by A N Busch
Hope all is going well with you. Please write or call soon, before I lose my mind!!
Love you
Abigail
“Kid’s lets get ready for your baths; then you can watch some television before bed.”
“Ah Mom! Do we have to?” Abigail just loved the surround sound her kids created when they all whined together.
“Ah, yes you have to; it’s getting late. Samantha you’re first baby girl, come on. Christian help your brother clean up and take your shower in the guest bath please.”
“Okay Mommy,” Christian bent down to start cleaning up.
“Mommy I’m not dirty enough yet; I think I’ll wait till the end of the weekend for a bath. I think I will have enough dirt on me then.” Brady always had a reason not to take a bath, but this was a new one.
“Sorry Brady but you have to hunny. It’s just the way it is. Now come on, clean up these toys please.”
By the time the kids were in bed, Abigail was worn out. Her husband was in bed watching a game of baseball on the television. As she stood in their bathroom brushing her hair up into a ponytail for bed, her husband’s screams of, “GO, GO, GO,” startled her, and she ended up pulling her own hair with the brush.
“Would you be quiet; the kids are in bed. No matter how loud you scream they can’t hear you, you know?”
“Sorry love, you know how I can get. Are you coming to bed now, or are you going to work in the office first?”
“I’m so tired, I would fall asleep on my desk if I tried.” As she crawled into bed, she positioned her pillows and got comfortable.”
“Alright, I love you. Get some good sleep. I’ll turn the TV down and try not to yell at the players anymore.”
“I love you more. I’ll get sleep if I don’t have that damn dream anymore that is for sure.” Oh no, why did she say that?
“Have you been having bad dreams? I haven’t heard you crying or talking in your sleep at all.”
“Not bad dreams, just strange ones, bewitched really. Don’t worry about it, just all the pressure at work I’m sure. Good night baby; I love you.” There, that was not really a lie; the truth was irrelevant. Westly was not real then, now, or in the future. The life she had with her husband was real.
Abigail had forgotten she talked in her sleep, she always had. All she could do was pray it did not happen tonight if she dreamed of him again.
Chapter 7
Abby, Melanie and Jamal finished two miles on the track, and Abby was ready to die. Luckily Melanie had to get to class right away saving Abby from having to do anymore running. The three of them grabbed a fruit smoothie,. and Abby went back to her dorm for a quick shower and to get her books. She walked slowly past Westly’s dorm on her way to class and on her way back to her room, both times hoping that maybe she would run into him again. No luck but at least she would see him later in history class.
During her two-hour break between classes, she spoke with her Aunt Melissa on the phone and it all slipped out about Westly.
“A boy really? What is his name?”
“Westly, but I don’t know his last name. I forgot to ask him.”
“Well tell me more. What does he look like? Is he super cute or what? Oh, did you kiss him yet? Was it great? I bet it was great wasn’t it?”
“Slow down! Okay he is about 6’5” and has very blonde hair and these eyes that look like gemstones that sparkle in the sun. They are bright blue, but when you look very close there green highlights and little gold and brown flecks in them. When he looks at me with them I just melt, and... um, he has a really great smile. He does this crooked smile thing and just one eyebrow goes up and it makes my stomach flop, and…” Abby’s mind had trailed off thinking more about his smile.
“Abby, Sugar, are you still there? I can hear you breathing.”
“Oh sorry, I guess I just got caught up. Anyway, he has great hands, big and sturdy but soft and kind at the same time. I didn’t kiss him, I swear. He just gave me a hug when we parted, a really nice, long one. It was…perfect.”
“Well Abby it sounds like you found your first boyfriend, and a cute one at that. When can I come up and meet him?”
“Slow down Missa, I just meet the guy and you are talking about a boyfriend and him meeting a member of my family. Let’s see how class goes today and then if we spend anymore time together and so on. You are the only person I have told about this so please don’t give me a hard time. Please!”
“Oh of course Sugar, call me later and tell me how class went. He sounds so cute; if you start seeing him you better send me a picture in the mail at least. And remember just relax and be yourself and he will love you, just like the rest of us. I really am happy for you and I hope it works out.”
“Thanks Missa, love you.”
“I love you too, Sugar. Call me later, don’t forget okay?”
“I won’t, I promise. Bye.”
“Bye Abby.”
The next couple hours went by slower than ever. She sat beside Rachel in Greek Mythology just thinking of him. The teacher’s monotonous voice was so very easy to drown out. She just kept glancing at the clock on the wall. When it felt like it had been five minutes, it had really only been two.
Rachel kept looking at her but never said a word till the class was dismissed. “Abby where were you?”
Abby tried to play stupid when she answered her. “What are you talking about Rach? I was right beside you the whole class.”
“You might have been next to me but your mind was not. You didn’t take one note, and that is so not like you at all. So come on; what is on your mind?”
“Nothing, I was just bored that’s all. My recorder was on; I can make notes later from that. I was just thinking about history class, I guess. I don’t know. Besides I didn’t see you taking any notes; it’s a fun class right.”
“If you say so, but I still think something is up with you. Are you getting sick?”
Abby laughed, shaking her head no, maybe love sick. “I have to get going or I’m going to be late for class. I’ll see you later.”
As she opened the door to the lecture hall, she took in a deep breath. She wanted to be sitting down before him so that he could decide to sit with her or just say hi. The decision might be hers to make now, unless he was watching for her and flagged her to where he was sitting. Abby could feel her heart starting to race as she looked around the room for him. Where was he? It was a big class but she didn’t see him. She hurried to sit down in a spot where she could both inconspicuously eye the room and where he would see her.
She waited and every time the door opened, she turned to look. Her heart raced and then almost stopped when another strange face came through the door. When the class started she looked around slowly again. Not one face in the crowd was his. When she gave up, she was sad. Even if there was still time for him to show up, he wasn’t there now. Abby pulled out her old tape recorder again, she knew she was not going to pay attention and take notes. Every second that passed by was longer than the last, until they were gone and class was over without Westly anywhere in site.
Abby walked back to her dorm slowly thinking about it. Maybe she would call Melissa and tell her everything, get some advice. She was acting ridiculous; she didn’t even know him that well. Maybe he really was all a dream, just her subconscious telling her she needed to get out more. Have some fun, flirt; Westly was so perfect in her mind that there was no reason he should be more than a dream. She didn’t take her eyes off the ground ahead of her until she got to the front door of her dorm. Paul was at the front desk when Abby stopped by to check for mail. “Hi Paul, any mail for me today?”
“No Abby, are you expecting something? Because if it comes later then I’ll bring it up to you when it does. If you want me to that is.”
“Just wondered, not expecting anything in particular.” Truthfully Abby was hoping he would have dropped a note for her at the front desk. “I’ll see you later Paul, going to go study.”
P
aul’s eyes were not looking at her but past her. She didn’t know what to make of the look on his face so she turned to look over her shoulder to see what he was staring at. Westly was leaning against the wall with a pizza in his hands smiling at her.
“Hey you, going to study, huh? Guess I’ll have to eat this whole pizza I bought by myself then.” He was trying to look sad as Abby approached him, but there was still a half smile on his face.
“A pizza, well how I could I turn that down? It is the best way to a girl’s heart.”
“Really, I thought food was the fastest way to a guy’s heart?”
“Well in that case,” Abby smiled and took the pizza box from his hands, “I have this pizza and I just can’t eat it all by myself. Would you like to join me?” She could not help but giggle at herself. That was quick and it was good. It just might have been considered flirting; maybe she wasn’t so bad at it after all.
“Abs it smells delicious and I thought you would never ask. I would love to join you. Thank you.” His smile was bigger than ever and it set Abby’s heart on fire. “Your place or mine?”
“Mine is closer, come get it while it’s hot.”
With that Abby was walking to the elevator with Westly right on her heels. Where did this burst of confidence come from? Abby didn’t care, but she wanted it to stick around that was for sure.
They were about to get in the elevator when she heard Paul call out to her, “Call me at the front desk if you need anything Abby, I’ll be right here.” His voice had started out as she would have expected, like a father’s; but Paul’s last few words sounded more like he was pleading with her to not go with Westly.
Abby covered her mouth and tried not to laugh as the door shut. Oh dear what was Westly going to think of that? She didn’t have to guess.
“Is that guy worried that I’m going to hurt you or something? I didn’t know you were seeing someone, maybe I should go.”
“No, no that is just Paul. He is a nice guy, really nice, just a little like an over-protective father to some of us girls around here.”
“Can’t say I would blame him.” He was smiling as the elevator doors opened and he let her lead the way. “Can I hold that pizza for you miss while you open the door?”
“Why thank you sir,” Abby said, handing the box over as she pulled out her keys and opened the door. “Um, can you give me one second? I just want to make sure that the room is clean.”
“Sure, I’ll be right here waiting.”
“Thanks.” She really wanted a second to scream into her pillow, but there was no time for that now.
Abby knew her room was clean, it always was. She ran to the side table at the end of her bed, turned the phone’s ringer off and turned the answering machine’s volume down. The last thing she needed was her aunt calling and saying something about him with him right in the room. She was already nervous as it was. One quick look in the mirror and she was back at the door.
“I saw that,” he said with a very mischievous smile.
What? How did he see anything? She was racking her brain as he started laughing. Abby could not hide the paranoia in her voice as she desperately asked, “What did you see?”
“Nothing, I just wanted to see if you would fess up to something or tell me what you hid.”
“Come on in,” Abby said rolling her eyes, glad, she did not tell on herself. “Um, I don’t have a table or anything we can sit on the bed if you like or the floor.”
“It’s your room Abs. Where do you want to sit?”
“Oh, um the bed is fine I guess. Can I get you something to drink? I have some bottles of water and diet soda in the mini-fridge.”
“Soda is good. Thank you.”
As Abby sat on the bed across from him, she was suddenly in awe of what was going on. Just a half hour ago she thought she had scared him off or he was not even real at all. Now he was sitting on her bed about to eat a pizza and…what then, talk? Go somewhere? Abby had no idea what was going to happen after they ate, so she ate slowly just in case he was going to leave when he was done.
They were quiet for some time as she watched him looking around her room. Abby didn’t have anything special on her walls aside from her overly-stuffed calendar and a big poster of a palm tree on a beach. There were just a few pictures on her shelves. One frame held a photo from the previous summer with her grandparents; the other was of her and Aunt Melissa on stage at the country bar where her aunt sang nightly. Another shelf held a family photo of Abby with both her parents and her younger sister taken on her graduation day.
After awhile he looked down at the bed. Abby could see he was clearing his mouth to speak, so she did the same.
“You like blue I take it?”
“Not really, why do you ask?” What in her room gave him that idea? Her shirt today was teal and yesterday her sweater was cream. She did not wear a lot of blue.
“The blanket on your bed is blue, so I just thought that maybe it was your favorite color.”
“Oh that. No I bought it at the store before I came to school this year. It was the only color left and they were on sale. My favorite color is purple.”
“Blue is my favorite. I think it looks the best on me, but I wear a lot of black. Why is purple your favorite?”
“When I was about eleven my father’s mother passed away and there were some purple roses at her funeral. My mother let me take them home and put them in my room. I loved the way they looked, and it has just been my favorite color, and flower, ever since then, but I don’t really wear it a lot.”
“What kind of food do you like?”
“Um, well I guess I like Chinese food, and crab legs, shrimp and anything Italian really. You?”
“Italian is good, but I’m happy with a good hamburger and fries. Can’t go wrong with a pizza either.”
The conversation took off from there with ease. When they were done with the pizza, Abby moved it to the computer desk and sat back on the bed. As they talked and repositioned, they moved closer and closer together till one of their legs were touching the others. Laughing and talking, it was starting to be very natural to Abby, and she was having a good time.
She placed her hand on her leg very close to his; maybe he would take her hand in his. With a smile he started to inch his hand closer and closer to hers and her heart began to race faster. She sat there waiting and just as he was about to touch her hand, there was a knock at the door.
“I’m coming, hold on,” Abby rolled her eyes as she got up. He was so close; she was going to kill whoever was at the door! As she cracked the door open, she saw that it was Paul. What did he want?
“Um, hi Abby I was just checking on you. It had been a couple hours and, um, well I um just wanted to check on you.”
“I’m fine Paul, thank you. I’ll talk to you later okay? Kind of busy right now.” Abby did not know if she should be flattered or very mad at him for ruining a nice moment.
“Oh you still have company over huh? That guy’s over still; the one that was downstairs waiting on you? I forgot about him, sorry. Well I’ll see you around.” Abby knew he hadn’t forgotten but felt bad that he looked upset that Westly was still there with her.
“No big. It’s alright, thanks for checking. Bye”
“Bye, Abby.” Abby closed the door and was mortified; maybe it would have been better if she had just never answered the door. Then again he would have kept knocking then or come back every ten minutes to check on her.
When she looked back at Westly, he was smiling at her. Where was she supposed to sit now, she had been so close to him. Could she go back to the same spot, or did she have to work her way back into it again? Abby sat down at the edge of the bed less than a foot away from where he was. Thankfully Westly answered that question for her and moved towards her still smiling.
“Does dad think I should go home now?” Abby could see he was trying so hard not to laugh but by the end of the question, he was rolling. Abby couldn’t help but laugh herself.
/> “Yes, I guess he thinks so, but I don’t want you to so I hope you will stay a little longer.” Abby blushed as she said this and she knew he could see it. Westly reached up to touch her cheek, and she just turned redder under his hand.
“I’ll stay as long as you like Abs; I’m in no hurry. But I am getting hot. Do you mind if I take of my sweatshirt?”
“Oh yeah, sure. Did you want me to open the window or turn the heat down for you? Sorry, I keep my room kind of hot. I guess it’s the Texas in me.”
“No this should be fine. Texas huh? You like the heat?” When Westly stood to take off the sweatshirt, his shirt underneath came up at first too, revealing a rock hard stomach. Abby’s jaw almost dropped; wow was all she could think.
“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking when I got dressed.” Abby pulled her eyes away from him. He caught her staring at him “I wish I was wearing more than this undershirt.”
Abby looked back up to see that he was wearing a plain white sleeveless shirt. One of the kind people had started to call a “wife beater.” He must have thought she was staring at that. Then she looked at his arms, the strong ones he had wrapped around her the night before. They were perfect. Muscular like they had been earned working in the field all summer; not that over-done look some guys had. Like they spent hours and hours in the gym every day trying to get them as big as they could.
“Oh no, you’re fine don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I did not mean to stare, but your shirt came up and I saw your stomach …and,” Abby shut her mouth and looked at the ground, her cheeks raged red again. Why did she need to say that? When she looked back up he had that half smile again and one eyebrow was raised like he was questioning in his mind where she was going with that statement. Oh, dear! What must he think of her now?
“Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t, I liked it.”
She put her face in her hands and muttered under her breath, “Oh shut up Abby, what are you saying?”
