Clementine

by R. Jean Wilson

  Sadly, a moment later, Holden seemed to snap back to reality. He met her eyes and shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts. A beguiled smile flirting with his lovely mouth, “I think I underestimated you, Addison,” he said before turning and swimming away, back to the concrete ledge. Addison let out an exasperated sigh under her breathe and fell back onto the water, spreading her arms and legs out wide, floating on the surface as if she were making a snow angel. She had expected a kiss. She knew they were just hanging out as friends, but there was no denying the intensity of the moment they had just shared. She looked back up to the sky, praying that she hadn’t been the only one feeling it all. He’d admitted to remembering her from some distant memory, but maybe he didn’t feel the same pull that Addison felt toward him. It was as if the water below her and the sky above was pushing Addison toward this man; this man that persuaded her to jump from bridges and to lie down and enjoy the ride.

  They jumped off the bridge two more times before her body began to protest. They kayaked back talking when they felt like it and laughing whenever their paddles accidentally splashed water onto one another. The morning was perfect, and Addison wasn’t ready for it to end when he dropped her off at her apartment on his way to an afternoon shift at the hospital. When he pulled up in front of her apartment, she idled momentarily not knowing what to say. He hopped out of the car and opened her door for her, but didn’t make a move to kiss or even hug her goodbye. He leaned against his SUV relaxed and confident, smiling at her as if there was some inside joke only he knew about. She stood frozen, hoping he would explain, but he never did. He stood there watching her as she began to walk up the stairs.

  She stepped into her apartment and turned on her shower, wanting the water to wash away the intensity of Holden’s gaze. She’d made herself keep walking, not turning back. She knew if she’d turned, she would have seen his easy smile, and she wouldn’t have had the strength to not run down the stairs and kiss the man senseless. She would have sealed her mouth to his, returning every ounce of emotion he had given her that morning. She wanted him to feel what she felt, and it scared her that while she may be falling, he might be standing tall back on that arch, immune to her.

  She stepped out of the shower and pulled on her favorite white robe. Taking her time, she lazily prepared lunch, replaying every moment of the morning. She went into her room to grab the cheesy romance book she’d purchased the other day and picked up her phone as an afterthought. There was a new text highlighted on her screen. Her heart rate quickened once she saw who it was from.

  Why did he call me Clementine? She thought to herself as she checked the time. He had texted her right after he dropped her off, before he’d even left her apartment complex. Unable to keep a wide smile from spreading across her face, she decided not to text him back. She wanted to ask about the nickname, but something stopped her. She would just appreciate the adorable ring it had for the time being. Leaving it open on her phone, she lay back on her bed, smiling up at the ceiling and allowing the warmth of his words to spread over her.

  Chapter 7

  Addison perused her email, hoping to find at least one acceptance letter from the schools she’d applied to a few months ago. She knew it was getting close to the deadline when they’d make their final decisions on her acceptance status and she was feeling antsy. She looked over at her wall calendar, seeing the weeks spanned out in front of her. Week in and week out she’d be working at Dr. Fischer’s office. The job was great, but she knew she wasn’t meant to be there forever. Getting into one of the PA schools would mean she’d get the chance to start a new chapter of her life.

  It was the Tuesday after she’d gone kayaking with Holden and he’d peppered her thoughts almost like clockwork since then. She’d be concentrating on work or buying groceries, and he would somehow dig his way into her mind as if every peanut butter jar and bag of chips had his picture plastered on it. She found herself wondering what he was doing, knowing that the answer would most likely be working at the hospital. Still, she wondered what his nights were filled with and if he found himself thinking of her as well.

  They hadn’t talked since Saturday. She was too prideful to text him first, but with each day that passed her resistance seemed to wear down more and more. She forced herself to go to a sweaty yoga class, needing the time to focus on something other than Holden. The instructor began their class asking them to set an intention or to dedicate their practice to someone, and although her first thought was him, she pushed it aside and dedicated her practice to her own strength, wanting to gather as much as it as possible before going back to volunteer at the hospital the following day.

  She walked out of the studio feeling completely exhausted but resilient. Her muscles ached with overuse and she knew she’d be feeling the repercussions tomorrow morning. It was all worth it though. It felt good to clear her thoughts for an hour and to feel like she had some semblance of control over her feelings and emotions. There was something so calming about being in a room full of strangers all pushing themselves to the limit. She wondered if Holden would agree to go to a class. She knew he’d be more than capable of getting through it, physically at least. She smiled at how stubbornly he had rooted into her brain. I barely know the guy and I want to take him to a yoga class?

  Reaching her car, she checked her phone and found a text waiting for her, the familiar rush of excitement coursing through her veins.

  Addison couldn’t help but smile at his charm. She still had no clue where the nickname had come from though, she’d have to ask him about it next time she saw him.

  Addison put her car in drive and drove back to her apartment before she texted him back. Maybe it was his confidence, or the fact that her feelings about him scared her, but she wanted to keep him waiting. What in the world is he going to force me to do this time? At least he promised I wouldn’t have to jump off anything again.

  After she showered and ate dinner, she picked up her phone and finally texted back.

  The next day she kept herself busy at Dr. Fischer’s office, willing the hours to pass quickly. The day was crawling on and she wasn’t sure how she was going to make it until 7pm. She cleaned the patient rooms, filed any stray charts, filled out the prescription stickers, and called new lab work results back to the patients. It was an hour or so before she had to leave when she decided to text Holden.

  She knew he wouldn’t be able to text back if he was working, which was why she didn’t feel her phone vibrate in her pocket until she had arrived at the hospital to volunteer. She checked the message as she walked to the volunteer station.

  She bit down gently on her lower lip, wondering where this man came from and how on earth he was texting her of all people. She slipped her phone into her purse and reported for volunteer duty. She told her volunteer coordinator to give her as many flowers to deliver as possible, wanting to stay busy so her shift would go by quickly. She ended up delivering a bouquet of white lilies to the same elderly woman who’d complemented her hair the week before. Her name was Sue and she’d lived in Austin her whole life. They chatted for a while and Sue explained that the white lilies were from a man she’d met before coming into the hospital. They’d met at a bridge night in their retirement home and had been randomly assigned to be partners. She’d ended up being much better than him and the following week they had plans for her to teach him some of her tricks to improve his game, but she’d landed in the hospital instead. Addison listened, touched by the woman’s sweetness and even opened up a bit about her scheduled adventure with Holden for later that night. Addison was concerned she was talking too long with the woman, but Sue’s eyes held a sense of appreciation and she knew she had done the right thing. As she left, she promised Sue she would be back next week to check up on the lilies and let her know how her night went.

  She delivered the rest of the flowers and then returned to the gift shop, grabbing a bagel from the cafeteria on her way. She forced herself to choke it down even though she was much
too excited to eat. She hadn’t spotted Holden around the hospital yet, and for some reason she didn’t want to. She feared she wouldn’t be able to calm her nerves enough to say something charming and she enjoyed their text exchanges too much to ruin it with her awkward actions if she bumped into him randomly. I just need a little while longer of seeming cool, calm, and collected before I completely ruin it.

  At 6:55pm she left the volunteer station and headed to the women’s bathroom. She’d die before she wore the ill-fitting volunteer’s polo for her adventure with Holden so she’d packed a light green scoop neck tee that hugged her slim waist but was still relaxed enough for their unknown adventure destination. She had planned ahead and worn her most flattering jeans. She tousled her hair a bit, giving the long waves a bit of body and then touched up her make-up, adding some cheek stain that gave her a dewy, fresh complexion. Let’s hope it looks like I didn’t try at all, she thought as she swung her bag across her shoulder.

  She walked out of the hospital’s entrance at 7:05 pm and found Holden out front, leaning against his black Range Rover. He had on a pair of dark jeans that sat low on his hips and a relaxed fitting black t-shirt. The whole look was simple, but Addison still found herself caught off guard by his appearance. She admired the way his sinuously layered hair fell, tousled from a long day of work. He had a little stubble from what looked like a skipped day of shaving and she couldn’t help wondering what that scruff would feel like against her lips. He looked like a mix between a free spirit and an ambitious neurology resident. She smiled to herself thinking how well that description seemed to fit his personality so far.

  She strolled closer to his SUV expecting him to open her door but he didn’t budge. He stood against the door with his hands casually in his pockets, waiting for her to get closer.

  “Excuse me miss, are you a volunteer?” he mused, giving her a sly grin. “I really need a hand. I mean, I think as a doctor here, I should get a bit of say into how you spend your time volunteering...”

  “Oh, is that right?” She arched a brow. “It’s a good thing my shift ended 5 minutes ago then,” she said, pretending to look at a watch on her wrist before meeting his gaze.

  She had walked all the way to his car now and was standing a few inches in front of him. The intense pull he had over her affected her even from there.

  “Well technically you’re still on the hospital premises,” he said, reaching his hands out of his pockets and gesturing to the building behind them.

  “Well technically,” she said, emphasizing his own word, “I’m not in that horrible volunteer’s uniform anymore. In case you hadn’t noticed,” she said, taking a step toward the passenger door of his SUV. She hoped her wry smile veiled how overwhelmed he’d made her feel in such a short time.

  “Oh don’t worry, Clementine, I noticed,” he said, his words dripping with charm and a hint of sensuality as he opened her door.

  She felt goose bumps rise in response to his words as she scooted in and buckled her seat belt.

  He pulled his SUV onto the road in front of the hospital when she remembered to ask.

  “Where did you get Clementine from, anyway?”

  “You don’t like it?” he asked with a gentle sideways smile.

  “No, I actually think it’s endearing, it just seems sort of random.” She looked out her window, wondering where they were headed.

  “It’s not random at all, Addison. You remind me of a Clementine... They’re sweeter than oranges in my opinion and they’re small like you are,” giving her a soft smile. She felt her heart surge as he revealed his reasoning behind her nickname. “Not to mention how easy they are to peel,” he added, giving her that wonderfully sly smile.

  “You’re so full of it!” she said, failing to stifle a laugh and playfully hitting him on the arm.

  “You really had me going there for a second Holden,” she said, incapable of wiping the smile from her face. “I can’t wait to give you a nickname,” she teased, loving the way his laughter sounded in response to her comments. He had a deep laugh that fell easily from his lips. She was beginning to learn that although Holden had every right to be uptight and pretentious, he couldn’t have been further from it. She didn’t have to coax laughs or smiles out of him. He gave his happiness willingly and she felt lighter just being in the same car as him.

  They pulled into a vacant parking spot on the University of Texas campus and Holden shut off the car. “So hopefully you aren’t beginning to piece together what we’re doing yet,” he said as he reached his arm into the back seat to retrieve a black backpack. He swung his door open and walked over to open hers.

  “I honestly don’t know, unless it involves breaking into a professor’s office to find test questions. Which won’t really help me since I’ve already graduated,” she admitted, looking around her. “Where were you a few years ago?” she joked, bumping her shoulder into his slightly as she fell into step beside him. It felt like hitting a hard wall and the contact only made her yearn to feel even more of his body. She gently dug her nails into her palms to distract her hands for the time being.

  “Now Addison, what kind of guy do you take me for?” he said, turning smoothly on his heels to face her as he continued to walk backwards. He reached his hand out to hers and she took it without second thought. He pulled her toward him as they walked on a wide sidewalk that sloped upwards, over a hill.

  “Come on, I think we’re a few minutes late. He better still be there,” he said, beginning to walk a little faster, half dragging her behind him. She laughed and ran to catch up, unable to think of anything other than his hand holding hers.

  They reached a tall brick building she remembered taking calculus in her freshman year. Outside, stood a lanky guy with cute horn-rimmed glasses who looked to be a few years older than her. He nodded when he saw them appear and began walking toward them. Addison looked from the stranger to Holden, completely confused.

  “Hey man, long time no see.” The stranger smiled, throwing a loose hug around Holden. They were still holding hands so Addison was jerked helplessly forward by the force. Holden looked down at her with an apologetic smile and released her hand. She looked down at her empty hand, immediately aching from the loss. Relax, Crazy, he’ll hold your hand again… probably.

  “Seriously, I can’t believe we’ve been in the same city for so long and haven’t made time to catch up. I owe you a beer for doing this for me,” Holden spoke, taking a set of keys that the stranger was holding out. His friend looked toward Addison giving her a knowing smile.

  “Sounds good dude, just have these back to me by midnight, I won’t be able to get in tomorrow morning otherwise.” He patted Holden on the shoulder before beginning to walk away. “Have fun you two, it looks like it’ll be a good night to be up there.”

  “Thanks again man, I’ll call you about that beer,” Holden promised.

  “You’re taking me into the math building Holden? You know I was joking about breaking into an office earlier, right?” She jested as they walked into the giant marbled lobby.

  “Yes, we’re going into the math building, but not for that reason...,” he winked, still leaving her hanging. Is he kidding? Does he have to be so mysterious? Why am I thinking in questions?

  “We just have to climb up a few stairs and then take an elevator I think. Probably should have read his email a little more thoroughly before getting here,” he admitted.

  “The suspense is killing me.”

  He shot her a sweet grin, “Good.”

  They climbed five flights of worn down stairs before finally stepping onto an elevator. The main doors to the building hadn’t been locked so Addison didn’t think they were technically breaking any laws yet. They’d run into a few professor-types on the stairs that looked to be going home for the day. But other than that, the building was rather empty, especially as they continued to ascend floors.

  They stood shoulder to shoulder on the elevator, the tension radiating palpably between them. Hi
s presence usually stole her breath away but this was a whole new sensation entirely. His elegantly broad frame forced its way into her senses, and they both kept their eyes glued to the illuminated floor numbers. Fourteen… Fifteen… She fidgeted anxiously with her jean pockets, unable to stand still when she was completely alone and standing so close to him.

  They made it to the 17th floor before the shiny metal doors slid open. I bet you can see most of the campus from up here. She smiled at the idea, finally unveiling his plan. It wasn’t until she looked up at a sign that read “telescope” with a large yellow arrow painted underneath, pointing to the right, that she realized there might be more to the plan.

  “Holden?” she inquired, pointing to the sign.

  He smiled coyly. “My friend back there is working toward a PhD in Astronomy. We did our undergrad together and he’s mentioned this place a few times when we’ve met up in Austin,” he explained as they walked down a long hallway toward another sign that pointed to a small ladder.

  Addison nodded, sort of speechless and beginning to understand why they had trekked all the way up here. No one had planned such a special occasion for her before and it stunned her that Holden had gone through the trouble.