Opposites Attract

by Michelle M. Pillow

  ‘What about Chicago?’ Alexis asked after several miles passed, hoping to cheer everyone back into the adventurous spirit. ‘They have some great museums.’

  ‘Too late. Already passed the turn-off,’ Ethan said, his words hard.

  ‘What? So we can go six hours out of our way to see upper Wisconsin, but not twenty minutes to see Chicago?’ Alexis mumbled, more to herself than to anyone in the car.

  ‘It’s more than twenty minutes,’ Ethan ground out. Alexis glanced at him. He was tightly gripping the steering wheel. That man was brewing for a fight.

  ‘I just want to be in California already,’ Susan said, her voice pitiful. ‘Or any place with a hotel that I can curl up and die in.’

  ‘Do you want me to stop before Iowa City?’ Ethan asked.

  Alexis grimaced. Sure, when he talked to Susan he could sound nice and concerned.

  ‘No,’ Susan said. ‘Just keep going.’

  The car again fell to silence. Illinois passed by rather quickly. Alexis was too preoccupied with Ethan’s moodiness and Susan’s misery to see much more than the blurring miles of green and brown countryside contrasted with the bright blue of the sky. White puffy clouds dotted the heavens, but their beauty was lost on them.

  Ethan stopped for gas. Susan refused to get out of the car. Alexis bought her friend a bottle of water and some stomach medicine.

  ‘Huh,’ Alexis said, looking across the parking lot to where a man fuelled his car several stalls away. ‘There’s that grey car again. I think he’s going the same way we are. Weird.’

  ‘You going to get in?’ Ethan asked, ignoring her observation.

  Alexis watched the man by the grey car as he lit up a cigarette and paid with a credit card right at the pump. Across from him, a middle-aged woman pulled up in a minivan full of kids. Her slicky jogging suit swished as she got out and then all at once the other doors opened and children in soccer uniforms practically poured out. The man with the cigarette frowned at them as they screamed and ran towards the convenience store without stopping to look for traffic.

  The woman saw him smoking and said, ‘Hey, you can’t smoke that here.’

  ‘Yeah!’ a snot-nosed kid at her side piped up, putting his hands on his hips. ‘Cancer sticks are bad for you and will make the gas station blow up.’

  The man’s eyes flickered up to Alexis briefly but he didn’t act like he recognised her. Then it hit her where she’d seen him. It was the overweight man with the sweaty armpit stains who had offered to carry her luggage that first night.

  ‘Buzz off, lady,’ the man grumbled. ‘This is a free country and I’ll do whatever the hell I want to.’

  The woman gasped, grabbing her child as she ran without bothering to fill up her van. Ethan made a rude grunting noise and Alexis climbed in next to him. He started the car.

  ‘You should’ve seen the way the clerk was looking at Ethan,’ Ted told Susan.

  ‘Yeah, I think she actually started praying when she saw my tattoos,’ Ethan added. Susan groaned, obviously not in the mood to laugh and Ted reached over from the back to turn on the radio for her.

  As they drove into Iowa, the landscape again flattened out. The hills weren’t as steep as before.

  ‘What are they growing?’ Alexis asked, curious as she nodded at the bright-green fields stretching out beyond the interstate. ‘Corn?’

  Ethan just grunted.

  ‘Probably,’ Ted said politely. ‘Kinda hard to say.’

  By the time they reached Iowa City everyone was just ready to get out of the car. Ethan turned in near the downtown area and pulled over at one of the first hotels they saw from the road. He didn’t even try to charm his way into a free room. Alexis stood beside him during check-in. The man was obviously checking Ethan out. She bet if he wanted, he could’ve gotten the free room. Ethan didn’t seem to notice and, if he did, he didn’t care.

  ‘How much for a double?’ Ethan asked the clerk, looking through him more than at him. His hands gripped so tight around his wallet that his knuckles were white.

  Alexis frowned. Ethan had never asked for a double before. In fact, he’d just taken whatever free room the clerk gave him for trade. It was usually the single hidden in the back of the hotel.

  ‘The only doubles we have are in smoking,’ the clerk answered, clicking away on his computer.

  ‘Ew,’ Alexis said, her voice soft. ‘Those always smell horrible, even when you don’t smoke in them.’

  Ethan looked at her as if contemplating taking the double just to annoy her. Alexis was actually surprised, when he said, ‘Two singles by each other if you have it and on the first floor, near an outside door.’

  ‘A man who knows what he wants,’ the clerk joked. Ethan glanced at her, but didn’t answer. The man clicked away on his computer. ‘Hmm, looks like I have something by the pool.’

  ‘That would be great,’ Alexis said, trying to cover up for Ethan’s rudeness.

  ‘Here you go. Just head through those doors and it’ll be on the other side of the pool or you can drive around to the south entrance. Check-out is by eleven. Enjoy your stay.’ The clerk smiled, handing over the room cards. He needlessly straightened his black vest before sitting down.

  ‘You unlock the rooms. I’ll drive around and get the bags.’ Ethan shoved the keys at her. He stormed out the door.

  Alexis took a deep breath. She couldn’t wait for today to be over. Glancing at the clerk, she said, ‘Thank you.’

  Alexis found their rooms easily enough by the indoor swimming pool. Ted carried Susan in and she went straight to bed. Ethan carried in all the bags. Alexis blinked in surprise to see him get hers. He’d never done that before. Alexis held open the door to their room for him. He didn’t say a word as he stepped past and his look said she’d be better off not talking to him.

  After being in the car with him all day, Alexis didn’t feel like being around Ethan, especially since he was in such a foul mood. Without saying a word, she pulled out her swimsuit and went to the bathroom to change. The indoor swimming pool had a hot tub next to it and the thought of hot water was too inviting to pass up.

  The two-piece swimsuit was the only one she had left. Before her life fell apart, she’d owned nearly fifteen of them. The coral, lime-green and ivory striped top tied once behind her neck and again behind her back. The neckline dipped low between her breasts forming a triangle. The bottoms matched the top tying low on each hip.

  Pulling her hair up off her shoulders, she clipped it into a messy bun. As she stepped out of the bathroom holding a towel, she didn’t bother to cover up. She swore she heard Ethan’s breath catch slightly.

  ‘Where you going?’ he asked, his tone lighter than it had been all day.

  ‘To perform brain surgery on a monkey,’ Alexis said sarcastically, pulling open the door. She didn’t bother looking at him. ‘Then, I’m going to go save the world from supernatural evil, cure cancer and eat a house.’

  ‘Alexis –’

  Alexis shut the door before he could answer. She didn’t really feel like talking to Mr Moody anyway.

  The hotel swimming pool wasn’t too busy. Nearby, on the other side of a black iron fence, teenagers played video games. Two middle-aged women in long bathrobes played next to them on the pool table.

  Three businessmen in suits and ties sat around a white plastic table near the pool. One had his briefcase open and was taking out documents. He stopped mid-action when he saw her. The other two turned to see what he was staring at. Alexis smiled slightly, pretending not to notice. There was something about being stared at by complete strangers that always improved her confidence.

  Walking to the wall, she turned the dial for the little round hot tub. The water jets started and bubbles rolled in the steaming water. Alexis dipped her toe along the water’s surface, spreading her arms for balance. She knew she was just posing for her audience’s viewing pleasure, but she needed the ego boost.

  She lowered herself into the water. Glancing at he
r hotel room, she saw the curtain shift over the inside window. Ethan was watching her. She sat in front of a jet, letting it massage her lower back. After hours of sitting in a car, it felt great.

  ‘Hey, looks like we had the same idea.’ Ted stepped into the water. He chuckled. ‘I think I scared away your admirers.’

  Alexis glanced over her shoulder. The businessmen were packing up.

  ‘How’s Susan?’ Alexis asked, stretching her arms along the back of the hot tub.

  ‘Sleeping.’

  ‘Well, that’s probably the best thing.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Ted glanced to Alexis’s hotel room. ‘Where’s Ethan?’

  ‘In there,’ Alexis looked to the window. She was sure she saw the curtain shift again. ‘Pouting or brooding or whatever it was he was doing today.’

  ‘Yeah, I noticed.’ Ted sighed. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes. ‘Susan’s worried about you, you know.’

  ‘She is? Why?’ Alexis blinked in surprise.

  ‘She thinks you’re mad at her for taking you on this trip. She says you haven’t been talking to her lately.’

  ‘I told her not to be silly,’ Alexis said. ‘I’m not mad.’

  ‘I don’t think she believed you.’ He suppressed a yawn. ‘I’d consider it a favour if you’d reassure her again.’

  ‘Sure, but it really isn’t her. She’s great. She’s Susan.’

  Ted laughed in understanding. ‘Yeah. She is great, isn’t she? Did she tell you I almost asked her to marry me?’

  ‘You . . .? What? What do you mean almost?’ Alexis asked, sitting up straight.

  ‘I didn’t get the words out, but she knew. You women can read us men like books. You pretend you can’t sometimes to feed our egos, but you know what’s going on in our heads, I’m sure of it.’

  Alexis glanced to her hotel room. She knew for a fact that wasn’t true. She didn’t know what was going on with Ethan at all. ‘What happened? Why didn’t you?’

  ‘Because she started talking about you. About how you were going through a hard time and needed her.’ Ted gave Alexis a pointed look. ‘I’m not trying to be mean. I understand. She loves you and I’m fine with that. But when I get married, I want my wife to think of me first. I know it sounds selfish but I think that’s what marriage is about. She can’t focus completely on us if she’s always worried about you.’

  ‘Ted . . .’ What could Alexis say to that? Her first impulse was to yell and scream. She stayed calm. Ted wasn’t a mean guy. He cared for Susan. Alexis knew that.

  ‘No, like I said, I know. I’m not mad about it. I’m willing to wait until the right moment. I just thought you might like to know that I do love Susan enough to step aside until she’s ready for me. My only hope is that someday you’re ready enough to let her marry me. She cares what you think, Alexis. She won’t say yes unless she thinks she has your blessing.’

  ‘Ted . . .’ Again, what could she say? She looked helplessly at him and shrugged. An uncomfortable silence settled over them and Alexis couldn’t meet his eyes. Ted leaned his head back and relaxed.

  ‘I’m glad we had this talk, Alexis,’ Ted said after several minutes had passed. He stood, smiling as he grabbed his towel from a chair. ‘Goodnight. I’m going to bed.’

  ‘Goodnight,’ Alexis said. The water lost its appeal and she got out, wrapping herself in a towel.

  She liked Ted, so it was hard to be mad at him, though his words stung. Was he right? Was she somehow holding Susan back from a life? Sure, Alexis had leaned on her friend quite a bit since her mother’s arrest, but isn’t that what friends did? Frowning, she realised the friendship had been a little one-sided lately. She’d been doing all the leaning and Susan the carrying.

  Thinking back, she couldn’t remember once in the last month when she’d asked Susan how she was doing, how her relationship with Ted was. Since the couple always looked so happy together, Alexis had just assumed everything was fine. Actually, it was more like she’d been too selfish with her own worries to even wonder if everything was fine.

  Resolving to stop being so self-involved, Alexis went back to the hotel room. In her eagerness to leave Ethan, she’d forgotten her key card. She knocked on the door. When he didn’t open right away, she knocked louder. Ethan pulled the door open. He was on the phone talking to someone named Jack. She grabbed nightclothes. Not feeling like wearing a silk nightie, she looked at Ethan’s open bag. A pair of sweatpants lay over the top. Crossing over to his bag, she picked them up. Waiting until he turned to her, she wiggled them in the air. ‘Can I borrow these?’

  ‘Yeah, sure.’ he nodded once, before saying into the phone, ‘Oh, what? No, it was nobody important.’

  Alexis gasped, frowning. Well, that wasn’t very nice. Not wanting to listen to any more talk of people she didn’t know, she ignored Ethan and took a quick shower.

  The stretched black lace camisole top had a built-in bra and scalloped edges lined the bottom edge, falling just above her navel. A dark-blue ribbon weaved through the black lace and tied beneath her breasts forming a bow. Beneath the sweats, she wore a matching pair of all-lace boy shorts. The designer would probably have a fit if she knew Alexis was wearing the sexy outfit with a pair of men’s sweatpants.

  ‘Who cares what the designer thinks,’ Alexis said, knowing that before her mother’s arrest, she never would’ve said something like that. ‘I want comfort.’

  Ethan hung up the phone and lay down on the bed, flipping through channels. Alexis came out of the bathroom. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she began rubbing lotion over her arms. His attention shifted from the television to her. ‘What’s that scent called?’

  ‘It’s a mix of cucumber and green tea,’ Alexis said.

  ‘You hungry?’ he asked.

  ‘A little.’ She tilted her head back, rubbing lotion over her neck.

  ‘Want takeout?’ He shifted on the bed. The woman even made his sweatpants look good. He watched her fingers dip under the top edge of her camisole. He licked his lips, wishing she’d go just a little lower.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Want to spring for a movie?’ he asked. His body stirred. Alexis finally looked at him. He quickly sat up, trying to hide the erection pressing against his flannel pyjama pants.

  ‘OK,’ Alexis answered.

  ‘Something wrong?’ Ethan frowned. He’d been so busy staring at her camisole, he didn’t notice her sad expression.

  ‘Why did you tell that Jack person I was nobody?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Ethan asked, confused.

  ‘You were on the phone. I asked to borrow these pants and you said I was nobody.’ Alexis pulled up a pant leg and rubbed lotion on her calf and foot.

  ‘I don’t remember. Jack’s my brother. If he thought there was a girl in my room, he’d probably tell my mom. Since I don’t bring girls home, she’d assume I was serious with someone and would call all my aunts. They’d start planning the wedding and it would explode from there.’ Ethan laughed, knowing he wasn’t really exaggerating. ‘It seemed easier not saying anything.’

  ‘Oh.’ Alexis waved her hand in dismissal, but the action looked forced. ‘Not that I care or anything. I was just curious. Is Jack a tattoo artist as well?’

  ‘No, he’s a graphic designer in Baltimore.’

  ‘Is he your only brother?’ Alexis rubbed lotion on the other calf.

  ‘No, there are five of us.’ Ethan watched her hands, partly mesmerised.

  ‘Any sisters?’

  ‘Nope, all boys.’ Ethan grinned.

  ‘All artists?’

  ‘Um, more or less.’ He reached for the hotel’s courtesy folder on the nightstand and began flipping through the menus. Pretending like he didn’t care either way, he asked, ‘Why the sudden interest in my family?’

  He held his breath, waiting for her answer. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her put her lotion in her bag. Standing, she said, ‘No reason.’

  ‘Chinese?’ he asked, look
ing at the menu and picking up the phone.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Do you want Chinese food?’

  ‘Sure.’

  Ethan called the order in. Alexis came over, reading the menu over his shoulder and pointing to what she wanted.

  ‘I’m glad to see you eating finally,’ Ethan said, hanging up the phone.

  ‘Yeah, well.’ She looked uncomfortable. He quickly changed the subject before she demanded he call back to cancel her food order.

  ‘How about you? Any family?’ As soon as the words were out he wanted to kick himself. He already knew the answer to that. The whole United States knew the answer to that. Her family life had been posted all over the news stations.

  ‘You read the papers,’ she said softly. ‘It was all in there. Every last detail, even some that weren’t true.’

  ‘Want to talk about it?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Want to borrow my phone card and call your mom?’

  ‘Can’t. They . . .’ Her eyes teared up and she blinked rapidly, trying to hide it. She paced the room like a caged animal. ‘They won’t let me call her. I can only write her letters.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, and he meant it.

  ‘Ah, it’s not like she was really a good mother anyway, you know. It’s not like she was ever around. When I was sixteen, she caught me sleeping with my boyfriend in her bed. Stupid, right? I knew she’d be home and on some level I wanted her to catch us. Do you know what she did? She laughed and said if I liked being in her room so much I could just have it since she was never home to use it. My mother caught me having sex and she gave me a new bedroom. She even had it redecorated.’

  ‘Wow,’ Ethan said, for lack of anything better.

  ‘Oh, it gets better.’ Alexis sat on the bed next to him. Suddenly, her face fell as she looked at him. ‘You don’t want to hear this. Why don’t you order the movie? I don’t care what it is so long as it’s not tragic. Just pick something upbeat.’

  Ethan sensed she needed someone to talk to. Maybe someone other than Susan, someone removed from the situation. ‘I don’t mind. If you want to talk, it’s fine. I won’t say anything.’