Two
“You look like someone ran over your dog.”
I glanced up at my cousin Erica walking towards the counter where I was filling salt shakers. She was tying on her apron and moving quickly. When I looked up at the clock, I realized the reason for her hurry was that she was already five minutes late for her shift at The Silver Falls House. I wasn’t surprised though. Erica didn’t always see the importance of punctuality. I didn’t really care though. I still had two more hours until I could go home.
“I don’t have a dog, Erica,” I said with an eye roll.
“You should look into getting one. I hear they are great at reducing stress,” she said, coming behind the counter and standing next to me, grabbing a salt shaker and jumping right into the fun.
“I’ll look into it,” I said sarcastically, screwing on the top of a shaker and taking another one.
“Plus, it’d give you something to snuggle with when Mr. Fastball’s not around.” She nudged me in the side and I nudged her back, harder though so she winced.
“Bitch,” she mumbled under her breath as she rubbed her side and I started laughing. “C’mon though,” she said after she’d recovered. “What gives? You look like a damn mess.” I had to laugh at this one.
“I’m fine,” I assured her, but if I was being honest with myself, I was a little blue. That was typical though after spending time with Adam only to be separated.
We’d flown back to Boston a few days ago. He’d stayed there and I’d come back to Silver Falls where I went back to school and returned to my life at my grandparents’ restaurant.
“It’s nothing. I just miss Adam,” I said and she snickered, causing me to turn my head towards her.
“You and Adam are sickening sometimes,” she said, shaking her head.
“We are not.”
“Yeah. You totally are,” she smirked and then paused. “But, you’re also really cute together.” She reached over and gave me a quick squeeze before returning to filling the shakers. “Your Florida weekend was good then?”
I turned my head so our eyes met and I felt the edge of my mouth curling into a smile as my mind started to fill with all the good memories.
“It was great,” I told her and one of her eyebrows raised.
“And how often did you actually leave the hotel room?”
“Erica!” I exclaimed quietly. “I was there to watch him play baseball!”
“Baseball games are what? Maybe three hours? That leaves plenty of time for romping in the hay.”
“Oh my gosh,” I sighed, trying to keep a straight face. “Are you ever going to grow up? Life isn’t just about sex.”
“If I was dating a man who looked like Adam DeLain, I’m pretty sure it would be.” We both started laughing then. “Speaking of which, when are you going to hook me up with someone from the team? I can’t decide who though. They’re all excellent candidates.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I said sarcastically and then we started placing the salt shakers around the table. I flipped the sign on the door to open when we were done.
“So, when will you see Adam again?” she asked as we waited for our first customers of the day.
“In a couple of days. I’m heading down there for Opening Day.”
“He’s pitching, right?”
“Yeah. He’s getting kind of nervous about it.”
“You think he’ll be okay?”
“Yeah,” I said quickly, trying not to focus on the nerves I felt too. I knew how important this was to Adam and I wanted it to go perfectly. “He’s been working really hard. His starts at Spring Training went well too. I think he’ll be fine.”
The sound of my phone ringing interrupted us. I’d forgotten to turn the ringer off and since there weren’t any customers, I went and grabbed it from my purse. I looked down at the number on the screen, but didn’t recognize it. All I knew about it was that it was from a Massachusetts area code.
“Hello?” I asked skeptically into the phone.
“This is Ron Ward from Logics Technologies,” the male voice began in the receiver and I immediately felt my heart begin to beat faster in my chest when I recognized the company name I’d applied to in Boston. “May I speak with Caroline Hale?”
“Yes. This is she,” I answered, trying to keep my voice calm.
“I’m calling in regards to the application and résumé you submitted with Logics when our company visited UVM. We’d like to have you come in for an interview.”
I didn’t say anything right away. I was trying to keep myself from sounding like a giddy teenager instead of a grown woman who would be graduating from college with a degree in computer science in a month.
“That’s wonderful news,” I finally said and I told myself my voice sounded steady and calm with the appropriate level of gratitude.
“We understand you won’t be done with school until May, but we’d like a chance to meet with you before then if possible. Could you arrange that?”
“Yes, of course,” I said, and I could tell I was losing the cool and collected façade I’d been portraying. “I’m actually going to be in Boston in a few days, unless that’s too early.”
“That’s perfect,” Ron said. “When will you be in town?”
“I could come on Thursday if that works,” I said. It was the day after Opening Day so there wouldn’t be any conflicts.
“That’s fine. Can you come at ten o’clock?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“I’ll send you the details to the email we have on file for you so be on the lookout for that and we’ll be seeing you in a few days.”
“Thank you so much,” I answered.
“You’re welcome,” he said and then the line went quiet.
I could feel the smile spreading so wide on my face that my cheeks hurt. I slid the phone back in my purse and then walked back into the dining room. Erica was tending to Roger and Mae Finley who had breakfast at The Silver Falls House at least four days a week. The old woman noticed me and gave a quick wave. I smiled back to her and a moment later, Erica was walking towards me.
“You’re awfully happy. Was that Adam? Was he talking dirty to you on the phone, Care?”
I didn’t even care about her crass remark or waste any time addressing it. I had to tell someone before I burst and Erica was going to be that person.
“That was Logics Technologies,” I began.
“What the hell is that?”
“One of the companies I applied to,” I said impatiently before continuing. “They want to set up an interview!” I heard how high pitched my voice was, but I didn’t care. I was too happy to worry about my demeanor.
“That’s great, sweetie!” Erica said cheerfully as she pulled me to her, giving me a quick squeeze. “Tell me about it,” she persisted.
“I’m not sure exactly what it’ll entail, but Logics is a huge IT firm in Boston…”
“Boston?” Erica interrupted, that ever-present wry smile on her face.
“Yes.”
“That’s very good news indeed. A certain Adam DeLain happens to live there.” She nudged me in the ribs and I rolled my eyes.
“You’re a genius, Erica,” I said and she laughed.
“Sorry for interrupting. Go on,” she encouraged as she leaned against the counter.
“They want me to come in for an interview so I scheduled it for the day after Opening Day since I’ll be in town anyway.”
“Have you told Adam?”
“No. I just got off the phone,” I said.
“He’s gonna blow his wad knowing he’ll be coming home to you every night once you move in.”
“Hold up, Erica,” I said and she looked at me with a curious raised eyebrow. “I never said anything about moving in with Adam.”
“Of course, you’re going to move in with Adam. You’ll be moving to Boston. Where else would you stay?”
“I don’t know. Get an apartment.”
“With what money?”
“My job! And that’s even if I get it.”
“Still, you’ll be living in the slums,” she said, folding her arms.
“I can’t just assume Adam will want me to move in with him.”
“Are you at least going to ask him?”
“No!”
“You guys haven’t talked about it at all?”
“Well, yeah. A little bit, but that was later.”
“Well, later is now,” she said smugly.
“Would you just relax, Erica? Let me tell him about the position before we discuss my living arrangements.”
“Fine,” she said, throwing up her hands and walking over to the coffee to start a pot of decaf.
“Why are you interested in my personal life?” I asked, sidling up beside her.
“Because I don’t have one of my own,” she said with a quiet laugh that was meant to be lighthearted, but I knew there was some sadness behind it.
“That’s not true,” I said dismissively.
“Don’t try and placate me, Caroline,” she said with a quick glare before looking back at the coffee pot. “I haven’t been laid in almost six months. Not since I found out the bastard was cheating on me.”
She was referring to the frat boy we’d met over the summer when we went bar hopping. I’d broken a guy’s nose and she’d met Joe. They had dated off and on until she finally put her foot down when she found a text conversation between Joe and a girl named Chastity. Her name was hardly fitting since the conversation had been loaded with nearly naked pictures of her. Erica ended it that night and hadn’t spoken to him since.
“Joe was a jerk. Not all guys are,” I said and she laughed again.
“Your naivety amuses me, Caroline. You have no clue what you’re talking about. You can count on one hand how many guys you’ve dated. You don’t know anything.”
“How quickly you forget Caleb,” I shot back and she laughed again.
“Please!” she exclaimed. “Yes, Caleb was an ass, but then Adam came in and swept you off your feet. He’s damn near Prince Charming, so forgive me if I don’t take your little pep talks too seriously.”
“I’m only trying to help.”
“Well, please don’t,” she said and then eyed me, one corner of her mouth curling up into a smirk. “Unless of course it’s to fix me up with one of Adam’s teammates. I wouldn’t mind if you helped me that way.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I said just as the bell on the door jingled and a group of customers walked in, putting a welcomed end to mine and Erica’s conversation.
~~~
When I pulled up to the house, Sawyer was still outside. I stepped out of my car and looked up at the sky. It was darkening and I knew we were in for a storm. It was already sprinkling a little and I hated to think of him being stuck outside when it started to pour. I shut the door and trotted over to my brother who was trying to get the last batch of cows out of the barn.
“Hey,” I said, stopping beside him. “Looks like you could use some help.”
“Thanks,” Sawyer said.
“It looks like it’s going to get nasty pretty soon.”
“I think so,” he agreed as we started herding the cows out to pasture.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked, looking around.
“Out in the pasture. He’s fixing a trough that one of the bulls broke,” he said with a quiet chuckle. I knew exactly which bull he was talking about. The one they jokingly called Tiny. He was a beast with a temper too. It wasn’t the first time the trough had to be fixed. “How was work?” he asked.
“Good,” I answered. “Are you and Lindsey still coming to Boston with me for the game?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he answered and then I felt a smile on my face and my brother looked at me curiously. “What’s that look for?”
“Well,” I began, “I got some good news this morning.”
“Yeah?” he asked with a smile. “What’s that? I’m not going to be an uncle, am I?”
I sighed and slugged him on the arm.
“Hell no!” I answered quickly and he started laughing.
“Then what?” he asked and I felt myself smiling again.
“I was asked to come in for an interview at Logics Technologies.”
“That sounds pretty impressive,” he said.
“It’s one of the top tech companies in Boston. I didn’t expect they’d choose me.”
“Boston?” Sawyer was eyeing me with a grin.
“Yes, Boston,” I said.
“No wonder you applied there.”
“If you think this is all about Adam, you’re wrong, Sawyer. It’s a great company. You have no idea what kind of experience I’ll get there.”
“And being in the same city as Adam doesn’t hurt either.”
“You want me to lie and say it won’t be nice to be close?”
“No. Just admit you applied there for him. You’ve never been a big city girl. Forgive me, Care, but Boston doesn’t really seem like your scene.”
“Well, things change,” I said and he looked at me with an eyebrow raised questioningly. “Yes, Adam’s there, but Logics is also one of the best places in New England for me to get experience.”
There was a long pause and then my brother nodded.
“I’m happy for you then,” Sawyer said just as my phone rang. I reached into my bag and saw it was Adam. I didn’t know why I was suddenly so nervous to see his name.
“It’s Adam,” I told Sawyer. “I…I need to tell him.”
“He doesn’t know?”
“No.”
“Go on then,” he said, gently nudging me towards the barn door and then walking away.
“Hey,” I said once I’d answered the call.
“Hey, Care,” he said and I felt myself smiling as I walked towards the house. It was always good to hear his voice.
“How was your day?” I asked, climbing the steps and opening the screen door. My mother was in the living room. I smiled and waved, but then gestured to the phone, motioning that I’d be back down to talk to her when I finished.
“Not bad. I had a good work out. How was yours?” he asked as I walked up the stairs towards my room, shutting it behind me and kicking my shoes off before plopping myself on the bed.
“It was good,” I answered and then hesitated for a moment. “Are you in a place where you can Skype?”
“Yeah. Sure. Want me to call you?”
“Please,” I said.
“Alright. I’m hanging up. Call you right back.”
The phone went silent, but a few seconds later, I heard Skype ringing through. I tried to calm the butterflies in my stomach as I accepted the call, his face appearing on my screen a moment later, greeting me with his perfect smile. His hair looked wet like he’d just gotten out of the shower and there was just enough scruff on his face to make him look sexy. My assumptions about the shower were correct when I realized he didn’t have a shirt on.
“Can you greet me naked every time we Skype?” I said with a flirty grin that caused him to laugh quietly.
“I’m not naked, for your information. I just got out of the shower. I’ve got my shorts on,” he said, moving the camera so I could see the black Nike emblem on his gray shorts before bringing it back to his face.
“I wouldn’t object to those coming off, you know.” I raised my eyebrows up and down a few times and even though we were being playful, I could see the want in his eyes. The same want I felt and the same want we could do nothing about since he was in Boston and I was in Silver Falls.
“I miss you, Care,” he sighed, putting an end to the banter.
“I miss you too,” I answered and it was quiet for a few moments.
“At least you’ll be here in a few days for the game. You are still coming, aren’t you?” he grinned.
“Of course. You know I’ll be there,” I said, my voice trailing off.
“You okay, Care?” he asked and I hadn’t realized I dropped my gaze until I found myself looking back up at him.
“Um…yeah,” I began softly. “I’m really good actually.” I could tell this had piqued his interest.
“Really good? Why are you really good?”
“I…I found something out today,” I began and I saw him adjusting on the couch he was sitting on.
“What?” he asked anxiously.
“Well,” I started, “I gave my résumé to some companies at a recruiting day at UVM and one of them called me today for an interview.”
“Seriously?” he asked and I nodded. “That’s great, Care.” He was smiling and I could tell he meant what he said. I could see that he was happy for me.
“Yeah,” I said, shaking my head. “I didn’t expect it. It’s an amazing company. I’m really lucky.”
“Which company is it?” he asked.
“Logics Technologies,” I said and then a slow smile spread on my lips. “In Boston.” My voice was quiet and I saw Adam’s eyes widen a little.
“Boston?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah. Boston,” I told him as I waited anxiously for him to respond. I was nervous for his reaction. Maybe he didn’t want me that close. Maybe he liked our arrangement the way it was. He’d mentioned me relocating to Boston before, but it was just talk. I wondered if when faced with the idea in reality, perhaps he’d changed his mind.
“That’s awesome!” he finally said, a huge smile on his face and I felt my nerves start to dissipate. “When is the interview?”
“They wanted me to come into the city to discuss the position. I scheduled an interview the day after your first game. I hope that’s okay,” I said and he nodded.
“It’s fine, baby. Whatever you need to do,” he answered without hesitation and then he looked right into my eyes. We might be separated by hundreds of miles, but I could feel how much he loved me just by the way he looked at me. “I’m so proud of you, Caroline. You’ve worked so hard. You deserve this.”
I found myself smiling. He had no idea what those words meant to me. Even though I loved Adam, it was easy to get lost in his shadow; to feel like my life came second to his, but hearing him say that to me, I knew he didn’t see me that way. The world may place more stock in his life, but he didn’t see it like that.
“Thank you,” I said softly, wishing he could hold me. Wishing I could feel a congratulatory kiss before he made love to me. Wishing there wasn’t so much distance between us.
“I love you, Caroline,” he said, smiling sweetly into the camera.
“I love you too, Adam.” It was quiet for a few moments as I looked into his eyes. “I can’t wait to see you in a few days,” I finally said.
“It can’t come soon enough,” he said and then I heard the buzzer to Adam’s apartment go off. “I think Emmett’s here.”
“Emmett?” I asked curiously.
“Yeah, hold on a sec,” he said, standing up out of view and disappearing down the hall. A few moments later I could hear deep male voices in the distance and then I saw Adam walking towards the phone, Emmett Thorne behind him.
“Is it okay if we talk later? We’ve got a team meeting and then we might go out later,” Adam said, sitting back down and looking into the screen. I tried to ignore the anxious pit in my stomach as I thought about Adam out on the town with Emmett. I still had my insecurities when it came to dating Adam and I hated that I felt jealous.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” I said, hoping Adam didn’t sense my reservations. “Don’t do anything stupid tonight,” I added with a laugh for effect.
“Don’t worry, Caroline.” Emmett’s face appeared on the screen with a goofy grin. “You have nothing to fret about. Ever since you came into the picture, this guy won’t even look at anyone else, no matter how hard I try.”
“Oh? You’re encouraging infidelity?” I said, raising an eyebrow, trying to play along, even though his comments did nothing to help my insecurities.
“Of course,” Emmett laughed and then Adam shoved him out of the frame.
“Don’t listen to this asshole,” he said, Emmett still laughing in the background.
“Sorry, Caroline!” Emmett shouted, forcing his image back into the picture briefly before Adam pushed him out again.
“I love you.” He smiled a sweet smile and I felt the nerves start to relax. “You’re it for me, Sweet Caroline. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I know,” I said softly. “I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon,” he said and then I hit the end button and closed the screen, my heart pounding and a smile on my face.