36. 36
36
The heat of the brutal mid-summer sun was partially blocked by the building with a stone facade in front of Barrett’s idling Jeep. He watched the double doors, waiting for the familiar face to emerge.
Will’s voice came through the car speakers. “So what do you think? Are you up for it?”
Barrett sighed, gut twisting at the prospect. “Denver? Jesus, Will, that’s a huge ask.”
“I know, Barrett. I just figured, with your Gam-Gam gone now, it might be time for a change of scenery and a sizeable pay-bump in your salary.”
“But Denver? Will, why there? It’s a bunch of woke potheads who stress pronouns and eat runny eggs on their burgers.”
“I know, Barrett.”
“You’re not listening to me, Will!” Barrett was shouting now. “I said they put eggs on their burgers . How do you not find that offensive?”
“Just wait til you try their alleged Tex-Mex fusion shit. I’m not saying… you can’t… you don’t go to Denver for the fucking cuisine , Barrett.” Will was so flustered and stressed that he was stammering.
“Why can’t you and Ava go to set up the new branch?”
“Because we have a daughter, Barrett. Remember your Goddaughter, Starla? Hmmm? She’s established in a school and ballet and extra-curricular activities. I’m not going to uproot her for something like this if I don’t have to. She’s got friends here. Her whole life is here. I can’t ask an eight-year-old to give all of that up so Daddy can branch out and set up a new fleet for a few months. Not to mention, we are about to get married soon.”
He’d heard rumblings about Denver for a few weeks. Chatter in the main office. Spreadsheets printed by Ava lying around.
Deep down, Barrett had already known the answer before Will had even asked him to relocate, but he’d needed more time. Time to make up a plausible excuse. Time to scramble for a reason not to go.
After losing his grandmother at the beginning of the summer, he was excited at the prospect of a fresh place to start over. New sights and experiences. A new start where he had no reputation, no local douchebags with old high school grudges wanting to fight him, no bitterly-scorned lovers, and a chance to hire his own muscular crew at a job he enjoyed.
He had every reason to leave.
All but one .
As if she had a sixth sense, summoned by Barrett’s thoughts, Chastity walked out the automatic doors of the Harmony Institute, bouncing in a red tulip skirt and white tank, looking like fucking sex incarnate .
His hands itched, wanting to tug the waistband of that skirt until it was around her ankles, where it belonged . He imagined her bare ass, full and firm, in the black lace thong he remembered so vividly.
“Barrett, did I lose you?” Will’s voice interrupted his dirty thoughts.
Focusing on anything but the mental image of Chastity naked would take a real concerted effort on a day like today, on a day when she was so close but totally out of bounds.
For a while, being friends was enough. At least she was still in his life, and he in hers. But as the months passed, his heart ached at the thought that when she started dating again, that it might not be with him.
He knew that if that happened, he couldn’t stand by and watch, pretending to be happy that she was with someone else as he stayed downgraded to some friend zone.
Maybe it was better to go to someplace with eggs on burgers than to sit around and be made to look like a fool. His heart had already broken for her once.
Twice might break him completely.
She grinned at him through the windshield, and he waved, trying his best to hide the sadness in his smile.
“Nah, man. I’m still here. I’ll do it. Tell Ava I’m in.”
“Thank you, man. Starla thanks you. My future marriage thanks you... I owe you big for this.”
With a snort, Barrett looked at his phone in the mount on his dashboard. “Yeah, you do. But make the checks fat enough, and I’ll dry my tears with dollar bills.”
“I gotta run. Ava will get you set up with everything. We’ll cover relocation expenses. You’ll be golden, Pony-boy,” Will said.
Chastity pulled open the car door and hopped in.
Barrett cleared his throat, “Alright, catch you later, Will.”
“Oh! Hi, Will!” Chastity chirped.
“Oh… hey, Chastity! How are things goin’ on your end?”
“Great. Feeling good! Helluva lot better now that the docs and I’ve gotten the meds balanced.”
“You guys out running errands together?” Will asked. “If you are , make sure to pick him up a hamper so he has a place to finally put all his dirty clothes. The irony of someone cleaning houses for a living and—”
“Hey, I thought you had to go, wise-ass,” Barrett said, rolling his eyes.
“No. Not running a bunch of errands. My car’s in the shop right now. Barrett offered to drive me to my therapy appointment today. Isn’t he sweet?”
Will laughed, “Yeah, a real cupcake , that one. Okay… I’ll let you two get on with your day. Congrats. I’m real glad you’re doin’ well. Take care, Sweetie.”
“Thanks, Will,” she said.
“Later, Chode,” Barrett said, throwing a peace sign at his phone.
A laugh erupted on the other side. “Bye, Dickweed. Keep an eye out for Ava’s emails. I’m sure you’re about to get a barrage of them.”
“Will do.” Barrett ended the call. He did his best to muster a smile. “Let’s grab some grub before all this hard labor.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re assembling a dining set from Ikea. It’s not like I’m asking you to haul bags of cement.”
“Have you ever put together anything from Ikea? The hard labor isn’t physical. It’s a mental challenge. Building furniture from there is like trying to solve a Rubix cube.”
She grabbed his hand and gave him a warm smile, laying the side of her head against the backrest. “Thank you for waiting. I got really good news, but I’ll tell you over dinner.”
He loved her like this.
Relaxed. At ease.
Happy .
Not manic, but… happy.
Over the last few months, he watched from the sidelines, heart thrumming every time they were near each other, chest aching when they were apart. His apartment felt empty, her smell lingering on his bedding for weeks after she’d made him a broken man. The warmth and sass she oozed had hopelessly tethered him to her, stringing him along as he twisted in the wind, never sure if their time would ever come again.
Now, it was too late.
He wouldn’t be around long enough to afford another chance.
The thump in his chest beat its swan song for a love that could have been but never would be again.
“Yeah.” Barrett gave her hand a squeeze and then let it go to put the car in drive. “I have a lot to tell you, too.”