Courting Alley Cat (11 page)

              “Quite,” she said, wishing he didn’t want to talk so much.

Her eyes drifted closed again.              

              He reached down and, putting one arm under her knees, picked her up and carried her into the living room to the couch. Sitting down, he settled her in front of him and he began to massage her shoulders and her neck.

              “How did you know I needed that?” she asked.

              “I’ve never known anyone to turn down a massage.”

              “Is that so? You give a lot of them?”

              “What do you think?”

              “I think you. You must have had a lot of practice.”

              “No, just blind luck, I guess.”

              “In that case, you can practice on me.”

              “I’d be happy to,” he said, “but right now I have something a little different in mind.”

              He pulled her back against him, their lips met, and the world around them seemed to disappear. His lips, so soft and firm all at once, had her mesmerized.

              Alley was having an awesome writing day. That was truly the only way she knew to describe it. She’d started chapter 3 and not only had she written the prose, she had charcoaled the images. She wasn’t sure which one she liked best. Drawing or writing. But nonetheless, she had the best job in the world to be able to do both.

              She licked her lips and smiled to herself. They still felt a little tender after another late night with Justin. She could almost feel his kisses even now. It was like she was intoxicated with them. She especially liked knowing that he was right next door doing whatever it was he most enjoyed in life also. All she had to do was get up and walk across to the next house to find him. She felt comfortable that she would be welcome, too.

              She glanced up as a car left the driveway, then glanced at the clock. She’d missed lunch again. She got up, poured herself a soda over ice and munched on some crackers as she studied her work in progress. She wasn’t really hungry anyway.              

              Two hours later, she heard a car door slam. Amazed that she had time warped again so completely, she straightened, stretched her back, and watched as an attractive dark-haired woman stepped out of the silver SUV. She opened the back door and let out what appeared to be a solid white husky.                                                                                                                                                          

              Intrigued, Alley watched. Why would someone have a husky in this heat?

              She wasn’t surprised when Justin appeared at the front door. He often greeted his clients and walked them in.

              She was surprised, however, when the brunette went into his arms and they hugged. That was unusual. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four seconds.... This was highly unusual. Six seconds. Ok, an eight second hug was pushing the limits. Finally, after eight seconds, they separated.

              But when the woman put a hand on his cheek and stretched up to kiss him, she knew something was up. Fortunately, the kiss was brief, certainly not eight seconds, but nonetheless, it was still a kiss. And Justin hadn’t protested.

              Her alarm turned to panic when Justin glanced in her direction, and ushered the woman and her dog inside.

              Alley didn’t know if she was just stunned or in shock. This was unexpected. She truly thought she had something special with Justin. They had, of course, never discussed any exclusivity, but she had just assumed....

              Even in Dallas, there were certain expectations. Certain understandings. Of course, there were what were known as “cads,” that one could inadvertently get hooked up with. Some of them were known by reputation, and the girls who were serious about relationships stayed away when they could. When it happened anyway, a girl just had to cut her losses and get out.

              She forced her gaze away from the window and took a steadying breath. Was this what was happening here? Should she just cut her losses and get out?

              She had hoped and even thought that here in the small town world, this kind of thing wouldn’t happen.

              She clicked save on her computer and pushed back her chair. She wouldn’t even try to work now. And it had been going so well.

              Work and Justin. She exhaled loudly. Such was the way it went.

              She just sat there, thinking back on last evening. Thinking of all the things they had said. Wondering. Just wondering.

              The sun started to set and she glanced at the clock. The woman and her dog had been inside for almost an hour. The dog had looked healthy enough.

              When they all came outside on the porch, she didn’t pretend not to watch. Justin walked her to her car, then tossed a bag in the back seat, went around to the passenger side, and climbed in.

              As they drove away, her mind just went blank. She and Justin had dinner plans in about - glanced at the clock again - an hour and a half.

              She had his cell phone number. She could call. But why?

              She tried to stay calm. Maybe it was some kind of veterinarian emergency. Maybe he would call. She would be patient.

              Five seconds later, she picked up her cell phone and looked up his number. She already had him programmed. She set the phone down, repeated to herself,
I will not call him. I will not call him.

              She went into the living room and plopped down on the sofa. She did what she knew to do in this kind of trouble. She dialed Zena’s number. Voice mail. She hung up and dialed Steven’s number. Voice mail. Frustrated, she hung up the phone and set it on the end table.

              When her cell phone rang, she jumped, and grabbed the phone. Maybe it was Justin. Instead, the caller id indicated that it was Steven. Trying not to sound disappointed (she had called him after all), she answered the phone.

              “Hey, Baby, what’s up?”

              “Not much. How are you?”

              “I’m great. Zena and I are just hanging out here at the Malt Factory.”

              “Oh yeah. I forgot this is Wednesday.”

              “Ok, tell me what’s wrong.”

              “Nothing’s wrong.”

              “No fooling the Stevie. Spill.”

              She sighed. “Ok. I haven’t told you, but I’ve been sort of seeing Justin. You know, the guy next door?”

              “And?”             

              “You don’t sound surprised.”

              “We suspected.”

              “Oh... Well, anyway, nevermind, it’s not a big deal. It’s nothing.”

              “He’s married.”

              Alley laughed. “No, he’s not married.”

              “Well, then, what’s the problem?”

              “Well, he hugged her and kissed her, then drove off with her.”

              “What are you talking about?”

              “Well, I saw them.”

              “Alley. First of all, you shouldn’t be spying.”

              ”I wasn’t spying!”

              “I would have been. Nonetheless, second of all, if you weren’t spying, you wouldn’t know. You have to let it go. They’re probably just friends.”

              She heard someone talking, then Zena came on the line.

              “Zena?”

              “Oh my God, Steven just told me what happened.”

              “It’s not so bad.”

              “Are you kidding? Being cheated on is always bad.”

              “Well, yeah.”

              “What did he have to say for himself?”

              “I don’t know. I didn’t talk to him.”

              “You have to call him. Confront him.”

              Steven came back on the line. “Don’t you dare call him, Alley. Either he has a good reason for.... kissing her or he doesn’t deserve your time.”

              “You guys are confusing me. If I don’t talk to him, I can’t know.”

              “You don’t need to know.”             

              “I don’t know.”

              Zena came back on the line. “Either call him or don’t talk to him anymore.”

              “What?”

              “I don’t know, Alley, it just seems a little strange to me.”

              “It is strange!”

              “Oops, we’ve got to go.”

              “Why, what happened?”

              “Talk to you tomorrow! Hang in there!”

              The phone clicked off and Alley sat there staring at it. Her friends were strange.

              She didn’t know what to do. Should she get ready for her date with Justin? Or not? Steven was right about one thing. If she hadn’t been spying, she wouldn’t have known. She would go ahead and get ready.

              But first she had something to do. She dialed Justin’s cell phone number. It went straight to voice mail.

              She closed the cell phone and sat holding it. She should not have allowed herself to believe that she had found a happily ever after. Only now, she realized that she had been willing to give up her Dallas lifestyle for him. She should have known better than to think about giving up her way of life for a man. To think that if she had relocated here to be with him and then found out that he didn’t want a committed relationship. It would have been a travesty.

              She took a deep breath and steadied herself. It was ok. She had been here before. She could survive it. She put her cell phone aside and went to prepare herself a bubble bath. She wouldn’t plan on seeing him tonight... but if he did show up, she wouldn’t be looking like she hadn’t expected him to. He didn’t know she saw him leave with that woman. He didn’t need to know that she had been concerned… even spying.

              At eight o’clock she made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She hadn’t heard from Justin. No phone call. Nothing. She’d gone from being perplexed to being angry. He’d obviously gotten a better offer and had not bothered to cancel his date with her.

              She ate her sandwich and curled up on the sofa to watch an old black and white movie on cable. One movie turned into two and she dozed off. Just after midnight, she dragged herself to bed where she fell into a fitful slumber, dreaming nondescript nightmares. She woke the next morning in a cold sweat, her eyes puffy.

              It had been one hell of a night.

              Justin let himself in the back door, dropped his keys on the kitchen counter, and glanced at the stove clock. 5:15. He had two precious hours to sleep before he had to shower, make coffee, and be ready for appointments with patients.

              It was always hard when he was called out, but this time it seemed even more difficult. Despite his exhaustion, he smiled to himself. He had Alley to blame for that. She had him thinking about her every minute. He didn’t know the last time he had felt so alive.

              On second thought, maybe he would go ahead and make coffee. He measured coffee into the filter, filled the water bin, and turned the switch, his thoughts on Alley’s incredible sweetness. He’d always been intrigued by her, but now even more so. He’d had no idea she was so sweet.

              All night, as he fought for the life of Michael Perry’s prized dog, he could feel Alley’s lips on his, feel her soft skin next to his.... see her silky hair falling across her cheek.                            

              He probably shouldn’t even bother trying to sleep. All he wanted was to see Alley again.

              His cell phone hadn’t worked in the plane and by the time he was able to call her, it was too late and he didn’t want to wake her. He knew he should have called her before he took off, but he was still trying to figure out how to tell her what he was involved in.

              He was counting on her understanding about last night. He would make it up to her tonight. And he would have to tell her what it was he did.

              He poured coffee into a mug and added sugar and creamer.

              Stirring his coffee, he turned. Alley stood on the other side of the glass door.

              He opened the door and stepped aside. “Alley, what are you doing here? Is something wrong with Charlie?”

              She gave him a puzzled look. “Charlie’s fine.” She stepped into the room and took in his disheveled appearance. “What’s going on?”

              He took a step back. Something in her tone set him on edge. “What do you mean?

              “Where have you been?” She asked, almost in tears.

              This was exactly what he hadn’t wanted to happen. He ran his fingers through his hair. Now he had to explain it to her. The only problem was it was against regulations to disclose information about it. Unless…

              “I had an emergency.”

              “Really?”

              “Really.”

              She looked away and seemed to be struggling with what to say. “You stood me up.”

              Something caught in his chest. This would be harder to fix than he had counted on.

              “You didn’t call,” she said, softly.

              “I couldn’t,” he said, softly and took her hand. She resisted, but he held on and pulled her toward him.

              “Why not?” she asked.

              “It’s something I can’t tell you about right now, but I will later.”

              She stared at his chest. “You have someone already.”

              “What? No, I don’t have anyone.”

              “You were gone all night.”

              “Yes, I was.”             

              She dislodged her hand. “I don’t understand.”

              “I’ll explain it to you later.”

              “No,” she answered and turned away. “Explain it to me now.”

              “I would if I could, Alley.”

              “I’m sorry, Justin,” she said, turning back to him, her beautiful green eyes filled with tears that didn’t quite spill over. “I thought you were someone different,” she turned and hurried out the back door, across to Granny’s house, the tears spilling, now, down her cheeks.

              “I am someone different,” Justin said to himself as he watched her open and walk into her back door.                                                                                   

              Alley managed to keep her head up until she was safely inside her back door, despite the tears streaming down her cheeks. She closed the door and leaned against it, allowing the pain to wash over her. She had so begun to imagine a life with Justin. She thought he was going to be different being from here in the small town of Hanover.

              After allowing herself about five minutes, she began to pull herself together. She had to consider her options. She could stay here and endure seeing Justin next door doing whatever it was he did. She could pack up Charlie and go back to Dallas, driving over every week or so to get the mail, mow the grass, and do whatever else was required of her.

              She hated the very idea of leaving here. She was just getting settled in. Dag darn it. She kicked the edge of the couch and hurt her toes. Groaning out loud, she collapsed on the sofa and put her face in her hands. Charlie jumped onto the couch next to her and meowed. Alley buried her face in his fur and felt herself calming.

              This was Charlie’s home and he deserved to stay here. She would not run away. She may not talk to Justin, but she had every right, every obligation, even, to stay here.

              Feeling relieved at her new decision, she got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face.

              As the warm water soothed her skin, she reflected on her decision. She didn’t have to talk to him. She didn’t have to see him. But she could stay here.

              After washing her face, she went into the kitchen and resolutely closed the blinds and the curtains. She made a personal vow not to open them. Not to peak outside, no matter how much she wanted to know what Justin was doing. Or who was showing up at his house. It wasn’t her business.

              Almost aimlessly, she sat down at her desk and began to work. 

                           
Allora placed a cool cloth on Winston’s forehead. Her eyes ached from crying. It wasn’t until she’d nearly lost him that she realized how deeply she truly loved him. She couldn’t imagine going through this life without him here on this planet with her. It would be a barren, loveless place. Her life would no longer have any meaning.

              Winston stirred and for the first time in three days, opened his eyes. As his blue eyes met her green ones, she felt the tears well in her eyes and she didn’t try to stop them from falling down her cheeks. She couldn’t pull her gaze from his. She didn’t want to. He was here. He was alive. And he was with her. Even with her enormous healing powers, she had nearly lost him. She would never take him for granted again.

              Alley sat back and stared at her computer screen. She had never expected her characters Allora and Winston to get together much less have a deep, abiding love.

              Where had that come from? Was that what she was feeling for Justin? A deep, abiding love? Of course not. She barely knew him.

              She studied her sketches of Allora and Winston. They barely knew each other. Yet, they knew they loved each other in every way. That is what life was about. Loving and being loved in every way. It didn’t happen to everyone, she reflected. In fact, it probably didn’t happen to very many people. She suspected love was one-sided more times than not. People were just willing to settle for something good enough.

              If Justin loved her the way she could - possibly - love him, then they could have this ever-consuming love just like Allora and Winston. But alas, Justin was not on board.

              Her ringing cell phone jarred her out of her thoughts. It was her mom.

              “You have to come home,” her mom said.

              Alley felt a spurt of panic. She gripped the phone hard. Her mom sounded alarmed.

              “Daddy has to have emergency gallbladder surgery.”