Still Fine at Forty

by Madison, Dakota

  Several times, I caught myself picking up the phone and getting ready to dial Cody’s number. I longed to hear his voice. My body ached; I missed him so much. But I didn’t call him. I’m not sure why. The way he just hung up was so cold. I didn’t like seeing that side of him. I decided to wait until I got back to town to contact him. Maybe by then he would miss me, too.

  I cried myself to sleep that night. So many emotions were going through me. I could understand why Cody was upset but what did he want me to do? I had to be there for Mel.

  ***

  Mel and Marvin came to pick me up early Friday afternoon. They were all smiles as we brought my bags out to Marvin’s Lincoln Town Car.

  That’s when I noticed Marvin’s son, Larry, sitting in the back seat. He looked a lot like his father and was pudgy in all the same places. The only difference was that Marvin was grey-haired and Larry had a carrot top. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. I didn’t understand how Mel could think I would find him the least bit attractive.

  I reluctantly got into the back seat with Larry and I could see out of the corner of my eye he was sizing me up.

  “So,” he said. “I heard you’re an English teacher.”

  I nodded politely. I wondered if Mel and Marvin had even mentioned to Larry the fact that I had a serious boyfriend. Probably not. They still didn’t acknowledge my relationship with Cody.

  Larry leaned over and whispered, “You can correct my grammar anytime.”

  Ugh. It was going to be a long weekend.

  ***

  When we finally arrived at the hotel, I was ready to be done with Larry—forever. He didn’t stop with the sexual innuendos and stupid jokes for the entire drive, even though I gave him absolutely no reason to think I was even remotely interested in him. It was shocking that he thought so highly of himself. He seemed to think I was just waiting to throw myself at him as soon as we got to Vegas. I hoped he wasn’t going to be too disappointed when he realized that was never going to happen.

  The hotel was older but typical of those that had been built in the 1950s. The sidewalk outside the place was just starting to bustle with tourists and fun-seekers.

  We decided to meet in the lobby at six to get a bite to eat at one of the large buffet places. There was also mention of the possibility of seeing a jazz band at one of the smaller clubs later in the evening.

  I felt physically and emotionally drained when I unlocked my room and entered. Listening to Larry’s non-stop jabbering for the six hour trip had been almost unbearable. I didn’t know how I was going to handle dinner. Maybe having Marvin and Mel there would temper the conversation. One could only hope.

  I threw my bags on the small writing table and went to lay down on the bed. I debated taking a nap. The room was so drab and lifeless. Kind of how I felt without Cody. I was still upset that he hadn’t contacted me since I told him about Vegas. I knew I had hurt him, but what choice did I have? Mel and Marvin had the right to decide who was going to attend their wedding. I wondered if I should have been more forceful with Mel. Should I have given her an ultimatum? I would only attend if Cody did? Would I have expected that of Cody if the tables were turned? I had to admit that I would have expected Cody to stand up for me; to put me ahead of his friends. That made me wonder why I had not done the same for him. I immediately felt guilty. I suddenly had the sinking feeling that I had made a big mistake.

  At about 5:30, I decided it was time to stop wallowing in misery and get ready for dinner. I decided to wear something more modest because I didn’t want to give Larry any false hope that he had any chance at all with me. Even if I had found him the least bit attractive, my heart belonged to Cody.

  I put on a small wedge heel with my pencil skirt and blouse. I plastered a smile on my face for Mel’s sake then headed down to the lobby.

  Mel and Marvin were already waiting. Mel frowned when she saw my outfit but I didn’t care. I wasn’t there to impress anyone, especially not Larry. Seconds later, Larry headed our way. When he saw me, he still managed to leer at me even though I looked like a librarian.

  “You look nice,” he leaned over and whispered to me.

  “Thank you,” I muttered.

  “Let’s get ready to party,” Marvin said enthusiastically.

  I had to stifle a laugh. It sounded so funny coming from someone his age.

  But Mel looked at the man with such adoration, I felt bad for laughing at him, even if it was just to myself.

  The sidewalks were already heavy with foot traffic when we stepped outside. Marvin took Mel by the elbow and made sure to hang on to her as we pushed through the crowded walkway. At first, Larry walked next to me but when I didn’t respond to his small talk, he caught up with his father. I was relieved at first, but then I got nervous. I had promised Cody to only go out with Mel and Marvin by my side and they were already several yards away.

  I was only a block from the hotel when my foot got caught in a pothole and snapped my sensible heel right off. “Shit,” I mumbled. The shoes weren’t new by any means but I was still pissed. I wanted to be in Vegas less with every passing minute.

  Then I realized that Mel, Marvin and Larry had walked completely out of sight without even realizing I was no longer behind them.

  As I contemplated what to do about my shoes, I could feel someone walk up very close behind me. “Need some help?” the male voice asked.

  When I looked over my shoulder, a burly man was standing behind me. He was in his mid-thirties and wearing a business suit but his tie was loosened from around his neck. He looked like he had been drinking for a while. He got even closer to me and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck, and then I realized he reeked of alcohol.

  “I’m okay, thanks,” I said trying to remain calm, even though his proximately and the fact that he was drunk scared me.

  Then another man, skinner but taller than his friend, flanked my other side. He was also in a suit and loosened tie, and also drunk. I was suddenly freaked out. I didn’t know if I should scream but I didn’t want to overact to the situation.

  The burly guy grabbed my arm and said, “We could show you a really good time.” His skinny friend laughed in agreement and grabbed my other arm. When I tried to wriggle free, they both tightened their hold on me.

  I looked around desperate to get the attention of anyone passing by, but it was Vegas and people were preoccupied with their good times.

  I tried to rack my brain to remember any bit of personal safety lessons I had ever had in my life. I admonished myself for never making time to take a self-defense class. I had no idea what to do. I could feel the fear and anger pounding in my head. If Cody was here, this never would have happened. Why hadn’t I insisted that he be here with me?

  When the burly guy said, “Our hotel is across the street,” and I felt like he motioned for his friend to drag me over there, I knew I had to do something.

  I tried lifting my leg to kick the burly man but he grabbed my thigh and pushed it down. “Looks like we got a frisky one that needs to be tamed,” he said to his friend. The skinny guy laughed again.

  Just when I thought that all hope was lost, I heard a familiar voice say, “Let her go. Now!”

  It was Cody. I had a hard time grasping the fact that he was there. Right when I needed him. How was the even possible?

  When I looked at Cody, the only thing I could see in his eyes was anger. Raw and intense rage. Everything happened so quickly, I had a difficult time comprehending it all. Cody grabbed the skinny guy by the scruff of his neck and with almost superhuman strength, tossed the man off of me like a rag doll. I could feel the burly guy release me and he slowly backed away from Cody’s fury.

  “Hey, man,” he said nervously. “I don’t want any trouble. We just wanted to have a little fun.”

  Cody grabbed the man’s tie and hauled him by it. He threw the man against the wall of the brick building behind us. “If you ever come near my girlfriend again, I’ll fucking kill you. Does that sound
like fun to you?”

  The burly guy was now shaking uncontrollably. I could see tears welling up in his eyes he was so scared.

  When I looked over at the skinny guy, I could see he was lifting himself from the ground. For a split second, I thought he might try to jump Cody to save his friend but when the coward got up and saw what Cody was doing to the burly guy, he actually ran away.

  As soon as I was aware enough to realize that Cody was still enraged and could seriously hurt the burly guy, I made a move to stop him, but Marvin stepped in front of me and grabbed Cody’s arm.

  “It’s okay, son,” he said to Cody. “She’s safe. You can put him down.”

  Mel ran to my side and embraced me. “I’m so sorry,” she said as she wiped away the tears from my cheeks that I hadn’t even realized had fallen. “We didn’t notice you weren’t with us until it was too late.”

  Cody let the burly man go and he fell into a heap in the sidewalk. He started to sob.

  When Cody turned and looked at me, I could see all the rage melt from his face. Mel stepped away, and Cody took me into his arms. He didn’t say anything for several minutes; he just held me tightly. I finally felt safe again.

  When Cody released me, he looked deeply into my eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I am now.”

  Marvin and Mel stepped up to Cody. We were all at a loss for words. What had just happened seemed so surreal. When we looked back over to where the burly man had been, he was gone. I hoped he had crawled into a hole somewhere.

  When Cody noticed that Larry had joined us, he gave me an odd look and made sure to hold me even tighter. Surely he didn’t think anything was going on between Larry and me. Or that anything would even go on between us.

  Marvin, being the shrewd guy that he was, noticed the little exchange. “Cody, this is my son, Larry. I asked him to be my best man tomorrow.”

  Cody didn’t make any attempt at niceties. He gave Larry a nod and that was it. He held me even tighter to him, if that was possible. There was literally no space between us.

  “Still feel like dinner?” Mel interjected, trying to break the tension-filled air.

  Cody just stared at her. His expression was unreadable.

  I held up my broken heel. “I’ll have to change shoes first.” The last place I wanted to go was to a restaurant but I didn’t want to disappoint Mel. It was her wedding weekend.

  “We’ll wait for you in the lobby?” Marvin said. It was halfway between a question and statement.

  I nodded. I noticed Cody was still staring at them with an unreadable expression. Cody kept his arm around me and held me so tightly, it was almost difficult for me to walk. I didn’t dare say anything, though, because I wasn’t sure whether he was still angry and if that anger extended to me.

  He finally relaxed enough to release me when we got into my room. I sat on the bed and thought I might start crying as the shock of what happened to me started to wear off.

  When I glanced at Cody, I saw that he was still standing at the doorway, with his arms crossed in front of him. He jaw was set and his eyes seemed cold and distant. His face was stone.

  “Are you just going to stand there staring at me?” I asked.

  “Well, this isn’t my hotel room. I wasn’t even invited, remember?” His bitter words were laced with pain and sadness.

  I walked over to him and touched his shoulders. “I’m so sorry I hurt you,” I said. I could feel some of the tension release from his body and his eyes warmed.

  “Thank you for being there when I needed you. I don’t know what would have happened…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. I started to sob. Cody embraced me and held me tightly to his chest. I melted into his body.

  When he released me, I looked into his eyes. “Why did you come here?”

  “To save your beautiful ass, apparently,” he said playfully. I was glad that some of his humor was returning.

  “Seriously,” I said.

  “I had a bad feeling all last night and I couldn’t shake it. When I woke up this morning I sensed that you needed me. I remembered the name of the hotel where you said you were staying. I got into my car and drove until I found it. I admit I waited outside the hotel for a few hours. The sidewalk was starting to get crowded, so I didn’t see you when you first came out. But then the bad feeling got really strong and I immediately spotted you with those assholes. I wish I had gotten to you sooner, before they even had a chance to touch you.”

  I shook my head. “A bad feeling? Really?” The idea seemed preposterous. Like a cheesy Lifetime movie.

  Cody looked deep into my eyes. “There’s a powerful connection between us, Jenny. I know you can feel it. Sometimes I feel like we share one heart.”

  I leaned up and kissed him. He returned with an even deeper and more passionate kiss. The fire burning between us seemed to erase the evening’s previous events.

  Cody took a step back. “If you want to go to dinner, we need to stop.” He gave me a wicked little grin.

  “There are people waiting for us in the lobby,” I said.

  ***

  We met Mel, Marvin and Larry in the lobby. When Larry looked our way, I could feel Cody’s hand, which was interlocked in mine, get tense. Larry gave Cody a condescending sneer and Cody pulled me tighter to him in response.

  “How does a Chinese buffet sound?” Marvin asked with a glance toward Cody, who gave a quick nod in response.

  I got a little nervous when we were back on the sidewalk in the midst of the crowd. I could feel myself starting to shake as we approached the spot where I was assaulted. Cody put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to his chest. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

  And I did feel safe in his strong arms. I knew he would keep me safe in the crowd.

  The Chinese buffet had a bit of a line when we arrived, so we joined the hungry tourists and waited to be let in.

  Marvin and Mel stood ahead of us and Larry stood next to Cody. I noticed that Cody made sure I was on the other side of him, away from Larry. Cody held me close to him, no doubt to let Larry know I was taken.

  “So,” Larry said. “How did the two of you meet?”

  Cody glared at Larry. I could see in Cody’s eyes he had no interest in making small talk with Larry but he played along. “I’m a Jeep tour guide. I took Jenny on a tour.”

  Larry snickered. “You’re a Jeep tour guide?” His tone was so condescending, I could feel Cody’s whole body tense. When I looked at Cody’s face, he was so enraged, I thought he might punch Larry.

  “Among other things,” Cody said trying to remain calm and casual. He was anything but.

  “I’m a general contractor,” Larry said. “We’re a multimillion dollar firm.” Then he leered at me. I turned away from him in disgust.

  “Your daddy get you into that business?” Cody shot back. I did a silent “Go Cody” cheer and squeezed his hand.

  Larry didn’t bother to respond. Instead he said, “Looks like we’re next.”

  When we got to the head of the line, I noticed it was the type of buffet place where you pay one price before you go in. One very expensive price. I immediately felt guilty for dragging Cody here.

  “I’m buying,” Marvin announced.

  Cody stepped up to him, reaching for his wallet. “I can’t let you pay for me and Jenny. I’ve got it.”

  Marvin dismissed him with a flick of his hand. “Nonsense,” he said. “I’m paying for all of us.”

  Cody exhaled and said, “Fine,” but I knew he wasn’t.

  Marvin paid the fee for our group and we all headed to a round table that accommodated the five of us.

  “Hope you like Chinese,” I whispered to Cody as I glanced at the fifty foot long counter filled with every imaginable Chinese dish ever made.

  “I’ll make do,” he whispered back.

  We all filled plates high with different dishes. I noticed Cody had found enough to even fill his own plate.


  As we ate, the table was silent. It was uncomfortable and tense.

  “How’s the food?” I asked Cody.

  “Good,” he said stoically. He didn’t ask about my food and he didn’t say anything else. I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to engage Marvin and Mel in conversation. They hadn’t invited him to their wedding and I’m sure he felt like they didn’t accept him.

  We all continued to eat in silence. Even Mel, who normally had plenty to say about every subject, was without words.

  After we had cleared our plates, Marvin broke the silence. “They have a dessert bar on the other side of the room.”

  “I’m done,” Cody said and I wondered if there was a double meaning to his words.

  “I’m full,” I said and looked at Cody, but he wouldn’t return my gaze.

  “I’m game,” Mel said as she rose from her seat.

  “Let’s check it out,” Marvin said as he rose and took her hand.

  Larry looked at the two of us then stood up and followed his father and Mel.

  As soon as the three were out of earshot, I turned to Cody. “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  He gave me a cold look. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “You’ve just been acting really weird,” I said.

  “This is kind of a weird situation, wouldn’t you say?”

  He had a point. I kissed his cheek and whispered into this ear. “Thank you.”

  He exhaled and closed his eyes but didn’t respond. I would have given anything to know what he was thinking.

  ***

  By the time we got back to the hotel, I could see Cody was still upset. I tried to calm him down by kissing him but he seemed preoccupied with something.

  I put my hand to his face and stoked my thumb lightly down his cheek. “What’s wrong?” I whispered.

  He furrowed his brow. “Am I everything you want?”