Page 8 of The Cadence
“Stay there for a while.”
I closed my eyes and heard him moving around a little, and the quiet squeak of a chair. He was at the desk, I assumed, because he’d always been very hardworking. It was true that he’d been his class’s valedictorian even though he’d spent so much time playing football, basketball, and baseball. He’d lettered in everything, all four years. And how did I know? Because everyone did! He had been a hero, which was why…
Uh oh. “I might throw up,” I had to admit, and then I stumbled into one of the bathrooms that looked just like a beautiful spa. “Sorry,” I called, and then I was both sick and even sorrier. I hadn’t meant to puke while I was with Will Bodine. I rinsed out my mouth and then rested on the tile, which was nice and cool. “I’ll just be a moment.”
He looked through the door. “Jesus Christ. You’re on the floor?”
“I’m very sorry. Probably it was a bad idea to take down a few glasses of whiskey on an empty stomach like you said, and then to eat that cheeseburger…oh, you better leave.” He did, just in time, and then I rinsed my mouth again. I would take another moment, I decided, before I went home. Maybe he’d give me a ride if he wasn’t worried about messing up his rental car. Too bad we hadn’t come here in mine, because a little puke in there wouldn’t have made much difference.
I finally did pull myself up and left the bathroom, but before I made it to the exit, I had to take a break on the couch. “I’m really sorry,” I apologized again.
“It’s fine.”
I imagined what my grandmother would have said about me drinking and throwing up in a man’s hotel room, and I had to reach for more tissues.
“Calla, please don’t cry.”
“It was a bad idea to leave the house,” I said. “I haven’t for a while, not until today, and I should have stayed there. I’ll go back in a minute.”
“It’s fine,” he repeated, but I also imagined how he really felt about this, if he would have admitted to an emotion like broken-hearted, hopeful, or repulsed. Probably the last one fit the bill the best for this moment. I felt repulsed by myself and also sure that my grandmother would have been very disappointed. I hadn’t even washed the floors in her house yet. I thought of myself there alone, without her…
“Calla.”
I opened my eyes and saw Will Bodine looming above me. His short, dark hair was wet and sleek, like a mink, and he was wearing a blue shirt instead of the grey one with the black tie that he’d had on before. My mind worked slowly but it still didn’t take me long to figure out that it was morning, and that I’d spent the night on his couch.
“Hi, Will,” I said.
“I have to go get on a plane. You’re welcome to stay until checkout time.”
“No, that’s ok. I’ll get going, too.” I stretched and pushed some tangled auburn waves away from my face. “Are you heading home?”
“First to Dallas, then to LA. After that I’ll be in Michigan for team meetings.”
“Wow, you really are busy.” I sat up and my head didn’t feel great, but I could handle it. “Do you have a minute before you have to leave?”
He did, so I went back to the bathroom but my stomach kept calm this time. I washed my face, rinsed out my mouth, and tried to tie my hair into a knot, but it was too slippery to hold for long. I straightened my clothes, which didn’t help much, but that was the best I was going to get.
Will was standing at the door to the hallway, a bag over each shoulder, when I came out. “Sorry,” I apologized, and hurried to put on my shoes. “You didn’t actually have to wait.”
“I thought you might want to wear this,” he said, and held out his hand to me. He was offering a t-shirt with the name of an energy bar company printed on each of the long sleeves. “I met with them in Nashville before I came here.”
“I guess more coverage would be good. I am pretty sloppy,” I agreed. I pulled it over my head, totally dislodging the knot of my hair. The shirt reached down to the frayed edges of my jean shorts. “Thank you.”
“Sure.Let’s go.”
It turned out that he also had time to drive me home, which was very nice because I was aware that the bus schedule would be different today, Sunday, and it would have taken me a while to get there. His car was even ready for us in front of the hotel when we came down, after I followed Will through the lobby. He moved just as he had the night before, with his eyes focused ahead and speeding in a way that didn’t allow for interruption or distraction.
We were on our way equally fast. I turned to look behind us, wishing I’d felt good enough to eat more of the room service and that I’d stayed awake longer in order to enjoy being there. This was the last time I would see Will, too, and I’d managed to sleep through most of it.
“What are you going to do now?” he suddenly asked me.
“If I hurry, I can still make the ten-thirty Mass,” I said, but sighed. I would have to see all the people from yesterday, and I dreaded it but also knew that I shouldn’t feel that way.
“I meant beyond today. For your future,” he explained.
“I have some time until I’m out of the house. There’s a lot to pack up,” I answered. “I’ll have to find somewhere new to go.”
“Do you have any money?” He shook his head. “You said that your finances aren’t my business.”
