Three Weddings and a Dress (28 page)

Besides, she still had to figure out what to do about Conner. She may not have a life, but whatever she had was suddenly more complicated. She didn’t need apartment ‘C’ to confuse things further.

“Arabella, are you all right?”

Great now she’d been staring off into space. “Sorry, yes, I’m fine. Call me Ari. I was only Arabella when Mom used to get pissed at me.” She tossed a smile at him as she bent to rummage through the fridge. “It’s cheap beer I hope you don’t mind.”

“The best.”

She stood a Bud Light in hand. “Really?”

“No, but if that’s all there is; it’s the best.”

Handing him the bottle she settled across from him in Conner’s old ratty chair. Lifting her bottle in the air and nodding it in his direction. “Cheers.” She took a sip.

After he’d followed her example he leaned forward, braced his elbows on his knees and let the bottle dangle in two fingers. “Conner? What’s up?”

A man of few words but then in Ari’s experience, most men were. “I’m not really sure. I thought I knew him, maybe not.”

“Okay. It’s none of my business, and we just met but if you need to hash something out you can talk to me. Not knowing either of you well, I’d be impartial.”

Ari didn’t know what he was talking about for a nanosecond, then realized he thought they’d had a lovers spat. She pressed her lips together so she didn’t spew the sip of beer she’d taken all over her coffee table.

“We didn’t just break up.” How could she explain? His expression told her she wasn’t making any sense, but she knew that. “I guess we did.”

It would help if she understood what she was feeling herself. As he said, he was impartial, maybe he could help. “You know maybe I do need to have an objective opinion.”

“I’m not a psychologist but I can read people pretty well. I thought Conner was much younger because of his carefree mannerisms. I soon realized he was in his late twenties. Maybe he doesn’t want anyone to get too close.”

Ari sipped her beer and tried not to grimace, she preferred something with a bit more fluff, like a cocktail. At home, she made due with the cheap stuff though.

Gerard did have a point about Conner.

“Conner and I met six months or so ago. Started out as friends, then it became a bit more, sort of.” She shrugged off the uncomfortable. “I should say the connection wasn’t enough for anything more than just friends.”
 
It was nice to chat over problems with someone, she’d forgotten the feeling. “Then our relationship slipped back to friends; or so I thought until he asked to move in a few days ago.”

“Really?” Gerard’s eyes widened and he shifted his position. “Until he came racing out of your apartment…” He took a quick gulp from his bottle. “…I hadn’t realized he lived with you. This is hard to explain. I moved in the other day, Conner came home about the same time saw me and offered to help. Naturally, I assumed he lived in the building. For his help I told him I’d buy him a beer.”

“Okay. Then you find out Conner has been staying here. I’m not sure what you’re trying to explain?”

He finished his beer and placed the bottle on the coffee table. “It’s just that there was a girl at the bar Conner seemed to know rather well, if you know what I mean.”

Ari waited and nothing. “I’m not upset. Conner seems to know many girls and actually makes friends with them easily.
 
Besides, we’ve been over as far as the relationship thing if you could call it that, for a while. That’s why I was confused when he wanted to move in.”

“Did he say why?”

“That was today’s discussion. He’s always, like you said young acting. When we first met, I thought it was cute and vulnerable. It got old fast. But there were times when he tried too hard.”

 
Gerard nodded. “He was trying to act like he didn’t care about anything.”

“That’s it exactly. Today he matured for a moment, about ten years; to tell me he’d leave. That’s when he almost made tire treads on your face.”

“You kicked him out?”

“No. Well not exactly. I realized he’d been staying here for about two weeks and I hadn’t even noticed. That should tell you a little about our relationship.”

Gerard chuckled stood and helped himself to another beer out of her fridge. He raised the bottle. “Sorry, I made myself at home. Want another one?” She shook her head ‘no’. Then he made himself comfortable on the sofa again.

“You know this is not exactly a mansion, how the hell did he stay without your knowledge.”

Ari hadn’t had time to figure out the answer. “I guess I’ve been preoccupied with my designs. It doesn’t excuse me though. He lost his job and then his roommate kicked him out. He’d asked me if he could move in a few days ago. He made it sound like the relationship kind of move in, if you know what I mean.”

Ari picked at the label on the bottle, collecting the rest of her thoughts. She chose her words carefully.

“I hadn’t thought in terms of
that
type of relationship with him, until he asked to move in.” Ari lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Hey to me, we were just friends. Today I told him moving in wasn’t going to happen. As we talked, things he said made me remember; the times the fridge had less soda than I thought I’d bought or the bathroom messier than I’d left it. Little things, though he’d cleaned up enough I hadn’t realized my sofa was used as a bed every night. Plus the fact he’d been up and out of the apartment before I went to work.” She spread her hands out, bottle still in one. “I stay up late doing my own work, and so I sleep until the last possible moment. Usually I crawl out around nine.”

“He would have plenty of time to clean up the sofa and be out before you left for work. I see what you mean. Does he have family?”

“His mother. I asked if he could move in with her. That’s when he turned into a different person.”

Gerard stared at her in bafflement a moment. “What do you mean different?”

“You know. Most the time he has the Sean Penn, Spicoli thing going on. Yet when I asked why he couldn’t move in with her, his whole manner changed. He told me he got it and stormed out. It was the expression in his eyes though.” A wave of guilt hit her again. “Oh, and he said he hadn’t lived at home since he was fifteen.”

Gerard leaned forward giving her an intense look. “You’re going to track him down and let him stay.”

Her spine stiffened, “Why would you assume that?”

“You can’t help it. It’s in your makeup as a woman, maternal.”
“That’s exactly what a man would say. Do all guys expect women to step in where there mommies left off?”

He gave her a huge grin. “We’re getting off subject. What are you going to tell him?”
Fine, it was pointless anyway. She had never won that argument with her brothers. There was a good chance she wouldn’t with Gerard.

“There was something about the way he left. He has a history with his mother. You know I thought he was using me as a mother figure. Now I have a feeling whatever the history is, wasn’t healthy.”

“Where’s he going to sleep?” Gerard asked.

“Not in my bed if that’s what you want to know.”

Gerard looked at his watch then stood, took his empty bottle and threw in the recycle bin. Once at the door, he gave her another grin. “Nope I wasn’t asking. Look, I’m sure you’ll work everything out. I wish I had more time but I have work that has a deadline. Thanks for the beer.”

He was out her door before she could form a response. Ari glared at the closed door. Good grief, he offers to be the voice of reason and then when the topic actually starts where the problem begins, he leaves.

Complication, that’s what Gerard was and she didn’t need it. She took another sip. The brew had warmed. The bitter hops wasn’t her favorite when it was cold. She dumped the stuff down the sink, spun around and rested her butt against the counter.

What should she do? The curious visit from her handsome neighbor had solved nothing. She was back to square one.

Her cell phone rang. Shoving away from the tiled ledge, she went to retrieve the thing. The caller ID showed Conner’s number. Excellent.

“Conner, I’m glad you called.”

There was a pause on the other end before he responded. He sounded as if he was still in whatever solemn mood he’d been in when he left.

“I’m very sorry about what happened, Conner. May we meet at the Java Latte for coffee and talk?”

She was relieved when Conner agreed to meet an hour later. Maybe she’d suggest he move in with the girl he seemed so friendly with at the Social Club. Because damn, Gerard was correct she would let Conner move in if he had nowhere else to go. There would be stipulations though.

She wasn’t a total push over.

She grabbed her backpack. Though not safe to wear on a scooter, she threw on a pair of flip-flops. Really how fast could she go at this time of evening?

The coffee shop had been closer than she remembered. She could have walked, oh well she loved riding the Love Machine. Parking could be a bitch, but tonight she was in luck.

Conner waited for her at the corner table, she waved to him and went to the counter to order a Latte. She knew she needed to be strong. She may not be a push over, still she didn’t want to be bullied or manipulated into an agreement she wouldn’t be comfortable making
 

“Conner, do you want a coffee?” Ari asked.

“No I’m okay.” His eyes watched her every action.

“Have you had dinner?”

Conner’s throat worked a swallow and he glanced over her shoulder. “I’m okay. Why did you want to meet me?”

The Spicoli attitude was still absent, even though it was irritating, she missed the silly Conner. That Conner didn’t have secrets or shadows in his eyes.

The Conner she knew sure as hell didn’t gaze with hunger at the other customers, then refuse to let her buy him something. She didn’t know what to think.

“I want to know what happened?”

“I lost my job and my roommate kicked me out. You don’t have the room for me.” He gave her an insolent lift of one shoulder and cocked his head. “End of story, I’ll figure something out. I always do.”

Ari clenched her teeth and slammed her back into her chair causing it to skid. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“That’s what you’re getting. Anything else is off limits.” His shoved away from the table and stood. “I need to go.”

“Where?” She raised her hand. “Please will you sit back down so we can discuss this?”

“There’s nothing to discuss. You want me out. I’m a big boy I can find someplace.”

“Conner why did you call me?” If he didn’t want to see her, then what was the point?

“I wanted to ask if the few things I’d left there, like the chair, would be okay until I found someplace. But toss it if it gets in your way.” Again with the insolent shrug of his shoulder as he half turned to leave.

Her finger pointed at his seat. “I’m not your mother, I can’t tell you what to do. As a friend, I’d like to help you if I can. In order to do that I need to understand.”

Ari stood to look him in the eye. “Please?” He sighed, and then dropped into his chair with a thud. “Fine, what?”

She settled into her place stretched her neck from side to side, lifted her shoulders and relaxed them. She’d been ready for battle, that wasn’t what he needed. He didn’t need a bully, he needed a friend.
 

She’d almost forgotten. Conner had been there for her. She recalled the time when he’d found her sitting in this same coffee café crying in her coffee. He’d made her laugh when she’d needed it most.