Sparrow (12 page)

“Just
Austin, and maybe Eli and Noah from work,” he says as he flags down a
bartender.  Austin was Kevin’s best friend in high school.

The
bartender stops in front of us and my brother orders a draft.  He defers to me
and after I place my order, I look at Derek.  “You need anything?”

“Thanks.” 
Derek moves closer to us so the bartender can hear him.  “I’ll take a vodka
cranberry and a Labatt Blue Light.”

Within
the next half hour, John arrives, as well as Austin and Eli.  To my right, Derek
carries on a steady conversation with Tara’s boyfriend; it’s obvious they know
each other well and hang out often.  To my left, Austin, Eli, and my brother
are having a heated discussion about the show
The Walking Dead. 
As I
lean against the bar, I’m not into either conversation.  My eyes keep gravitating
to the dance floor.  The way Addison moves mesmerizes me.  I know it’s wrong to
admit, but it’s the truth.  The woman was born to dance; the way she moves
coupled with what she’s wearing…I can’t believe her husband isn’t paying her
more attention.  It’s obvious half the guys in this place have noticed her;
there’s a group a few feet away from me staring at her now.  I don’t like it
and start to feel protective.  If she were here with me, there’s no way in hell
those guys would look at her twice.  I’d make it very clear to everyone in this
place that she was off limits and
mine
.

Just
then, my married ex swirls her hips and runs her hand through her hair.  The sight
hits me hard as my mind wanders and imagines my hands clutching those hips. 
Her eyes catch mine, and I’m forced to look away.  She’s killing me and she has
no idea.

I
take a heavy breath and decide it’s not healthy for me to face the dance
floor.  I’m either going to get caught staring or have words with her
admirers.  Turning away, I try to find a place in the zombie apocalypse
conversation.  The back of my mind registers the song change to Beyoncé’s
“Single Ladies” and, a moment later, I catch Addison approaching the bar.  She squeezes
herself in between me and Derek, who John is still talking to, and reaches for
her as-yet-to-be-touched drink.  She downs it in three swallows.

“Whoa!”
I turn toward her.  “You might want to take it easy.”

She
smiles and runs the back of her hand across her lips.  “I’m hot.”

Really?
I think
sarcastically. 
I hadn’t noticed.

She
places her elbow on the bar and faces me.  “I’ll dance it off after this song
anyway.”

My
gaze shifts from her to the dance floor and back again.  “Why wait?”

She
holds her left hand in front of her face and wiggles her fingers, the lights
from the club reflecting off her ring.  “I’m not a single lady.”

My
stomach feels like lead. 
Thanks for the reminder.

“So,”
she says and looks out toward the sea of dancing bodies, “see anyone you like?”

I
frown.  “I’m sorry?”

“This
place is full of women.”  She gestures toward the dance floor.  “Half of which
are single or pretending to be.”  She gives me a knowing smile.  “One of them
has to have caught your eye.”

My
first thought is that I’m busted for watching her and she’s trying to call me
out on it.  But, then, she starts to analyze different girls and try to find
one that’s right for me.

“How
about the brunette in the corner?  The one wearing the red heels?”

“No.” 
I shake my head.  “Too tall.”

Addison
shrugs.  “She has killer legs, though.”  She looks around some more.  “Okay. 
How about the petite girl over there with the pretty, dark hair?”

“No. 
I don’t like short hair.”

“It
can grow!” she says with annoyance.  She glances around again and then blatantly
points.  “Ooo!  How about her?  The blonde with the long hair and hot pink
dress?”

I
grab her finger to hide it before anyone can see.  “Would you stop?  No. 
Kevin’s into blondes, not me.  And that dress looks like she put on a t-shirt
and forgot her pants.”

Addison
starts to laugh and it’s contagious.  I laugh with her, loving the sound of her
voice.

She
sighs.  “Come on.  There’s not one girl in here who interests you?”

Why
is this so important to her?  I decide to make her happy and play along.  “Fine. 
Yes.  Someone has caught my attention.”  There’s no need to tell her that she’s
that person.

 Addison’s
face lights up.  “You should ask her to dance.”  She sounds genuinely excited,
like she’s playing matchmaker.  “Wait.”  She stops.  “You don’t dance.”  She
bites her lip.  “You should at least buy her a drink to let her know you’re
interested.”

I
give her a smirk and shrug off her advice.  “I didn’t come here to find the
next Mrs. Dayton.”

She
rolls her eyes and turns to press her back against the bar.  “Suit yourself.”  After
a second or two, she asks, “It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

“What’s
crazy?”

“All
of this.”  She gestures around us.  “Do you remember who was with me at the
lake the first summer we met?”

Now
I do.  My eyes widen.  “Your sister and your best friend.”

She
smiles and nods.  “Meagan and Ashley.  Who knows what would have happened if I hadn’t
left that day.  What if Kevin had met Ashley back then?”

“Who
knows?” I shrug.  “They probably would have fallen in love and be on kid number
two by now.”

“Or,”
she pauses, “at the very least Kevin would have had her number.  You would have
been able to find me after the accident.”

Her
words take me off guard; I’m surprised she went there.  It would have taken me
some time to figure that out.  “Well, yeah.”  I hesitate.  “That would have
been convenient.”

She
laughs.

Out
of the corner of my eye, I see Ashley and Tara waving to Addison to rejoin them. 
She pushes her body away from the bar and looks at me.  “I’ll be back.  Ask
Derek to get me another drink, would you?”

I
want to ask her why she doesn’t ask him herself, but she’s out of earshot
before I can.  I glance at Derek and he’s still talking to John.  I wonder if
he even noticed his wife was standing between us.

Moments
later, John pulls his phone from his pocket and walks away to take a call.  I’m
just about to tell Derek that Addison would like another vodka cranberry, when
he steps away from the bar as well.  My eyes follow him to where he joins
Addison on the dance floor, and she smiles as he approaches.  When he reaches
her, he wraps his hands around her waist as she winds hers around his neck.  Although
they remain feet apart, they start to dance, and it’s clear Derek has moves. 
Like Backstreet Boy boy-band moves.  They sway as one, as if they have rehearsed
this routine, and my stomach knots.

Derek
backs up and grabs Addison’s hand.  He dances and sings along with the song, which
happens to be Justin Timberlake’s “Mirrors”.  Addison appears shy as he mimics
the lyrics and sings about how she’s his reflection, his other half, and how no
one else could stand beside him.  It makes me want to punch something.

Like
Derek’s face.

I
need a distraction.  Maybe Addison had the right idea; I should find someone
here to get lost with for a few hours.  My eyes scan the room and inevitably
land back on the Mr. and Mrs. Cole Show.  Derek has moved behind his wife now,
with his hands low on her hips.  He kisses her neck, and her hands grasp his as
she leans back against his chest with her eyes closed.  His eyes are open
though.

And
locked on me.

My
jaw tenses.  I get what this is now.  It’s the territorial dance; the
proverbial pissing match.  Apparently he did notice Addison talking to me
before; hell, he probably overheard our conversation.  His hard stare tells me
a few things:

One. 
I don’t like you.

Two. 
You don’t dance?  Watch me, motherfucker.

And
three.  She’s
mine.

I
hold his stare.  He’s right.  He shouldn’t like me; I was checking out his wife
earlier.  She is his.  On the other hand, I haven’t touched her and we were
just talking.  It was an innocent conversation.  Which reminds me…

I
turn toward the bar and flag down the bartender, knowing full well that Derek
is watching.  I order Addison’s drink, and when the bartender brings it to me,
I turn around and hold it up, blatantly showing Derek.  Then, I set it on the
bar.  He needs to know he doesn’t intimidate me.

His
eyes narrow and I can feel the tension roll off his body from across the room. 
Yep.  He heard our conversation all right.  He’s pissed.

Why?

Because
I just bought a drink for the girl I’m interested in.

My
cell rings and an unknown number flashes across the screen.  I pick up the
phone and touch ‘answer’ while turning the steering wheel with my left hand. 
“Dayton Landscaping.”

“Kyle? 
I need your help.”

My
forehead pinches.  The caller sounds like –

“This
is Addison.”

That’s
what I thought.  My tongue starts to feel dry.  I haven’t spoken to her in a
week, since that night at the club.  Minutes after my silent exchange with
Derek, I left.  I didn’t know what he might do, and I didn’t want to make
Addison uncomfortable or ruin Kevin and Ashley’s night.  I wonder if he said
anything to her; if what happened is the reason for her call.

“Are
you there?” she asks.

“Yeah. 
I’m here.”

“What
are you doing?”

“Driving.” 
I slow at the next corner and make a right turn.

“Oh. 
Well, like I said, I need your help.  Are you busy tomorrow?”

Hmmm. 
Let me consult my empty calendar.
  “No.  What’s up?”

The
line is silent and I imagine Addison twisting her fingers together.  After a
second or two, she says, “My sister’s husband can’t make it to the lake to winterize
the cottage.  I have no idea what needs to be done.  Can you come with me for
the day?  I’ll drive.”

Instantly,
I’m suspicious.  “Where’s Derek?”

She
sighs.  “Working.”

I
get the distinct feeling I’m imagining this conversation.  I pull the phone
away from my face, glance at the number, and then put it to my ear again.  No,
it’s a real call.

“I
know this is out of the blue,” Addison rushes to say, “but, I literally just
got off the phone with Marc.  He’s tied up and worried the pipes are going to
freeze.  Derek’s pulling a twelve hour shift and can’t take off.  You’re the
next person I thought of.”

I’m
confused.  “Who is Marc?”

“Meagan’s
husband.”

“And
he usually takes care of the cottage?”

“Yes,
and this year he can’t.  Will you come with me?”

Forget
the pipes freezing; hell would have to freeze over before Derek would approve
of Addison spending time with me.  “Why can’t your sister do it?”

Addison
lets out an exasperated breath.  “You know what?  Never mind.  I’ll figure it
out.”

“Wait.” 
I stop her.  “Derek’s okay with this?  He knows you’re asking me to go to the
cottage with you?”

“No.”

Well,
at least she’s honest.

“Listen.” 
I brake at a stoplight.  “I’d love to help, but your husband and I…”

“Don’t
like each other.  I know.”

She
sounds so nonchalant about our mutual dislike that I begin to debate my
options.  I tap my fingers on the steering wheel as Rebel Kyle appears on my
shoulder and cocks an eyebrow.  He says if she doesn’t care about Derek’s
feelings, neither should I.  However, on my other shoulder, Moral Kyle sits, with
his damn halo, and asks if I want her husband upset with her.  I couldn’t care
less if he hates me, but Addison doesn’t need a fight on her hands.  Not over
something like this.

Decisions,
decisions.

Rebel
Kyle shouts, “
Screw it!  Let’s go!”
while Moral Kyle gives me a
disapproving glare.   My shoulders slump as I choose the high road.  “How about
you call me when you get there?  I’ll walk you through everything that needs to
be done over the phone.”

Rebel
Kyle flips me off.

“I
have a better idea,” Addison says.  “Let me mention it to Derek.  If
everything’s okay, I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.  If it’s a no go, I’ll
call you tonight.  Deal?”

I
give her my address.

~~~~

To
my surprise, Addison never called.  She sent me a text message.

Be
there at 9 a.m.

Completely
caught off guard, I abandoned
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
to scramble
around my place and make it presentable.  I took care of the dirty dishes in
the sink and cleared the kitchen countertop of empty bottles.  I plumped the
couch cushions.  I vacuumed the carpet and made sure my dirty laundry was in
the basket, not in a pile on the floor.  I even put the toilet paper roll on
the dispenser and wiped the bathroom sink clean of toothpaste and shavings.  I
have no idea if she will want to come inside my house, but, if she does, I’d
like to make a good impression.

The
next morning, I shower and dress in jeans and a navy blue Henley.  Not my best
attire, but not my beat-up work stuff, either.  I want to look decent; however,
I will have to crawl underneath a house.  After a quick breakfast, I perch on the
edge of the couch, waiting.  I check the time on my phone repeatedly – 8:55,
8:57, 8:59 – and toss it aside.  She’s not even late, and I’ve all but
convinced myself that Derek changed his mind and she’s not coming.

Then,
I hear a knock on my front door.

When
I open it, Addison greets me with a small smile.  “Hey.”

I
can’t help but smile back at her.  She’s really here.  She looks like a breath
of fresh air with her pink cheeks, purple turtleneck, and puffy white winter
vest.

“Hey.” 
I open the door wide and step back.  “Let me get my coat.”

Addison
follows me inside.  I leave the doorway and jog over to the closet by the garage
entrance.  It’s the end of November, and the temperature has dropped into the
forties.  I know it will be colder the further north we go, so I find my
Columbia jacket.  Slipping it on, I turn around to find Addison walking the
perimeter of my living room.  She stops in front of the shelves next to the
entertainment center and runs a finger over my DVD collection, perusing the
titles.

“Looking
for something in particular?” I ask.

She
meets my eyes with another smile.  “No.  Just trying to get to know you.”

I
walk toward her and reach over the back of the couch to pick up my phone.  “You
already know me.”

“Do
I?”  She raises an eyebrow.  “You haven’t changed after all these years?”

“I
don’t think so.”  I round the couch to stand next to her.  “My taste in movies
is the same.”  I glance at the shelf. 
Friday the 13
^th
.  The Dark
Knight Trilogy.  Anchorman.  Stepbrothers.  Talladega Nights. 
“Okay. 
Maybe I have a thing for Will Ferrell.”

She
laughs.  “I loved
Elf.”

She
moves on, walking past my flat screen, the stereo, and the PlayStation.  Her
gaze jumps to the furniture and lands on my ratty, old, pea-green upholstered
recliner.  Stuffing leaks out of the arm rest, and there’s a permanent dent in
the seat from my ass.  She shoots me a questioning look.

“What? 
It’s my favorite chair,” I confess.  “I know it doesn’t match.”  Jen gave me
crap for keeping it when she picked out the gray microsuede living room set.

Addison
nods in concession and then looks around again.  “Your house is cute,” she
says.  “How long have you lived here?”

I
think back.  “Almost four years.  This place was really cheap.”  Back then, I
was twenty-two.  The fall in the housing market is the only reason I became a new
homeowner.  “It’s not big, but it’s enough for right now.”

“Do
you plan on moving?”

“Eventually.”
I walk toward her.  “Someday, I’d like to build my own house.”

Addison
looks impressed.  “Like, with your own hands?”

“No;
I’m not that talented.  I meant I’d like to choose where it goes.  And have a
say in what it looks like.”

She
nods, then smiles.  “Can I see the rest of your place?”

I’m
glad I cleaned.

I
lead her down the short hallway and gesture toward the bedroom on the right. 
“My room,” I say as she steps inside.  She looks around, her eyes combing over
the king-size bed, the dresser, and my computer desk, chair, and laptop. 
Standing in the hall, seeing her in such an intimate space – a space I’ve
imagined her in – I get a heavy rush of adrenaline.  It would be so easy to
walk up behind her, wrap my arms around her waist, and bury my lips under her
ear.

I
inhale, then exhale.  I’ve only been around her five minutes. 
Get a grip,
Kyle.

“Uh,
the bathroom is behind us,” I say to distract myself and pull her attention
away from my personal space.

She
turns and leaves my room, peeks in the bathroom, and then points at the only
other door in the hallway.  “Spare room?”

I
nod.

She
pokes her head in my guest bedroom, which only serves as a catch-all for
everything that doesn’t have a place.  There’s a bin of old CD’s, a couple of
filing cabinets, an acoustic guitar, and boxes of things from my mom’s that I
never unpacked.

Addison
zeroes in on the guitar.  “Do you play?”

“Very
little,” I admit.  “If it were a piano, my skill level would be chopsticks.”

She
laughs.  “Then why do you have it?”

I
shrug.  “My ex played and she tried to teach me.  I wasn’t a very good
student.”

“Jen?”
she asks.

My
eyes widen in surprise.  “How do you –?”

“Ashley
told me.”

“And
she knows about my life how?”

“From
Kevin.”

I
stare at Addison in confusion, and she nervously tucks a piece of hair behind
her ear.  She breaks eye contact and looks into the guest bedroom.  “I asked, okay? 
Once I found out Ashley was engaged to your brother, I asked some questions.” 
She meets my eyes again.  “Okay?” 

I
cross my arms and lean against the doorframe, pursing my lips and trying not to
grin.  Addison’s been asking about me.

Excellent.

She
notices my reaction and rolls her eyes.  “Don’t get a big head about it.”

“I’m
not.”  I can’t contain my smile.  “But, just so you know, you can ask me whatever
you want personally.  I’ve got nothing to hide and I don’t always trust Kevin’s
rendition of things.”

Her
shoulders appear to relax.  “Good to know.”

I
lead her in the opposite direction.  We end up in the kitchen next to my small dining
table.  “Well, that concludes the tour.  Do you want to get going?  Or would
you like to look inside of my refrigerator?” I tease.

She
playfully bumps my arm.  “No.”  She shoves her hands in her vest pockets and glances
around my tiny kitchen.  Her eyes move along the top of the cabinets, which Jen
decorated with fake plants to offset my manly display of international beer bottles. 
She steps back, leans against the countertop, and catches my eyes for a
moment.  Then, she stares at her shoes and shifts her weight from foot to foot.

If
I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was nervous.

“Kyle.” 
She raises her head to look at me.  “I lied.”

My
eyes narrow in confusion.  “About?”

She
opens her mouth to speak, thinks better of it, and then closes it again.

Shit. 
My mind starts to race.  There are only a few things we’ve discussed.  Did she
lie about the accident?  Or Derek? 
Please let it be Derek.

“The
cottage,” she sighs.  “You don’t need your coat.”

“What?”

She
lets out a heavy breath.  “I came up with the story about the cottage so I
could see you.”  She shifts her weight again.  “My brother-in-law called yesterday
to tell me he took care of everything.  I twisted it into an excuse to call
you.”

No.
Way.

I
want to grin like a fool, but Addison’s chocolate brown eyes soften and silently
plead with mine.  “Say something,” she says.

“Sparrow,
I…”

Her
breath hitches at the sound of her nickname, and I mentally kick myself.  It’s
probably not a good idea to call her that.  I run my hand through my hair. 
“You told a pretty elaborate lie.”

Her
cheeks flush.  “I’m so embarrassed.”

She
doesn’t need to be.  I give her a crooked smile and take a step toward her.  “Guess
what?”

“What?”

“I’ve
been trying to figure out how to see you again, too.”

Relief
floods her features.  “Really?  Ever since the night at the bar I can’t stop
thinking about the wedding.  I can’t believe we’ve been thrown together like
this.  I don’t want things to be awkward; there’s a lot we need to talk about
and…”

“Whoa,”
I chuckle.  “Slow down.  We’ve got all day.”

“About
that…” Addison bites her lower lip.  “I have to be at work at two.”

I
shake my head as I take off my coat.  “How did you think you were going to pull
off this lie?”

She
looks defeated.  “At first I was only going to use the winterizing as an excuse
to call you.  You know, get your opinion on what needed to be done.  Then, it
morphed into wanting to see you, and I asked you to come with me.  When you
brought up Derek, I figured that was my out; I’d just call you later and tell
you he said no.  But, then…”  She shakes her head.  “I don’t know what
happened.  I ended up texting you that I would be here.”