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Authors: Hilarey Johnson
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at whatever bill he hands her and the grape-flavored Italian soda
flows until I tell her not to bring anymore. And to think: I wanted to be a
cocktail waitress in a casino once.
Ha. That was yesterday.
“What’s so funny?” Brody holds his elbow out, and
I slide my arm into it. I shrug his question away.
“I think we’ve put enough time in here. Do you
want to go out to eat or stay longer? There will be a band and a comedian, I
think.”
“I’m not sure.” I like being paraded around,
letting Brody see to my comfort.
“How have you been?” A little woman’s arms wrap in
an unbidden embrace. Leah. I look up and see Hayden, his scowl shows exactly
how he feels to see me.
“Remember me? It’s Leah.” She is exactly the kind
of girl Hayden would take to a benefit for kids. They look adorable. I’m sure
he must’ve pinned the corsage on her shoulder.
“Good evening,” Hayden says.
After Brody has introduced me a hundred times to
people in the room, I fail at my one opportunity to introduce him. He takes
charge and offers Hayden his hand.
“Hi. Brody Penn.” They shake a little too long.
“I know who you are,” Hayden replies.
Everybody already knows me, so I keep mum.
Hayden’s face is carved marble. He’s shaved his mustache, and I don’t think he
could be more handsome. It is a scar on his upper lip, just as I suspected. His
pinched mouth and cleft lip give him the look of someone unable to smile. It
makes me feel the way I did after visiting his church, when I ran down the
road.
“Sweetheart, you should sit. Would you like
something to drink?” I know “sweetheart” was more for Hayden’s benefit than mine
because Brody judges Hayden’s reaction when he says it, not me. “Where is that
waitress? Another soda for my Baby?”
“No, actually. I think the problem is too much
soda. I just need…” I scan the room. Bathroom or exit, either will work.
“Follow me.” Leah grabs my arm and tugs, giving me
no option but to follow. “We’ll be right back,” she says over her shoulder.
There are several couches in the first part of the
women’s restroom. Leah guides me to one. “Hayden and I were so glad to see
you.”
Hayden and I…
I lay my head back against the couch. Everything
in here is a gaudy hodgepodge of color and texture. Leah is like a daisy
standing in the middle of the Vatican. She waits with a glass of water. Where
could she have gotten it? She is perfect for Hayden.
“I’m fine now.” I do feel better after the water.
“Thank you, Leah.”
We return to the guys without conversation. Brody
has his arms crossed. He wears a callous smirk. Hayden’s face, well, he’s just
Hayden—all emotions are controlled.
“All-righty, Hayden. Leah, it was nice to meet
you. Have a pleasant evening. Sparrow? Ready?”
Oh, Brody. My name. It wasn’t yours to share.
Leah’s mouth is a perfect dainty “O.” I wonder
what Hayden thinks of the name my parents gave me and that I’m not just ‘Baby’
to Brody. I have no time to find out. Brody has his hand on the lower curve of
my spine, it slips a little lower and then reaches and pulls my hip to his. I
don’t look over my shoulder.
I couldn’t speak to Hayden, my time ran out. Brody
will take me back under the sea now. I’m the mermaid after all.
“Can you believe that retard invited me to his
church?” Brody answers himself with a chuckle.
I have no response for him but that’s okay because
he talks incessantly during the drive back.
The inside of the TorchLight is finished and looks
like an oasis. Who am I fooling?
It’s a mirage.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Brody squeezes my
hand. So he did notice that I hadn’t said a word in twenty minutes.
“Yes, fine.” I try to recapture some of the
elation I’d felt before we ran into Hayden. I can’t.
Brody takes me upstairs and I wait while he opens
the door to his office. He puts something in his desk and leads me right back
out. We enter
flows until I tell her not to bring anymore. And to think: I wanted to be a
cocktail waitress in a casino once.
Ha. That was yesterday.
“What’s so funny?” Brody holds his elbow out, and
I slide my arm into it. I shrug his question away.
“I think we’ve put enough time in here. Do you
want to go out to eat or stay longer? There will be a band and a comedian, I
think.”
“I’m not sure.” I like being paraded around,
letting Brody see to my comfort.
“How have you been?” A little woman’s arms wrap in
an unbidden embrace. Leah. I look up and see Hayden, his scowl shows exactly
how he feels to see me.
“Remember me? It’s Leah.” She is exactly the kind
of girl Hayden would take to a benefit for kids. They look adorable. I’m sure
he must’ve pinned the corsage on her shoulder.
“Good evening,” Hayden says.
After Brody has introduced me a hundred times to
people in the room, I fail at my one opportunity to introduce him. He takes
charge and offers Hayden his hand.
“Hi. Brody Penn.” They shake a little too long.
“I know who you are,” Hayden replies.
Everybody already knows me, so I keep mum.
Hayden’s face is carved marble. He’s shaved his mustache, and I don’t think he
could be more handsome. It is a scar on his upper lip, just as I suspected. His
pinched mouth and cleft lip give him the look of someone unable to smile. It
makes me feel the way I did after visiting his church, when I ran down the
road.
“Sweetheart, you should sit. Would you like
something to drink?” I know “sweetheart” was more for Hayden’s benefit than mine
because Brody judges Hayden’s reaction when he says it, not me. “Where is that
waitress? Another soda for my Baby?”
“No, actually. I think the problem is too much
soda. I just need…” I scan the room. Bathroom or exit, either will work.
“Follow me.” Leah grabs my arm and tugs, giving me
no option but to follow. “We’ll be right back,” she says over her shoulder.
There are several couches in the first part of the
women’s restroom. Leah guides me to one. “Hayden and I were so glad to see
you.”
Hayden and I…
I lay my head back against the couch. Everything
in here is a gaudy hodgepodge of color and texture. Leah is like a daisy
standing in the middle of the Vatican. She waits with a glass of water. Where
could she have gotten it? She is perfect for Hayden.
“I’m fine now.” I do feel better after the water.
“Thank you, Leah.”
We return to the guys without conversation. Brody
has his arms crossed. He wears a callous smirk. Hayden’s face, well, he’s just
Hayden—all emotions are controlled.
“All-righty, Hayden. Leah, it was nice to meet
you. Have a pleasant evening. Sparrow? Ready?”
Oh, Brody. My name. It wasn’t yours to share.
Leah’s mouth is a perfect dainty “O.” I wonder
what Hayden thinks of the name my parents gave me and that I’m not just ‘Baby’
to Brody. I have no time to find out. Brody has his hand on the lower curve of
my spine, it slips a little lower and then reaches and pulls my hip to his. I
don’t look over my shoulder.
I couldn’t speak to Hayden, my time ran out. Brody
will take me back under the sea now. I’m the mermaid after all.
“Can you believe that retard invited me to his
church?” Brody answers himself with a chuckle.
I have no response for him but that’s okay because
he talks incessantly during the drive back.
The inside of the TorchLight is finished and looks
like an oasis. Who am I fooling?
It’s a mirage.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Brody squeezes my
hand. So he did notice that I hadn’t said a word in twenty minutes.
“Yes, fine.” I try to recapture some of the
elation I’d felt before we ran into Hayden. I can’t.
Brody takes me upstairs and I wait while he opens
the door to his office. He puts something in his desk and leads me right back
out. We enter
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