by Kayt Miller
I open the door and the scent of beer and fried foods hits me square in the jaw. Stepping inside, I see that the place is, in fact, packed with people. There are so many, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get to the bar without bumping into people as I go.
“I’ve come this far.” Using my body to work through the crowd, I make it to the bar with only one pant leg and my right sleeve drenched in beer. It’s okay, beer washes out of wool, right? When the bartender sees me, she ignores everyone else waving cash at her and makes a beeline for me. She’s cute in an Iowa farm girl kind of way. She’s even got braids in her dark hair, a flannel shirt with the sleeves torn off and ripped jeans. The part that doesn’t fit my notion of a farm girl is the array of tattoos she’s got on her left arm. “Well, you’re new,” she says in a flirtatious tone. “What can I get you, handsome?”
I look down at the worn bar top and the stools covered mostly in foam and little else. I’d love to ask if they have 12-year-old Macallan, but I’m guessing they won’t have that. “Beer.”
“We’ve got Bud, Coors, Busch, an Iowa micro-brew called Blonde Fatale, and another called Red Rambler.”
“Red Rambler, please.”
“Right on. Be right back.”
Setting the beer down, she leans forward rewarding me with a view of her chest. They look like fine breasts, but they’re small and, well, they don’t appeal. “So, what’re you in town for?”
“I heard this was a Cartwright party of some sort.”
Her face changes in seconds. What was once a smile has turned sour. “I guess you could call it a party. It’s more a celebration of life.”
“Oh, yeah? Who’s the guest of honor?”
“Lexie’s mom.”
“Oh, yeah? Where’s she?” I say looking around the interior of the bar. “Lexie?”
“No, her mom.”
She doesn’t answer. Her face reddens, and I see her eyes start to water. “You’re an asshole.”
“Huh?” Okay, I know I’m an asshole on a normal day, but I didn’t mean to be just then. What am I missing?
“Yo! Assface?” says a drunk guy next to me.
“Yes?” I say warily.
“Lexie’s mom is dead. One year ago, today. This is a celebration of her life. Her dad threw this party. Thought it’d be cathartic or some such bullshit.”
“She died?” I’m going to kill Cammy.
“Car accident. She swerved to avoid a deer and rolled her car. Died instantly.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”
“Lauren Cartwright was an amazing woman. Well-respected in the community, doting mother, devoted wife. She had a wicked sense of humor and cooked the best fucking chili. She won first place at the state fair four years in a row.”
“She sounds incredible.”
“Damn straight, she was. Broke that little family to bits when she died like that. Rick hasn’t been the same since. Turned to the bottle. Luckily, little Lexie left to follow her dreams of living in the big city and doing that marketing shit she went to school to study.”
“How do you know all this?”
He blinks at me. “I live here.”
“So?”
“It’s a small town. There are only about six thousand of us which makes us big enough to be the county seat, but we’re small enough to know what’s what. The Cartwright’s are good people. When Lauren died, it impacted everyone.”
“I see.”
“So, why are you here with your big-city duds on?
“I’m Lexie’s boyfriend.”
The man scoffs. “If that’s true, you’d have known about Lauren.”
“Not necessarily. Lexie is very private.”
He scoffs again and takes a swig of beer. “You’re not good enough for her.”
“I know.” But, I’m here for her none-the-less. On that note, I step away from the bar in search of my girl. Weaving in and out of people, I look at every table and booth. There are a number of women here who seem to have taken an interest in me, so I use that to my advantage. “I’m looking for Lexie.”
Each time I ask, I’m told things like, ‘Oh, I just saw her at the bar.’ Another woman tells me she went out back. I search the bar and out back but still no Lexie. When I ask a third woman if she’s seen her, she tells me Lexie was taking this night hard, so she was hiding in the storage room. Now, that I can believe.
I locate the storage closet and wait a moment. I don’t want to catch her off guard, but I don’t think that can be avoided. Without knocking, I turn the knob and enter the dark room. When I hear sniffling, I know she’s nearby. “Lex?”
The sniffle turns to a gasp. “Gabriel?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you doing here? This is a pr-private party.”
“I needed to see you.” I follow the sound of her voice until I’ve narrowed down her coordinates to the back corner of the room. I really should have turned on a light, but this is probably better.
“You see me all the time. You could have waited.”
“No. I couldn’t wait.”
“Why not?” she sounds so sad, so small.
“Because I came to make sure you were okay. I came to check on you. I came to kiss you and hold you. I came to tell you how wrong I was.”
“When? When were you wrong?”
“Every time I disappointed you. I was wrong. I was wrong about your animals.”
She lets out a sob. “Yeah, you were. Cy’s wing was caught in the hinge. You’d squawk too if your arm were caught in a damn door.”
“I’m sorry about that, baby.”
When Cammy told me how she rescued each one of those creatures from sure death, I listened. Cyclopes or Cy for short was first owned by a sadistic bastard. He scarred and disfigured the bird even cutting out one of his eyes out for fun. Thankfully, one of the man’s children took the bird to an animal shelter to keep him from being killed by their father.
When no one wanted to adopt the bird, he was slated to be euthanized until Lexie spotted him on a visit to the shelter. She took him home immediately. The turtle, Shelly, has only three legs. As for the guinea pigs, she found them in their cage in a dumpster behind her building. Someone just threw away the entire cage with animals inside. They were malnourished and dehydrated when she found them, and she nursed them back to health. After hearing the sad tales of those animals, I understood Lexie a little better.
Lexie, the woman who has every co-worker’s favorite candy in her candy dish––even mine. Lexie, the woman who knows every single co-worker’s birthdays and gives them cards on their special day––even mine. When she gave me a card, I thanked her and tossed it in my desk drawer without opening it. I’ve read it since. It was sweet and thoughtful just like the woman who gave it to me.
I need to keep going. I’ve got so many more things to apologize for. “I was wrong when I said you were simple.”
“Uh, huh. That too. I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Iowa.”
“Good to know.”
“I was wrong about Katya. I fired her.”
“You did?”
“Absolutely. I also saw the list of events from last week and her note for you to ‘show your true colors.’ She set you up that night.”
“I still don’t know why she hated me so much.”
“I don’t know either other than to say she was probably jealous of your popularity around the office.”
She snorts. “Popularity? I’m not popular.”
“You most certainly are. When the rumor started spreading that I fired you, I received more than one death glare when I walked through the office.”
“Oh, geesh, they were doing that before. That had nothing to do with me.”
“Wow, thanks.” I chuckle. “Well, trust me, it was worse this time.”
“What else were you wrong about?”
“I was wrong about your fashion sense.”
“My fashion sense?”
“Your clothes. I can’t
imagine my day without seeing what you’ve chosen to wear.”
“You can’t?”
“No. I can’t. Plus, I miss your garters.”
She laughs then. “You never got to see my garters.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Or my satin demi bra and matching Dominique Tap panties.”
“Oh, Jesus, Lexie.” I reach my arms out until I touch something soft. “Come here. Please?” When I feel her move her body into mine, placing her head on my chest, and her arms around my body, I shiver. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“I’m glad you’re here. This night is hell.” She releases a shaky breath. “My mom was everything to me, Gabriel. She was my be-best friend.”
“I’m sorry, honey.”
“What else were you wrong about?”
I must be helping her keep her mind off of the sadness of the night. “I was wrong to pretend my feelings for you weren’t real.”
“You were?”
“Yes. I think I’ve had feelings for you for months.”
“You have?”
“Yep. I think it started the day you wore that little yellow dress.”
“The one with the butterflies all over it?”
“That’s the one.”
“But, you hated my clothes.”
“No, not that dress. It’s short. I got a great look at your gams.”
“Gams?” she giggles. “That’s very 1950s vocabulary, Mr. Parker.”
“That’s right, sweetheart,” I say in a terrible James Cagney impersonation. At least I think it’s James Cagney. “Seriously, Lexie. I want to start over. I want us to date, officially. I want you to kick my ass whenever I say something arrogant, selfish, self-centered or insensitive.”
“Geesh, that’ll take me all day every day. When will we have any fun?”
“Hardee har har.”
When she giggles again, I wrap my arms around her tightly. “Do you want that too? Do you want to go steady with me? Officially?”
She laughs again. “Yeah. I’ve got a crush on you.”
“You do? Gee, that’s swell.”
She laughs into my jacket and gets quiet again.
“Are you ready to go back out there?”
“No.” she sighs. “But, I need to. My dad isn’t doing well either. He’s pretending, but I fear he’s going to relapse into a worse depression than a year ago––if that’s even possible.”
“Let’s go check on him then.”
“Wait.” She says placing her hand on my chest. “What else are you sorry about?”
“Oh, babe, the list is so damn long. What if I continued it in bed tonight.”
“In bed? Where are you staying?”
“I’ve got a hotel in town. Super 8. But, we can sleep at your house. I just want to be with you. I must repent.”
I feel her laughter vibrate in my chest. “You’ve got to go to church to do that.”
“The church of Lexie.”
“No. That’s blasphemous. Don’t go there around here. People in Oelwein take their church-going seriously.”
“As they should. I’ve met a few of them. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“Alright. Let’s go see if we can get my dad to leave. I’m ready to go home and get into bed. I can’t wait to have you repentant and at my mercy.”
“Oh, hell yeah. Me too, sweetheart. Me too.”
Epilogue
Lexie. One year later.
What a difference a year makes. It’s hard to believe that a romance that started off as a farce has turned into something so amazing––so wonderful. Thanks to Gabriel, I’ve got a full life surrounded by friends and even family. Let me back up a bit.
After we came back from Oelwein, things at work changed. I applied for an opening as an entry-level marketing assistant at Parker and Associates and got the job. Yeah, I know. The was posted internally, so there were no other applicants, I may have felt guilty if there weren’t. It’s not like I wasn’t qualified. I was since I have the college degree and I know Parker and Associates well.
I was worried my co-workers would claim favoritism since I’m sleeping with the boss, but they’re happy for me. Sam, the temp, took over at reception and does a great job. Her work and clothing style is different than mine, but she’s kind, and I consider her a friend.
After Katya left, er, was fired, Gabriel hired a new assistant, a man named Calvin. He’s perfect and hilarious. Another positive? He’s always one time, he doesn’t let Gabriel get away with his usual crap, and he keeps him organized. Gabriel is so efficient now, he’s got lots of time for me.
I, too, held up my end of the bargain from our talk in the storage closet last year. Whenever he gets too big for his britches, I let him know. I also let him know when he's kind, sweet, and understanding. It’s happening more and more these days.
An example of his sweetness is happening tonight. It’s that day of the year I dread. The two-year anniversary of my mom’s death so, Gabriel’s taking me somewhere special. He knew I need a distraction without me having to tell him. See? He’s got that boyfriend thing down to a science now.
At precisely five forty-five, I hear a knock on my door. I know it’s Gabriel, but I still have to ask, “Who is it?” Safety first.
“It’s me, babe.”
I pull the door open and gasp. He looks fantastic. He’s wearing jeans. I love him in jeans. He’s also wearing the Christmas sweater I bought him last year. It’s dark green to match his eyes, and it has embroidered snowflakes all over the front. I giggle when I see him. “You look great.”
“Only for you would I be caught dead in this sweater in public.”
“I know.” I lean up and kiss his lips. “Thank you. You know how much I love green.”
“I do. You look beautiful too.”
“Thanks.” I’m wearing a winter white dress that Gabriel picked out for me. It’s so pretty with its fit and flare skirt that hits me below my knees, three-quarter sleeves, and a deep V on the bodice. I’m talking a very deep V.
After looking at my face, it’s the thing he notices next. “Nice dress,” he says smoothly. “Maybe we should just stay in so I can examine that dress a little more thoroughly.
“Haha. Very funny. So, where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“I love surprises.”
He takes my hand and leads me out and down to the car. His car. “No Eric tonight?”
“Nah, he wanted the night off.”
“That’s so generous of you.”
“That’s the kind of guy I am.” He chuckles opening the door for me.
Gabriel slides behind the wheel of his fancy Mercedes Roadster. It’s such an impractical car only seating two people, but he likes it. We listen to music and hold hands as he drives.
When he pulls up to Chez Paul, that restaurant with the fish eggs and baby animals, I nearly choke. “No!”
“Now, now. Lexie. It’s been a year. It’s time to revisit this place. Trust me. I won’t order you anything weird.”
“You’d better not.”
When the valet takes the car away, Gabriel leads me into the restaurant where he spots his old friend again. “Bonsoir. Est-ce que tout est prêt?”
“Tout est comme vous l'avez demandé, mon vieil ami.”
“Excellent. Très bien.”
Yeah, the only thing I got out of that was ‘Excellent.’ I feel myself being pulled again as Gabriel leads me to the back of the restaurant to a large alcove. As we turn the corner, I find myself nearly jumping out of my pumps. “Surprise!” Yells a large crowd of people.
“Surprise?” I turn to Gabriel. “Babe. It’s not my birthday.”
He kisses my forehead. “No, but I wanted for you to be surrounded by the people who love you today.”
My eyes burn. I look around, and they’re all here. Even my dad. “Hi dad,” I say waving. My dad is doing so much better now. He’s even farming again. Not a lot but it’s something. He’s bee
n back to visit me several times over the past year, and I’ve got home twice. Gabriel even made the trip once. He and my dad have really hit it off. They talk about sports and building stuff. It’s kind of cute.
“Hi, sweetheart.” He kisses me on the cheek and gives me a great hug.
I whisper in his ear. “I miss her so much, dad.”
“Me too, honey. But, she’s here with us. She’s watching over us. I know she’d have liked Gabe a lot.”
“You think so?” I think so, but it’s nice to hear dad say that.
“I do.”
Looking around the space, I see my dear friend, Kenneth Griffin. Next to him are Pamela and Bart McGovern and some of Pamela’s ‘peeps.' Cammy and her boyfriend, Charlie are here. Cammy waves as Charlie is focused entirely on Brodie. I guess he’s never met a real Bear before.
Gabriel’s parents are here as is Victoria. She finally separated from Chip and it was as ugly as Gabriel predicted. She’s been staying up in South Barrington with her parents for the last few months until she can get Chip to move out of their apartment. I’m not going to worry, though. Gabriel’s got his attorneys on the case. They’ll sort it out for her.
As for his mom, my own Miss Manners, she apologized until she was blue in the face. When she told me how upset she was that day and that she was on my side, I laughed. Then when Gabriel told me how she’d laid into him, I hugged her and said it was fine. “Good, because I want to spend holidays with my daughter-in-law and my grandchildren someday.”
Oh, dear. She’s talking grandchildren? I know my biological clock is tick, tock, ticking but I’m not about to press that issue with Gabriel. He’s not ready––for any of that.
I smile and wave to a few of my co-workers like Sam, Calvin, and Kim. There are clusters of other folks around the room, and I plan to say hello to each every one of them but first I need to thank my man. Walking toward Gabriel, I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. “Thank you, sweetie. I’m so surprised and happy right now.”
