Page 8 of Flying

He’s now sauntering across the room to the kitchen, giving me a view of his hockey butt. Pulling down two mugs and a bowl before flicking on the faucet, filling up water and placing it before Pete. Taking care of not only me, but Pete too? I’m going to melt. When was the last time someone wanted to take care of us?

Snatching my pants off the floor on my way towards the bathroom I call, “Enough sugar that it is practically chocolate-sweet. One ice cube…”

Before I can get the words out of my mouth, he adds on, “Still without milk?”

Wow. I don’t think anyone has ever remembered that. Then again, I have not really stuck around long enough for them to notice much about me. I push that thought down because I like it better this way.The New Jersey air must be responsible for stirring these weird feelings in me.

Just my luck. Of course. By doing a double take I manage to stumble over my own feet and land with a thud across the threshold to the bathroom. Flat on my face. I feel a cool breeze across my lower body, my stomach pressed against cold tile signaling my ass is most definitely exposed. I scramble as quickly as I can to right River’s oversized T-shirt and slam the door shut.

This is just too much this morning. Too much being seen in a place that reminds me to shrink into the background. By tonight, all of Peacock Springs will have heard about my arrival. Everywhere I go could land me face-to-face with Grant, Landan, Belinda, or any of the gossip loving biddies who judge me incessantly. I don’t want to, but I already feel like my nineteen year old self. A jilted wife. A young divorcee. This entire town only remembers the insecure version of me. An angry and explosive young woman left here and the worst thing is, somehow, I woke up and she’s back. Could I forget the entire decade I’ve spent working, traveling, meeting people, having sex with no strings attached, falling in and out of lust with other wandering souls in one night?

Assuming that I’ll need to sneak across the square, I start to strategize my best approximation of a morning routine to go out and get my things when I notice my duffle bag sitting on a bench near the sink. I riffle through my possessions until I produce the toothbrush, soap, and hairbrush I’ll need.

I shout through the door, “You are one of the good ones. Thanks for grabbing my stuff so I don’t have to walk of shame through town. Now I can shower and change like a proper person. Towels?”

“All clean on the rack,” he confirms.

“Amazing, be out soon,” I promise before turning on the shower to heat up. Sitting down to pee, my head goes back into my hands.

“Quick pep talk, Lily, you are twenty-eight. You have a decade of experiences behind you. The Jeep. Air in your lungs. Food and caffeine headed your way. It is not your job to live for someone else’s desires or expectations. You can be a badass anywhere, so flush and get up,” I whisper-demand to myself. Sometimes getting things started, even things I love to do, feels harder than it should.

I finally pull myself up and into the shower where the heat causes my muscles to jolt and flinch before they can adjust and relax. I lather up with the lavender soap, and brush my skin softly with the pads of my fingers. Before I can think too much about what I’m doing, my mind drifts to the way my friend grew into a gorgeous man. He still has the charm and smirk, and now he has the muscles too. His scruffy face covered with a light beard and scattered body hair really adds to the whole masculine look. He’s clearly not a boy at all anymore. I’m confused by the ways this gives me goosebumps and how an ache sets in between my thighs. How long has it been since I got laid?Anxiety and excitement feel the same in the body, I’m just taking my anxiety out on today's events sexually.When a bunch of deep breathing exercises don’t calm me, I move the water first to cool, then a shot of ice cold. No way this is actually about River Hendrix. Right?

Mid-toweling off to get dressed, the doorbell rings. I’m almost ready to toss on the cute outfit I pulled together, but River isn’t familiar with Pete’s dashing off. So I toss on the first things I see, which turns out to be a hot pink tie dye shirt with cut-off shorts and rush to try and stop the dog from leaving.

I’m too late and Pete has already run behind River, barking and running down the steps. I shout, “Pete, stay! River, don’t open the?—”

Shit. Pete is ignoring me and River doesn’t hear me until it’s too late. We watch in fear as Pete barrels towards the beagle—laying on an old rusted Radio Flyer wagon—and bagel delivery boy. The kid can’t be much older than fifteen, and he’s so shaken up by the flash of red fur he drops the bag and backs away. This causes Benny the Beagle to hop out and tussle with Pete over the bagels. It ends quickly and without any blood, just a lot of noise and I worry if it will draw folks out from the nearby storefronts. Thankfully, I don’t see anyone.

Victorious, Pete makes off with the bag screeching his high pitched whine that tips me off to his plans. Pete wants to hide treasure. I stand there in shock as Pete digs trying desperately to loosen the porch lattice work enough to… yep… he just succeeded in slipping under the porch.

It takes thirty minutes, treats, bribes, begging, and dragging his collar to get him out from under the porch but finally Pete is securely in River’s apartment again and this time we crate him.

“We need a new breakfast plan,” I think out loud while feeling sweat drip everywhere. I could also go for another shower.Ew.

“No worries. Coffee Crumbs instead?” River offers and I swallow my anxiety and shrug.

nine

River

While Lily pops into the bathroom to make herself more presentable for this sort of reintroduction to the town (her words, not mine), I pace the apartment.

“Seriously, Lil, if you want me to just go pick up something I can. We can order something, or I can pop down and grab left overs from the kitchen. I think the line cooks left some stuff wrapped up from the last family meal,” I call through the door, but get no reply. Stalking up a little closer I hear something and realize I’m eavesdropping on a conversation.

“I’m not too worse for the wear, maybe a little sweaty… although, Belinda would be mad my hair is so frizzy.” There are some rustling noises, and then I hear her sigh. “Better, but I still need something.” More bags are shifting, and I’m about to knock when I hear something I absolutely should not. “Come on, Lily. Show everyone that you are happy. Shoulders back. Chin up. Confident body language. Confident, not smug. No, that’s not confident, now you’re just flirting with yourself. Do not go there, Lily, River may have gotten hot, but he’s still completely off-limits. Get in. Get out. Get back to your life anywhere but here.”

I know I should have moved away, but I’m stuck: hand frozen in mid air. Mouth completely dry. She called meoff-limits. She called mehot. With that, the door swings open and Lily emerges with her hairpulled into a big clip, a clean shirt made of something soft and silky, giving me a big fake smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Lead the way, it’s your town,” she teases gesturing towards the door.

It’s notlike it takes us very long to reach the center of town, with Coffee Crumbs directly across the square it is about a ten minute walk. Fifteen if you run into Miss Nicole outside the dance studio. Looking at Lily, I eye her up and down before asking, “You ready?”

“Nope, but let’s go.” She laughs, wincing against the sunlight and digs into her oversized tote and pulls out a glasses case. Once they are securely on her face, she repeats her instructions for me to take the lead.

“Did you tell Delia and Nessa you’re here yet?” I ask to distract her as we enter the grassy area by walking directly in front of Curl Up & Dye. The Salvatore women will be salivating when they see me with a woman, no doubt starting to type up a note to their open-secret gossip group chat. The moment they see which woman it is, all bets are off. My phone buzzes and sure enough, we’re only in the middle by the Peacock Hut which is all of a forty-five second walk from where we’d passed them before it lands.

Peacock Springer: *ALERT* Lily Long believed to be in town for the first time in ten years. Teal Jeep Wrangler and brunette walking with bartender G. River Hendrix spotted just now. We’ll keep you updated.

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