The Winter Affair

by Alicia LaFontaine

  “Deal!”

  Trish was a little confused. He wanted to buy her a pterodactyl figure? She’d never expressed an interest in dinosaurs to him before, she didn’t think.

  “My nephew will love this!” Garrett commented as he handed Percy some bills.

  Oh, right! His nephew loves dinosaurs! Trish felt foolish as his intention became clear. Why should she expect him to buy her anything just because an old man had ribbed him a little about crushing on her?

  He’d probably blushed because it was the farthest thing from the truth. And, it’s not like he was about to tell her she’d misinterpreted his flirting yesterday in a crowded room of complete strangers.

  She chided herself internally for her stupidity and resolved to focus her attention on the woodworking show.

  “It’ll take me a second to get this packaged up nice for you. Why don’t you stop back round here before you leave for the day and I’ll have it all ready?”

  “Sounds great,” Garrett agreed, shaking the old man’s hand. Trish waved goodbye to Percy as they turned and made their way further down the aisle.

  “That was really sweet of you to buy that for your nephew,” Trish commented as they walked slowly past booths surrounded by enthusiastic customers. “He must be pretty important to you.”

  “Uh, yeah,” he replied, sounding as if caught off guard. “I’d do anything for him.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Jace.”

  Trish nodded. Before she could say anything further, her phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her back pocket.

  “It’s my dad,” she explained as she put the phone to her ear.

  It was just as well their conversation get interrupted. She’d been beginning to wonder how Garrett could be so thoughtful when it came to his nephew but was fine cuddling up to Trish when he was in love with someone else. These two warring images just didn’t mesh.

  “Hi, Dad,” Trish began.

  “Trish, are you alright?” her dad’s gruff voice came through. “Jordan told me you got caught in that snowstorm.”

  “I’m fine, Dad, really.”

  “What were you doing that far west, anyways?”

  Trish’s eyes darted to Garrett, though he couldn’t have heard what her father had asked.

  “I was visiting a friend.”

  “Well, couldn’t you have stayed with your friend for a few more days instead of trying to drive home in a blizzard?”

  Trish hissed out a heavy sigh through her teeth. “Our plans fell through unexpectedly and I decided to drive back. Honestly, I didn’t set out to go driving through that. It just turned out that way.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re safe. Do you want me to head that way to come pick you up? You’ve probably got work to get back to at the shop.”

  Trish laughed. Just like her dad to always be trying to help out his little girl. “It’s fine. Jordan has the shop under control. And, I’ve got to stay here until Monday when my car’s getting fixed, anyways. I’ll be okay.”

  “Well, you call me if you need anything, alright?”

  “Yes, Dad,” Trish answered and hung up.

  “You were visiting a friend?” Garrett’s words made her head snap over to him.

  Trish shrugged, hoping that would calm the instant flushing to her face. “Yeah. So?”

  He held up his hands in surrender. “Nothing. Just seems like when a girl tells her father she was ‘visiting a friend,’ that’s usually code for seeing a guy.”

  Trish’s right eye twitched in anger. “So? What if I was?”

  This time, he shrugged.

  “Seriously, so what if I was seeing a guy?”

  “It’s none of my business, obviously.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. It’s not!”

  She turned straight ahead, intent on walking on down the aisle, but the throng of people held them in place. Her anger at Garrett’s apparent concern over her personal life rolled around in her gut while she waited for a space to open up large enough for her to slip through but none came.

  Finally, she was fuming with no place to turn, so she wheeled around on Garrett. “What the fuck do you care if I was seeing some guy, anyways?”

  “Jeez, Trish. Calm down.”

  “No, Garrett, I want an answer. What gives you the right to know anything about who I’m seeing?”

  He went to shrug again but then just dropped his shoulders. “Well, I guess I was really just curious why you weren’t still with him. I figure, something pretty bad must’ve happened if it made you leave in the middle of a raging snowstorm.”

  “Let’s just drop it, okay?” Trish snapped and instantly regretted her tone by the look of hurt on Garrett’s face.

  “Yeah, okay.”

  She sighed heavily while internally scolding herself for getting so worked up. If she thought about it objectively, sure, he had a point. She realized what had really set her off was that she wanted to ask him the same thing; how was it he found himself taking a weekend fishing trip through a blizzard instead of holed up somewhere warm with his…girlfriend? Wife? Whomever she was to him.

  But, to ask him that would be to risk the peace between them for the rest of the weekend. And, with no more hotel rooms available and neither with a working vehicle, they were stuck. Trish thought for a fleeting second about calling her dad back up and asking if he were really serious about coming to get her but waved it off.

  She didn’t want to put her father through the hassle when he’d just have to turn around on Monday and bring her back here to get her car. She also didn’t want to explain anything more to her father about how crazy her weekend had been already, especially not when she didn’t fully understand her whirlwind of emotions within the last twenty-four hours, herself.

  And, if she were truly honest with herself, it all came down to her pride. Why should she be the one to leave? She hadn’t done anything wrong here. She just needed to get a handle on her emotions around Garrett.

  So what if he’d flirted with her and she’d liked it? A lot…

  So what if she’d dreamt last night about what life would’ve been like had they never broken up after high school?

  So what if she’d let the fantasy get away from her that morning in the shower, envisioning Garrett’s hands on her body, his lips on her—

  “Ugh!” she grunted aloud. It had been loud enough to make not only Garrett but a few other people nearby turn to stare bewildered at her.

  Slightly mortified, Trish ducked her head and scurried off to a deserted spot just behind the row of booths.

  “Hey,” Garrett’s voice was soft and full of concern as he caught her by the wrist, “what’s going on? Are you okay, Mortrisha?”

  She spun on the spot. “Mortrisha?”

  Garrett’s bright green eyes went as wide as hers when he realized what he’d said. “Oh my god!”

  “You haven’t called me that since high school!”

  “Yeah, well, we haven’t really talked that much since high school.”

  “You used to call me that all the time. Oh my gosh, I haven’t thought about that in years!...Garrez!”

  This provoked a deep laugh to come bubbling up from both their chests. Soon, they were wiping away tears as they reveled in the memory of their former pet names for each other.

  “God, I still remember that first Halloween we were together and you died your long hair black.”

  “And my eyebrows!”

  “You were my Morticia Addams.”

  “And you penciled on that thin, Gomez Addams moustache and found that pinstripe suit at the thrift store on Main Street.”

  “Oh, yeah! That suit was da bomb!”

  A whole new round of hysterical laughter ensued.

  Trish wiped at her tears of mirth. “Another thing I haven’t heard in ten years.”

  “I should bring it back.”

  “No, please. It died long ago for good reason.”

  Garrett stood back up straight and t
ook a step in closer to her. He reached out a hand and she stood stock-still as his fingers traced along the side of her face and across her jaw.

  “My Mortrisha. Maybe I should bring that one back.”

  Trish’s heart was beating as if she’d just finished sprinting across the entire convention hall. He took another step towards her and her heart leapt into her throat. His eyes were fixated on her lips which she couldn’t keep from wetting just then with her tongue. Obviously, her body hadn’t gotten the message from her brain that she was not going to kiss Garrett again.

  “We should probably stop creeping around behind the booths. Someone may start to suspect we’re trying to steal something.” The excuse she’d supplied sounded lame as it came out, but she needed an exit before her brain decided to join her body in fully thwarting her plans at self-control.

  Without waiting for a response, Trish scurried past Garrett and back towards the main aisle. Within seconds, they were swept up in the swarm of people and allowed themselves to be carried along, slowly meandering from booth to booth. Thankfully, their conversation remained fixed on the exciting, artistic pieces they were viewing and not back to old memories again.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  The day passed better than Trish could’ve hoped. She actually found herself enjoying Garrett’s company and forgetting for several hours about the phone call from that morning or their heated encounter behind the booths. They were just friends again, their personalities naturally melding together as they had in high school, goofy and sweet.

  They had a raucously good time watching the chainsaw competition, despite the frigid temperature outside. The men competing were all seasoned pros. Trish commented to Garrett, it seemed to take a certain larger-than-life personality to wield such dangerous and heavy equipment with a smile. To her relief, Garrett did not flip her words into a clumsy euphemism, though she’d inadvertently set him up for one.

  The last booth they visited was an instant winner with Garrett.

  “Holy crap!” he exclaimed.

  The man in the booth chuckled and swept a welcoming arm across the expanse of hand-carved guitars, violins, and other impressive stringed instruments, each adorned with intricate scrollwork, detailed filigree patterns, and even delicate floral designs.

  “Go ahead,” the man offered to Garrett. “Try one out.”

  Garrett gingerly reached out for a beautiful guitar set upright on a stand with Day of the Dead inspired artwork etched into the wood.

  “That’s absolutely gorgeous!” Trish gushed as she took a closer look. “How long does it take you to make something like that?”

  “Eh,” the man shrugged. “It’s a work of passion. I don’t keep track of the time.”

  Garrett began to slowly pluck at the strings but soon was strumming like a master. Trish was instantly transported back to a warm, late spring evening in high school.

  They’d spent hours driving around town that night, talking about everything under the sun and laughing until their sides and cheeks hurt. Once it got dark, Garrett had pulled over onto the side of a lonely dirt road well out into the country.

  It hadn’t taken long for them to steam up the windows, although no other cars passed by to witness it. Had there been, the foggy windows would have only masked an innocent—albeit intense—make-out session between two star-struck teenagers reveling in their youth and freedom.

  Finally, Trish had broken away, apologizing but standing her ground on not going all the way, at least until college. Garrett, ever the gentleman, had kissed her palm and agreed with her.

  To give their lust-stricken bodies time enough to calm down before driving back into town, Garrett had pulled out his acoustic guitar from its usual post in the backseat and urged Trish to follow him out of the car.

  The unseasonably warm night air sliding across her flushed skin, reminding her of the electric touch of Garrett’s fingers mere minutes before, did nothing to slow her racing heart. Nor did the husky, melodic tone of Garrett’s voice quell her desires as he’d begun to play and sing to her “their song,” Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be.”

  Now, with the added warmth of her winter jacket and the packed arena, Trish felt the same flush rise to the surface of her skin as the first few, memorable notes floated through the air.

  Other onlookers turned their heads and were drawn in as Garrett’s silky baritone joined the mix. Before he even hit the first chorus, a large crowd had gathered all around the booth.

  She knew people surrounded her because she could sense the presence of others so close to her, but she may as well have been on another planet, so lost she was to her memories.

  His eyes on that night so many years ago had seared into hers, promising her the world, pledging his heart. That night, without either having to speak the words, Trish had known they would be together forever, just by the look in his eyes as he’d sang to her.

  Her heart raced now, faster than it had that spring evening as they’d fooled around, faster than it had the previous night when they’d kissed so unexpectedly, faster than she’d ever remembered it beating while in his presence. The memories of that wonderful spring night shifted to the shock and confusion of Garrett leaving for college and the first time he’d failed to return her calls…the second…

  The back of her hand held back a gasping sob as tears sprang to her eyes. She couldn’t lose it in front of this crowd of strangers. She couldn’t let Garrett see her like this.

  Holding back the sting of unshed tears caused her chest to burn with the unreleased pressure of emotion. Thankfully, he was concentrating on his playing, so his eyes remained focused on his hands. She tried to do the same, but realized her mistake a bit too late as fantasies of his fingers aptly playing her like a sexual instrument invaded her mind. It was suddenly all too much.

  She had to get out of there.

  14

  “H

  ey!” Garrett called out to her above the noise of the packed arena.

  Trish acted as though she didn’t hear and kept pushing her way through the crowd towards the front entrance. As she finally succeeded to make it through the front doors, a wall of frigid air smacked her in the face, giving her the instant shot of reality she needed. She wiped quickly at her eyes to ensure her eye liner hadn’t smudged, giving away her loss of emotional control.

  “Hey!” She heard the doors open behind her and Garrett’s boots crunch out onto the snow.

  She sucked in a quick, deep breath and whirled around, fake smile in place. “Hey, I’m sorry. I had to get out of there. It was getting so warm and that crowd was beginning to feel like a mosh pit.”

  The concern on his face morphed into a sheepish grin. “Eh, I’m no David Bowie or anything. I think everyone was just waiting for me to be done.”

  “Are you kidding?” she chuckled at his modesty. His disarming answer made her feel fully in control of herself again. Perhaps it had the same affect as it’d always had when he failed to recognize his full appeal. She didn’t let herself think on that now, though. “You played so well. Everyone was gathering around because they wanted to hear more.”

  He shrugged his shoulders and grimaced, unable to take her compliment. “That was the only song I could think of in the moment. Actually, I don’t even think I consciously thought about it. My fingers just started playing it. I haven’t picked up a guitar in years.”

  For whatever reason, the cold was giving her the strength to keep her mind from wandering with his words. “That’s too bad,” she lamented. “You were always an amazing musician. I loved listening to you play.”

  His hand rubbed at the back of his neck and he looked at her over the veil of his dark eyelashes as he shrugged again. “I always loved playing for you.”

  No amount of cold could distract her from the effect of his looking at her like that. She cleared her throat and looked down, shifting her feet. “I’m sorry to drag you out of there. Was there more you wanted to look at?”

  He dropped his hand with
a dismissive wave. “Nah, I think we saw all the booths.”

  “Oh, damn! That sculpture!”

  “Oh, yeah! I better go grab that quick. Here,” his arm reached out and wrapped around her back, leading her towards the doors, “come back inside out of the cold while I go get that.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Slowly, Trish peeled off her jacket once they returned to their hotel room. She was grateful for the heat as it had been a very cold walk back from the arena.

  Her limbs relaxed as they warmed and she closed her eyes to the sensation. The shock of Garrett’s much-warmer hands grabbing hers made her stomach somersault.

  His eyes were intense as he stared into hers, standing directly in front of her, her hands trapped in his. While his eyes searched hers, her brain battled back ferociously against her body’s instinct to step into his embrace.

  This was the perfect moment for the two of them to surrender to their obvious desires, to satisfy their curiosities and finally satiate their lingering attraction for one another.

  If only he were single.

  Trish tried to pull away but he held tight to her hands and wouldn’t break his gaze.

  “Garrett,” she started but faltered. The tip of her nose tingled, signaling the imminent onset of tears.

  “Why do I feel as if I’ve lost you all over again today?” he asked, his voice soft yet heavy with worry.

  “What?” she asked, taken aback by his question.

  “I felt something last night when we kissed. I know you did, too. It’s been a long time, but I still know how to read your body language, Trish. Something’s been off all day. I want to know, what did I do wrong? Where did I screw this up?”

  It was hopeless to fight back her tears now and it was hopeless to try to hide them. He wasn’t letting her run away from him this time.

  “I can’t do this,” she whispered as hot tears streaked down her cheeks.

  “What do you mean? What did I do? I didn’t mean to move too quickly. I just—God, Trish, seeing you on the highway yesterday…it was like a sign from the universe. Do you know how much I regret how we left things?”