The Trouble With Snowmen (5 page)

Chapter 10

“Hello? Larry?”

Larry heard something rattling and opened his eyes to a dark room. “Yeah?”

“You left these in the door.”

He squinted toward the bedroom door where Brenda stood holding his keys.

“I’m sorry,” he said and then yanked his head over to see next to him. The bed was empty. Where did Haley go? Bathroom? Kitchen? He swallowed and wanted to jump out of bed to find her before Brenda did, but he didn’t have any clothes on. “What time is it?”

“A little after ten. I’ll put these on the table and let you sleep. See you in the morning.” She shut the door, causing the darkness to return.

“Oh shit.” Larry waited a second to hear the commotion of when Brenda found Haley in her kitchen. He and Brenda weren’t ‘together,’ but she could be territorial with her apartment and with him. They were each other’s in-betweeners. Even though they discussed their relationships about other lovers, they never double-dated or anything like that. And he never ever brought a girl to Brenda’s home.

When Larry didn’t hear anything, he jumped up and put his pants on that had been discarded at the foot of the bed. He smiled at the memory of taking them off.

He turned on the light and scanned the guest room. At least Haley wasn’t roaming around naked, her skirt and panties were not where he had taken them off of her. He grinned again. But before opening the door, he did spot Haley’s high heels on the floor next to the bed. She was still there . . . somewhere.

He peeked out the door before walking down the short hallway to the living room area. Haley’s shirt and bra were not on the floor, but neither was his shirt. He spotted his shirt on the couch.

After hearing noises coming from the kitchen, he headed there.

“What are you doing up?” Brenda’s blond hair was in a long, sleek ponytail and her cat eyeglasses, edged almost to the tip of her nose. “Sorry I woke you.”

The bathroom
. “No problem. I’ll be right back.” He hurried to the only shower in the apartment, the one in Brenda’s bedroom. He figured
that’s
where Haley had to be. But the bathroom was empty. Where the hell was she?

She didn’t seem to be in the house at all. As he walked back to the kitchen, he wondered if Brenda had already kicked her out. He wouldn’t have put it past her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Brenda removed a take-out container from the microwave and carried it to the dining room table.

Larry followed. “Was someone here when you got home?”

“Here? No, only the keys in the door and your shirt on the floor, and what happened to my picture?”

“Sorry about that.” Larry scratched his head and sat at the table. “Hmmm.”

“Okay. What’s going on? You’re acting really strange.”

“Nothing. I just . . . I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until next week.”

“The meeting was canceled, but don’t change the subject.”

Brenda was pretty, stylish, classy, vigilant. He tried not to make any type of face.

“Something is going on,” she said as she took a tiny bite of her pasta. “Who was supposed to be here? Wait a minute. You didn’t bring a girl to my house, did you?”

He stood up. “Why would you ask that?”

“You look guiltier than my client, and his nickname around the office is CEO B.O.”

“I’ll be right back.” Larry went back to the empty guest room. Had Haley left without saying goodbye?

“Aha!” Brenda was at the doorway. “People of the jury, please examine Exhibit A,” she said as she walked in and picked up Haley’s heels. “And what have we here? Hooker shoes?”

“Uh . . . nope.” Shit. He had paused! Even before Brenda had her law degree she didn’t miss much.

“You’re kidding me?” Brenda said, all traces of her humorous sarcasm gone. “You brought a hooker into my home? Shit, Larry, I let you stay at my house and this is the thanks I get? And look at you! I mean, really, what is going on? You look like hell!”

Larry exhaled.
Here we go
. They had known each other for a very long time. Brenda had been his first “real” relationship. They had started going out in college and had even been engaged for a little while. The breakup had been mutual, and they had stayed close friends . . . very close at times. “You know how it is when I’m writing my rough draft.”

“Writing?” She eyed the ruffled bed and shoved the shoes at Larry. “Really? And where is your computer?”

Larry shrugged. “In there, somewhere.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

He didn’t dare meet her gaze, but he could feel Brenda staring a hole into him before she spat, “Well then, I’m pissed at you for bringing an effing skank whore into my home. What the hell, Larry?”

“It was very inconsiderate of me.”

“Did you at least use protection?”

“I’m not stupid. I’ve been around the block a couple of times.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You came to town looking like a bum to find a prostitute? Since when you do you have to pay for sex? Was this the reason you asked to stay here? So you didn’t have to take a whore to your house?”

“No, I came here for a séance, like I told you. Things just kind of developed. I didn’t plan it or anything. I didn’t even bring my own condoms. I had to borrow one out of your top drawer.”

She actually growled and clenched her teeth.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Do you want me to leave? I’ll get my shit and leave right now.”

“No, just don’t
ever
do it again,” Brenda said, but before she left the room she added, “And burn those fucking sheets.”

He still had the shoes in his hands and sat on the edge of the bed. While he and Haley were in the middle of things, he had convinced himself that Haley, this delicate, youthful, gorgeous woman, was no streetwalker. And also during that time, he had decided that as soon as it was over, he was going to talk to her about everything. He was going to tell her all about who he really was and how stupid he’d been for thinking she was a prostitute. He decided to take a chance because, like it or not, outrageously quick or not, he had real feelings for her. And he could have sworn she had feelings for him too.

But afterward, when he held her in his arms, it hadn’t seemed like the right time. Every time he started, something else came out. Since she hadn’t rushed out, nor said she had to go, he assumed she would be there when he woke up, and they could talk then.

But she left without saying a goodbye, so now he went back to his original thoughts about her. Why else would she do that unless she thought it was best, that it would be too difficult to part otherwise? Maybe she didn’t want to have to admit to him that she was a working girl.

He exhaled as he remembered that she had to work tonight. He fought to keep the image of Haley with some scum pawing her out of his mind, and jumped up, leaving the shoes on the bed. “What am I doing?” What had this woman done to him? He shook his head. None of it mattered. This girl who had appeared out of nowhere, turning his mind to sentimental mush, had left. “The only reason I brought her home was for research. Just research.”

He stared at the shoes as he thought about his novel. He knew one thing for sure, he had the prostitute, Lexi Dylan, character all wrong. She was not worse-for-the-wear. She was not cheap. She had gotten herself into a bad situation and only sold her body because she had been blackmailed. She was tough, a fighter, and would make it through the monster attack stronger. Then she would take revenge out on every creature and son-of-a-bitch who had ever wronged her.

Yes, he had to rethink the entire plotline. He needed to run to clear his head. After he slipped on his running shoes, he jogged out the door and down the stairs to the street below.

As cars whizzed by, the night brighter and louder there than his rural home, he tried to get Haley out of his head and focus on his book. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight. He had no idea how long it would take to forget Haley Monroe—the fantasy—but he knew he had to.

Chapter 11

Sunday morning, Haley woke to the sound of her phone beeping. She finally found it on the bedside table after feeling around for it for a second. She blinked and squinted until she could read the text. “Ah, man.” It was from her boss at Kickers.

Last night, she had called a cab and made it home around ten and went straight up to the attic, forgetting work and not bothering to put her phone on the charger.

Before she moved in, she had asked Regina for a place in the house she could use as a darkroom. Regina had offered the small, windowless attic bathroom with only a sink and a toilet. Perfect!

Getting her own darkroom and teaching herself how to develop film the old-fashioned way had been an exciting step forward in her hobby. She often thought about the first 35mm camera she received for her tenth birthday that had started it all. Most of the time photography was her escape from reality, her time to clear her head and think about nothing except for the image.

But last night, as she stood in the red darkness and washed the print in the sink, all she could think about was Larry. He was so funny, and his initial nervousness was adorable. But then he eased into a confidence, which made him so easy to talk to. Not to mention that nice body, which he had hidden underneath his baggy, old clothes. He was fit, proportionate, not super muscular like Travis but toned. And she thought about his passion and how he had made her feel blissful in her mind as well as her body. He made her feel beautiful, like the most important thing in the world was to pleasure her. She had been completely engrossed and enthralled, losing herself in him.

Larry held her afterward. What a horrible thing to let happen. But at that moment, nothing would have torn her away from him. Their conversation had seemed so interesting, even though all they talked about were random, unimportant things, like the little dog that lived a few blocks away from him that wore a bandana. Then Larry had drifted to sleep and his grip had loosened, and that had been her chance.

She had even considered going back. She could take coffee and donuts, like he had. “I left to go get donuts.” That’s what she could have told him. “What took me so long? Well, I couldn’t find the place. Shoes? I forgot to wear my shoes. That’s right.”

However, as she’d hung the picture to dry, she began to cry because she’d already given it a lot of thought and had made her decision that in the long run, Larry was not right for her. This was for the best . . . wasn’t it?

Now, as she crawled out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, she scrolled through her other missed calls. Maximilian had texted a few times wondering where she disappeared to, Regina had left a text message saying she would be at her boyfriend’s for a couple of days, her mom had called . . . and Travis, he had called her twice.

After responding to most of the messages, Haley stood under a hot shower and washed her swollen eyes. Being a snowman felt awful, horrible! Why had she gone over there in the first place when she knew she had feelings for him? Because she’d wanted him. It was as simple, or as complicated, as that.

She had to forget about the weekend, forget about snowmen, and right and wrong, and happiness and sadness. Wait, Travis had called. Why? No message, just two missed calls. Did this mean the break up was all some big mistake? Or had he changed his mind? Did Travis feel as bad as she did? Did she care? That’s who she deserved, right?
Takes one to know one.

Or was calling a couple days later something snowmen did? Did they call their victims to hear the angst in their voices? To hear how much they missed them and to see if they would beg them back?

She poured shampoo into her hands. “Don’t think about,” she told herself as she washed her hair. She had her fill of snowmen. She didn’t even think she would be able to look at real snow the same way. No more Christmas movies for her.

After picking at her breakfast, she went to Maximilian’s apartment, entering without knocking. When Haley had first moved in, a little over a year earlier, she locked her apartment door, of course. A week later, Maximilian had frantically knocked at her door in the middle of the night. He’d been so upset, explaining that all he wanted to do was watch
Catwalk Wars
, which he, unbeknownst to her, had recorded on her TiVo. Not only was it his favorite show, but also the reality show he had been trying to get on for over two years.

She let him stay and fell asleep on the couch that night and then woke up the next day with a horrible stiff neck to an empty apartment. After doing this every Wednesday for a month, and finding out the main front door stayed heavily bolted and Maximilian and Regina never locked their doors—“Please don’t knock, sweetie, we’re family”—and everyone’s bedroom locks were respected, she left her door unlocked.

It had taken Haley a little time to get used to Regina, Maximilian, and the way of the house, but now she adored them all.

“Love the new ‘do,” Haley told Maximilian after she went inside. He had darkened his hair since the last time she seen him. Today he wore it in little spikes.

“Thanks. What happened to you? After the séance I couldn’t find you. One more day, and I would have called 911. You okay?”

She shrugged a shoulder and pressed her lips together.

“Well? Where have you been?” He picked through a racks of clothes.

Maximilian didn’t have an actual living room. It was a studio with two long, tall tables, five dress forms, wheeled clothes racks, and two sewing machines. The only thing missing was a runway.

“I did it,” Haley said with a sigh, wishing she could have said it like “I did it!”

Maximilian seemed satisfied with a draped black and white evening gown. “Did what?” He put the garment up against Haley.

She knew the drill. She removed the robe she wore over her underclothes and slipped on the dress. Haley had become Maximilian’s model almost immediately after she’d moved into the multiplex. His very first sentence to her had been “How tall are you?” She had never thought about being a model. She might have been tall but she was not skin and bone. Maximilian told her he liked her curves; he designed for real women.

“You look amazing,” he sang, “if I do say so myself. Walk for me.”

Once she made it across the room, she stopped at the mirror and watched for Maximilian’s expression through the glass. “I snowmanned someone.”

Maximilian’s face went from all business to “Shut the eff up.”

“You didn’t!” He brought her a pair of black lace up booties. “Well, spill. Spillspillspill!”

She held on to Maximilian with one hand while she slipped on the boots.

“Who? Who was it?”

“Well, you know him. I met him at your séance even though I don’t remember much about it.”

“Really! Who? What guy did you meet there? That night was so freaking awful, I barely remember anything.”

“I want to forget the whole thing.” She stood in the boots, her feet a little sore from wearing the uncomfortable high heels all weekend.

“Oh no you don’t. Deets now! I want
all
the details!”

“Not much to tell. I had sex with him and left my shoes, like you told me to, and now I feel like dirt.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Back up. I don’t remember telling you to act like some Cinderella ho. I told you to make someone fall for you. I never said the word
intercourse
. Not once did I say ‘Haley, go out and bang the first person you see.’ I said, ‘Make someone fall for you,’ which for you, honey, would mean a smile and wink. That’s all you had to do.”

Haley’s face burned with the realization of what she had done. What had she been thinking? True, that first night she’d been wasted. That would’ve been some sort of an excuse if it had happened that night, but it hadn’t. It had happened while she was sober. Larry had said ‘I like you too,’ which could have been the heat, but she ignored it. After that kiss, when she knew for sure he was into her, she could have even excused herself to the restroom at the park and then snuck away. But no, she’d chosen to go back to the apartment. No, not even chose, she invited.
She
did it! She was the one who had asked Larry. “You’re right,” she squeaked. “I’m a ho. I didn’t have to sleep with him. I did anyway.”

“No, you’re not. You’re not a ho. I didn’t mean that.”

“Yes, I am. That’s what hos do! They go out and bang the first person they see.” She sat down on a stool.

“Wait! The dress!”

“I’m sorry.” She stood up and, with Maximilian’s help, they brought the dress up and over her head. She stepped out of the shoes and put her robe back on. “I’m so screwed up. I did what you said to do. I found a guy that I thought I had nothing in common with, wasn’t attracted to at all, and then something strange happened. It wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Yes? What? What happened?”

Haley groaned, sighed, and then said, “I like him. I really like him. I feel so bad, and not only for him, but for myself too.”

“This wasn’t meant to be a punishment. It was supposed to be a life lesson. But if you accidentally found someone and want to keep him, why don’t you tell him?”

“I can’t now! I snowmanned him, remember? Besides, it doesn’t matter anyway. He’s not boyfriend material. He’s a starving artist. A writer, for goodness’ sakes. He lives at his friend’s house and drives her car. He can’t even afford breakfast.”

“Wait a minute. A writer? And he was here for the séance?”

“That’s right, Larry White.”

“Larry! White! You snowmanned Larry! White!?”

Haley stared at Maximilian. “Yeah,” she said. “Why are you screaming at me? I’m sorry. I know I was a jerk to him. He’s probably been hurt a lot. I like him. I really, really do.” She thought better than telling Maximilian about her time with Larry in the bedroom. “He’s a real nice, cute, special guy, but I can’t have a relationship with someone who can’t take care of themselves. All he eats is junk food, he doesn’t have a real job, and he dresses like a slob. I need a grown-up.”

Maximilian stood still with his mouth wide open.

Sensing something was not quite right, she asked, “What? What is going on? What is wrong with you?”

And then Maximilian began to giggle deep in his throat, and then out loud, and soon he was in hysterics.

“What? Maximilian, what is it? Maximilian! Max!”

He stopped, sucked in his breath, and frowned at her.

“Please, just tell me what’s going on.”

Maximilian’s grin grew from ear to ear again. He gave a long winded sigh before saying, “Haley, honey, you might want to sit down.”

“Just spit it out.”

“Larry White isn’t some starving artist. He’s a best-selling horror novelist.” He had his hands out waiting for her to catch up. When she didn’t respond, he said, “
The Jugular Bite
. There’s even a movie.”

Haley inhaled her realization. “No!”

“Yes.” Maximilian nodded and grinned.

“He’s
that
Larry White? He can’t be. You must be mistaken. It’s a coincidence that they are both writers and both named Larry White.”

“And that I invited both of them to the séance, even though I only know one Larry White.”

“How the hell do you know
the
Larry White?”

Maximilian pursed his lips and touched the peaks of his new hairdo. “I know a lot of famous people, girly.”

Haley sat down and tried to steady her breathing. “He didn’t look rich and famous.”

“Yeah.” Maximilian seemed to be thinking this through. “You’re right. Now that I think about it, he didn’t look his usual hot, fine, groomed self. At the séance, he looked like a teenager who had been vegging all day, scarfing down pizza, and playing video games.”

“That’s him!” Haley pointed to Maximilian. “That’s the Larry White I went home with. Not the famous writer, Larry White. It doesn’t make any sense.” Haley’s head and heart hurt. “Why would he tell me he was broke and not even buy me breakfast? Why did he dress like a slob? Why would he pretend to be poor?”

“You did some pretending too.”

Haley’s mouth fell open and she huffed a couple of times before saying “Because you told me to be a snowman! Whose side are you on?”

“I’m on your side,” he said. “I’m always on your side.”

“I did all that pretending because of
you
, Maximilian! I dressed and acted the way I thought a female snowman would.”

“Snowwoman?”

“Because I needed the confidence to pull it off! To be seductive. I’m not like that. I’m not a liar either, not normally. I had to be drunk and coerced into this. I started it, and I followed through to learn. But still, I didn’t lie about who I was! And if I had known who he was . . .”

“You wouldn’t have left him,” Maximilian said matter-of-factly.

“I wouldn’t have left him,” she agreed and squeezed her eyes together. The statement made her feel sick to her stomach. She put her hand over her mouth. That was correct. If he had been better groomed, or at least not broke, she would have never left him lying in that bed.

But what troubled her the most was that she had been so shallow.