by Laina Turner
******
Dessert wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Brian was charming and super nice to my mother, although I didn’t need my mother to have any more reason to like him. She’d only bug me even more about why I couldn’t live happily ever after with Brian, and give her the grandchildren she wanted.
“That was wonderful Mrs. Thurman. Thank you for inviting me over for dessert.”
“You’re most welcome Brian,” my mother gushed.
“Presley, would you like to take a drive?” he asked.
Oh God. How did I get out of this one. “Um, that sounds good but I need to run a couple errands. Take a rain check?”
His face fell but just for a moment. I couldn’t imagine he was disappointed.
“Sure,” he said and then there were a few minutes of silence. “I probably should be going,” he said pushing back his chair. “Thanks again.”
“I’ll walk you out, Brian,” I said and got up.
“It was good seeing you again, Pres,” Brian said as we reached the door.
“You too.”
Brian started to lean in toward me a little, and I thought, no way is he going to try and kiss me. I stepped a little to the side and stuck out my hand.
“Good night Brian,” I said. He shook my hand awkwardly and then walked out the door, me closing it behind him.
Whew, I leaned against the door. That was dodging a bullet.
I grabbed my keys and purse from the side table by the door.
“Mom, Dad, I’m leaving. Be back later,” I yelled from the foyer, not waiting for a response.
I first headed to the neighbors, and they graciously gave me a few days’ supply of dog chow and then headed to town.
I stopped at the Coffee Café. The town’s only answer to a coffee shop. Starbucks it wasn’t.
I ordered a large non-fat vanilla latte and then sat down in a booth that looked like it had once belonged to a Dunkin Donuts; it was a faded pink and orange. As I looked around, I realized that everything in the cafe was used. What did they do, go to a bunch of going–out–of–business sales to furnish this place? Katy had mentioned to me they remodeled, so I had expected new, not used, décor.
I took a sip of my latte, which was surprisingly good, and let my mind wander. I looked around the Coffee Café at the other customers, wondering if I would see a familiar face.
I noticed—of all people—Helen Daniels, the wife of Senator Tom Daniels, talking to a much younger man I didn’t recognize. Helen was even more attractive in person than she was in her pictures. I hadn’t seen her in person for years. Older than me by about ten years, I hadn’t known her personally and since Tom was elected senator, they spent most of their time in Washington, according to my mom.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Helen Daniels arguing with a man in her booth. Now that was interesting. Maybe I could pick up some juicy gossip to share with Katy. The man looked familiar to me, but I couldn’t quite place him. I wished there was someone here I could ask, and then it hit me, I thought the guy was Tobey Stone. He was the younger brother of a guy named Chris, who was in my grade back in high school. I wondered what he could have to argue about with someone like Helen Daniels.
As I contemplated my next step, a familiar face came into the coffee shop. Another high school buddy, Dirt Robinson, whose real name was Derrick. After eating dirt on a dare in fifth grade, he was given the nickname and it stuck, making him the coolest kid in junior high. I wondered if he still went by Dirt. I couldn’t fathom calling him anything else, but as an adult, I was sure it had lost some of its coolness. As he walked up to the counter, he saw me sitting at the table, broke into a wide smile, and strolled over.
“Look what the cat dragged in. To what do we owe this honor that you would grace us with your presence?” Dirt said to me with a mock bow.
I squealed and gave him a hug. Always great friends back in the day, we had lost touch. Last I had heard he was in the army. “It’s so good to see you, Dirt. Just visiting the family. What are you up to these days?”
“Look at me, sister! I’m the law,” he said with arrogance, though I knew he was joking. I took a closer look at him and noticed he was wearing a sheriff’s uniform. Finally, proof that something around this town had changed, or maybe proof the town was going crazy.
“Are you freaking kidding me? You, a cop? They must have been desperate.”
In our past lives, Dirt had run with the rowdy crowd, spending more time partying, causing trouble, and breaking the law than worrying about other people doing the right thing. I was shocked that he was a cop now. Nothing could have surprised me more. I would have guessed that he’d end up in jail, not running the jail. I was mostly kidding. He wasn’t that bad, but this was a stretch for the Dirt I had known.
“Not just a cop, Presley, but an elected official. That means they wanted me,” he said in a manner that I first took to be joking, but after looking at his face I saw he was dead serious. “Since I know how a juvenile delinquent’s mind works, I can figure them out. It makes me effective at my job.” He laughed. Having been one himself, I could see how this might now work to his advantage. “Besides, not much serious crime happens here, so I have a lot of time to fish. And you have to admit the uniform looks good on me.” He preened for me.
I laughed. “Still the same conceited jerk, I see. You don’t look half bad, Dirt, but Erik Estrada is still the sexiest cop,” I teased.
“C’mon, Pres, you’re breaking my heart. How can you not find me drop–dead gorgeous?” he said with exaggerated bravado.
I agreed that he looked good in his uniform. His lanky frame had filled out, giving him a sinewy hardness. Just less than six feet tall, he had beautiful curly black hair, which had been long in high school and was now cut short, military style. And the most beautiful blue eyes. “So, are you on duty now?” I asked. “Or can you stay for a while?”
“I thought we could catch up.”
“Of course. I have about thirty minutes.”
“Wow, a whole thirty minutes,” I joked.
“Why? Planning on speeding on your way out of town?”
“Senator Daniels is in town for some big speech which has us all hopping.”
“Yeah, I saw Helen talking to Tobey Stone. They were arguing about something.”
“He was probably trying to convince her not to go public with the knowledge of Tom’s latest affair.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Tobey is the Senator’s assistant and the Senator, he’s a womanizer,” Dirt said, and I could see his jaw clench.
“And you seem mad about that? Why do you care?”
“I just don’t like him. Thinks we all should jump to do his bidding.”
Before I could ask any more questions, his radio went off.
“That’s my cue. I need to head out,” he said. “Good to see you.”
“Back at ya. Glad to know who to call if I get in trouble,” I said, with a teasing tap on his shoulder.
