow picks up, sending fluffy flakes swirling around us and creating the kind of scene you see in a Hallmark movie. Once it’s dark out, the place will be perfect.
“You coming?” Wyatt is about three paces ahead of me. I hurry to catch up and try not to slip at the same time. This is not an easy task. I catch him and he grabs my hand. “Walk around first or eat first? The movie starts at eight-thirty.”
“Walk and venture into a coffee shop?” I suggest, looping my arm through his.
“Sounds good,” he agrees, steering us toward the shops and away from the food trucks. I’m pulled into the first little brick building with a wooden sign hanging out front. It’s a wood burning shop on one side and glass blowing on the other. We walk through, making sure I avoid the small breakable things, and exit through a different door. The next shop is pastries, so we pick up a few for later and a sprinkle donut for Cruze. We spend an hour going in and out of shops, browsing, but not buying anything. All the cute, quirky shops are even cuter in the dark with snow piling up on the grass and trees.
At dusk we head back to the food trucks and even more have joined the others. There’s a food truck for everything. Soup, falafel, Mexican, Thai, vegan, donuts, cake pops and… “Oh. My. God.” I squeeze Wyatt’s hand. The center truck, right in the freaking middle is the coolest food truck I have ever seen. “Is that—”
“The Grillennium Falcon,” Wyatt finishes the sentence for me. The truck is painted black with a grilled cheese on the side shaped the Millennium Falcon, and tons of shooting stars like they are in hyperdrive. They even used the Star Wars font. I don’t know how Disney would feel about that, but I’m excited to see it.
“Well, I don’t know what you’re in the mood for, but I’m having a grilled cheese.” I pull him to
ward the truck, and he trails behind me, his hand firmly in mine. We make it to the line with three people in front of us, and I start studying the menu. Every sandwich is named after a character and has a different cheese or add on.
“I’m glad you’re as excited as I thought you’d be.” He drops my hand to pull me toward him and wraps a blanket around my shoulders.
“It’s amazing.” I snuggle into him.
“It is.” His tone changes and I look up to see him staring down at me, a starry look in his eyes.
“Did… Did you really just say that?” I roll my eyes at the cheesy moment. My insides are fluttering, and my heart is pounding, but I can’t let him know that he just made me swoon like a schoolgirl.
“I did. Now accept it and move on.” He pulls me tighter into his side.
“Wyatt?” The voice comes from behind us as we step forward in line. Wyatt stiffens and I turn to see the source of the voice. I almost have to double take. The man behind us looks like Wyatt in ten years. His hair is longer, a lot longer, and he has several days of scruffy facial hair. He’s wearing worn jeans, work boots, and a black hoodie.
“Fuck,” Wyatt mutters under his breath.
“That you, man?” The guy comes toward us, ignoring the fact that Wyatt seems uncomfortable to see him. We move up in the line and the guy comes right up next to us.
“Wyatt! It’s been forever! How are you?” The guy throws his arms around Wyatt and hugs him, I get caught up in the hug and am squeezed into both of them.
“What are you doing here, Wayne?” Wyatt asks once he’s released. “Last I heard you were grifting in Nashville.” Wyatt keeps me pulled close to him.
Wayne looks hurt. “I wasn’t grifting. I had a construction job. Job was over, I came home.” He shrugs.
“You called Pops from jail,” Wyatt deadpans.
“It was a misunderstanding.” Wayne sets his sights on me suddenly. “You not going to introduce your brother to this pretty little thing?” I stiffen and Wyatt groans.
“Wayne, this is Noralee. Noralee, my brother Wayne.” I wriggle my hand free to shake his as our turn comes up in line. As much as his ‘pretty little thing’ comment makes me want to hit him, I was raised to be polite.
“How’s that kid of yours? Haven’t seen him since he was a baby.” Wayne is missing all the cues, but I really don’t think he cares.
“Next!” the lady at the truck window calls for us and we ignore Wayne to order a Chewbacca and Luke Skywalker sandwich. Once the order is placed, we step to the side and Wayne dives right back into conversation as if we aren’t on a date or something.
“How’s Pops? He still getting around okay? And that hot partner of yours? The blond one, what was her name?” Wayne doesn’t even let Wyatt answer. Our order is called, and we head over to the pavilion to find a table. Wayne sits down across from us, still talking.
Wyatt finally drops his head in his hands. “Wayne. Do you need something?” Wayne stops mid-sentence.
“I’m talking to my brother, that’s all.” Wayne holds his hands up and looks to me for help.
“You’re talking at me, you haven’t let me say a damn word and you still haven’t gotten to the point. What do you need, Wayne?” Wyatt sighs, and I realize that he’s been doing this little dance with his brother for a long time.
“I mean, I can always use a few bucks, but I’m just trying to catch up.” Wayne winks at me and Wyatt stands up, pulls his wallet out, and hands him a twenty. “I don’t need your charity, little brother.” Wayne snatches the money anyway.
“You always need it for something. Go get a shower and a meal, Wayne. And don’t go the house. Pops has nothing left to give you.” Wyatt sits back down, avoiding me.
“Always so high and fucking mighty, aren't you? The good son who never messes up and follows the rules.” Wayne turns his sights on me and smirks, “You gonna knock this one up and hope she’ll stay too? Tell me how that goes for you, because it didn’t go great last time did? Left you with that kid all by yourself. She know you were that desperate?”
“Just go, Wayne.” Wyatt stands up and Wayne does the same.
“You’re always so quick to judge me with that badge and gun you carry around, but you’re not perfect either little brother, raising that kid all by yourself because you were too scared of being alone.” Wayne shakes his head and pushes off from the table. We watch in silence as he ambles off in the direction of the historic district.
Wyatt finally sits down. “I’m sure that twenty will buy him at least a round.” He shakes his head. “We should eat, movie starts soon.” I don’t dare talk about Wayne for the rest of dinner. We eat in silence for a while, then make some small talk, and finally the cloud of tension leaves us entirely.
“Super villains, music, or emotional?” Wyatt looks up from his phone once we’re done eating and sitting in his truck watching the snow fall.
“I thought you had all this planned.” I give him a look across the truck.
“I second guessed myself.” He shrugs. “So, answer me.”
“Music.” I have no idea what I just chose, but I feel like we can’t really go wrong with any of those options. With a nod, Wyatt rests his hand on my knee, and we drive through the darkness in the snow to the movie theater, leaving the beautiful historic district behind us.
East Hollow Cinema is the only theater in a forty-mile radius, but we’re lucky enough for it to be a good one. With a huge theater company headquarters stationed in the next big city, we get all the good movies. The girls and I have traveled over to Knoxville more than once to attend a big movie premier that included the stars walking down the red carpet and tons of media coverage. Wyatt and I ride in silence, him concentrating on the road in the thick snow and me enjoying watching the snow. The drive that would normally take fifteen minutes takes thirty, but we get to the theater with seven minutes to spare. Wyatt runs around to help me out and we trudge through the slushy snow in the nearly empty lot to the front doors. Inside we kick our shoes off in the entryway so as not to track too much water inside. It doesn’t go well for either of us. Despite using the rug and the wall to get as much water off as possible, I start sliding all over the marble tiled floor and Wyatt’s shoes squeak with every step. At the counter, Wyatt asks for two tickets to see Bohemian Rhapsody and orders us each a soda. He pays and we make our way through the empty lobby to theater number four.
“The other options were Glass and…” I trail off, unsure of what movie he considered emotional.
“The Upside,” he states as if I should know this.
“Oh yeah, Malcolm’s dad and Kevin Hart.” I point to a row and Wyatt gives me a nod. We scoot down the center and pick our seats.
“Walter White, but yeah.” Wyatt holds my drink while I shake my coat off. I take my drink back and set it in the cup holder, settling in for the movie.
“Right, Breaking Bad. I’m convinced the ending of that one didn’t go as we think. I’m one hundred percent convinced that Walter was put into witness protection and started a family with Lois, creating Malcolm and his brothers.” I shrug and put my feet up on the seat in front of me. Wyatt is silent for a second then starts laughing. “What?”
“That makes a weird amount of sense and I don’t know how to feel about it. I’m also a little shocked that you like Breaking Bad.” He nods approvingly.
“As a cop, shouldn’t you hate it? It’s all illegal and rule breaking,” I ask.
“No real person is smart enough to pull it off. Plus, the whole story is great.” The lights go down and Wyatt lifts the arm rest between us to put his arm around me.
I snuggle into him. “I hope we can make it home once this is over, is it supposed to snow more?” Down in the South we don’t get a ton of snow, but that also means we don’t know how to function properly when it does snow.
“I guess I picked a bad night, huh? I should have checked the weather.” He leans his head on mine as the first trailer starts.
“You ha
ndle the snow well.” He’s surprisingly calm driving in it.
“If I can handle a cruiser in the snow, chasing another car, driving the truck in it is a piece of cake.” The reminder to turn cell phones off comes on, and we both turn down our ringers. Not that anyone is in the room with us to be disturbed, but I am kind of excited about the movie and don’t want to be interrupted. I put my phone away, but he sets his in the next cup holder over. I give him a look. “I have a kid, the phone stays in sight.” I nod and we huddled together to watch the rise of Freddie Mercury.
16
Wyatt:
Janet told me to go with the super villain movie and call it a day, but after dinner I had this feeling that I should offer options and I have never been happier with a decision in my life. Noralee is watching this movie like she’s never seen anything so beautiful in her life. I’ve heard her sniffle a few times and seen her wipe her eyes, trying to be discreet, but she’s cried at least once. It’s a great movie, honestly, but I’m having more fun watching her than Freddie Mercury. Something happens on the screen and Noralee giggles a little, her nose wrinkling in the center. I’m starting to wonder how fast it’s appropriate to fall in love. Surely less than a month is not the answer, and maybe I’m not in love, but damn it if I won’t be there soon. Everything about her is something I’ve never seen before, from her job, to the way she dresses, to how smart she is, to her falling every few minutes. I’ve never met a woman bold enough to be who she is, everyone else be damned. It’s hot as hell. Then there’s the sex. We probably had sex a little early in the relationship, but we’re adults and that’s one of the perks. The sex was hands down the best sex I have ever had in my entire life. I’ve never had a woman strip for me, except on my twenty-first birthday and that was paid for, so it didn’t count. Noralee and I were explosive.