The Achilles Heel (16 page)

The men jumped out of the pool, dried off and put their cowboy hats back on before
they came over to the railing.

“Hey, I’m Wade,” the tall one said as we shook hands. “And this is Kess.” He pointed
to his friend.

“I’m Annie. Nice to meet you both,” I replied.

I waited for Kess to come over, but he stood quietly behind Hope and gave me another
tip of his hat.

“Let us do this for you, Annie,” Wade offered, as he and Kess hopped over the railing
and started lining up the chairs along the pool.

I got caught up in watching the shirtless men lifting and moving heavy furniture and
realized I was staring.

“Thank you so much.” I grinned, forcing myself away from the longing of a shirtless
man and back to the present reality of looking stupid on the pool deck. “You really
didn’t have to help me, but I certainly appreciate it. Can I offer you all a beer
or something to drink?” I asked, failing miserably to recover from my hot-flash.

“Darling, you’re speakin’ my language,” Wade jested with a hefty smile.

“One second, be right back,” I gushed, smiling like a freshman girl on the first day
of high school.

We made small talk over our beers, everyone but Kess. He didn’t have much to say,
and it worried me that I had upset him. Hope and Wade mentioned they were only here
a few days before heading back to Nashville, and I know what it’s like when you don’t
get to spend a lot of time with your closest friends, so I certainly didn’t want to
intrude any more than I already had.

“Well, thanks again. You guys enjoy the rest of your trip and safe travels on your
way back home. It was nice to meet you,” I said to Hope and Wade. “And I guess I’ll
see you around, Kess,” I added as we shook hands.

“Yep,” was the only word he said, but the look in his eyes said so much more. They
were a gut-wrenching blue; soft and warm, yet serious and guarded. Our hand shake
seemed to last an awkwardly long time, and at one point our hands weren’t even moving.
We just stood there and stared at each other until Wade broke the silence and giggled,
“Okay then, you two!”

Jesus, Annie, you’ve already pissed off your neighbor and you’ve only been here four
hours; that’s got to be some kind of record. Why is it so hard for me to act like
a normal person instead of a malfunctioning shut-in? It’s like I have some form of
social tourettes. Get your shit together and remember how to carry on with company.
I scolded myself as I walked back up the stairs.
Ugh, I need a drink.

After putting on comfy clothes and going over my agenda more, another list was born.
I needed to hire a dive master to take me on a private dive, my UPS package was coming
tomorrow (God willing) the girls will be here in a few days and tonight, I would start
plugging in every bank address in St. Croix into my GPS. Once the girls left the island,
I would get down to business and the real reason I’m spending two months in paradise.

“Hey, Annie!” I heard Hope yell from outside.

Walking out to the patio and stretching over the railing, I saw Hope standing underneath
my balcony, double fisting beers and spilling them all over the concrete as she waved
to me.

“Hey, hon, the boys are playing at this beach bar tonight, and I’d love it if you
came along and kept me company. It gets old watching women drool over your husband
when you don’t have any back up with you!” she yelled.

“Oh no, I don’t want to intrude. Sounds like you still have some catching up to do
and look,” I said doing a Vanna White to my outfit, “I have on my pajamas already.”

“Lord woman, it’s only six o’clock, not time for pajamas yet. Oh come on, please!
I’m tired of these boys, and I have a good feeling you and I would get along just
fine!” she begged.

Weighing out my options of television and an early bedtime against live music accompanying
a spectacular Caribbean sunset was a no brainer. Besides, I needed to be around people
again, and Hope seemed nice enough. Secretly, I wanted some of that sass to rub off
on me.

I smiled big and yelled back, “Sure, sounds good!”

“All right!” she hollered, as she took a swig of one of the beers. “We’ll be at the
Soggy Bottom round eight and believe me, it’s casual,” she called back up to me. As
she turned to walk inside, I heard her squawk, “She’ll be there, Kess!”

Uncomfortable was an understatement.
Why did he want me to be there? He seemed annoyed when we were on the pool deck,
and he barely said three words to me. I was under the impression he couldn’t get away
from me fast enough. Dear God, I am a thirty-five year old woman with a haggard life
at the moment, and I don’t have the energy to even entertain these kinds of questions.
I’m sure I just misunderstood Hope.

Now, what to wear?
I thought, opening the French doors to a closet full of my Midwest clothes.

KESSLER

A
fter twenty years of setting up a stage, putting our seven pieces of gear in the corner
of the Soggy Bottom took all of ten minutes. It certainly wasn’t a stage, but I’ve
been playing this corner for a few years now, and it’s exactly the kind of performing
I intend to do for the next several years of my retirement. On my low days out on
tour, I’d think about my boat named Sue and this Soggy Bottom corner to keep my spirits
up. When I befriended Hutch, the owner of this fine establishment, he gave me total
freedom over my set list, and Wade and I had gone over some of our favorite songs,
plus a few the crowds always requested.

My nerves were getting the better of me tonight, and I always thank God that the lighting
in this place resembles a seventies jail house. I’m usually fine if people recognize
me (even though I hope they don’t) but tonight was different, because
she
was coming. Hope had invited my new neighbor to come watch us play, and I had already
made a complete ass out of myself earlier this afternoon by acting quiet and standoffish.
Playing the ladies man role was never a problem for me, but today,
Christ today
, the words would not form on my lips. I just stood there tipping my hat to her, like
some bobble-headed jackass. I tried to act mad and put out to Hope for asking Annie
to meet her here, but she saw through me like a linen sheet and boasted, “No thanks
necessary.”

We took our beers to the corner‌—‌after a couple shots of whiskey first‌—‌and got
the set started with “Louisiana Saturday Night.” The tables filled with groups of
people laughing and carrying on, but there were still a few empty seats left at the
bar, including the one next to Hope, but her plus one just walked through the door.
I watched Annie and Hope hug hello like childhood friends, standing at the end of
the bar commenting on each other’s outfits.

Damn! She looks good.
I thought, and it brought a smile to my face and sweat on my palms. She wore her dress
and her hair the same, long and flowy, with red toenails peeking out of her sandals.
They noticed me looking their way, and Annie gave a little wave. That small gesture
made my heart race and the temperature in the room rise a few degrees. It’s a good
thing I can play guitar in my sleep, ‘cause I wasn’t paying any attention to what
Wade was singing, nor could I have cared less. I was ready to get this set over with
and have the chance to talk to Annie.

The hour drug by slower than drying paint, but we finally finished the first set and
left the crowd wanting more‌—‌hopefully in Annie’s case much more. Hope and Wade had
their usual fifteen minute groping session, which was awkward for a moment, but it
gave me an in.

“You don’t have any other choice but to get used to it,” I said, pointing at the forty-year
old teenagers. “They make-out everywhere they go.”

“Oh. I’ve never been one for PDA, but it’s nice they’re still in love; rare but nice,”
she said, looking uncomfortable.

“Please sit,” I offered, pulling out her barstool and taking hold of her hand so she
didn’t trip on the peanut shells scattered all over the floor.

“Look, I’m sorry about crashing your party this afternoon, and I guess again tonight.
I didn’t mean to get in the way; it’s just that Hope has a way of making you her friend
from the first hello. Don’t worry though, I won’t keep popping over on you,” she promised.

The stereo suddenly cranked up thirty notches, so I leaned in close to her, fixating
on her lips, plump with red gloss. “I know exactly what you mean about Hope, everyone
says that about her, and you certainly didn’t crash anything. In fact, I’m really
glad you came tonight, and I would love it if you stuck around for a while,” I swooned,
finally feeling a little more relaxed.

“Well, you know it just so happens that I don’t have any other plans this evening,
so of course I’ll stay. You guys sound so good up there. Do you play together often?”
she asked.

“We live next door to each other, so a sing-along is inevitable when beers are being
passed out on the patio and the chiminea is smoking,” I answered her cautiously.

“Y’all gettin’ along all right over there?” Hope chimed in.

Annie smiled at me and said, “Yeah, we’re fine. Then she turned to Wade and asked,
“You guys done making out yet? I’m ready to hear some more songs.”

“Oooh, this one’s got a smart mouth; I like it! Gonna have to watch that, Kess. Before
you know it, she’ll have your nuts in a vice and be the only one with a key. My balls
haven’t seen another face in twenty years,” Wade bantered back.

“All right then, on that note, let’s get goin’ on the second set,” I said, pulling
my hat down over my eyes, completely embarrassed but used to it where Wade is concerned.

We brought the heat to the second set and fire ignited inside of me; it was the most
fun I’d had in months. I spent two years letting that same fire slowly burn out of
me; ready to give up on love and filling my days with waiting. Waiting on something
or someone to inspire you is taxing on your heart, and it can beat you down so slowly
you don’t notice it’s happening, until one day you just stop getting back up. I didn’t
realize how much I needed a woman until she was here standing in front of me. My younger
self would have played the superstar card without hesitation and only admitted a silent
regret when my eyes closed at night, where the truth can’t hide. I’m not sure if the
instant attraction was mutual, but she was still here listening to me play, so I had
to make a good second impression, since my first one was a miserable failure. My thoughts
about her were already too far into the future for any respectable guy to admit. I’d
known her less than a day, but I liked her, and was already smitten.

We ended our little show with “Long Way to the Top” an AC/DC tune from the seventies;
always a pleaser, and the crowd showed their appreciation with a healthy round of
applause. When they scattered a bit, we packed our gear tightly in the corner; I’d
earned myself a beer.

“Kess, glad to have you back, always a pleasure!” Hutch said, as we shook hands across
the bar.

Hutch is a pasty colored Irishman with the cliché, curly mop of red hair. He stands
freakishly tall and looks as though his body has been assaulted by freckles. Any man
with intense alabaster skin has no business living in a land where the sun continuously
shines, giving way to a heat stroke on a weekly basis, but I’ve never heard Hutch
complain about his life, not once.

“You know we wouldn’t play anywhere else! Thanks for having us. Hey, this is my new
neighbor, Annie, and hopefully we can make her a regular while she’s here,” I said,
putting my hand on her back and feeling the unexpected pleasure of her silk dress
on my fingertips.

“Hi, Annie Whitman. So nice to meet you; I’m having a wonderful time tonight,” she
said to Hutch.

“Francis Hutchinson is my full name and everyone but my mum calls me Hutch, so you
should too. What are your plans while in paradise, Annie?” Hutch asked her.

“Well, my girlfriends are coming Friday for a few nights, but I’d really like to do
some diving after they head back home. Do you happen to know a reputable dive master
I could contact to take me out a few times?” she asked.

“Hell yeah, you’re looking at one! I run a small operation out of the hut behind the
restaurant, and I’d be glad to take you anywhere you want to go. Kess can vouch for
me; I’ve taken him out plenty. Do you want to see turtles or a ship wreck?” he asked.

“I’d really like to dive the pier. I’ve seen so many wonderful pictures, and would
like to experience it for myself. Do you have a business card I can take with me?
When my friends leave town I’ll be ready for a big adventure,” she said.

“Hey, y’all, Wade’s teeterin’ on the fence, and if he’s gonna drink anymore, I’d rather
he embarrassed himself at your house, Kess, rather than embarrass me here. We probably
oughta get goin.’ Besides, we have to be at the airport by noon, and we’re famous
for missing our flight. A few days away from the kids makes me think that I could
learn to like them again.” Hope laughed.

“I’m also going to call it a night. It’s a long way from Kansas City, and I’ve been
up since four. Nothing sounds better than sleep right now. Hope and Wade, I have truly
loved spending the evening with you, and wish you could have met my friends; they
would have loved you both. Kess,” she said, as she put her hand on my shoulder and
then slid it down my arm as she spoke. “I loved listening to you play, and hopefully
will hear more music coming from your patio. I’m sure we’ll be running into each other
again.” She gave my bicep a friendly squeeze. The touch from her fingertips made the
hairs on my arm rise and a boyish smile spread across my face.

The girls hugged after we walked out to the Jeeps in the parking lot, and promised
to keep in touch.
How can women become best friends or mortal enemies in a matter of hours?
Understanding the psyche of a woman is not something I’ll ever get my head around.
Hell, I think women are on an hour-to-hour basis of understanding themselves, but
they baffle me daily. Seeing Hope hug Annie meant she had the stamp of approval and
was already accepted into our little family. There was no need to worry about Mama
D’s thoughts; Hope was going to give Annie a good report when she got home.