by A. E. Neal
"Thanks, friend. I'll keep it in mind," I said.
The rest of the flight was quiet between Kennedy and I. She'd taken over my mp3 player, while I watched an episode of 'Deadliest Catch' and flipped through a copy of People magazine left by another passenger.
Anton made his rounds, bringing drinks and snacks to the rest of the passengers and stopping to ask us if we needed anything. We both decided the mimosas were the reason we had headaches and asked for water instead.
What seemed like hours later, the captain finally announced we would be landing shortly and asked everyone to return to their seats. I tucked the magazine back into the seat pocket and handed Anton our empty cups. Kennedy had fallen asleep against the window and I shook her lightly to wake her up.
She yawned, pulled out her ear buds and mumbled, "Are we there yet?"
"Almost, we're landing soon," I said.
"Oh, good. I can't wait to get off this plane, my ass is numb," she said as she wiggled in her seat.
I giggled, tucked my mp3 player in to the front pocket of my bag and shoved the backpack under the seat in front of me. Within minutes, we were preparing for landing, which scared me to death and I gripped my armrests again.
We actually landed safely, taxied to the runway and rolled to a stop at our gate. We collected our belongings and followed the other passengers into the terminal.
Kennedy followed me closely as we made our way through the terminal, boarded the train and walked through baggage claim. The glass doors slid open and we were greeted by fresh cool mountain air and exhaust, of course. But the familiar smell made me smile and I realized how much I'd missed living here.
"Jesus, how much further do we have to walk? My feet are killing me," Kennedy whined as she fidgeted with her heels.
"You shouldn't have worn those heels," I teased.
"Yeah, now you tell me," she said, rolling her eyes.
I spotted the shuttle for the rental car company and hurried to catch it before it left without us. We made it just before the driver closed the doors. The shuttle was deserted and we took two seats near the back.
"What kind of car did you get?" Kennedy asked.
"Not sure, just reserved a compact," I said.
"Well, I'm hoping we get a convertible or something 'cause the weather here fucking rocks compared to Phoenix," she said and I nodded in agreement.
I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. I'd forgotten to turn it back on once we landed, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't have any new messages anyway.
"Oh my God, I totally forgot to text Zac when we landed, damn it." I said as my phone powered up.
"I did already," she said.
"When?" I asked, since I hadn't seen her use her phone since we left.
"While you were speed walking through the terminal," she laughed.
"Oh," I said.
"He wanted me to let you know the house hasn't burned down, yet," she joked.
"Har-har, not funny."
"I think the only thing you should worry about is whether or not he decides to throw a party," she said.
I slapped my palm to my head and quickly texted Zac.
NO parties!
My phone chimed.
Too late ;)
Jerk! I shouldn't have left him home alone. Ugh.
Very funny
"You put him up to this, didn't you?" I asked Kennedy.
She smiled and shook her head. "Nope."
The shuttle rounded the corner and stopped in front of a small house-like building. We grabbed our suitcases and stepped out of the van. I turned to Kennedy, something she was reading on her phone made her laugh.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"Nothing, just Zac giving you a hard time," she giggled.
"Do you wanna wait out here while I get the car taken care of?" I asked.
"Sure," she said, waved and returned to her phone.
I shook my head and left her outside with our luggage. I approached the desk and handed the salesman my ID. After he typed a few things into his computer, he looked up and smiled.
"I see you've reserved a compact and unfortunately we're all out, but I can offer you a luxury at the same price if you're interested," he said in a monotone voice.
"Sure, that works," I said quickly, hoping he'd hurry up since I was beginning to feel exhaustion set in.
"Okay. It'll be just a moment while I enter your information and I'll have someone bring the car around."
"Thank you," I said and handed him my credit card.
A few minutes later he returned with my card and the paperwork. He instructed me to take a look around the car and note any damage I saw, so I decided to leave that part to Kennedy. By the time he was finished talking, I began yawning uncontrollably; his voice was putting me to sleep. He thanked me and as I stepped outside, a silver Mercedes E350 rolled to a stop in front of Kennedy, who's eyes were now as big as saucers. The attendant tossed me the keys and opened the trunk, so we could load our suitcases. We settled into what Kennedy labeled, "the sexist car she'd ever been in" and I had to laugh. It sure blew the pants off her ancient Toyota sedan.
I tapped the gas peddle, knowing quite well that the Mercedes had a lot of power. We made our way onto the freeway, before I knew it we were going about 90 and my adrenaline spiked.
"Are you channeling your inner Danica Patrick?" Kennedy teased.
I smiled and replied, "Yep."
I released the gas peddle just so we wouldn't get pulled over for speeding, but driving fast gave me a new sense of freedom and it felt good.
We exited the freeway and into the heart of downtown. I'd never been a big fan of one-way streets, but I was also very familiar with the otherwise confusing layout of the city. A few stop lights later, I pulled the Mercedes into the porte-cochere of the Hyatt and we were greeted by a valet.
He opened our doors and removed the luggage from the trunk, before handing me a claim ticket. I tipped him and he drove off into the underground parking garage.
"Wow, this place is awesome, Ally." Kennedy said as she took in the massive open-air lobby.
We approached the front desk, I handed the friendly brunette my credit card and ID. She thank us for choosing their hotel, gave us the keys to our room and pointed us towards the elevators.
As we walked through the lobby area, soft jazz music played from the piano bar and I noticed the bar area was full of business men and woman winding down after their long day.
"Wanna get a drink?" I asked curiously.
"Nah. I'm pretty beat, but I could go for some food if you're up for it," she said.
"That sounds good, I'm starving," I said and my stomach growled, reminding me how hungry I really was.
"Let's go put our stuff in the room and we'll go check if they're still serving food."
We reached the elevators and Kennedy pushed the call button. We waited and listened for the familiar 'ding' as the car stopped on our floor. The doors opened, we wheeled our bags inside and I pushed button for the sixteenth floor. I giggled and my cheeks flushed as I recalled a certain elevator 'incident' from the day before.
"What's so funny?" She asked curiously.
"Nothing, just something about elevators and how I'll never be able to look at them the same way again," I said smiling brightly.
Kennedy laughed and shook her head.
The elevator doors opened once we reached our floor and we followed the hallway to our room. I slid the key into the card slot, the tiny light blinked green and the door unlocked. The room wasn't anything special, just two double beds, a bathroom and a view of the Denver skyline. Once we claimed our beds and freshened up, we headed back downstairs.
The lobby bar was buzzing with people, which I thought was unusual for a Tuesday night, but we grabbed a table near the bar and listened to the music as we waited. A server swung by our table, took our drink orders and handed us some menus. We decided to share a plate of nachos, I ordered a mojito and Kennedy opted for water. Once our
food arrived, we both caught each other yawning non-stop, so we devoured our nachos and headed back to our room.
We changed into our pajamas, brushed our teeth and crawled into bed. After such a long day, for both of us, we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.
Chapter 15
Ally
"Al, are you awake yet?" I heard Kennedy ask between lucid dreams.
I rolled over to face her, checking the clock on the night stand between us.
"Uh...I am now," I said sleepily.
"Oh. I didn't mean to wake you up, sorry," she apologized.
"We should probably get up anyway. It's already almost nine," I said, noting that Kennedy was already dressed and had been waiting patiently for me to wake up.
"What's your plan of attack today?" She asked.
"Um— Well, I was thinking we could drive straight up to visit Andrew's grave first thing this morning. Unless, you have something in mind?" I said yawning.
"Nope. I'm here for you, so whatever you wanna do is fine with me."
"Well, first of all, I'm gonna need some caffeine and a shower," I said rubbing my eyes.
"I saw a coffee shop in the lobby. Go get in the shower and I'll get us some coffees."
"Tea for me," I corrected her and paused, "but if all they have is coffee, I'll take it."
"Kay, I'll see if they have tea. Be right back," she said as she slid off the bed and bounced out the front door.
For a non-morning person, she sure was up early and clearly more awake than I was. I threw the blankets back and drug myself out of the comfortable hotel bed, making a mental note to find out what kind of bed it was before we checked out. I unzipped my suitcase, pulled out some clean clothes and my toiletries and headed into the bathroom. Kennedy's expansive make-up collection covered half the counter and her mini shampoo, conditioner and body wash bottles lined the edge of the tub neatly.
I turned on the shower and the bathroom quickly filled with warm steam. I washed my face, hair and it felt so good to scrub the griminess off of me left over from our flight. Once I was sparkling clean, I dried off, rubbed some lotion onto my skin and blew my hair dry.
By the time Kennedy returned with my tea and her coffee, I was dressed and ready to go.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Whenever you are," she replied.
We made our way back downstairs and through the lobby. I handed the valet our claim ticket and he quickly disappeared into the garage. The cool morning breeze was welcomed with open arms, since it was at least a twenty degree difference from Arizona's sweltering heat.
"It's so much nicer here. Not hot-as-hell, like back home." Kennedy said as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Yeah, but winters around here suck, trust me," I said flatly.
"You're right, I don't think I could ever drive in the snow. But summer time here is gorgeous."
"It really is," I agreed.
A moment later, the valet pulled our car up to the curb and stepped out. I handed him a tip and thanked him.
"He was kinda cute," Kennedy said as she kept her gaze trained on the valet.
"I didn't even notice," I lied, since I didn't want to encourage her anymore than necessary.
"Come on, friend. Lets go," I said and motioned for her to get into the car.
We slowly made our way through downtown traffic and headed north once we reached the freeway. The hour long drive was quiet between us, although Kennedy sang along to every song on the radio and bounced in her seat; yet all I could do was think about was Andrew. I felt a pang in my gut, like I was preparing myself to break-up with him. Alive or not, I still felt connected to him and I knew this would be the most difficult thing I ever had to do.
Would he approve of me seeing someone like Brody? I couldn't imagine he would ever be okay with another man in my life. God, I'm a mess.
We reached our exit in what seemed like minutes rather than an hour and I turned the Mercedes onto the familiar highway into the small town where Andrew and I once lived together. During fall, the streets would be crowded with college students going to and from classes over the expansive campus. However, during the summer months, without all the students the town almost seemed like a wasteland without the hustle and bustle.
About two miles west out of town, I made a left onto an old country road. Hundred year old oak trees lined the narrow drive and grass had grown through some of the cracks in the asphalt. By the look of it, there hadn't been anyone on the road in at least a month. The road curved and I slowed the car as we passed the large stone pillars that read, 'Mountain View Cemetery'. As unmaintained as the road in was, the cemetery was groomed and immaculate. Each head stone was adorned with white carnations and a few rows also had tiny American flags placed neatly alongside. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes as we passed the veteran's memorial wall and I took a moment to inwardly thank them for their service. Once we reached the end of the road, I pulled the Mercedes into a parking space and turned it off.
"We're here," I said softly.
"I'll just wait here for you— But, Ally...if you need me, just let me know, kay?" She said reassuringly.
"Okay. I won't be too long," I said and opened the car door.
The sun shone brightly on the cemetery grounds, but the mountain air was cool and refreshing. I fished the picture of Andrew and I out of my purse, along with my engagement ring and followed the stone path to where he was laid to rest. The familiar marble stone lay flat in the well-manicured grass at the very end of the pathway. It looked as if the groundskeepers made their rounds earlier, placing fresh flowers on each grave. I knelt down, traced his name with my fingertips, set the picture under his name and pulled the ring from its box. I held it tightly in my hand and closed my eyes tightly as tears fell silently, leaving tiny droplets on his stone.
"I miss you so much," I whispered, "you've been my everything for so long and I don't think I ever really said goodbye, 'cause somewhere deep down in my heart, I thought you'd come back. You promised—" I paused as the tears clouded my vision. "You promised you'd always be by my side. We were supposed to grow old together...and now I'm all alone." I sobbed.
I took a deep breath and continued, "Remember when we spent the night in Aspen and we were curled up on the floor in front of the fire 'cause the power went out?— You said, the only thing that would make you happier, besides loving me, is just seeing me smile everyday...I want to smile again...I want to live again...I want to know how it feels to be happy again. I've spent so long hiding from my feelings and I just realized I've been missing out on a lot because I didn't want to face my emotions." I sniffled and wiped the tears from my cheeks, as the warmth of the sunlight wrapped around me like a tight bear hug.
"I came here today to tell you that I've met someone," I paused and took a deep breath, "he's nothing like you, Andrew. But I have a feeling, deep in my heart, maybe we could be good together someday. I just don't want to hurt anymore and I can't keep holding on to our love like I have been for so long. I love you more than you will ever know and I don't know if I'll ever be able to love someone as much as I once loved you, but I have to try. For me...for us...I need to move on." It was like someone turned on a switch to my tear ducts; I laid my face in my palms and sobbed harder. My chest ached and my body shook as I promised myself this would be the last time I would cry over Andrew Raleigh.
"I love you. You will always have a place in my heart..." I said softly and placed the ring over the 'A' in his name. "Good bye, Andrew." I leaned down, kissed the cool marble and moved the carnations over our picture.
I stood up, took a deep breath and walked with my head down back to the car. Kennedy was still waiting patiently with her gaze trained on her phone.
"Hey," I said in a half choke.
She swung the door open and bounded towards me with open arms. She hugged me tightly and I squeezed back.
"Are you ready to go?" She asked.
"Yeah. I'm ready," I said softly a
nd released our embrace.
"Want me to drive?" She asked cautiously.
I smiled and shook my head. "No way. You drive like a maniac."
She protested, got into the passenger side and pulled the door closed.
I turned around one last time to say goodbye to my past, blew a kiss and whispered, "Thank you for showing me how to love."
The Mercedes purred to life once again and we made our way back down the narrow drive, passing through the cemetery gates.
Once we were on the main road, I felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders and the further we traveled, the better I felt about the decision I'd made just a few moments ago.
"Are you hungry, yet? There's a cool little southern style cafe in Old Town that I use to go to all the time back in college," I said.
"Yeah, actually, I am. My tummy has been growling for the last hour," she giggled.
Once we'd made our way back into town, I pulled to the curb outside the white house-like restaurant and turned the car off.
The smell of homemade biscuits and cinnamon tea filled the air as we walked through the creaky yellow door. We were greeted by a hostess who showed us to a table on the patio.
"Everything here is amazing," I said as unfolded the paper menu.
"I'm so hungry, I could eat one of everything," Kennedy said as she eyed the trays of food being served to guests at adjacent tables.
Our waitress returned with our tea and took our orders. I ordered my favorite, red beans and rice with andouille sausage and poached eggs. Kennedy ordered Cajun shrimp and a side of grits.
Once our food was served, we both eyed our plates, cursing ourselves silently for ordering so much food. But, it was delicious and we cleaned our plates. Kennedy paid our tab and we held our bellies, groaning all the way back to the car.
"I'm so full," she said.
"Me too," I agreed.
* * *
It was a little past two when we reached the hotel. Our stomach's had settled and we decided on some R-n-R by the pool. Once we changed into our bathing suits, we headed out to the rooftop pool, which was actually deserted. We found a couple of lounge chairs near the railing with an excellent view of the city.
