by Lila Felix
We got jeers and other perverse rooting on from the crowd around us. This was her revenge, though from where I stood, it didn’t feel like revenge at all.
She opted out of dinner with the team and went straight for the shower when we got home, her house, whatever. I took the opportunity to look around the house, checking out her new purchases. The first, and most obvious, was a loud red couch in the living room and a coffee table that looked like it was made from an old door. Maddox had helped her hang a new flat screen TV on the opposite wall. It was quirky and funky, just like her. In her bedroom was some kind of odd black iron bed and the headboard had vines and flowers twisted out of the iron. And on the side, a plum colored dresser and the fronts of the drawers were covered in collages of magazine pictures. I give her ten thousand dollars and she buys her furniture at garage sales. It made me smile. She was who she was and no amount of money would change that.
The next Friday I waited at the backdoor of the bookstore, right next to the time punch. She was doing this on purpose. She was supposed to have left work fifteen minutes ago and she was just teasing me now. Especially since she had passed by the hallway several times, purposefully throwing her hips out a little more than necessary for walking. And if she didn’t quit, we weren’t going to make it to Avery Island.
She came around the corner, back hunched and placing her feet heel to toe in super slow motion trying her hardest not to laugh.
“Well, I’m glad we’re not walking there—damn woman.”
She giggled but continued to creep along. “I don’t know, you might have to light a fire under my ass.” I knew where this was headed. And who in their right mind would deny her what I knew she wanted. And didn’t it just puff up my male ego that she wanted it from me.
“Oh no, not until you clock out. No making out on company time, it’s a rule.”
“You just live to fool everybody, don’t you? You make us ogle your Mohawk, the tats, the abs and God help me those, “she opened her mouth and pointed to her tongue. “But it’s just a ruse. You’re this responsible, rule following, awesome, patient, loving guy. It’s a trick, I say, a foul trick indeed.”
“Yeah, you’re so torn up about it that you were late for work because you drove back home for ten more minutes of this.” I dusted off my shoulder.
She clocked out and took her time putting the card back in its slot. I picked her up before she could make any more granny moves and pushed open the door with my back. I walked her to her side of the truck and I placed her on the bench seat and made sure to kiss her until she was in a stupor before we took off.
“Did that light a fire under your ass?” I moved to close the door but before I did I heard her murmur, “It lit a fire under something.” She was starting with her antics already—God help me.
As we drove, I almost wrecked the car twice watching her fascination instead of the road. I also picked up on another quirk of hers. When she saw something that peaked her interest her forehead immediately made sure it was pressed as tightly as possible to the window beside her. It was like it was trying to break free of the glass so it could get a better look.
“So, we’re gonna lick salt and pour Tabasco into our mouths?”
“Yeah, that’s the whole weekend. Licking and…”
Her eyebrows shot up and a blush hit her face with a fury, “And they say guys are bad—gutter mind.”
We drove a few hours and took the ferry to Avery Island. As soon as the truck was on the ferry safely, Reed ran to the side of the boat to watch the water in the Vermillion Bay. I just looked at her. I was always fascinated with her over the top curiosity about everything. She found the most mundane things riveting, which worked out well for me. Then she had to scramble back to the truck when she realized it wasn’t very long of a ride before we reached the island.
We drove the short distance to where we would be staying. I had reserved Cook’s Cottage for us to stay. With her forehead pressed firmly to the window, she reached over to grab my hand, thanking me without words. I picked up the key from the office and we headed out to the cottage. We parked in front of the cozy gray and white Acadian style cottage with red doors and were immediately greeted by three very large peacocks. I unloaded our bags while she let the sounds of the birds lead her to the surrounding gardens and massive Cypress and Oak trees. I set the bags down in the bedroom and headed out the back door to find her. It wasn’t hard. She managed to climb nearly halfway to the top of a monstrous oak tree which was decorated with Spanish moss much like tinsel on a Christmas tree. I took a picture with my phone, her in that tree with the sun setting behind her; it was a sight I never wanted to forget. I stalked towards her and sat at the base of the tree underneath her swinging legs.
This is what I wanted. It wasn’t the distance between us, or a necessity for her skin under my fingers. I just wanted this time with her, away from the world, away from demanding jobs and school, and as much as I loved my family, away from their antics. I just needed her all to myself, distracted by things that would make her smile.
“Dude, where are you? I’ve been chucking sticks at you for ten minutes.”
I chuckled and pretended to ignore her. One thing about Reed, pretending to ignore her set her off twice as badly as actually ignoring her—she always knew the difference.
She monkeyed down the limbs, preceded by webs of Spanish moss which she knocked loose of their resting place on the arms of the Oak. She landed next to me and dusted the bark off of her backside.
“I know I’m always saying this but I’m hungry. Please tell me there’s more than hot sauce to eat here.” As she said this she flung herself on the ground and faked drama by throwing her torso and outstretched arms over my lap.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, we have to fish for our dinner. Let’s go.” I took off towards the water and I knew without even looking that she was standing with her hands on her hips, very much the angry female.
“You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.” She said and I snorted in response.
“Yeah, I’m shittin’ you. There’s a restaurant up the road.”
“It was really funny too.” We reached the cottage and I motioned her towards the car.
“Just get in the car smartass.” She scoffed at me but got in anyway. We drove about ten minutes down the road to the Cajun café, the closest and best place to eat on the island. She spotted two egrets on the edge of the bay and we watched them for a while until her wonder subsided. We both ate crawfish etoufee’ and shared a bowl of white chocolate bread pudding. She fell asleep on the short drive back to the cottage and after I carried her inside, she barely had the energy to get her pajamas on.
I waited until she reclaimed sleep before walking out onto the back porch and quietly taking a seat in a rocking chair. I replayed a conversation my dad and I had a couple of days before. He told me I was moving too fast. He said I would end up pushing her away. He said a girl like her, who has been tossed around all of her life, would need time. This lecture came after I showed him the antique engagement ring I bought her. I searched and scoured the internet until I found the perfect platinum ring with a lily cut diamond in the center surrounded by sapphires. It cost almost as much as her house did, but I didn’t care. It had Reed written all over it.
Chapter 27
Reed
What? You want me to say something all smartassy here? Get over yourself man, I’m not a dancing bear. Wait, do they have dancing bears? Damn it, now I wanna go to the circus. Great job, Einstein.
I woke up sometime during the night, cold and alone. I rubbed my eyes and tumbled out of the four poster bed and threw on one of Falcon’s hoodies. I looked around the place, from the chairs to the table, then back to the bed. He was nowhere to be found. I spotted the backdoor ajar and made my way to it. The screen door creaked as it opened and Falcon turned his head, acknowledging my presence.
He opened his arms, an offering for me, and I accepted without hesitation. I sat crossways on his legs and wiggled
until I was comfortable. He was still dressed in the same clothes so he hadn’t been to bed at all.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I said.
“Poppy, you don’t have enough pennies to pry these thoughts from my head.” Ladies and gentleman, for tonight’s entertainment, I present Falcon, the solemnly pensive man.
“Oh boy, no more rocking chairs for you. It’s put you into a trance.” He chuckled and I could feel it rumble beside me.
“Nah, it’s you that’s put me into a trance—just you.” He kissed my hair and picked up the rocking.
“Damn, let’s just stay here. This place is making you say all kinds of sweet things.” He looked at me and I knew the look. Somehow I had managed to stumble upon his thoughts.
“What? Are you thinking up more ways to woo me?”
He smiled and huffed out a laugh through his nose. “Actually, I’m thinking about a way to keep wooing you for a long time.”
“Look, Dude, I don’t do handcuffs or cages,” I raised both my hands in dissent.
“Too bad,” he shoved me off of him and stood up. “I’m sorry, I’ll just take you home now. I can’t live with a girl who won’t do handcuffs.” He couldn’t even finish the sentence without cracking up. But he couldn’t fool me. This was Falcon changing the subject—playing the facetious card. But I saw straight through his hand, the boy had no poker face. He wore everything right on his handsome face.
“Fine, let me pack my stuff.” I stomped, nose in the air, to the bedroom. His arms rounded my waist before the screen door slammed behind him. He picked me up and before I could tell floor from ceiling I was on the bed, pinned by strong arms and a boy with a gleaming smile.
“You’re not going anywhere.” I tasted white chocolate and the dough of French bread on his lips as they met mine. If I never kissed him again and even if I kissed him for the rest of my life, I would remember the smell and feel of this moment. The prickliness of his chin against my neck while he kissed my jaw, the spot of hair where his neck met his hairline was as soft as down, his barely calloused fingers winding and clinging to mine as he showed me he loved me through his kiss. What I wouldn’t give for a lifetime of wooing by this man.
“Now you’re all pensive. That’s my job.” He bit my chin softly between words.
“Trying to lock this moment in, for when I’m old and gray.” He made his way up my neck and after reaching my ears whispered, “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll remind you of this moment. I’ll remind you of the way you always smell like apples and how when you kiss me my entire body comes alive.”
I pulled away. He just gave himself away. That’s what he was thinking about. The way he said it, so rehearsed, so well thought out, that’s what he meant. I decided to reroute his thoughts by grabbing his hips and pulling him closer to me.
“Do you—do you want to?” I whispered to him. I wasn’t even sure if I was ready but I knew I wanted him like I’ve never wanted anything ever.
He jerked back like I’d bitten him. “I want to, of course I do but you don’t want to wait? I think we should wait. I mean, I want you more than anything but…” He asked the question and then answered it before I could respond.
“What are we waiting for Falcon? Tell me.” He was on the other side of the bed now. He began creeping as soon as the words ‘want to’ were out of my mouth. Apparently I wasn’t as seductive as I thought. He got up and stood at the window, hands on hips, visibly getting ahold of his breaths.
“Reed, you don’t ever think of the future?” He was growing serious again.
“Like spaceships and robots and shit? Not really, I mean, it would be nice, a robot making us food, cleaning the house…”
He turned and I could see he was not amused. “Be serious for five seconds, cutie.”
“Adding the word cutie doesn’t help. Ok, ok, ok, here I am, serious. And yes, I think about the future. I want to go to college. And you—I want you—for as long as I can have you.” He looked at the sky and if I didn’t know better I would think he was trying to coax tears to get back into his eyes, using gravity as his ally. “And you Falcon? What do you think Mr. Future?”
He approached the bed again, climbed up, and knelt in front of me. “I think I am honored that you would even consider spending any amount of time with me. I think you are everything I’ve always wanted. You’re smart, you’re courageous as all Hell and you don’t take my broody crap. You call me on it and try to get me out of it. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything in my life and probably ever will. I can’t imagine a time in the future when you’re not there.”
I knew my eyes were bugged out but I couldn’t help it. And as much as I melted more and more with every word he said to me, I couldn’t bring myself to even think about marriage. I was eighteen for goodness sakes. I wouldn’t, couldn’t, end up like all of the families I’d lived with over the years. People who were married had affairs, both physical and emotional. Men and women alike bad-mouthed their spouses all over town, not just to friends but to any listening ear. Women who couldn’t wait for their husbands to go to work and loathed the hour when they were due home. That’s what I knew of marriage. Marriage was when you took two people who loved each other and with a band of gold and a legal piece of paper, instantly made them hate the other.
I wouldn’t ruin Falcon like that. I couldn’t bear to ruin what we had with marriage. Then again, me and him old together with rocking chairs and walkers with tennis balls on them? Yeah, I could totally see that.
“I can’t either.” That was the only thing I could say to him that was the truth and didn’t break his heart.
“Then we have time to wait for—whatever. Anyway, I still have a list of places we should make out.”
I gasped, “You’ve been keeping secrets. Falcon’s make-out tour—tell me where.”
“The salt mine, the factory, and one very specific place in the jungle gardens.”
“Really? When do we go there?”
“Not telling. Let’s just get some sleep. I don’t want you falling asleep tomorrow.”
“I will if you will.” He nodded and went into the bathroom and came out with a pair of gray lounge pants and nothing else on. I curled up next to him and let the wave motion of his breathing carry me to sleep.
Saturday we spent all day touring the salt mines and the Tobasco factory. To my disappointment, we weren’t visiting the jungle gardens until the next day. But I cheated and picked up a brochure from the restaurant at breakfast. It was stunning on paper, so I could only imagine what it would be like in person. And true to his word he pulled me behind a pillar in the salt mine and we got caught by a little girl in pigtails. Falcon gave her five bucks and winked at her. I think I fell in love with him a little more at that point.
And then at the factory, he kissed me with hot sauce still on his lips. I love hot sauce again. We had dinner at the same place and then tucked in early, no long talks or future plans made that night.
Sunday he took me to the famous gardens. He didn’t complain or look impatient when I perused the camellias for at least two hours. He listened intently when I pointed out different species of them, including one called the ‘Rebel Yell’, my favorite. It was a white flower that looked like it was caught in a pink paint splatter war. My mom used to have tons of them.
When the sun began to set on us he pulled me into an arch. It was monstrous. At least twelve foot tall and covered dirt to sky in wisteria. It was a tunnel of every hue of violet imaginable. It was there that Falcon Livingston Black vowed to love me for the rest of his life and before I could answer, kissed me until our lips were sore.
We packed up our bags and as we left I was the happiest I’d ever been in my life. I studied his profile as we drove away. He was just as happy as I was. Saturday morning he had dropped one of his contacts down the sink drain and for the rest of the time worn his black rimmed glasses. Those glasses plus the newsboy hat equaled perfection in my book.
“You keep looking at me like
that and I’m turning around, Poppy.”
“That’s not really a threat. In fact,” I took off my seatbelt and scooted over to the middle seat and fastened the new belt. I let him drive for a few minutes before ‘oops’ my hand found his thigh.
“You’re killin’ me.” He said through a clenched jaw. I giggled back at him, maybe I had it after all.
We were almost home when he sprung the news on me. “So, I’m not supposed to tell you until tomorrow because they said you would throw a fit about it but Wednesday you have a dress fitting. My mom wants to buy your dress for the wedding thing—yours and Nellie’s. Is that okay?” He cringed as he waited for the answer. How could anyone deny Sylvia? Truth be told you really couldn’t. She was sweet as pecan pie but she was also relentless when she wanted something.
“It’s fine. Anything for your mom.”
“See? That’s why I love you.”
He dropped me off at my house after inspecting under my bed and in the closet. He claimed he was checking for burglars but to me he was looking for the boogie man. My man, checking for monsters that go bump in the night. He spent the night at his apartment and I fought with myself about how I felt with him gone. So about two in the morning I gave up and texted him.
R: You’re not very nice.
F: That’s not what the ladies say. Wait…
R: HA! Can’t sleep. Missing things: muscled arms, chest, Mohawk, lips. The list goes on 4 eva
F: You need me, I’m there.
I took me awhile to admit it.
R: I need you.
As soon as I hit ‘send’ I heard his key in the front door. And when I saw him enter the bedroom, kick his shoes off and stretch to pull his shirt off, I couldn’t imagine being without him again and it scared me to death.
~~~~~~
Wednesday was a blast. Nellie, Sylvia and I went dress shopping and Nellie made me go into the dressing room with her. She pulled off her shirt and in the mirror I screamed at what I saw.
