Not A Chance (Sweet Nothings)

by Carter Ashby

  "Any kind. Every kind."

  Shannon shook her head. "Why do you want to learn?"

  Arden shrugged. "No reason. What can I do to help?"

  Shannon put her to work decorating a four-tier Christmas cake she had assembled earlier. There wasn't room to be creative since Shannon had each tier drawn out on paper and insisted that Arden not veer from the plan, but Arden enjoyed the project nonetheless. Each tier would be decorated with red and green fondant draping around the top edges and gold piped beadwork on the sides. At the top of the cake was a bouquet of sugar paste poinsettias which Shannon had created in advance.

  Arden sat on a stool and worked carefully, not wanting to mess anything up.

  "Pie," Shannon mused out loud.

  "It just sounds good. Everyone should know how to bake a pie," Arden said, hoping she would drop the subject.

  "For Nick?"

  Arden kept quiet.

  "No, that couldn't be it," Shannon said, pretending to be talking to herself. "Nick doesn't like sweets. Hm, who do we know who likes pies?"

  Arden glared at her as she grinned over her shoulder at her. "Stop it, Shannon."

  Shannon's expression grew even more mischievous. "Travis will be here tonight. I'd stay away from the mistletoe if I were you. Or not. Whichever you want."

  "I will be staying away from it, thank you very much."

  Shannon chuckled.

  Arden refocussed on the cake. When she was finished, she stood back and beamed with pride. Then she looked down at her watch and gasped. It was four o'clock and she was covered in flour, sugar and sweat. She helped Shannon clean up and then excused herself to go home, shower and get changed for the party.

  Nick showed up at six o'clock to pick her up. Arden had been so preoccupied with arranging her dress and hair that she had momentarily forgotten the fact that she would be attending the party with her fiancé. She was standing in front of the mirror when she heard the front door open downstairs. She paused a moment until she realized it must be Nick. There was a slight, filmy layer of guilt when it occurred to her that the man on her mind while she was fixing her hair had been someone other than Nick.

  She suppressed the feeling and gave herself one more overview in the mirror. Her hair was pulled back in a french twist with two curly tendrils left to hang on either side of her face. She wore a snug-fitting, red sweater with a calf-length black suede skirt along with her favorite black boots. Pleased with what she saw, she turned and ran downstairs to meet Nick.

  He kissed her on the cheek and helped her on with her coat.

  Upon entering Sweet Nothings, a wave of warmth greeted them along with the silky tones of Elvis Presley singing Christmas music and a gentle wafting of Shannon's cinnamon rolls. The decor was festive, but not gaudy. The lighting was comfortably dim. She had a table full of beautifully laid out appetizers and pastries, along with some wassail and punch. This table was elegant and no matter how much people ate, it never seemed to go empty. Shannon herself looked like a Druidic princess--either that or a relic from the seventies. She wore a long, green crushed velvet dress and left her long red curls hanging down to the middle of her back. She was the perfect hostess, smiling and greeting everyone who walked in, making each person feel special and wanted.

  Arden surveyed the room, telling herself she was looking for Alice. She found Alice before she saw anyone else of interest. Alice was standing in the front corner by the windows next to her husband, Vince, and Shannon's husband, Russell. Arden took Nick by the arm and ignored his groan as she dragged him over to where her friends were chatting. Nick didn't like Alice, but that didn't bother Arden. No one liked Alice.

  She broke her grip on Nick's arm and gave her friend a hug. "Merry Christmas!" she said. "You got your husband to come this year?" It was more of an observation than a question.

  Alice nodded and glanced back at Vince whose expression was, as usual, stony. He gulped his glass of wine while surveying the crowd. "We had our yearly fight," Alice said. "I didn't think I was going to win, but I guess I got lucky." Alice elbowed Vince gently in the ribs.

  "You're falling off your game, old man," Russell said, as he leaned back casually against the wall.

  "She promised me sex," Vince said, without so much as cracking a smile.

  Alice turned and smacked him in the stomach. Russell laughed.

  At forty, Vince was the oldest of the group of friends. There was a fifteen year difference between himself and Alice. Arden thought about the twelve years between herself and Travis and decided that it wasn't so bad. Then she reminded herself that it didn't matter since she was engaged to Nick.

  "You should be ashamed, Alice," Arden said. "Mrs. Harris taught us in ladies Bible class that we should never use sex as a tool of manipulation. It's your wifely duty to provide for your husband's needs."

  Alice laughed. "Yeah. I bet Mrs. Harris never gets anything she wants, either. A perfectly satisfied man has no incentive to give you anything ever."

  "That's nice, Alice," Vince said, still not smiling.

  "What are you complaining about?" Alice asked turning to look up at him. "I get to go to a party, you get to have sex. It's a fair trade."

  "Maybe if you had just asked me to bring you, I would have said yes."

  Alice scoffed. "I did ask, Vince."

  "No," Vince said, swallowing down the last of his wine. "You came home and shrieked at me to get dressed and take you to the party."

  "Exactly," Alice said. "And you said no. So I bargained with you. What's the big deal?"

  "God, you're a bitch," said Russell.

  "Nobody asked you, asshole!" Alice shouted.

  Arden sighed. Her eyes met Vince's and they reached a silent agreement. Vince put his arm around Russell's shoulders and led him to the bar Shannon had set up towards the front of the restaurant. Arden took Alice by the arm and led her to a nearby table. The feuds between Alice and Russell had become legendary. The two personalities just managed to clash in epic proportions.

  Arden sat next to Nick at the round table and Alice sat to her left.

  They were shortly joined by Steven and Lacey Wilder and the large round table was then half full. Since they were there, Arden felt free to turn to Alice and chat. "Are you and Vince doing alright?" Arden asked.

  Alice smiled sadly. "Other than that he's been cheating on me...we're fine."

  "Seriously, Alice," Arden said, dropping her hands and leaning back, "you have to quit with this paranoia. Unless you have some new evidence I haven't heard about yet, Vince is not cheating on you."

  "I know," Alice murmured, barely audible. "Maybe I just want him to cheat on me so I can get out with a clear conscience."

  "What?" Arden said in shock.

  "Nothing. Hey, there's your boy, Travis," Alice said, nodding toward the door.

  Dustin and Emma walked in, followed by Travis who had Kristen on his arm. They looked perfect together. She was tall and had a great figure, but she would never be considered a petite woman. A man like Travis complemented her perfectly.

  Arden hated her.

  Dustin and Emma went to where her parents were sitting and joined them. Travis and Kristen headed toward Arden's table. She felt her heart rate kick up and wondered what in the name of biochemistry was causing such a reaction.

  Travis held out a chair for Kristen and then sat next to her. He leaned back in his chair and put his arm over the back of hers.

  He looked up at Arden. "I'm sorry for calling you a bitch the other night," he said.

  He had Nick's attention, then.

  "It's okay," Arden said. "I deserved it."

  "Nope. You were just being realistic." He smiled at her, but it was a sad smile and wound up casting a pall over her good mood.

  "How was Tonya's doctor appointment?" Arden asked.

  "Good, I guess. He said everything looks good and she could deliver anytime. She's actually having sporadic contractions. But he said that could go on for days."

  Arden
felt a pang of jealousy. She couldn't wait to have children.

  Kristen leaned forward, resting her chin elegantly on one fist. "When are you two planning on having children?" she asked Arden, as though she'd read her mind. The bitch.

  Arden looked to Nick who answered for them both. "We're going to wait a couple of years."

  Kristen nodded. "It's a good idea. You're both so young."

  Arden slumped back and took a drink of her wine.

  Travis was grinning at her while he fingered the fine black strands of hair at the back of Kristen's neck. Suddenly Kristen went stiff. She was staring at the front door. Travis noticed and looked back at the door. Brody Jessop walked in with his two kids. Shannon's party was an everybody event and there were lots of kids running around. Travis slumped down in his chair and sighed.

  "You ought to sit still and wait for him to come to you," Travis said.

  Kristen bit her bottom lip. "He won't come. He didn't even look at me."

  Travis shook his head. "You go chasing after him, he's just going to keep on running."

  Arden felt sorry for Travis. He didn't show it, but it had to hurt having her so openly prefer another man to him.

  Nick laughed. "You just can't seem to hold on to a woman, can you, Travis?"

  Arden expected Travis to react in anger, but he just laughed. "Guess it's time to reevaluate my life. I'm running out of options in this town."

  "He's right," Alice said to Kristen. She was downing her third glass of wine. "Do not chase that man. It gives him all the power."

  "Oh, Alice," Travis said, getting some of his swagger back. "You and your power issues."

  Alice glared at him. Arden had never considered that Alice had "power issues." She wondered how it was that Travis knew enough about her to identify them.

  "I don't have power issues," she said.

  "Sure you do. I don't understand insecurity. So many people deal with it. Look at yourself, Alice. You're super hot. You're energetic and fun to be around. You've got all the power you need. Just relax and enjoy it."

  Alice snorted. "Don't try to butter me up, Lanier. It won't work. I ain't kissing you under the mistletoe."

  "Oh, you'll kiss me, alright."

  "Like hell!"

  Travis looked around the room. "Hey Vince!" he shouted toward the bar. Vince looked up. "I'm gonna kiss your wife under the mistletoe. Okay?"

  Vince gave him a thumbs-up and then went back to drinking his beer. Travis stood and circled the table. Alice hopped to her feet and started backing away. She was shaking her head, but she couldn't help giggling. Then Travis lunged at her, caught her 'round the waist and lifted her off the ground. He carried her under one arm like a poodle.

  Arden laughed at the whole thing. She scooted her chair around to watch as he dragged Alice under the mistletoe, dipped her and planted one, square on the mouth--a kiss that would have made stronger women weak in the knees. He let go and Alice stumbled back, regained her balance and shoved him playfully in the chest. He grabbed her and kissed her again. Then he spun her around and shoved her toward her husband, slapping her on the ass as she went.

  But since Travis was under the mistletoe, now, the women of the room seemed to have taken notice. He was stuck there kissing women for the next few minutes. He spun Shannon into his arms and gave her an eskimo kiss. He kissed Emma, brotherly-like, on the cheek. More than one little girl stood on tip-toe to kiss him on the cheek.

  Arden turned back to the table, shaking her head and grinning.

  "He's a piece of work, isn't he?" Kristen said.

  Arden nodded.

  "I guess you'd better go get your kiss before he gets tired."

  "I don't think that would be a good idea," Arden said. She could feel Nick seething at her side.

  Kristen shrugged. "Well, I'm going to go get mine. Maybe it'll make Brody jealous." She hopped up and walked over to Travis. Arden watched as Travis smiled down at her, pushed her hair back and kissed her gently. Their eyes were closed and their arms were wrapped around each other. It was a fairy tale kiss. Arden wanted to vomit. She looked for Brody Jessop and saw him standing at the bar with a few other men. His eyes were on Kristen and he was practically turning purple.

  Travis led Kristen to where several couples were dancing to the music playing in the background and he danced with her, holding her close. Arden turned and stared down into her wine.

  "Do you want to dance?" Nick asked, clearly not interested.

  "Not really," Arden said. "I think I'm going to get something to eat."

  She stood and walked toward the refreshment table. But she wasn't hungry and actually felt slightly sick. She kept on walking through the back into the kitchen. It was quiet and she was alone and so she sat on a stool and cried.

  Travis held Kristen close as they danced. "You've got Brody's attention, Kris," he whispered in her ear.

  "Really?" Poor thing sounded so hopeful.

  Travis closed his eyes against a slight twinge in his chest. "Yeah. Is that what you want?"

  She leaned back and looked up at him. "You know it is, Travis."

  She felt soft and warm and lush in his arms. "Why don't you forget him and come home with me tonight."

  She gazed up at him. Then she glanced back to see if Brody was watching. Which he was. Glaring and drinking a glass of wine. "If he doesn't ask me..."

  "Kris, I hate to ruin this storybook romance you and me got going, but I'm getting kind of tired of being your fallback plan."

  Kristen rested her cheek on his shoulder. "I know. And I've been thinking a lot about this. I'm going to give Brody one more chance. After that, I'm done."

  Travis sighed and nuzzled the top of her head with his cheek. "So I get to live the rest of my life with you knowing I was your second choice?"

  "Please, Travis. Don't act like this is something it isn't. Besides, am I not your second choice, too?"

  He squeezed her tighter, getting that pre-break-up feeling and not wanting to go through with it. If he lost Kristen he lost everything.

  "You're in love with Arden. You're feeling heartbroken and alone. When you get through that you'll feel better."

  He held her and felt her put her arms around his neck. "I love you, Kristen. I always have."

  "You love Arden."

  "Yeah, but that's stupid love. What you and I have...that's smart love."

  Kristen laughed and Travis kissed her neck, wanting her desperately right then.

  "Just come home with me, Kris. Forget about him and pick me."

  He felt her squeeze him tighter and he closed his eyes, waiting for the rejection.

  "If I don't give him one more chance, I'll always wonder..."

  He pushed her away by the shoulders and held her in front of him. "Marry me, Kristen."

  "What?"

  "I'm serious. Marry me. I'm proposing. Right now. Say yes right now and you never have to be heartbroken again. We'll have any kind of wedding you want. We'll go on a great honeymoon...anywhere you want. And babies...we'll have babies and we'll raise them together and grow old together and just be happy for the rest of our lives. Please, Kristen. I want this. Tell me you want it too. Tell me you'll be my wife."

  Tears were spilling down her face, making her blue eyes sparkle. He held his breath and touched her cheek. She started to shake her head and he grabbed her face between both hands as though he could stop it from happening.

  "Travis, you mean so much to me..."

  He felt sick. "I'm not going to be waiting on the other side, Kris," Travis said. His voice quivered and he wondered if he was doing the right thing. "If you decide you have to give him one more shot...I'm not going to wait. This is my offer. Right now. Now or never."

  Kristen sobbed into her hands. She looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Travis. I really do love you. But I'd rather be alone, if that's my only choice, than to live always wondering what might have been. I'm so sorry." She turned and walked away.

  Travis stood there staring at the space
in front of him. Then he realized he was alone in the middle of a crowded room. He looked up and saw Brody watching Kristen as she walked out the front door. Brody's gaze swung around to Travis. Travis stared at him, his fists balled up, just praying he would come over here and start a fight. But he didn't. He did the smart thing and went after Kristen.

  In his mind he recited the prayer he'd been saying for years whenever he thought about taking a drink. Then he felt a feminine hand on his back. It was Shannon. He instinctively smiled. She stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. "Arden's crying in the kitchen."

  Travis turned around and faced her. "Better tell her fucking fiancé, then."

  Shannon pressed her lips together and arched one brow. "If that's how you choose to use the information." Then she walked away.

  Travis hesitated a few moments. He looked to his right and saw that Nick was deep in conversation with some other people. So Travis turned left and went into the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and leaned against it, his hands in his pockets.

  Arden jumped when she saw him. She scrubbed the tears from her eyes and stood as tall and proud as she could muster. "You alright?" he asked, not really caring.

  "Fine. I'm not feeling well, that's all."

  Travis shrugged and stared down at the floor. "You want a ride home?"

  To his surprise, she appeared to consider it. Then she looked up at him. "No thank you. There's Nick..."

  "Of course."

  "Plus you've got Kristen, right?"

  He laughed bitterly. "It's not looking that way."

  "Oh." She stared down at her feet a moment. "I'm sorry."

  Travis stood there, not knowing why he was there at all. After a few moments he heaved a sigh. "Well, I'm going back to the party. You want me to tell your dumbass fiancé that you need him."

  Arden's lips turned up in the hint of a smile. "No, thank you. I'll contact my dumbass fiancé myself."

  He smiled at her. She had a way of lightening the mood, for which he was grateful. She smiled back at him. "Come on. I'm going back too." She walked toward him, took his arm and dragged him out of the kitchen. On their way back into the common room, they passed under the mistletoe. Travis stopped, caught her by the elbow and spun her around. He grinned mischievously before swooping down to kiss her. It was a light, friendly kiss. Nothing terribly passionate about it if it weren't for the fact that it reignited his longing for her. But there was no need to show her how weak he was. Not again.