Burn Out (6 page)

She stepped on to
the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor, hoping she wouldn’t
have to wait too long for a taxi. She slipped her boots on as she waited for
the elevator to finish its descent.

“Well, well, this
is a nice surprise.”

She looked up to
see Charlie, the security guard she’d often chatted with when she came down to
get her weekend newspaper. “Oh, hi,” she said, her face flaming when she got a
glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was tangled, her make-up smeared,
and there were red burn marks on her neck and chest.
Talk about taking the
walk of shame.

“It’s so nice to
see you again, Dr. Carlton.”

“You as well,” she
said, praying he would sense her need for discretion. “Um, I was just going to
call a taxi.”

If he was
surprised by the statement, he didn’t let on, though she knew he must have
wondered why Evan wasn’t driving her home.

“Let me make that
call for you,” he said, slipping in behind the security desk where he monitored
the cameras and responded to the residents’ concerns.

“Oh, you don’t
have to do that,” she said, reaching in to her purse. “I have my cell phone
with me.”

“No trouble at
all,” he said, smiling.

She watched him
make the call, wishing she could hide outside and wait for her ride.

“Can I get you a
cup of coffee?” he asked, pointing to the carafe set up on a small credenza
behind the desk.

“I’d love one,
thanks.” She wasn’t able to face her day until she’d had at least two cups, and
since she was already pressed for time, she figured she may as well take him up
on his offer.

“Still take it
black?” he asked, pouring the steaming beverage into one of the take-out cups
stacked on the tray.

“You have a good
memory,” she said, smiling as she reached for the cup.

“I remember a lot
of things,” he said, raising a bushy white eyebrow in question. “For example, I
remember how happy you and Mr. Spencer were together.”

She brought the
cup to her lips, trying to ignore his comment. He’d often pried in to her
personal life, asking her when she and Evan planned to marry and have children.
Telling her that when he was young, men and women didn’t live in sin. She’d
dismissed his outrageous comments because of his advanced age, knowing he
didn’t mean any disrespect, but her emotions were too raw to take his questions
in stride this morning.

“I’d rather not
talk about it if you don’t mind, Charlie.”

He frowned at her.
Obviously, he didn’t appreciate being dismissed. “You look as though you’ve
lost a little weight since I saw you last.” He peered around the desk to size
her up. “You’d best be careful; you don’t want to get too thin.”

He sounded like
her grandparents, and in fact he was probably close to her grandfather’s age,
so she gave him an indulgent smile. “I’ll have a chocolate croissant before I
go to work. Will that make you happy?”

He chuckled as he
pushed his wire-framed glasses back up on his nose. “It’s a start. I must say
though, I’m surprised your fella wouldn’t fix you a nice big breakfast before
you left for the day.”

She took a sip of
coffee, hoping her taxi would arrive and save her from having to respond. “Evan
and I aren’t getting back together, Charlie.”

“Huh,” he said,
folding his arms over his chest. “I guess that’s one of them arrangements where
you get to have all the fun without the promise of bein’ faithful.” He shook
his head. “I’ll tell ya, I just don’t understand you young people today. Back
in my day, you met the person you wanted to marry, made a commitment, raised
your family, and if you were lucky, you still liked each other by the time the
kids flew the coop.” He grinned, revealing a few jagged teeth. “That’s the way
it’s supposed to be.”

Erika tried not to
get sucked into his fantasy of the perfect little life, especially when it
seemed so far out of her reach. “I guess times have changed.”

“So, you and Mr.
Spencer aren’t gettin’ back together?”

“No, we’re not.”
Her cheeks flamed and she searched the parking lot for her taxi.

“That’s a shame.
He sure hasn’t been himself since you left him.”

Erika refused to
take the word of a man Evan only saw in passing. “He’s a very busy man. I doubt
he’s even had time to miss me since I left.” It hurt her to acknowledge it was
likely true. He hadn’t taken long to give up on her when she refused to take
his calls.

“Sometimes we try
and keep busy so it won’t hurt so much.”

Erika looked up,
surprised to hear his voice thick with emotion. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just…” He
cleared his throat and reached for a tissue. “I turn eighty tomorrow, and I
never thought I’d still be here.” He lifted his glasses and wiped the tears
from his eyes. “I thought Edith and I would’ve retired to Florida by now. You
know, a nice little condo on the beach.”

“Why haven’t you?”
She knew she was prying, but since he’d always insinuated himself into her
personal business, she thought turnabout was fair play.

“Edith has
dementia. It got real bad last year, so I had to put her in that new retirement
community, Bryson’s. I keep workin’ here just to pay those bills. Plus, it gets
me out of the house. The residents in this building are like my family.” He
shrugged. “I don’t really have anyone else. My kids and grandkids are spread
out all over the country. Hardly ever see them.”

Charlie’s story
broke Erika’s heart. She’d known him for several years and he often spoke about
his wife. She always admired the fact they still seemed to love each other
after so many years. “Evan’s cousin, Alisa, is married to the owner of that
retirement community, Liam Bryson.”

“Ya don’t say,” he
said, smiling. “It’s an awful nice place. Expensive, but worth every penny.
Hell, I’d keep workin’ ‘til my dyin’ day to could keep Edith there. She
deserves a place like that.” He gave her a wobbly smile. “Only the best for my
best girl.”

Erika blinked back
tears as she caught sight of a taxi. She moved around the desk and reached out
to hug Charlie. “It was nice seeing you again. Give my best to your wife.”

“It was nice
seein’ you too,” he said, patting her awkwardly on the back. “I hope to see you
around here again real soon.”

“I don’t think you
will,” she said, reaching for one of the tissues. “But thanks.”

“For what?” he
asked, looking confused.

“For reminding me
that I need to hold out for what you and Edith have.” She dabbed at her eyes.
“I have to believe my Charlie’s out there waiting for me.” She choked back a
sob when she realized she’d almost convinced herself to settle for less than
she deserved again. “I want a man who’s going to love me the way you love your
wife. Who’s going to put me first.”

He grinned as he
gave her two thumbs up. “Don’t give up hope, darlin’. He’s out there somewhere.
You might even be closer to findin’ him than you think.”

Evan reached over
and patted the bed, hoping he could convince Erika to cuddle for a few minutes
before they had to get up and go to work. It didn’t take long for him to
realize he was alone. He sat up, listening for the sound of the shower or the coffee
maker bubbling in the kitchen, some indication that she hadn’t left without a
word.

Cursing, he pulled
himself out of bed, grabbed his bathrobe off the back of the bathroom door, and
stumbled into the kitchen hoping to find at least a note to explain her hasty
departure.
Nothing.

He stormed down
the hall, his mood getting worse with each step. He was tired of the echo of
his footsteps… the TV filling the silence… the sound of his own voice. He was
tired of being alone. Last night had been incredible. For the first time in a
year, he’d felt he had someone to share his life again and he had no intention
of letting her go without forcing her to acknowledge last night had been a game
changer for them.

He grabbed a quick
shower and made his way downstairs, hoping the security guard could tell him
when she left. “Hey, Charlie,” he said, raising his hand in greeting as he
stepped off the elevator. “Just the man I was lookin’ for. I was wonderin’ if
you’ve seen Erika this mornin’?”

Charlie’s tired
blue eyes darted to the front entrance and Evan knew he felt torn because of
his loyalty to Erika. He’d always said she was one of his favorite tenants. She
never forgot to buy him and his wife a Christmas gift. She even went so far as
to go door to door and have everyone sign a get well card for him when he’d
been hospitalized with pneumonia two years ago.

“It’s okay,” Evan
said, smiling to soften the sharpness in his tone. Every minute that passed was
a minute wasted, and he’d already wasted too much time away from her. “She and
I are tryin’ to work things out.” He sighed when Charlie looked down at the
clipboard in his hand instead of responding. “Did she say something to you
about us?”

It was hard to
believe she would confide in an eighty year-old security guard she barely knew
when she had trouble talking to him about their relationship, but he was
desperate enough to ask. “If she said something, I need to know, Charlie.
Please.”

The older man sat
down in his upholstered swivel chair with a heavy sigh. “When I saw her here
this mornin’, I really thought you kids were gonna be able to work things out,
Mr. Spencer.”

Evan went on high
alert. The pity in his voice conveyed his message loud and clear. “She told you
we weren’t gettin’ back together? Is that what you’re tryin’ to tell me?” He
gripped his car keys in his fist, his frustration mounting with each passing
second. “Did she say why?”

“It’s not for me
to say, sir.”

Evan had always
been friendly with the old man. He’d even invited him to skip the formalities
and call him by his first name, but Charlie was old school and insisted the
tenants in his building deserved respect. “I’d really appreciate it if you
could give me some clue what she was thinkin’ when she left here.” Realizing he
had to ask a stranger what was going on in Erika’s mind these days humbled
Evan. There was a time when he could read her mind, finish her sentences, and
predict her food choices based on her mood. God, he missed those days.

“She just said she
wanted to hold out for a man who was gonna love her enough to put her first.”
He shrugged, looking apologetic. “I’m awful sorry. I know that’s not what you
want to hear.”

“You’re right it’s
not,” he said, backtracking down the hall towards the elevator. He needed to
see her. Now.

“Mr. Spencer?”
Charlie called after him.

“Yeah?” he asked,
turning on his heel and walking backwards. “What is it?”

The old man
smiled. “I wouldn’t give up on her if I were you. It took me a long time to
convince my Edith I was the one for her, but it sure was worth the trouble.”

Evan smiled at the
sentiment. “Don’t worry, Charlie. I don’t intend to give up on her. In fact,
I’ve only just begun to fight.”

***

Erika was dead on
her feet by lunch. The walk-in vaccine clinic was always their busiest day of
the year. It was a tradition her father started years ago. One day of the year,
they offered annual check-ups and free vaccines for residents on a fixed
income, no appointment required. He said it was his way of giving back to the
community that had been so good to him, and his daughter was happy to carry on
the tradition. Any day other than today.

Her head was
pounding from a hangover, Jeff was breathing down her neck about what happened
last night, and she couldn’t get Evan off her mind. What a mess.

As if she’d
conjured him up, Evan appeared. He slipped through the crowd and leaned against
the wall beside a filing cabinet, watching her greet a terrified terrier mix.
It was difficult to breathe, much less focus on the task at hand, with him
staring at her.

“Oh wow,”
whispered the new vet technician. “Would you look at that guy?”

Erika had enjoyed
working with the young woman. Until now. “Can we stay focused, Lynn?” she
asked, clenching her teeth. She was used to women hitting on Evan. It hadn’t
bothered her when he was her boyfriend because she trusted he would never cheat
on her, but now that they were apart, she knew he was fair game and it bothered
her more than she was willing to admit.

“Do you know him?”
she whispered, turning her back to Evan. “The way he’s looking at you, it’s
like he wants to…”

Erika shot her a
warning glare and smiled sweetly at the little old lady stroking her pet’s head
and whispering words of encouragement in his ear. She knew Mrs. Morrison was
hard of hearing, but she wasn’t willing to risk it. “Why don’t you go over there
and help Dr. Birch? I’m going to take a quick break when I finish with Finn.”

“Sure, Doc,” she
said, peeling her latex gloves off as she sauntered up to Jeff to offer her
services.

“The girl’s right,
you know,” Mrs. Morrison said, glancing at Evan over her shoulder. “Your young
man is very handsome.”