by S. H. Kolee
I was breathless from more than Simon's twirling. I had grabbed Simon's neck when he had started spinning me around, wrapping my arms around him to keep from falling. My arms were still around his neck, my face tilted up towards his bent head. I felt a sudden urge to pull him closer, to press his lips against mine. He was so close. And I knew he was willing. Simon's eyes became hooded as he looked down at me, focusing on my lips and tightening his arms.
Before I did something I would regret, I backed away, lowering my arms and breaking his embrace. Simon let his arms drop but he looked disappointed.
"Well," I said awkwardly. "Thanks for walking me home."
"Anytime," Simon replied, his face clearing of disappointment as he gave me a smile. "Sweet dreams."
I flinched at his words but he didn't seem to notice. I covered it up with an answering smile. "You too."
After Simon left and I locked the apartment door behind me, I was grateful to see that it was dark under Sarah's door. I felt too vulnerable at the moment and wasn't sure I could hide anything if Sarah had been awake to question me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next day went by quickly since I was anticipating the trip to Connecticut. By the time I got home after my last class, Sarah was practically bouncing up and down on the couch, beside herself with excitement.
"Finally!" she exclaimed. "I thought you were never going to get home!"
"I come home the same time every Friday," I said with a laugh, but Sarah's excitement was contagious. Much to my surprise, I was actually looking forward to visiting Simon's hometown. I tried to push back the nervousness of meeting his family.
"Yeah, but it's not everyday I get to see Grant on his home turf." Sarah hesitated, the glow in her eyes dimming slightly. "Do you think we'll see Cara?"
I gave Sarah a sympathetic look. I knew she was torn between wanting to finally see the girl who could twist Grant around her finger versus fearing she would have to see Grant fawn over the girl she considered the competition. Sarah respected relationships and had never pursued Grant while he and Cara were together, but she considered him fair game on their "off" periods, which were more frequent than not.
Grant never talked in much detail about Cara, but from what I could glean she sounded materialistic and controlling. I thought it was odd that she had never visited Grant at school in the year and a half we had known him. He would always be the one to go to Connecticut to visit her. Wasn't she curious about his life at Maxwell?
I couldn't understand why someone like Grant would let a girl pull his strings like a puppet. Grant had known Cara since they were both in elementary school and they had grown up together. I wondered if that was a factor in their apparent dysfunctional codependency. I just wished Sarah could move past him and let someone who actually reciprocated her feelings have a chance. Grant and Sarah were good friends, but he had to know how she felt. It was pretty overt and he never seemed to discourage it.
In fact, even though he never acted on her implied invitations, he seemed to enjoy it. I thought it was only fair that he be honest with her and let her know if there was no chance, but Grant seemed to give just the right amount of encouragement to keep her hopes up.
"I'm not sure if we'll see her," I answered. "Maybe it'll be a good thing if we don't."
"I wonder if she even knows who I am. If Grant's ever mentioned me to her." Sarah looked glum at the possibility that she didn't rate important enough for Cara to be aware of her existence.
"Let's just agree that Grant's an idiot if he passes on someone as fantastic as you," I said vehemently. "I love Grant but he's a man. Men are stupid. It's in the chromosomes."
Sarah giggled and I was happy her spirits were lifted. "Simon's a man and he seems pretty smart. He knows exactly what he wants and goes for it." Before I could interrupt with a protest, her eyes lit up. "Wait! You could ask Simon about Cara. He must know a lot about their relationship since he and Grant grew up together. He must know her pretty well. Can you ask him? Please?"
It was hard to refuse Sarah's pleading tone. I felt uncomfortable asking Simon to delve into Grant's love life. I didn't want to seem nosy. But I also understood the obligation to help out a girlfriend in need, especially when it centered around gathering intel on a crush.
"Well," I said, drawing the word out. "I guess I could ask Simon about their relationship." I gave Sarah a warning look. "But don't expect me to ask for all the details. I'll ask him what he thinks about their relationship in general, saying I was just worried that you were headed for heartbreak."
Sarah clapped her hands in glee, acting like a little girl who just found out that Santa Claus had indeed come to her house on Christmas Eve. "Yes! Thanks Caitlin, I owe you one!"
I looked at Sarah fondly. "Let's just say this one's on the house." I sat down on the couch beside her as we waited for Simon to pick us up. We had dragged our suitcases next to the front door earlier this morning, so we were ready to go. I ran my nail over the seam of my jeans as I nervously searched for my next words. I hadn't told Sarah yet about my aunt. There had been so many things going on that it never felt like the right time to tell her. I was nervous because I was afraid she would see through my story and dig deeper, demanding the truth. And I just wasn't ready for that yet. Not until I got more answers from Aunt Brenda.
"I haven't gotten a chance to mention something that happened the other day," I started. "I randomly got a call from my aunt...well, at least someone claiming to be my aunt, but it seems like she's the real deal. She's my father's older sister. She lives in Connecticut so I'm going to make a quick trip on Sunday to see her."
Sarah's eyes widened at my words. She knew what a big deal it was for me to be contacted by a relative. She knew how painful it was for me to have no relationships with my extended family, especially since my one close family member, my father, seemed to find me so lacking.
"That's awesome, Caitlin!" she shrieked, ecstatic for me. She threw her arms around me, giving me a quick but fierce hug. Sarah pulled back, grinning at me. "I'll go with you!"
"But you're going over to Grant's on Sunday," I reminded her.
Sarah shook her head. "No way. There's no way I'm letting you go to your aunt's by yourself. I know that it'll be great, but just in case..." She faltered, not saying the words I knew she was thinking. She wanted to be there in case my aunt turned out to be as critical as my father. After all, they were siblings. But I couldn't let her come with me. I knew how badly she wanted to go to Grant's. I felt a rush of love for her willingness to so easily push that aside because she thought I needed her. But even more importantly, I doubted that I would be able to convince her to not come inside my aunt's house. Sarah would think it was odd and I wasn't sure the excuse of my aunt being wary of strangers would work on her.
"Don't worry, Sarah. Simon is actually going to drive me over. I won't be going alone." I didn't add that a prerequisite for me agreeing to have Simon come with me was for him to wait in the car.
Sarah looked surprised. "Simon already knows?" She looked flummoxed because she was usually the first person I told things to. But she didn't seem perturbed by it since a slow smile started to stretch across her face. "And you're letting him take you over to your aunt's house. Hmm...very interesting." Sarah gave me a knowing look, grinning from ear to ear.
I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't mean anything." Sarah just continued grinning like a fool. "Really, it was just-"
I was interrupted by a knock at the door and I was grateful that I didn't have to finish my explanation because I wasn't sure what I had been going to say. I jumped up to answer the door, opening it to reveal Simon standing there, looking as gorgeous as ever. It should be illegal the way he filled out his jeans and green t-shirt. He was also wearing a brown leather jacket that enhanced his masculine good looks. Simon's brown hair was mussed perfectly as usual and his blue eyes were sparkling in anticipation. He looked happy and relaxed and I felt a smile growing on my face in return.
"Ready t
o go?"
"Yup, we just have to grab our bags." I turned to tell Sarah that we should carry our suitcases to Simon's car but before I could utter a word, Simon picked up both our suitcases as if they weighed nothing. That was impressive since I knew Sarah's suitcase was as heavy as a ton of bricks. I had reminded her a few times that we were only going to be in Connecticut for a couple of days, but she had insisted that she had to be prepared for all occasions and fluctuating weather.
My suitcase, in contrast, did really weigh practically nothing. I had just packed a couple of tops, an extra pair of jeans and a sweater, plus my toiletries. I did have one nice dress and heels I brought for the party since Simon had said it was going to be dressy. The last thing I wanted to do was embarrass Simon in front of his family by showing up dressed as a frump.
"I got it," Simon said, easily bounding down the stairs to put it in the trunk of his car. Sarah and I grabbed our coats and followed him down.
"Did you let Grant know you were here yet?" Sarah asked as she paused in front of Grant and Marcus' door.
"Not yet. Can you tell him to get his ass out here?"
"Sure!" Sarah agreed immediately.
I opened the rear door of the car, intending to slide in when Simon stopped me, grabbing my elbow.
"Sit in the front."
"Grant can sit in the front. Sarah and I'll sit in the back. More leg room for Grant." Grant was only a few inches taller than me but I didn't let that fact interfere with my reasoning. It would be more comfortable if I was sitting in the back with Sarah. If I sat in the front, it seemed too much like two couples going away for the weekend.
Simon shook his head. "Grant always falls asleep on long drives and I need a co-captain that'll keep me from dozing off."
I looked at him, concerned. "Are you tired? We can take turns driving."
Simon grinned, as alert as I'd seen anyone look and I narrowed my eyes. "I'm not tired but if I have to look at Grant's ugly mug snoring away, it's bound to be make me sleepy."
I folded my arms across my chest. I didn't believe his excuse. "Well, it just so happens that I'm practically narcoleptic when I'm in the car for long periods of time. Why don't you have Sarah sit in the front." I was lying since it had always been hard for me to fall asleep in any place other than my own bed. I was afraid of having a vision and flipping out in front of too many witnesses.
"I'm okay with watching you snore. You're much better looking than Grant."
"Hey! I don't snore!" I protested.
Simon winked. "Perfect. Then you get the front seat." He opened the front car door and pushed me inside. I sat down before I could think of a response, knowing that Simon's reasoning had been nonsensical but somehow he had still gotten his way.
Grant came outside and threw a duffel bag in the trunk. He climbed into the back seat along with Sarah as Simon slid into the driver's seat and started the car.
"Hi Caitlin," he greeted enthusiastically. "Ready to brave the wilds of Connecticut?"
I turned around with a grin. "Sure. Although I hear that the preppies can get out of hand when there's a sale at Ralph Lauren."
Simon gave a snort of laughter. "Unfortunately, that's not far from the truth. Except they would never claim to have bought anything on sale."
"Hey, it's not that bad!" Grant protested. He turned to Sarah. "Don't listen to Simon. He just always figured himself a rebel but he secretly has a stash of polos and khakis in the back of his closet."
I gasped in mock horror. "Khakis and polos?! What'll that do to your rocker image?"
Simon grinned. "The only khakis and polos I have in my closet are the ones Grant's hidden there. He doesn't want anyone to know he likes to wear them, along with argyle socks, when he's lounging around at home. Thinks it'll hurt his Henchmen image."
Sarah laughed at Grant's expression of outrage. "It's okay, Grant. I'll never believe it until I see it."
Grant pretended to be offended but then ruined the effect by grinning. "Seriously, Connecticut isn't too bad. It has its share of uptight preppies but there's normal people too. At least in my town. Don't get me started on Darien. That's where all the Richie Riches are."
"Just how rich are you, Simon?" Sarah asked guilelessly. Sarah came from an upper middle class family but she seemed intrigued by Simon's wealth. I couldn't help but be shocked by her lack of filter. It seemed an indelicate subject to handle so boldly.
Simon just laughed, not seeming offended. "I'm not rich. My parents are rich." Simon glanced at me before continuing. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to lie and say money doesn't make some things easy. It's given me plenty of advantages I haven't turned down. But at the end of the day, it's not going to make you happy if you have nothing else in your life."
Grant sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Simon was always a disappointment. I kept trying to convince him to ask his father to buy him a helicopter when we were in high school but he refused."
"Yeah, right," Sarah scoffed.
Simon cocked an eyebrow. "Actually, he did. Grant's never been grounded in reality."
"Hey! I bet your dad would have gotten you one. Complete with a pilot. Especially if you had promised to become a lawyer."
Simon shook his head in amusement. "I can't count how many times Grant has tried to get me to ask for crazy things for his benefit by sacrificing myself to a dull life of law."
"Well, it would have come in handy today. We could've flown instead of having to drive six hours," Grant rebuffed.
"I don't mind the drive." Simon looked at me, a smile playing on his lips. "It all depends on the company, I guess."
"So what exactly are we going to do tomorrow?" I asked, not knowing how to react to his statement. So I did what I did best - deflect.
"My mom wants to take us out to lunch. She's going to the spa afterwards with Kendra to get ready for the party and she wanted me to invite you girls along. Her treat."
"Absolutely," Sarah squealed in delight.
Simon looked at me when I didn't answer. I wasn't sure how comfortable I would be hobnobbing with Simon's mother at a spa. I was a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. I didn't spend much time inside of spas and I didn't want to look green in front of her.
"Caitlin?" Simon asked in a questioning tone when I didn't reply. "You don't have to if you don't want to. We can do something else."
It felt churlish to refuse such a generous offer. And Sarah would also be there so maybe it wouldn't be too bad. "No, it's a lovely offer. Of course."
The drive down to Connecticut went by a lot faster than I anticipated. Despite what Simon had claimed, Grant was alert and energetic during the drive and he was constantly coming up with games to play, like trying to be the first to spot a new state license plate. Even though the games were simple and juvenile, I found myself laughing and smiling, enjoying the easy camaraderie and banter immensely. I hadn't spent my childhood on roadtrips and this was a new experience for me.
I found myself glancing at Simon frequently during the trip. Every time he looked at me, it was difficult to not search his eyes for something that didn't belong there. It had been like this ever since my aunt's revelations. But I never saw anything except Simon's clear blue eyes looking back at me. It was hard to believe that there could be any such thing as a vardoger temporarily possessing Simon's body, even if it was for seconds at a time. Simon was too vibrant, too strong, too full of life to have anything overtake him.
We stopped in a town called Hancock to fill up on gas and grab a bite to eat, and then we were back on the road. Before I knew it, Simon started pointing out landmarks on the road, indicating that we were close to his house.
"That's my high school," he said, pointing to a large building made out of brick. I peered at it, trying to see it through the dark. I could barely make out the words Lincoln High School on the sign in front of the building.
"What were you like in high school?" I asked, turning to look at Simon's profile. I could imagine him being popular with girls fawnin
g over him. Not much had changed in a few years. "Were you a jock?"
Simon shrugged as he glanced at me. "I ran in all different sorts of crowds. I'd like to think I had a mix of friends."
Grant leaned in between the front seats. "Don't let this guy be modest. He was an all-american in basketball. Plus he was the lead in every damn play. It got annoying having to go see that junk all the time."
Simon laughed. "It's a bit of an exaggeration to say I was the lead in every play. And no one made you come see me in them."
"Nuh uh!" Grant protested. "My mom did!"
I laughed at Grant's affronted expression. "Poor Grant. Having to be tortured by being exposed to the arts. High school arts, anyways." I turned to look back at Simon. "I didn't know you had an interest in acting."
"I don't. My school mostly put on musicals, so it was just fun to mess around with them. Nothing serious."
"Now that makes sense," I said. "Singing even back then, huh? Were you in a band in high school?"
"The Mechanical Pencils!" Grant yelled out.
"What?" Sarah asked from the back seat. "What are you babbling about, Grant?"
Simon grinned. "That was the name of our band in high school. Don't ask me how we came up with it. I think it was Grant's idea."
"Because we were in school. Pencils, right? And we always had an endless supply of lead. Get it? The Mechanical Pencils!" Grant explained.
Simon rolled his eyes. "It only makes sense in Grant's mind. And that's one place I never want to go."
Our conversation came to a halt as we turned into a gated street with a booth in the front. Before I could wonder out loud where we were, Simon pulled up to the booth and lowered his window. A middle-aged man in a grey uniform that strained against his pot belly was sitting in the booth. When we pulled up, he leaned his head out the window, nodding in recognition.
"Hi Simon. Long time no see. Visiting for Kendra's birthday?"
"Yup. Good to see you, Ray."
