Chapter 11Nick
Chapter 11
Nick
JULY | Tarot: Queen of Swords
When I came to this wedding, I never imagined my night would end with me, a person without a uterus, asking for pads and tampons at the front desk of a fancy resort. But I also didn’t imagine I’d meet some tall blonde woman with freckles, two dimples, and green eyes who would somehow get me into an emotional chokehold either, but there we were.
As I headed back for the bathrooms designated for our event, I saw Jessie and Mikey completely going at it in an alcove by the bathrooms. Like, it looked like Jessie’s hand was down Mikey’s pants. I couldn’t resist the chance to give them a little well-deserved shit.
“Get a room!” I called as I went by.
A harried Annie emerged from the bathroom. I held out the handfuls of period products and her heels. “I got you some stuff.”
Her expression softened. “Oh, they had some in there. But thanks. I’ll need these later.” She took them from me, standing awkwardly. “Well, you should probably get back to the wedding. I can have your jacket cleaned and mail it back to you.”
“Oh. Um, I think I was about done anyway. Do you want to . . . hang out?”
Her eyes cast downward. “It’s not going to be a repeat of last night, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Most guys probably would think of that. And I did want to make up for the fact that she didn’t get off the night before. But that wasn’t the most important thing. “I was thinking maybe I could steal some slices of wedding cake and we could hang out and eat them.”
Annie’s smile was soft. “I’ll go get changed. Want to meet me in my room?”
* * *
Annie and I were showered and changed into lounge clothes, our cake plates in our laps on her bed. She was obviously gorgeous all dolled up for the wedding, but no makeup, all freckles Annie in a t-shirt and a pair of short shorts was just as amazing. It was simultaneously cozy and nerve-wracking, just the two of us hanging out without our friends.
“Wonder if Guy and Kitty will get to eat the cake?” Annie asked. “Brides rarely do.”
“Looked like Mikey and Jessie were about to eat some cake by the bathroom,” I joked.
“I saw that! Guess the wedding got them all riled up. Is he pretty good to her?”
I nodded. “Way good. They’re perfect for each other. Her attitude keeps his attitude in check.”
“That’s good. I only know her, and then just from the bachelorette. She’s cool though. If I lived in L.A., we’d probably be good friends.”
I puffed out my lip. “Another reason to move to L.A. sounds like.”
She snorted. “If only I could just run away to L.A. I’m headed back into a mess. Roger’s not going to take me dumping him well.”
I glanced over at her. “Sorry. That sucks.”
Annie sighed. “Made my bed. I have to lie in it.”
I set my cake plate on the nightstand, taking hers as well. “You wanna . . . lie in this bed?”
“You don’t take my period as a sign that this isn’t supposed to happen?”
I cocked my head. “Annie, I see blood all the time. Your period doesn’t scare me.” I patted the bed. “Come on. Snuggle me?”
Her lips turned up. “Yeah, okay.”
She scooted forward, tangling her legs with mine and resting her head on my inner bicep as she laid down. “What should we talk about?”
I chuckled. “I’m not sure. But this is nice.”
She thought for a moment. “How about . . . ooh! I know. What got you into magic?”
My brow knit. She didn’t know this was a bit of a landmine. “Uh, well? My dad lost his job when I was eight, and he kinda went into a deep funk. My mom ended up becoming the breadwinner, and that messed him up more. He kept feeling worse about himself all the time. I got a magic book out of the library and convinced him to help me with my tricks. That was the only time he seemed happy.”
“Oh, wow. Didn’t expect that. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you tell me all that.”
I grimaced. “Sorry. Probably an overshare.”
“No, no. I’m . . . honored. Not like I haven’t shared anything super personal with you without really knowing you.” She paused. “It’s sad and sweet at the same time. You don’t have to talk more about it if you don’t want to, but do you have any siblings?”
I shook my head, my hand idly traveling across the back of her t-shirt. “I don’t mind talking about it if you don’t mind hearing about it.”
Her eyes met mine, a gentle sincerity lying there. “No. I like getting to know you.”
I nodded, rolling my lips. It was nice to open up to somebody. “Alright, well, to answer your questions, it was just the three of us. And good thing, since money was tight. I was already deep into hockey at that age, so Mom started doing night shifts to make more money. Dad felt even worse about that.”
“Aw, Nick. That’s a lot for a little kid.”
I shrugged. “Everybody’s got something. I think it made me more compassionate. My mom’s a nurse, and she’d take me to the hospital with her sometimes. Once I was good at magic, I volunteered as a candy striper to help cheer kids up.”
“Oh my God, you’re going to make me cry, Nick.”
I snorted. “It’s not worth crying over.”
“No, you did it to help your dad, and then you did it to help other people.”
“I wanted to pay it forward. People helped my mom pay for hockey. The least I could do was be nice to some kids who felt lonely.”
Annie puffed out a breath and fanned her face. “I did not expect this was what got you into magic. I thought it’d be some stupid answer like ‘I love Chriss Angel!’ or ‘David Copperfield is so cool.’”
“Well, they are cool,” I laughed. “But there’s a little more to it for me.”
“And you still use it to cheer people up, even if it’s cheesy.”
“Meh. My pride isn’t that fragile. I have plenty of things I’m self-conscious about, but that’s not one of them for me.”
Annie pulled out of our tight embrace, gazing into my eyes. “I think maybe I want to kiss you again, Nick.”
My embarrassing laugh comes out, the one that sounds a little too goofy, the one I try to hide. “Yeah?”
And then her lips were on mine. She tasted like chocolate cake and dreams and like I want to book my return flight to Nashville. She tasted like I don’t want this wedding to be over.
Annie Markham tasted like more than a weekend.
At least, I hoped it would be more than a weekend.
* * *
I woke to Annie curled up on my chest in crisp hotel sheets. Mikey had talked about how when he and Jessie were getting together, she slept in his bed platonically a bunch. Those quiet moments with her were some of the ones that gave him the faith that they could be happy together.
I got it.
Except that in just a few hours, we would be parting ways, probably forever. Unless Guy and Kitty had kids and had some big baby shower, I wouldn’t have any reason to see her again.
Maybe I can see her when we play Nashville? Maybe I can convince Kitty to have her out to visit and I can just *happen to be there*?
It was a ridiculous thought. I wished I could be like my love ‘em/leave ‘em friends. But that’s not me.
I leaned up to look at the clock. 9:49. Shit. Brunch.
“Morning, angel,” I said, stroking Annie’s hair. She stirred, first nestling into me, then looking surprised when she saw me. All our clothes were still on. Nothing happened but kissing. Kissing until we fell asleep.
I tipped her chin up to mine and curled up to give her a light kiss then. She smiled dreamily.
“Hey. What time is it?” She pressed into her hands to sit up, then shrieked. “Oh shit. Holy shit. Brunch is in eleven minutes. Shit. Nick. We’re going to be in so much trouble. Kitty’s family planned this and I can’t miss it! I was supposed to help set up flowers.”
She was already across the room, digging through her bag and looking in the closet. A string of cuss words fell out of her mouth as she ran for the bathroom. She hadn’t looked at me once.
“I’m sure we can be a few minutes late,” I said, walking to the bathroom door and scratching my abs. She already had the shower on and was sitting naked on the toilet with her toothbrush in her mouth. She was multitasking, examining the contents of her pad. I have a mom, but somehow I’d never seen period gore before. I didn’t expect it to be quite so . . . chunky?
“Oh, wow, that’s—what is—did that come out of your body?!”
She clapped her knees together and threw a forearm over her breasts with wide eyes. “Can I help you?!” she screamed through her toothpaste. “Get out!”
My arms flailed, touching the top of my head, covering my mouth, and generally trying not to pass out. “Annie, do I need to call a doctor?”
“No!”
“Is that your—Annie, that’s—” I lowered my voice to a harsh whisper, “your uterus!”
Annie stood and spat her toothpaste in the sink. “Why are you still here?” she shouted. “Go!”
I backed away with my hands out. “I’m going. I’m going. See you at brunch!” I called as the door slammed.
Leaving my wallet on the nightstand inside. Shit. Please let Leroy be in there .
I knocked on my room’s door, and after some shuffling, a fully dressed Leroy emerged, his dark curls neatly arranged.
“Well, look who decided to come home,” he teased.
“Shut up. I have to get ready for brunch.”
“Sure do,” he snickered. “Can’t go down there with that boner.”
“What?” I looked down to find that yes, I apparently had morning wood. Or seeing-Annie-naked wood.
“Where have you been anyway?” he asked. I rolled my eyes and pushed past him into the room.
“Nowhere. Have you . . .”
“Have I what?” Leroy asked, entertained.
I wiped the cold sweat that had formed from my brow. “Seen a girl’s period stuff ever?”
He chuckled, clapping me on the shoulder. “Yeah, man. You get used to it. Wait till childbirth. That’s a real mess. Did you get it on your dick?”
I wrinkled my nose, ducking into the bathroom. “What? No!”
“Relax, bro. It washes off,” he said, leaning casually against the open bathroom door. Now I understood how Annie felt about me intruding on her bathroom time. “Ended up being a really fun wedding, even without a date.”
Shit. Leroy was going through the first stages of separating from the mother of his children, and there I was, being a dick to him.
“I’m showering,” I warned as I stepped in the bathroom. “Don’t look if you don’t want to see. Have you talked to Syd?”
“No. She’s been suspiciously silent. I’m afraid of what the bill will be when I check out today. I’m afraid she’s been racking it up on my card. She always has been fond of a spa service.”
I stripped and ducked under the spray in the shower, switching it to cold to eliminate whatever nonsense my dick was up to. “Yikes, man. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want her getting a cent in this divorce. I knew I should have signed a prenup. I was just glad someone wanted to marry me. God. I was stupid.”
I grimaced, though he couldn’t see. “Oof.”
My shower was lightning fast since I was short on time. I opened the shower door to find him sitting on the toilet lid, covering his face with his hands.
“I’m covered, dude, you’re fine,” I said, assuming he was trying not to see my dick. But then I noticed his shoulders shaking. “Oh, Jack, man.” I put a hand on his shoulder, noting in the mirror that I needed a shave but knowing there wasn’t time.
“I was just so hopeful when we got married and it’s gone so far south. I never wanted this to happen. Harper and Jace don’t deserve this.” He fell apart further, fully sobbing.
I dashed in the room to scramble to get dressed. “Um, are you sure you can go to brunch?”
“I’ll be fine,” he sniffed. “I’ll pull it together.”
“Splash some cold water on your face?” I was already toeing my shoes on and checking myself in the mirror. “Look, I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you down there?”
* * *
Brunch was winding down. Annie had been avoiding me pretty steadily, talking to people from Kitty’s side. Then a knife clinked on a glass at our table. It was Mikey, standing and tugging Jessie up with him.
“You want to tell them, hon?” he asked.
“Both of us,” she said with a grin.
“Okay, well, not to stomp on Stelle and Kitty’s big day, but,” Mikey started, then looked to Jessie.
“We’re engaged!” they said together. Jessie held up her left hand, showing off a glittering rock.
Congratulations came from all around the table as they started their train of hugs. While everyone was distracted, Annie appeared at my side.
“Your wallet,” she said with a timid smile, extending it.
“Oh, thanks,” I said, taking it from her and stuffing it in my back pocket. “Sorry about earlier.”
She waved me off. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I snapped. I don’t handle running late well. I don’t like letting people down.”
“Think we can squeeze in nine holes?”
She gave an apologetic smile. “I think I’m taking off in a few. My dad wants to drive me back to Charleston so we can catch up.”
My stomach sank like I was walking into the ocean with cinderblocks in my pockets. “Oh. Like now?”
She nodded. “After I say bye to Kitty, yeah.”
“So this is goodbye?”
“’Fraid so.”
I swallowed hard. “Could I maybe get your number? Maybe we could meet up when we play in Nashville. Or if you come out to L.A.”
She smiled with empty eyes as she unlocked and handed me her phone. “Put it in there, bub.”
I texted myself and handed it back to her. “Well, hey, it’s been really nice getting to know you.”
One of her dimples popped as she said, “I know. You too.” She extended her arms for a hug.
“I hope I see you again sometime.”
“Me too,” she said into my shoulder.
The urge to kiss her almost broke me, but I knew it wasn’t appropriate. It was wild enough for her to kiss me on the dance floor the night before, but this was the day after. The mood was different. It was leaving time. And it’s not like we were a couple. We just had some chemistry in a weekend.
Jessie and Mikey had made it around the table to me, so it was our turn to offer congratulations. Annie gave Jessie a hug, then turned to go. I told them I was happy for them. I even made a joke that Mikey wasn’t my real dad just because he was marrying Mommy.
But my heart ached as I watched Annie say her last goodbye to Kitty, Frank, and Kitty’s parents, taking a vase of flowers and walking out with her dad and his wife. Annie took one last glance over her shoulder into the room, and in my head, I hoped she was looking for me.
There she goes.