What You Do To Me (Unexpected Love)

by Izzy Cullen

  Adam snapped me out of my thoughts by spraying me and wiping me down. “Done, take a look. I think it looks hot and you were one tough bitch.” I walked over to the mirror and looked at it. It was amazing and perfect. I loved where I put it and I was excited that I did it. Adam wiped some ointment on it and told me to keep it covered for 2 hours and to keep it moist for the next couple weeks until it healed. He lectured me about the sun and drying it out. I hadn’t thought about that. No beach for a bit and I’d need to settle for a tankini.

  When we got in the car, Derek handed me the marker and I crossed number 4 off my list. I was amazed at what Derek was doing for me. I thanked him and knew those words were not enough. “Abbs, we aren’t done, wait till tomorrow.” With that, we headed back to his place and I couldn’t wait, not after the day I had today. I wasn’t sure what he had planned, but if it was on the list, there could only be a few things it could be, because I’d already had two through four crossed off and there wasn’t much left.

  18.

  “Wake up, Buttercup!” I heard Derek walking into the room. “Rise and shine unless you don’t want your surprise.” I moaned loudly. “Here, drink this.” I cracked my eyes and saw him holding a cup of coffee. As I sat up, Derek handed it to me, but he didn’t approach to sit or lay on the bed like he did the day before.

  “Fuck, what time is it?” I reached for my phone. Before I saw the screen, Derek announced that it was six thirty. “Are you kidding me, six thirty, are you trying to kill me?”

  “No, as much as I’d like to take possession of those girls, I’m not trying to kill you…yet.” He winked at me. “We have an appointment at eight and we need to pack for our night away in DC. We have show tickets tonight and I arranged for a few Museum tickets for tomorrow. We’ll head home tomorrow night.”

  “Fine, only because I love DC. What type of show, because I need to figure out clothing.” I was sipping my coffee with my eyes closed.

  “Dress kind of clubish. It’s not a fancy show, but we’ll be clubbing after.”

  “Fine, but no shots and no skanks.” I finally opened my eyes.

  Laughing, Derek replied, “Shots maybe and I don’t need a skank, I have you.” Before I could throw my pillow at him, he exited the room, shouting as he was walking towards his room. “Get your ass out of bed and wear jeans and closed toe shoes for this morning.”

  I begrudgingly drug myself out of bed. I quickly showered and grabbed my toiletries and tossed them into my duffle. After dressing in my required attire, I finished packing and met Derek in the kitchen. He slid a bagel to me and grabbed his keys, bag and a travel mug. “Let’s go.”

  I took a bite of my bagel and followed. As I exited his place, I reached over, grabbed his coffee with my free hand, and took a swig. “Let’s go,” I said back as I walked to the car. We placed the bags in the back and climbed into the front seats. I plugged in my phone and turned on The Frey How to Save a Life. Derek looked over at me.

  “What’s going on?” I looked at him puzzled. “Come on, Abbs, you only play The Frey or the Script when you’re upset or depressed.”

  “I’m neither, but I keep thinking I should have talked to Alex, I left things with him all wrong. I kept thinking about that yesterday when I was getting my tattoo.” I felt better saying it out loud, but I would rather be talking to Lexi about the topic.

  “You should call him. I think you need to tell him everything you told me the night we sat around the fire.” I knew deep down that he was right, but I was scared to open up to him. “I don’t think he is the only one you need to talk to either. I think you should talk to Lexi and your mom.”

  Wanting to change the subject, “So, where are we going?” I looked at Derek and smiled.

  He smiled and winked at me. “Avoidance, the Abby I love.” Derek made a left and pointed to the right. “There.” I looked over and saw a large Harley Davison Dealership. I looked at Derek and wondered why we were there. I didn’t need a motorcycle, because I had David’s in the garage under a tarp. “It’s time for you to learn to ride and get number six out of the way. I’m sick of that beautiful bike sitting under a tarp when you could learn to ride.”

  “How am I going to learn to ride at a dealership?” I still didn’t understand.

  “They have a beginner’s riding class at 8 and you’re signed up.” I looked at him and smiled. I said I wanted to ride, but I mainly said it because I didn’t want to sell the Harley after David died and by saying it, nobody pushed the issue to sell it, except my mother.

  “I don’t think I can.” I was so nervous. I’ve always just been a passenger on a motorcycle, never responsible for driving it. I was scared to learn.

  “Well, you have the bike, tat and the biker bitch attitude, but you still need to learn to ride. So, no more acting the part, embrace it, Abbs.”

  “Fuck you, I am not a bitch.” At least, I didn’t think I was.

  “Come on, we need to get you signed in.” Derek exited the car and I realized I didn’t even notice when we pulled in and parked. I was so freaking nervous. He rounded to the passenger side and opened the door for me. I got out and Derek grabbed my hand as he shut the door. “Don’t be nervous, you’ll be driving on a course and in the parking lot, not road driving today.”

  I felt a little better knowing that, but I still wasn’t completely at ease. We walked into the dealership and Derek took me to the counter in the back and signed me in. The lady at the counter told us that the class was held in the back behind the dealership and people were already back there, including the instructor. We went out through the back doors and there were a few people standing around. There were a lot of younger guys and I was feeling out of place. I think Derek felt me tensing and he leaned over, “Breathe and relax.” I looked at him and rolled my eyes.

  We got started and the instructor, a guy in his fifties, with a goatee and baldhead walked us around a motorcycle, going over the basic features of the bike. He asked us all what type of bike we would be riding so he could pair us up with a bike with similar features and size. I looked at Derek, because all I knew was that David had a shiny black bike with lots of chrome. Derek walked over and whispered in my ear, “Breakout.”

  When the guy approached, I told him, and he looked at me and his eyebrows raised. “That’s a lot of bike for a little lady your size.” At that point, I was no longer nervous, but determined to show him I was not some little lady and I could do anything. I asked him if he had anything in comparison. He said that I wouldn’t be riding that model, but he could find me something comparable. The bike was a newer model and they used older motorcycles or damaged ones in the beginner class.

  When I got onto the bike, I placed a helmet on my head. A lot of the guys didn’t wear one, since Pennsylvania didn’t have a helmet law. I wasn’t sure why, but wearing one made me feel safer, even though I knew I’d be going slow in the parking lot and I wouldn’t need one.

  In the beginning, I stalled the bike out a lot and my shifting wasn’t smooth. I felt shaky making turns and took many of them wider than I needed too, but after awhile, I felt really comfortable cruising around the course and the parking lot. I enjoyed the freedom I felt when driving the bike. When I pulled the bike back up to the building and placed the kickstand down Derek and the instructor walked toward me. “Looks like you enjoyed yourself,” Derek said with a smile on his face.

  “Oh, my God, I should have learned to drive years ago.” I was still smiling.

  “You might want to keep your mouth closed on the road or you’ll be eating a lot of bugs. I have to say, it was nice to see someone smile so much riding. I think motorcycles are in your blood. Will you be back for the intermediate class? We actually get on the road for that class?”

  “No, I’m from Michigan and I won’t be around, but I would if I lived here.” I honestly would have loved to learn to ride on the road.

  “I think you’re ready to get on the road. I didn’t think you would be able to handle the bike I gav
e you, but you did really good. You’re a natural.” We talked a minute more and he thanked me for taking the class. He left to talk to the other students who were starting to pull into spots by the building.

  “Thank you, Derek. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Dancing your ass off with me tonight will be thanks enough, but we aren’t done. If you’re going to be riding a Harley now, you need to have bad ass boots to go with it, come on.” He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the store. At first, I refused to allow Derek to buy me the boots, but after him making a scene by dropping to the floor and acting as if he was making a snow angel, I agreed so he would stop. I walked out with more than boots. Derek bought me riding boots, a black leather jacket, riding glasses and a cute tank. I hated him spending this much money on me. When I was arguing with him about it, he grabbed my face and looked me in the eyes telling me, “Shut up, I enjoy spending money on you and the girls. I work hard and make too much money to spend on just myself.” I still felt guilty, but backed down and allowed him to do it for me.

  We finally pulled out of the parking lot around eleven thirty, drove through Chick-Fil-A, and got on the road to DC. Derek and I had a little over a four-hour drive ahead of us. We sang and I sang loudly just to annoy him. He told me about the new girl he had been seeing at his office, but said thing were not serious and probably wouldn’t be. I asked about the museums he got tickets too and he finally told me after some coercion. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum and Corcoran Gallery of Art and if time, he wanted to take me to the Library of Congress. I was so happy. I loved art museums and knew I had mentioned wanting to see the Library of Congress and Holocaust Museum in conversations before. The only thing I couldn’t get out of Derek was what show we were going to see tonight. I figured it was a play, because he knows how much I love plays, and living in small town USA, I didn’t get the chance to go very often.

  We finally pulled into the J.W. Marriott in downtown DC. I loved the location. We were within walking distance of a lot of things downtown and a few blocks from the White House. Derek gave his keys to the valet and we grabbed our bags and walked inside. Suddenly, I felt underdressed and wanted to change. My jeans, running shoes and tank were my usual attire, but walking into the lobby with everyone in suits and dress clothes, I felt out of place.

  Derek walked to the registration counter, and he and the lady registering him were talking. I couldn’t make out anything that they were saying, but he looked upset. He ran his hand through his hair, and then he nodded and grabbed the keycard holder from the lady. “Well, we are sharing a suite, but the good news is there is more than one room in it.”

  “Is that why you are so upset? Did you think I would be angry because we’re sharing a room?”

  “Something like that,” Derek replied. I was worried he still felt strange about the whole situation yesterday.

  Trying to put him at ease, I pushed his shoulder and say, “Well, as long as you don’t confuse the rooms after your shots tonight, then it won’t matter.”

  Derek smiled, “I thought we weren’t doing shots?”

  “No, I’m not doing shots. I said nothing about you.” We took the elevator and headed up to our room. The room was on the top floor of the hotel and judging from the doors and the space between doors, I assumed the majority if not all the rooms on the floor were suites. We walked past a few doors being guarded by security. The One asked to see our key card before he let us through. When we passed, I leaned over to Derek, “I wonder if it’s a politician or foreign delegate in that room.” Derek just shrugged and we made it to the door.

  He slipped the keycard into the slot and we walked into the room. It was beautiful and I couldn’t believe the space. There was champagne in a bucket and chocolate covered strawberries on the table by the window. I squealed, setting my bag down and walking over the table. I asked Derek if he wanted to do the honors or if I should. He just shrugged and didn’t say anything, so I popped it open. I poured us both a glass and started to eat a strawberry.

  “Hey, I’m going to go grab a shower.” Derek grabbed his bag and started walking down the hall towards the rooms. “Abbs, I’m leaving you the bigger room. I’ll see you in a bit.” I couldn’t say anything, because my mouth was stuffed with the strawberry. After two more, I grabbed my bag and decided to get ready. I had to get ready; because it was already after five and the show was probably around seven or eight.

  I quickly showered and dried my hair. I decided to wear it up just in case we ended up at a club. I threw on light makeup and some lip-gloss. When I pulled out my clothes, I decided on a pair of short black shorts and a white and silver glittery top. I wore a pair of stiletto gladiator-type sandals. I felt comfortable and ready for the night. When I walked out an hour later, Derek was on the phone and it sounded like he was upset. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but I could hear the rise in his voice occasionally. When he saw me walk in, he quickly got off.

  “Is everything okay?” I thought I already knew the answer, it sounded obvious.

  “Yeah, everything is fine, work stuff. Are you ready to go? I thought we could grab dinner in the lobby and head to the show. It’s at the Verizon Center, not too far of a walk.”

  Just then my stomach grumbled, “Sounds great.”

  We headed down to the restaurant and we ordered. Derek seemed fairly quiet and not very talkative. I figured it was due to his work phone call. “Hey, you know if it’s work, we can leave tomorrow, we don’t need to stay.”

  Derek looked at me, forced a smile, and reached for my hand. “No, work is fine. We are spending the day hitting the museums and art galleries. Whatever you want to do.”

  “Okay, but I don’t know if I have ever seen you like this, are you sure you’re okay?” He again smiled at me and nodded yes. I didn’t feel like it was though. I didn’t push and instead made light conversation.

  We finished dinner and headed to the Verizon Center. We rounded a corner and I saw lines and lines of people waiting to get in the doors. I looked around to see what exactly everyone was lining up for and what I was headed to and when I did, I stopped walking. Derek stopped and looked at me. Looking over at him, I started to shake my head no, but I couldn’t talk or move my legs. Why was he taking me there, I didn’t understand. “I’m sorry, but this needs to happen. You need to resolve this right and I couldn’t tell you. Please don’t hate me.” I couldn’t believe he went behind my back and did this. I felt betrayed. Tears were stinging my eyes. “Abbs, say something.”

  “I hate you,” I couldn’t believe I just said that to him. The man who had been my rock and the man who had done so much for me and I just told him I hated him. In that specific moment, I did hate him, but the reality of it was that I couldn’t hate him. I looked down, ashamed of what I just said to him.

  “Abby, I love you and that is why I’m doing this. I hate seeing you torn up inside and I thought maybe if you talked to him, you could figure things out. Whether you try a relationship or walk away, you need solid closure, not how you left things. Watching you is hurting me and your fake happiness isn’t doing anything for the girls.” I knew he was right, but I was so mad that he went behind my back.

  “Have you been talking to him?” I needed to know if he had been talking to Alex behind my back. I knew he already did it with Lexi, but this was different.

  “Yes and no, He called me after his trip to see you. He was devastated and he told me things, Abbs, things you need to hear from him. He isn’t some guy who can’t love you and the girls. Why do you think I brought it up on my trip and told you I was wrong? You needed to hear it from the person putting doubt in your head. I set this up with Sam though; Alex doesn’t know you are here. The suite is from Sam. That was why I was upset. I thought you would figure this out and I was on the phone with her when you came out. She’s waiting for us now.” I understood things more, but I felt like Derek should have told me Alex called him. Derek was my friend. I felt betrayed as I had with Lexi; th
at more secrets had been kept from me.

  “I am your friend. You should have told me, you are no better then Lexi. The lies and secrets.” I was so angry I wanted to punch him, or scream in his face, but I could barely find the strength to speak.

  “I didn’t lie. You never asked if I talked to him. I didn’t tell you because I was hoping you would figure this out and do it yourself. Do you think I like bringing you to him? Abby, there might not be an attraction between us, but I love you and I hoped everyday that something would spark between us. I know I’m not your fate, but it doesn’t change the fact I want it to be.”

  I looked at Derek, saw the hurt in his eyes, and realized this was why he was so quiet at dinner. That he was upset, because he was bringing me to Alex and he knew that things with Alex would be settled and depending on how we settled them, could decide the chance he had in my future. Without thinking, I walk over to Derek, hug him at the waist, and lay my head on his chest. “I don’t hate you, I love you. I need you in my life, but you talking to him behind my back is not okay.”

  “I know you don’t hate me and even if you did, I could wear you down and it wouldn’t last long. See, you could only hold the hatred for less than a minute.” I pinched his side. “Hey, so are you ready to face this? Either way, we’re getting drunk tonight. All this heartfelt talk is making me a little nauseous.” I laughed, because that was the Derek I loved so much.

  “He doesn’t know I’m coming?” I asked quietly.

  “Sam promised me that she wouldn’t say anything to him.” I wanted this. I wanted to talk to him, but I was worried if I talked to Alex in person, I would crumble. “What was the worst thing that could happen? You’re already miserable.” This time, I pushed him away from me, but he was right. I really was miserable.