Chapter 13
Kathryn
My world spun around me as we paddled back to the shore. I had no idea what I’d gotten into or where I was going. Alexander’s kiss made my toes curl. If I had thought for one second his lips did crazy things to my body Wednesday night, I had far underestimated his ability.
I was giddy as we climbed off the boat, and my surroundings felt surreal as I watched children running and giggling and couples walking hand in hand. The level of activity astounded me, and we stopped by a caricature artist, who made frantic, broad strokes over the paper stretched across the large easel. A young boy, maybe ten, sat for him and must have talked about how much he loved baseball, since the guy drew him at bat on home plate wearing a Houston Astros uniform.
Always fascinated by artists, I watched with avid interest, Alexander beside me.
“I feel like a kid,” I told him quietly. I didn’t want to speak too loud for fear of disturbing the artist or the boy. “I don’t remember the last time I was in a park on a Saturday afternoon. There are so many kids and families here, and they’re all so happy. It’s high energy right now.”
He smiled down at me. “It’s infectious, isn’t it?”
I nodded and spotted a vendor stand just a little further down the path around the lake. “Look, there’s an ice cream stand.”
He followed my finger as I pointed. “I could go for a cone. What about you?”
An ice cream cone in the park on a Saturday afternoon. The simple things in life always proved the most rewarding. I nodded. “If they have a soft serve swirl, I’d love one. Otherwise, a chocolate chip single scoop.”
“Okay, give me a minute. I’ll be right back.” He walked away, and I watched him for a moment, admiring the view before I turned back to the artist. I wondered what he would draw if I sat in his chair. I didn’t know what sort of interest I could express that he’d be able to capture in a caricature. More than that, I wondered what he would create for Alexander. I still didn’t know enough about him to consider him in any situation that didn’t involve the club or the bar. I wished I could get more out of him.
Still, I knew that we were at the beginning of something special, something important. It was going to be hard to hurt Christian, but I needed to break up with him. I couldn’t treat him the same way Jarret had treated me, letting me believe we had a future together while he saw other women on the side. I dialed Christian’s number; as I’d expected, his voicemail answered. I wouldn’t break up with him over the phone, but I needed to set things in motion.
“Hey, Christian. It’s Kathryn. I was hoping we could get together and talk sometime this week. Call me when you can.”
I hung up just as Alexander came back with the cones, and I reveled in the incredible sweetness of the ice cream and his gesture. I rarely indulged like this, either, but it felt like a special occasion. I had good company, beautiful weather, and the energy of the park fueling me. It had been too long since I felt so fulfilled and happy.
The artist finished his work, and I applauded him with the rest of the onlookers as he presented the finished caricature to the boy and his parents. The boy’s reaction was priceless, his excitement and appreciation almost tangible, and I briefly wished to go back to that time in my life. I was thrilled with the small things then, too, since we didn’t have much and every little gift was to be cherished.
I motioned with my head toward the path. “Shall we?”
He nodded and started walking, an easy gait, and I strolled beside him. I hated comparing him to Christian, but I couldn’t help it. I realized I never felt comfortable in silence with Christian. One of us spoke almost constantly when we were in each other’s company, as if it was taboo to leave empty, silent air between us. On the contrary, I couldn’t be more relaxed as I stayed at Alexander’s side with no words exchanged.
We rounded a curve and drew near a fork in the path, one direction leading to the main station where the mini train loaded up to carry passengers around the park. I’d wanted to ride it since the first time I saw it, but I’d never gotten the chance. But Alexander steered us toward the fork to the left, which the map showed led to a wetlands area of the park. I hadn’t been down that road, either, and I was curious but more interested in the train that would allow us to sit close together and admire the rest of the park.
“I thought we could take the train,” I said hopefully, trying to lean back in the other direction before we reached the split.
But he scowled. “The train gets boring fast. Besides, we can get away from some of the crazy noise.”
It wasn’t that noisy unless we were to leave the path, which I didn’t intend to do. But he seemed determined to go toward the more isolated area, and after having paddled out to a part of the lake where we were very alone, I wondered if there was something Alexander wasn’t telling me. Was he embarrassed to be seen with me?
It didn’t make a lot of sense, considering he’d been the one to suggest the park as our meeting place. He’d invited me to the Machine, where he’d sat with me for a drink. And he told me how gorgeous I was. So, why would he so desperately want to keep us out of sight?
Maybe he just valued privacy more than what I considered normal, and I was paranoid. I blamed Crystal and all her silly conspiracy theories. I also blamed myself for perhaps projecting. I didn’t know who around here might know Christian and see me with another man. Hell, I didn’t know if Christian ever came here. I’d never asked, and the park had never come up between us. I decided I shouldn’t worry so much and pushed the thoughts aside, determined to enjoy the time with Alexander and keep searching him, getting to know him.
“So, you were born in San Antonio?” I asked, and he nodded. “You went to Rice. Did you stay here after you graduated, or did you go home for a while?”
“I went back to San Antonio for about a month to visit my parents, but for the most part, once I got here, I never left. I had a few odd jobs, mostly bar backing or waiting tables at bars before I landed my gigs that I have now.” He cleared his throat and shrugged uncomfortably as he messed with the cuffs of his t-shirt that were tight against his biceps.
“Same here. I don’t get back to see my family as often as I’d like. It’s just so far, and I don’t get as much vacation time as I like because I’ve taken on a secondary role I want to develop further at the hospital.”
Finally, we had some common ground to talk about. Neither of us seemed to see our family often, though I wondered why he wouldn’t make the short trip to San Antonio more frequently, especially if his mom was on her own. Then again, if he didn’t have time to date, I guess it made sense he couldn’t take a long weekend, either.
“The hospital. What exactly is it you do there?” he asked, turning the tables again.
When would I learn more about him? But I tried not to show my frustration. Instead, I explained my role as an admin and then the patient advocacy I championed. He listened intently and asked questions, and I could tell he actually understood what my job entailed. Again, I couldn’t help resent Christian’s comment about my being a glorified filing clerk and note how differently Alexander acted about it.
“I keep thinking about going back to school to become a nurse. I love helping people. It’s one of my biggest goals in life. But I can’t help thinking I’ll never get there if I don’t settle down with someone. And then I think that, once I’m settled down and stable, I’ll want a family. And with that thought, I don’t see how I could possibly want a tougher job like that when I can easily work around this one to build my family.” I poured out a lot of questions I had about the future, not even thinking about the fact that I didn’t really know Alexander. But it felt right, and I knew he listened. If he judged, I wasn’t sure, and I supposed it didn’t matter. If I chased him away with my complaints, at least it was early in the game, and I wouldn’t end up with a broken heart.
“I get it. When I got my house, I thought I’d be happy about it. It was something I really wanted, and I thought I’d feel like an adult. But then I had mortgage payments, and I couldn’t afford to invest in a business. I considered selling the house and using that money to start one, but then I’d have to start all over again with no equity, and I couldn’t stand the thought of it.” He paused. “In hindsight, I should have just stayed in Chicago instead of agreeing to come back here.”
I frowned. Something he’d said didn’t quite add up. “Chicago? I thought you said you’d moved back here after a month at home in San Antonio. When were you in Chicago?”
He looked flustered, and I felt like I’d caught him in a lie. Or maybe I was just trying to find something I could use against him, to push him away so I could remain in my comfort zone. Christian was supposed to be my solace, my stability, and right now, he felt like an obstacle. If it turned out Alexander had lied to me about something – even something trivial – I could justify walking away and not looking back. But at the moment, I didn’t want this day to end.
“I wasn’t there long. I went there with a friend for a couple of months. We were thinking of going into business together, but it just didn’t work out, so I came back to Houston where I knew there were job opportunities.”
That was plausible, I supposed. And it didn’t sound like a spontaneous story to cover his tracks. I had to remind myself all the time that not every guy was as much of a liar as my ex. Otherwise, I would turn away from all men, even as friends, and that was just unhealthy.
Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, I let it go and strolled with him into the quiet wetland grove. We chatted for a while, and I all but forgot about the inconsistency in his history. By the time we walked back to the crowd, I was just happy to be out and about, spending some time with a man I actually enjoyed conversation with.
“I know it’s a little early, but I thought maybe we could go to dinner. I know a great place that I think you’ll love,” Alexander proposed.
Not quite ready to go home, and admittedly a little hungry since I’d basically had an ice cream cone for lunch, I nodded. “That sounds like a good idea to me.”