Callie stared at the menu and looked back up to find Chris staring at her. She smiled at him but he didn't smile back. He just seemed lost in thought with furrowed brows. Okay, she just couldn't take this silence anymore. It was killing her!
"Chris." She placed the menu on the table. "What's going on?"
He blinked at her. "What?"
"I mean," she hesitated, "why are we here?"
"We're on a date."
"Yeah, I get that part but why are we on a date?"
Shifting on cushioned seat, Chris looked away from her probing eyes. "To eat."
Callie stared at him. "You asked me out on a date, took me to this fancy restaurant...just to eat?"
"Isn't that what restaurants are for?" He sounded evasive and sarcastic. Callie wasn't aware of it but he was trying hard to cover up his own discomfort.
She stared at him a few seconds longer before standing. "Where are you going?" Chris demanded, shooting up from his own seat when Callie started to leave. He grabbed her wrist to stop her.
Callie sighed. "Chris, if you took me out just to eat, we could have went somewhere else. No sense in wasting money on this place."
Chris frowned. "You don't like it?"
"The restaurant?" Callie looked around. "It's great, very...exotic, but it isn't me. Even though you look like you fit right in....this isn't you either. I know you and I would rather sit in front of my flat screen watching some stupid movie we could make fun of while eating pizza and drinking Budweiser."
"You don't drink Budweiser," Chris pointed out.
Callie cracked a smile. "True but you also know what I'm saying is true. Chris...why are we here?"
Adam's apple bobbing, Chris stared down at her with confusion and frustration. Callie didn't know if he was confused and frustrated with her or with himself. Either way he had to tell her what this was all about or she was leaving. Simple as that.
"Sit down," he finally said. "I'll try to...explain." Chris sat down and waited for her to sit down before adding, "just remember 'try' is the word here."
Callie just stared at him, watching, waiting.
Chris sighed. "This is the usual place I take my dates."
I bet, Callie thought with jealousy towards the faceless women Chris had brought to Mershachi's on his quest to seduce them.
"Cal," Chris paused and swore under his breath. "Damn, I don't know where to even begin."
"Start with the kiss," she urged. "Why did you kiss me?"
"Why did you kiss me back?" He shot back at her.
"You already know that I have...have feelings for you." Callie refused to look away from his gaze though all she wanted was to blush and hide. "The question now is why did you initiate the kiss?"
"You know why," he muttered darkly.
"Maybe, but I'd like to hear why."
Chris glared at her. Callie refused to budge. Outside she looked calm and composed but in the inside her heart was racing and her stomach was burning with butterflies. Still...she needed to hear his reason and hoped she wouldn't be disappointed.
Seeing that she wasn't about to let it go, Chris groaned. "Cal, give me a break here, buddy. I'm as confused as you are."
"Just answer the question," she said. "Why did you kiss me?"
He stared at her. "Because...I wanted to."
"Why did you want to?"
"Because I'm...attracted to you?" He made it sound like a question.
"I don't know," Callie said, "are you?"
"Yes," he bit out. "God help me, I'm attracted to you." Chris slumped against his chair. "Why? I have no fucking clue. In the beginning it was all good, you know? We were friends, you were my new buddy. I wanted to help you lose weight and gain confidence. I wanted you to get up and fight back to the world, not be oppressed by it. I knew that under all that ball of shyness was a good guy, someone who was strong and intelligent."
Chris closed his eyes, as if something was torturing him. "Then things started to change. I don't know when and I sure in the hell don't know how...it's just you...you..."
"What about me?" Callie asked, voice barely above a whisper. Seeing Chris like this both excited yet frightened her. Excited that he admitted that there was an attraction between them but also frightened because this man, this beautiful being could break her heart.
"You're just so different," he finally said, opening his eyes to stare at her. "You're different from any other man or woman I've known. The way I feel around you is different. I don't know when it started but I'd find myself thinking of you, of how you make me laugh, how your smile is so shy yet brightens up the place. How your eyes, the color of melted milk chocolate with a hint of gold would light up whenever they looked at me or how they twinkle whenever I say or do something you think is funny."
Chris leaned forward, face serious and open. "Sometimes I find myself staring into them for too long, caught up in your odd mixture of sweetness, naivete and intellect. You're a walking contradiction but I can't seem to get enough of you. It took a while for me to realize that it was strange to constantly think of you or what you were up to when I'm not around. Even my co-workers can't help but notice how much I bring you up in every conversation I have with them."
Hell, just the other day I was outside helping one of my patients walk and wondered out loud what you'd be making for dinner." Chris laughed dryly, "can you believe that? Don't you see? My thoughts towards you isn't normal. Not a guy thinking about his best buddy but a guy thinking about his...his...lover."
Callie flushed at the sound of "lover" rolling from his lips. But Chris wasn't done ranting. It seemed like she had turned something on that wouldn't be shut off until it was completely satisfied.
"It's driving me fucking crazy," he continued, "why? Why would I suddenly start taking an interest in another man? What is so special about you?" Chris ran a hand down his face. "I keep thinking and thinking about it but it makes no sense, my attraction to you. I've never ever had an attraction to another man. Ever. I love women, all shapes, all sizes. Black, white, Mexican, Asian, you name it."
Chris looked at her, expression looking so tortured and confused that Callie wanted to get up and hug him, soothe his nerves and fears. But she didn't. Instead she remained where she was and stared at him, waiting for him to finish.
"Cal, buddy," Chris croaked, "I don't know what it is about you but the more time I spend with you, the more time I want to spend with you and it's not...not normal. Not for me. But I can't fight it anymore. I'm too tired of fighting it, these feelings I have for you. I brought you here on this date because...because I give up. I give in. I wanna see where these feelings will take me. Take us."
"But I'm fat," she mumbled pathetically. "And I'm not beautiful and I-"
"Stop." Chris held up a hand. "Cal, did you not listen to a word I've said? Did it sound like your appearance was all I cared about? Sure, you're on the heavy side but you're working on that and you're succeeding. Look at all the weight you've lost so far! But even if you stay the way you are now, I wouldn't give a damn. Ever heard the saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Cal, if I can get over the fact that you're a guy and be attracted to you, then what makes you think that your appearance will put me off?"
Callie's mouth went dry at the desperate, passionate look in his blue eyes. His eyes were piercing right through her and god help her...she never wanted him to look away from her again. Never wanted to see him look at another woman the way he was looking at her now. She could learn to live on that look alone because through his eyes, she was the only thing he could see.
Moistening her lips, Callie was the first to look away because his gaze was just too intense. She stared at her hands on her lap, pulse racing, body on fire. She had looked away but she was all too aware of his hot gaze on her. Finally, she looked up from her lowered lashes.
"Chris," she began, "I-"
"Ready to take your order?" The dark haired waitress was back, smiling down at Chris. Chris ignored her, still staring at Call
ie but he did say, "we're leaving."
"What?" The waitress blinked, dumbfounded.
"We're leaving," Chris repeated and stood. He grabbed Callie's hand and tugged until she had no choice but to stand with him.
"B-but sir," the waitress protested weakly as they brushed past her. "Sir!"
"Where are we going?" Callie asked as soon as they reached the outside. She could feel many curious eyes following their movements.
"You have the keys to the roof of our apartment building?"
"Yes." As the owner of the building, she did.
"Good, then I don't have to pick the lock."
Eyes widening, Callie followed him to his car. Fifteen minutes later they were back at their apartment with Chris hurriedly leading them to the stairs that led to the apartment roof. "Open it," he said, nodding to the door.
Getting in front of him, Callie fished out the keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. Silently, they both went through and the breathtaking view of the twinkling lights of the city greeted them. Inhaling the fresh hair, Callie walked on the flat surface of the roof and stopped by the railed edge and stared at the twinkling lights of her neighborhood and beyond.
"I come up here when the nightmares wake me," Chris said from behind her. "To clear my head."
Callie glanced behind her. "Nightmares?"
"Of the war."
"Oh."
"It's beautiful right?" Chris stood beside her.
"Yes." She looked thoughtfully at him. "Chris...you still get nightmares of the war? It's been years."
Chris didn't meet her eyes. "It's not as bad as before. When I had come back, the nightmares were frequent but it stopped as the months past by. Still, sometimes it would creep up on me." He glanced at her with a small smile. "Since I met you, the nightmares stopped."
Killer line, Callie thought, all but melting at his words. Tell him the truth, Callie. Tell him now. He deserves it.
Chris laughed and Callie smiled. "What's so funny?"
"Well," he shot her a grin, "guess the chances of my parents getting a grandchild soon is all but ruined."
Oh Chris. Her eyes began to tear. He was just so perfect. I have to tell him, even if it means...losing him. Maybe he'll forgive me if he loves me enough but either way, he has to know the truth. My lie has gone far enough.
"C-Chris," Callie said hoarsely, "Chris, there's something I have to tell you."
"What?" Chris faced her and frowned when he saw the pained expression on her face under the glow of the moon. "Cal? What is it?"
"First," she grabbed his hand, "will you tell me something?"
"What?"
"Do you...do you love me?"
Chris stared down at her and brushed her hair back. "I...hell, Cal, I don't know. Maybe. There's something definitely there. I'm definitely falling for you."
Callie smiled. He was falling for her....it wasn't a direct "I love you" but to her heart, it was enough. Before he hates her, at least she knew that he had loved her...or started to. It's really more than she deserved.
"Will you kiss me again?" She found herself asking almost desperately.
Chuckling, Chris leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead, on her left and right cheek, then her nose and finally her lips. It was a tender kiss of awakening first love. "I love you, Chris," she told him after he drew back, "very, very much."
"Cal," Chris laughed lightly, "what is this all about?"
Callie stepped away from him and prepared herself. "Chris, I'm...I'm actually a gir-"
"Hold up." Chris held up a hand and took out his cell phone from his blazer pocket. "Abel is calling me again."
"Again?"
"I ignored his calls earlier," he explained, "when we got to the restaurant. He left some messages but I haven't checked them yet. Hold on, just let me see what he wants." Chris answered the call. "Hello?"
Callie watched his expression change. "What?" He barked. "What do you mean she's at the hospital? For what?" Chris paused. "She fainted? When? How? Is she okay? Let me talk to her. Damn, okay, which hospital? Alright," he shot Callie a look, "We'll be right there."
"What's going on?" She asked anxiously. "Who's at the hospital?"
Chris's jaw tightened. "My mother."
"Mrs. Walker!?" Callie covered her mouth. "No! What happened."
"We'll find out." Chris grabbed her hand. "Let's go."
Chapter Sixteen
They rushed inside the hospital, Callie walking hurriedly behind Chris. There had been no time to talk about where exactly their relationship was headed on the mad drive to the hospital. All Callie could do was assure Chris that everything would be okay, saying words that she didn't even know were true or not. She thought that if she repeated them enough, her assurance would be a fact.
"Which floor was my mother taken?" Chris barked as soon as they reached the front desk where a petite black woman in blue scrubs stood behind.
"Eliza Walker," Callie said to the confused woman, "her name is Eliza Walker."
"Chris!" Chris and Callie turned around in unison to see Abel rushing towards them. This Abel wasn't one Callie was familiar with. This Abel looked worried, pale blonde brows furrowed and eyes red like he had just been crying. Wearing a sleek white suit that was more suited to cater a ball rather than a hospital, Abel looked elegant as always but his beautiful features were marred with heavy sadness.
"Abel!" Chris grabbed his brother's shoulder. "Talk to me! How is Mom?"
"She's fine," Abel said hoarsely, like his voice had been over used. "For now."
"What the hell does that mean!?"
"Chris," Callie murmured, soothingly rubbing his arm to calm him down. People were already looking at them with deep frowns. It wasn't polite to cause a ruckus in a hospital.
Chris took a deep breath. "Abel, what happened?"
"Follow me." Abel turned and started walking, his classy white shoes clicking against the white marble floor.
"Well?" Chris pressed impatiently when they reached the elevators.
"Mom was rushed here an hour after you left the salon," Abel told him, "Dad contacted me and I tried to get a hold of you but you weren't answering your phone and I didn't know where you and Callie went on your date."
Chris swore under his breath as they stepped inside the elevator. "I put my phone on vibrate and ignored your calls. I thought you were just going to be nosy. If I had known-"
"It wouldn't have changed anything," Callie told him, "this isn't your fault, Chris." She looked at Abel. "Why was she rushed to the hospital?"
Abel pressed a button and leaned against the cool elevator walls. "Mom fainted at the deli and started convulsing. Dad immediately rushed her to the hospital." He closed his eyes and took a steady deep breath. "Apparently our dear folks has been hiding Moms condition from us for a while."
"What condition?" Chris demanded.
Abel rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Mom is sick, Chris, she has been for a while now and we didn't even have a clue...not a clue. She always said she was a good actress. Well, for the past months she's been giving us her grande performance. Brava, mother, brava."
"What are you talking about, Abel?" Callie asked, "how sick is she?"
"Dad told me that Mom has a tumor in her brain."
She gasped. "No! A tumor? But how?" Mrs. Walker had always seemed fine and healthy whenever Callie dropped by every now and then since they've met. Eliza, so radiant and cheerful. A woman who loved life and her family.
"From what Dad tells me," Abel said, stepping out as the elevator doors slid open, "she's been sick for months. At first she just brushed it off as a harmless flu and refused to go to the hospital when Dad insisted. Then she started getting worse. Dizziness, vomiting, fainting."
They followed Abel down the long hall, ignoring the others passing by. "Dad said he thought that she may be pregnant again but sadly that wasn't the case. He finally made her go to the hospital and that's when they found out that she has a tumor. The CT scans showed it."
> "Are they sure it's a tumor?" Chris shook his head, "it may be something else or-"
"Chris," Abel looked at his brother sadly, "they tested her many times."
"But why now!" Chris snapped. In truth he wanted to scream Why our mother?. "Why does she suddenly have a tumor!?"
"The doctor explained that it can show up anytime, at any age. They've been giving her treatments but that's not enough anymore. It's still growing, Chris. Mom needs surgery."
"Why didn't she just get surgery in the first place!?" Chris roared. "They could have taken that thing out of her!"
"You know how afraid Mom is of hospitals. When her doctor suggested surgery she asked if there were alternatives and he offered her treatments...but its not helping anymore." Abel stopped in front of a closed door and turned to his brother. "There are serious risks if she undergoes surgery...but if she doesn't..."
"She'll die anyway," Chris whispered and bowed his head. "What the hell is going on?"
Abel stared at his distraught brother. "Guess now we know why she wanted grandbabies so badly."
Callie squeezed her eyes shut and felt tears streaming down her cheeks. When she opened them, she wished with all her might that everything was better. That they weren't in the hospital, that Mrs. Walker was safe and secure at the deli...but it wasn't so. When she opened her eyes, they were still standing in front of a white door and behind it was...
"Chris?" At the sound of the voice, the trio looked up and found Brenda walking towards them, a hesitant smile on her face. Callie watched, dumbfounded, as the woman in a grey business suit sauntered over to Chris to and gave him a hug. Even in a classy business suit, a white shirt beneath a jacket and short skirt, Brenda managed to look enchanting with her long black hair flowing around her.
"How are you holding up?" Brenda asked Chris, worry on her features.
Chris stared at her. "What are you doing here, Brenda?"
"She was at the deli talking to mother when it happened," Abel answered grimly, "and she followed us here."
Big Fat Liar 3 (Big Fat Liar #3) Page 2
