Silent No More(10)
“That is so disgusting. I don’t know how you eat that,” she says, staring at my meal with her eyebrows scrunched together.
“It’s pretty tasty. Do you want to try it?” I ask, holding it out in front of her. We both start giggling and finish up our meal. Being here, I feel relaxed and more like myself. I probably should dwell on why I feel so relaxed as an image of the man with the blue eyes flashes before me. Luckily, I don’t have to think about it for too long as Stacy brings me back to the here and now.
“So what do you plan on doing about Allison?” Stacy asks as the waiter brings us both refills of diet coke.
What am I going to do? Part of me wants to kick her ass and another part of me...well, I don’t even know really. I’m really pissed and my heart aches. It’s Allison I hate.
Why did it have to be her?
For some reason, I’m not even considering Luke in my hatred. The Band Perry’s song “Done” pops into my head momentarily. That’s exactly the way I feel. I’m just…done.
“I don’t know.” It’s all I say, because frankly, I just don’t know what to do when it comes to Allison. This is not a situation I ever thought I would find myself in.
I look to a table across the room. There is an older couple eating. They look…happy. They look like they love each other and could tell each other anything. I don’t recall ever having a moment with Luke like that.
“She called Katelyn, last night. She is upset that she hurt you, but she confessed she thinks she is in love with him.” Stacy grabs my hand and squeezes.
Wow! I don’t even know what to say to that. I pull my hand out of her grasp.
“In love…with Luke. What is that supposed to mean? Was yesterday not a one-time thing?” I say it aloud, but I’m really hashing it out to myself. I never even considered them to be having an affair. Is it an affair if you aren’t married yet?
“I can’t answer that. I have no idea. Until last night, I had no clue she…they were, you know…screwing around.” Stace takes a sip of her drink. I think she knows more than she is saying, but I don’t push it. I know she is trying to tiptoe around my feelings. Stacy is usually blunter than she is being right now.
After the waiter brings us the check, we throw down enough cash to cover the meals, drinks and tip. We get up, hug, and say our goodbyes, and then we both set out on our way to work.
FOUR
It’s right at one o’clock in the afternoon when I walk through the door of Art through a Lens. That is the name of my photography shop. Walking in, I smile and say “hi” to Jenny, who’s behind the front counter wrapping up a large framed 24x36 photograph of a ten-foot wave I captured in Hawaii last year.
She flashes a bright smile at me and asks, “Do you need something to drink or help preparing for tomorrow?”
“A bottle of smart water would be great, but no rush,” I reply. “I think I have everything covered for tomorrow. I just need to make sure the layout is perfect. I’ll be in my office if you need me.” I continue making my way to the back.
Placing my purse on my chair in front of my computer, I walk over to the portfolio lying out on the long section of my L-shaped desk. I take a seat on the bench in front, placing my right leg underneath my butt to get comfortable. I know I’m going to be here for a while, dwelling over which photos should be where in this layout. I wasn’t this indecisive with the first book I published last year.
A few minutes later Jenny walks in with my water and I take it from her hand, thanking her. She walks right back out of my office to go back to the front. I pop the cap up and take a sip. The water tastes refreshing as it eases down my throat. Afterwards, I place it to my far left so there isn’t a chance of spilling it. I’m somewhat clumsy.
The front door chimes, but I ignore it. Jenny’s out front; she can deal with the customer. Today, I don’t need any distractions.
The voices I hear are low, but I am able to make out Jenny saying, “Miss Taylor is busy today. Sir, would you like to make an appointment to come back to see her?” There is a pause before she continues. “Excuse me, sir, but you can’t go back there. Sir?”
I feel his eyes on me before I see him. It’s that same warm tingling feeling that washed over my body this morning. I look up, over my left shoulder at the door. There he is, filling the doorframe with his large hard body; staring at me with those blue flames. Holy cow, this man is too hot for his own good.
It should be a sin.
Perhaps it is and I don’t know it. I’m a terrible Catholic who hasn’t been to church since my early teens. Now that so many years have passed, I wouldn’t dare take communion without confessing my secrets. And well…that just isn’t going to happen. You would think if a person could talk to someone, it would be easy to tell one’s priest. But it’s not. I did try once, but I chickened out before I even walked into the church.