Chapter 5
Adam
Sunday
I quirked an eyebrow, gazing at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as I folded the silk fabric of my tie around my neck. Years of experience wearing the damned things, and I still hated putting them on. Unfortunately, the party we were going to was formal attire, so that part of my wardrobe was inevitable.
A neat pair of clean gray towels hung from a rack on the wall beside me and reflected in the shiny black tile of the counter. It could have used a splash of color here or there, but for the time being, I was comfortable with the neutral choice. I mean, it’s not like I was expecting company.
I snickered at the thought of it. Having a lady caller, as my dad would have called it, was the last thing on my list of priorities.
The gift I’d picked out earlier was wrapped and sitting in a chair with a ribbon wrapped around it, just waiting for me to pick it up on my way out. It was the least I could do to thank the Butlers for their hospitality.
Max was like a brother to me, and he’d helped me through some rough times back in college. I was lucky to have him as a friend, and I reminded myself of that as I finished tying the final piece of my suit and grabbed the package before heading out the door.
Dad was expecting me to pick him up and bring him with me. The Butlers were old family friends of ours; we’d known each other since we were children and grew up together in the suburbs. He was probably looking forward to seeing them every bit as much as I was.
When I pulled up to my father’s house, he was waiting for me. “Adam! Good, you finally made it. I was wondering when you’d show up,” he exclaimed patting me firmly on the shoulder. I scoffed gently at the sight of his tacky Christmas sweater and just smiled in response.
“Sorry it took so long,” I apologized. “I had to stop and get something for our hosts.”
“Well, let’s not keep them waiting any longer,” he encouraged. “How are things at the new job?”
Dad was always worrying about my career choice, but I knew he wanted me to be happy. After all, I was his son. I’d always been referred to as a little version of him when I was growing up. I had the same mahogany brown hair he had, except his now sported silver streaks around the temples. I could have been the spitting image of him thirty years ago.
“Good,” I told him honestly. “In fact, I spoke with one of the partners Friday, and they complimented me on a job well done.”
“Good for you! I knew you’d do well there. Should we start heading out?”
“Sure,” I agreed enthusiastically. “Don’t forget your coat; it’s freezing out there.”
“Oh, right!”
He quickly grabbed a jacket from the hall closet and shrugged each arm into the sleeves. As soon as he was ready, I led him out toward the car and watched him lock up behind us. It was only a few blocks to the address we were headed, but far enough that I wouldn’t care to walk. Especially not in the snow.
Dad buckled himself into the passenger seat and turned to me with a smile as I started up the engine. “Thanks for taking me, son. It’s nice to know you’re not too cool to be seen around town with your old man.”
“No, problem,” I responded automatically. My stomach was all in knots, and my palms were sweaty with anticipation. God, what is happening to me?
“You know, Sarah would love to have you come by sometime for dinner,” he offered hopefully.
I snorted dryly, repulsed by the very idea of having dinner with my father and his girlfriend. I supposed it was safe to say I held a bit of resentment where she was concerned. I knew in a way I was just being selfish, but I couldn’t change how I felt about it. My fingers clenched unconsciously around the steering wheel, and I took in a slow breath, not sure how to avoid the uncomfortable topic. How can I get out of this?
My eyes glazed over, staring at the oncoming traffic.
Dad recognized the signs of my disapproval and pleaded with his eyes. “Adam, please. You’ve got to give her a chance sometime.”
“Well, sure. I know eventually that will happen, but why does it have to be now? I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
“You’ve been using that excuse for months now,” he reminded me.
He was right. I had been. But I just wasn’t ready to deal with it yet. “Alright, I promise to think about it.”
He gazed out the window next to me, quietly lost in thought. I couldn’t help but feel a guilty twinge for being cynical. I wanted him to be happy; ever since Mom died, he’d been in a state of perpetual mourning.
That was six years ago.
Sarah obviously filled the void that had been present in Dad’s life, but I couldn’t see myself swapping stories with him over his new girlfriend like I did with college buddies. The idea of my father dating was foreign, and frankly a bit uncomfortable. I understood why it was necessary, but had no desire to be a part of it. Now that they’d been together for a few months, it was getting harder and harder to avoid as a topic of conversation.
Sarah wasn’t trying to be a maternal figure to me, nor had she encroached on Dad’s life like some dictator trying to take over. She was just a woman. Maybe that was what made it worse: having to see my father as a person with romantic pursuits, instead of just a dad opposite a mom. It felt like an assault on the foundation of my self-worth, and I didn’t have the time or interest to digest it and become a new, more holistic human being.
“So, Max and I went to Bowling Green for the Men’s Club celebration,” I offered, hoping to change the conversation. I figured he would love to hear that I’m meeting people and socializing.
“That’s great, Son. I hope you boys had a nice time.”
I pulled up to the Butlers’ house along whole row of cars parked along the side. It was almost a block away from the house itself, but there didn’t appear to be any place else to park.
Dad shrugged and picked up the Christmas package from the seat behind me. “I guess we walk.”
I grunted an affirmation and opened the car door, stepping out into the snow. He and I walked the shoveled sidewalk silently, edging closer toward the Butlers’ home. It was lit up with white Christmas lights along the roof and colorful holiday wreaths hung on every window.
As we got closer, we could see the lights inside and the partygoers laughing in the foyer. Eventually, we made it to the steps, and I knocked on the wooden door. Max answered it with a smile and urged us both inside out of the weather.
“Adam!” Max greeted cheerfully. “Get in here. Glad you could make it. Please help yourself to some refreshments, make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa.”
Dad shook Max’s hand and thanked him for the invitation before wandering off to find Max’s parents. I watched him over the heads of other guests until he connected with Mr. and Mrs. Butler in the parlor. Mrs. Butler and her husband each hugged him with an enthusiastic greeting.
He seemed totally at ease, wandering around and mingling with the other guests. I immediately wished the skill to lay on the charm like that had been passed down. It was not that I was socially awkward, I just didn’t go out of my way to engage with people the way he did.
Max knocked me in the shoulder and said, “Hey, man. Are you zoning out on me again?”
“Yeah, sorry.” I apologized,
He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, before I forget. Dad and I brought you something.”
I handed him the package I was holding, and he took it graciously. “Aw, thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but that’s what the holidays are for. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too, bud,” Max repeated.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it,” I replied, glancing around the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of his sister before she found me instead. “The place looks great.”
He just nodded. “Thanks.”
The open living space had been decorated with a giant Christmas tree, complete with lights and ribbons, and an elegant bough of green holly wrapped along the banister of the stairwell. Even the archways had been decked with mistletoe. It smelled like cinnamon, vanilla, and cranberries, sating my palate for some hors-d'oeuvres. I’m not sure where the Butlers picked it up from, but they sure knew how to throw one hell of a party.
“Whatcha looking for?” he asked me curiously. “Or should I say, who are you looking for?”
I whipped my head around and looked at him surprised. “What?”
Max grinned, tilting his head in a meaningful way toward the patio. “She’s outside, dimwit.”
I followed his gaze to where a blonde woman was standing by herself. Her back was to me, so I couldn’t make out her face, but if the back was anything to go by, I had hit the jackpot. The woman was gorgeous. She was wearing a shimmering, jewel-toned dress that hugged her figure perfectly. The curve of her waist was the perfect hourglass, and a cascade of long blonde hair tumbled down in shiny loose curls.
“You should go say, hi,” Max suggested with a grin. “I bet she’d like to see you.”
“I think I will,” I told him happily.
He gave me the thumbs up before heading back into the crowd, and I headed toward the patio. My palms were sweaty as I opened the door and stepped out into the cold, winter air.
I froze on the landing, unable to move before she turned around to face me.