“Yes. No. Libby and Steve set me up on a blind date. I didn’t know anything about it until Libby and I had walked to the restaurant and were ready to go in. By then, Steve and Jack were already inside, waiting for us.”
Silent seconds seemed like hours.
“Say something, Dex. Please.”
“Did you go in?” Flat and without intonation, his question worried her.
“Yes. I regret it now, but at the time I thought I was doing it for the right reason. Libby said Steve was going to make a special announcement, which turned out to be good news about his career. I went in, more for Libby’s sake than anything. It was a mistake, and I should have gone back to Libby’s instead.”
“So, what went on in the restaurant?”
“Nothing. It was afterward, when we were walking back to Libby’s.” Trying hard not to cry, Aria related the incident with the creep in detail.
“He did what? And where the heck was Steve when this guy was assaulting you? Why didn’t he do something to help you?”
“Steve and Libby had already made it to Libby’s apartment building and were standing outside kissing good night. Neither of them saw what was going on.”
“If I could get my hands on that Jack guy, I’d rip his head off.” Dex grunted loudly. “And then what happened?”
Aria’s pulse raced. She’d felt small. Vulnerable. Overpowered. The memory made her shudder. “I-I broke away from Jack then ran into the building and nearly killed myself running up three flights of stairs.”
“Besides the kiss, did he physically hurt you?”
“No, I’m okay. Just shook up.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re all right.” Dex exhaled a long, steady breath that could be interpreted as anything from anger or exasperation to relief. Without seeing his expression, it was impossible to tell. “I’d better let you go so you can hang out with your friend.”
“You don’t have to go, Dex.” Nor did she want him to. Her throbbing heart counted off each moment of uncomfortable stillness.
“Can I call you back in, say, half an hour?” Dex’s monotone disguised whatever he was feeling.
“Sure.”
Dex ended the call and the line went dead.
* * * *
Clouds hung low in the night sky, heavy laden with forecasted snow. No moon. No Aria. No joy. Dex turned from his bedroom window, crossed the room, and slouched into his comfortable leather easy chair.
He couldn’t justify the anger he felt toward Aria. Not really. They hadn’t made any commitments not to see other people. Although, once he’d sealed his intentions with a kiss and they’d agreed they wanted to see each other again, it was a given for him.
But Jack was another story. It didn’t matter that his crime involved nothing more than a rough, unwanted hug and kiss. The man was guilty of assault, plain and simple, and Dex would like nothing better than to deliver a few angry blows of retribution to teach him a lesson. But there wasn’t a thing he could do about it from North Carolina.
Seven minutes had passed since Dex said goodbye, or rather hung up on Aria to keep from saying things he’d later regret. Or maybe he’d cut her off because on a cruel and spiteful subconscious level, he wanted to deliver a covert message that he was ticked that she’d gone through with her blind date.
You don’t have to go, Dex.
The pleading in Aria’s voice almost made him stay on the line. But no, he needed a few minutes to gather his thoughts, sort his feelings, and take a little time to figure out what to do or say next. And now, he was ready.
Aria answered his call on the first ring with an eager, “Hello.”
“Hi. Sorry I hung up on you without saying goodbye. That was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done it.”
“I figured you were mad at me. But there are several things I left out about what happened tonight that I need to tell you.”
“Like what?”
“Like the fact that the first thing I did when I got to the table inside the restaurant was tell Jack I had a boyfriend and that Libby and Steve hadn’t been aware of it when they arranged the date.”
Boyfriend? Dex’s night just got a whole lot better. If he’d given Aria a chance instead of hanging up on her, she might have had time to tell him this important bit of information that made all the difference in the world. “So what did Jack say? How did he react?”
“He seemed fine with it. Even said you were a lucky guy and suggested we all just enjoy the meal and forget about it being a date. I thought everything was okay and that Jack had taken it rather well. That’s why I was shocked when he grabbed and kissed me. It was the absolute last thing I would have expected him to do after having a rather pleasant dinner with him, Libby, and Steve.”
“Aria, I’m sorry.” The words came straight from his heart.
“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong. I did. I should have never—”
“I was jealous and stupid, okay?” Admitting it wasn’t easy. “Jack mauled you, and yes, I’m still fuming about that. But, all I could think about was that you willingly, or so I thought, participated in a blind date that happened to end badly. I misjudged you, and I also misjudged how you felt about us.” And he’d stupidly acted as if he somehow owned her.
“Us. Mmm. I like that word.”
“I do too. Jack was right about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I am a lucky guy. Boyfriend, huh?” He couldn’t say it without smiling.
“Was I being presumptuous? After all, our relationship is only a week old and we never talked about where we were going with it, or, or—”
“Or if there was an expectation that it would be mutually exclusive?”
“Yes. We never talked about that.”
“Just say the word, tell me that’s what you want, and you can count me in.”
“It’s what I want.”
Man, but he loved the sound of her whispered commitment and the sweet and sexy gasp of surprise that came before it. “Excellent.”
“I wish you were here.”
He wished the same. “Once I found how high the airfares were for this weekend, I made an alternate plan to jump in my car after work today, drive into the wee hours to New York, and see you tomorrow. But when you told me Tuesday night that you were going to Libby’s this weekend, I didn’t tell you about it because I didn’t want to ruin your plans.”
“Oh, Dex, why didn’t you say something?”
“You’d already bailed on her last weekend because of the wedding. Figured you’d want to make up for it and have some girl time.”
“That was considerate, and I do enjoy hanging out with Libby. But I would much rather be with you.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Next time, I’ll know to speak up.” Dex pushed himself out of the easy chair and went back to the window. Clouds still hid the moon. But at least he had Aria.
“Dex, remember last Sunday when I stumbled on you and Jasmine having a conversation in the soft drink aisle at Middleton’s?”
“Conversation?” Dex had to laugh. “You mean argument, don’t you? I don’t know if that could be called a conversation by any stretch of definition, but what about it?” And what reason could Aria have for bringing that up now?
“Afterward, in the parking lot, you asked if there was any way we could pretend that the little episode in Middleton’s didn’t happen. Do you remember what I said?”
Aria’s trail of questions was finally making sense and leading to an understandable end. “Yes, I remember it well.”
“Right. So would you extend to me the same courtesy, and try to forget about my blind date fiasco? Please?”
“What blind date fiasco? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Thank you for saying that. I needed to hear it.”
Aria’s combinat
ion laugh-cry was a womanly mystery Dex would never understand. Feminine behavior often defied logic, yet what a dull and lifeless world it would be without them. Without her.
“Aria.”
“Yes?”
“Enjoy the evening with Libby. I’ll call you tomorrow. Maybe you can even introduce me to her via FaceTime or Skype and show me what her apartment looks like. Sound good to you?”
“I would love that, and I know she would too. Libby’s a fantastic person. You’ll like her.”
“I’m sure I will. Good night, gorgeous.”
Chapter 11
“You said you were interested in moving in with the guys and signing a new one-year lease the beginning of next month. Now you’re waffling. What seems to be the problem?” Dex couldn’t wait to hear Peanut’s explanation. Wasting a perfectly good Saturday morning to come to the seedy part of town wasn’t his idea of starting the day off right. But he needed an answer now if he were to set up a meeting next week with the landlord to discuss the possibility of transferring the lease.
“I thought the rent was equally split three ways, but Zook and Stanley said that’s not the case. They told me that whoever gets the master bed and bath had to pay more. Neither of them wants to take your room when you go, so that leaves me being the one who’d be stuck with higher rent.”
“You’re going to quibble about paying eighty-seven dollars more a month than either of them for a vastly larger room and your own bath? With a Jacuzzi, no less? You’ll probably still end up paying less rent there than you pay for this place.”
Peanut crossed his arms and leaned back against his cluttered, toast-crumb-speckled kitchen counter. “How many times have you used the Jacuzzi? Be honest.”
“Zero. I’m a shower kind of guy. But that’s not the only advantage to the deal. There’s a gigantic walk-in closet with plenty of space and built-in drawers in a separate room off the bathroom.” Dex turned toward the open door on his right. “Is that your bedroom?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
Without asking, Dex walked into the room and to the only window. He parted the curtains and leaned toward the glass. “Nice,” he said, turning back to where Peanut stood in the doorway. “You’ve got a scenic, second-story view of a dumpster. Do you just open your window and shout ‘bombs away’ before chucking a bag of trash? Just wondering.”
“Dude, did you come here just to criticize my apartment?”
Peanut was right. He was being critical. “Sorry. I’m just tweaked up because you’ve been hounding me for at least two months, asking if you could take my place in the house. Now, in the last week or so, because the guys told you about the eighty-seven bucks, you’ve been dodging me and acting like I’m a sleazy used-car salesman who’s trying to get you into a clunker that’s not worth the sticker price.” Dex passed Peanut and went back into the kitchen.
The curled edges of the Formica countertop needed to be flattened, glued, and a few C-clamps or pressure clips applied to keep it in place until it dried. And the refrigerator? How could Peanut get any sleep when the compressor kicked on and rattled against the shared bedroom wall the way it did? A guy would have to literally lose all consciousness at night not to be bothered by the noise.
“It’s not the eighty-seven dollars that matters at all. Here’s the deal,” Peanut said, then finger-combed his hair back and reseated the Florida Gators ball cap on his head. “It’s gotten serious between my girlfriend and me. She lives in Destin, and I’m trying to save money so I can buy a ring, propose, and see if she’ll marry me.”
Dex could see why Peanut was weighing his options. What girl would want to move in with two other bachelors? “So, you’re living on the cheap until you feel you’re ready to take the plunge. I get it. Is this a recent development? Your decision to ask her, I mean?”
“Yeah. She’s…she’s handicapped. I guess that’s not the politically correct word anymore, but she has physical limitations that she’s had to deal with in recent months. I haven’t told anyone else about it, so I’d appreciate if you’d keep it between you and me.”
He couldn’t help but feel like a heel. Dex had never taken the time to get to know the twenty-eight-year-old Floridian very well. Now it seemed as if he’d put so much emphasis on his own life, he’d hardly taken note of any of his men’s problems, needs, and desires.
“What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?” He pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and sat.
Peanut sat across from him and cradled his head in his hands a moment before answering. “We’ve been dating for over a year. Four months ago, she lost a leg from the knee down in a car accident. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Not really. A man had a fatal heart attack, rammed into her car head on, and practically pushed the engine onto her lap.”
“I’m sorry, man. I had no idea you were going through anything like this.”
“Thanks, but you had no way of knowing. Nobody did except Greco, and he doesn’t broadcast personal stuff to the unit.” Peanut shrugged.
“Greco is good at that, for sure.”
“Anyway, she had a setback two weeks ago with a blood clot in her good leg. That was the tipping point for me. I knew I’d almost lost her once, and—I-I’m sorry, Sarge. It’s hard to talk about Suzy without losing it.”
Dex had forgotten for a moment that he wasn’t only Peanut’s—Jim Habersham’s—friend, but also his sergeant. “It’s okay, Jim. I understand. Do what you think is best for you and Suzy.”
“Thanks, man.”
“If you need help finding a better place where she’d be more comfortable—you know, like maybe a ground-floor apartment—I’m here if you need me. Seriously. I’m sorry for trying to pressure you into taking my spot at the house.”
“Thanks, Dex. I appreciate it.”
“Suzy’s got herself a good man. I’ve no doubt she’ll say yes when the time comes.” Rising, Dex stuck out his hand. “Good luck, Jim.”
* * * *
The corner café made the fluffiest and best-tasting omelet Aria had ever eaten. As full as her stomach felt, she should have stopped long before shoveling the last few bites into her mouth. “It’s just after ten, so would you call what we just ate breakfast or brunch?”
Libby padded along the sidewalk beside her on their way back to the apartment. “You’re on a weekend vacation, so it doesn’t matter what you call it. But I’d go with brunch. Not that we couldn’t do a late lunch too. Hmm? So what would you call a meal eaten between lunch and dinner? Lupper, linner, dinch?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just called a snack. Any way you look at it, I don’t want to even think of eating for another couple hours. How about we cruise up the avenue, do a little window shopping, and walk it off?”
“Okay, but only if you promise to stop pulling out your phone every five minutes.” Libby laughed and linked arms with Aria. “He’s not going to call any sooner because you keep checking. Remember the watched pot?”
Libby was like a sister. At least, she loved her like one. “Libs, thanks for letting me ramble last night after Dex and I talked. I think we rehashed and scrutinized every word Dex and I had said.”
Libby hugged her arm. “That’s what friends do. Remember how I went on and on about Steve when we first met?”
“Yeah, I do. You were over the moon, and do you know what?”
“What?” The shoulder-length auburn hair hanging below Libby’s multi-colored pull-on hat flipped around in the breeze. No matter how many times Aria teased about her bag-lady hat, Libby took it with her typical good nature and laughed.
“I was almost as happy for you as if I’d met someone special myself. Not exactly, I know, but close. Shucks, you know what I mean.”
“I do. And Ari, I want to apologize again for yesterday. When you told me you’d met someone, I should have jumped for joy like you did when I told you about Steve. In
stead, I—”
“Lib, don’t.” Aria reached across and patted her arm. “Don’t give it a second thought. I always know you’re rooting for me, and I should have immediately read in your expression that something was wrong.”
“Thanks. I rolled around in bed last night thinking, oh, my gosh, how could I have hurt my best friend like this.”
“Shh. You sound like you’re on the verge of crying. Please don’t.” Aria found a wad of restaurant napkins in her pocket and handed them to Libby. “Believe me when I say I understand the position you were in. You misinterpreted my being nice to Jack at that party as having some level of interest in him. He was our employer for the evening, and I felt as though I didn’t have a choice but to treat him extra nicely.”
“Thank you for believing I would never hurt you. Not ever.”
“I believe that with my whole heart.” Aria walked faster, prompting Libby to do the same as they passed the entrance to Libby’s apartment building. “Now let’s talk about happy things. Puppies. Cheesecake. Bumper cars at Coney Island. No more sad talk. Today is a new day, full of—”
Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Aria yanked her phone from her coat pocket. “It’s Dex.”
“Girlfriend, don’t just stand there looking dumbfounded. Answer it.”
“Hi, Dex. How’s your day going?”
“Not bad. Just got back from Peanut’s. He’s the guy I told you about who wanted to move into the house and either take over, or sign a new lease. Remember?”
“I do. So, how’d it work out?”
“Dead end. He’s got his own set of problems and isn’t interested anymore. No biggie. I can tough it out. All I want to do right now is get a look at you. Ready to FaceTime?”
“Yes, hold on while I press the button to accept.”
Dex’s face filled the screen.
Aria stared. She liked it better being with him in person, when his cologne filled her senses and the feel of his clothing made her fingers tingle, but this was a close second. “Hey.”
“Ah, there you are, just as beautiful as I remembered.”
A Soldier's Song Page 9
