In the Stars (10 page)

He squeezes my arm against his body. “No, thank you. You’re amazing, Charley.”

We wander along the street for a few blocks until we spot a nice-looking noodle place. My stomach growls on cue and we enter into the warmth of a very delicious-smelling restaurant.

Maybe life is sorting itself out after all.

It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
        —English Proverb

Chapter Sixteen

I
t is shortly after nine the following morning when my cell phone goes off. I have it plugged in to its charger on the nightstand beside my bed where the light on top blinks green, signaling that the battery is fully charged. I open my bleary eyes in time to see Josh pull his pillow over his head.

“Where’s the fire?” he mumbles and rolls over onto his stomach. His breathing slows and I hear a tiny snore slip out.

So as not to wake him, I grab my phone before it can ring again and press accept without looking at the number. “Hello?”

“Charley, it's Drew, baby. How are you?”

I lie back and snuggle into my covers. I pull the phone closer in to myself. “I’m good. You?” I speak softly, mindful that I don’t want to disturb Josh but also fully aware that my voice sounds sexy when I speak low like this.

“Oh, chillin’ like a villain. I was wondering if we could meet up in a few hours, reminisce, catch up, all that.”

“Of course.” This is why I flew over a thousand kilometers. Not that Drew knows that, but still. “Are you done your, uh, wedding rehearsal?” My voice catches on the word ‘wedding’. Such a loaded word. Loaded meaning.

“Nah, not yet. Driving to the church right now. But I will be finished by about noon at the latest. Say we meet up at the Starbucks down the street from your hotel?”

There is a massive weight on my chest and a funny taste in my mouth. I am trespassing on someone else’s life. That ginger-haired girl from the wedding invitation doesn’t even know me and yet I am intruding on her betrothed. Sylvia, the anonymous fiancée. Does she have a hold on his heart? Am I making a huge mistake by butting in? There is a lot that hasn’t been addressed, so much as yet unsaid.

“Yes, noon works. I’ll see you then.”

We hang up and I shut my eyes tight. Life has gotten more complicated than I ever had imagined. This should have been a breeze; come out here, see Drew, have him tell me I have been on his mind since the day we broke up and then we ride off into the sunset on a horse that suddenly appears. It could have been a short and sweet
Ever After
ending, but instead it’s a mess.

I open my eyes when I sense that I am being watched. Josh is now coherent and awake, staring at me from his pillow. He stretches with a groan. “That him?”

“Yeah. We’re going to meet up at noon. I just, I don’t know, I need to talk to him and get some actual answers. This is getting ridiculous.”

Josh nods and then says slowly, measuring every word, “Have you ever thought about what kind of a person Drew is to be cheating on his fiancée with you?”

“What?” His words cut like knives and I sit up in bed. I face Josh and hug my legs. “I’m
not
cheating on his fiancée with him.”

I am, actually. I know how betrayed I would feel if my fiancé kissed another girl. Sure, we haven’t slept together, even though I bet Drew would have gone all the way if I’d let him. But we’ve kissed. He’s complimented me and checked me out and all kind of things that a happily monogamous man would not do. And even though I know this bitter fact, it is worse hearing the cold, hard truth from a friend who I admire more than I’ve ever let on.

“Well, be careful. Men who cheat on their wives will cheat on their girlfriends and so forth. It says something about a person’s character. Dishonesty of any kind will seep into your blood like lead poisoning and destroy your life. Don’t become something you don’t want to become.”

I try to be angry but I know he’s telling the truth. I climb out of bed and grab a change of clothes from my suitcase. “I’m going to go shower.”

“Don’t be mad, Charley. You know I’m right,” he calls at my retreating back. I close the door in an attempt to block out the world, crank the shower up as hot as my body will tolerate and climb out of my nightclothes.

Three hours later I have arrived at Starbucks. I’m wearing jeans and a nice princess-style shirt from Suzy Shier, with my Old Navy windbreaker overtop. I don’t see Drew anywhere and, assuming that he will be late as usual, order a peppermint hot chocolate and a cheese Danish. I have just sat down at a lone table off to the side of the register when Drew walks in. He looks incredible, like the way I’ve always pictured Tom Cruise would look with darker hair. He smiles at the barista and then looks over at me.

“Charley, my girl!” I stand up to give him a hug, but he leans in too far and gives me a kiss. So much for taking it slow. “You are a sight for sore eyes.”

“I didn’t know what you wanted, so I didn’t order for you,” I apologize. I actually didn’t order him anything because I don’t have an extra dollar to my name, but I wouldn’t admit that for the life of me. Drew shakes off my excuse and sits down.

“I don’t need anything. They served a huge luncheon after the rehearsal. Sylvia’s parents know how to throw a party, believe me. Shrimp and crab cakes and all kinds of fancy appetizers that have weird French names. I am stuffed.” He eyes my hot chocolate. “Although, that smells delicious. Mind if I have a sip?” Without waiting for my permission, he reaches over for my drink. Then he leans back into the chair and strokes my ankle with his foot.

“How was the rehearsal?”

“Oh, it was fine, but I don’t want to talk about that.” He rolls his eyes and places my hot chocolate back in front of me.

“Did you talk to your fiancée?”

“About what? About you? No, no, the time wasn’t right. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I do,” I state firmly. My conversation with Josh this morning has been on my mind. After I got out of the shower he and I talked. Our discussion did nothing to alleviate my guilt so I came up with a little speech, an ultimatum, as it were, to use on Drew. I practiced it over and over, repeated it in the mirror and under my breath as I walked here. I only hope it comes out the way I planned.

I begin. “Look, I feel as if we are cheating on your fiancée. We need to draw a line. Either we are just friends with no kissing or holding hands and we part ways with a handshake and email each other once a year at Christmas, or you postpone the wedding and give us a shot, see if we are meant to be.”

Drew appraises me with hooded eyes. “You have always been a passionate little vixen, haven’t you,” he declares. His words are teasing and light as he stares at my face. “That’s one of the reasons I loved you. Everything is black and white, there is never any grey with you.”

“That’s because what’s right will always be right and wrong will always be wrong,” I say. “People and their actions may sometimes be grey, but there is no middle ground when it comes to morals and human decency.”

Drew nods his head and reaches for my hand under the table. “You’re right, of course. Here’s how I see it. You and I had a good thing once, why not again. Convince me that I should call off my wedding and I will. So, for today, I am single, I am all yours.”

“Really?” Single for a day? Am I touched? Offended? He’s giving me a chance. A one-time opportunity to prove that we are meant to be. My hand shakes as I sip the rapidly cooling hot chocolate. The clock is ticking. We have roughly twenty-four hours before his wedding. I have my work cut out for me. I push the nagging sense of guilt down. He’s not unattached and pretending he is won’t make it so, but this is all I got. Take it or leave it and I choose to take it. Reluctantly I nod. “All right.”

He leans forward and kisses me across the crumbs from my Danish. “Since you agree, let’s make a day of it. There is a gorgeous park not far from here. Why don’t we wander over there, maybe check out the ocean towards evening. I know the perfect place for a little skinny dipping.” He winks at me. “I have a bachelor’s party at nine that my best man is throwing for me, but I know we can get
a lot
done before then.”

I wish I didn’t feel so slutty for agreeing to this “single for a day” plan. But, it’s my future at stake. If I don’t show him what he’s missing, he’ll never get up the nerve to ditch his fiancée before the altar.

I take one last gulp of my barely-warm hot chocolate and we stand. Drew takes my hand in his with our fingers interlocking and we exit the café. I know in my heart that nobody cares, that we are merely another anonymous couple in a busy metropolitan tourist destination, but I still see non-existent accusations of betrayal in people’s eyes as we pass.

“How’s your blonde friend? She still kicking around?” Drew asks when we stop at a street corner and wait for the light to turn green.

“Heather? She’s doing great. She’s a model now, full-fledged in pageants and whatnot. I am still roommates with her. She actually told me to tell you hi if I ran into you out here.”

Drew seems to be stuck on the first part of what I said. “A model, eh? She was pretty smoking hot, wasn’t she? Not surprising that she’s a model now. Does she work for La Senza or something?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure she’ll make it big someday. She has a lot of drive.”

He nods and grins at me. “I remember when the three of us went to that concert in the Commonwealth Stadium together. Who was playing, Paul Brandt and Terri Clark?”

“Kenny Chesney and Terri Clark,” I correct.

“Yeah, that’s right.” The light turns green and we cross the street. “I got so high that night. And then the cops had that checkpoint set up on the way home. Oh man, they smelled the weed and had us all get out of the car.”

“I tried to forget about that.”

“You never used drugs, I remember that.” Drew looks at me as though I have spouted green alien antennae.

“Nope, I’ve never had a desire to lose control of my body and mind the way so many of our friends did. That night with the police was horrible. I had to beg them to let us off with just a warning. I was so afraid that my mom would find out and jump to conclusions.”

“Yeah, your mom, she was fun,” Drew chuckles and tucks my hair behind my ear to keep it from blowing in my eyes. “I don’t think she ever liked me much. Didn’t want her brainiac daughter settling for me, did she?”

“Not true,” I protest. “She was fond of you, and the more she got to know you the more she liked you. You have to admit, though, you didn’t make the best first impression when you came to visit and rear-ended my neighbor’s car.”

Drew throws his head back and guffaws loudly. “Oh, I thought she was going to have a conniption. But I won her over with the box of chocolates, didn’t I? Bernard Callebaut is the key to women’s forgiveness.”

“My mom doesn’t eat chocolate,” I giggle, remembering her expression. “She has this strict regime of no chocolate, no caffeine whatsoever. I ended up eating the whole box myself and my mom was still mad at you.”

“Huh. No wonder all I got for Christmas that year from her was a five-dollar American Eagle clearance shirt,” Drew reflects. “Speaking of driving mishaps, remember how I tried to park in the Dean of Psychology’s parking stall? You were so scared we’d get in trouble.”

“You were there for about five minutes before she had you towed. And again the next day when you showed up in her spot again. At least she had a good laugh over it when she learned it was you, instead of suspending you or something.”

Now feeling comfortable and at ease, I have no problem getting lost in nostalgic memories with him. We had some crazy times, there is no denying that. He brought out a side of me that I never dreamed I had. We were wild, adventurous, living on the edge. We did what we wanted, stayed up all night, slept all day and still managed to pull off good grades. Or at least, I did. It’s funny how now, looking back and remembering the dumb things we did, it’s like we are both silly twenty-year-olds again, afraid of nothing, ready to conquer the world.

We reach the entrance to Beacon Hill Park and I gape at the picturesque view. There are waterfalls and a gorgeous stone bridge, majestic trees that drape their branches down toward the earth. I also spot the cutest totem poles I’ve ever seen and I drag Drew toward them. Finally an excuse to snap a picture with him that I can send to Heather! She’s been waiting so patiently and I definitely owe her something,

“We have to get a picture with this!” I pull my phone out of my pocket. I unlock the screen and, before I open the camera application, I notice I have two unread text messages. I glance at them quickly before opening my camera app.

The first is from Heather.
Josh told me you KISSED Drew!??! OMG this is HUGE! I need details! You are so going to get the guy! Xoxo PS—Josh isn’t nearly as good at spilling information as you are. I had to PRY everything from him! It was like pulling teeth! Love you!

Heather would definitely approve of what I’m doing right now. I open the second one, this one from Josh.

Sorry I lectured you this morning. No hard feelings, ok? Just want you to be happy. I’ll see you tonight when you get in. Maybe we can go find some Chinese food if you’re hungry?

I don’t think Josh has ever apologized for lecturing me before, especially when he’s clearly in the right. I read it again, puzzled. What’s he playing at, saying he wants me to be happy? Maybe he’s actually coming around and now realizes that Drew and I are soul mates. Perhaps the stars are aligning in our favor.

Drew takes the phone from me and swivels the screen until he finds the camera. “Stop reading messages and take the bloody picture,” he growls in mock outrage.

I wrinkle my nose at him and then we squish together in front of the base of the totem pole. Drew holds my phone out at arm’s length, snaps the picture and then hands it to me for my approval. I stare at our huge faces with a tiny bit of colorful totem pole peeking through from behind us. With the exception of our haircuts, we look just like we did five years ago. It’s as if no time has passed.

Drew puts his arms around me and pulls me in for a kiss. For the first time, I kiss him back without reservation. This is my time. His engagement is on pause. I can do this.

“Why did you break up with me?” I murmur between kisses. Drew presses his mouth back on mine and hugs me closer. “And please don’t say that I broke up with you because we both know that’s not true.”

“I was stupid,” he says while his lips press lightly down from my lips all the way to my throat and toward the nape of my neck. “I don’t know how else to answer that.” We both fall silent, caught up in the heat of the moment. My head is spinning and it’s hard to breathe.