by Lindsey Iler
“Things went weird when you invited me on vacation, with me under the impression I was your girlfriend, and then to my surprise, your ex- shows up, and you kick me to the curb,” she sneers.
“I can see how it looks that way.” I grimace. I’m such a dick.
“It doesn’t look that way. That’s how it is, and you didn’t have the decency to even whisper a word to me when you got back. I had to hear the details from Brad.” Her arms cross over her sports bra.
“And I apologize for that.” Jesus, I’m really fucking up all around these days.
“You don’t need to apologize. I knew the whole time we were together your heart wasn’t in it. A girl always knows when a guy loves someone else.”
I shift back, expecting a slap in the face or something, but I’m greeted with understanding.
“So, what was this?” I wave a finger in the air between the two of us.
“Me giving you shit.” She grins. “How did things go with Violet once I left? I understand your love for her. She’s spunky.” I smile at her description of Vi.
“Do you really want to hear this?” I question her intentions. She nods, so I tell her the details of what happened once she left. “I pushed, and she pulled. It was back and forth. Still is.”
“Do you want to know what I think?” She leans against the metal rail.
“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me, even if I say no.” I smirk, and she smacks me in the stomach.
“Dan,” Coach shouts, giving me no choice but to look for him. I nod my chin in his direction, letting him know I’ll be there in a minute. He taps the face of his watch.
“He riding your ass?” She glances over her shoulder to see who stole my attention. “Anyway,” Brittany shakes her head, “I knew you were in love with Violet the minute you said her name. I’ve only ever heard one other man say a name like that before, and trust me, he loved her so much. Before you sent me packing,” she raises an eyebrow at me, “I’d already thought about leaving. You can’t compete with a love like that.”
“Your parents?” I ask her, and she nods. Brad’s told me the tragic story of her parents. Her dad suddenly died when she was fifteen, leaving her mom completely devastated and worried how she and her two young girls would survive.
“My dad never allowed a day to go by without my mom knowing how he felt about her.” Her sadness is clear as the morning sky.
Violet deserves a love like that.
“I think I need to get going.” It’s a coward’s way, but I have to avert my eyes. Brittany, although sometimes ditzy, is also observant. She’ll read me like an open book.
Coach waits at his desk, thumbing through a file, glasses perched on the end of his nose. He must feel me walk in because he glances up for a split second, then goes back to the file.
“Meet your replacement, Tanner Williamson.” He flicks the paper, and it sounds like gunfire. “He’s an incoming freshman with a rocket for an arm and an even better batting average.”
Coach, without knowing it, has made up my mind for me.
“There’s a girl,” I whisper.
“Jesus Christ, this is about a girl?” He tosses the file on the cluttered desk and glares at me from his torn leather chair.
“I’m not quitting because of the girl, but she’s the one who taught me why I need to quit, Coach,” I correct him. “I’ve been playing baseball since I was old enough to hold a plastic bat. I love it, but at some point, it became a routine, just something I participated in but didn’t get excited for anymore.”
“So, where does the girl come into play?”
“The girl I love has been seizing the day, I suppose you can call it. She’s scared to death, but she’s still checking these items off this damn list, a list I may never be a part of. I don’t want to look back and regret giving up the opportunities I’ve been given. I don’t want to resent the sport that’s taught me so much.” I slink down into the chair across from him.
“Do you know why I started to coach?” He pulls his glasses off, rubs the bridge of his nose, and stares at me. “It wasn’t for the wins. It was for the losses.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I ball my fists and gently bang them on the chair arms.
“I started to coach because I wanted to teach my players to lose gracefully, to understand that the sport isn’t always the most important thing. Winning doesn’t make you a champion, Dan. It’s the choices in life that do. You just made a choice. A choice I’m sure you’ll never regret.” He stands and extends a hand. I follow, shaking his. “You were a pleasure to coach, and don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t. Thank you for taking a chance on me,” I salute him as I leave his office for what might be the last time.
I run to the showers, rinse off, and change. By the time I’m at the apartment, Coach’s words are on auto-repeat in my head. Ten minutes later, clothes are in a bag, and my truck is on the highway.
Nothing will come between me and where I’m headed.
“Why should we hire you, Ms. Jones?” my hopefully future boss asks. She rests her elbows on the table, and her eyes burn into me.
Don’t screw this up.
In the past week, I’ve heard this question too many times. After the first few rounds of interviews, I’ve come to the conclusion these future bosses are looking for an inventive answer. I need something to blow their minds and the socks off their feet, at the same time.
“With all due respect, I don’t think you can afford not to hire me,” I answer confidently.
“Excuse me?” Her graying eyebrows scrunch together.
Shit. Stick to your guns.
“The McAllister account tanked. Do you know why?” I open the folder in front of me and slide it to her.
She scans the information and smiles. When she stands and extends her hand, my heart quickens.
Another one bites the dust.
“Thank you for the opportunity to interview.” I shake her hand and turn to leave.
“Ms. Jones?” she calls out. “We’ll see you on Monday. Bright and early.”
I can’t control the grin forming on my face. My cheeks burn from what I’m sure is an obnoxious sign of gratitude. This type of position is what I was born for. Anything concerning fashion and marketing is where I’m meant to be.
“You won’t regret it, Jacqueline. I promise.” I shake her hand again.
“We could use some spark in the office, and I think you’ll do just the trick. I’m happy to have you be a part of my team.” She sits down behind her giant desk and taps away at her computer, silently dismissing me.
When I step out into the sunshine, I want to throw my hands out and spin in a circle. I have a job! Instead, I place an order at the coffee cart and take a huge sip of the hot liquid. I pull my coat tightly around my body to stay warm.
“Violet,” a voice shouts from behind me. I nearly spit out the caramel, white chocolate elixir of the gods.
“Dan?” I question, spinning around only to find myself being swept into his arms. “What are you doing here?”
“When we talked last night, you seemed worried about your interview. I know you’ve been swamped and running around, and I thought I’d surprise you and take you to lunch.” He releases his grip on my waist, allowing his eyes to drift down my body.
Dan has texted me most mornings and evenings. Nothing special, but the thought behind them is substantial. I’ve enjoyed our carefree conversations. It’s a far cry from where we were five months ago.
“Quit ogling me.” I slap his arm.
“You look . . . professional,” Dan explains his wandering glance.
“Professional, really? Because you’re looking at me like I’m the last piece of raw beef on this earth.” I wrap my arm through his and tug him to a cab.
He opens the car door and gestures for me to get in, directing the driver to take me to my address. I smile at his memory.
“I’ve been checking items off my list,” I blurt
out.
“Ah, yes, the infamous list.” He turns his attention away from the window and directs it solely on me.
“It’s been helping.” I attempt to hand our fare to the driver, but Dan places his hand over mine.
“I’ve got this.” He places a twenty-dollar bill in the young man’s hand and steps out of the cab. I follow in his wake, wearing a shit-eating grin on my face.
Richard eyeballs Dan. My eyes widen in warning, making him smirk. The ride up the elevator is silent. The gap between us is large enough to fit a small sofa. When the bell rings, and the doors slide open, Dan follows behind me. I dig out my keys and turn the lock.
“It’s about damn time you got home,” Amanda shouts from somewhere in the apartment. “I have boy troubles, and I need your . . .” Her words stall as she enters the room. “Hi, Dan. What a pleasant surprise.”
Amanda gapes at me for answers as Dan races to give her a hug. Because I don’t have anything to tell her, I shrug. Seeing him is just as much a surprise to me as it is to her.
“What are you doing here?” Amanda ushers him into the living room. She sits on the couch, a giant grin on her face as if she’s just won an award.
In the middle of her twenty questions, I head to my bedroom to change. My eyes go straight to the list. Half is checked off.
Amanda is in the middle of admiring Dan’s new body when I slink back into the room. When she rubs her hands over his chest, she grins at me and mouths, “Holy shit.”
“Kennedy’s warned me of all the changes, but I never expected all this,” Amanda jokes. Her hand ghosts over his still body.
“No, pretty sure I’ve told you everything.” I step over them to sit in the armchair.
“You didn’t tell me about this.” Amanda stands and lifts his shirt as she steps over his legs. “That’s something you probably should’ve mentioned.”
“I’m sitting right here,” Dan protests her visual assault.
“I know you are, hot stuff.” She winks at him. “You deleted your Facebook like a real serial killer who didn’t want to be found. If I had all this under the hood, I’d be posting gym pictures like all the other d-bags on social media.”
“Anyway, if Amanda’s done treating me like a piece of meat, I’d really like to get back to what you were saying in the cab, Violet.” Dan questions. “Let’s check to see what’s left on your list.” He jumps from the couch.
“It’s private,” I protest, pulling on his shirt sleeve.
“It’s not private when you post it on your bulletin board.” Amanda grins, satisfied with letting the cat out of the bag.
Dan runs past me into my bedroom. I’m quick on his heels. He stands in front of the cork board, his eyes trained on my list.
“You’ve done all of these things?” He runs his finger down it, item by item, watching me through the mirror on the wall beside him. I nod and sit down on the bed. “Why have you been stalling on this one?”
I lean forward to see which one he’s talking about.
“Take a leap of faith,” I read the words I didn’t write. That explains why my list went missing a few weeks ago. “I don’t know why that one’s on there.”
“Clearly, someone thought you should check that one off.” Dan backs away and sits beside me.
“I’ll be leaving now,” Amanda walks by my room and waves, wiggling her fingers. “Dan, always a pleasure. You two crazy kids have fun.”
“I think it’s obvious who wrote that on the list.” I wave my hand in Amanda’s direction.
“She meant well.” His arms stretch over his head. The small movement makes his shirt ride up, exposing a sprinkle of hair that trails into the waistband of his jeans.
“She meant to impose.” Sarcasm oozes from my words.
“No, she knows you just as good as I know you. You are stubborn as all hell, woman.”
“Fine.” I huff. “You want a leap of faith?” I ask him. “Here’s a leap of faith for you. Back at the cabin, I told you a lot of things. Some were true, and others weren’t.”
“Explain to me what was what then.” He pats the space between us, and I shift until our knees touch.
This is the moment. My moment to change everything.
“When I said I was still afraid, that part was real.” I take a deep breath and rub my temples before looking up at him. “All the reasons for why I ran away were lies.”
“What are you saying?”
“I don’t want to take a risk on anyone but you,” I explain, scooting closer.
“Why now? Why not at the cabin?” He shakes his head.
“I had so much fun. Before that, I was spending my days at work, not speaking to anyone, and for the first time in a while, I felt alive again. I knew it had nothing to do with where I was, but everything to do with who was with me.” I smile and pat the side of my eye to soak up the single tear. “Seeing you, today, made me realize how stupid I’ve been. You’ve always been on my side, Dan.”
“And I always will be. Even if we don’t end up together, Vi, you have to know I’ll always be there for you. No matter what.” He brushes the back of his finger down the length of my cheek.
“So, about that date . . .” I offer an escape to both of us. We both need less drama and more fun.
“What date?” He grins.
“I’m taking a leap of faith.” I shrug. “I don’t have any plans until Monday, so until then, I’m free.”
“Why don’t we leap together?”
*****
“I didn’t even ask, but obviously the interview went well. You start Monday?” he asks as we walk back into the apartment. Curiosity lights his eyes and gives me hope that not all has been lost.
“I basically told the boss that if she didn’t hire me, she would regret it. They need me. They may not know it yet, but they will.” That thought alone holds a wealth of satisfaction. I finally feel like all the pieces are falling into place.
“I’m proud of you.” He presses a kiss to my cheek.
A loud groan has him backing away from me.
“Make room for Jesus, you two.” Amanda laughs as she passes through to the kitchen.
“I see she’s still up to her usual antics,” Dan whispers in my ear, his breath tickling my lobe.
“She is, but she’s also been rather secretive. Sneaking phone calls and escaping during the weekends. I’m not sure where she’s going.” My lips pucker with annoyance. “You heard her earlier when we walked in. She said something about boy trouble.”
“Is she still dating Will?”
Amanda and Kennedy’s brother, Will, ‘dated’, and I use the word lightly when it comes to the two of them. They hooked up, but it fizzled out. On paper, they made sense, but in real life, the odds were stacked against them. A real relationship with your best friend’s brother? Even though Kennedy pretended like it was all kosher, I saw the way she looked at them behind their backs. It bothered her. She’d never admit it, though.
“I don’t think it’s a Will thing. I tried to snoop,” I admit.
“Did you steal her phone?” Dan sits up, showing his interests in my mischief. “Did you find anything good?”
“That’s the thing. I found nothing. No sign of an affair. No weird texts.” I shrug. “When she’s ready to talk, she’ll come to one of us. Until then, I’ll keep my ear to the door whenever she scurries away to take a mysterious phone call.”
“You’re something else.” He chuckles, pulling me onto his lap. I wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder.
“My mom’s going to be in town tomorrow.” I lift my chin, meeting his gaze straight on.
“Oh yeah?” His voice is neutral, unsure of where I stand on the scale of discomfort.
“We’re having lunch. I’d really appreciate it if you’d come. Be my buffer. Plus, I’m sure she’d love to see you.” My request is like a plea, and I don’t even try to hide it. “Please.”
“I don’t have anything going on. I can get a hotel i
f you want me to,” Dan offers. Disappointment crosses his face as he waits for my response.
The last time he stayed, I offered to let him stay in my room, and he turned me down. Instead of answering, I push off his lap and head to the kitchen to dig around in the fridge. I find an unopened bottle of water, which, when living with Amanda, is pretty much like finding a unicorn. She constantly leaves half-empty bottles all over the apartment.
“Are you shitting me?” His voice echoes through the kitchen. “You’re shitting me, right?” He draws out his question as he jabs me playfully in the ribs.
“You looking to have a slumber party, Dan?” I turn in his arms.
“Only if we have a pillow fight in our underwear,” he counters back. “We can add it to your list.”
“That can be arranged.” I open the bottle of water and pour the contents down Dan’s back. His eyes widen, and a sinister smile forms as I swiftly break his hold and escape into the living room.
“You better hide,” he hollers.
From behind the couch, I peek, but don’t see a damn thing. There’s a little banging around followed by the water faucet being turned on.
“Where you at, beautiful?” he asks.
I stay quiet, perfectly hidden.
Amanda’s bedroom door swings open, and she looks down at me and back up at Dan. Her eyes widen, and I cover my mouth to try to control my giggles.
“If you soak this apartment, Dan, you’ll be cleaning it up,” Amanda threatens.
I see him step onto the couch, our mop bucket in hand. Water sloshes over the side, and I cringe, anticipating the revenge he has planned for me.
“I’m not kidding, Daniel.” Amanda holds up a wagging finger as a threat, and he laughs.
I close my eyes, anticipating being drowned in the middle of my living room, when I hear the loudest screech escape Amanda’s mouth. Droplets of water fall onto my arm, forcing my eyes to spring open. A puddle of water pools at her feet.
“You’re an asshole,” Amanda screams. “A real, Grade-A asshole.”
