by Milly Taiden
“What the hell!” Vinnie said, straightening up in his seat. He tried to see what the deal was with the car blocking his exit. The car windows were tinted and he wasn’t able to see inside the car.
“What’s going on? You have the CIA living on your street?” he chuckled. The black car, however, did look threatening and it intimidated him.
“Oh yeah, right. Just back up and let them through, Vinnie!” Everly barked.
Vinnie stared in his rear-view mirror, trying to figure out how that was going to be possible. He did his best to move back into his parking spot, the car at last inching gradually onward.
Everly threw on her sunglasses, looking up toward the house, noticing that same black car had once again passed by.
Adrian
Adrian surveyed the blueprints of the new shopping center he was working on with his crew. Saws buzzed in the background along with the steady pounding of hammers. A light white dust loomed over the area where his crew busily worked.
“Hey Nathans, you have a visitor!” Larry, his right-hand man, bellowed from below.
Interested in who would visit him at a construction site, he folded up his blueprint, making it down the steps. And there she stood, studying the wooden structure that was soon to be a wall, her back to him. He gave her ponytail a light tug, thrilled to see her.
“Hey there. I brought you some breakfast,” she said, hugging him tightly. She rattled a white bag in his face, smiling at him.
“Yum, donuts,” he said, peering inside. Charley raised a Styrofoam cup.
“And coffee. I figured we could eat and talk,” she said, following him to his truck. He studied her as he opened the door for her, wondering what she wanted to talk about. Usually when a girl wanted to talk, it wasn’t a good sign.
Charley climbed in on the passenger side of his truck, pushing a giant tool belt out of her way. She was having difficulty maneuvering in her heels, noting she would wear flats the next time she visited him on the work site.
“You look cute in a hard hat,” she said, touching his hat. Adrian quickly pulled it off, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
“You look cute in everything,” he said, chuckling. “Even those high heels at a construction site.”
“I will have to remember this for the next time,” she said breaking her donut in half. She took a mouthful, watching him sip at his coffee.
“Next time is a good thing, means you have plans for the future,” he noted.
“Of course,” she said. “I came to say goodbye for now, though. I have to get back to New York.” Adrian nodded, disappointed.
“Man that sucks. I thought I would get a couple more days with you,” he said.
Charley dug through her purse until she found what she was looking for. She finally pulled out an envelope and handed it over to him.
“Here, I thought you might like this idea. If it’s not a good idea, just say so.” Adrian balanced his coffee cup on his thigh, tearing into the envelope. He pulled out a plane ticket, his face instantly lighting up.
“Tickets to spring break in Cancun, what I always wanted,” he teased, kissing her cheek. Charley eyed the ticket, fearing for an instant there may have been a screw-up.
“So I did well, and you will come out?” she asked. She’d gotten the idea as soon as she knew she had to leave. Knowing she’d be seeing him again soon would make it easier to say goodbye for now.
“I look forward to coming out. Thanks for this, really,” he said, kissing her.
“I never thought I would meet anyone when I came back here,” she told him. She’d anticipated a horrible couple of weeks. But meeting Adrian had given her hope that things might be looking up for her.
“I didn’t either, but I’m so glad I did. The demands of running a company are overwhelming at times, and it’s great knowing I now have a beautiful distraction that I’m not too excited to say goodbye to.”
“The ticket is good for whenever. So as soon as you’re able to, let me know. I will look forward to seeing you again. But my flight is tonight and I need to get back and say goodbye to my dad,” she said. He pulled her in for another magnificent kiss.
“You know what? I could take you to the airport. Just let me tell Larry,” he said, jumping out of the truck. Charley smiled, watching him hurry off.
***
Walking up the stairs, Adrian was on cloud nine. Having her surprise him this morning had made his day. She was perfect—the kind of girl he’d been looking for.
“Hey, Larry. I’m going to head out early. Keep an eye out for me?” he asked Larry, who was busy nailing.
“No problem, bro. More legal crap with your dad’s lawyers or something?” Larry asked, knowing the strain his boss and friend had been under.
“No, nothing like that. Remember that girl I was telling you about that I met?” he asked, trying to hurry their conversation along, so he could get back to Charley.
“Oh yeah, the one I warned you about. It has to do with her, huh?” Larry grinned, slinging his gloves over his shoulder. He knew Adrian all too well. When he fell, he fell hard, and it wasn’t often he did. But he could tell he had his eye on her.
“I’m taking her to the airport. She’s got to head back home,” Adrian said.
“Well, I guess that’s good. That keeps her from knowing you’re the son of the man who sits in jail for killing her mother. Can you see how that would be a little awkward, Adrian?” Larry said, shaking his head. He went back to his work. There wasn’t much he could do to guide Adrian in the right direction. Larry saw it as nothing but a bomb waiting to explode.
Ethan
Coming in the door Ethan searched for anyone he could talk to. He needed to get it off his chest, to tell someone…something. Making his way through the downstairs, he found no one at home.
“Dad? Charley? Anyone?” he called out. He knew Everly and Vinnie left already. He’d told Everly, he couldn’t stand another ride with Vinnie, and Dad would drive him back to school.
He hurried up the stairs taking them two at a time. He wasn’t going to be the only one freaking out about his mom’s death and what he’d found in the box from her office. He needed someone else to help him figure it out--anyone--it didn’t matter who it was. But everyone appeared to be gone. Where the hell did they all go? In the hallway, the lights flickered overhead, and the floor creaked as it settled under his feet. He was already getting spooked enough, then the doorbell chimed over his head and he nearly jumped out of his skin.
“God!” he yelled, running his hand through his hair, his heart pounding like crazy in his chest.
Ethan stared at the door, confused. There was no one there. Was he going mad? He saw a black car pass by at a snail’s pace and wondered if someone in the car could have been who rang the doorbell.
“That’s not even possible, I came right down,” he said to himself, turning around, then jumped yet again.
Ned stared at his son’s pale face. He must have caught him off guard for he looked like he’d seen a ghost. Ethan wasn’t easily spooked; he was usually the one watching the slasher movies or pulling pranks on his sisters.
“Are you all right?” Ned asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Dad, we need to talk,” Ethan pushed out, still shaken. He couldn’t believe how jumpy he was.
Quinn
Quinn was uncomfortable. The man sitting in 4A was giving her the creeps. He wouldn’t let up in his stare down. She rested her head on Jordan’s shoulder. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to shake the awful fright that was coursing through her body. People didn’t just stay fixated on a person for that long a time. She wished Jordan had opted out of flying first-class. She imagined the people in coach weren’t so weird.
“You all right?” Jordan asked, whispering in her ear.
“Yeah, fine…it’s going to be a long flight,” she said, feeling his lips meet the side of her face.
“For sure, get some rest,” he said. She was acting weird, she usually
wasn’t so clingy. He turned on his TV, snagging the headphones. Movies would be a great time filler on the long flight home. He took a second glance at the man in a suit, who quickly looked away. Jordan shrugged it off, hoping the flight hurried along, he had a lot going on when he got back home. Even though a part of him regretted coming, the trip had been worth it for the most part. He was happy he’d been there for Quinn. Once they were home, he hoped things would get back to normal.
Vinnie and Everly
Vinnie turned the radio off. She’d been blasting the same cd for three hours. His head was pounding and he wanted to just open up the door and shove her out.
Vinnie hit the eject button to remove the cd. “Hey! I was listening to that,” Everly shouted. He viciously jabbed the buttons on his door until the window opened, and he let the cd sail out the window and into the breeze.
“You’re an asshole!” she hissed.
“Well, you know what, so are you,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.
“I can’t believe you would throw my cd out the window,” she said, shaking her head in exaggerated aggravation.
“When you get home, listen to whatever you want—all day long for all I care,” he said, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles had turned white.
“What does that even mean, Vinnie?” Everly asked, confused. He was making no sense to her.
“I’m going back to my condo, I need my space,” he said, briefly glancing her way. He had decided this an hour ago when the same song played again for the third time. Everly had no respect for him and more than likely never would.
“What about the wedding?” she asked, stunned that he’d even consider canceling it.
“Honey, don’t lie to yourself. You don’t want to marry me. You’re not even happy being in the same room as me,” Vinnie said, thankful he’d finally said it. .
“I said that I would marry you,” she insisted.
Vinnie shook his head, disagreeing. Everly was off in her own world. When he met her, she had a spirit that made him weak in the knees. She was the most interesting woman he’d ever met--her voice, her life, everything was full of optimism, amusement, and significance. She was stubborn and scorned and she wanted him, every part of her had craved Vinnie. There was a time when he couldn’t keep her off of him, and then it vanished. She became a wretched version of who she once was.
He knew it wasn’t anything that he’d done. He never slept with anyone but her. The thought of cheating made him want to throw up. But as she grew colder, the thought was less sickening and more pleasing. He could honestly say it was Everly who’d grown cold—not him. He’d always been a bit full of himself, always praised and doted on. He’d never received much criticism, so he felt he was a cut above everyone else. And he’d felt the same about Everly. He’d viewed her as faultless and felt they’d come from the same mold. The biggest difference in them was that Everly felt she had to bust her ass to obtain perfection.
“I’m tired of this, Everly. I don’t need to force someone to want to be a part of my life. If you don’t want to, just say so, it’s that easy,” he insisted.
“Stop talking like that!” she yelled. She smacked Vinnie in the arm. The thought of him detaching himself from their situation made her ill.
“No, I should have said this a long time ago. I’ll be at my condo!” he yelled back. Her tone had upset him, but he had to break away.
Everly wiped at her tears, keeping her head turned away from him so he didn’t see her crying.
***
Vinnie finished packing his clothes. It was time for him to leave. He hadn’t seen Everly since they’d gotten home. She went directly to the spare bedroom, slamming the door behind her with all her might. He looked around the condo. He’d helped her purchase this place. He had one of his own, but when they were getting along he opted for one closer to where she worked. They’d eventually moved in together and that was probably a mistake—too much too soon.
Everything in the condo reminded him of her, the sleek leather sofa, the glass coffee table, and the bearskin rug. What looked cheesy to him was luxury to her. He’d gotten it for her because it made her happy. Everywhere he looked, he saw her—even in the vertical blinds she opened every morning at the kitchen table. They’d enjoyed meals with friends at this table as well as some crazy and intimate times when they were alone.
He ran his hand over the dark wood, staring at their dining room table—the one her mother had sent them when they’d first moved in together. Everly loved it, but never wanted to eat on it. There were mornings in his recent memory where he’d caught her wearing one of his t-shirts and sipping a cup of coffee while she would be staring at the table, lost in thought.
He sighed, ignoring the collage of pictures of them on the dining room wall. They had to have meant something to Everly for her to frame and hang pictures of special moments between them. She just wasn’t the same anymore. It became even more evident after her mom had died.
Everly buried her face in her overstuffed pillow. She didn’t want him to know he’d hurt her, so she sobbed quietly into her pillow so he couldn’t hear her. She and Vinnie had made a lot of memories together and it would be hard to get over not having him around.
She recalled a favorite time with Vinnie when he’d taken her to Russia to meet his family. He’d made her feel so wanted and needed and seemed so proud to share her with his family. It was there that he’d gotten down on one knee in front of her family and proposed to her. Yes, it was a special memory to her.
She wiped at her tears and sat up, trying to get herself under control. Was she a fool to let him just pack up his things and leave? Could she do better? If she could, what the hell did she want?
Quinn
Quinn made her way through the small diner, a tray in hand. She loathed her job more than just about anything.
“Hey Quinn,” Gia the other waitress on her shift said, passing by her. Gia and Quinn were about the same age. She wasn’t overly fond of Gia, but they would occasionally hang out together sometimes after work. Gia wasn’t very sure of herself, apparently suffering from low self-esteem.
“Hey Gia,” Quinn said, making her way to the table of one more awaiting customer.
“Are you ready to order?” she politely asked. The man looked to be in his late thirties, hair slicked back on his head, wearing a dark suit and dark sunglasses.
“What would you recommend?” he asked in a hoarse voice, possibly the result of too much smoking.
“I’d recommend nothing, but they tell me to say the potpie,” she said, smirking. He didn’t appear to be amused. When he closed the menu, she noticed a large ring bearing a black stone on his finger. He rapped his fingers on the table, a steady beat, as he looked at her with his piercing eyes. She wondered what the holdup was.
“Do you…uh…need a minute?” she asked, hoping he would stop.
“Well, I suppose I will have the potpie,” he finally said, handing back the menu. Quinn gave a nod, turned, and swiftly walked away. She’d forgotten to ask for his drink order, but she didn’t care. She rushed to the kitchen and dropped her order ticket on the counter, then headed to the bathroom.
Charley
Charley pored over the paperwork. She’d been at it since six in the morning and it was nearly twelve hours later. She was trying to keep herself busy. Thinking about Adrian had slowed her productivity, and she had a lot of work to get done. She tapped the pen on her desk and let out a sigh.
“Excuse me, Charley,” her assistant, Reeves, said, as he peeked in her office. He was the dream assistant willing to tackle whatever chore you put before him. He was a trendy kid who always wore suspenders under his vintage jackets and loved his shiny dress shoes. He was twenty-two and acted like a forty-year-old seasoned professional. Charley enjoyed Reeves very much; he was like another sibling to her.
“What’s up?” she asked, pushing the stack of paper across her desk, pleased to have an interruption. Reeves pushed the offic
e door open wide to reveal a massive bouquet of flowers. Charley gasped at the stunning arrangement of crisp whites and pale creams mixed with greenery. The bouquet was visually stunning with oriental lilies, white roses, chrysanthemums, viburnum, tree ferns, and Berzelius. Her mother would have been incredibly impressed.
“Someone is trying hard to impress you, and they’re doing a good job at it. This had to cost a fortune,” Reeves said, admiring the arrangement. Charley smiled, her hand to her chest as she marveled at the amazing gift.
“Who are they from? You didn’t tell me about any guys,” Reeves pushed. Charley and Reeves talked about nearly everything since they’d grown close. There were no romantic feelings between the two, but they had a mutual respect for the other. She was one of the most caring and sweet girls he’d ever met in New York. She had been there for him a lot and had given him a great job. Reeves found most girls to be difficult—he was more of a loner and a definite workaholic.
Opening up the card, she lit up. Reeves waited for her to speak, finally grabbing the card from her.
“I hope these made you smile. I will see you in two days. Adrian. He’d read out loud, looking at his gooey-eyed friend and boss.
“Please tell me where this one came from,” Reeves inquired.
“When I went home, we ran into each other at the airport. We ran into each other again at the flower shop. And before I left we went out on a date,” she said, briefly thinking back to their short time together.
“Is he a good guy? What am I saying--the look on your face says it all,” he chuckled.
