by Kara Jimenez
“I don’t mind. It’s kind of refreshing.” Except when he had something to hide.
The color rose on her cheeks and she ran her hand through her hair. “That’s nice, but you’re avoiding the question. Why did you lie?”
“I…didn’t lie. I saw pizza sauce on my hand and thought I’d cut myself.” He smirked, hoping to appear nonchalant. “I don’t know why you even brought it up. It’s not a big deal.”
She leaned back in her chair. “I brought it up because I can tell you’re not telling me something…but I’m not sure what.”
He shrugged. “I’m not.” The lie felt like an ugly serpent wrapping around his body, squeezing him.
Her eyes narrowed and she nodded. “Okay.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes until she stood. “Well, my break is over. It was nice talking to you, Levi.”
“Thanks for sitting with me.” He smiled. Would she forgive him for not being completely honest?
Stephanie and Kate came over to Bianca’s apartment on Friday night to get dressed before they all went to Lux. They gathered in her room, browsing through her wardrobe.
“Oh, my gawd. You have the most original clothes. I love it!” Stephanie held up a floral patchwork skirt. “I can’t believe you find such cute stuff at Goodwill. Every time I go all I see are shoulder pads and polyester.”
Bianca shrugged. “You just have to dig a little. Here Kate, wear this.” She held up a taupe sleeveless blouse with black lace and beading around the neckline. Kate’s blonde curls and tanned skin would look nice with the color.
Kate reached out and took it from her. “Oh wow, it’s gorgeous.”
“So your mom’s actually going to stay home with Owen tonight, like for reals?” Stephanie asked, while digging through the closet.
“Yes, really. She said I should tell her more often if I want to go out.” Bianca took a black dress from the closet and held it up to herself, looking in the mirror. “I think she just leaves him with me all the time because she thinks I don’t mind, and most of the time I don’t.” She shrugged and put the dress back in the closet.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to stay home all the time. Here try this.” Stephanie pulled out a red mini dress with three quarter sleeves and a black skinny belt, holding it toward her.
Bianca looked at it skeptically. “I do like that dress, but I’m going to wear it with leggings. It’s too short.”
“And heels,” said Stephanie.
“So did that guy who came in the other day ask you out?” asked Kate, lounging on the bed.
Bianca pretended to be captivated by the row of heeled shoes at the bottom of the closet. “I don’t know. Lots of guys come in.” She shrugged. “No one’s asked me out.”
“The hunk. You know who I mean!” Kate threw a pillow at her.
“No, he hasn’t. I just met him.” It seemed like she’d known him for a while though. Why did it feel like something in him just connected with something in her?
“Who’s this guy?” Stephanie asked, her brown eyes gleaming.
“Bianca met him the other night when she was lost.” Kate tossed her head back to look at Stephanie.
“Ooooh, Bee, a knight in shining armor.” Stephanie giggled, making kissy faces at her.
Blood rushed to her cheeks. He was attractive, but he hadn’t acted very knight-like in the orchard, and he was probably lying. “And how’s Jeremy, Kate?” she asked.
“We’re going out tomorrow night! He asked me yesterday.” Kate smiled and looked at the taupe blouse, still in her hands. “In fact, do you mind if I save this shirt to wear then? I’ll just wear what I have on tonight.”
“Go ahead. You should wear it with skinny jeans. Wait, where are you guys going?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I think jeans would be fine.”
Bianca changed into the red dress, and then helped Stephanie curl her long brown hair. When they sauntered downstairs, they found her mom in the living room doing yoga.
“Bee, that dress is so cute on you!” She lifted her head from a downward dog pose. Owen sat on the floor next to her, playing with his wooden blocks. A glass of wine stood on the coffee table.
“Thanks, Mom.” Was that her first glass or had she had more? “You should move that wine up higher before Owen gets ahold of it.”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m watching him.” She rose and moved the glass to the top of the TV stand anyway. “You worry about him too much,” she said, serious now.
“Come on, we have to get going,” Stephanie pleaded, pulling her toward the door.
Bianca opened the door. “Bye, Mom, I’ll be home by midnight.”
“Have fun girls!” She settled back into her downward dog.
Crowds gathered, smoking and chatting, outside the door of Lux. Techno-rock music pounded her eardrums as they stepped inside. Thankfully the volume wasn’t as loud as some places. They could still hear each other talk. An eclectic assortment of artwork decorated the walls and several lit candles stood on each table, casting an eerie glow throughout the room.
They found a table near the door. Kate and Stephanie sat down while Bianca volunteered to get the drinks.
“What do you guys want? And you’d better give me money for this.”
“Sex on the beach.” Stephanie handed her a ten dollar bill.
“Pinot noir,” said Kate, also giving her some cash.
She stepped up to the bar. On the other end of the counter, the bartender stood with his back to her, his arms wrapped around a pretty blonde. She found a black stool to sit on while she waited. After a moment she yelled, “Excuse me!”
The bartender ignored her and kissed the blonde. She waved her hand in frustration.
A man slid into the stool next to her. Shaggy black hair framed his sapphire eyes and strong jawline.
“Good evening, ma’am,” he said with a small wink. He wore a black leather jacket that clung to his well-defined body and jeans that looked like they cost more than her entire wardrobe.
“Are you waiting for a drink?” he asked. When she nodded he picked up a cardboard coaster and flicked it between his thumb and middle finger. It flew through the air, clipping the bartender in the side of his head.
“Hey!” The bartender pulled away from the blonde, looking around. When he saw the man next to her, his tone changed. “Oh, hey, man. What’s up?”
“This woman has been waiting for a drink.” He nodded toward her.
“I’m sorry, what can I get for you?” the bartender asked.
She placed her order and waited for the guy to make the drinks.
"Bartenders," the stranger beside her muttered, with a shake of his head. He held out his hand. “I’m Peter.”
“Bianca.” She smiled and took his hand.
Levi lounged on the couch in his cabin. Aldo lay next to him, taking up the rest of the space on the worn, plaid loveseat. In his hand he held a book, Catcher in the Rye, but couldn’t make himself pay attention to it. He stroked Aldo’s shaggy fur and wondered what Bianca was doing.
It’d been two days since he’d checked up on her. He didn’t need to. The curse took time to work, but his thoughts kept turning back to the way her hair fell over her shoulder. The gentle way she handled the little boy and the way she seemed to blurt things out without thinking first. He sighed, giving up on the novel and tossing it aside.
Standing, he walked to the fireplace, lifted the poker and shifted the logs in the dancing orange flames. A wave a heat washed over him and he had to take a step back to avoid the smoke.
She hadn’t been wearing a wedding ring when he’d seen her at Papa’s Pizza, so most likely the curse would affect the little boy he’d seen at the park. There could be someone she loved more, but he hadn’t seen her with anyone else.
He tossed the poker on the brick hearth. It landed with a sharp clatter, startling Aldo who lifted his head and looked at him with all-knowing eyes.
“What’s wrong with me
, Al?” Levi returned to the couch and scratched the dog’s ears. “This is what we do every night.”
Sure, he had friends he occasionally spent time with, but with the exception of the few people like him, he couldn’t let himself get too close to anyone.
Levi turned back to the flames, keeping his hand on Aldo’s back. “It’s not enough now. Why?”
The dog huffed and gave him a look that seemed to say, You know why.
Levi buried his face in his palms. “Yeah, I know.” It began when the stunning redhead wandered onto his property.
Tomorrow he’d see her. The changes would be apparent by then.
He trudged into the kitchen to grab a beer out of the fridge. Standing with the door open, he took a swig as her honey brown eyes and her tender smile filled his mind. It was a shame she’d been brought into all this, but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to feel completely unhappy about it.
Bianca gathered the drinks she’d ordered as the music continued to pulse in the background. She balanced one carefully between her arm and side, holding another drink in each hand. Concentrating, so she wouldn’t drop one and look like a total idiot in front of the sexy guy she’d just met.
“Let me help you with that.” Peter took the glass of wine from her.
“Thank you.” So, he was attractive and a gentleman. Things were looking up. They walked back to the table where they overheard her friends discussing the merits of college football.
“Hey, guys, this is Peter.” She nodded toward him while handing Stephanie her drink.
“Good evening, ladies.” He set the glass in front of Kate. “This must be yours?”
Kate nodded, gaping at him.
“Sit down with us.” Stephanie patted the empty bench beside her, widening her eyes at Bianca with a look that said, Nice catch!
Bianca smiled and sat on the leather bench, next to Kate.
“You were talking about this town’s lousy football team?” Peter raised an eyebrow in Kate and Stephanie's direction as he sat.
“They are not lousy!” Stephanie punched him lightly in the arm.
He chuckled. “They haven’t won any games yet this season, but I guess it’s only just started. What do you think, Bianca?”
She shrugged and wrinkled her nose. “I don’t care about football. I guess the games are fun sometimes.”
“What do you care about?” His deep blue eyes stared straight at hers.
“Uh…” She had no idea what to say to that and felt like a stammering idiot.
He smiled and a dimple sunk into his left cheek. “I’m sorry, that was a weird question. I just meant, tell me about yourself. Are you a student?”
“I was. I dropped out last year.” She fiddled with her glass. It wasn’t like she was proud to be twenty-three and spending her life making pizzas.
“You can’t decide what to do with your life,” he said, not a question, he stated it as fact.
Not entirely true. She loved food, but how could she explain she ran a tiny little blog and hoped to one day turn it into something successful? The idea sounded ridiculous, even to her.
“I’m a student,” Kate interjected. “I’m almost finished with my master’s in history.”
“Ah, history.” He rested his arm on the bench behind him. “One of my favorite subjects.”
The conversation turned toward movies. When they debated the greatest movie of all time, Bianca argued for Gone with the Wind while Stephanie and Kate chose The Notebook. Peter declared them all wrong and claimed the greatest movies of all time were the Star Wars Trilogy. The girls laughed at his statement.
“I knew you couldn’t be as perfect as you look,” said Stephanie. “Here, Peter.” She pushed her empty glass toward him with a huge grin. “Why don’t you use the force to fill up my glass?”
He laughed, a deep booming sound, drawing the attention of the people around their table. Then he did as he was told and returned from the bar a few minutes later with new drinks for them all. His sense of humor pleased Bianca. Some men were intimidated by Stephanie’s teasing and boldness, although her friend always meant well.
“So Peter, what do you do?” asked Kate as he handed her another pinot noir.
“I’m a photographer.” The candlelight danced in his eyes, temporarily entrancing Bianca. The man was drop dead sexy, but there was something deeper, something almost dangerous in his gaze and it made her shiver. Although, she wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or excitement.
“Ay, don’t tell us,” said Stephanie. “You’re looking for models and you want us to come back with you to your hotel room so you can make us famous, right?”
Peter laughed again. “You’re funny.” He pointed toward Stephanie. “But no, I mostly do landscapes. Sometimes I’ll do an event or two.”
Bianca smiled at him, wishing she could see some of his work.
“I love photography.” Kate looked up through her black mascara covered lashes, “I’ve always wanted to learn how to take better pictures.”
A wave of annoyance washed through Bianca at the look in Kate’s eyes, but she pushed it back and forced herself to stay pleasant.
“It’s not that hard, I taught myself,” Peter said. “You can learn anything you want to on the internet these days.”
Kate nodded and reached across the table to the triangle folded bar menu, knocking her drink over in the process. Deep red liquid spread over the table like blood.
“I’ll get something to clean it up.” Bianca hurried to the bar where a stack of white napkins sat beside the straws. Bringing them to the table, she helped Kate clean the mess. Peter’s eyes followed her carefully, making her a little uncomfortable. “What?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, nothing. It’s just…” His eyes narrowed. “You remind me of someone I used to know.”
Unsure how to respond, she offered a shy smile.
“It’s getting late, girls.” Stephanie glanced around the table at her friends.
“You’re right,” said Bianca. The thumping music was starting to give her a headache anyway. “It was nice to meet you, Peter.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.” He nodded toward her. “But before you leave, give me your number.”
She bit her lip, considering. Something about his charming smile and flirty eyes convinced her to say yes.
The sound of her ringing cell phone woke Bianca the next morning. Groaning, she reached for the phone and looked at the caller ID. She sat up, surprised and panicked for a moment, unsure if she should answer or let it go to voicemail. Finally, she took a deep breath and pressed the button, squeezing the phone to her ear.
“Hello.”
“Bianca, hi. It’s your father,” said a deep gruff voice. “How have you been? I’ve been meaning to call you.”
It’d been over a year since he’d spoken to her. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Doing good, yep.” An awkward pause. “Still work at that pizza place?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, okay.” He sniffed and they suffered through another moment of silence.
“How’s Amber?” Amber was the woman he’d run away with six years ago. She was twenty years younger than him and thought spandex was appropriate everyday attire.
“Actually that’s why I called, Amber’s pregnant. You’re going to have a little brother.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Wow, okay. Another brother. Congratulations Dad.”
“Another one? Oh, yeah. I always forget about that little boy of your mother’s.”
“Yeah, his own father forgets about him too.”
“Oh. Well, I should have called sooner. The baby’s due in a couple weeks.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the notice.”
There was a pause. “I’m sorry it’s been so long, Bianca. You know, I’m proud of you. You remind me of your mother.”
“The woman she used to be, you mean? Before you left her.” She hated the way her voice sounded so bitter.
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br /> “Yes, well, we all change, Bianca.” He cleared his throat. “I know you’re still angry with me, but I’m happier now. It was for the best that I left. Besides, you’re old enough to care for yourself now.”
Except that she spent most of her time caring for her emotionally damaged mother. But, it didn’t seem right to bring that up. No sense in everyone being unhappy, even if he was the cause of it all.
“I should go. Tell your mom hi for me. I’ll send pictures of the baby when he’s born.”
“Okay. Bye, Dad.” Hanging up, she regretted answering at all.
Her head fell back on the fluffy pillow and she lay in bed for a few minutes, thinking about her father’s news. Despite her bitterness, it made her happy to know that he was happy. Would her mother ever find the same kind of peace?
She pulled the covers up higher around her shoulders. The mornings were getting colder and she thought of her plants outside on the porch. Today she should pick the vegetables before they froze and if she had time, she’d go to the farmer’s market to buy more.
The clock on her dresser said eight. She should probably get up. Pushing the blankets aside, she swung her cold toes out to the carpet and rubbed her face.
Levi had a garden beside his cabin. Would he be harvesting soon as well?
Sighing, she stood and turned around to make her bed, adjusting the sheets until they lay flat. She hardly knew Levi and yet, he seemed to keep popping into her thoughts.
She was still confused about what happened the other day at the pizza parlor. Surely, she’d seen blood on Levi’s finger, but there hadn’t been a mark on his hand. Had the blood come from somewhere else? She racked her brain for ideas, but nothing made sense.
After changing into a pair of jeans and a vintage t-shirt, she hopped down the stairs to find some breakfast.
Levi meandered his way through the crowded farmer’s market. Families with strollers and dogs lingered in front of packed produce stands. The scent of mint and sage hung in the air as he passed a table covered in herbs. He nodded toward the older gentleman behind the money box and continued down the street.
