Awakening

by Hayes, Olivia

  "Later?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "When there aren't so many witnesses."

  He nodded, helping me into the truck.

  ~~~~

  When we entered The Back Porch Bar & Grill Luke led us through the restaurant area and out the back door onto the porch where Nick was waiting for us in a booth with another man. They stood as we walked over.

  "Hope y'all don't mind, but I asked my little brother to join us," he said, looking right at Anne Marie.

  "Damn Nick, you certainly couldn't be more obvious!" The brother said, elbowing him. "I'm Ben, it's nice to meet y'all."

  Nick made the introductions all the way around as we slid into the booth. When he got to Anne Marie, Ben lifted her hand, planting a light kiss on her fingers. I think it may have been love at first sight because Anne Marie, who was sliding into the booth next to me, slowly stood and slid in next to Ben instead. I had to admit, he was a pretty good looking guy with the same sandy hair and gray eyes as Nick.

  "I stopped by my brother's office this afternoon to discuss a business opportunity and on my way there I saw three lovely ladies, that I didn't recognize from around here, coming out of Mimi's Boutique."

  Oops, busted!

  "I happened to mention the dark headed vixen amongst them to Nick, and he invited me for drinks tonight. What a surprise it was when you walked in," Ben said, putting his arm around Anne Marie's shoulders.

  "Get a room!" Eva shouted at them, lightening the mood and drawing a laugh from everyone else. She was seated across the booth from Nick, who was next to Ben and Anne Marie. That left me in between Eva and Luke.

  The booth wasn't really large enough for all of us with all these broad shouldered men cramming in and my thigh was solidly up against Luke's. I felt like my leg was on fire where it met his and I squirmed toward Eva trying to get some relief. Luke looked directly at me and put his hand firmly on my knee, holding me in place. His fingers traced slow circles over my knee, sending sparks of heat straight to my center.

  I looked around noticing the large porch area we were on was built around several large trees that were lit with white lights around their trunks and through their lower branches. The walls were created by white lattice that had honeysuckle and jasmine winding through it. The dance floor and stage took up most of the covered area in the back and the large teak bar took up one whole side of the porch space in the front. There were only a few other people occupying tables at the moment, and one guy sitting at the bar, who it seemed, liked to stare because every time I looked that way, he was looking at me, or at our table anyway.

  The waitress came by to get our drink order. Eva, ever the partier, ordered shots for the table. I had never been a big drinker, so I tried to just get a water, but Eva would have nothing to do with it, and asked the waitress to bring me an Appletini. I thought to object, but I was very conscious of Luke's hand on my knee, and decided I could use a little something take the edge off.

  When the drinks arrived, Eva passed out the shots.

  "To the future, whatever it may hold," she toasted.

  The combination of different liquors burned it's way to my belly, warming me from the inside. Just then the band started playing.

  "Care for a dance, Savannah?" His nickname for me caught me off guard again and I wasn't able to object before he had me out of the booth and on the dance floor. Thank goodness it wasn't a slow song. As we shagged to I Love Beach Music, by the Embers, I thought how much I missed dancing. It had been a really long time since I'd gotten out and enjoyed myself, and I really did want to let go. As we twirled and shimmied around the dance floor, I found myself laughing and having a great time. When the song ended, I started to walk back to the booth, but Luke grabbed my wrist.

  "One more?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at me. As soon as I nodded, I wished I hadn't.

  "Just one look, and I fell so hard, hard, hard, in love....," the lead singer began as Luke pulled me into his arms.

  As we swayed to the music, every nerve in my body was on high alert. His hand, firmly on my lower back, held me solidly against him and I could feel my pulse racing. He leaned down and laid his head against mine. I could feel his breath in my ear and inhaled his warm male scent.

  "God this song reminds me of you," he said as we swayed to the music. "I've thought about you so often. About all the fun we had during summers here. About seeing you again." I tried to pull away, but he held fast. "I wanted to say earlier that I know this must be overwhelming for you. I know I haven't always treated you right but I don't want things to be awkward between us anymore. From the moment I met you I knew you were special. I thought I had missed my chance with you long ago and then when I saw you standing in my driveway... I am just so thankful to see you again."

  "Luke..." I started, but as soon as I opened my mouth to talk, his lips were on mine. The kiss was slow and sweet at first. The music fell away, and all I could do was feel his mouth moving over mine, taking what he wanted. He brought one hand up to cup the back of my neck and moved his head to the side, deepening the kiss. Our tongues collided eagerly, as if they had done this dance before many times. I leaned into him, trying to stifle the low moan that threatened to escape.

  "What is going on here!?" I heard, from somewhere in the background. "Luke Johnson, I am talking to you!"

  This brought me screaming back to reality. Pulling my face back from Luke, I realized we were eye level, and he was holding me up against his chest.

  "Let me apologize for her in advance," he said, lowering my feet back to the dance floor. "This has nothing to do with you. Please wait for me. I'll be right back."

  He placed another kiss on my forehead before turning around to the girl and leading her across the dance floor. I stood in stunned silence watching his back disappear inside.

  Nick walked over to me and guided me back to the booth. "Don't worry about her."

  "Who is she?" I asked.

  "Tessa James. Luke's ex-girlfriend."

  Great, a disgruntled ex-girlfriend, probably another of his bimbos. Just what I needed.

  Thanks again, universe!

  I wasn't sure why I felt a surge of anger towards Luke, he didn't owe me anything. We weren't together, but still, he did bring me here, and then he kissed me and left with some other girl. I was insulted. I picked up my Appletini and finished the entire thing in one gulp.

  "I need a drink," I said to no one in particular.

  I looked for the creepy guy and noticed he wasn't seated at the bar anymore, so I headed that way. I sat down on a bar stool as the bartender walked over and put down a napkin in front of me. She was a pretty girl, but she looked tired, like she'd been working too many long shifts. Her name tag said AMANDA.

  "What can I get ya?"

  "Something strong," I said.

  "Coming right up."

  She put a shot glass down on the bar and quickly filled it with some sort of brown liquid. I picked it up and poured it down my throat. My eyes started watering as I sucked in a mouth full of air and slammed the shot glass back down on the bar.

  "Another," I demanded.

  She poured another shot in my glass and set the bottle down on the bar.

  "Look, I know it's none of my business, but don't worry about Tessa."

  "I'm not worried about her. It's just another kink in the chain."

  "Look, I know everyone around here." Amanda smiled. "Luke's a good guy, he just got tangled up with the wrong girl. A few years back when Luke first came to town, he and Tessa used to get around together. She was serious about him, but he was just having a good time. One night she came in and Luke was talking to a pretty young girl at the bar. She flipped out on him."

  "What happened?" I asked, really not sure why I cared.

  "Well, it turned out the girl was his little sister, in town for a visit. Tessa made a huge scene before Luke could calm her down enough to explain. He was so angry with her that he called it quits right then and there."

  "Yeah, good for him."

/>   "I shouldn't be saying anything, but I heard talk that she told him she was pregnant. He wasn't happy about it, but he was gonna marry her because he's a gentleman and it was the right thing to do in his mind. He was really smart about it though because he made her go to the doctor before he put the ring on her finger, and it turned out she was lying. Ever since then he's wanted absolutely nothing to do with her, but she still pines for him and chases him around every chance she gets. It's really pathetic."

  I emptied my shot glass again.

  "Does she act like that every time he comes in here with a girl?"

  Amanda looked at me with a mile wide grin.

  "Well honey, you're the first girl he's brought in here since his sister. Luke doesn't get around a whole lot anymore. I think Tessa taught him a lesson about keeping it in his pants, especially in a town as small as this one."

  I blanched at her abrasiveness, and was just about to ask her another question when Eva came over to get me.

  "Come on Caroline, let's get out of here. Nick said he'll take you back to the house."

  I stood up and looked around the bar, which was packed. How long had we been here? Suddenly everything started to spin, and I grabbed Eva by the shoulders. She was helping me back to the table, when strong arms wrapped around me, easily taking my weight.

  "What happened to you?" Luke asked me.

  "Nothing, I just had a couple drinks while you were gone." I smiled at him lazily. "You sure are sexy."

  Luke grinned at me, shaking his head.

  "I'd say you had more than a couple. Let's get you home."

  June 22, 2013

  I woke to the morning sun streaming through my window. I had to squint my eyes to control the dull throbbing in my head. I am such a lightweight! I fumbled for my phone on the nightstand and checked the time. 8:37 am. I moaned and rolled over on my back, noticing that neither Anne Marie nor Eva were in their bed.

  After slipping on a t-shirt and shorts, I dragged myself to the bathroom and as I was brushing the fuzz off my teeth I heard hysterical laughter coming down the hallway. I put down the toothbrush and rinsed out my mouth, as I went to see what was going on.

  The door at the end of the hallway was slightly ajar and I could hear muffled voices, followed by more laughter. As I walked to the door and pushed it open, I could see both my parents sitting on the floor in front of a photo album laughing so hard they were both crying.

  "Hey honey! Come in, come in. How was your night?" My dad asked as I seated myself on the floor beside him.

  "Ugh, don't ask. What time did I get home?"

  "It's was about 9:30. Luke brought you home and I helped you get in the bed," my mother provided.

  "Where are Eva and Anne Marie?"

  "We're really not sure. Luke said Nick was going to bring them home, but they haven't come back yet."

  I smiled at my dad, hearing the words he wasn't saying. My friends had spent the night out with two men they barely knew, and he was glad I was here, instead of doing Lord knows what.

  "So, what's so funny then?" I asked, changing the subject.

  "We were just looking at some old pictures of Jillian and me when we were kids. Your father and I were reminiscing about the good old days, when the three of us were connected at the hip," my mother smiled nostalgically.

  That's when it dawned on me that we were seated in my mother's and Jillian's childhood room. I looked around at the hand drawn pictures on the walls, faded and yellowing from years of sunrises. There was an old tin carousel toy next to a stack of children's books, and a doll that had seen better days.

  "Look at this picture Caroline," my mother said. "This is Jillian, and that's me." She pointed to a young girl with long blonde hair. My resemblance to her was unreal. I hadn't seen many pictures of my mother when she was young.

  "Wow, I look so much like you."

  "Well, you are my daughter, aren't you?"

  My mom leaned forward to pick up another picture and Jillian's locket fell forward and dangled around her neck. I heard my father gasp.

  "Where did you find that?" He asked, searching my mother's face.

  "Caroline found it in the desk downstairs on the first day we were here. I don't know how it ended up here. Jillian never took it off."

  "I sent it back," my father admitted.

  "Why Jack?" My mother sounded hurt, as if my father had been keeping something from her.

  "It was time, Allison."

  "I'm going to go see if I can find some water," I said, sensing my parents needed to have a private conversation.

  ~~~~

  It was Saturday and the house was quiet without any workers painting, or putting up wainscoting and crown molding. I did have to admit, the place was coming back to life nicely, and it had only been one full day of work.

  As I entered the kitchen and pulled a bottled water from the fridge, I scanned the room for my purse. Finding it slung over one of the chairs, I dug in the bottom for some Ibuprofen, popping two in my mouth and taking a long swig of water. I walked over to the back door and peered out the window at the river. It was so peaceful. I opened the door and stepped out onto the back deck.

  "Morning, Savannah," a deep voice said.

  "Holy shit!" I screamed and jumped at least a foot, splashing cold water on my shirt. "Damn."

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Luke said, sheepishly.

  "Luke, what are you doing here?"

  He stood and walked over to me, placing his hands on my upper arms. Warmth radiated through me and I couldn't look away from his gaze.

  "I'm sorry about last night. Tessa is an old girlfriend. Things didn't end incredibly well with her and I didn't want you to be the target of her jealousy."

  "I can take care of myself, you know." This was true, although, it was endearing for him to want to try and protect me.

  "I have no doubt," he agreed. "Nonetheless, I apologize."

  "It's fine."

  "You had a pretty rough night, huh?"

  "Yeah, alcohol and I aren't friends," I admitted.

  "Let me make it up to you?"

  "That's not necessary," I told him. "No harm, no foul."

  "Caroline, come with me. I want to show you something."

  I looked at him and could see the pleading in his eyes. It was Saturday after all. My parents were in their own little world, and I had no idea where my best friends were. And, let's face it. I wanted nothing more than to spend time with him.

  "Okay," I acquiesced. "But I need to shower and change my clothes. My hair smells like cigarettes and I feel like I'm excreting alcohol from all my pores."

  Luke's eyes sparkled as he laughed. "How about you meet me over at my place when you're ready?"

  "Sounds great."

  Luke smiled and stepped off the deck. As he rounded the side of the house he called back to me, "Bring a swimsuit if you have one!"

  I turned to go back inside and clean up.

  ~~~~

  About forty-five minutes later, I pulled up to Luke's in my mom's Explorer. I didn't bring a whole lot of clothes with me, so again, I was wearing a pair of running shorts, with a tank top this time. I put on some bike shorts underneath and my sports bra, since I didn't have a bathing suit with me. I also grabbed a towel and put on some sunscreen and a hat, so I felt minimally prepared for whatever Luke had in store.

  As I walked up to his door, it opened. Luke's dashing smile made my heart skip a beat as I walked past him into the entry way. The house was very similar to my grandmother's, but had an entirely different feel. Where hers was old and outdated, his was sleek and modern. The dark mahogany floor boards ran throughout the downstairs. He had torn down some interior walls to allow for a more open floor plan, which made it possible to see clear through the house to the river out back.

  "Come on in," he invited. "I've just about got everything ready."

  I followed him into the living room, noticing the high ceilings and pot lights. The nautical decor was very tasteful, a
nd calming. Light gray walls, highlighted by bright white trim and crown molding. Deep couches covered with neutral fabric and accented with pops of navy and cerulean. It really was fabulous. The fireplace was framed by floor to ceiling book shelves, which held many books on sailing and knot tying, and twice as many about architecture. As I wandered past the bookshelves I could hear Luke banging around in the kitchen.

  There was faint jazz music coming from the room just off living area. I peeked through the slightly open pocket doors to see his home office. Curiously, I opened the doors further and stuck my head inside. A drafting table stood in one corner, littered with several sheets of paper. As I walked toward it, I was able to make out pictures of houses and buildings, small details sketched with precision. He really did have an excellent eye. On the walls were several sketches of houses and buildings, framed next to pictures of the finished product. Each one more beautiful than the next.

  An overly large wooden desk took up the rest of the space in the room. I picked up one of the frames on his desk, turning it over to see Martha Johnson, Luke's mother, and his sister Emily. Martha was strikingly beautiful, with creamy skin and sparkling green eyes just like Luke's, and Emily had the same skin, but her hair color was a lighter brown and her eyes were more golden. Mark's eyes. The family resemblance was uncanny. I put that picture down and picked up the next one. My heart slammed against my chest as I stared at a picture of Luke and his father with Mark.

  Tears welled in my eyes as I looked at their faces, seemingly caught mid laugh. Luke Senior had salt and pepper hair and the same golden eyes as Mark and Emily. Seeing Mark and Luke side by side, it was easy to tell which was which. I noticed that Luke's jaw was stronger, his nose straighter. He had the same dimple as Mark, but his smile was a little crooked. His lips were more full than Mark's. They had the same eye shape, but where Mark's were golden, Luke's were green, like the depths of the ocean. The three of them looked so happy in that moment.

  "That was a few weeks before he died," Luke said from the doorway.

  I hastily wiped my hands across my cheeks and eyes, trying to dry the tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snoop."