Sound Advice (Sensations Collection #1) (23 page)

The woman saddled up to the two of us and practically pushed me out of the way as she wedged her body between us. I stepped back, a little off balance from the rude interruption between our bodies. Jess had to break contact from the force of Sammie, the girl I now recognized as the dark haired woman from the bar the first night in town. Her jet-black hair was shining despite the dark night, and she was dressed in a skintight black tank dress that cut just below her bottom and exposed the top of her breasts. The night air was cool, but not cold enough for the leather jacket she wore. Her heels made her almost as tall as Jess.

“Where you been, Jess? I came up to visit for Harbor Days and you didn’t invite me to Tom’s party? I had to crash it myself?” Her voice was saucy and attempting to be seductive while pouty on top of her intoxication. Jess had his hands gripping Sammie’s upper arms and when she leaned in to try to kiss him he moved his head back, forcing it out of reach.

I felt sick. The wind knocked out of me, heart in my toes with vomit rising up my throat, sick. This was a reminder to me why I shouldn’t stay, why I shouldn’t be involved, why I
should
not
think about Jess Carter as anything more than a friend. I took another step back before I spoke.

“Excuse me? Um…I need to get into my car.”

Sammie leaned into Jess’ chest. The same chest I had just pressed up against. She turned her head to look over her shoulder in my direction, no doubt having trouble focusing.

“Always so polite,” she sneered in the darkness.

My throat sucked in a breath as the same words Jess had used before he kissed me the other night were thrown in my face by another woman. If I hadn’t felt so ill, the reality of this situation might make me cry, which was exactly why I wanted to get away fast, before tears threatened to fall.

“Sammie,” Jess whispered in warning.

I didn’t look at him. Keeping my head turned to the side, I waited as Jess gently tried to remove the dark haired girl off him, but he still gripped her upper arms. They moved as one unit while I reached around Jess for the door handle. Still touching Sammie with one hand, Jess reached for my wrist as my hand connected with the door.

“Emily,” he said almost as softly as he’d said the other woman’s name. “This isn’t what it seems.” And as soon as he said the words, I remembered that it’s always what it seems.

A brief note or pleasant card can let others know you are thinking of them.

“Matters of Manners,” 1963

I HAD DRIVEN home in a daze, focusing on deep breathing to keep the bile down. I struggled to get enough air in my lungs and I gulped like I was drowning. I had been thinking about Jess kissing me for days, and finally got another chance at those lips only to have the moment ruined by another woman. I still felt his lips on mine, and I couldn’t get the possibility of him turning around and kissing Sammie after me out of my head.

I entered the house and double-checked that the doors were locked. Stupidly, I had left the backdoor unlocked two nights in a row, hoping for Jess’ return for sleep. But tonight I was painfully aware that there would be no sleeping partner. I glanced at my dazed look in the mirror over the dresser and laughed out loud at my cascading hair, simple tank dress, and cardigan sweater. I would have been dressed in something sexier to go clubbing in Chicago, but nothing like Sammie. My outfit made me look simple instead of the sexy casual I
had felt earlier, and I thought about how ridiculous I appeared compared to a woman dressed like the dark-haired beauty. Jess would want someone dangerous coupled with his black t-shirt and sandy-haired ponytail, not someone dressed like a country-clubber.

When I finally fell asleep, I dreamt about my ex, David. My last boyfriend was a cheater, loving women, other women, more than me. After three years with the same man all I had was a broken heart and a feeling of being used. We were never going to marry and I always knew it, but I was still disappointed that the relationship ended because of cheating and not just a parting of the ways. I wasn’t a fool when it came to David’s infidelity, but I felt like a fool now. I was out of my league in this small town, knowing that the pool of young and available females was slim, and I was only a passing stop for Jess Carter in a line of women who traveled through here.

I woke with a start as I had sensed movement in my room, but realized that would be impossible
,
unless someone had been breaking and entering
.
It was well after midnight when I had left the party, and after 2:00 a.m. when I finally fell asleep. I imagined I heard a soft thunder of pebbles hit my window and several thoughts entered my mind at once:
Does he think we’re in high school? Well, at least he got the right window this time. Why did this happen?
It was the last question that made me choke back a sob. I didn’t want to cry anymore over Nana or my confusing emotions about Jess. I reclosed my eyes and drifted back to sleep after a second set of pebbles tumbled against the window to remain unanswered.

So it was with an eerie feeling that I rolled away from the window and found a folded piece of paper with a daisy placed on top of it on the second pillow of my bed when I woke.

Emily,

You mentioned fairy tales, and I can’t think of any that include a letter, but since you won’t talk to me, I have to write to you and say what’s on my mind. First, Sammie means nothing to me – in the way that it appeared. I know that sounds cliché, and to say we are friends will sound even more cliché. She’s a summer girl. Even though we are now adults, Sammie still comes here to visit and we have spent time together in the past.

With that said, I can understand the expression on your face. I’ve felt that expression on my own. I had that feeling before myself, and I won’t bore you with the details of that story. You have a vivid imagination, and I’m sure you can figure it out.

I do not want her and did nothing with her last night. I came to you to explain all of this, but your silence told me you didn’t want to hear what I had to say. I live in silence daily and I know the value and the pain of it. Sometimes you have to say things to be understood. Maybe it’s that you don’t want to hear my voice because it will come out of my mouth. The same mouth that kissed you. Needs to kiss you again. Wants to kiss you right now.

I won’t hold my voice. I need to apologize. I need you to hear me, if only words on paper.

Now, Jess

BY LATE MORNING, I was waiting for Jess and Katie after I went to the hardware center for the wrought-iron fencing. Deciding to digest Jess’ letter later as I still wasn’t sure how to respond to him, I told myself I would focus on Katie today. I had the story-building book for her and an idea in mind.

Jess began on the fencing installation right away without any words to me, and I led Katie toward the playhouse in Nana’s yard.

“I have something for you,” I began. “It’s a write-your-own story book. I thought since you were Princess Katie last night, we could write a new fairy tale about you.”

Katie looked at me with enthusiasm. She had her crown on and I felt confident she would play along.

“Can we begin with
Once upon a time there lived a girl named Princess Katie
?
” 

Katie nodded her head and I wrote the words in large letters on the lines provided.

“How about –
She was very smart and very pretty, but she had a secret spell cast on her
?” I didn’t want to say anything negative about Katie’s mother and accuse her of being a witch or an evil fairy.

Katie nodded her head enthusiastically.

“
This spell took Katie’s voice,
” I suggested next and raised an eyebrow for Katie’s approval, which came in the form of another nod.

“
Katie’s family was very sad that she could no longer talk
.” I again chose my words carefully. I didn’t want to imply anything positive about Katie’s mother either.

Katie approved.

“
Although her family was unaware how the spell was made or how it could be broken, Katie knew the answers
.” I hesitated long enough to look at Katie.

“
Katie knew the secret to break the spell was within her. No special fairy or good witch could take the spell away
.”

Katie let her head fall forward as I spoke softly.

“
However, there was a condition to Katie’s spell. Before she turned seven years old, on the day of the fire in the sky, if three secrets were whispered in her ears by a good fairy, the spell would be broken
.”

Katie met my concerned eyes with her own blue-gray stare, so similar to her father’s, and nodded once.

“
The End
?” I questioned, but Katie looked over at her dad before she turned back to me.

“Do we need a beast or a prince?”

Katie nodded her head yes, but I objected.

“Well, he already has a story, remember? The beast has to learn to love another and in return earn her love, right? The beast falls in love with the girl yet the girl doesn’t know it, and she has to fall in love with him. Then she kisses him and turns him back into a prince.” I paused. “The beast has his own story, and this story,” I pointed to the book, “is all Katie’s.” She smiled her shy acceptance of this new tale and I wrote
The End
with a flourish, adding an exaggerated wave of my hand over the paper. I was unaware that Jess had stopped working to listen even though the fence was not finished. He still hadn’t addressed me and I continued to avoid him.

When the fence was installed, and Jess and I had ignored each other for the entire day, I only had one question that eventually had to be asked about his letter.

“Why did you sign it:
Now
,
Jess
?”

“Because I don’t know if you want me as
Yours,
or even if I
can
belong to someone, and I can’t promise a word like
Forever
, so I’m putting myself in the present.
Now
.”

I didn’t respond. I still didn’t know what to feel, but a smile crept onto my lips as I shook my head once in disbelief and walked back into Nana’s home.

The socially acceptable first greeting between two people is a firm handshake and a polite greeting using the words, “Nice to meet you.”

“Matters of Manner,” 1970

THE FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE was building in Elk Rapids. The trailers with carnival rides and campers filled with the workers were parked behind the new local brewery. The welcome banners were hung and stores were posting sale signs. Delivery trucks brought in necessary supplies of extra food and drink for the local restaurants. The Wednesday night River Walk was a summer affair each week to bring visitors and locals into town on a night other than the crowded Friday and Saturday of the weekends. But the Wednesday of Harbor Days Week was an extra-special occasion with a local headline singer, booths offering kid games and art, and raffles for local schools. Every restaurant had an outdoor grill bursting with flames cooking barbeque chicken, juicy burgers, and the local specialty, Lake Michigan whitefish. Vendors offered cool drinks of lemonade and soda. The town’s only bar would be full, but patrons had to remain in the tavern for their special offerings.