A Girl by Any Other Name (32 page)

“For my Lenore.”

I shook my head, as I made my way to the pool table. “Come on, Molly, I’m taking you home.”

“She’s not done with the game,” Mr Grabby said. I ignored him.

“Molly, I can’t make you leave with me, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving you stranded here.”

I doubted Tony would look after her.

Molly stared back and forth between me and Grabby. “I’m going with him,” she replied.

I held out her coat for her. She took her purse from me. “Stay,” Grabby Suit said, clasping

Molly’s arm. I noticed his fingernails were buffed to a high manicured shine and his teeth were so

bright they looked over-bleached.

“Let go of her,” I warned.

“We’re having a good time. What are you? Her boyfriend?”

“No, I’m her friend and I’m going to make sure she gets home tonight. Y’all can exchange phone

numbers and when she’s sober, she can decide if she wants to contact you.”

“Maybe I want to have contact with her tonight,” he said, tightening his hold on her.

“Look, buddy, I don’t want a problem with you. I’ll repeat myself one more time, real nice and

slow so you understand what I’m saying. Let. Her. Go.”

He didn’t, challenging me with his sneer.

I seized his wrist in a tight hold, relishing the wince on his face. His fingers unclenched,

releasing her. I placed my hand on her back and led her out. I heard his clumsy footsteps behind us.

Molly jerked when he stomped his pool stick on the floor, as if he wanted one final stand.

“Y’all leaving so soon?” he asked, exaggerating the Texas twang in my voice. “Y’all white trash

running off with y’all’s tails between your legs? That’s good, take that slut out of here. She’s been

leading me on all night.”

Oh, hell no.

Molly clutched my arm, but I shrugged her off. I turned as he lifted the pool stick in the air, like

he planned on whipping me with it. What an idiot. I knocked it out of his hand as he swung it with one

arm, taking a fistful of his shirt in my other hand. I forced him back until I could slam his head against

the wall. “You got me all worked up now, you son of a bitch. Think my accent’s funny? If you think

I’m trash, then I dare you to take me to the dump. Let me tell you something about the South. We are

downright hospitable people. So, if you’re itching for a fight, well, you can call me scratch. And if

you feel the need to use a pool stick or any other prop because you don’t want to ruin your fancy

manicure, feel free. Personally, I like to use what God gave me.” I slammed his head again.

“So, we’ll go through this one more time ’cause I think you’re a little dim-witted to be

challenging a man who’s bigger and smarter than you. I’m warning you once more, if you say another

fucking word to me or her, I’m probably going to jail and you’ll be at the hospital. And trust me when

I say it’ll be an extended visit for both of us. So, I’d suggest we avoid the theatrics, so I can go home

and you can finish your fucking Cosmopolitan or whatever you have in that martini glass that I know

is too pink to be gin and vermouth. Do you agree or do you need more convincing?” I cleared my

throat, letting all my Texas shine through. “Because like I said, partner, I’m glad to oblige either

way.”

Mr Grabby stared at me for a minute. I could see the flicker of emotions on his face, from

indignation to fear to surrender. He held up his hands in a giving-up gesture, and I pulled him closer

to me. “We’re not done, asshole.” I spun him around to face Molly, holding his hands back.

“Apologize to the lady.”

“S…sorry,” he said. I released him with a shove. He stumbled into the pool table.

I took Molly’s arm, leading her toward the exit. Everyone stared at me with jaw-dropping

expressions. Tony high-fived me on the way out. “Can’t believe you started a fight in here, Ringo,” he

said with a smirk. “I would have helped, but you know I’m a lover not a fighter.”

“Thanks, Doc, but it wasn’t a fight.”

“Then what was it?”

“Me yelling and hitting some asshole’s head against a wall, while he shit his pants. A fight

requires two participants.”

Tony’s laughter followed us out of the bar and into the chilly night air.

Once we got outside, Molly hugged me. “Caleb, I knew you cared. I knew you were jealous.”

I released her, trying my best to keep my temper in check. “You did that on purpose?” She stood

before me, looking suddenly contrite. “Molly, that was a pretty bitchy thing to do. Let me make this

clear for you. I wasn’t jealous, but I wasn’t going to let you go home with a stranger when you’re like

this either. What I did in there was born out of concern for you and encouraged by that dickhead and

my inability to keep my anger in check. This is me being a friend to you and that’s all.”

Her lower lip quivered, and she ran away from me to her car. I followed behind slowly, trying

to give her a moment alone and knowing that I had all the time in the world. Sure, I was pissed at her,

but she was my friend, and there was no way I was going to leave a friend behind. She rummaged

through her purse then through her pockets, dropping her handbag in the process. I bent down to pick

up the scattered contents that lay on the pavement. “Leave me alone. I just need to find my keys.”

“I’m driving you home.”

“I can drive myself. I don’t need anything from you, Caleb.”

“This isn’t debatable.”

“I can’t leave my car here.”

“I’ll drive you in your car and walk back.”

She stopped blindly groping around the cement. “Are you staying the night?” There was a plea in

her eyes that was so needy I had to look away.

“No.”

“Then like I said, leave me the fuck alone.”

“Molls, stop this.”

“I just need to find my keys.”

I sighed, reaching into my pockets. I pulled out her keys, twirling the key ring around my finger.

She tried to grab them from me, but I closed my fist around them. “Either I’m driving you, calling you

a cab or waiting here while one of your other sober friends comes to get you. Your choice.”

I stood up and helped her off the ground. She didn’t answer the question, but walked around to

the passenger side. I opened the door for her. “Buckle up,” I said. She didn’t move so I leaned in and

pulled her seatbelt over. I was thankful she didn’t take advantage of our situation. This was such a

bad idea, but I wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was either.

The ride to her apartment was quiet. I helped her up the stairs and unlocked the door for her. I

got aspirin and water ready while she changed. I helped her into bed. “Take these right now,” I said,

handing her the aspirin. I held the water glass for her. “It looks like Carrie is home, so I’m going to

leave.” Carrie was Molly’s roommate and although it was more of an economical arrangement

between them, and they weren’t friends, I knew Carrie would be there if Molly needed her.

Before I stood from the edge of the bed, she grasped my arm. “You know why this sucks so much

for me?”

“No, but I assume you’re going to tell me.”

“When you were in love with a ghost I could say there was no way I could compete with that so

it was okay. It wasn’t me. It was this built-up figment in your imagination of someone. I could deal

with that in a way. But now you tell me you just met a girl and you’re in love, so as it turns out, it

fucking absolutely was me.”

“It wasn’t, Molly. You’re great. You’re going to meet someone who can love you like you

deserve.”

“What does she have that I don’t have?”

Part of me wondered if I should divulge to Molly that Sylvie and Sophie were one and the same,

but in the end, I knew it would do nothing to appease her anger, and only lead to more questions. I

swallowed hard, preparing for my answer, not wanting to hurt her anymore tonight. “I plead the

Fifth.”

“So you can’t even give me a straight answer like I deserve.”

“I can, but why? Anything I say will only make me sound like a complete asshole, and it will do

nothing to satisfy your curiosity.”

She was quiet for a minute, contemplating my statement. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I’m going to go, Molls. I left an empty trash bin by your bed in case you need to throw up.”

I got up to leave and as I neared her bedroom door, her voice halted me once more. “She’s a

very lucky girl. You are a good man.”

I turned to her in the dark, embarrassed by her compliment. “Thank you, Molls. Sleep well.

We’ll talk later.”

I walked the two miles back to the bar. I considered taking a cab, but I wanted a chance to

decompress and think. All my thoughts centered around Sylvie, though. This would be the first night

we’d spent apart since she’d come back into my life. I couldn’t sleep without her. I needed to see her.

I was on autopilot as soon as I got into my car, heading straight for her place.

Chapter Eighteen

I knocked on the door, several times, but there was no answer. Sylvie might be asleep since it

was late, but I wanted to tell her about tonight. It would weigh on my conscience until I did. I knocked

more vigorously, feeling a little miffed I didn’t have a key. We had talked about exchanging keys, but

we hadn’t done it, and since we were usually together, it hadn’t seemed important. There was still no

answer, which was strange since Sylvie wasn’t a heavy sleeper. I doubted she would be out at this

time, but I called her cell phone. I heard Mumford & Sons’
I Will Wait
coming through the closed

door. It was her ringtone for me, and usually made me smile, but tonight the lyrics seemed foreboding.

I tried the door, calling her name, but, of course, it was locked.

I suddenly wished I hadn’t reinforced it so much since it would make it difficult to kick it in. I

moved as far away as I could in the narrow hallway to get the required momentum. That was when I

noticed her doormat was askew. I kicked it out of the way. The feelings of repentance were replaced

with rage. There against the beige carpet lay a glinting gold object, shining with no shame, mocking

me. A key. She had a fucking key under her doormat. How could she be this stupid?

I used it, telling myself to calm down. If she was home, the front door chain would be attached

and alarm set so I still would have to break down the door. To my dismay, neither safety device was

activated. Only the main lock was connected. My eyes shifted wildly across the room, but it was

somewhat ridiculous since you could see her whole space from the front door. That was except for

the bathroom. The thin line of brilliant gold emanated from the bottom of the door. I made my way

there with hasty, heavy footsteps, crashed into it as I turned the knob. “Sylvie?” I screamed as an

object smacked me in the head.

I rubbed my head and stared at the girl in front of me, mouth gaping open and eyes wide with

shock. “Did you just attack me with a hairdryer?”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was you. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you.”

“Let me look at it.” She stood on her tippy toes, gently feeling for what I assumed was a bump. I

pushed her hands away.

“I’m fine.”

“What’s wrong?”

I stared at her, unable to hide my incredulous expression at her lack of concern for her own

safety. “Aren’t you going to ask me how I got in?”

“How did you get in?”

“With this,” I said, pulling out the key. “What the hell is wrong with you? You leave your front

door key under the fucking doormat?”

“I forgot it was there. I’ve been locked out before, and I put it there a long time ago.”

A shrill, cynical laugh escaped my lips. “Your admission does nothing to make me feel better.

You didn’t set the alarm, the chain or the deadbolt either.”

“I just took the garbage down to the bin. I was planning on doing all that before I went to bed.”

“Jesus, girl, are you really this stupid? You need to set them when you’re in the fucking house.

That’s what they are there for. And do not take the garbage out at night.” I slammed my fist onto the

bathroom vanity, unable to contain my temper. Didn’t she know what it would do to me if something

happened to her? She winced in response, backing away from me.

“Cal, if something’s going to get you, a locked door won’t keep it away.”

I shook my head, unable to contain my sarcastic chuckle. “You said that when we were kids, and

I thought it was dumb then, but now it’s completely idiotic.”

She squared her shoulders, placing her hands on her hips. “I’ve taken care of myself for the past

ten years just fine, you know!”

“No, I wouldn’t know, would I?” I said quietly.

Her lower lip began to quiver. My anger evaporated, replaced with self-loathing. “I think you

should leave,” she said in a choked voice.

I walked over to her, taking her in my arms. She fought against me, but I gripped her tightly. “I’m

sorry. I shouldn’t have said that to you. I was just so worried. Please don’t be mad at me. You know I

hate it when you’re mad.”

She pushed me away from her again. This time I let her. “Then stop being such an asshole. Do