Easy Love

by K. Alice Compeau

  Beth kissed Lottie’s forehead. “Let’s get back to our walk. Standing here feeling sorry for our fondness of dick isn’t going to help us find you any.”

  “I’m not looking for new dick.”

  “You should be. Nothing will get your mind off the old one faster. What about that hottie, Grant? He’s definitely into you.”

  Lottie tried her best to stifle a smile. “He said I was pretty, you know?”

  “No! You didn’t tell me that. How dare you withhold information like that from me for nearly a whole day?” Beth swatted Lottie’s ass again.

  “Are you sure you don’t like cooters? You sure can’t stop touching my ass today.”

  “I’m sure. I just like to spank it when you’re bad.”

  “You are so weird.”

  “So? You gonna go after him? Man, if I were single, I’d fuck the shit out of him. That scruffy beard and gray peppered in at his temples. Damn!” Beth wiped imaginary sweat from her brow. “You know, I love Michael, but sometimes, I just want to take a different dick for a little test drive.”

  Lottie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You would never cheat on Michael. He’s the sweetest guy on earth, and he adores you. You’re really lucky, Beth.”

  “I know, hon.” Beth took Lottie’s hand and pulled her along on the track. “Michael really is the best. I have nothing to complain about. You know, that Grant seemed pretty sweet.”

  “Yeah, well so did David at first, and look how that turned out. Besides, he’s an Altus local.”

  Beth laughed. “Really? I’ve never seen him around town before, and I’m pretty sure I would have noticed him.”

  “He just moved back from Tulsa to help his grandma out. But he was raised here.”

  “Oh my god. That is so sweet. To help his little ol’ granny? Only a real sweetheart would do that. Who cares if he’s an Altus local? Don’t tell me you wouldn’t let him dirty you up a little bit.”

  Lottie blushed, opened her water, and took a long drink, avoiding eye contact with Beth.

  “That’s what I thought.” Beth slapped Lottie on the ass.

  The water bottle shifted and poured down Lottie’s shirt. “You butthole!”

  Beth sprinted away, turning to stick her tongue out. “You’ll never catch me, slowpoke.”

  “I’m not even going to try, douche bonnet. I hate running more than I want to get you back.”

  “Ahh, boo!” Beth slowed and waited for Lottie to catch up. “Let’s just jog a lap. We need to get your stamina up for blue eyes. You don’t wanna be sweating and panting like a pig when you’re riding him like a mechanical bull.”

  Lottie ran forward and punched Beth in the shoulder. “Would you shut up about that already?”

  “Probably not.” Beth pumped her arms like one of the old people at the Central Mall in Lawton.

  “You look ridiculous, you know?”

  “No, I don’t. I look like a professional power walker with a gorgeous ass. Now come on. Let’s burn some fat.”

  Lottie sighed and shook her head before mimicking Beth, shaking her ass and pumping her arms as they walked around the reservoir, giggling the whole way. Beth loudly announcing her “good afternoons” to everyone they passed along the way. If acting like idiots burned calories, Lottie was certain that they’d be the two skinniest girls in Oklahoma. Her heart sank as the thought crossed her mind that it would soon be time for Beth to leave her and move on to a new duty station.

  Chapter Six

  Grant

  Grant straightened his tie and nodded at the mirror on his bedroom door before leaving. He strolled into the dining room where Nana sat at the table. She glanced up at him and did her best attempt at a whistle—she never could whistle—letting out a high-pitched, “Woooooo-woooooooo.”

  He chuckled, “Thanks, Nana.”

  “Well, you sure do look dapper when you slap on a tie and a nicely pressed pair of slacks.”

  “And thank you for ironing them. I would’ve done it this morning, you know?”

  “I know. Last night I had a dream that your Papa Joe was still alive. When I woke up, I was so broken hearted I couldn’t go back to sleep. I do miss him, you know? Despite the secret I told you, we did have a happy life together. It was a small blip in our time together, and I wouldn’t base all my memories on the one big, big mistake he made.”

  “I know, Nana.” Grant put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

  She patted his hand. “I made you some dough dodgers. They’re still warm and waiting for you on the counter.”

  Grant’s eyes widened, and he raced into the kitchen. He bent over the plate, closed his eyes, and breathed the scent in. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve believed he was a kid again. He opened them again and grabbed the plate holding eight delicious dough dodgers and returned to the dining room. “You’re an amazing lady, you know that, Nana? I haven’t had these since I left.”

  “Did you honestly think your nana wouldn’t remember how much you love ‘em?” She pulled the butter dish from the middle of the table and handed him the butter-coated knife that balanced on her empty plate. “Eat all you want. I’ve already had two.”

  Grant spread butter over the top, watching it melt and drift across the surface. He quickly scooped it up and took a huge bite, moaning with delight as he chewed. With a full mouth, he leaned over and kissed Nana on the cheek.

  Giggling, she wiped her butter-kissed cheek with her napkin and waved him off. She slid a cup of coffee—with the perfect amount of half and half already added—his way. After chewing, he took a sip, swallowed, sighed, and stared at Nana, shaking his head with a huge grin. “I hope I find a girl just like you.”

  “Oh, go on.” Nana waved her hand at him again and smiled. “I’m sure any girl you find will be capable of frying dough.”

  “Not the way you do. Or as thoughtfully as you do. I was pretty nervous about starting my new job this morning, but now I feel like this is going to be a great day.”

  “If she loves you, she’ll do things like that for you. Thoughtfulness comes easy with love.”

  Grant paused his chewing and searched his mind. “I guess none of the women I’ve dated loved me too much then. Loved themselves a whole lot, though.”

  “Then they didn’t deserve you, honey. You were smart to wait. Someday, you’ll find the perfect girl for you.” Nana swiped a dough dodger from the plate. “Maybe one more.”

  “I don’t know how such a tiny woman can pack away so much food.” Grant shoved another bite into his mouth.

  Nana did the same.

  After devouring three more dough dodgers, Grant glanced at the large clock over the living room mantle and jumped up. “I better get going. This is a good morning, and being late will shift it.”

  Grant went into the kitchen, filled a thermos with more coffee, darted back into the dining room, and kissed Nana on the top of her head. “See you later!”

  “Have a good day! I can’t wait to hear about it when you get back.”

  Scooping up the old leather briefcase that had belonged to Papa Joe, he headed out the door. “I’m locking the door. Remember to re-lock it if you open it up today.”

  “You’re not my dad!” Nana called after him.

  Grant grinned. She was getting her spunkiness back. He slid the key into the lock of his old pickup and opened it, never tired of the fact that his truck still had to be unlocked the old-fashioned way. No fancy fobs for him. No computers required to run his truck. Would kids today have any idea how to unlock his truck? He’d have to remember to ask his students.

  ***

  Lottie

  Lottie woke up early that Monday morning—earlier than usual. Her eyes popped open a full thirty minutes before she had to get up. The fluttering in her stomach hinted at the fact that a dream had been the reason for her waking, but as hard as she searched her mind, she couldn’t remember any details. All she was left with was a feeling, and that feeling told her that the drea
m was about Grant. A smile raced across her face. He had said she was pretty. Or had she dreamt it? Confusion lurked in the wee morning hours when one was trapped between two worlds. Lottie tilted her head from side to side as though the movement might shake the memory free.

  Once she was satisfied that it had been a fact of the waking world, she practically sprang out of bed and headed into her closet. She picked out her most flattering dress, even though she didn’t enjoy wearing it because lunch always made the waist fit just a little too tight. She’d gotten so many compliments on it, though, she knew it was worth it. Especially today. The weekend had given her crusted-over zit time to heal, and she planned on spending a little more time on her hair and makeup than she normally did.

  Lottie laid her outfit out on her bed and headed into the bathroom for a shower. While conditioning her hair, her wedding band slipped from her finger and fell near the drain. She reached down and pulled it up, examining the plainness of it. She didn’t have an engagement ring. David had proposed with a wedding band. He said his reasoning for doing so was that he was going to take her to the jewelry store to pick out any engagement ring she wanted, but he never got around to it. She’d reminded him once or twice after they were married, but he’d just shrugged and said, “What’s the point now?” or “But we have a matching set,” and he’d hold up his finger. Not wanting to be ungrateful, she’d always just smiled and gone back to whatever it was she was doing.

  Huffing, she flung the ring in the soap dish and finished her routine, doing an extra good job shaving to ensure she didn’t miss that strip on the back of her calf that she had mistakenly let grow for too long from time to time. Beth teased her once that she was going to French braid the long-missed hairs and start a trend.

  Dressed, primped, and ready for work, Lottie headed to the front door, grabbing her keys, and still about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, thought about stopping at Happy Donuts to grab a couple dozen for the teachers’ lounge. Once in her car, she cranked the radio and rolled down the windows before looking at her hair in the rearview mirror and immediately rolling them back up to preserve the perfection of it. She put the car in reverse and began to back out, slamming on the brakes when she realized she had forgotten her wedding band in the shower. Her heart began to pound, and her stomach flipped. She’d never left the house—even one single day since David gave it to her—without it on her finger.

  She slid the car back into park and stared at the front door. Then looking at her quaffed hair and painstakingly perfect makeup, she gave her head a little shake and put the car back in reverse. Sucking in a deep, hitching breath that squealed on the way out, she grinned and shook her head.

  I can’t believe I’m doing this.

  Walking down the halls of the school, she kicked herself for forgetting the donuts until she walked into the lounge and spied about seven full trays of cookies left over from Melissa’s going away. Suddenly, she was delighted she hadn’t shown up with dozens of donuts and ended up feeling like a fool for bring sweets with so many already scattered around.

  “Hey, there, Lottie.”

  She jumped and turned to see Grant sitting on the old, lime green sofa that she was sure had been in the break room since the school was built. He stood, took a step forward, and reached out his arm. She had moved in, thinking he was offering a hug but was too far away to complete it. Instead, she awkwardly grabbed his forearm with her hand. So he wrapped his hand around hers and shook it.

  Lottie blushed and pulled her arm back. “I don’t know why I did that.”

  “Hey, it’s cool. I hear that’s a good way to avoid germs. Not that you have germs.” Grant scratched the back of his neck. He sat back down on the sofa, which promptly let out the same type of sound a whoopee cushion emits. “That wasn’t me. I swear.”

  “Suuuuuure.” Lottie sat down next to him. “That never happens when I sit on this sofa.” Lottie smiled and pinched her nose. Beth and she always called it the farting couch, but she wasn’t going to let Grant know that. The farting couch had—for the moment—taken away the embarrassment of her Julius Caesar forearm shake and shifted it to him.

  “You’re here early.” Grant glanced at the clock above the coffee maker.

  “So are you.”

  “I was a little nervous about my first day, to tell you the truth. This is my first time teaching.”

  “You’re not a teacher?”

  “No. I mean, I’m a certified substitute. I got lucky. Dan’s an old friend of mine, and when I told him I was moving back to take care of Nana for a while, he offered me this job, providing I took the certification courses.”

  “What did you do in Tulsa?”

  “I’m a firefighter.”

  “So why the teaching, then?”

  “I wasn’t sure how long I’d be here. And since I’m just moving back to take care of Nana, I knew the schedule at a firehouse would still leave her alone for long periods of time.” Grant relaxed back against the back of the sofa and sighed. “She’s a tough woman, but I’m not sure she’s ever going to get back to her old self.”

  “I’m sorry about your grandpa. It’s really sweet of you to move back for her. You might enjoy teaching. At least you know how to handle chaos.” Lottie grinned.

  “It’s not that bad, is it?” Grant over-exaggerated a gulp.

  Lottie laughed. “No, it’ll be great. Third grade is the best grade to teach, in my opinion. Although I might be a little biased.”

  Beth swooped into the room and made a bee-line for the coffee machine, poured some, and turned around, raising her cup to her lips. Her eyes landed on Lottie and Grant sitting together on the sofa. Lottie could see the smile hidden by the cup and a twitch of her right brow.

  “Well, hello there, you two,” Beth said after her first gulp.

  “Morning, Beth.” Lottie lips pursed, and her eyes pleaded with Beth not to embarrass her.

  Beth returned her look with a wink. “Mmm, nothing like a cup of Cooley’s crap to start the day. The line at the White Buffalo was insane, and I didn’t finish grading papers last night, so I have to settle. Have you tried this crud yet, Grant?”

  “No, I haven’t. I had my coffee before I left the house this morning.”

  “Uh, Beth. Grant and Dan are old friends. Did you know that?” Lottie subtly shook her head.

  Beth lowered herself onto a chair across from the farting sofa. “No, I didn’t not know that. Did I say this coffee was crap? I meant that in the best possible way.” She smirked at Grant.

  “I’m not going to say anything.” Grant waved her off.

  “Good, or Lottie would give you a swirly. She’s ruthless.” Beth took another sip of the coffee. “Mmm, it’s good.”

  Grant turned to Lottie. “Is that a fact? You’d give me a swirly?”

  “Yeah, and I’d hang you from the flagpole by your underwear.” Lottie raised her brow at him and crossed her arms.

  “Well, I better keep my mouth shut.”

  “You will if you know what’s good for you.” Lottie shoved her arm into his.

  A few more teachers trickled into the room. She noticed one whispering to another and looking at the two of them on the couch. Lottie’s smile fell from her face. She cleared her throat and quickly stood. “Well, I better get to class.” She headed straight for the door and down to her classroom, not stopping once to greet anyone along the way.

  Inside her room, she sat at her desk and spun away from the door, worried tears might find their way onto her cheeks at any moment. Her heart seemed to be racing in her stomach. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

  “What the heck was that about?” Beth’s footsteps drew nearer as Lottie slowly turned to face her. “You two were so cute together. He was clearly flirting with you.”

  “Yeah, and you weren’t the only one that noticed.”

  “What are you talking about?” Beth lowered herself onto the corner of Lottie’s desk.

  “People were looking at
us. And I’m a married woman.”

  Beth rolled her eyes. “Look, Lottie, your current marital status isn’t a secret to anyone. It’s not like anyone thinks you’re being a ho. David isn’t even in the same state. He left you. You don’t owe him anything, and you deserve to be happy.”

  Lottie nodded. “But I am still married. Officially.”

  “Well, I don’t see a ring on that finger.” Beth winked. “And I’m glad.”

  Lottie rubbed the empty spot on her finger. “Grant probably thinks I’m a freak.”

  Beth moved around the desk closer to Lottie, squatted next to her, and rubbed her back. “Oh, honey. You are a freak.”

  Lottie smiled and shoved Beth, who almost fell.

  “Hey, if you make me spill Cooley’s crap coffee on my crotch, I’ll sue you for millions!”

  “Get out of here, butthole. Students are going to start arriving in a little bit.”

  “I’m not leaving until I get a smile that says you’re all right.” Beth tilted her head and once again sat on the desk in front of Lottie. “Come on. Let me see it.”

  Lottie painted a wide, toothy grin across her face. “Happy?”

  “Oooh, yes. Happy.” Beth kissed Lottie’s cheek. “You need to learn to stop giving a shit what other people think. That guy likes you, and if you blow it because of David, or any of the stupid, jealous twats who were looking at you, I’ll sneak into your house and put my dirty underwear in your pillow case. Okay?” Beth backed out of the room. “Okay?”

  “Fine!” Lottie shouted. “Get out of here already.”

  Beth blew a kiss before walking out the door.

  Grant passed by at that moment on his way to his classroom. A flush of heat rushed through Lottie’s body.

  Chapter Seven

  Grant

  Grant sat at his desk. Then leaned against the wall. And stared at the clock.

  The students would soon be arriving. He regretted his decision to try to teach. What did he know about kids? He didn’t even have any nieces or nephews. His last experience with kids was when he was one. He picked up the marker and wrote his name on the board, “Mr. Ryan.”