by J. S. Cooper
“Oh, nothing.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I just had a friend who used this computer lab a lot.”
“Oh, okay.” She looked like she wanted to ask me a question, but she didn’t, which I was grateful for. I didn’t want to share Miss with anyone, not until I knew who she was and what had happened.
“So what’s in that room?” I pointed to another door.
“That’s a study room.” She opened it and we looked inside and saw a table with some chairs. “We have six different study rooms that high school and college students can reserve to work on projects.”
“Oh, that’s cool.”
“Did you never use them in High School?” She cocked her head and looked at me quizzically and I laughed.
“No.”
“Oh, wow.” She seemed surprised and I knew why. She was wondering how I had gotten through high school with a 4.1 GPA and never been a member of the library.
“So this is the fiction section, huh?” I looked at the rows of books and smiled.
“Yeah. We have a large collection of books.”
“What are you doing on Saturday, Lexi?” The words burst out of my mouth quickly, like lava flowing from an active volcano. I couldn’t stop myself and I looked to see her reaction.
“Saturday?” She had a faint blush around her face and I could tell that she felt uncomfortable. Her face looked frazzled and her long hair was now in her face, as if she were trying to hide behind it.
“Yeah, well my dad is having a party for me, to welcome me back to town and I thought you’d like to come. You and some friends, of course,” I finished, lamely.
“But you don’t even know me or my friends.” Her words trailed away and she looked at me, embarrassed.
“I know,” I sighed. “I just thought that maybe you’d like to come.” I paused and grabbed a book from the shelf. “Now that I’ve got the book I wanted to read I figured I’d be going, but if you want to come hang at the party, you are more than welcome.”
“Thanks.” She looked at me in surprise again, but this time she had a huge grin on her face. I was surprised at how pretty she looked when she smiled. She was prettier than I remembered.
“So you’ll come?”
“Yeah. It sounds like fun.” She pushed her hair back behind her ears and I studied her face, thoughtfully. If she looked anything like her mother, then I understood my father’s attraction.
“Good.” I turned away, annoyed that I had thought of my father again. “What’s so funny?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking as she looked like she was going to burst into tears.
“I was just admiring your book choice.” She pointed to my hands and I looked down and saw ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’. I felt my face go red and I squared my shoulders.
“Well, you know. I’m just trying to see what women like in the bedroom now. I have to keep up,” I grinned, as she bent her head, flustered, and walked up to the front desk to check out with a huge grin on my face. She hadn’t expected that answer from me, I was sure. But one thing that I wasn’t was a prude. I was a virile man and if Fifty Shades could teach me a trick or two about pleasing a woman I was going to read it. I checked out and walked to the front of the library with a new confidence. One bird down, one more to go I thought. Now I just needed to find out who Miss was. I was afraid that that was going to be a much harder task than asking Lexi Lord to my party.
***
I argued with the lady at the post office for about fifteen minutes before she finally got frustrated with me and asked me to step aside.
“Sir, I cannot give you personal information.”
“I don’t want their home address,” I sighed. “Just a name. Please.”
“Sir, I am going to have to ask you to leave now.”
“Please.”
“Sir.”
“Fine.” I scowled at her and walked out. If it had been the me of a few years ago, I would have tried to have pulled rank and asked her if she knew who I was. Who my father was. Once people knew my dad was Mayor, I commanded a lot more respect—but I wasn’t going to do that anymore. He didn’t deserve that automatic respect and neither did I. I was going to have to think of another way, even if it meant waiting outside the post office and hanging out by the mailboxes until someone finally came to her mailbox. I was going to find out one way or another. I just had to.
Chapter 7
“Anna, you are not going to believe what happened today!” I squealed into the phone, unable to contain my excitement.
“Luke proposed?”
“What?” I paused and then laughed. “Good one, but I’m being serious.”
“So was I,” she mumbled and I hesitated.
“Are you okay, Anna?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” she replied, testily.
“Sorry about yesterday. I hope you weren’t upset.”
“You guys acted like I wasn’t even there.”
“I didn’t mean…”
“And then I tried to call you last night to talk and your mom said you were out.”
“I stayed over at Luke’s.”
“I figured,” she sighed. “Thanks for the invite.”
“But you had to go home and cook for your dad.” I didn’t understand why she was so upset. She knew that Luke and I had sleepovers a lot. They meant nothing.
“Yeah, that’s my life,” she sighed. “Anyways. What’s your good news?”
“We got invited to Bryce’s party this weekend.”
“Wait, what?” Suddenly her voice seemed happier and brighter. “How did that happen?”
“He came in the library today.”
“No way,” she gasped. “Bryce Evans in a library? Someone call the police because the end of the world is coming.”
“Anna!” I laughed. “That’s mean.”
“Come on, Lexi, you know it’s true.”
“He’s a smart guy, Anna. He got into Notre Dame.”
“He’s not as smart as Luke.”
“No one’s as smart as Luke,” I laughed. “So I need to go to get my hair done. Want to come?”
“What are you getting done?”
“Just making it blonder.” I played with my long hair and looked at the dull tresses. “I want to be sun-kissed blond. Not muted, brown blond.”
“Lexi, your hair is gorgeous.”
“I want to be like the it girls. I have to be, Anna, if I want him to notice me.”
“Maybe he noticed you because you’re beautiful without bleached out hair.”
“Thanks, Anna,” I laughed. “I figure some highlights and a trim won’t hurt.”
“I guess I can come as well.”
“No way.” I was shocked. I hadn’t expected her to agree.
“I may as well look good as well.” She paused. “Is Luke coming?”
“I hope so. I’m going to ask him.” I looked at my watch. “In fact, my break is nearly done. Let me call him now and then I’ll see you after work?”
“Okay, sounds good.” Anna hung up and I mulled our conversation as I dialed Luke’s number. The more I thought about it, the more certain I was that Anna was interested in Luke. I told myself that I should ask her about it when I picked her up, once and for all. It would be weird if they dated but I couldn’t stop them. I was surprised at the distress I felt when I pictured them as a couple, but banished the thoughts from my mind.
“What’s up, buttercup?” Luke answered the phone with a drawl and I laughed.
“Not much, peanut.”
“Don’t you mean walnut?”
“Nope.”
“Almond nut?”
“Nope.”
“Cashew nut?”
“More like nut case,” I laughed. “Guess what?”
“You won a Nobel peace prize?”
“How did you know?” I laughed. “No, idiot. We got invited to Bryce’s party this weekend!”
“Whoa, what? Who did you have to sleep with for that?”
“Luke.”
/>
“You slept with me?” He paused. “I think I would have remembered that.”
“You’re an idiot,” I laughed. “Bryce came into the library today. I can’t believe it.”
“Why did he go into the library?” Luke sounded suspicious. “And do we have to go?”
“Yes, we are all going.”
“Argh. I don’t want to go and see all those pretentious fools from high school.”
“Luke. Please,” I pleaded.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I’ll walk Bongo all next week for you.”
“Deal,” he laughed. “Don’t forget the pooper scooper either.”
“You suck, Luke,” I laughed. “Anyways, I’ll see you later. I have to get back to work.”
“Okay, see you later, Lexus.”
“Bye, nutcase.” I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone with a huge grin on my face. It seemed like my tide was changing.
***
“Anna, I wanted to ask you something.” My words sounded serious as she got into the car and she frowned at me.
“Who died?”
“No one.” I paused. “Do you have a crush on Luke?”
“What?” She looked at me in shock and I saw a blush rising in her face.
“Do you have a crush on Luke?” I stared at her hard. “You can tell me if you do.”
“No, I don’t. He’s like our brother.”
“Well, yes. But he isn’t really our brother.” I paused. “I know that a lot of girls think he is attractive now.”
“Do you have a crush on him?” She looked at me with narrowed eyes.
“No, of course not.” I shook my head. “That’s gross.”
“Why?”
“He’s like my best friend and my brother.”
“But he’s not your brother.”
“Well, you know.” I cringed. “That’s gross. I couldn’t even picture myself kissing him.”
“He has nice lips,” she said, softly.
“Argh. No way.” I pretended to puke. “That would be sick.”
“Okay.” She rolled her eyes at me. “So I was thinking about what you said earlier. Do you think Bryce invited you because of Eddie?”
“What?” I frowned at her, upset that she had brought up Eddie.
“Well, you know. After everything that happened.” She looked at me sideways as I drove. “Maybe he wants to talk to you about that night.”
“I don’t want to talk about that night.” I felt my breath catch as I drove. “I never want to think about that night again. Except for the part when Bryce rescued me.”
“You’ve got to think he might want to talk about it. Especially seeing as he left right after Eddie, you know.” She paused.
“He had nothing to do with that.” I looked at her, annoyed.
“We don’t know that.”
“I do.” My voice was firm. “It’s not possible.”
“Anything is possible, Lexi.” She reached over and touched my arm. “My dad thought it was weird, how everything happened.”
“Like what?” I looked at her with narrowed eyes.
“I’m not meant to say.”
“Anna, you have to tell me now.”
“Let’s not discuss it now.” She squeezed my arm. “Do you know what you are going to wear to wow Bryce in?”
“No,” I sighed. “I don’t have anything to wow him in.”
“Then, I ask, we should go shopping?”
“That sounds like a good plan,” I grinned, momentarily forgetting my anxiety from our previous conversation. I didn’t like thinking about Eddie. Especially after what had happened.
“Shall we ask Luke?” I turned to my friend and saw her blush again. “I know you have a crush on him, Anna.”
“He’d never be interested in me,” she sighed, playing with her long, brown hair.
“Of course he would,” I smiled at her, helpfully. “He’d be lucky to have a girlfriend like you, especially after dating that skank Briget.”
“You think so?” She smiled at me, shyly.
“I know so.” I rolled my eyes. “Luke may look like a hottie now, but he’s still a nerd inside,” I laughed. Luke had had a major transformation when we graduated from High School. He had joined a gym, and had gained weight, so that his lanky frame was now more athletic. He had cut his previously long stringy hair and he had gotten rid of his thick owl-glasses. His transformation had shocked Anna and I, but it was the girls outside of our circle who really seemed to appreciate the changes in Luke. He had met a girl at community college, called Briget, and had dated her for about two years. I couldn’t stand her and she didn’t like me. I hadn’t been sad when they had broken up.
“Does it make you sad to know that Luke lost his virginity to her?” Anna questioned me softly and I burst out laughing.
“Hell no. I’m just glad that it finally happened.”
“Really?”
“Yes. A twenty-two year old male virgin is not cute.”
“But we’re still virgins.”
I sighed as we pulled into my driveway and turned to her. “But we’re girls and we’re both saving it for someone special.”
“Do you think they will ever come along?”
“I think they already have,” I grinned.
“Really?”
“Yup. Luke and Bryce.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “I think they will make the perfect lovers for both of us.
“We wish,” Anna giggled.
“They wish.” I danced as we got out of the car. “At least I hope so.”
“You hope what?” Luke and Bongo came running out of his house and into my yard.
“Nothing, nosey.” I punched him on the arm.
“Why hello to you, too.” He grinned at me and rubbed his arm. “Hey, Anna.”
“Hey, Luke.” She grinned at him and flung her hair over her shoulder.
“So Lexi roped you into going to this party as well?”
“It should be fun.”
“For whom?” He threw a ball for Bongo to catch. “I feel like we are in a time warp and going back to high school.”
“We were never invited to the party of the year in high school,” I reminded him.
“And I don’t know if I want to be invited now.”
“At least we’ll all be there.” Anna walked up to him and rubbed his shoulder and he looked down at her and smiled.
“That’s the only positive,” he grinned. “I suppose you and I will have to keep each other company, while Lexi goes after Bryce.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Anna grinned and I could see the happiness reflected in the sparkle of her eyes.
“Can we please go camping this weekend as well, to make up for the party?”
“When?” I frowned.
“Sat and Sun?” Luke walked over to me and took a piece of a dead leaf out of my hair and stared into my eyes. “The party is Friday, right?”
“Yes,” I sighed. “I suppose so.”
“Good.” He pulled something else out of my hair. “Where have you been and why do you have so many dead leaves in your hair?”
“No idea.” I stared at his tee shirt for a second and laughed. “Pinky and the Brain? Aren’t you too old to be wearing a tee-shirt with cartoon characters?”
“You’re never too old,” he laughed. “Never.”
“Are you guys coming?” Anna frowned at us as she walked to my front door.
“Yes, sorry.” I pulled away from Luke, feeling self-conscious.
“Your mom’s home,” Luke whispered to me and I groaned.
“Great,” I sighed. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing my mom. “Don’t mention the party in front of my mom, okay?”
“Sure.” Luke looked at me in surprise as we walked through the front door. “Is there a reason why?”
“Yes.” I shook my head. “But I can’t talk about it.”
“Okay.”
“Lexi, there you are. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Good, I got a $40 tip today,” she grinned and pulled out the two $20 notes.
“Nice,” I smiled, genuinely happy. My mom was happier on days she got good tips.
“I thought I might go to the mall tomorrow.”
“Maybe you can go with Lexi and I?” Anna through in. I tried to make eye contact with her to stop her from talking, but she wasn’t looking in my direction.
“You girls are going to the mall?”
“Yeah, to get some new clothes and our hair done for the party on Friday.”
“Party?” My mom looked at her, curiously. “What party?”
“The mayor’s holding a party for his son, Bryce, who is back from war.”
“Mayor Evans?” My mom frowned and turned towards me. “You’re going to a party at the mayor’s house, Lexi?”
“Well, yes.” My voice was tight and low.
“How could you?” She looked at me in shock. “You can’t go, I tell you.”
“She is over eighteen now, Mrs. Lord,” Anna laughed, not sensing the tension in the air.
“You can’t go, Lexi. How could you?” My mom ran out of the room and out the front door. We heard her car screech as she pulled out of the driveway and we all stood there in silence.
“Uhm ... is she okay?” Anna looked at me, confused.
“Yeah, she’ll be fine,” I sighed.
“Anna, why did you have to go and open your big mouth about the party?” Luke frowned at her. “I swear you can’t read any situation.”
“How was I to know that her mom was going to freak out?” Anna’s voice sounded hurt.
“You should have looked at Lexi, it was obvious she didn’t want us to say anything.”
“Sorry, I can’t read her mind like you can, Luke.” Anna made a face.
“Guys, it’s okay.” I rubbed my temple. “Maybe you both should go.”
“I can stay, Lexi.” Luke sidled up to me and wrapped his arms around me. He, more than anyone, knew just how tempestuous my relationship with my mother was.
“No,” I sighed, “It’s okay. I just need to be alone.” I looked at them both and felt tears coming to my eyes. “I need to go to the bathroom. You can let yourselves out.”
