It was her classmate Wilson. She sighed but answered the phone nonetheless, welcoming the distraction.
“Whats up?” she spoke into the phone. Wilson’s cheerful voice was an immediate boost to her mood.
“Hey! Missed you in class today. Where have you been?” he asked and Eden felt that same knot in the pit of her stomach grow tighter. She didn’t need the reminder.
“I wasn’t feeling too well and I had to babysit for Becca’s sister, they’re away for a few days to New York” she smiled at Lily who was holding up her barbie doll’s freshly brushed hair.
“That’s a shame. Are you feeling better now?” Wilson asked and Eden sighed.
“Only slightly. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it to college tomorrow either”
“It’s just that I was worried because I don’t remember you missing a single day of class” Wilson’s concern warmed her heart a little. After being snubbed so harshly by the man she had sex with the previous night, Wilson’s warm and friendly voice comforted her.
“I know, I didn’t want to”
“So you’re at Becca’s house right now?”
“Yup”
“Alright. Anyway, I hope you feel better soon and that I see you day after in class” Wilson said before she grudgingly ended the call. She didn’t want a reminder of why she had missed college that day but at the same time, she enjoyed talking to Wilson. He had the kind of carefree and happy attitude that she wished she had as well. He reminded her of Becca, of a younger Mr. Anderson even. Eden shook her head to get the thought out of her head.
She and Lily spent the next hour playing till it was time for bed. Eden tucked Lily in and decided to make herself a sandwich in the kitchen. She wanted to stay up and wait for Marco again, this time in the kitchen. She wanted to talk to him, talk to him about what she was feeling and what he would do about it.
Just as she flipped the light switch in the kitchen on, she heard the front door bell ring. Her heart skipped a beat and she immediately grew nervous. Was it him? Was he back already? Why was he ringing the bell? She ran to the front door and flew it open and found Wilson standing outside.
He had a boyish grin on his face. His blonde hair fell in waves over his eyes which he kept shaking away from his face. Those greenish-blue eyes sparkled in the low light of the street lamps.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted out, not realizing how rude she must have sounded to him.
“I forgot to ask what kind of illness it was, so I brought you all this” he said with a laugh and stretched out his hand with a plastic container of steaming chicken soup and a bouquet of red roses. Eden couldn’t help but laugh at this and she accepted them meekly.
“You didn’t have to Wilson” she said as she cradled the container and the bouquet in her arms.
“I know I didn’t, but I wanted to” he said and turned his eyes to the ground. Eden wasn’t sure what she should say, or do. They had always been good enough friends, but never very close. She wasn’t sure what his gesture meant. Did he like her?
“I can see that you’re confused” he said and flicked his hair away from his eyes again. His now empty hands were stuck into the pockets of his baggy jeans. As he smiled, Eden saw for the first time why so many freshers had a crush on him, he had that charming boy-next-door quality to him that made him look and seem at least five years younger than he actually was.
“Well, I’m delighted that you’re so thoughtful” she said and watched him blush. She wasn’t aware that she could have this effect on anybody.
“You might think I’m a bit of a weasel but I wanted to take this opportunity to ask you out” he blurted the words out. Eden could tell that he had rehearsed the words several times and he was more nervous than she had ever been in his life. She smiled broadly, she couldn’t even remember why she had been in such a sour mood previously.
“You don’t have to answer now. I know you have a lot going on in your life. Just think about it” he spoke too quickly and Eden smiled again. He didn’t seem like a twenty-two-year-old college student, he was as nervous as a twelve-year-old offering a girl to share his milkshake.
“I’m flattered Wilson and yes I’ll think about it” she said and bit down on her lip. She couldn’t help but beam.
“Cool. I’ll see you around then” he said and started walking backward, still looking at her shyly and blushing.
“Cool” she said and leaned on the open door as she watched him walk away. She hadn’t lied to him, she was most definitely flattered. But she had never considered Wilson that way, he had never been on her mind. When she shut the door behind her and she looked around in the empty house, she remembered suddenly why she had been upset all day. She wished Wilson was back, to cheer her up.
*****
Mr. Anderson hadn’t returned home that night and Eden slept in the kitchen, with her head on the table. She woke up when Becca came bursting into the room, her backpack still on her back.
“Eden! Why did you sleep in the kitchen?” she woke up to Becca’s squealing voice and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Hey, you’re home. What time is it?” she asked sleepily. She could feel an instant pounding in her head that was going to be hard to get rid of.
“Nearly eight. My mom has gone to wake up Lily and get her ready for Kindergarten” Becca slumped into the chair next to her. “You okay?”
Becca’s smiling voice was a mood lifter but Eden still felt a heavy weight on her heart.
“Yeah. I just fell asleep here, too tired” she said, still drowsy. “I’m not sure if your dad came home last night”
“Yeah, he does that sometimes. Stays in his office if he’s working late” Becca said and stood up to go make some coffee for them.
“How was New York?” Eden asked, trying to sound enthusiastic. It pained her to see Becca, she reminded her of Marco and she nearly winced.
“It was great. I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Do you want to get ready and we can head to college together?” Becca turned to look at her, crossing her arms across her chest.
“I didn’t think you’d want to go to class today. Aren’t you tired? How early was your flight?” Eden began to stand up, but could feel her knees buckling under the weight of all the strained emotions.
“Early enough. You don’t look well Eden. Do you want to stay home today?” Becca walked towards her and gave her a hug. Eden nearly cried with the touch. For the first time since it happened, she was beginning to feel guilty, maybe understand what Mr. Anderson was going through himself.
“It might be better if we do” she said and smiled weakly at her best friend. Becca smiled back.
“Awesome. I’ll go and tell mom we’re staying home” Becca said and ran out of the kitchen. Eden was always amazed by how much energy Becca always had and it made her smile. “Keep an eye on the kettle” she turned around to say.
She slumped back into the chair after she heard Becca bounding up the stairs towards Lily’s bedroom, in search of her mom. That’s when the front door opened and Eden turned in her chair to get a look at it, through the living room. Mr. Anderson had just entered. His hair looked ruffled, his tie was loosened at his neck and his chin was covered in a rough course stubble.
He looked up and their eyes met as he flung his briefcase on one of the couches in the living room. He walked across the room in silence, with Eden’s eyes still on him but he didn’t look at her anymore. He looked like a skeleton of the man she used to know. He was drained of energy and enthusiasm, more than one should be early in the morning, even if they spent the whole night in their office.
“There you are! You look dreadful” Mrs. Anderson’s voice boomed through the house, as she came down the stairs. Eden couldn’t see her yet but the guilt-ridden expression on Mr. Anderson’s face which she could see; said it all.
“How was your trip?” he asked, and even his voice sounded different. Like he had smoked hundreds of cigarettes in the morning itself
.
“Not bad. But what happened to you, Marco?” Mrs. Anderson came into Eden’s view. She was in her usual skirt suit and was standing in front of her husband, with her hands on her hips.
“I had a long night at the office. Barely slept a wink” he had his head hung and refused to look his wife in the eye.
“You smell of booze and cigarettes, Marco. Disgraceful. Go and take a shower before the girls see you like this” Mrs. Anderson snapped at him and turned on her heels. Eden faced away from them as she saw them walking towards the stairs again.
Mr. Anderson turned for a second to look at her and then looked away again, following his wife up to their bedroom. Something clicked in Eden and she saw what he had become. He looked like a broken man and suddenly, she wanted to have nothing to do with him.
This was not the man she thought she was in love with. He wasn’t confident, kind hearted and strong anymore. This was not the kind of man she wanted to lie next to at night, she didn’t even think he would be able to comfort her or make her feel better.
In fact, she felt sorry for him. Sorry for the fact that he was in a loveless marriage and had committed an act that he might never be able to get over. Eden nearly smiled at that. She knew she would move on, that she didn’t need him. She would be able to live her life without ever having to rely on his touch again, or seek him out. Her desperation for him suddenly faded away and she was almost laughing when Becca walked back into the kitchen.
“What’s funny?” Becca asked her and Eden smiled back at her.
“You won’t believe it, but Wilson asked me out last night” she said, trying to cover up her thoughts.
“Finally!” Becca said to her surprise and laughed along with her.
*****
Eden didn’t need to look at Wilson to know that he was blushing a bright red. They had just gone on their first date and he was walking her back to her house. She couldn’t help but smile when she realized that he was struggling to find the right moment to reach for her hand. She decided to spare him the agony and reached for his hand instead.
“So what are your plans after college is over? We only have a few weeks left” Wilson said, perhaps in an effort to distract himself from the nervousness he was feeling.
“I want to do a Masters, but I will have to get a job instead. My family could use the support and I have no other way of paying the student loan” she looked ahead.
They were about to cross Becca’s house and she wanted to do it as fast as possible. Wilson, on the other hand, was trying to walk as slowly as possible.
“That’s a shame, but with your grades you’ll probably get a brilliant job”, they exchanged looks and smiled. It was Eden’s turn to take the compliment and blush.
“Yeah but I want to stay in town, my family needs me. So the prospect of a fashionable high-paying job in the city is out of the question”
“At least for now”, his smile was encouraging and she could feel him stroking her hand with his thumb as he held it.
It was when she looked at their hands held tightly together and the genuine kindness and concern in his eyes, that Eden realized that there were other men and people in the world who could care for her and be a support to her. Mr. Anderson was not the only one.
Just when she thought of him, the door of the Anderson household burst open and Mrs. Anderson stormed out. Eden and Wilson were just crossing their front gate. The suddenness of the situation made them stop but it seemed like Mrs. Anderson had not seen them in the dark.
The front door of the house was open and the light from inside poured through and illuminated the path. Mr. Anderson followed her out, seconds later.
“Sharon. Please wait! Let me explain” he was begging her, but Mrs. Anderson kept walking, towards her car.
“There is nothing you can say that will excuse you, this time, Marco. I saw the texts on your phone as well as your responses. You can’t get out of this one” she banged open the car door and flung herself inside with a purpose.
“Sharon, please!” Mr. Anderson ran to her side but she had started her engine already.
“What about the girls Sharon? Think of them” he was banging on her rolled up window but she had started to pull away.
“Let Becca know to pack their things. I’ll come and get them in a few days once I’ve found an apartment for us in the city”, with that Mrs Anderson pulled out of the driveway and drove into the night.
Wilson and Eden were frozen to the spot, under the tree and hidden in the dark. Neither of them had wanted to keep walking in fear of interrupting the scene that was unfolding in front of them.
Mr. Anderson was bent over, his hands on his knees and his head between his legs. They could see that he was breathing deeply and trying to calm himself. He looked up suddenly when Wilson tried to continue walking and his eyes immediately fell on Eden.
She knew she should have, but she couldn’t look away. She saw him for the first time for the man he really was. He had done this before, and after. She was not the only person he had cheated on his wife with. He held her gaze, with an anger in his stare and she jerked her head away to look at Wilson instead.
“Let’s get outta here” he said and hand in hand they continued walking and she didn’t turn to look at him.
“Becca must be devastated. I’ll call her when we get home” she finally said after a few minutes of silence.
“Why was he staring at you that way?” Wilson asked herald Eden shrugged her shoulders.
“He knows I’m Becca’s best friend and our families have been friends for years. He was probably embarrassed” she said just as they reached her own front door.
Wilson had still not let go of her hand and they stood in silence, staring into each other’s eyes. Eden blushed because his gaze was unwavering and strong. She could see that he wanted her and she realized that she wanted him as well. His full lips, the sparkling eyes, the blonde hair that constantly fell over his eyes. She might not have known him for very long but Eden realized that she was willing to get to know him, to give him a chance to see if he could love her the way she could possibly love him.
He leaned in quietly and kissed her softly. She kissed him back. It was only after they stopped kissing that Eden thought about Marco and she was surprised by the fact that she preferred Wilson’s soft touch. She didn’t miss Marco and was comfortable with Wilson.
“I should go in” she said and he finally let go of her hand.
“Will we do this again?” he smiled at her, blushing.
“I can’t wait to do it again” she didn’t wait to see his reaction but turned around and opened the door of the house.
“Goodnight Eden” she heard his soft voice.
“Goodnight Wilson” she turned and he was still standing there. He didn’t leave till she was inside the house and had gone upstairs to her room and waved at him from her window. He waved back and only after a few minutes, grudgingly walked away.
Eden knew then that if she had called him back, he would have come running to her.
Taken by Her Dad's Best Friend
It should have been an innocent holiday. She was simply going away with her dad. There was nothing sinister in it. She didn’t sit up tonight, unable to sleep, with the memory of Jon Fitzgerald blazing in her mind; she didn’t see him, over and over, with his shirt off, with his muscles rippling, with his cocky smile and a casual wink.
It had happened at the gym. Angela had been doing some cardio and had apparently exhausted herself so much that she walked into the wrong locker room. It was late, and so there weren’t many people there—so few that when Samantha walked into the men’s locker room, she didn’t realize until she was halfway in.
The shower stopped, and a man walked out. His body was like steel, carved marble, immovable rock. She had never seen a body as hard as that in real life. Maybe on pictures, but never in real life. She felt that she could cut her hands on his pectorals. His biceps were huge and tight. She was so consumed in looki
ng at his body that the man – whoever he was; she didn’t know yet – had to clear his throat to get her attention. She looked up, and then her heart raced ahead ever more furiously than it had moments ago.
It was Jon Fitzgerald—Jon Fitzgerald! He had been her dad’s best friend for as long as Samantha could remember. She had met him hundreds of times (always in Dad’s company, with a quick greeting before parting), but she had never met him one-on-one, and now, to meet him here . . . She almost wished that somebody would walk in and break up the scene. Jon was more than twice her age, the same age as her dad, and she wasn’t sure the way he looked at her was appropriate.
He was a tall man (and muscular as fuck!) with short black-gray hair and a bushy black-gray beard. His eyes were almost white, they were such a pale blue. His smile seemed to shine through his beard, and his eyes seemed to devour Samantha. I am nineteen and he is forty-three, she thought, trying to comprehend the feelings that moved through her. He can’t look at me like that. And yet he did.
Samantha turned quickly and paced from the locker room. She told herself that she was offended, that the way he looked at her had made her angry, resentful of him – of all older men – but she was lying. She knew it; she just didn’t want to admit it. The real reason she fled from that room was because she couldn’t stop looking at him. She couldn't take her eyes off his rippling muscles, and then his pale, serious eyes, and his manly beard. Just as she left, she risked a quick glance back. He smiled and then winked at her. Samantha felt her legs wobble like jelly.
It’s been two years, you silly woman!Samantha chastised herself, as moonlight filtered in streams through the blinds into her bedroom. It’s been two years, and you dwell on that moment like it was yesterday! Forget about it! Leave it alone! It was two years ago, Samantha!
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