Meeting The Unpredictable (7 page)

I can’t do it. I can’t put myself through that again. If they had answered, I would have been stuck. I’d be forced to do the very last thing I want, and I’m not ready. I may never be ready.

The urge to get the hell out of Jodi’s apartment hits me hard. I toss on the only clean clothing I have left and walk out her door. When my eyes spot Tyler’s door, I stop. He’s beyond fun to mess with. He’s not picture perfect like Jodi, but he definitely doesn’t like his world messed with, which is exactly what I’m doing.

I knock twice before I open the door and walk in. Tyler has his back to me, his headphones on, but this time he must have heard me come in.

“Yes, please come in and interrupt my day,” he dryly says with a stare.

“I was planning on going out to get some lunch. What are you in the mood for?”

“Silence,” he promptly answers, causing me to laugh.

“What do you listen to on your headphones?”

His eyes narrow, which sends heat straight to my core. “I’ll take a burger or a sandwich. I really don’t care.”

“Rushing me out the door already? I think you just broke a record.” Tyler appears to be fighting a smile. “I’d ask if you want to come with me, but I guess I already know the answer to that.”

“I thought you had a job,” he says instead of responding to my comment.

“Carla doesn’t need me until later today.” I find my eyes scanning his apartment: a black leather couch, white walls, a glass coffee table. It’s too stuffy.

“What?” Tyler questions, causing me to look at him. “Why are you looking at my apartment that way?”

“I’m only looking around.”

“No, you’re not. Your nose is practically turned up.” I drop down on his couch and look at him.

He’s right. When I look around his apartment, I can’t help but think of how many animals—hell, for that matter, people—could be saved by the money he spent on this couch alone.

“I think I’ll pick us up a sandwich. I’d offer to fix lunch, but we both know that won’t work out well.”

This time, Tyler does smile. “I’ll go with you, but afterward, I need to get back to work.”

I force myself not to smile. Tyler likes me. The only person he’s fooling otherwise is himself, but I think he’s even having a hard time doing that.

***

“WHAT CAN I GET YOU?”
The older waitress shakes her head in disgust when she looks at my tattoos. I don’t care. I stopped caring what other people thought of me a long time ago. “You know, when you’re an old lady those tattoos are going to look downright awful, not that they don’t already.”

Maybe I should ask her if a sleeve will look good. I start to giggle to myself when I hear Tyler. “Excuse me?” he sneers from across the table. Both the waitress and I look over at him.

“You’re here to take our order, not pass judgment on others.” After a few long seconds, Tyler reaches for my hand. “Come on, Lennie. We’ll find somewhere else to eat.”

The shocked expression of the waitress is the last thing I see before Tyler drags me out the door. When we arrive at his SUV, he looks over at me. “I’m sorry.”

My nose scrunches. “What are you sorry about?”

Tyler points back at the restaurant. “That lady. The way she behaved was horrid.”

Where Tyler is concerned, my heart softens even more. I wonder if living in his own world for as long as he has made him naïve or if his heart is really made of gold.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. A lot of people act that way, especially older people. Not to mention I’m the one who picked this restaurant.”

Tyler sighs before hopping inside his vehicle. Once I’m in and buckled, I look over at him only to find him staring at me.

“I think I was on the path to becoming that old lady,” he quietly states.

“I didn’t know you were thinking about having a sex change.” I laugh at my joke, but Tyler doesn’t.

“I’m serious.” I know he’s not kidding by the sad expression on his face.

“Tyler, if you had met me when I was younger, you might have thought the same thing about me. Life isn’t about who you were. It’s about who you are,” I state.

His eyes narrow but he doesn’t say anything else. Instead, he pulls out of the parking space and drives us to a café down the road where our lunch was just as good as the service.

I SHUT DOWN MY COMPUTER
and glance over my shoulder at Lennie who’s sound asleep on my couch. This woman is driving me batshit crazy in a way I’m coming to almost like. My attention moves from Lennie to the door as Chad walks in with a huge smile on his face.

“You’re in a good mood.”

“That I am, man.” He tosses his wallet and keys on the counter. “I have a date tonight.”

“Really? I thought you were holding out for our neighbor.”

“No more holding out because we’re going out for dinner.”

My eyes widen in shock. “Wow. Congratulations.”

“I’m fairly certain Jodi thinks I asked her in a neighborly way, but I’m hoping to make my point clear by the end of the night.”

“At least she knows you exist. That’s a step in the right direction.” Chad flips me off before walking towards his bedroom.

My eyes dart back at the woman who’s still sound asleep. When she came over earlier today, we played the same song and dance. I acted annoyed that she was here, and she continued to act like she didn’t give a damn. We ate lunch then she watched TV until she fell asleep.

If anyone had asked me three weeks ago if I could get any work done with someone consistently bothering me, I would have thought they were crazy, but somehow, Lennie being here is almost helping. She pushes my limits, but she can read me like a book and knows when to pull back. Chad is the only other person who can come close to reading me the way Lennie appears to, and I’m still wondering how she wormed her way into my life.

***

MY PHONE RINGS. THE SECOND
I see my mom’s name on the screen my stomach turns. “Hello, Mother.”

“Tyler, sweetheart.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “I’m calling to remind you about the birthday party. We’re having it here at the house.” As if I could forget.

“I’ll be there. Like always.” I can’t keep the tone out of my voice.

“Of course you’ll be there. You’re his uncle.”

“Then why did you call?” I snap, instantly regretting my attitude.

“You’re my baby. I’ve missed hearing your voice.”

Whether she means to or not, she instantly makes me feel guilty. “I’ve missed you, too. It’s been awhile.”

“Yes, it has. A mother shouldn’t go weeks without seeing her child when he lives less than twenty minutes away.” That goes both ways, but I decide not to point that out.

“I ran into Joyce the other day. She showed me a picture of her daughter, and I think you should meet her. She’s breathtaking.”

I force myself not to groan out loud. “I’m sure she is, but I don’t need you setting me up on dates.”

“You need someone to set you up. When was the last time you went out with a woman?”

Over the years, I’ve lied about how many women I’ve gone out with. Lying to my mother seemed easier than telling her the truth and risking her doing exactly what she’s trying to do now.

“I really need to get back to work,” I say instead of acknowledging her last comment.

“Work. That’s all you ever do, Tyler. You’re older now. Your business is thriving. It’s time to work on your social life.” My mother has no clue how successful my business really is. Otherwise, she would have started in on me long before now.

I hear a sharp knock on my door seconds before Lennie walks in.

“Look, I’ve got to go.”

“I know what you’re doing, but I’ll let you go anyway. See you in a few days, sweetie.”

“Okay,” I answer seconds before hitting end on my phone.

“Alert the media. He’s not on his computer during business hours.” Lennie made air quotations when she said business hours.

“Whatever.” I try my best to fake annoyance at her once again barging into my life, but if I’m being honest, I was more than ready to get off the phone with my mother.

“What do you want for lunch today?” I turn away in order to hide my smile.

“Who says I want to eat lunch with you?”

“Fine, I’ll search around your cabinets for something to make.”

My eyes widen as the memory of how we met comes flooding back. “Wait, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. I’ve seen your attempt at cooking.”

When I walk into the kitchen, my brain momentarily stops. Lennie is bent over, looking into the fridge. Her shirt has moved up her back, exposing yet another tattoo. My eyes focus on the words.

Acceptance is a gift not everyone will give.

“Seriously, you don’t even have lunchmeat?” Lennie turns around and starts opening up my cabinets. “Okay, peanut butter and jelly it is.”

She’s still talking, but my mind is trying to process the tattoo I just saw. I’ve always been accepted, but even as I think that, I know it’s not true. At least it hasn’t been for years. The phone call from my mother is proof of that. She can’t seem to accept that my entire life changed six years ago. I’m no longer the man I once was. I don’t want or need her to set me up with stuffy women she approves of.

“Seriously, you don’t have jelly?” I snap out of my thoughts and glance at Lennie. She has bread out on the counter and is in the process of making two sandwiches.

“No, I don’t put jelly on my peanut butter.”

Lennie’s eyes bulge. “Why in the world are you skipping the best part of a PB&J?”

I shrug. “My mom didn’t put it on our sandwiches because she didn’t like us to get messy when we were kids.”

Lennie sighs. “That’s crazy. Kids are supposed to get messy. That’s why they invented bathtubs.” Lennie sets down the knife she was using then grabs my hand. “Come on. We’re going to the store, and we’re picking out some damn jelly. I don’t even care what kind as long as you’re eating an actual PB&J.”

I pull my hand back. “Are you able to accept that maybe I don’t like jelly?”

Lennie straightens and stares at me. “If you’ve tried jelly and don’t like it, then of course I can accept that you only want a PB sandwich.” Lennie reaches for my hand again. “Come on. You’re about to discover the wonderful world of jelly, and I promise, you won’t get dirty.”

I still don’t know much about Lennie Jacobs, but I already know she’s the type of person who can accept someone exactly the way they come. Now it’s time to find out if I can do the same.

EVERY HAPPY MEMORY I HAVE
of my parents is from before my life changed. My parents rarely think out of the box, at least with their personal lives. My behavior as a teenager alone was almost enough to make them hate me, but with every year that’s passed, I’ve added to it. My flaky behavior and tattoos are reason enough for them to spend hours yelling at me, but after Sunday, I’m past the point of caring.

When I left their house the other night, I felt like I was officially shutting the door on my relationship with them, and as much as I want to pretend otherwise, it hurts like a bitch.

Today, my father sent me a text questioning the amount of money I’ve spent in the last year. The fact that he has access to my personal banking is beyond disturbing. I’ve gone out of my way to slowly remove my family from my life and right now the desire to get in my car and leave is strong.

People tend to think nothing bothers me, but that’s simply not true. Sometimes I think everything bothers me. I just do a better job of hiding it. After spending more time than I should have sulking like a little girl, I force myself to get up and head to the animal shelter. If there’s anything that can make me feel better it’s spending time with an animal that appreciates me.

“Lennie, we missed you.” Carla smiles.

“Sorry, I had some family problems come up.”

“Don’t be sorry, honey. We’re willing to take anything you can offer.”

Her comment causes me to pause. How can a complete stranger take me as is but my own parents can’t see past what they consider flaws? There have been quite a few times when I’ve wondered if I’m living my life the way I should. If maybe I’m shortchanging myself out of the things that seem to appeal more to others. Then a simple comment from a person who’s virtually a stranger reminds me of why I’m the person I am today.