“Well aren’t we a bunch of sappy assed faces?” I asked.
“Yep,” she agreed.
I turned to Justin and said, “Man, this is some kind of crib you got here.”
He laughed. “You like it, huh?”
“Oh yeah. But you still have that apartment, right?”
Caroline asked, “You mean in case of emergencies?”
“Yeah.” I never took their safety for granted. I made them keep an apartment as a safe house, just in case.
“Yeah, we do. I pop over there every so often to check on things.”
“Good girl.”
They wanted to know how long I planned on staying with them and I really didn’t know. So we all just sort of decided it would be for a couple of weeks. After going back and forth over what to do for dinner, we all decided on going out for seafood. There were a million and one places to eat, so we let Justin choose one and off we went.
We returned home about two hours later and Caroline put on a pot of coffee for us. Justin had to be at the hospital at six a.m., so he wouldn’t be up much longer. I disappeared for a moment and came back down with a CD in my hand. Can we put this in one of your computers? There’s something I want to show you two.
Caroline looked at me all sorts of funny but she said, “Well yeah. Can we wait till the coffee’s done?”
“Sure.”
As soon as she had our cups made, the three of us went into their office and she slipped the CD into the computer. I made Justin sit next to her and when the first couple of pictures popped up, they both turned around and I wish I’d have had my iPhone’s camera pulled up, because it would’ve made a great shock shot. I just chuckled, plopped into a chair behind them and watched the show.
The photos were perfect. Caroline’s expressions were exquisitely captured and the way the camera caught Justin’s eyes as they gazed at her...the photographer was a genius. Even though I had seen these a dozen times, my cheeks were damp when the slide show finished. It was nothing compared to the two of them.
“How did you do this?” they both asked.
I chuckled again and then cleared my throat. “You won’t like this, but I was there.” I looked at Caroline and said, “So was Pete.”
“Who’s Pete?” Justin asked.
“He’s a coworker and a friend.” I answered.
“How were you there?” Caroline asked.
“I just was. The Middletons aren’t exactly obscure. I knew your marriage would hit the web immediately and I couldn’t have you two out there alone, without protection, just in case. So I was there. Anyway, when I saw the photographer, I freaked. I know how they all have their web sites and I know how they post their work online. I couldn’t have that for you two. So I sort of bumped into her and stole her smart chip. I paid her only it was sent anonymously. She probably went home and thought the chip fell out of her camera when I charged into her. I made it all look like an innocent accident. But I had every intention of getting this to you earlier, except my fucking job got in the way...again. So, I hope you like your wedding album. Personally, I’ve never seen a more beautiful bride in my life. You probably could’ve done a little better on the groom, but it wasn’t my call.”
She was on top of me, hugging the breath out of me before I could say another word.
Justin still sat at the computer. There were several pictures taken of Caroline by herself, looking at the sea, laughing, the wind blowing her hair. And there was another where she had this really special smile on her face. I knew she’d been looking at him, because I remember thinking that maybe one day a woman might look at me like that. Justin simply stared at them. He didn’t have to say anything. I knew exactly what he was thinking by the look on his face. My sister had herself a good man.
Chapter 5
Ava
The weekend hit and I finally realized I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to go visit Justin and meet his new wife. If I waited any more, it wouldn’t look very family-like of me.
Don’t ask me why, but I decided against calling first. Maybe I was hoping they wouldn’t be at home. I don’t know. For some reason I was terribly nervous. I hadn’t seen Justin in over a year. What did one say to a brother they hadn’t seen for that long? And then, what would I say to his new wife? Nice to meet you was over really fast.
Before I chickened out, I hopped in the taxi and gave them the address. When the cab pulled up to their house, he asked if he wanted me to pull into their driveway. I told him no. It was gated and I was embarrassed. What if Justin’s wife was there and didn’t let me in because we had never met and I scared her or something.
Crap! Maybe this was a bad idea. I probably should’ve called first.
There was an intercom buzzer thingy on the gate, so I pushed it and waited a few minutes. When no one answered I started to walk away but I stopped. I was wondering where the heck I would go. I had absolutely no idea where I was. This didn’t look like a place where taxis usually hung out.
Suddenly, I heard this soft voice ask, “Can I help you?”
“Awwhk!” I wasn’t expecting that thing to talk so it scared me.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, sorry about that. You scared me is all. Anyhoo, I’m Avery Middleton. Is this the Middleton residence?”
“Justin’s sister, Avery?”
“The one and only.”
“What a surprise. Come in, please.”
Did I imagine shock in her voice or was it just plain old surprise? Oh well, let’s find out then, shall we?
The gate slid open so I mustered up my courage and walked through it.
This place was amazing. Grand, huge, unreal. Not really the Justin I knew, but oh well. I walked up the circular driveway, which wasn’t exactly short and then up the steps to the front double doors. I was reaching out to ring the bell when the door was opened by a tiny blonde haired woman. She was much shorter and way thinner than I. Well, let’s be honest here. Everyone was way thinner than I was these days. But she was super tiny and I was super jealous.
“Hi!” I bellowed. Did my booming voice just echo throughout this whole house? I never really thought I had a booming voice before. “I’m Avery. But lots of people call me Ava. But that’s back in Charleston because my grandmother is also Avery. She’s big Avery and I’m little Avery. Well, I’m not so little anymore.” I bent my head in and kinda whispered that part. I’m not sure why because it wasn’t like it was exactly a secret or anything. “Actually, we should probably change it to Big Avery and Extra Large Avery. That would be more appropriate I think. But, as I was saying, back in Charleston, lots of people call me Ava so as not to get us confused. Now that I’m in Seattle, I’m thinking about dropping the Ava and just going with Avery. What do you think?”
I finally took a good look at her and her brows were all scrunched up and she was gaping at me like a fish that had suddenly found itself out of water.
Oh dear God Avery, would you stop all that rambling and just introduce yourself like a normal person?
“Well, you must be Caroline and I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be meeting you. I am so excited for you and Justin. Please forgive me Caroline, but if the truth be told, I’m quite nervous about being here because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Justin and well, I just don’t know if he’ll even want to see me. And I’ve never met you and you know how that goes. Well, I didn’t want you to hate me or anything. But I thought I’d stop by to visit you because,” I spread my arms out wide and sang, “TaDa,” and then I made a funny face. Don’t ask me why, I just did. “I’ve taken a job with SoftwarePlus and I’m relocating to Seattle. I’ve actually already started work this week. I got here the other day, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had time to call. Well, that part’s not quite true. I was nervous about calling. I didn’t know if you’d even want to meet me or if Justin would want to see me. So if you don’t, I can go. I’ll understand.” I made a funny face again.
What was it with these funny faces
I was making lately?
I was met with that very strange look. It was like it had implanted on her face and wasn’t budging. It was there for life. Well, I wasn’t stupid. I could take a hint. She wanted me in her home about as much as she wanted a million fleas. Anyone who’s ever had a flea infestation in their home knows exactly what I’m talking about.
“Okay then. I guess that about wraps it up here. Will you tell Justin I said, ‘Hey?’” I patted her on her tiny shoulder right before I turned and ran down the steps, trying my best not to cry. I really didn’t know where the double hell I was. Should I go right or left? Did it matter? I knew the name of the street I was on, but where was the best place to go to get a taxi? Left, I decided quickly. I pushed my way through the exit gate and kept on going. It didn’t take long before I was out of breath. That’s what happens when you’re Extra Large Avery. You can’t run but a sixteenth of a mile before you feel like someone stole all of your oxygen. Oh dear God, no! Then came the side stitch. I bent over in half, trying to get rid of it. Jeez, I really needed to do something about this, because this was crazy.
Then I heard her calling my name. “Avery. Wait. Don’t go!”
I would’ve said something back, but I couldn’t spare any air, so I raised my arm in the air instead.
She grabbed my arm and tried pulled me back toward the house, with me still bent over at the waist, trying to breathe. Of course, with me being Extra Large Avery and her being super tiny Caroline, she didn’t pull me too far. When I was able to breathe again, I looked up and...well, I’ll be. I thought I had run so far, but it was only a few feet. What the heck!
And then she was talking to me. “I’m sorry you misunderstood. I was trying to process everything you said. Of course we want to see you. And my word, Justin will be so happy to see his only sister. I can’t wait to see his face when he sees you!”
Finally, my lungs were able to work semi-properly again. “Really? You wouldn’t just be saying that would you?” I gasped, still somewhat desperate for air.
“No, come on. He’s home now.”
“He is?” I was suddenly overwhelmed with an extraordinary case of the nerves, so much so that my stomach started to rebel and began to make all sorts of odd noises.
Caroline looked at me and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Come on.” We headed back to the house.
She still held my arm and we went through the house that kept going and going. We finally ended up in a room with a humongous TV and there was Justin talking with another man.
“Honey, look who’s here,” Caroline said.
Justin turned around and so did the other man. I tried to give him just a glance but sweet heavens he was really something. I forced myself to look away and Justin had this horrible expression on his face.
“Justin?” I half smiled. I couldn’t figure it out. I mean I knew I was a bit hefty, but was I that offensive looking?
“Ava? What are you doing here?” That was the most unwelcoming welcome I’d ever heard.
“Uh, I, ah, er,” my mouth had gone suddenly bone dry. He just kept staring at me with that awful look on his face.
Caroline came to my rescue and she said, “Justin, your sister’s taken a new job in Seattle. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Justin’s face just went from awful to ghastly. Then I knew it was time for me to leave.
In a voice that wasn’t my own, I said, “Yeah, I, uh, I’ve taken a job with SoftwarePlus. I’ll be living out here. But I won’t be a bother to you. I just wanted to stop by to say hey. So, ‘Hey.’” I held my hand up in the air and did a little Queen Elizabeth wave.
I turned around to leave but I didn’t know how to get the hell out of there. I just walked. I went down one hall. I followed it to a room and it was a dead end. I turned around and went down another hall where it did the same. I finally ended up at an exterior door and walked out to their back yard that had the most magnificent view of the water.
Shiz, I can’t even make a decent exit.
I wandered around the yard, thinking that maybe it would lead me to the front, but it was walled off. I turned around and slammed right into Justin’s chest. Then I immediately broke down and cried. What the hell was wrong with me?
He didn’t say anything until my tears turned into the sniffles and I was making those awful gurfing noises.
“You better now?” he asked as he patted my back.
“How can someone that sounds like this be better?”
“That’s what Caroline always says. Why the tears?”
“I was humiliated. You looked at me like I’d grown an extra head. I know I’ve grown an extra stomach, but I still only have one head.”
“I was surprised is all Ava. You were the last person I thought I’d see today. And there you stood. I was processing. You haven’t been around me in such a long time. You’re not used to my goofy assed looks you know. They’re usually disguised by a surgical mask too. I’m gonna have to make a note of that.”
“You’re not mad that I’m here?”
“You thought I was mad at you?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course I’m not mad.”
“Not even for all of our past crap?”
“Oh hell, Ava, that shit is so old already. It’s been long gone for me.”
“Really?”
“Really. So Seattle, huh?”
“Yeah. You should’ve seen Mom when I told her.”
He pulled back and looked me in the eye. “You did it yourself, with no one running interference?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. My baby sister is all grown up.”
********
We walked back in the house, arm in arm.
“Dayam, Justin, this is some kind of a house you’ve got here.”
“So I’ve been told,” he laughed.
He walked me back to where Caroline and that other guy were. They were sitting and talking, with some kind of baseball game in the background on TV. When we entered, the guy stood up and Caroline said, “Avery, I’d like you to meet my br...” but at that point, the hot guy interrupted and said, “Friend.”
The three of them looked at each other and I was sort of lost in the shuffle. I jumped in and said, “Hi, I’m Avery.”
Caroline said, “Avery, that’s Pres...”
And hot guy interrupted again and said, “Miles.”
“Nice to meet you Presmiles.”
He laughed and said, “No, it’s just Miles. Miles Patterson.”
I nodded and said, “Okay Just Miles. You’ve got it.”
Boy oh boy, was Just Miles hot. Make that boiling. Scorching. Molten lava kind of hot. Messy dark brown, slightly wavy hair that was not long but not short either. And, oh what a mouth he had. It made me want to jump on board and ride that train for life. His lips were the perfect kind of full and every so often, he’d run his tongue across them and I’d automatically squirm. His face was pure angular perfection...high cheekbones with those slight hollows beneath them, that were the perfect shape to accommodate my lips. But those eyes...my oh my. They were golden brown, like coffee with lots of cream. I could only imagine what they looked like right when he was climaxing.
Cheezits Ava, get your head out of the bedroom!
“Wouldn’t you agree Ava?” Justin was asking me.
I shook my head and swallowed. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“We were talking about the weather here in the summer and I was saying how much more pleasant it is than in Charleston?”
“Oh, yes it is.” Was my voice breathy sounding, or was it my imagination?
Just Miles was wearing jeans that rode low on his hips. They were tight and he had a superior set of buns. What would I pay to see those babies?
“Ava? What do you think?”
“Buns!” I blurted out.
“Excuse me?” Caroline asked.
Holy Toledo, did I just say buns out l
oud? What the hell Ava!!!
“Fun! Anything sounds fun!”
“Ava, you look a little flushed. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
“Hot. I mean no, I’m fine.” I looked across the room and my face totally flamed. Everyone was staring at me. I had unbuttoned my blouse and was fanning myself. I’d noticed that Just Miles had a gloriously hot tattoo of a sideways cross on his arm. I think I needed to go home.
“So Avery, where are you staying?” Caroline asked.
“Oh, I’m at the Four Sexy. Seasons! I mean the Four Seasons.”
Oh good lord, I need to pull my act together here.
“I need to look for a place to live, but I was going to rent an apartment for a month until I can land something.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You must stay with us. My God, we have all sorts of room here. It would be crazy for you to rent someplace. As a matter of fact, you should move in right away. Isn’t that right Justin?”
“Absolutely. Do you need a car to drive?” Justin asked.
“Yes, but I’m going to rent one. The company is going to pay for it until I move.”
“Good or you can borrow one of ours.”
I was already going to be enough of a burden, so I declined their generous offer.
Justin looked at me and made a suggestion. “Look, why don’t you let me take you back to the hotel and you can get your things and check out. Then we can get you settled in here.”
“Are you all sure about this? I do not want to impose.”
Justin bit his lip for a minute and then said, “Caroline, take her on a tour so she can see we have plenty of room.”
Then he turned to me and said, “Ava, this house is bigger than Mom and Dad’s.”
Caroline took me from room to room and Justin was right. I could live here for months and they’d never know it. Their master bedroom suite was in a whole separate wing of the house, so I wouldn’t be intruding upon their privacy. I felt a ton better about staying here.
“This house is really something Caroline!”
“Thanks. It was all Justin’s idea. He fell in love with it and had to convince me, but I’ve fallen in love with it too. At first I was really intimidated by it but now I’m good. The thing is, all of this part where the guest side is, we usually don’t use. We only use the other parts. Maybe someday if we have kids or something. Who knows?”
Kissing Fire Page 4
