Chapter Seventeen

Axel

We were almost two hours late for work that morning, but I didn’t care. It was worth it for what had happened, and I’d be happy to be two hours late for work every morning if it meant waking up like that. Savannah had done something to me. She’d changed me. I hadn’t felt that way about anyone in a very long time. I thought back to the number of girls I’d slept with in the past. I’d always enjoyed sleeping with them. I’d always enjoyed taking their clothes off and laying them down on my bed. And then, afterward, when I was lying in bed with them, I’d want them to go. Sometimes, I’d tell them. Other times, I’d offer to take them home myself. I was never trying to be mean, but I also didn’t want them to think that I wanted anything more from them. I always wanted to make it clear that I wasn’t looking for a relationship.

There were times, too, when either I was too drunk or too tired, and I’d fall asleep with them before I got the chance to ask them to leave. I’d wake up and look at them next to me and wonder why I never felt happy. I never felt the need to make them breakfast or spend the day with them. Every single time I’d wish that they weren’t in my bed. I used to hate myself for the way I felt. I used to wonder why I was so different from everyone else. People used to ask me when I was going to finally settle down with someone but I could never imagine spending more than one day with a woman. And then, Savannah came along. And everything changed.

When we got to work, Spike raised his eyebrows. If I was late or Savannah was late, it wouldn’t have garnered a reaction. But because we’d arrived late together I could see the cogs in his brain turning. He gave me a knowing look but didn’t say anything.

“So, what are you working on today?” I asked him.

“Well,” he said. “Between answering the phone and working on the bikes, I’ve been pretty busy.”

I chuckled. “Sorry about that. Really? The phones have been going?”

He shook his head. “Nah, just kidding. It’s actually been quiet. I’m working on Gary’s bike. He’s coming in later today.”

Gary was one of the racers that we were also good friends with. Since opening our shop, he had never gone anyway else, and he was always telling everyone to bring their bikes to us. Because of that, we always gave his bike the best possible treatment. No wonder Spike was working so hard. I looked at what he had done and grinned.

“You’re good at this, you know.”

“Oh, I know,” Spike said and laughed. “I complain sometimes, but to be honest, I couldn’t ask for a better job.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Even if I didn’t own this place, I would still be doing the same thing.”

“But it’s nice to own it. It means you can come into work whenever you feel like it,” he teased.

I shot him an amused look. “You’re a tack in my backside, you know that? Anyway, I wasn’t that late. And I had important business to attend to.”

“Ha! I’m sure. So, what’s it like being an uncle?”

“Not bad actually. I’m just glad that nothing went wrong with Candice. Dominic had us worried at one stage. But thankfully everything went fine. Pop has taken Bobby over to see them this morning. Bobby is so excited.”

“He’s a cute boy. I thought I didn’t like kids, but I think he’s changing my mind.”

I laughed. “You and me both, man. So, what’s happening in your life? When are you going to settle down?”

He groaned and looked at me. “I cannot actually believe you just asked me that question.”

“Well, I’m getting you back for all the years you asked me.”

“Touché. Hmm, well, to be honest, I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.”

“Seriously?” I asked and looked up. Spike and I were good friends but were not really ones to get into our personal lives with one another. We’d just never had that sort of friendship. I wondered if Savannah and Bobby coming along had shifted the dynamics for us.

“Yeah,” he said. He didn't look at me when he spoke. He continued to work on the bike, and I decided to do the same. It was easier to talk when you weren’t looking at someone in the eye. “I’ve been dating Keri now for two years. And just recently I’ve started to realize that I don’t want to be with anyone else. I thought about what it would be like to date another woman, and I just couldn’t do it. I like being with Keri.”

“She’s a cool girl,” I said. I meant it too. Keri was a very sweet girl. She was small, with owlish glasses and a quick wit. I’d liked her from the moment I saw her even though she was unlike the girls he usually dated. There was something different about her and from the moment I saw the two of them together I had a feeling that she was the one for him. This was the first time I was hearing him admit to it too.

“She’s an amazing girl,” he said.

“So, you thinking of popping the question?”

“I am. I just need to figure out how to do it.”

“I’m happy for you. She’s great, Spike.  I couldn’t ask for a better girl for one of my oldest friends.”

“Thanks, man,” he said. “Wow, what’s happening to us? You have a son. I am going to hopefully have a fiancée. This is not like us.”

I laughed. “I know what you mean. Looks like we’re growing up.”

We changed the topic to something a bit more lighthearted and made constant jokes to combat the serious conversation of before. It was a good morning. When Savannah came in to tell us that it was lunch time, I was surprised at how quick the morning had gone.

“I’m going out to get something. Can I bring you anything?”

“I’m fine,” Spike said. “I actually bought some food in with me today.”

“Yeah, I’d love something,” I said as I realized suddenly how hungry I was. “Anything. A sandwich or something is fine. Whatever you’re getting.”

“Great, won’t be long,” she said and smiled at me.

I liked having her around. I was still smiling at her retreating back when I saw Spike looking at me. I quickly looked away so that he didn’t see how embarrassed I was. We had enjoyed a very personal conversation that morning, but I wasn’t sure how ready I was to talk about Savannah just yet. I was still trying to figure things out myself. The two of us were doing well, but we had a long way to go. Things were very new between us.

An hour later and I wondered when Savannah was going to be back. She said she wouldn’t be long, but perhaps she’d been distracted. She told me that sometimes she popped into bookstores and found herself losing time. I pictured her now, her head buried in a book, and smiled at the thought. Another half an hour passed and she still hadn’t come in, so I went to the office to see if perhaps she had just forgotten to bring me my lunch, but the office was empty. I frowned. That was unlike her. I stayed in the office a little longer, peeking my head out every now and again to see if she was coming back. It made me feel uneasy to think that something was wrong.

When she came back, she looked flustered and smiled guiltily at me sitting in her office.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said as she walked in. “I didn’t realize the time.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “It’s not like you do this often. Uh, is everything okay?” I asked her.

“Everything is fine,” she said curtly, but I could clearly see that something had upset her. She sat down and avoided my gaze.

“Uh, Savannah, did you get us food?” I asked.

She groaned. “Ah, no, I completely forgot. I’m so sorry.”

I frowned at her. “You forgot the food? But isn’t that why you went out in the first place? I thought that’s what you were going out for. You even asked me what I wanted and told me that you wouldn’t be gone out for long.”

“I’m sorry,” she said without answering the question.

“I don’t mind that you forgot the food, but what’s going on? Where did you go?”

“I just went out,” she said. “I’m very sorry about the food. I know you’ve been waiting. I really forgot about it.”

I couldn’t figure out what was going on. This was unlike Savannah. She reminded me a bit of how she had been with me when she’d first arrived. A little cagey, a little unsure about herself. But lately, she’d opened up to me, so I couldn’t figure out why she was acting this way. I sighed.

“Where did you go?” I asked again. I needed to know.

“I . . . I don’t know.”

“You don’t know where you went? That doesn’t even make sense. Savannah, what’s going on? Why are you being so weird? You can tell me, you know.”

“I just lost track of time. That’s all. I’m really sorry about the food. Do you want me to go out and get something for you?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll go out myself. You don’t have to do a damn thing.”

She called my name, but I ignored her. I went out to a nearby café and ordered a sandwich and a cup of coffee. I ate and drank without really thinking about the food. I had lost my appetite, but I was eating just for sake of it. When I got back to the office, I walked straight past her and went to work on the bikes. I didn’t say anything to Spike either. It had been such a good morning, but Savannah had ruined it all by proving to me that she didn’t trust me at all. I didn’t like that I had opened myself up to her and that she was shutting me out. When we got home, I looked at her.

“Well, Bobby is going to be back soon. I think it’s best that he doesn’t see all your things in my room. Maybe take some of it back down. We don’t want to get his hopes up for nothing.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean I think you should go back to the basement.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Are you going to tell me what happened today?” I asked her. I would give her one last chance to prove herself to me.

She sighed. She didn’t say anything at first. She just shuffled from one foot to the other. When she finally spoke, I thought she was going to be honest with me. Instead, she just shook her head. “Nothing happened. I just got distracted. I’m sorry about not getting your lunch.”

“Really? Do you really think this has anything to do with my lunch? Dammit, Savannah, this has nothing to do with that. If you won’t tell me, then I think it’s best that you go back down to the basement. It’s a pity really because things were going so well between us. But I cannot be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t trust me. And you’ve made it pretty clear that you don’t trust me at all.”

“But . . .”

“Just go, Savannah.”

I walked to the kitchen to make myself a drink, and I listened to the sound of Savannah moving her things back down.