7.
FARRAH
“Whose idea was this?” Moe asked as we looked around the large room. “Aren’t we a little young to be here, especially on a Friday night?”
“Where else are we going to go?” Ginger asked.
“It’s not like we have a prince that’s going to take us ballroom dancing,” Serana teased, nudging me with her elbow.
“We could go work out,” I suggested.
“Bingo sounds awesome!” Moe said with considerably more excitement in her voice than she had two minutes ago when she was complaining. “I’ve always wanted to play.”
“Some of these people really get into it, don’t they?” Ginger asked as a woman walked by with a basket full of ink daubers and trinkets.
I realized she was right when I looked around and saw that there were several people, mostly women, already seated in different areas around the large room. A lot of them had small figurines and stuffed animals lined up along the edge of the table in front of them, and most of them had at least six of the large game cards.
One woman had so many spread out in front of her that she’d brought a rolling stool and was busily sliding back and forth, organizing her sheets.
“Wow. This is some serious business, isn’t it?”
“Okay! Let’s get our cards so we can all sit together,” Shiloh, ever the organizer, said as she herded us toward the counter.
“I can’t believe we’re really going to do this. When y’all said you wanted to play bingo, I assumed that was code for something fun,” Jill complained.
“Well, you don’t have to stay,” Moe retorted. “You’re welcome to walk your ass home or call whatever thug you’re fucking up your life with this week.”
Jill glared at Moe but didn’t argue. Finally, she spun around to walk off and bumped into an elderly woman with a walker. The woman dropped the wallet she’d been holding along with her heavy purse, and they seemed to explode when they hit the floor with change and bills scattering everywhere with pill bottles and various other things.
Jill didn’t even say excuse me or offer to help before she stormed off in a huff with her newest minion, Margie, following close behind. That left all of us scrambling to help the woman gather her money and other items.
Once we had her all taken care of and had made a new friend, we made our purchases and found seats right before the caller got started.
Moe, who had been grumbling about playing, seemed to take it more seriously than the rest of us, and by the second game, she had six cards in front of her and was working towards winning the big pot. The rest of us enjoyed people-watching and trying to keep up even though we couldn’t seem to pay attention, which was entertainment in and of itself.
When Moe won five hundred dollars, our group went wild and garnered so many dirty looks from the people around us that we decided to go find somewhere to eat. We walked outside in time to see Jill and Margie getting out of a strange car with windows completely blacked out. Even though she tried to hide it, we had all done the same thing enough times that it was easy for us to tell that she was high. When Jill got closer, I felt Shiloh tense beside me, and then I felt my entire body lock up when I smelled it too.
Moe saw what was going on and directed us toward where we’d parked, leaving Jill alone on the sidewalk in front of the bingo hall.
“I want to go home,” Shiloh said nervously.
“Nope! We’re going to find a meeting, and if there’s not one nearby, we’re going to have one of our own,” Moe said firmly. “Farrah, give me the keys. I’m driving. Shiloh, get in the back.”
“We’ll follow you,” Fiona said as she and the other women hurried toward her car.
“I’m not gonna have a breakdown right here in the parking lot,” I assured Moe.
Shiloh snorted before she said, “I might.”
“No, you’re not, but the look on your faces was enough to make me need a meeting, so that’s what we’re doing.”
“Why do I still want that so much?” Shiloh asked.
“I don’t know, but the only way I can help is to find somewhere else for us to go, and I don’t give a shit if it makes me a narc, but I’m telling Zoey about this in the morning.”
“Yeah. We should do that,” I muttered as I looked out the window at the businesses that were closed for the night.
As much as I hated to admit it, Moe was right. I needed a meeting and some downtime. I was so on edge that I could barely sit still. So much for a night out with the girls. What had started out as something fun I could share with my friends had turned into a reminder that no matter where I went or who I was with, the reality of my life and the addiction I had worked so hard to fight would always be right there in the shadows, ready to pounce.
◆◆◆
“What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?”
I slowly turned and smiled when I saw Colt stepping onto the treadmill next to mine. The man with him was looking at him like he was nuts, but he didn’t say anything as he started the treadmill on the other side of Colt.
“I was hoping to catch the eye of a good-looking man, and I guess I did.”
“I am fine,” Colt boasted.
“It must be good genetics.”
“Got it from my mama,” Colt said with a cheesy grin. He looked over at his friend and said, “Dumont, this is my other mom, Farrah.”
“Oh!” the man said before he smiled and introduced himself. “Call me Brawley. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Speaking of moms, when I get finished here, I’m going to meet Danielle for breakfast. Want to join us?”
“We’re almost done for the day. Once I get my run in, I’d love to come. Brawley?”
“Can’t do breakfast today, but I’d love a raincheck.”
“Next time,” I assured him with a smile. “Now, y’all don’t go all out and make me look bad, okay?”
“We’re going to do at least three miles,” Colt informed me. “No pressure or anything.”
“I may be a work in progress, but I’m learning to ignore peer pressure, so hit me with your best shot.”
Colt high-fived me before he pushed a few buttons on the screen of his treadmill, and I watched out of the corner of my eye as he slowly got faster and faster until he was running. He and his friend seemed to be racing, and I could tell that this was something they did often, probably inside and outside the gym.
I left them to it, and when I hit my goal for the day, I stopped the treadmill and took a long drink of my water before I walked toward the juice bar. After a quick chat with the attendant, I decided to try one of her newest concoctions to help me fuel my body without getting too full for breakfast with Danielle. I had just opened my daily crossword app when I felt someone come up behind me.
“Please tell me you’re not drinking more sludge,” I heard Lynn say right before he rested his hand on my shoulder.
“Juice with some electrolytes. If you really want some of what we had the other day, I’d be more than happy to order . . .”
“Oh, no. I’m fine, thanks,” Lynn rushed to say. When I told him what she was making me this morning, he asked for the same and then sat down next to me. “I was about to send you a text when I spotted you over here.”
“I didn’t think I’d see you this morning since you weren’t working.”
“Can’t do much after all of that rain, so I’ve been buttoning up some other projects and getting caught up on paperwork in the office.” Lynn yawned before he said, “I blame you for that.”
“What?”
“I’m exhausted. That docuseries you recommended kept me up way too late last night. Of course, the girls put up a fuss before school this morning, so that made things even worse. It was either go home and try to stay awake while the spreadsheets blurred in front of my eyes or come to the gym and see if I could get some endorphins going to perk myself up.”
“The girls?”
“My granddaughters.”
“You didn’t mention that they lived with you.”
“Didn’t I?” Lynn asked uncomfortably.
“No. Why wouldn’t you?”
“I guess I didn’t want to broach the subject. In my experience, the last thing anyone our age wants to think about is helping to raise more children, especially ones as young as these. I was afraid you’d run screaming for the hills if I mentioned it.”
“They’re eight?”
“Yes.”
“Colt was a hoot at that age.”
“They’re usually pretty fun, but they have their moments. I’m not looking forward to their teenage years, that’s for sure.”
“I can’t imagine,” I said with a wince.
I didn’t have Colt with me when he was a teenager, but I’d heard that there was a huge difference between raising teenage boys and girls, so I had no idea what Lynn had in store for him. Of course, I really couldn’t measure any other young woman’s behavior against my own because I didn’t exactly have a normal childhood.
It was perfectly normal to me and to many other kids then and now, unfortunately. Even though I didn’t know Lynn well, I knew that his children did not have to go through any of the things that I had.
“Did you have a good workout? I saw you on the treadmill but didn’t want to interrupt.”
“I did. I worked on my arms today, so when I wake up ready for leg day tomorrow, my arms will be noodles.”
“Do you work out every day?” Lynn asked.
“Pretty much. When I don’t come to the gym, I do yoga or pilates.”
“I’ve never tried either, but I hear they’re a real workout.”
“Well, if the rain keeps up, you should join me for yoga on Wednesday morning.”
Lynn glanced over his shoulder at the drizzly weather and said, “Even if it stops raining today, I won’t be able to work on Wednesday, so let’s make it a date.”
“I think that sounds wonderful.”
“Do I get to vet this guy, or are you going to play it by ear?” Colt asked from behind us.
I turned around on my stool and found Colt and his friend standing there, both red-faced and sweating, but not even breathing hard.
“How far did you run?”
“We did five miles,” Colt answered.
“You’re not even out of breath,” I complained. I looked over at Lynn and asked, “How is that fair? It took me five minutes to rearrange my bedroom, and I was out of breath for ten minutes!”
Lynn’s smile had changed to an odd expression, and I was shocked when he addressed Colt and his friend, “Officer Seaverson. Officer Dumont.”
“Hello, Mr. Serrano,” Colt said before he shook his hand. “Call me Colt.”
“And I’m Brawley,” Colt’s friend said as he stuck his hand out to shake Lynn’s. “I’m out. I’ve got some errands to run before work this afternoon. Y’all have a good day.”
“You too,” I said with a smile. “It was nice to meet you.”
Brawley smiled back at me before he nodded at Lynn and then turned around and walked toward the front of the gym.
“Do you want a smoothie or something?” I asked Colt, hoping to relieve the tension I could feel coming from Lynn. I picked up my drink and showed it to my son before I said, “We’re trying a new recipe she suggested.”
“I’m good. What time are you meeting Mom?”
I looked at my watch before I said, “We’ve got just enough time to walk if we leave now. The weather might help you cool off.”
“Would you like to join us for breakfast?” Colt asked.
Lynn looked confused and asked, “I thought you were mother and son.”
“We are. She’s my first mom, but I traded her in for a newer model.”
I burst out laughing and pushed at Colt’s shoulder before I said, “How long have you been waiting to use that one?”
“A while now. It works, though, right?”
“It’s perfect.” I looked over at Lynn and asked, “Would you like to join us? We’re going to Martha’s diner. I fully intend to negate all the healthy shit I’ve done this morning by having a giant stack of pancakes covered in butter.”
Lynn glanced at Colt before he said, “I’d love to come.”
Since the restaurant was just a block over and the rain had slowed to a fine mist, we decided to walk. Conversation on the way to the restaurant was light as Colt and Lynn talked about sports and local events, some of which I thought I might like to attend.
“You seemed to perk up when we mentioned the farmers market,” Lynn said as Colt held the door open for us.
“We’re going to have a booth there,” I explained. “We’ll be selling plant starts and some other things. We’re going to take turns working, but I think the majority of us will be there the first few times.”
“The girls love to go look at the craft booths, so I’m sure we’ll see you there.”
I saw Danielle at a table by the window and waved at her before Colt headed that way with Lynn and I close behind.
“So, this is his stepmother?” Lynn asked.
“It’s a long story. Danielle is a great woman and loves Colt as much as I do. He’s the luckiest kid on earth, and I’m proud to call her my friend.”
“Maybe that’s a story you can tell me.”
I smiled as hope bloomed in my chest. Obviously, since Lynn was the first man I’d dated since I went back to prison and left Colt with his new family, I had never had to explain our situation, but I thought that he might understand.
At least, that was my hope.
◆◆◆
LYNN
“Are you busy tonight?” I asked.
“Actually, we’re going to work a little later than usual this evening to take advantage of the cooler weather.”
“Can I text you?”
“Of course!”
Farrah and I waved at her son as he pulled out of the parking lot, and then I turned back to look at her. “When can I see you again?”
“I’ve got a meeting tomorrow evening, so I guess I’ll see you at yoga.” I groaned because I’d forgotten about that. “A big muscular guy like you wouldn’t chicken out, right?”
“You think I’m a big muscular guy?” I asked.
Farrah put her hand on my bicep and smiled before she said, “I’d say that’s a decent muscle.”
“Decent.”
Farrah lifted her arm and flexed to show me her bicep. “I’ve got some guns myself, so I think I’m a pretty good judge.”
“Why do I feel the urge to strip and start posing like a bodybuilder?” I joked.
“Feel free,” Farrah replied with a grin. “I’m not going to complain about a free show.”
“I’m not much of an exhibitionist, but I’ll give you a private viewing,” I told her before I leaned in for a kiss. “If that’s something you’re interested in.”
“I’m interested,” Farrah whispered against my lips. She leaned back and sighed before she said, “Too interested.”
“Is there such a thing?”
Farrah pinched the bridge of her nose before she said, “I really like you, Lynn, but I’m going to tread carefully.”
“I get it. We just met, so you don’t quite trust me yet.”
“It’s not just that. I’m not sure how much I trust myself.”
“My dating history is full of mistakes and misadventures, so I get where you’re coming from.”
Farrah looked into my eyes for a few long seconds before she said, “I’m not sure you do, but when I feel like I can trust you, I’ll explain.”
“Is there a time frame on that, or will you just know?”
“If you keep being the man you are right now, it will be sooner rather than later only because I don’t want to like you too much before I open up.”
“That’s sort of a contradiction, babe. I’d think you’d want to like me a lot before you trust me with whatever it is you’re holding back.”
“It may seem like it, but I’m walking a fine line here. Someday, when you’re not so sure about me, I want you to remember this conversation and keep in mind that I’ve never lied to you, I just haven’t told you about some very important things about myself yet.”
“I have to ask because this is a hard line for me. Are you married?”
“No!”
I let out a relieved breath and said, “Good.”
“There are things that I deal with every day and . . .”
“That’s what the meetings are for.”
“Most of them, yes.”
I had a good idea of what Farrah wasn’t telling me, but I knew enough about addiction to know it was something that couldn’t be forced.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves then. When you’re ready, you can tell me whatever it is you’ve got to say. Until then, I’ll keep that word in my mind and look forward to it.”
“What word?”
“Yet. That’s important because it means there’s a future time when we will talk, and I’m happy about that.”
“I am too.” Farrah’s smile was sad when she said, “I’m not quite ready to bare all yet, so you’ll have to be patient with me.”
“You could just blurt out whatever it is and be done with it.”
“I’m too selfish. I like this . . . whatever it is between us, and I’m not ready to lose it yet. Give me a few more good memories to cherish before it all goes away.”
“You’re kind of worrying me here. It can’t be that bad, right? If you were a serial killer, I’d probably already be tied up in your lair or something, wouldn’t I?”
“I’m not a serial killer,” Farrah replied with a laugh. “I’ve never killed anybody.”
“That’s good. Let’s keep it that way.”
“I’ve got to go get ready for work,” Farrah said as she glanced down at her watch. “I’ll talk to you later?”
“But you’ll kiss me first.”
“Damn right, I will.”