by Mindy Carter
Kaleb stands and pulls out both of our chairs.
“Always the gentlemen,” I tell him.
He gives me a quick hug and a peck on the cheek then holds his hand out for Reese and introduces himself. Reese gives him the usual nice-to-meet-you pleasantries. For a moment, I’m not sure they are going to look away from each other, so I decide to clear my throat, making them both break their gaze and sit down.
“You both look lovely, by the way,” Kaleb says.
From the corner of my eye, I see Reese blush, and I do believe it’s the first time I have witnessed it. Apparently, she is at a loss of words, as well, so I politely say, “Thank you,” with a smile.
“Just calling it as I see it.”
“Have you been waiting long?” I ask.
“I just arrived a little while ago and was waiting for you beautiful ladies.” He winks at Reese.
I can’t help wondering what happened to Keegan. Should I ask? I don’t want to seem too interested.
Reese saves the day as usual and interrupts my thought. “So, Kaleb, I thought this was going to be a double date?”
“I decided that I didn’t want to share you women with my less attractive brother,” he remarks.
Reese stares at him and gives him a knowing look that says, “Just cut the crap and tell us.”
“Keegan called me on the way over and said to give his apologies. His assistant called him with a small client emergency, but he will get here as soon as he can. He wouldn’t want to disappoint his bestie over here.” He points to me.
“I don’t think you can refer to me as Keegan’s bestie any longer, Kaleb.”
“I beg to differ, Aimee, and I know I’m right.”
Reese cuts in, “So, Kaleb, have you always badgered Aimee, or is this something new?”
“Aren’t you a little feisty?” He smiles flirtatiously.
“You don’t even know. You should actually be afraid. Aimee here is my best friend. No, actually she’s my sister from another mister.”
Kaleb is amused and chuckles at her warning.
“To answer your question, Aimee’s sister from another mister, I have always been open and honest with Aimee. She is like a sister from another mister for me, as well.”
When the waitress arrives and takes our order, Kaleb orders a scotch on the rocks, while both Reese and I decide on white wine. We both love our wine and have spent many nights bonding over our love of the delectable beverage.
The conversation flows for the next hour, and I feel much lighter after a couple drinks. I haven’t enjoyed myself like this in such a long time.
I catch myself looking at the entrance to the room we are in, getting anxious for Keegan’s arrival. This all reminds me of how much fun we used to have when we were younger. I’m also beginning to feel like a third wheel with these two as Kaleb shamelessly flirts with Reese.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to get some fresh air,” I tell them.
“Do you need me to go with you?” Reese asks.
“No, I’m fine. I won’t be long.”
I stand up from my seat, and Kaleb, being the gentleman I remember, stands up, too. Once I’m outside, I take a long breath, hugging myself as I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of the city. It isn’t long before it begins to rejuvenate me. Then I suddenly feel my skin come alive with goose bumps as a unique and spicy scent invades my nose. I know Keegan is standing close—I can feel his body’s warm proximity—yet I keep my eyes closed.
“You made it,” I say out loud with a smirk.
“That, I did,” he says in a low and sexy voice.
I finally open my eyes, my heart feeling like it’s going to explode when I see him smiling at me. In that moment, it hits me just how much I have missed him.
“What are you doing out here by yourself?”
“Just needed some air.”
“New York air isn’t very mind clearing,” Keegan says.
“No, it is not.”
“I take it Kaleb is inside, entertaining your friend?”
“He’s inside, but I’m not sure he’s the one doing the entertaining.” I smile.
Keegan lets out an infectious laugh, and it’s adorable, finally letting me see a glimpse of the boy I remember.
“Reese and Kaleb are getting along very well, although she did snap at him. I think he liked the challenge of getting under her skin.”
“Sound about right.” He smirks.
“Those James boys, leaving a trail of broken hearts wherever they go,” I tell him.
“What about you, Aimee?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is Aimee Brennan leaving men broken-hearted?”
I certainly have not left a trail of broken hearts. I have had a few boyfriends since high school, but no one I felt completely comfortable with. I never thought of looking for anything serious. I mean, I’m only in my twenties, but now, being around Keegan, maybe I was merely hoping to find someone like him who could see me for all I am, faults and all.
I laugh and give him a teasing grin. “Not at the moment, but the night’s still young, so you never know.”
“That is very true about the night—it’s still very young.”
I take a good look at Keegan. He’s wearing a pair of grey slacks that fit him just right and a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He always wore those white shirts like it was the Keegan James’s uniform of sexiness.
I begin to hear whispers and people staring. They aren’t staring at me for sure, but at him.
“I’m pretty sure the most eligible bachelor’s fan club has arrived,” I tell him.
Keegan looks toward the whispers and people in line to enter the bar who are now pointing while a few take pictures with their phones. Is this how it is for him?
He turns back and smiles at me. “Aimee, how would you like to get out of here? I doubt we’ll get very much privacy now.”
I nod my head. How can I pass this invitation up? I would have to be crazy.
Keegan removes his phone from his pocket and begins typing away.
“Should we at least let Kaleb and Reese know I wasn’t abducted?”
“Got that covered already. Just texted Kaleb and he already replied, ‘Have fun.’ Don’t worry about your friend. I also told him he must be a perfect gentleman and make sure she returns home safely.”
“Thank you. That’s actually very sweet,” I say.
“He also replied back with a thumbs up.” Keegan laughs, putting his hand on the small of my back and leading me around the corner to an alley.
“Just one minute and your chariot will arrive.” He winks.
A few moments later, a black Range Rover arrives with a portly older man with slick, black hair driving. He appears to be wearing a dark brown blazer with a dark shirt underneath.
Keegan opens the door for me and helps me up into the back seat.
“Thank you, Andrew. Things were getting a little crowded outside.”
“You’re welcome, sir. Just part of my job,” says Andrew.
“You have a chauffeur?”
“It makes things a little easier than hailing a taxi or driving around. Plus, Andrew here is the best driver in the city.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Brennan,” Andrew tells me.
“You, as well, and please, call me Aimee.”
Andrew smiles. “Where to Mr. James?”
“Central Park West at 79th street.”
“Wild night at the National History Museum, Keegan? Is this like Night at the Museum where the exhibits come to life?”
“I forgot you love that movie.” He smirks.
“Isn’t it past business hours?”
Then it hits me where he plans on taking us. “The Planetarium?”
He looks at me. “Ever been?”
“A few times,” I answer.
Keegan pulls out his phone and starts texting again.
“Are we sneaking in since it’s after h
ours?”
“Why? Are you up to the challenge?”
“Well, I did sneak into your house plenty of times. Why did they even give us curfews in the summer?”
“Probably to keep us in line so we wouldn’t sneak into museums when we were adults.”
We both laugh together, and now I’m excited to think we may be sneaking into the planetarium together like we are the old partners in crime.
There is silence for a few moments, and I can see Keegan looking out the window from the corner of my eye. With him looking so calm, relaxed, and happy, I smile because, in this moment, I am happy, too.
As Andrew pulls up to our destination, I look at the planetarium which seems empty. My door opens, and Keegan is standing there with his hand outstretched for mine. I look into his eyes and smile, placing my hand in his and feeling the flutter of butterflies in my stomach.
“Shall we?” he asks.
I nod and let him lead us to the entrance, nervous, excited, and weightless. If I didn’t know any better, I would say I was floating on a cloud.
Once we reach the entrance, Keegan knocks three times, and a security guard approaches and opens the door, greeting us and acknowledging Keegan as “Mr. James.” He looks to be in his late fifties with graying hair, wearing a uniform with a flashlight and walkie-talkie on his belt.
Keegan let’s go of my hand as we walk toward the planetarium, and I only then realize we have been holding hands the whole walk from the car. His hand in mine felt so comforting and familiar. I can’t help frowning at the loss until he places his hand on the small of my back, and then I feel a whole different sensation. How can one man’s touch affect me so much?
We enter the spacious planetarium where Keegan leads me to seat in the front row then takes the seat right next to mine.
“If I remember correctly, this is your favorite place to sit during these things.”
He has a great memory. I do love sitting in the very first row. I especially like that no one is in front of us, and I can feel like we are outside, looking at the stars.
“Do you remember when we begged our parents to let us go to space camp in Texas?” I ask after a voice alerts us that the show will start in a few minutes.
He laughs. “Yes, I do, and our parents said it was too far away and expensive.”
“I cried when they said no.”
“I remember.”
“Those Odyssey magazines my dad got for me every month in the mail always had the ads for space camp. The kids in the pictures looked like they were having so much fun. It made me so mad,” I tell him.
“I know it did. I tried selling things door to door through that Olympic sales catalog just to get us a telescope,” he reminds me.
“Yes, I remember, and you told everyone in the neighborhood it was for school.”
“Well, if we couldn’t go to space camp, we weren’t going to miss out on seeing those stars up close.”
“I still have that little, red telescope.”
He looks at me, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “Oh, we are so going to bust that out and play.”
I feel a shiver go up my spine at the word play. There is nothing I would rather do.
I am taken away from my thought when the lights dim to black, and we are in complete darkness. Then, all of a sudden, the ceiling is lit up with stars as the narrator’s voice begins the show, and I am just mesmerized by the universe I am seeing above.
Keegan’s silence tells me he’s also enjoying it, and although it is dark, I can still feel his warmth while his scent invades my nose. As we travel through the galaxies, I realize I don’t want this show to ever end. This is exactly where I want to be. Right now, I’m in my element, surrounded by the stars with my favorite person in the world. He knows me so well, even after all this time.
I’m tempted to ask Keegan if we can watch the twenty minute show again once it’s over. I have no idea how many strings he had to pull to get us a private viewing, but I could honestly watch this all night.
“What did you think?” Keegan asks as the lights grow brighter, making me squint from the sudden invasion.
“Amazing. I loved it. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I think I owe you another thousand starry nights,” he explains.
“No, really, I haven’t had this much fun in a while.” I haven’t, and it’s all because of this wonderful man sitting next to me.
“I’ve missed you, Aimee,” he admits.
I hold back the tears. I never imagined things with us could feel like this again.
“I’ve missed you, too.”
When he stands and holds his hand out for me, I don’t even hesitate or care that my palm is sweaty from my nerves. I won’t ever pass up an opportunity to hold this man’s hand.
We walk out, two friends holding hands, and I imagine that it means more to him as Keegan waves good-bye and says thank you to the security guard.
“Anytime, Mr. James,” the guard replies.
As we exit the building, I’m hit with a blast of air and the bustling sounds of the city while we walk toward Andrew who has opened the door to the car for us.
“Would you like me to take you home, or are you hungry? I can have Andrew take you, or we can go grab a bite to eat.” Keegan asks as we climb into the back seat.
“I could go for some food,” I tell him. I’m actually hungry since I skipped dinner earlier.
Suddenly, his phone vibrates, and he looks at the screen before answering the call while I look out the window, trying not to look like I’m listening in.
“Yes, Gretchen.”
Great, he’s talking to his assistant, the one who wears next to nothing.
“No, it will have to wait until morning.”
I can hear Gretchen talking on the other end, not sounding too happy.
“I understand the deadline, but it’s nothing that needs to be done right now. It can wait till morning.”
From what little I can hear, she wants him to come in to the office. Why is this woman in the office so late in the evening? Better yet, why is she harassing her boss over the phone?
“No, you don’t need to come over in the morning. I’ll do it myself and copy you on everything. Have a good weekend, Gretchen.” He hangs up with her and looks at me apologetically.
“You can take me home if you have business, Keegan. It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just, I couldn’t help but hear,” I say.
“Aimee, there is no need to apologize. It’s fine. I’d rather catch up with you than work.”
Thank goodness because that is exactly what I want, too.
“What are you hungry for?” he asks.
“I don’t care. Whatever is fine. I’m not picky.”
“I think I know the perfect place.” Keegan pats Andrew on the shoulder and whispers in his ear, and Andrew nods then moves the car into traffic.
We travel for only a few minutes then stop at a corner where a hot dog cart sits with what looks like a yellow and blue umbrella. As Keegan gets out of the car, he doesn’t grab my hand this time, so I follow him toward the cart.
“I know it’s not fancy, but I didn’t think you would mind,” he explains.
“This is perfect.”
He smiles at me, and I think I see relief in his eyes, a break in his confident armor for the first time since our interview.
“So, what do you want?”
“Surprise me,” I answer.
Keegan orders two hot dogs with the works and two bottles of water then hands over a couple of crisp bills to the vendor.
“Do you want to walk and eat?” he asks once the hot dogs have been handed over.
With a nod from me, we walk side by side in silence as we eat. I didn’t realize how hungry I was, and before you know it, I have devoured my meal and have to take a long drink of water to wash it down.
“You obviously still love eating. Maybe I should have gotten you two,” Keegan says, staring at me.
&
nbsp; I stick my tongue out at him, enjoying the playful side of him that has finally appeared.
“Be careful with that tongue, Aimee. I’m still not afraid to bite.”
“Oh, is that so?” I grin mischievously, thinking I’m not afraid to bite, either. “Thank you for the hot dog. It was delicious and hit the spot. Great choice.”
He smiles back as we stop at an intersection while Keegan finishes his hot dog then throws our trash away.
I’m suddenly more nervous as we both fall silent, yet I am starting to slowly recognize him as the thoughtful boy I used to know.
“So, how is the family?” he asks as we cross the street.
I get a little sad, realizing exactly how much he has missed.
“Well, it’s just my dad now. Grandma Rose passed away about a year ago.” I shrug. “Nothing much to tell. Dad still lives in P-A, and I try to visit when I can. He has more free time now that he doesn’t have to look after my grandma.”
He looks at me with sadness, his eyes showing how badly he feels for my loss. I’m sure he remembers how close I was to my grandmother. She was a surrogate mother to me after my mom died. She was so strong and inspiring and taught me never to settle for anything, that I could be whatever I wanted if I set my mind to it. That’s exactly what I’m doing—living my dream.
“Aimee, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“It’s okay. It was her time.”
“If I knew, I would have…” He hesitates.
“What, Keegan? You would’ve sent flowers?” I look straight into his eyes and, for the second time tonight, hold back tears. I will not cry about something I have no control over.
“Why so sad, angel,” my grandmother asks while I lie in bed, crying into my pillow.
It’s been two weeks since Keegan left for college without saying good-bye.
“Oh, Grandma, I miss him so much. I wish I wasn’t so stupid,” I tell her through my tears.
“Listen to me, Aimee. You are a smart, strong, beautiful young woman. I don’t want to hear those words from you ever again.” She runs small circles along my back, comforting me.
I look at her and try to stop my crying fit, nodding.
“Now, I don’t know why he left the way he did, but that boy cares for you, and just because he’s scared, it doesn’t mean it was your fault. Aimee, if it’s meant to be, you’ll see him again.”
