Under the Viaduct

by H. L. Anderson

  “Okay, okay,” Blayne said. “We’re going.”

  “We won’t wait up,” Hannah said with a wink.

  Kaylee looked at Blayne as the familiar warmth of embarrassment spread up her neck and into her face. He rolled his eyes and took her gently by the elbow, leading her toward her car.

  “Ignore her,” he said. “She loves to get a reaction out of people.” He walked her to the driver’s side and opened the door for her before going over to the passenger side to get in.

  As he buckled his seatbelt, she asked, “Where to?”

  “Well, like I said, this was only a partial paycheck. I was thinking somewhere cheap, like Danny’s? Is that okay?”

  “Danny’s is perfect. I love their breakfasts.” Kaylee turned the car around and headed for the street. She glanced over at him, noticing that he’d taken his beanie and gloves off. His hair was adorably messy. “You smell great.” Crap. That wasn’t what she’d meant to say. Like, you usually stink, but tonight you smell okay, she thought. What a stupid thing to say.

  “Thank you,” he didn’t seem to mind her careless comment. “Kelly let me clean up in her trailer and Jorge spritzed me with cologne as I tried to escape.”

  “That was nice of them.” Why was she being so awkward?

  “Yeah. They’re nice people.” He turned in his seat to face her. “Thanks again for helping me get this job. It feels really good to be a productive member of society.”

  She smiled, feeling a little more at ease, yet still worried that it bothered him to have to depend on her for so much. “You’re welcome.” She pulled into the parking lot at Danny’s and parked close to the entrance. She got out before Blayne had a chance to come around and open her door.

  They were seated in a booth hidden from most of the other tables. Blayne slipped his coat off, folded it in half, and set it on the seat next to him.

  “That’s a nice shirt,” Kaylee said as she slid across from him into the booth. “Is it new?”

  He looked down at the blue, long-sleeve button-up. “Yeah. I, uh, stopped at Walmart to cash my check and they had these shirts on sale for practically nothing.”

  “The color really brings out your eyes.” She refused to be embarrassed for telling him that, it was true, his blue eyes popped next to the color of his shirt.

  “Well, thank you. You look great, too.”

  The waitress stopped at their table. “Hi, I’m Amy. Can I get you guys something to drink?”

  “Water, please,” Kaylee said. “With a slice of lemon.”

  “Same, but without the lemon,” Blayne said.

  Kaylee opened the menu to the breakfast page and searched for the best deals. “What are you going to have?”

  “Probably a burger. If I recall, they have pretty good ones here,” Blayne said. “What about you? Still sticking with the breakfast-for-dinner idea?”

  “Yes. You can’t go wrong with breakfast food.”

  “Or a hamburger.”

  “True.”

  The waitress reappeared. “One water with lemon,” she set the glass in front of Kaylee, “and one without. Are you ready to order?”

  Blayne nodded to Kaylee, so she went first. “I’ll have the two-egg special, with bacon.”

  “How would you like your eggs?” Amy asked as she scribbled on her order pad.

  “Over-easy,” Kaylee said.

  Amy looked at Blayne and smiled wide, cocking a hip out. “And, how about you?”

  “A bacon cheeseburger,” he glanced at Kaylee then back at the waitress. “No onions.”

  “You got it. I’ll bring that right out as soon as it’s done.” Amy turned and sashayed away from their table.

  They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Blayne looked at the table tent for far too long, and Kaylee looked around at the wall decorations.

  “I have an idea.” Kaylee broke the silence. “Let’s ask each other questions to get to know each other better.” Blayne held up a hand and opened his mouth, but Kaylee hurried to finish before he could speak. “If I ask something you don’t want to answer, just say ‘pass.’”

  “Okay,” he said slowly. “You ask first.”

  She crooked her mouth into a mischievous smile. “Do you have any tattoos?”

  “Nope. I could never afford one and now I don’t want one.” Blayne matched her smile. “Do you have any?”

  Kaylee swallowed, trying to keep the embarrassment at bay. “It…it was my one act of rebellion against my parents’ wishes—when I turned eighteen. They still don’t know I have it.”

  Blayne’s eyebrows rose. “Where is it? And what is it?”

  “That’s two questions, but I’ll let it pass. It’s on my side,” she pointed to the right side of her torso, “and it’s…well, I’m a little obsessed with Harry Potter, so it’s a symbol from that.”

  “The Deathly Hallows?” Blayne asked, surprising her.

  “You know Harry Potter?”

  “Of course I do. I read all seven books when I was in elementary school. I watched the movies over and over up until I left home.”

  “The books are better,” they both said at the same time, then laughed.

  “What’s your favorite book in the series?” Kaylee asked.

  “That’s a tough question, but I think it’s probably The Prisoner of Azkaban. I love the whole Sirius angle. What’s your favorite?”

  “Prisoner is second on my list. My favorite is The Goblet of Fire. That’s when things start to get real, in the graveyard, when Cedric dies.”

  “Yeah. That’s a good one.”

  “I could talk about Harry Potter all night, so I’m going to move on to the next question so that doesn’t happen,” Kaylee said. “What’s your favorite color?”

  “It changes day to day. Today,”—he stared into her eyes—“it’s golden brown, like fresh honey glinting in the sun.”

  Kaylee’s eye color was strange and nobody had been able to pinpoint it before. Blayne had described it perfectly.

  He continued, still looking in her eyes, his voice sounding silky. “What’s your favorite color?”

  Kaylee tried to tear her eyes away from his but couldn’t. Words stumbled out of her mouth in awkward waves. “It’s always been the same.” He’s going to think I’m copying him, she worried. “…since I was little, my room was…” Her eyes still locked with his. “Blue. My favorite color is blue.”

  Blayne’s mouth twitched. He reached toward her face. His fingers barely brushed her cheek, when the waitress interrupted. He pulled his hand away and turned to face her.

  “Be careful,” Amy said, “the plates are hot.”

  The spell broken, they looked at Amy and both said, “Thank you.” Kaylee spread her napkin on her lap and started mushing up her eggs, adding salt and pepper.

  Blayne slathered his burger with ketchup and took a big bite.

  Kaylee took a small bite of eggs and, after swallowing, asked, “Who’s your favorite female singer?” continuing their getting-to-know-you game.

  He finished chewing and swallowed before answering. “Would you think less of me if I said it was Taylor Swift?”

  “Um, Yes.”

  “Okay, good, because it isn’t her. It’s Pink.” He tore off another bite of his burger and smiled, ketchup smeared on his top lip.

  Nodding, Kaylee said, “Yeah. Pink’s awesome.”

  As he wiped the ketchup from his mouth with the back of his hand, Kaylee couldn’t help but be drawn to his lips, only realizing she was staring when they turned up into a roguish smile. She glanced at his eyes and quickly looked down at her plate when she recognized the glint of silent laughter.

  “Tell me about your family,” Blayne said.

  Thankful he didn’t comment on the magnetic draw his lips had held her in a moment ago, she answered, “It’s just my mom and dad and me and my brother. My brother’s fifteen. He’s a cool kid, really great running back. He plays on the varsity team already. My dad and I are really close a
nd he is a big worry-wart. Before I left for college, he took me to the gun range a few times to teach me how to shoot. He wanted me to get a handgun, but I don’t really want that responsibility.”

  Blayne nodded and shoved three fries into his mouth.

  While he chewed, Kaylee asked, “What about your family? What are they like?” She knew she’d made a mistake when he stopped chewing and dropped his hand to the table. She didn’t retract it, though. She’d told him at the start that he could say “pass” if he didn’t want to answer anything.

  He swallowed and glanced back up at Kaylee. “I pa… Oh, what the hell. My parents are great. They tried everything they could think of to help me. I have a little sister who’s twelve years younger than me.” His voice lowered and a look of anguish passed over his face. “She’s why I left.”

  They ate in silence for several minutes, Kaylee worrying that she’d ruined the whole night. But she was also more curious than ever. What could have happened with his sister that made him think he had to leave home? She recalled one of their first conversations in which he’d said something about putting his sister in danger.

  With counterfeit cheeriness infused in his voice, Blayne broke the silence. “Tell me about your favorite birthday.”

  Kaylee smiled. This was an easy one. “When I turned eleven. My grandma and my mom threw me the best birthday party ever. It started with me getting a letter from Hogwarts.”

  “That’s awesome!” Blayne laughed. “A Harry Potter themed birthday.”

  “It was a blast.” She thought back on the “potions class” where the potions were made from candy; the Quidditch game; the homemade Butterbeer. Her mom and grandma had gone all out. “Your turn,” she said. “Your best birthday.”

  “I had a lot of great ones.” He thought for a few seconds. “The best was probably when I got my dirt bike. I’d wanted one for so long. It was a blast.”

  He shoved the last fry in his mouth then put his napkin on top of his empty plate just as Kaylee took the last bite of her toast. “I get the last question,” he said, “since you asked the first.”

  Uh oh, Kaylee thought, there’s that twinkle in his eyes again. She held her breath, waiting for his question.

  He leaned across the table and whispered, “Do you kiss on a first date?”

  Her stomach flipped so hard and so fast she thought she’d lose all the food she just ate. She inhaled a little too sharply and sucked saliva into her lungs. Her face, already red from embarrassment—or maybe excitement—turned a whole new shade of crimson as she coughed for two minutes solid.

  Concern on his face, Blayne handed her some water. “You okay?”

  She nodded, still unable to speak. She took a couple of sips of water and cleared her throat. “I’m fine.” Her words came out raspy. She hoped she hadn’t done permanent damage to her vocal cords.

  “Good,” he smiled, “then you can answer my question now.”

  Okay, she thought. Time to show some daring. You know there was a reason you couldn’t take your eyes off his lips. Kaylee cleared her throat again. In her still raspy voice, she said, “I haven’t in the past.” She looked him straight in the deep blue eyes. “But sometimes, rules are meant to be broken.”

  Blayne sat back, his smile turning from one of mischief to one of anticipation.

  “Will this be separate checks?” Amy-of-the-bad-timing asked.

  “No,” Blayne said, not taking his eyes from Kaylee. “Just one.”

  A small pout pursed Amy’s lips as she ripped the ticket from her pad and pushed it toward Blayne on the table. “You can pay at the counter. Have a great evening.” She trounced away.

  Grabbing the bill, Blayne scooted out of the booth and held a hand out to help Kaylee up. “What do you want to do now?”

  Kaylee could hardly think straight at the moment—Blayne hadn’t let go of her hand after he’d helped her stand, and warm tingles raced up her arm straight into her chest. Plus, she was still thinking about that last question he’d asked. “Umm…” Her thoughts flashed to Mama C and her cough. “Let’s go to Max’s and see if he has any suggestions for Mama C.”

  Kaylee parked next to Max’s car, turned the ignition off, and with a shy smile, glanced at Blayne before opening her door to get out. Before she’d even turned to shut her door, Blayne was standing next to her. He put a hand on her arm. “Wait just a minute. I have a favor to ask you.”

  Turning to fully face him, she nodded, looking up into his eyes.

  He swallowed and licked his lips. “Will you keep my money for me?” He rushed to explain. “I can’t get a bank account without an address, plus living on the streets is a good way to get everything you own stolen.” Another lick of his lips. “And I’d like to save up for a place to live—just a room or studio apartment—now that I have a job.”

  A smile spread wide across her face and she held herself back from throwing her arms around him. He was really doing it! He was really getting his life together! “Of course, I will. And I’ll help you look for a place.”

  He took her shoulders in his hands and stepped closer to her, staring down into her face with a smile. “Thank you.” His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips and back. His smile faded and his tongue darted out to lick his lips again nervously.

  Kaylee’s throat went dry and her heart pounded in her ears. Was this too soon? Should she pull away? Her muddled brain couldn’t decide, but her lips knew what they wanted. She tilted her head up and wet her lips. Blayne’s hands tightened on her shoulders and he pulled her closer, his mouth lowering…

  “Hey, Kaylee!” Max called from his small deck. “What’s up?”

  The spell broken, Blayne dropped his hands and backed away. He stared at the ground and put his hands in his pockets.

  “Uh, hi Max.” Kaylee yelled. “We’ll be up in a second.” He did that on purpose, she thought. He doesn’t trust Blayne yet. Jerk. With an apologetic smile she shrugged and boldly grabbed Blayne’s hand with a defiant look up at Max and led him to the stairs leading up to Max’s apartment.

  Max held the door open for them, Allie stood behind him, her mouth tilted up in a knowing smirk. “Hey, Kay, Blayne! How was the date?”

  Blayne looked down at Kaylee. “Hopefully not over yet.”

  Her stomach flipped, and she bit her bottom lip to keep her smile from taking over her entire face. She cleared her throat of the large stone-like lump that had formed there in the last two seconds. “It’s been great,”—she flicked her gaze up at Blayne—“so far.”

  Motioning toward the couch, Max said, “Come in and have a seat. What brings you to visit?”

  Kaylee sat first, leaving the choice to Blayne of how close to sit to each other. He left a couple of inches between them—just enough so their legs brushed against each other if one of them moved. Allie and Max sat in chairs across from them. Kaylee noted how Max had positioned the chairs at an angle to make it easier for Allie to turn and read his lips as they spoke.

  “We have a medical question for you, Max,” Kaylee said. “Mama C has been sick for several days now and seems to be getting worse.”

  “What kind of symptoms is she having?” Max leaned forward, in full almost-a-doctor mode at the mention of illness.

  “Coughing mostly,” Kaylee answered.

  “And shortness of breath,” Blayne added. “She was huffing so hard yesterday after a trip to the store, I thought she was going to pass out.”

  Max nodded. “Is she coughing anything up? Has she had a fever?”

  “She’s definitely had a fever,” Kaylee said.

  “And she sounds like she’s hacking up a lung,” Blayne wrinkled his nose, “but don’t ask me what color the mucous is, that stuff makes me want to throw up.”

  Max laughed. “Yeah. That isn’t my favorite thing either.” He turned serious, a little V appearing between his eyes. “Sounds like she may have pneumonia. She should really go see a doctor.”

  “She won’t,” Kaylee and Blayne answe
red at the same time.

  Allie, who had been turning from face to face as she followed their conversation, spoke up. “Max can go take a look at her. We aren’t doing anything right now.”

  Kaylee perked up. “Would you, Max? That would be awesome. I’ve been giving her cold medicine and making her drink fluids and eat soup, but that’s about the extent of my medical skills.”

  Max turned to Allie and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, guess I can go do a quick exam on her.” He stood and walked down the hall to his room, soon reappearing with a stethoscope around his neck.

  Zipping up her coat, Allie smiled. “Let’s go.”

  Max frowned and signed to her, Why don’t you stay here. I won’t be long.

  Allie rolled her eyes. Quit worrying. I’ll be fine. Kaylee has been hanging out with these guys for weeks.

  “Come on you two,” Kaylee said. “You know you aren’t going to change her mind, Max.”

  With a sigh, Max pulled his jacket on and held the door open for the rest of them.

  Kaylee parked as close to the encampment as she could and left her headlights on at Max’s insistence—so he “could see to examine Mama C.”

  Blayne approached the small group first, Mama C eyeing him with a deep frown. “You look nice, Blayne.” She lowered her voice to a hoarse growl. “But why you bringing people…” She broke off into a rattling cough that wracked her small body in fitful spasms.

  Worry creasing his face, Blayne knelt down next to her and supported her back as she hacked, Kaylee kneeling on her other side. The coughing ceased, Mama C leaned back against his arm, her chest heaving up and down with each ragged breath. It took several minutes for her lips to return to a pale pink from the blue color they’d turned.

  “Mama,” Blayne touched her forehead, “you’re burning up, and that cough is getting worse. Kaylee’s friend is a doctor, and he agreed to come and take a look at you.”

  “I don’t need a doctor, Blayne. I told you to just let nature take its course.”

  Blayne shook his head. “Just let him listen to your lungs. Please.”