Inconsolable (9 page)

“Thanks Savannah. I’m sorry for being such an asshole the first time we met.”

“Don’t be. You all are like that in the beginning. Your Uncle Trey was the worst by far,” she gives a chuckle and walks me to the door. “I’ll see you next week?”

“Yep.”

“How is the medicine helping?”

“It’s okay.” Yeah, I never even got it filled. I am not crazy and I am not going to take the medicine.

“Don’t lie to me. I really think you should give it a chance. It will help you
and then you won’t need the alcohol to help you.”

“Fine, I’ll go get it filled tonight.”

“Good. See you in a week,” she smiles and shuts the door
.

I walk down the stairs and jump into my car.  I guess now it’s time to go to the pharmacy.  I hear a ding and look down to see a text from Anna.  I laugh as I look down to see her covered in flour with a message that read:
Don’t ever cook with Mary-Beth.
  I love getting these messages from Anna.  They seem to be the sunshine in my darkest hours.

It’s been three weeks since Mary-Beth left Jameson
and three weeks since I met Blake that day in the coffee shop.  I think I really am starting to like him, a lot.  I always wondered when my time would come and I think he may be the one.  I never really dated much in high school.
Mason always took pity on my by being my date to all the dances.  I hear Barb and Diane in the other room cutting up with their clients being typical Barb and Diane, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

I hear the door chime and I walk into the waiting area to see if I can help the person. I look over the guy with the sunglasses and backward LSU baseball cap. I look over his blue American Eagle shirt and his matching jeans, then down to the dark Doc Martens on his feet. Who is this guy?

“Hi, can I help you?”

“Well, I hope so.  I was in town and was wondering if you’d come meet me for lunch.”

Ummm, what? I don’t know this guy. He slides his sunglasses up and I smile when I realize its Blake. I walk around the desk and give him a big hug when Barb comes out the room.

“Lord Diane! You owe me twenty! The girl is hugging some boy
and I don’t think she has a brother!”  I roll my eyes as Blake tries to stifle the laugh brewing in his chest.  I can’t help but laugh loudly when Diane comes running out of the room with shears and comb in hand. 

“Say what?  Oh, Anna honey, you keeping secrets from us ladies now?  That’s no fair.  This fine young man should never be kept hidden,” she says as she eyes Blake up and down. 

“Can we get out of here?”  Blake leans down and whispers in my ear.
I just shake my head yes. He leads
me to this black Range Rover and opens the door for me. 

“So Blake, what are you doing here?” 

“Well, if I was going to be honest, I’d have to say I drove two hours just to take you to lunch.  If I was going to lie, I’d say I drove here to check on Jameson.”  He gives me a crooked smile and starts the car.  “Now, where would you like to go for lunch, Sunshine?”

“Sunshine?”

“Mmm hmm, it’s because you brighten my darkest days.” 

Well, if I wasn’t already into him that was totally swoon worthy; like straight out of a romance novel. This is why I have waited for the right guy. None were Blake Johnson. I blush a little and he grabs my hand then
kisses my knuckles.  Thank God I decided to wear my cute top today.

“Well, I don’t really know how to answer that. I’m glad I do though
because I really like you too.” 

“Good because I wasn’t gonna take no for an answer.” 

Lord help me.  This man is going to ruin me, so I hope he’s in it for the long hall.  I look out the window and smile when we pull up to Chili’s.  It’s one of my favorite restaurants.
I love their baked potato soup. 

“So Blake, tell me more about you.”  I look up at him as he helps me out of the vehicle. 

“Well, I’m twenty about to be twenty-one on March 8
^th
.  I was Valedictorian of my graduating class.  I am an only child.  My father is Malcolm Johnson, the attorney in all the commercials.  My mother is Lydia Johnson and is so worried about what other people think about her perfect family.” 

Wow, I think I hear a little resentment, but I don’t comment on it.  I love my momma and I try to help her as much as I can.  He takes my hand and as he does I feel a shock of electrical current run through me.  I have never experienced that before but I feel like my whole body is heating and it’s going straight to my core.  My body is warming and I can feel the blush covering me.  He gives me a Cheshire cat grin, one that says he knows exactly what he’s doing. 

“What about you?”

“Well, I don’t really have much to tell. I have lived here in Hickory all my life
and grew up with Jameson.  I was always the quiet, shy little girl that was picked on most of the time.  I’m sure you know because you have red hair too.  Red hair and freckles seemed to be the easiest target.” 

“Yea, don’t I know all about that. I picked up running as a hobby. At first it was to make sure my ass didn’t get beat,” he says with a chuckle at the end of his statement. I really am captivated by him.

“So, what do you do as far as working, Blake?” 

“I just started working at my Dad’s office this week. I am really not doing the lawyer side, but I am pretty good with the computer parts of it. So I kind of do the technology while Dad handles everything else.”

“Oh, well that seems interesting.  You must be pretty smart.” 

He chuckles and lets out a snort as I order some nachos.  I watch him as he orders the country fried steak
and
then takes a sip of his water.

“You could say that.” 

“Hmm… so
Blake,
tell me, why did you asking me out?”

“Really? You’re cute, you’re smart. You have this aura about you
that makes anyone crazy if they don’t want to be around you. There is only one thing I could say I don’t like,” he responds as he wrinkles up his nose as if disgusted.

“Oh?”  I sit up straight in my chair, my curiosity escalating. 

“Yeah, your crazy,
best friend.” 

“Oh, well, I can’t defend her,
but I can say you don’t know everything she has gone through.”  He starts to interrupt, but I put my hand up and continue.  “Let me finish,” I respond as he nods his head.  “What Mary-Beth did to Jameson was downright cold-hearted. In her defense, she has always run from situations that another person might fight for. That’s just who she is
and will always be,” I shrug my shoulders as he just shakes his head. 

The waitress places our food on the table and we both eat in a companionable silence. I normally don’t have this with people. I have very
few friends.  The ones who are my friends I would do anything for; Like Mason, Luke, Mary-Beth, and Jameson.  I used to be kind of close to Samantha, but she stopped even trying to be my friend when Mary-Beth came into the picture.  I always hated that she was excluded from the group whenever Luke came to hang out with us.  The only reason she didn’t come was Mary-Beth.
I am sure she didn’t really think I liked her much either. 

“Ready to go?” Blake asks as he pays the tab.

“Do I have to?” 

“Well, we could always take the day off. I know I don’t want to go back to that lady running with the scissors in her hair,” he shivers as he answers my question.

“She is kind of crazy, but it makes my day go better.”  I say through chuckles.

“Well Anna Henderson, can I take you out again sometime soon?”

Oh
Lord, please, have mercy on me.  This man has come straight from a novel I have read several times.  Thank you God for listening to my prayers. 

“Yes please. I would love that,” I smile as he walks me up to the steps of Trendy Kutz. He kisses my cheek then turns to walk away. I notice him lighting up a cigarette on his way to the Rover and his hand shakes. I wonder if maybe I just imagined that.

“Oh love bug, you better spill the beans, now!”  Barb calls from the counter in the kitchen as soon as I walk in. 

“Yeah! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! I’m hurt!” Diane says as she grabs her heart and fakes a heart attack.

“Oh, you two stop. Actually Anna, keep going that way they will get off my back about my relationships.” Brooklyn smiles as she walks past with a color bowl full of purple tint in it. Sam must be here. I didn’t realize Brooklyn was doing Sam’s hair today. She normally does it when I am not around.

“Hey Sam.” I say as I walk into the room and she smiles, but then looks back at her IPad.

“Anna.” 

Well that went well.  I get up and walk over to the other side with Barb and Diane.  If I am being honest with myself, I probably deserve the way Sam is treating me.  We were a lot like how Luke and I are until Mary-Beth came into the picture.  I was never as close to Sam as I was Luke, but I was never horribly mean to her either.  We were more acquaintances than friends. 

“So, where did you meet that fine man?”

“I ran into him at Penny’s the other day.  He’s actually a friend of Jameson’s.”

“Oh? Well, does Jameson have any more friends?”  Diane asks and I laugh.

“Diane!” I yelp and then lean in to whisper, why I don’t know because these two women are the mouths of the south. “He’s the one that Jameson saved.”

Both of them let out a gasp and look at each other in shock. 

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Diane and Barb, both, give me a sad smile.

“He sure is holding it together pretty well. When Vince came home from Desert Storm, was hard for him. He drank, smoked and had nightmares. Good luck with that man, baby girl.” Barb pats my hand, then walks out the room.

Well, what the hell just happened there?

After I take Anna out to lunch, I pull into the driveway of
Jameson’s townhouse. I come down once a week, these days, just to check on him. I worry about how he’s doing now that he doesn’t have Mary-Beth. Bitch even took the dog. I climb out of the car and walk to the door. I smile as the bastard opens the door before I can even knock.

“How you doing?” I ask as he steps out of the way.

“Eh, I’ve been better, but I’m dealing. I realized that life is too short to let one person ruin it for you.” He gives me a sideways glance, then walks into his kitchen. “Beer?”

“Whiskey?”

He looks at me with a weird glance, but grabs the bottle from the top of the cupboard. “When did you start drinking the hard stuff?”

I just shrug and pour myself a small amount in the glass.   I don’t want him to know something is wrong with me. He’s just as perceptive as I am. I take a sip of the drink as I walk to the couch. I plop down and watch as Jameson walks into the room then
sits in the recliner.

“You can’t even tell you’re not using your own legs, Carter.”  I lean over and put my elbows on my knees as I watch him.  “Sam did you well.”

“Yeah, she’s amazing at her job.  I just wish she’d give me the time of day outside of it.” 

I can’t help it, I laugh. Maybe it’s the alcohol or maybe it’s the fact
that Jameson isn’t even slightly worried that he just got out of a four year relationship and engagement.

“Shut up!” He growls out as he throws a pillow at my head.  It hits me square in the jaw and we both laugh.  We talk about sports, women and what’s going on.  I leave Anna out because I don’t really know if he would want me hobnobbing with the enemy.  It’s also too new to jeopardize.  I really like her, but I want to make sure it’s going to go somewhere before I tell anyone about her. 

An hour later, I am back in the Rover and heading back to Adams. It’s nice being the technical support guy for your dad. I work four tens so I can have three days
off a week to go see Blake and try to run into Anna. I don’t even realize where I am going because I keep replaying my lunch date with Anna in my head. I look around me when my truck finally stops and I smile. This is really the last place I expected myself to come back to.

Walking into the bar Uncle Trey took me to a couple months ago is something I really don’t expect myself to do.  My gut keeps telling me it’s something I should though.  Ever since I met Anna I have been doing better, but I am not all the way back yet.  I still have my fears brought to life almost every night, but it’s getting easier to deal with.  I’m not sure if it’s Sunshine that makes it easier or if it’s the alcohol I still consume on a daily basis.  It could also be the sessions I have with Savannah, but I don’t consider myself certifiably crazy.  I’m going with Sunshine on this.