3
Layne had insisted that there were several places
in town to get a good meal, but Richard had groaned continually as she told
another one of her stories about Orlando.
“Can we just find someplace to eat?” Richard concentrated
on the road. He wasn’t driving the limo. Layne had bought him a brand new
red Jeep and he had happily obliged to take her out to dinner. Layne was
in need of food. She hadn’t eaten that well since her step sister’s passing
and Richard was starting to watch her habits very carefully.
Layne remained quiet as he turned into a parking lot of
one of the most popular restaurants as far as she could tell. The lot was
almost full of sports cars, SUV’s, and family sedans. A lighted up banner
above the two white doors that led people into the classy restaurant told
them they were about to enter Samuel’s Local Bar & Grill.
Richard held open one of the white doors for Layne, who
was busy fiddling with something in her purse. “Come on,” he urged her impatiently,
his arm already getting tired. “Whatever you're doing, do it when we’re resting
comfortably in a booth.” He disappeared inside the restaurant to put their
name down if there was going to be a wait.
Layne sighed, still shuffling through various items in
her purse to find what she was looking for. When she finally pulled out the
white piece of scrunched of paper she wanted, she shoved everything else
back into the blue handbag she had bought while she had been in Paris last
year. And when she looked up to head inside, she saw him.
He looked even more handsome as he had earlier in the
day. He was there with the girl Layne had seen him with earlier at the cafe.
As she felt her heart sink, she shook her head and told herself she had no
right to be jealous. She had broken Chris’ heart after all, hadn’t she? What
right did she have to be feeling like he had cheated on her by moving on
with his life and finding love with somebody else?
So what if she couldn’t bring herself to find another
man? Because, she admitted to herself with dismay, she would never love anyone
like she loved Chris. Yes, she thought, she still loved him. She always would.
Layne glanced at the vehicle Chris had just emerged from.
The black sports car was just like him, she thought. She couldn't see him
driving any other kind of car. The young brown haired woman that was now
on his arm was beautiful, Layne thought wryly. Layne abruptly turned her
head when she heard Richard calling her. If she was caught looking at Chris
by anyone, she would have explaining to do.
“Our table’s ready.” Richard held open the door again.
“What are you still doing out here? Do you want to catch a cold? Come on,”
he said, dragging her inside where it was warm.
Just two hours ago it had been sunny, but Richard was
learning just how quickly the Florida climate changed. The wind was blowing
and it looked like it was going to rain.
“Don’t manhandle me,” Layne said once the waitress had
seated them and had left to let them look at the menu’s. The booth they were
sitting in was blue and was very comfortable. She got out of her warm blue
fleece jacket and picked up one of the menu’s that had been placed on the
table and scanned through it.
“Ever since we got in this morning you’ve been off in
your own little world,” Richard said. “Someone has to keep you in line.”
He didn't both even looking at the menu. He knew what he was in the mood
for.
“Keep me in line?” She shook her head, then put down the
menu.
“Consider me like your bodyguard.” Richard smiled. “I'm
just watching out for you.”
His words were sincere and knowing that, Layne decided
not to hold it against him. “I realize you've never been to Florida. And
I know you have questions that you want to ask me about my life here, but
I’d rather you not ask them. My life here is a distant memory. I don’t want
to remember anything that happened here.”
Just at that moment, Chris and his girlfriend walked past
their table and for the first time is six years, Layne and Chris’ eyes met
each other. Layne caught herself and turned back to Richard.
“So what are you having?” Starting a conversation quickly
would hopefully keep her mind off wanting to get another glimpse of Chris.
He and his girlfriend were being seated at just a few booths away and it
was very tempting to just have one more look.
“Steak,” Richard answered. “Layne, what's wrong?” She
looked very shaken up.
“Nothing,” she answered quickly, picking up the menu again
to hide her face. She was so embarrassed being affected this way by just
Chris looking at her. Then again, it didn’t surprise her. He had always had
the ability to make her feel things that were hardly explainable. “I think
I’m going to have the teriyaki chicken,” she went on, just wanting to talk
about anything that would get Richard off the subject and stop asking what
was wrong with her. In truth, there was a lot wrong and nothing Richard or
anyone else could do would fix it.
“Layne,” Richard said in a warning tone.
“I think I’ll have salad too,” she continued, still looking
through the menu. She prayed the waitress would show up soon so she wouldn’t
have to keep this up too much longer.
Luckily, the waitress returned just a few seconds later
and Layne finally put her menu down. Once theyd given their orders and the
menus had been cleared away, Layne avoided Richard’s gaze because she knew
what he was going to ask. The oak table they were sitting at suddenly became
very interesting.
“It’s about that guy we saw earlier, isn’t it?”
“No,” she denied.
“The woman he was with?”
Layne’s eyes narrowed. “No.”
Satisfied with himself, he picked up his beer. “Liar.”
“I’m not lying,” she denied again. “Nothing’s wrong.”
She laughed out loud when he got some beer on his brand new white shirt.
God, it felt good to laugh again. She hadn't allowed herself to do it since
Emily’s death.
Richard wiped the stain out using a napkin and some water.
“That's not funny.” But he was glad she was amused by it. It at least had
her in a good mood again.
“Oh yes it is.” Still laughing, Layne picked up her iced
tea. “It’s very funny.”
It wasn't long before Richard joined in her laughter.
Once their laughter had subsided, he reached across the table to touch her
hand. “It’s good to see you smiling again,” he said.
Layne squeezed his hand. “Thanks for being such a good
friend. I couldn’t have gotten through the last few weeks if it wasn’t for
you.”
Richard smiled. “Hey, what are friends for?”
Chris saw him touch her hand. He saw the way she lit up
when she smiled at the man across the table from her. He was a lucky guy,
Chris thought. Whoever he was.
And with Holly’s hand on his knee, Chris remembered that
he was lucky, too. Life was great. The new album was set for release next
week and in three days they would begin shooting their new video. And the
group had just learned late last night that they were up for four Grammy
awards. And to top it all off, he had finally find somebody. Somebody that
he trusted with his soul and who he deeply cared about. Holly had brought
him out of his shell, a shell that he had been inside of for so long.
Since Layne's departure. He wasn’t sure what her return
meant for him. The feelings that shook his insides when he had seen her for
the first time in six years had been unexplainable. Even now he didn’t know
what to think.
If he was truly happy with Holly, then why did he keep
looking secretly at Layne? He hadn’t forgotten what she looked like, so he
couldn’t say that he was looking at her to remember how she looked. He would
never forget her, not in a million years. Not after what they had once meant
to each other. He wondered silently as he stirred his coffee if she ever
thought about him.
Thoughts of Layne were gone once Chris had pulled into
the driveway of Holly's house later that night. The car came to a stop and
before he could turn to open his door, Holly had her lips on his.
“Stay the night.” He always got himself into trouble when
the she asked this question.
Chris sighed regretfully. “I can’t tonight, Hol.”
Holly caged him in her embrace, giving him no room to
move. “Why not?”
The feel of her lips now on his neck made him for a second
rethink his decision. “I can’t,” he repeated. “I’m sorry. Just not tonight.”
“Why is it every time I invite you inside to stay the
night, you always say no?” Holly was growing frustrated because Chris always
refused to spend the night with her. She wondered if something was wrong
with her. He loved her, she knew that because he showed it in many ways,
but she wanted him to show her in another way.
When they had first started going out five months ago,
he barely kissed her and the only touch she got from him was from holding
his hand. She had realized from the beginning that it was hard for him to
show affection, but after five months together she assumed he would open
himself up a little more to the physical side of their relationship.
“This is too fast,” Chris said, the grip she had on his
arms to be irritating. “I know that once we go inside, you’re going expect
us to.…” He trailed off because he just couldn’t say it.
“What? Sleep together?” Holly said it for him.
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
“And what's wrong with that? Chris, we’ve been together
for a while now. Don't you love me?”
It wasn’t that he didn’t love her, but intimacy to Chris
was something he didn’t want to rush into yet. Truth was, he was scared that
if they slept together, everything would change. Just like things had after
he and Layne had slept together that cold night in an unoccupied barn just
outside of town. Yeah, he had had been much too young to know what he was
doing, but he still deeply regretted that night. Because the next morning,
he had begun to lose Layne. He didn’t want to risk that again with Holly
when things were going so well.
“You know I love you,” Chris said. He wasn’t very good
with words, and some came easier than others. “It’s just too soon. I don’t
want to rush this.”
“I understand.” She would let him get out of it for now.
She didn’t see what the big deal was. Then again, she’d never been hurt by
a man. But she still felt hurt by Chris’ rejection every time he pushed her
away like he was doing now.
And he knew she did understand and that there would be
a time down the road that would be right for him to accept her invitation.
“Kiss me goodnight,” he said.
Holly attempted one last time to get him to come inside
with her by deepening the kiss, but that only made Chris pull away from her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said regretfully. She slammed
the door and disappeared into her house before he could even reply.
Chris turned on the engine and backed out of the driveway,
feeling as bad as he did the last time they’d had that same conversation.
Layne had wanted to be alone. A little time on her own
was what she needed right now, and Richard had granted it to her, despite
the bad feeling he had about leaving her unintended. He was very protective
of her lately, and usually she appreciated it, but sometimes it just got
to be too much.
“Call me if you need anything.” Richard climbed back into
his Jeep that was parked in the half empty parking lot of the beach they
had gone to after dinner. He and Layne had walked along the surf in silence
for about twenty minutes before Layne had announced she needed some time
by herself. “And don’t get yourself into any trouble,” he added, turning
the key. The engine roared to life.
“I won’t.” Layne rolled her eyes, but found it amusing
how he always thought she would get herself into mischief somehow. “And buckle
up,” she added in sweetly and stepped on her toes to give him a kiss on the
cheek. Her feet were still bare. She had taken off her black sandals when
they were on the sand. They were still dangling from her hands.
“Oops. Yeah, that might be a good idea.” He pulled the
strap down and buckled up. The red vehicle backed out and headed left towards
the highway.
Sometimes Richard could be very forgetful. Layne often
blamed his age knowing that would get a rise out of him. He wasn’t a day
over thirty two, but Layne still liked to tease him that she was younger
than he was.
The sand was warm and when her feet touched it again,
she felt calm. Part of that was because now there was no one watching her.
She really did appreciate Richard’s concern, but she was fine. Life was stressful
lately, but things could be worse and she knew that. She wasn’t going to
dwell on things that couldn’t be changed.
But when a pair of hands covered her eyes and all she
could see was darkness, she did what any normal human being would do.
She screamed.