The Universe is a Very Big Place (19 page)

Lanie nodded, still reading the bottle. "I think I’m coming down with some defective attention problems, too," she said as Spring slipped out the door.

"So what’s up?" Chloe was sipping on her Diet Coke, clicking her long fingernails against the cheap plastic of the table. Chloe was so pretty and exotic-looking, favoring their father, that Spring sometimes found herself envious of her sister. With her high forehead and propensity towards curves, Spring took after Lanie and shuddered when she thought what the future held for her.

"This has been a really bad day." Spring scrutinized the menu, unsure of what to order. She was torn between a hamburger and a club sandwich. "A really bad life, actually."

Chloe stretched her arm across the table and gently took the menu from Spring. “I know. I saw the news."

"The news? What news?"

"Well, Rob and I were having sex on the couch and all a sudden he starts cracking up. ‘What’s so funny?’ I asked, and he’s like, isn’t’ that your sister giving CPR to a penis?’ And sure enough, it was."

"I was on the news?" Spring felt her face redden.

"It was quite inspiring, really, and gave me some ideas on what to do for Robert." Chloe smiled and patted Spring’s hand reassuringly. "Oh, It’s not that big a deal. Everyone gets fifteen minutes of fame."

The waitress came to take their orders. Her face looked like one of Ms. Droll’s inkblots.
 
"What’ll it be, ladies?" she asked.

"Two pork chop platters, mashed potatoes, spiced apples." Chloe ordered, handing back the menus. The waitress scribbled in her pad and plodded back to the kitchen, her white shoes squeaking with every step.

"I hate mashed potatoes," Spring moaned, stirring her soda with her straw.

"The condom gonna be okay?"

Spring nodded. "I think so."

"So, what else is going on? I know you didn’t call a meeting just to discuss work, amusing for me as it might be." Chloe caught the eye of a rugged cop sitting at an adjacent booth. She pushed out her chest in his direction and he smiled.

Spring strummed her fingers across the table and waited for her sister to turn her attention back to her. "Trevor is in town."

"No way! Spring, that’s great. Did he come back for you? You guys gonna finally get together?"

Spring’s shoulders rose then fell. "I wish I knew. I only saw him for a few minutes and I haven’t had time to process it yet. My life is a blur right now." The waitress returned with the two plates. Spring grimaced at her potatoes but picked at them anyway.

"You only live once, Spring," Chloe said, raising her fork to her mouth in a toast. "Live it up."

"There’s more. Sam is going to inherit a lot of money if I marry him."

"Really?" Chloe said, shuddering. Her bosom jiggled enticingly and the policeman next to them noticed. "He would have to inherit fucking Fort Knox for me to marry him."

"I’m not like you, Chloe. You take risks. I can’t."

"And why is that, sister of mine?" Chloe asked Spring. The waitress returned to their table with a receipt she handed to Chloe. "Look at this," said Chloe, waving to the cop. "That nice man paid for our meal and left me his number."

"Fantastic," said Spring, wishing that she could use her feminine wiles the way Chloe did. Things came easy to women like that. "Maybe I don’t take risks because I’m the oldest. Adler’s theory of sibling birth order."

"Bullshit! Save that mumbo jumbo for your work, will you? Spring, I’m gonna tell you something I should have told you years ago. I didn’t because once you know, I will no longer be able to manipulate and exploit you for my own personal gain."

"Wow. How did I luck out and get you as a sister?" Spring worked her fork against the rubbery pork chop on her plate, trying to saw it in two. When she realized the futility she picked it up with her fingers and gnawed on it, glad that Sam wasn’t around to witness this public display of barbarianism. "Now, what is it you are going to tell me?"

"Your problem is that you don’t stand up for yourself. You let everyone walk all over you and make decisions for you."

"Do not."

"Really? Did you tell Trevor that you wanted more of a relationship than one based on booze and sex?"

"It didn’t seem important until he was leaving."

"Did you tell the counselor you didn’t want the boys medicated? Insist that they try alternative approaches for their ADHD?"

"No."

"Tell your boss where to shove that penis?"

Spring sighed. "No."

"Tell me you wouldn’t take mama? Or that you wanted to order for yourself?" Chloe raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at her, her lips forming a wicked half-smile.

"Okay, I got it. I’m a doormat. What am I supposed to do? I can’t change my nature."

"You are too nice, my dear. Nice girls become everyone’s bitch. You have to learn to
be
the bitch. I can teach you." Chloe grinned.
 

When Spring said nothing her sister continued.
 

"...You gotta make a stand, Spring. Figure out what you really want out of life and take back control. Until you can do that, you are always going to depend on someone else." Chloe paused, giving the cop one last sideways glance as he waved goodbye to her. "For now, I think you need to do one thing." Chloe purred, her eyes lighting up like embers on the log of a dying campfire.

"What’s that?"

"Get laid, preferably by someone who doesn’t come to bed in animal costumes." Chloe wriggled her nose and made bunny ears with her fingers over her head.
 

Spring turned her head to tune her out, as thoughts of Trevor’s warm, naked body washed over her. What she wouldn’t give to feel that way again.

Spring drove home, one hand on the steering wheel, the other dialing Trevor’s number. A lazy voice on the other end answered.

"Hello?"

She was surprised. In the two years he had been away he hadn’t picked up the phone when she had called once. She was sure the number had been changed. "Trevor...it’s me."

"Hey! What are you up to beautiful?"

"I don’t have much time. Can you meet me tomorrow? I need to talk to you."

"Okay. Sure. Where? When?"

"Paradise at six tomorrow."

"You got it, gorgeous." A pause. "I’m free tonight, too, if you wanna come hang out for a while."
 

For a moment she thought about going to him, driving dangerously fast, ignoring stoplights. She took a deep breath.

"No, not tonight. I wish I could, trust me. But I can’t."

"Okay. Tomorrow then at Paradise. Wear something sexy."

Spring had it all worked out. She was going to the grocery store while Lanie watched the kids. If she was quick she could grab what she needed and still have enough time to see Trevor afterward. Sam was out at the bookstore so she scrawled him a quick note and left it on the kitchen table.

"Mom, watch the boys for me?" Lanie looked up from her video game and gave her a thumbs up. The boys lay with their heads on her lap while Lanie punched furiously on the controller buttons.

Spring had thought about it all night. Her one chance at true love was not gone. Trevor had come back into her life and she would make it right this time. As she pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store she looked down at her dress and wondered if she should be wearing something newer, but Trevor had always said he liked this dress.

She would make Sam a special dinner of meatloaf to soften the blow. Explain to him that while she was fond of him, she was destined to be with Trevor. Sam had to understand. He would want her to be happy. A sign at the butcher counter read
Ground Beef - 99 cents a pound. Limit one pound per person. Does not have to be consumed on the premises.
 

The line was long and
she sighed impatiently.

She felt a slight tap on her shoulder and she turned to look behind her. Dressed in a plain white T-shirt and faded blue jeans was John. "Always in a hurry, aren’t you, Spring?"

"Are you following me?" Spring began rifling through her purse, searching for her cell phone. "Isn’t this about the time a woman is supposed to call the cops to let them know she has a stalker?"

John shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself. I’m sure they’d
love
to hear our story." His eyes sparkled and Spring resisted the urge to sock him in the jaw.

"I told you I’d pay you weekly. You do realize it hasn’t been a week, right?"

"Well, technically it’s been several weeks since you ruined my vehicle. Do you know how hard it is to pick up chicks in a jalopy like that?"

Spring snorted, ready to leave when he spoke again, his voice an octave softer.
 

"Believe it or not I have better things to do than to follow you all over Phoenix. Ever consider this might be fate?"

"It
would
be my fate to have a bill-collecting stalker," she sighed.

"Well, Spring Rainbow Ryan, there are worse fates, I think."

Spring took a step back. "How did you know my middle name?" He really was a stalker. Maybe he had a trunk full of heads somewhere.

"Either I’m a magician..." He waved his hands in the air mystically. "...Or you were on the news."

Spring glanced from her left to her right. Several other people were looking in her direction. A few were whispering. One was blatantly pointing.