by White, Karey
“I have no intention of suing anyone, Kyle. In a few weeks, I’ll be good as new. Didn’t you hear the doctor?”
“Please don’t be upset. He was just concerned.”
“Tell him thanks for his concern, and you can put his mind at ease. I’m not chasing ambulances. Not even my own.”
Kyle gave me a half smile. “You’re a tough girl, Charlotte.”
“You guys want me to put on a movie?” Mom asked from the doorway.
“You up for that?” Kyle asked.
“I don’t know if I can stay awake, but we can give it a try.”
Mom moved the bouquets to the fireplace hearth so I could see the television, and we picked a movie.
I fell asleep about halfway through Spiderman. When it was over, Kyle carefully lifted my legs off his lap.
“You leaving?” I asked.
“You need to rest. Can I come back tomorrow?”
“Want to come watch the Warriors’ playoff game?”
“Sure.” He leaned over and gently brushed the hair away from my bandaged forehead. “See you tomorrow,” he said and softly kissed my lips. I touched my lips after he’d left, wanting to hold onto the feeling for as long as possible.
“Since when are you dating the senator’s son?” Aleena said when I answered the phone.
“Aren’t you even going to say hello?” I asked.
“Hello, Charlotte.”
“Hi, Aleena.”
“Now tell me how long you’ve been dating Kyle Aldsworth.”
I laughed, but stopped when my ribs hurt. “How are you?” I asked her.
“What? Can you not talk? Are you with the senator and his son right now?”
“You’re crazy. No, I’m not with them. Of course I can talk, but try not to make me laugh. I’m in pain. What do you want to know?”
Aleena let out an exasperated sigh. “Everything, of course.”
“We’ve been on three dates. Well, four or five if you count watching movies or basketball games together.”
“Wow, I let a few weeks go by without checking in with you and you turn famous on me,” Aleena said.
“I’m not famous.”
“Oh yeah? You must not be watching the news or reading the gossip columns. Did you know you made it into the Enquirer?”
“Oh no. Please tell me you’re kidding.” The last thing I wanted was to be on some tabloid.
“Seriously, you did. Not your picture or your name. Just ‘Kyle Aldsworth’s girlfriend.’”
“Since when do you read the Enquirer?”
“I don’t. Unless I think I know someone in a story. Now tell me how you came to be Kyle Aldsworth’s girlfriend.”
“He’s friends with my boss’s husband. It was a set up.” I twisted the fringe on the edge of the blanket that covered my legs.
“And?”
“And he’s a nice guy.”
“And?”
I smiled at her enthusiasm. “And I like him.”
Aleena Li and I had known each other for nearly two years. When her Dad’s Chinese restaurant had needed some signage made, she’d come to Fife. Jayne assigned me the project, and Aleena and I had been friends ever since.
“Even though he tried to kill you?”
“Don’t believe everything you read.”
Aleena laughed. “Dad says we’ll bring you dinner.”
“I’m in Fairfield until tomorrow,” I said.
“Are you trying to tell me your parents don’t like Chinese?”
“I’m saying you don’t have to drive all the way out here to bring me dinner.”
“I do if I want to see my good friend in her time of need, right? I don’t mind. How many will be there? I’ll bring enough for everyone.”
“Kyle’s coming tonight. And of course, Mom and Dad will be here. I don’t know about anyone else.”
“Ooh, so I can meet the man himself. I’ll be there at six.”
Mom stepped into the room, the house phone in her hand.
“They’ve tracked you down.” She looked at the phone to be sure it was muted. “This is a reporter from ABC. She wants to know if she can talk to you. I told her no, but she still wants to know how you’re doing and if you have a comment.”
“No way.” I didn’t want to talk to a reporter. Mom nodded. “Do I say something?”
Mom shrugged. “I don’t know. This is their second call. You were in the shower when they called the first time.”
“Here. I might as well get this over with.”
I took the phone from Mom and hit the mute button. “Hello. This is Charlotte.”
“Charlotte Emerson?” a woman’s voice said.
“Yes. That’s me.”
“This is Hadley Simson from ABC. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?”
“I guess not.” Mom sat down by me, and I held the phone between us so we could both hear.
“You’re the Charlotte Emerson that had the balloon accident with Kyle Aldsworth?”
“Yes.”
“Senator Aldsworth’s son?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes.”
“Great. So, tell me about your injuries.”
“My forehead was cut. My ribs were bruised. Some cuts and scrapes on my hand.”
“And how has your recovery been?”
“Fine.”
“Can you give me some details?”
“I’ve had some pretty good headaches, and I was sore for a few days, but I’m getting better all the time.”
“Good to hear, good to hear. Can you tell us the circumstances of the accident?”
“Careful,” Mom whispered.
“Uh, not really. It all happened so fast.”
“Do you feel like the balloon operator handled the situation appropriately?”
I shifted in my seat and looked at Mom.
“I think so. Um, I think that’s probably all I have to say.”
“Ms. Emerson, one last question. Can you tell me the nature of your relationship with the senator’s son?”
“Um, I guess I have no comment?” In all my life, I’d never been in a situation where I’d declined to comment. It felt so strange.
“Does that mean you’re dating? Engaged?” The woman was pushy.
“It means I’m not going to talk to you about Kyle. Thank you for calling.” I hit the end button and took a few deep breaths.
“That was strange,” Mom said.
“Yeah. I didn’t like it.”
I texted Kyle and told him ABC had called. My phone rang within a minute.
“Did you talk to them?” he asked.
“Briefly. They asked about my injuries and my recovery. I told them I’m getting better. Then they asked about the balloon operator, and I didn’t answer. Then I said no comment when they asked about us.”
“That’s probably best. If anyone calls again, why don’t you refer them to my dad’s office? They’ve been taking most of the calls.”
“Have there been many calls?”
“A few. Nothing to worry about, though. Just refer them there. You don’t need to deal with this.”
“All right.”
“How are you feeling?” His businesslike voice had softened.
“I’m pretty good today.”
“I’m glad.”
“I might try to go in to work tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got a lot to do, and it’d be nice to get in a couple of days this week.”
“I’m glad you’re getting better. Is it still okay if I come out tonight?”
“Of course. My friend, Aleena, is bringing Chinese food.”
“I’ll get out there as early as I can.”
Aleena brought enough food to feed twenty. McKayla and Connor drove down to visit since Mom had told them I’d be headed back to my apartment in the city.
“I want to meet this guy,” McKayla said before Kyle arrived.
“Me too,” added Aleena. “Dinner was a small price to pay to get the inside scoop on Charlotte’s fiancé.”<
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“You guys knock it off.”
“What?” Aleena should have been an actress. She had the innocent look down to an art. “I’m just repeating what I read online.”
“We’ve only been on a few dates.”
“I knew Connor was the one after only a few dates,” McKayla said.
Aleena sighed. “You’re so lucky. I’ve never felt like anyone is ‘the one.’ I’ve never even dated a guy good enough to want him to be ‘the one.’”
This was crazy to me. Aleena was beautiful. She favored her Chinese genes with one huge exception. Her eyes were pale blue. She was so striking, she’d once been picked up by a modeling agent who had been ordering sushi behind her. She’d done a few photo shoots but had hated it. Even though her modeling career had been short-lived, one photograph had been used in a magazine ad campaign for yogurt. Aleena wasn’t eating yogurt in the picture. She wasn’t even holding a spoon. She was just looking pretty with strawberry yogurt floating in a thought bubble above her head.
Aleena was also smart and handled the publicity and marketing for the family restaurant. Most of all, though, she was funny. You couldn’t help but laugh when you were around her.
“He’ll probably be a fiancé soon. There’s something about enduring a trial together that brings people closer,” Aleena said. “I’ll bet he acts more serious about you since the accident, doesn’t he?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. But how much of that would have happened with or without the accident?” I hoped his attention wasn’t just because he felt guilty about what had happened. I was liking him too much for that.
“I guess we’ll never know,” McKayla said.
“There’s an old Chinese proverb . . .” Aleena started, and I groaned. “What? I’m a quarter Chinese. I have every right to quote Chinese proverbs.” McKayla and I laughed at Aleena’s serious face.
“I want to hear it,” McKayla said.
I shook my head. “Someday you’re going to have to answer to your Chinese ancestors for mocking the whole Chinese proverb thing.”
Aleena glared at me. “As I was saying, the old Chinese proverb says, ‘they who travel the rocky road together arrive in paradise undivided.’”
“Ooh, I like it.” McKayla nodded. “It’s very profound.”
“It sounds made up to me,” I said. Aleena lifted her eyebrows and shrugged.
After Kyle arrived, I endured several awkward minutes of Aleena and McKayla’s wagging eyebrows and annoying glances. Finally they settled down, and we had an enjoyable evening of food and games. It was the first time in five nights I hadn’t had a throbbing headache, and I was able to laugh with only a little pain in my ribs. After a couple of games at the table, we moved to the family room, and Dad and Mom served ice cream while we talked. Kyle sat close, his arm around me, and I managed to mostly ignore Aleena and McKayla’s several mischievous smiles that I’m pretty sure they wanted me to see.
“I think he might be the one,” Aleena whispered as she hugged me goodbye at the end of the evening. “Does he have a single brother?”
“Yes, but I think he’s a wild child,” I whispered.
“So Dad wouldn’t approve?”
“Probably not.”
“Oh well. I’m happy for you.”
I hugged her. “Thanks for dinner. Please thank your dad for me.”
“I will. Let’s get together for lunch soon.”
McKayla and Connor left shortly after Aleena. “He’s a good one,” McKayla said. “Don’t go scaring this one off.” I glanced around, making sure Kyle wasn’t in earshot. I knew McKayla loved me, so I tried not to be bothered.
“I don’t scare them off, Mick.” Why did so many people assume my failed love life was all my fault?
“I know you don’t. It’s just a saying. A really dumb one, come to think of it.” She kissed my cheek. “I love you. Feel better.”
After Connor and McKayla left, Dad and Mom headed to bed. Kyle and I snuggled on the couch and watched couples hunt for houses in New Zealand and Belize. When the last couple picked a terrible apartment overlooking an empty, weedy lot, Kyle got up to leave. We walked to the door, holding hands.
“How about something boring like dinner and a movie this weekend? You up for that?” he asked, holding both my hands.
“Boring has never sounded so good.” Kyle laughed. “Good. Let’s plan on Saturday. I’ll give you a call. Take it easy at work the next couple of days. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I won’t. I’ll be fine.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
Kyle pulled me in his arms and held me close. His arms felt strong and gentle and he smelled like warm oranges. I wanted to stay there for hours breathing in the scent of him. He kissed my forehead before he turned to go.
I’m pretty sure the dizziness I felt when he left wasn’t from my head injury.
Whether it was following the course of an old Chinese proverb or it was just moving along its normal course, things with Kyle were going well. He’d put the big, flashy dates on the back burner since the balloon accident, and most of our dating was more conventional. We went to a couple of movies, a few nice dinners, and a Warriors playoff game, where we practically sat on the floor and cheered them on to victory.
My wounds had healed nicely over the past several weeks, and the only visible sign it had happened was a pink scar on my forehead the doctor assured me would fade with time.
“Do you like boating?” Kyle asked at lunch one day. I must have looked as unenthusiastic as I felt because he laughed. “Are we going to avoid every outdoor activity for the rest of our lives?”
Don’t think I didn’t notice his reference to the rest of our lives. I did, and I liked it. In fact, once I answered his question, I’d bask in the beauty of that comment for days. “Tell me more.”
“We have a place at Lake Tahoe. The family’s headed over there next weekend for some boating and wakeboarding, and I want you to come.”
Lake Tahoe sounded beautiful. Meeting the family and wakeboarding sounded terrifying. “I don’t know. I’ve never done that before.”
“That’s okay. I’ll teach you. I taught my younger brothers how to wakeboard and I taught my brother’s girlfriend. I’ll teach you.”
I sighed. “What if I’m a huge disappointment? I’m not very athletic, you know.”
“I’ve never failed yet. And you know I like a good challenge.”
“Is it your whole family?”
“Shawn’s family can’t come, and Pete’s wife is working, so it’ll be my parents, Pete, us and Alex.”
I was trying not to sound too insecure, but suddenly, working sounded like a perfect way to spend a weekend. I’d be meeting his parents for the first time and I’d probably make a spectacle of myself.
Kyle was smiling at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. He made it hard to say no.
“I guess I could try it if you think you’re up to the task of teaching me.” Kyle leaned across the table and kissed me. I was glad I’d agreed.
”I was hoping you’d say yes. I want Dad and Mom to meet you, and Lake Tahoe is beautiful. We’ll drive up with my parents on Friday evening. We’ll stay at the cabin, and then Saturday we’ll spend the day boating. Dad has to be back for a Sunday morning news show, so we’ll come home Saturday night.”
“Sounds great.” It didn’t sound great. It sounded scary. When I say I’m not athletic, I mean it. When I tried skateboarding, I broke my arm. When we did a modern dance unit in P.E., I did a face plant in front of the entire class. Even something as simple as running had managed to humiliate me. We were on a field trip to the capitol building. The plan was to eat our lunches under a stand of trees. Mrs. Vindel pointed to the trees and said, “Last one there is a rotten egg.” The class took off running. No one wanted to be last. I tripped on something—probably my own feet—and hit my head on a curb. Not only was I the rotten egg, I also had a giant goose egg on my forehead.
And now I
was going wakeboarding with Kyle and his family. I took a deep breath. I had one week to psych myself up.
I’d only been home from work for ten minutes when Kyle rang the bell. Good thing I’d packed the night before. A black Lincoln Navigator was parked at the curb when I walked out. Kyle was talking to Cuddy and Grandpa Guo when I came through the gate, carrying my suitcase.
“Here, I’ll get that for you.” Kyle picked up my bag.
“This young man tells me you’re headed for Lake Tahoe,” Cuddy said.
“With his family.” I pointed to the car where Kyle’s family was waiting.
Cuddy chuckled. “Good, good. Glad you’re going to be chaperoned.”
“I think this one has honorable intentions,” Grandpa Guo said to Cuddy.
“I definitely do,” Kyle assured them.
“I hope so, son. Charlotte’s one of our favorites,” Cuddy said.
“She’s one of my favorites, too,” Kyle shook Cuddy’s hand and then Grandpa Guo’s before carrying my suitcase to the back of the Navigator.
“And you’re two of my favorites.” I kissed their cheeks. “I’ll be back tomorrow night.”
“Have a fun weekend,” Grandpa Guo said.
“But not too fun,” Cuddy added, and they laughed.
Kyle helped me into the backseat of the Navigator. I smiled at my sweet neighbors, Cuddy standing more than a foot taller than Grandpa Guo. They waved goodbye.
“Dad and Mom, this is Charlotte. Charlotte, these are my parents, Donald and Roberta.”
“Nice to meet you both.” I leaned forward and shook their hands. I quickly did the math in my head. They had to be in their mid to late fifties, but they could easily have passed for somewhere in their forties. They were an attractive couple, much more relaxed than when I’d seen them on television.
“Wonderful to meet you, too,” Donald said.
“You look great,” Roberta said. “I was so glad you were feeling well enough to go with us this weekend. That was quite an ordeal you had.”
“I’m doing fine. Thank you.”
“And these are two of my brothers, Pete and Alex,” Kyle pointed to the back seat.
“Hi, Charlotte.” Pete leaned forward and shook my hand.
