Opposites Attract

by Michelle M. Pillow

  ‘What did you tell her?’ Ethan’s face was blank.

  Alexis felt as though her heart dropped in her chest. It wasn’t the exact outpouring of emotion she’d been hoping for. Actually, she would’ve settled for a reaction of any kind. He remained calm, his features unreadable.

  ‘That there was nothing to tell,’ she said at last. Alexis felt him stiffen and his arms fell away, not hugging her as close as he walked beside her. ‘Was that wrong?’

  ‘Not if it’s the truth.’ Then, pointing into the distance at a bird in flight, he changed the subject. ‘Check that out. That’ll make a great photograph.’

  Alexis dutifully lifted her camera and took the picture. She stayed close to the middle of the bridge, not wanting to get too close to the edge. Ethan stayed by her side, making a few jokes and talking of non-important things as they walked back to the car.

  They were surrounded by people wherever they went and so it was hard to soak up any of the local culture without fighting a crowd. Being a big tourism area, everything was expensive – food, gas, lodgings. By late afternoon, they changed their minds about staying in Colorado Springs for another night and headed south.

  As they drove south, Susan leafed through the pile of brochures. ‘I was looking at these maps. I’m not so sure it’s wise to be driving down to New Mexico at night. A lady at the hotel told me the road heading south through the mountains is one of the most dangerous in the US.’

  Alexis was tired and said nothing. She glanced at Ethan, feeling as if a rift had formed between them ever since she mentioned Susan suspecting them. Did he care? Was he embarrassed by her? She was always worried what everyone would think about her dating a tattoo man, but she never once considered that he’d be embarrassed to be seen with her. It hurt deeply.

  ‘What do you have in mind?’ Ted asked, slowing down to let a truck pass.

  ‘We could stay in La Veta. Then, in the morning, we can take a scenic drive down to Trinidad on the Highway of Legends.’

  ‘Whatever you decide is fine with me,’ Ethan said. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. ‘I’m taking a nap.’

  Susan reached along the edge of her seat and touched Alexis’s knee. When Alexis looked up, Susan mouthed, ‘What’s going on?’

  Alexis shrugged. How could she answer? She was wondering the exact same thing herself.

  The car was quiet as they drove into the evening. She was preoccupied and edgy and even the soft music Ted was playing on the stereo annoyed her. With Ethan seemingly displeased with her, the mountains lost some of their brilliance. Alexis wondered what had happened, but came to the only conclusion she could. He was upset that Susan and Ted had found out about them. Even the beautiful sunset, streaking its reds and purples along the distance couldn’t rouse a bit of interest in her. It was the most beautiful act of nature she’d ever witnessed and yet she couldn’t even bring herself to take out her camera.

  The hotel at La Veta was the best one they’d stayed at so far and also looked to be the most expensive. Since they didn’t have reservations anywhere, they didn’t have much of a choice. It was either the resort or the car. The early evening was already chilly and no one felt like camping out in a car.

  ‘We’ll take whatever you have left,’ Ethan said to the clerk. She was dressed in a quilted vest of Southwestern design. Glasses hung from a chain around her neck and she carefully unfolded them and slipped them on her face. Humming softly, she looked at her register. ‘Yee, hmm, well let me just see what we have. Oh, well, hmm. Ah, yep. We only have one room.’

  Ethan glanced at Ted. Alexis sat sideways on a wooden chair in the front lobby, watching him. She waited for a kind smile, a secretive wink, and got nothing.

  ‘It has two beds,’ the woman offered, smiling brightly.

  Ted nodded at Ethan. He suppressed a yawn.

  ‘We’ll take it,’ Ethan said to the woman. Humming again she wrote down Ethan’s information as she filled out a little card. She pondered his driver’s licence, taking great care as she transcribed the numbers. Alexis sighed, leaning her head down on the back of the chair as she waited for the woman to finish. Before she would hand over the keys, she went through a long list of local attractions as if she’d memorised them off a list. Ethan politely thanked her, but his lips were tight when he said the words.

  The room was huge, completely decorated with the same Southwestern influence the clerk had. The two queen-size beds had matching plaid comforters and mission-style headboards. Dried flowers in a plain glass vase sat between the beds on a nightstand.

  ‘It’s cute,’ Susan said. Ted set her bag down next to a bed. She looked helplessly at Alexis. ‘How do we want to handle the sleeping arrangements?’

  ‘I’ll take the floor,’ Ethan said, coming in. He set Alexis’s bag on the ground next to his. ‘You guys split up the beds however.’

  ‘You don’t have to do that,’ Alexis said.

  ‘Are you going to take the floor?’ he asked, smiling slightly. ‘It’s fine. I’ve slept in worse places.’

  Even though Susan had been her roommate for many years, it was still awkward as they got ready for bed. Alexis borrowed Ethan’s sweats and wore one of her T-shirts. She didn’t feel comfortable in any of her nighties with Ted in the room. She knew Susan had the same problem because she wore a pair of workout pants and a tank.

  ‘Ethan,’ Susan said. Ethan sat on the bed next to Alexis watching television, not touching her. Alexis leaned forwards to study her friend. ‘I want a tattoo.’

  Alexis stiffened. Susan wanted what? Usually they’d have discussed something like this before making an announcement.

  Ethan chuckled. ‘I wondered if anyone on the trip was going to get some ink.’

  ‘You don’t mind?’ Susan asked.

  ‘Heck, no.’ Ethan chuckled.

  ‘Oh, then I want one too,’ Ted said. Everyone turned to look at Alexis.

  Alexis shivered. ‘What?’

  ‘What do you say, Lexy?’ Susan asked.

  Ethan’s face searched hers. Alexis shivered. ‘They’re so . . . permanent.’

  ‘Afraid of a little commitment?’ Ethan teased.

  ‘No,’ Alexis answered. ‘But I won’t be pressured into something I don’t want.’

  ‘You’re right.’ Ethan nodded. He moved to look at Susan. ‘So, wh – ?’

  ‘I want cherries on my hip,’ Alexis said, taking a deep breath and holding it. All three pairs of eyes came instantly back to her. Alexis covered her mouth with her hand. Her voice weak, she said, ‘Really small ones.’

  Ethan got a funny look on his face. Slowly, he smiled at her. ‘OK. I’ll draw something up tomorrow. I want you all to think about it for a day before I do it.’

  He said everyone, but Alexis was sure he meant mostly her. She nodded, feeling giddy. Susan and Ted launched into an instant discussion about designs. Ethan crawled onto the floor, lying down on the bed he’d made for himself out of extra blankets. Alexis automatically tossed him a pillow.

  It felt strange being on the bed without Ethan next to her. Susan turned down the lights, but Alexis still heard them whispering for quite some time. She wished they’d go to sleep so she could crawl down to talk to Ethan.

  Alexis fell into a fitful sleep, having a hard time getting comfortable.

  ‘Hey,’ she heard a whisper through her dreams. She fought to wake up, but it was too hard. She was too tired. ‘I think I’m in love you.’

  Alexis blinked, partially paralysed as she tried to wake up. When she finally opened her eyes, everyone was asleep. It had only been a dream.

  13

  ‘Dude, are you really a tattoo artist?’

  Ethan looked up from the opened trunk. It was early morning and the air was crisp. But, despite the chill, the sun shone bright with the promise of a glorious day. He’d missed sleeping by Alexis the night before, had even been compelled to check on her a couple of times, though she’d been asleep. He’d nearly choked when she said
she wanted a tattoo. It didn’t matter to him if people were tattooed or not. It was personal expression. But to hear her say it had done something to him. It was like her acceptance of who he was. The Alexis he’d picked up in New York would never have gotten ink.

  Seeing a kid holding a skateboard against his leg, Ethan smiled. The slender deck was pretty banged up along the edges, attesting to its miles of use. The boy had black hair that was cut short at the back and flopped down over one eye. His pants were three sizes too big and his large black T-shirt had small holes along the seams.

  ‘Yeah, sure am,’ Ethan said. He turned back to the truck, shoving his bag towards the back.

  ‘Cool, dude, that’s cool,’ the kid said. He had to be around ten. Ethan smiled. He kicked around his feet for a while, saying nothing. ‘I want a tattoo, but my mom said no.’

  Ethan nodded. He agreed with the mom. ‘Yeah, moms are tough.’

  ‘She’s all right. She let me dye my hair.’ The boy stood a while longer, not saying too much.

  ‘Cool deck, you do the graphics?’ Ethan asked, nodding to the skateboard as he closed the trunk. The kid held out the bottom of the board for Ethan to see. It was spray-painted green with a black skull. The lines were a little wobbly, but not bad for a ten-year-old.

  ‘It was orange but I didn’t like it. You skate?’

  ‘Used to. Only the boards were a lot fatter,’ Ethan said.

  The boy grinned and held out his board. A mischievous smile crossed over his face. ‘Old school. Cool. Here. Try it.’

  Ethan glanced around. It had been years since he’d been on a skateboard. He glanced towards the hotel, making sure no one was watching. If Alexis saw this he’d be sure to lose some cool points.

  ‘Come on, dude,’ the kid said, grinning wider. ‘Let’s see what you got.’

  How could he pass up a challenge from a ten-year-old kid? Ethan took the board and set it down on the sidewalk. He rolled a few feet before trying to kick-flip the board into the air. The trick failed miserably and he fell on his back with a heavy thud.

  ‘Oh, dude.’ The boy laughed, half in amusement, half in sympathy. He rescued his board before leaning over Ethan. ‘You all right?’

  Ethan groaned, chuckling at his own foolishness. He should’ve known better. His body was sore, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He pushed up. The kid grabbed his arm, helping him. ‘Hey, how’d you know I was a tattoo artist?’

  ‘Oh, I heard that old guy on the phone,’ he said.

  ‘Brandon!’ a woman screamed.

  ‘That’s my mom. I got to go,’ the kid said.

  ‘Hey, wait,’ Ethan yelled. ‘What old guy?’

  ‘The one with the camera,’ the boy yelled as he skated off down the sidewalk. As Ethan watched, he did the kick-flip perfectly, waved and kept going.

  Ethan frowned. Old guy with a camera? Well, the kid was ten and it was possible he’d consider anyone over the age of twenty old. But with a phone and a camera? Could he mean Ted? Ted made business calls all the time. Only, Ted didn’t have a camera. Maybe the boy was mistaken about that. Maybe Ted had borrowed Alexis’s camera. Then, thinking of how she guarded that bag with her life, he doubted Ted would take it without permission.

  A shiver worked over his spine. Instantly, he thought of Alexis’s man in the grey car. He looked around the parking lot. There were no grey cars. He was probably just being paranoid.

  Stretching out his back, he grimaced at his sore muscles. Mumbling to himself, he said, ‘That’s what you get, old man, for taking challenges from a kid.’

  ‘I see a camel,’ Alexis said.

  ‘You’re supposed to see a train and a face,’ Susan insisted.

  ‘Oh, yeah, I see it, right there,’ Ted said, pointing at the distant rock.

  Ethan looked, but said nothing. He was still a little disturbed about the kid’s comments. The Highway of Legends was definitely worth the side trip. They’d just started to travel, but already they’d seen so much beauty. Alexis was demanding they stop the car every five minutes to take pictures. At this rate, they’d be sleeping in the wilderness. Ethan didn’t mind. He liked seeing her happy. For that reason alone, he didn’t mention the kid to anyone.

  ‘OK, I got the picture,’ Alexis said. ‘I’ll blow it up really big later and we can all stare at it because I still see a camel.’

  Ethan was in the driver’s seat. She smiled at him, an almost shy smile, as he put the car into drive. They drove in silence, taking in the beauty of the area. Large stone jutted up from the land, almost like a thick white wall that blocked one side from the other. Brown and red valleys turned into dark-green peaks. Tall, skinny trees lined the roads and wildflowers seemed to cover every inch of the landscape.

  ‘Check out this town,’ Susan said as the highway led through a small mountain town. Some of the buildings were made out of logs. ‘It’s just like turn of the century Colorado.’

  ‘Check out that man,’ Alexis added, pointing to a bearded mountain man in a flannel shirt. ‘I think he’s from the turn of the century too. Let’s not stop. I really don’t want to make friends with Billy Bob over there.’

  As they watched, the man spat tobacco on the ground and glanced at the car. He smiled at the women, staring hard, his teeth stained brown. Yellow tobacco streaks stained his whiskered mouth.

  ‘Drive,’ Alexis hissed. ‘Just drive.’

  As they passed a lake, Alexis’s hand slid close to Ethan’s thigh. She didn’t caress him, just let her hand rest along his leg as she looked out the window. Just as he was about to take her hand in his, she pulled back, demanding he stop so she could take a picture of a bear.

  ‘Don’t unroll the windows,’ Susan said, sounding panicked. Alexis ignored her. Ethan laughed. ‘Lexy!’

  ‘It’s too far away to attack, sweetheart,’ Ted assured her.

  ‘But the brochure says not to bother the wildlife,’ Susan insisted. ‘And the lady at the hotel told me that bears have been known to attack people who bother them. Her cousin was camping and was mauled by one. And she said that one even attacked a car and smashed it to bits. That –’

  ‘Sweetie, trust me,’ Ted said, kissing the tip of her nose. ‘We’re fine.’

  Alexis laughed. She winked at Ethan. His heart nearly stopped beating at the playful gesture. He drove down the highway again, not sure how much time passed. He felt like he couldn’t breathe as he gripped the steering wheel. The urge to pull over was strong, but he fought it. If he pulled over now he’d jump out of the car and confess to Alexis and the whole world that he loved her.

  Love?

  Ethan forced a deep breath. He couldn’t be in love. They’d only known each other a few weeks. So what if they spent every second of the day together in the car and that they slept together at night. Two weeks wasn’t a long enough time to know something so important. He was just being foolish. Wasn’t he? He turned to Alexis.

  ‘Ethan?’ she asked. ‘Are you – oh my gawd, look out!’

  Ethan looked at the road. A small furry creature darted in front of the car. Instinctively, he swerved to miss it. Alexis and Susan screamed as the car spun. When they stopped, no one said a word for several long moments.

  ‘Is everyone all right?’ Ethan asked, glancing at Alexis. She nodded.

  ‘Yeah,’ Ted said.

  ‘Yes,’ Susan said.

  ‘What was that?’ Alexis asked. As if to answer her question, they heard a dog bark. Ethan looked out the window. A small white dog sat on the pavement, looking at them as he made a horrendous racket. It looked like a little lion with long straight fur around its head and shorter fur on its body.

  ‘It’s a Pekingese,’ Susan said.

  ‘Where did it come from?’ Alexis asked.

  Ethan opened his car door to assess the damage. In the distance, several campers were stopped along the road. ‘I think it came from there.’

  ‘Ah, man, we have a flat,’ Ted said.

  Ethan came around the car. Everything looked
fine, but for a punctured tyre. ‘Damn it!’

  ‘You have a spare?’ Ted asked.

  ‘Yeah, but I don’t have a jack,’ Ethan said.

  ‘How could you travel without a jack?’ Alexis asked him. A bit of the condescending diva was back in her voice as she looked at him.

  ‘Because I don’t own one and I figured if I ever needed one there’d be someone to ask.’ Ethan pointed at the campers. ‘So, let’s go ask.’

  Alexis grabbed her camera and Ethan locked up the car. The dog followed them, yipping the quarter of a mile it took to reach the cars. The animal held his head high with obvious self-importance. Ethan’s mood had soured with the accident and he had the strangest urge to kick the annoying dog, launching it into the surrounding valley. But since he’d never hurt an animal in his life, he wasn’t about to start now.

  ‘Oh, great,’ Ted said under his breath as they neared the parked caravan. The first small camper had a tie-dyed peace sign in the window surrounded by love beads. ‘Hippies. Just great. They creep me out.’

  Ethan laughed, his mood lightening some at the odd comment. It was the first time Ted had ever expressed even the slightest hint of negativity.

  ‘His mother’s a hippie,’ Susan explained.

  ‘Yeah,’ Ted said. ‘And she creeps me out. I grew up having to listen to her describe my aura and trying to read my future.’

  ‘They’re artists.’ Alexis pointed down into the valley where several artists with their canvases and easels painted quietly. A long stretch of a flat green field with tall grasses stretched out. Dark-brown fence posts leaned sideways, their railing long collapsed. In the distance there were green hills dotted with evergreens, more of the curious white-stone wall jutting from the ground and finally snow-cap peaks. The sky was bright blue with white, fluffy clouds. It was breathtaking.

  The little Pekingese yipped and took off into the taller grasses, disappearing in the field. They watched the grass move until the dog reached one of the nearby artists. The woman turned, looking down and then straight at them. Ethan waved. The artist set down her brush and left her canvas to walk towards them.