Alan couldn’t believe what had become of his life. He had gone from delivering packages to having a date at a pub with a beautiful girl to having his ribs broken in a parking lot, and now he was sitting on Celeste’s bed, leaning up against her headboard, watching soap operas with her. She had insisted that he come up to see her when she found out he was there, and she could tell how tired he was of trying to pretend he felt all right.
“You just hop up here with me,” she’d said, and after only a second’s hesitation, he’d taken off his shoes and done just that.
They’d been delighted to discover they were on the same pain pill schedule, and they were now halfway through their second soap and just a little bit loopy from the meds.
“Okay, so. This dude here.” Alan pointed at the screen. “That’s Fernando, who’s in love with Alison.”
“Right. But she’s in love with Gerritt, who doesn’t know she exists because he’s in love with Samantha.”
Alan shook his head. “Who’s Samantha in love with?”
“No one. She’s a sociopath, and they aren’t capable of love. She hasn’t been diagnosed yet, though. Everyone just thinks she’s heartless, and that’s why she took over the Caldwell Corporation and fired all the employees.”
“But if they knew she was a sociopath, that wouldn’t really help. They’d just have evidence that she’s heartless.”
“Exactly!” Celeste beamed at him. “You’re catching on quick.”
Lindy came in the room, a grin on her face. “Oh, look at the two of you, all snug like bugs in a rug. What do you want for lunch? I’m ordering from the diner again.”
“Again? Are you trying to fatten me up?” Celeste asked.
“Well, they deliver, and there’s healthy stuff on their menu too.”
“Hon, going to a diner and eating healthy food is just plain un-American. I’ll take the fish and chips.”
“So noted.” She turned to Alan. “And you?”
“I’ll take a burger and some of those magical onion rings.”
Lindy’s grin grew wider. “Coming right up.” She disappeared down the stairs, and Celeste turned to Alan.
“You like her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do. She’s incredible.”
“I thought the two of you would get along.” Celeste paused. “She hasn’t had the easiest life, Alan. She’s spent a lot of time trying to figure out who she is, and now she’s finally got her feet on that path. I know I can trust you to support her in that.”
“You can. Absolutely.”
Celeste nodded. “You’re a good boy. Oh, look. Here comes Mr. Forrester. He’s the one who wants to buy the restaurant and convert it into a used car lot.” She pulled her afghan up to her chin. “He’s also secretly in love with Vivian.”
“Who’s Vivian again?”
She sighed. “Fernando’s mother. Maybe I should explain it all from the beginning.”
***
Lindy placed the lunch order with the diner, then set about tidying up the counter while she waited for the food. She was surprised and a little flustered when Helen walked in a few minutes later.
“Hello, Lindy,” she said, clutching her purse in one hand and her coat in the other. “I . . . wanted to come and apologize for what I said last night. I wasn’t trying to be insensitive—I was just . . .” She shook her head. “I wasn’t thinking, that much is obvious. You’re right. No one deserves to be treated that way, and I can’t even tell you how sorry I am.”
Lindy sighed. She’d wanted to be angry at Helen, but the truth was, Helen came from a generation where the blame typically was placed on the victims, and she probably hadn’t been taught any better. “Thank you. I know you didn’t mean to come across the way you did.”
Helen nodded. “Celeste told me you knew a girl in high school who had been through something similar. I have to be honest—I haven’t had a lot of experience with this kind of thing, and I guess I don’t know where to start or how to be.”
Lindy thought back to her conversation with Alan earlier. She’d been terrified to tell him what had happened—she never wanted to go through that kind of rejection and mockery again—but it had felt liberating. It felt like stepping out of the darkness and shining light on something that wasn’t pretty, but wasn’t shameful, either.
“Celeste is so good to me. She’s spent the last several years trying to protect me, and I love her for that. The truth, though, is that I was that girl in high school. That was my story.”
“Oh.” Helen blinked. “And now I feel even more ashamed. I’m so sorry, Lindy.”
Lindy reached out and touched Helen’s arm. “I know you are. Thank you.”
Helen smiled and left. As Lindy turned her attention to the gift basket display, her mind wandered back over everything that had happened. If Alan hadn’t been there . . . if Alan hadn’t done what he did . . . She smiled. Yes, there were good, good men in the world. Men who made her feel as though it was all right to be a woman. That’s what she’d been looking for. That’s why she developed crushes so easily—she was looking for that kind of man, proving to herself that they hadn’t died out like dinosaurs.
When the food was delivered, she flipped the lock on the shop door and headed upstairs. One of the best guys she’d ever met was watching soap operas with her aunt. It was time to go join them.
***
“And then you smooth the label down like this,” Lindy said, showing Alan how to roll the lotion bottle with one hand while applying the label with the other.
“You know, when I said I’d put labels on stuff, I wasn’t expecting it to be such a process,” he said. “I feel like I need two more hands just to do it right.”
“You’ll get the hang of it.” Lindy smiled. He was trying so hard, and he was being such a good sport. It was hard not to love him for it.
Um . . . wait. Love him? Like, love him, love him? Or was she just using a common expression to indicate that her feelings of fondness were progressing in a . . . more . . . fond manner? She mentally slapped herself. Silly Lindy. Girls shouldn’t fall in love after one week of meeting a guy. That was irresponsible and ridiculous. It was even ridiculouser . . . yes, ridiculouser . . . to fall for a guy right after he saved your good friend from an attack. It was natural to be impressed by such heroism and to feel attracted to his bravery and courage, but that wasn’t love. That was hormones, which were dangerous and should be outlawed.
She was wrestling with these complicated thoughts when the door to the shop opened and Dusty walked in.
“Hey, Lindy,” he said with an easy smile. “Are you ready to go?”
She blinked. And then she took a step back. “Oh! Um, I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
“Do you need a second, or should we reschedule?”
Dusty had put on a dark blue blazer, and he really looked nice. She imagined he’d look nice in a banana costume, though—that’s just how good-looking he was. She glanced over at Alan, who was frowning down at a lotion bottle as he tried to make the label go on the right way. “You know what, Dusty, I’m so glad you asked me, but a lot has happened since then, and I’m going to need to cancel.”
Dusty followed her glance and smiled. “No problem. I’ll still see you at Celeste’s next appointment?”
“Yes, and she’s doing her stretches faithfully. She’s saying your name like a swear word while she does them, but she’s being consistent.”
He laughed. “Good to know. Take care, Lindy.”
“You too.”
He left the shop, and Lindy shook her head. She had just canceled a date with Dusty Quinn, the guy she’d dreamed of dating since she’d first laid eyes on him. What was she thinking? Opportunities like that didn’t come along every day. They just didn’t.
She walked back over to the counter and sat down next to Alan. “Did you get that label figured out?”
“I did.” He showed her his work, then took her hand. “You had a date for tonight?”
“Yeah. That’s why I told you I was busy, and we planned to do Italian tomorrow.” She was embarrassed, although she wasn’t quite sure why.
“If you wanted to go—”
“No.” She held up her hand. “I’m exactly where I want to be, sitting here and sticking labels on bottles with you. I want to be all kinds of places with you. I hate the dentist, but I bet I’d love the dentist with you.”
“So, that kiss must have gone over pretty well, huh?”
“Yes. And you know why? Because it was a kiss with you.”
“All right, then.” Alan grinned. “Want to show me how to label the bath salts?”