Then & Now

by Karen A. Leppert

  Seth shook his head. “I will never believe this is what we should have been. I loved you. I never considered being your friend. This is a compromise.”

  She blushed. “I’m trying to look on the bright side.”

  “I appreciate that, but please don’t diminish what we had. It hurts too much.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. It was lovely, for a while.”

  “Yes, it was.” Seth squeezed her shoulder and kissed her forehead. “We should be getting back before this gets too weird.” He stood and offered his hand. Sarah took it and met his embrace with trepidation.

  “Thank you for a lovely day. It meant a lot to me,” he said.

  “You’re welcome, but it’s not over yet. We still have the second half of our kayaking trip. I bet Abby’s looking for us.”

  “If I know Abby, she hitched a ride back to the island.”

  Sarah chuckled. “You’re probably right.”

  They were wrong. Abby was sunbathing on the beach, drinking a beer she had pawned off a fellow kayaker. Seth asked if he and Sarah could paddle the two-person kayak back to Catalina Island. Abby agreed but rode with one of the tour guides.

  They arrived back at the car well within the time frame given by Molly and Pat. Sarah had devised a plan to drop Abby and Seth off without going inside the house. After all, a surprise party awaited Seth’s arrival. A party she could not attend.

  Sarah walked toward the house with Seth and Abby, but stopped halfway. “Oh, I forgot my phone. I’ll meet you inside.”

  Just when she stuck her keys in the ignition, cries of “surprise” rang out and the door closed behind them. Sarah backed out of the driveway and drove home alone.

  Always the outsider.

  SETH

  Seth jumped when he and Abby walked through the front door and a collage of familiar faces greeted them.

  “SURPRISE!”

  He instinctively turned to find Sarah, hopeful she had received an invitation to the party. His heart sank with disappointment upon seeing her car driving down the driveway.

  Abby grabbed his arm and led him into the house while everyone sang the “Happy Birthday” song. The party had begun without them, leaving Seth with a lot of catching up to do. Johnny helped by handing him a beer, of which Seth took a deep swig and sighed. It had been quite a day already; the kayak trip back to Catalina Island was still fresh in his mind.

  “Are you having fun, Seth?” Abby had laughed from the other kayak.

  “Oh yeah!” he’d moaned for the umpteenth time since they’d paddled back to Catalina Island.

  Sarah sat in the front, paddling her heart out. “Seth, come on.”

  He couldn’t help it. With each pass of the paddle, Sarah’s hips swayed back and forth, like the way she danced. To make matters worse, she groaned and moaned in time with her hips. Seth’s inability to help only made matters worse. Sarah had to push harder, which made the groaning and moaning that much louder. Her form got sloppier, her hips moving more wildly as her energy waned.

  “I’m sorry, Sarah. I’m having trouble here.” He took a deep breath in an effort to regain some composure to help her paddle, but he lacked incentive. If he helped, the show would end.

  “Why are you having so much trouble? I’m helping you. Abby sat back and did nothing.”

  “Sarah…” He took in the scenery, which helped.

  Mother Nature had blessed them with a beautiful day, the sun not too hot and the water refreshingly cool. The coastline offered a spectacular view of the island with its lush greenery in stark contrast to the jagged rocks. If only he were alone with Sarah instead of among hordes of other tourists kayaking, boating, fishing, and power sailing.

  Sarah turned, smiled, and offered praise. “That’s much better.”

  The first part of their journey along the coastline passed uneventfully, but the time he and Sarah spent on the beach and snorkeling proved a bit taxing…on his libido. Being alone with Sarah always presented a challenge, but today Seth felt as if he walked a tightrope at the circus. Not only did he have to guard his words, but his actions too.

  Sarah wore an aqua bikini that oozed sexiness, showing off her hourglass figure. Freckles dotted her nose in such an endearing way, reminiscent of the young girl who had taken his heart not so long ago. He reveled in the memories but struggled to remember they were just that.

  Most of the time he walked the straight and narrow, but today on the beach and in the kayak? Well, he felt wobbly the entire day. He had bent the rules by running his hands along Sarah’s back and kissing her too often; at least he had managed to concentrate on her forehead. The revelation about their friendship being a “compromise” may have crossed the line too, but he just couldn’t let Sarah get away with minimizing their previous relationship.

  There were enough other people who jumped at the chance every time the opportunity presented itself. Sarah’s absence at his surprise party only reinforced this fact. If Sarah wouldn’t stand up to Molly once and for all, Seth would do it for her. Derrick too, but that would have to wait for another day. This wasn’t the time or place to take a stand, but soon.

  The evening resembled many parties Seth had attended or hosted in the past, with one exception. This celebration was held in his honor, which amplified the attention he received from female partygoers. By the end of the night, his lips and neck bore their lipstick stains. There were offers, plenty of them, to give him a personal birthday present, but Seth refused all of them.

  Johnny commented on it the following day at Kathy’s house. They had met for a pick-up basketball game late in the afternoon.

  “Damn, Seth, you’ve got to get out there. If I were you…”

  “The grass is always greener, my friend. It’s not too late to change your mind.”

  “No way. Molly would kill me.” Johnny laughed, but Seth knew his friend wouldn’t have it any other way.

  For some unknown reason, Johnny loved Molly. Seth didn’t understand it, but didn’t question it either. Johnny was lucky and Seth, jealous.

  TRADING PLACES

  SARAH

  Sarah looked back at the driver as he drove off, and was reminded of Cinderella when the clock struck midnight and everything returned to normal. Her magical coach and coachman had disappeared, and she could see her jeep in the parking lot. It looked cleaner than last night. Last night. The last time she saw her house, her car, and her life.

  This had been Seth’s idea, one born from his displeasure at Sarah’s not being invited to his birthday party and his insistence she held a place in every facet of his life. Hence, Seth came up with the lame proposal of them trading places for one day. It seemed absurd and rather silly, but Seth charmed her into it.

  Abby acted as activities coordinator. Sarah and Seth gave her a list of things they did on a typical day. There were ground rules, of course. Neither of them could go to each other’s jobs. Sarah would have loved to have seen Seth at Macy’s perfume counter or delivering pizza, and he wanted her to go on a movie set and act, in a sex scene no less, claiming she would “see how awful they were.”

  The adventure had actually started the night before. Abby had packed Sarah’s bags and a driver had delivered Sarah to Seth’s house…or her house, at least for one day. Her night was hers to do as she wished.

  Sarah took advantage of the amenities Seth’s house offered by working out in the gym, soaking in the hot tub, and lounging on the patio with a mystery novel. She retired early, but refused to sleep in Seth’s bed. Instead, she picked a spare bedroom far from Matt and Serafina’s in case they “got busy.” She missed Newton and wondered how Seth was faring at her place; Newton always slept with her. Would Seth allow the same?

  Her day started without the aid of an alarm clock. Tessa somehow knew when Sarah woke and had breakfast waiting on the patio. Just as Sarah finished eating, Tessa came through the patio doors and handed her a cell phone.

  “It’s for you, Ms. Matthews.”

  “H-hello
,” Sarah said into the phone.

  “Hey.” Abby giggled. “Your clothes are waiting for you upstairs. Don’t bother showering. Your driver should be there shortly.”

  Sure enough, Tessa knocked on Seth’s bedroom door a short while later.

  “Sarah, your ride’s here.”

  “Thanks, Tessa. Do you know where I’m going?”

  “I do, but I’m sworn to secrecy.”

  Abby!

  Sarah felt small in the big car. Several scripts lay on the car’s seat with instructions for her to read them while being pampered at a spa.

  A well-coiffed woman named Sophia greeted her at the door and ushered Sarah to a back room, where she showered and slipped into a silk bathrobe and matching slippers.

  Next came a facial, a manicure, a pedicure, a haircut, and, to her great displeasure, a bikini wax. OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!

  Lunch awaited her on a veranda overlooking beautifully landscaped gardens. Sarah read a good portion of one script, which she didn’t like, while she ate. Afterward, Sophia carted her off to a yoga class. Once again, OUCH, OUCH, OUCH! A full body massage followed, given by a man, who kept telling her to relax.

  Sophia met her again and led Sarah to a boutique to try on three outfits, each consisting of a dress, shoes, undergarments, jewelry, and accessories. The undergarments caused Sarah to giggle hysterically in the dressing room.

  The first outfit was a cute white eyelet sundress, much like one she already owned yet more expensive. The undergarments consisted of a strapless lace bra and what Sarah learned were V-string panties. They were so skimpy she might as well not wear any at all.

  The second outfit was a red baby-doll halter dress with another lace bra and a wide lace-trimmed thong.

  The third was a flirty blue wraparound dress with a push-up bra, matching underwear, and a garter belt with stockings.

  “The blue complements your eyes and flatters your figure best,” Sophia said.

  “You’d know best. Wrap it up.”

  Much to her chagrin, Sarah only finished the one script and part of another, which she didn’t like either. Even though she hadn’t done much all day, Sarah felt exhausted and hungry. The rabbit food she ate for lunch didn’t cut it.

  Just before seven o’clock, her driver dropped Sarah off at a waterside restaurant, where a maître d’ gave her the red carpet treatment. Seth had planned the dinner; Sarah had planned the entertainment afterward, with one exception. Seth had invited everyone in their crowd, except for Derrick, who was out of town, thank goodness.

  Seth sat at a table drinking iced tea.

  He’s really taken this “trading places” seriously.

  A full frothy glass of beer sat at her place.

  “We could trade. I won’t tell if you don’t,” she whispered.

  “No can do.” He stood and pulled out her chair. “You look absolutely beautiful.” He gently pushed her chair closer to the table and resumed his place beside her, laughing.

  “What?”

  “I picked those outfits.” He grinned sheepishly. “I know what you’re wearing underneath.”

  “I should’ve known.” She blushed and picked up the menu as a diversion from her embarrassment. “Is there something you recommend?”

  “Would you like me to order for you?”

  Seth’s voice sounded velvety smooth, just like his looks, and it took all her resolve to avoid staring at him. His suit fit him perfectly, and his tie and shirt matched the color of her dress. Purely a coincidence? Sarah doubted this. She was impressed at how much thought he had put into her day and fretful she hadn’t taken their adventure seriously.

  “Yes.” She took a sip of beer and cringed. Seth laughed and pretended to salivate. “Are you sure you don’t want to trade?”

  “No way. Abby might have someone spying on us.” He reached out and touched her hand. “How was your day?”

  Her breath faltered. Sarah wanted to blame the lighting, the music, and the alcohol for the intoxicating effect Seth had on her, but knew better. She shook her head to regain her composure and focused on the people around them for a moment. The restaurant didn’t have an empty table, and Sarah noticed the women in the room staring at Seth; his amazing good looks distracted them too.

  “Sarah.” Seth’s voice brought her back to the table.

  “My day? Well, let’s just say I have a new appreciation for how much work it takes to look like a movie star. How was your day?” She couldn’t wait to see how he had fared in the real world.

  He laughed and winked at her. “I managed. By the way, you’re in desperate need of new unmentionables. In fact, I threw most of yours out, so you’ll have to replace them. My treat.”

  TRADING PLACES—PART TWO

  SETH

  Sarah’s face turned crimson. “You didn’t!”

  “Yes I did,” he said with pride. “Saturday’s laundry day, after all.” Seth laughed and shook his head in a most disapproving way, hoping it masked the uncontrollable desire possessing him since Sarah had walked into the restaurant. She looked absolutely stunning in the outfit he liked the most: the blue dress that matched her glorious eyes. Her hair flowed gracefully down her back, just as he had requested to have it styled.

  “What was it like being one of the ordinary folk?”

  “Interesting.” Seth had arrived at Sarah’s house after dinner. Sam still had Newton, so Seth walked down to pick him up.

  “Newton needs to go for a walk. You’re going to need one of these.” Sam handed him a plastic bag.

  “What for?”

  “If he goes…”

  Seth looked down at the dog and groaned. “Great.”

  Newton did go…twice, and Seth dutifully picked up the mess, gagging each time. Once they were in the house, Seth rummaged through Sarah’s pantry to find Newton’s food and gave him a fresh bowl of water. “Okay, boy, what’s next?” He looked around for something to do.

  Trading Places day didn’t officially start until tomorrow, so he watched TV and then crawled into Sarah’s bed with Newton crowding him and growling.

  “Sarah’s not here, so you have nothing to worry about.”

  The phone rang at seven o’clock the following morning. Abby’s voice chimed, “Wake up, handsome, it’s time to take Newton for a walk to do his duty and then a two-mile run. Don’t forget your pooper-scooper bag.” She chuckled. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Seth rolled over and met Newton’s face staring at him.

  “All right, all right.” He got up to follow the first instruction for the day.

  The walk went well, but the two-mile run? Well, Sarah lived in a hilly area, and Seth had a hard time keeping up with Newton, who knew the route by heart and insisted on completing their morning ritual.

  An envelope with the rest of his duties awaited him at Sarah’s front door. First on his “to do” list was laundry, which included Sarah’s clothes, sheets, and towels. Seth sorted them by color—that much he remembered—but had to read the laundry detergent bottle to figure out the temperature settings. It took him forever to sort which clothes to wash on the various settings offered on the washing machine’s front panel.

  While the first load of laundry was in the washer, Seth cut Sarah’s and Sam’s grass. Although it was early, the humidity had kicked in and, by the time he finished, he was drenched. After a cool shower, he turned the laundry over, put in another load, and drove to the grocery store in Sarah’s car.

  The market was packed, and Sarah’s list included Sam’s groceries. Seth fretted over trying to figure out which tampons to buy and wondered if Abby had made the grocery list. He doubted Sarah would include such a personal purchase. Frustrated, he picked one box of each brand the store carried, hiding them in the bottom of the cart. What should have taken an hour’s time took two. He couldn’t get away from autograph seekers and fell behind schedule, making him late for lunch with Sam.

  Sam had always intimidated Seth, and today proved no different. Seth helped Sam un
pack the groceries, and then they ate lunch: grilled cheese sandwiches and iced tea. Well, Seth drank iced tea; Sam enjoyed a frosty mug of beer, smirking the entire time.

  “I’d offer you one, but…”

  “No, no, it’s against the rules,” he muttered.

  With lunch over, Seth went to the hardware store to purchase a hose. This proved less difficult than grocery shopping. The store’s patrons were mostly men and showed no interest in him whatsoever. Before heading back to Sarah’s house, he stopped by a car wash to run her jeep through.

  He finished the last of the laundry while watching a baseball game and then got ready for dinner. Sophia called to let him know which outfit Sarah had chosen. Seth had brought a shirt and tie to match each dress. He wore a black suit he’d bought especially for the evening and new dress shoes too. Looking in a small mirror over the dresser, he tried to see himself through Sarah’s eyes.

  He smiled and then frowned. What in the hell am I doing? Courage. Remember, it may be the only “date” night you have with her. Take advantage of this opportunity.

  He swallowed hard and headed for the door before he changed his mind.

  Now, Seth sat opposite his obsession. Any misgivings he’d had vanished when Sarah walked through the door.

  Their meal arrived, and Sarah practically inhaled the food, complaining over the little portion served at the spa. “I’m sorry, Seth. That was rude. I had a wonderful day. Thank you.”

  “No apology necessary.” He pushed his empty plate away and leaned toward her. “What was your favorite part of being me for a day?”

  “Soaking in your hot tub. I could get used to that.”

  He laid his arm across the back of Sarah’s chair and leaned in to her to whisper, “What were you wearing?” in her ear.

  “Well, Matt and Serafina had gone to bed, so nothing. I hope that wasn’t wrong.”

  “No.” He sighed and moved his hand from the back of the chair to Sarah’s bare back. He’d been right about her skin; it felt smooth and soft to the touch.