Chapter 21
Away from all the emotion, nerves, and surrealism of the situation, safely back at home, I could analyze it in the light of day. The attraction was still there. After six years, it wasn’t just an eighteen-year-old’s imaginings. That last kiss, I thought, convinced us both the feelings between us were very real. Lacey spent a lot of time sequestered in my thoughts.
There were issues we needed to talk through, and hopefully there would be plenty of time for that. We kept in touch through almost daily texts and talked on the phone whenever we felt like it. Sometimes after we hung up, one of us would call right back, just to say good-night again.
With the plans in place, I needed to work on a weekend sitter for Sadie again. Pete and Julie were so excited about how things were progressing that they practically begged me to let Sadie stay with them to make sure I could go. Eli was only two months old. I thought they didn’t know what they were asking for, but I agreed to let her stay with them. Lucy and Dalton also graciously offered, so I had a back-up plan if needed.
My parents told my brothers about Lacey and me. I guessed now everyone knew about how I rekindled with my old flame. Tom dropped by with the girls one evening. We ended up out on the deck so the kids could play in the yard. Sadie was still so little, I really worried that someone might accidentally hit her with a swing or knock her over when they went down the slide, but my nieces were really careful around her. Maybe knowing they had a new baby on the way made them extra cautious. I appreciated it.
Tom got right to the point. “Mom says you’re starting things back up with Lacey.”
I let out a weak laugh, “Yeah, I guess. I went to see her earlier, and I have plans to go back the end of the month.”
He rubbed his chin, shaking his head. “Mikey, do you remember what it did to you when she broke it off the first time? You were a mess! She really screwed you up! Now you’re going back for more?”
“I do remember—and there’s stuff I still need to talk about with her. But it’s there, the feelings—”
“Oh, God, Mike! I hope you didn’t sleep with her again!”
“Tom! It’s none of your business!”
“You’re my brother, and I don’t want her tearing your heart out a second time!”
“Thanks for your concern.” The sarcasm oozed. “Look, I just want to be happy, and if it’s with Lacey, I’ve got to find that out.” My gaze aimed toward the kids, but my thoughts were focused on things much further away.
“You can’t move in with me this time!”
My head whipped back to face him, and we both burst out laughing. “No? You don’t want me and Sadie moving in with you and Sheri and your three girls?”
“Who says it’s going to be a girl?” he asked, punching me in the arm.
“Us Jarrid boys have no male spermies. Face it, bro.”
So, Tom wasn’t exactly in my corner. Why were they choosing sides?
~ ~ ~
September eighteenth the company threw a going away party for Callie, though she wasn’t really leaving for good. She’d completed her quest to be the liaison between Independent Engineering and Med Tech Resolutions, but she would be based in Milwaukee. We’d still be seeing her as we worked on projects for them, but it would be limited, and that suited me fine.
However, there was the matter of the party. We were always expected to be supportive of our coworkers, making attendance non-negotiable. It took place immediately after work. Dave had food catered in and plenty of booze, wine, beer, and soda to go with it. Lucy had offered to pick up Sadie from daycare, so I didn’t need to worry about her.
Dalton and I cleared off our work station and set our plates of food and drinks up there. Brent from Callie’s team joined us. Callie flitted around, enjoying her role as the belle of the ball, eating very little and drinking quite a lot. She finally worked her way over to us and came up behind me. She placed her drink on the table, then put her hands on my shoulders, and began massaging close to my neck.
“I’m so going to miss you boys!” she exclaimed, much louder than necessary and right next to my ear. I tried to move away, but her paws still lingered on me. Dalton reached over and removed one of her hands, holding it between his.
“So, Callie, tell us what your new job will entail,” he said, winking at me.
She released her other hand, and I quickly slid my stool off to the side and turned so I was facing her. Her hands flew as fast as her words while she explained in great detail what her new role would be. We all listened politely. When she finished, she took a quick slurp of her drink, then stood in front of me, and placed her arms around my neck. I glanced over her shoulder at Dalton. Help me!
“Aw, Mike, we could’ve been really good together,” she said, staring right into my eyes. Then she planted her lips on mine. When she finished, she wiped the lipstick off my lips with her thumb, smiling. “See you around,” she said as she sashayed away.
“Holy crap!” I used a napkin to wipe my mouth repeatedly. Dalton and Brent looked like they might need resuscitating from lack of oxygen due to laughing so hard.
“Always happy to be the entertainment,” I quipped, finally able to smile about it, too.
As October neared, I started getting all nervous again. I missed Lacey, no doubt about it. She’d be picking me up at the airport so I wouldn’t have to get a rental. That would help make up the difference for the jacked-up price of the room.
When Annie and I did the long-distance thing, it usually didn’t cost that much, because I would see her when we were in the Syracuse area for my work, and I stayed at her apartment much of the time. This traveling to see Lacey was pricey, but I didn’t care all that much. I had lived my life cautiously, trying to do everything right and proper: pay as you go, no college debt, stay within a budget. And what did it get me? If I had to shoot the whole life insurance wad I got from Annie, I didn’t care.
I went in early and took a half day off from work to catch the same twelve-thirty flight to Vermont. A layover in Detroit got me there around six. Lacey bounced up and down when she saw me coming out of the secured area. Dropping my bag, I threw my arms around her, lifting her up in a tight embrace.
“Oh, man, it’s good to see you,” I said, kissing her on the cheek. She gave me a kiss on the lips, and we held hands as she led me out to the car.
Opting to find a place for dinner in Burlington, we hunted around a bit until I spotted an Olive Garden sign, and we made our way there. We filled up on salad and bread sticks. Lacey asked for a to-go box, but I managed to eat my entrée, too. We stayed holed up in our booth over a beer and wine and kept talking and laughing. I told her about Callie, and she smiled in amusement.
“I can just picture it, Michael. Your little man blush going on. She sounds like something else.” My “man blush” was back. I could feel it, warm underneath the thumb that stroked my face.
It was too early to call it a night, but I didn’t want to just sit at a bar or coffee shop. I needed to do something active. From our phone conversations, I knew Lacey was into running. “Let’s go for a jog when we get back to Montpelier.”
She almost choked on her sip of wine. “Tonight?”
“Yeah, I feel like I’ve sat all day, I want to move.”
“I’m not exactly dressed for running—”
“Me neither. We can change when we get back.”
“Okay—I’m going to kick your butt, just so you know.”
A butt kicking put it mildly. But she looked hot doing it, in tight black running capris and a breathable, fitted long-sleeve top. Her hair bounced in a ponytail. It felt good, calming to work off some of the pent-up energy.
As we sat on a two-foot-high decorative brick wall leading up to the entrance of the motel, I put my hand on Lacey’s knee.
“You mopped the trail with me. You have to remember I’m used to running while pushing a stroller with my toddler.”
“Yes, so it should’ve been much easier without that extra load.” She chuckled, rubbing it in a bit more. “But you look pretty sexy,” she said, skimming her fingers under some damp hair on the side of my head.
“Right.” I had to smile. My shirt clung to my chest and my back where the perspiration collected. “You hardly even broke a sweat.”
“Wrong—I think I hear my shower calling me.”
“Me, too.” Shifting my position, I put my arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug, then a kiss. “See you tomorrow. I’ll be out here waiting. I’ll probably run another five miles to warm me up for the day before you see me.”
She giggled, leaning into me. “You do that. I’ll probably pass you along the way.”
Reaching a hand up to her face, I tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Tipping my head, I kissed her one last time. Those soft lips tasted a little salty with a hint of garlic. I stood up, hauling her to her feet by her hands. “See you tomorrow.”
~ ~ ~
The day started off cool. I put on jeans and a fitted long-sleeve dark-green shirt. It was one of the few items of clothing I’d bought since being single again. I hoped Lacey would like it. I brought my jacket, though I wasn’t sure if I needed it. The sunglasses made her blue SUV look black when she pulled up.
“Good morning!” she chirped when I opened the door. “Oh, you look so good, Michael.” Her hand brushed up and down my arm, sending little shivers scurrying through me. She wore jeans and a collarless knit red top with long sleeves and several buttons opened at the neck.
“You look great!” Leaning over from my seat, I gave her a kiss. “Um, toothpaste,” I said, laughing. “I happen to like toothpaste.” And I kissed her again.
“Hey, be nice!” Her eyes twinkled, the corners creased with her smile. She reached for her sunglasses, and then we were off.
The town we were heading toward was about an hour away to the northeast. We followed country roads, winding and meandering up and down hills. Every bend in the road exposed another sight more pleasing than the last, and each seemed impossible to top. An old red barn with a weathered fence, half falling down, surrounded by fields newly harvested. Colored maples in their fall splendor. A valley with slopes pitching down on both sides of a narrow ribbon of river, a collection of houses, and of course, a white steeple or two. I kept taking pictures and looking back at Lacey before finally giving up on trying to find another descriptive word. I would just smile at her and sigh. She’d flash that grin, and my heart would feel like it had stopped for a second or two.
At one point, when she reached over and gave my thigh a squeeze, my hand settled on top of hers. Then a sharp twist in the road brought her hand quickly back to the wheel, and I settled for just gazing at that face.
Glancing at me, she became self-conscious. “What? Do I have a glob of toothpaste on my chin, too?” She rubbed at her face.
“No, I would’ve told you. You’re just nice to look at. I still can’t believe we’re actually together, spending the day just hanging out—amazing!”
“I know! I feel the same way.”
“Who’d have thought after how you ended things all those years ago—” I stopped. I don’t know why I even brought that up, but I watched her almost cringe. Though she didn’t say anything, it got very quiet in the car for a while. Part of me wanted to take it back. But there was some part of me that wanted her to hurt. Give back some of what she’d done to me. It wasn’t something that made me very proud at the moment.
After a time, I broke the silence. “Do you still keep up with that country band we went to see? They were pretty good.” The conversation started flowing, again, and we slipped back into happier vibes.
We came upon a picturesque little town where the traffic was suddenly bumper to bumper, and cars lined both sides of the roads and streets, making finding a parking spot next to impossible. The huge field where everyone was gathering had small tents and stands from one end to the other. There were stages set up in at least two places that I could see, and it smelled of food: a mixture of grilled meats, popcorn, and maple syrup goodness.
We drove around for fifteen minutes looking for a place to stop before finally just going to the furthest end of one of the streets and walking back.
I held Lacey’s hand as if we’d done this a thousand times before. It felt natural. Weaving our way into the crowd, we walked along, looking over the crafts artisans had on display, pottery, paintings, photos, jewelry. I made it our mission to find something to bring home for Sadie.
Lacey tried on jewelry, and we sampled baked goods. We came to a display of hand-knit items made from wool the woman had spun herself. Wrapping a multi-colored chunky knit scarf around her neck, Lacey turned to me and asked what I thought. Pulling it up around her ears, I kissed her. “Looks like it was made just for you,” I said as I smiled. I bought it for her, as well as a little hat in the shape of an owl for Sadie.
The first stage we came upon had a bluegrass band playing. We stopped to watch. It gave me a chance to stand behind her and wrap my arms around her shoulders and just hold her. Every now and then, she would tip her head up, and our gazes would connect and just linger as we swayed with the music. It occurred to me how content and happy I felt. How long had it been since I had used those words to describe myself?
After a few more songs, she grabbed my hand and moved me back into the flow of people. We admired some ornamental metal pieces for yard decorating, the designs unique and intricate, one even cut into the body of a shovel. Passing many food stands, we eventually had to give in. We shared gyros and some sort of exotic grilled cheese sandwich at a picnic table under a canvas roof covering several long rows of tables.
While we sipped beers after our lunch, Lacey’s hand held mine. She reached up and took my shades off, aiming a smile into my eyes. “I feel like this is how it’s supposed to be, Michael.”
I leaned in and kissed her forehead as my heart tripped yet again, afraid to admit I felt the same way. I didn’t want to jinx anything.
In the early afternoon, we were lucky enough to score a bench on the edge of where a country band had taken the stage after a young rock group. My arm stretched around her shoulder, and Lacey leaned against me. She was familiar with a lot of the songs they covered, and she would softly sing along, music to my ears. When they took a break, we gave up our bench and finished looking at all the displays. We purchased some maple syrup to bring home for Mom and Jules.
Earlier in the day, I’d spotted a handmade wooden hammer and ball toy I thought Sadie might like, and we started retracing our steps. Eventually, we found it, pronouncing our visit to the festival a complete success. Making our way back to the car, I stopped along the side of the road, long enough to press her against my body and kiss her full on the mouth. “Thanks for today. It’s been perfect.”
Her eyes shone up into mine. “It’s not over yet.” That certain spark of electricity the two of us shared turned into a power surge. Cocking my head, I smiled at her until she had to look away before turning back with a sexy smirk.
On the way back home, she pulled into a scenic overlook. I’d already taken a lot of pictures, but the phone came out again. I took a close-up of both of us with the burst of reds, oranges, and yellows as our backdrop. Even she admitted it was a really, really nice picture. Once we were back in the car, we didn’t leave right away. The kisses we shared made up for the fading warmth as the sun sank in the sky.
We stopped for a burger back in town. As we sat across from each other at a table for two, I had both her hands in mine. “Let’s blow this place.” A familiar humming engulfed my being. “Want to come back to my room for a while?”
“For a bit, sure.” Her eyes twinkled back at me.
We were only ten minutes from the motel. Getting out of the car, I hurried around to take her hand, squeezing it as we approached the door to the lobby. I led the way down a hall to the left, watching the room numbers until we were at 106. The key card didn’t work the first two times I tried it. My hand was shaking. Lacey took it from me and worked her magic. We moved inside, the light above the door the only one on. The door had hardly closed before she threw her arms around my neck, and our mouths collided. We tasted each other, sweet and salty mixing together, our tongues dancing and delving. Her hands were in my hair while mine framed her chin and jaw, keeping her tipped up toward me.
I backed her into the wall and pressed my body against hers. We couldn’t seem to get enough. The next thing I knew, her legs were wrapped around my waist, and I ran my hands hungrily over her thighs and bottom.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I growled, breathless, my lips touching her neck.
Her hands held my face as I carried her to the bed. Clunky shoes dropped from her feet on the way over. When I put her down, her hands answered along with her “yes” as she groped below my waist, then attacked my belt.
Likewise, I tugged at her pants, thankful that I’d had enough insight to stop at the drug store before I left home for some condoms, just in case the need arose.
In a matter of minutes, (or was it seconds?) it was over. The passion intense, the sounds low and primitive. Collapsing next to her, both of us panting, I kept my eyes closed, almost afraid of her reaction.
When she giggled, I caught my lower lip between my teeth and gave her an embarrassed smile. “Oh my God!” were my first words. “What the hell was that?”
“I’m not sure—but it was fun. Are we pathetic or just desperate?” she teased.
“Maybe both. We didn’t even finish getting our clothes off.” My hand rested on her stomach, and I began to slide it upward. “I missed half the fun.”
Grabbing my arm, she stopped me, holding on so tightly it almost hurt. “Michael—”
Balancing up on my elbow, my face hovered above hers. She was crying. Using my thumb, I wiped away a tear. My heart and my brain were going wild, dreading what was about to come.
“What’s wrong, Lace?”
She put her arms all the way around me and tightened them, burying her face between my shoulder and neck. “I’ve missed you so much, Michael!”
“Oh!” Heart attack averted. Flopping onto my back, I hauled her on top of me, throwing the sheet over our partial nakedness. “I’m here now. I’m right here,” I whispered, kissing the side of her head, smoothing her hair out of the way. “I missed you, too. But we’re together, now. That’s all that matters.”
It took her a long time to finally loosen her grip on me, as if I would somehow slip away from her if she did. She turned on one of the reading lights above the bed, then brought her arms to my chest and lifted her upper body enough so she could study my face. I had memorized the golden lines etched in her deep brown irises.
After a while, she brought her lips to mine. The kisses were soft and sensual, moving along mouth, cheek, neck. “Let’s try to get it right this time,” she purred, moving so she could reach the bottom of my shirt. She peeled it off with a little help from me, and hers followed. Taking everything slow, we made love a second time.