Chapter Five

Chasing Rainbows

I skipped my run yesterday, so staying home again today is out of the question. I look out the window to check on the weather, and I’m greeted by gray skies. The skies reflect my mood. I’m still feeling a little off after last night’s exchange. I’d love to be able to be lazy and head to the beach a little later, but the weather seems to be conspiring against me.

I put my iPhone music on shuffle as I get ready to go and Adele’s “Skyfall” starts playing. It’s a beautiful song, but the tone is so solemn, I’m finding it hard to get motivated.

Trudging to the bathroom, I try to wash away my somber state. I turn on the faucet and splash some cold water onto my face. Scrutinizing myself in the mirror, I attempt to see what Emmy sees. Could this face be enough to capture the interest of someone like Evan? When I examine individual features, it’s hard to find fault. My teeth are white and straight thanks to years of braces and orthodontic work. My eyes are bright and alert, a shade of green that dramatically contrasts with my brown hair. There are no blemishes on my skin, but a few freckles dot my shoulders. My eyebrows are appropriately manicured and my ears are not too large. Collectively, I suppose one might consider me attractive, but it’s hard to see in yourself what others claim to see.

Maddy and I head to the beach and I park in my usual spot. There are a few cars here today, but a lot less than previously, surely due to the dreary weather. I don’t bother trying to guess which car, if any, belongs to Evan. I imagine his car is safely tucked away in his attached garage.

Maddy and I walk down to the beach and warm up. I sit on the ground and start to stretch my ankles with an alphabet stretch. It’s a warm-up exercise I learned in soccer. Normally, you’re supposed to point your toes into the air and spell out the alphabet one letter at a time and in the process, help relieve the residual ankle pain from my recent sprain. My mood dictates my decisions, and I start spelling E-V-A-N, then M-A-Y-B-E, and finally H-O-P-E.

Before starting my run, I check the horizon and there are no other joggers in sight. Now that I know exactly where Evan’s house is, I purposely jog in that direction hoping to give fate another chance to intervene. In no time at all, I’m running right past his home, but there’s no sign of life. The doors and windows are all closed and I can’t tell if there are any lights on inside. I don’t let my eyes linger too long; I have to keep an eye on the terrain this time.

The prudent thing to do would be to make today’s run a short one. There’s no sense in pushing myself and chancing another injury. The next one might not heal as quickly. After only fifteen minutes, I decide it’s time for a break. Maddy and I play a little fetch; I stretch my muscles and joints, and again scan my surroundings. No signs of life other than a few men with fishing rods and some scavenging dirty seabirds.

Disappointment settles in, and I resume my jog, heading back towards the car. Every few minutes, I peer towards Evan’s house and the closer I get the more certain I am that someone is out on the deck. At first, I can barely make out the figure, but little by little, I begin to recognize the familiar physique of Evan. He even seems to be scanning the beach looking for something, or someone.

My mind is reeling. Thoughts start filling my head. What should I say if he approaches me? Suppose he invites me back in? What if he asks for my number? What if he asks me on a date? Then, it occurs to me ... what if he doesn’t?

I’m nearly to his beach house and I’m watching with one eye on the surf and one eye on Evan. I can see him watching me. He’s wearing a hoodie so I can’t see his beautiful face, but the shorts that hang low on his waist reveal the fit muscular body that I recall vividly. I raise my hand to wave to him, but before I can get my arm above my head, Evan turns away, goes inside and closes the door. My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. What the hell just happened?

When life hands you lemons, hand them back and demand chocolate! The only thing to do right now is to drive directly to the Green Planet Coffee Company and treat myself to a large chai and a double chocolate chip muffin. It’s still early and parking is not a problem. It hasn’t started raining yet, so I decide to let Maddy out of the car. She can wait outside for me while I run in quickly. After a quick scratch behind her ears, I attach her leash to one of the Adirondack chairs in front of the coffee shop and head in.

They are training a new barista, and everything takes much longer than usual. The person in front of me orders a macchiato and the manager is explaining the difference between a latte and macchiato in excruciatingly complex details. When it’s my turn, I place my order and wait patiently. I refuse to allow myself to take out my bad disposition on this poor young girl who’s doing the best she can. Not that long ago, I was in training myself, and I always appreciated when my customers gave me a little slack. Offering the same in return is the least I can do.

As I’m waiting, I get an unexpected tingle down my spine. My mind immediately returns to images of Evan ... of our morning spent together giggling, laughing, and flirting, the way I felt when his skin brushed against mine. I push those thoughts to the side. It’s time to move on. When my order is up, I take a deep breath and head outside to face another day.

The moment I step outside, I am completely unprepared for what awaits me. Sitting on the exact chair where I tied Maddy is Evan! He is affectionately petting her back and she is clearly under his spell. Crap!

I stand stock still while the image before me sinks in. That familiar tingle makes a reappearance and I’m rendered speechless.

“Hello, Juliette. What a nice surprise.” Evan seems genuinely pleased to see me. A grin spreads across his face and is reflected with a glimmer in his eyes.

“Oh, hey, Evan.” I try to reveal as little as possible. “Let’s go Maddy.” I remove the leash from Maddy’s collar so I can separate it from the chair. As quickly as I can, I detached the leash from the chair and reattach it to Maddy’s collar. Evan is studying me with a confused look on his face. “Thank you for watching Maddy for me. Take care.” I turn on my heels and start to walk toward my car with my dog in tow.

“Juliette, wait, why don’t you sit and join me?” Evan is now standing and facing me with his hands in his pockets.

“That’s okay, Evan. I’m sure you’ve got a million things to do.” I give him a half-hearted smile, and turn with Maddy to leave.

“Juliette, stop, please. Something’s obviously wrong. Have I done something to upset you?” He stares quizzically at me like he’s trying to solve a puzzle.

“No, of course not. Thank you for the flowers, by the way. They were really a lovely gesture.” I should have thanked him right away. He has a way of getting me flustered.

“Good, then sit.” Evan plops himself down and pats the chair beside him.

Unable to come up with a reason not to stay, I give the slightest nod and join him. In order to avoid trying to make small talk, I begin to drink my tea and wait for him to continue.

“When I didn’t see you on the beach yesterday or today, I was worried that you were more seriously injured than I thought.”

“I’m sorry. What did you just say?” Does he think I’m blind? Is he going to pretend he didn’t see me this morning? It’s one thing to avoid me, but it’s an entirely different thing to lie to my face, and that I won’t abide.

“I said I was worried about you. I don’t understand your reaction. Talk to me, Juliette.” His brow is furrowed and there is a genuine look of concern on his face.

“You know I was on the beach today. You were looking right at me. I saw you standing there on your deck watching me. Look, if you don’t want to spend time with me, that’s fine. Believe me, I understand. But don’t sit there and pretend you didn’t see me.” I will not be played the fool by anyone, not even Evan.

Evan takes my hand and looks directly into my eyes and when he speaks, it is clear that he is being sincere. “Juliette, listen. The person you saw on my deck was not me. I have a friend staying at my place for a few days, and it must have been him that you saw. Can you describe what he looked like?”

Now that I think about it, I never did get a look at his face. I’m immediately brought back to my first sighting of Evan, right here in this very place. He wasn’t alone. He was with someone I presume was his friend. Although this unknown stranger was blonde, he was every bit as fit and toned as Evan. Both men were about the same height, age and size. “Well, he was your height, your build and your age, walking around on your deck.” Guilty until proven innocent.

“And his hair? What color was it?” He still hasn’t released my hand.

“I couldn’t tell. He was wearing a hoodie. If it wasn’t you, Evan, who was that?”

“That was my best friend, Adam Cooke. He works for the team, too. He’s relocated to New Jersey with me and he’s closing on his house in a few days. I’m letting him stay with me until then. I’d love for you to come over and meet him. That is, if you’re still speaking to me.”

I still have one big unanswered question. “Then why was he staring at me and watching me on the beach, Evan? Is your friend a creeper or a stalker or something?”

Evan releases my hand and laughs at me. He actually laughs at me! “I suppose that’s because I told him all about you. The moment he saw a beautiful brunette running with her dog early in the morning, he came in to tell me. By the time I came out, you were gone.” He reaches down to pet Maddy and smirks. “Do you believe me?”

I can’t find any holes in his explanation. Perhaps he’s telling the truth. “I guess it’s possible. But I really thought it was you.”

“That means there’s only one thing left to do. You have to meet Adam. When’s your next day off?”

Suddenly, I feel my heart beating rapidly. The caffeine from the tea and chocolate are kicking in and my mind is reeling from the recent developments.

“I have to work tonight and Saturday, but I’m off Sunday. What do you have in mind?” If I’m being honest with myself, I have to admit that I wouldn’t mind seeing him again.

“How about dinner? At my house. You can meet Adam and we can hang out.”

It sounds innocent enough. “Okay, but I’m bringing dessert.”

“Do you have your phone with you? I’d like you to take my number in case something comes up.”

“Yeah, it’s in the car. Can you watch the dog? I’ll be right back.” As quickly as I can, I retrieve my phone and sit back down. I start a new contact entry in my contact list and it occurs to me, “Evan, I don’t know your last name.”

“Thomas. Evan Thomas,” he gives me his number and I carefully program it into my phone.

“I’d like you to take my number, too. You know, just in case.” I try not to sound overly needy. “You don’t have to call me unless something comes up and you need to cancel.”

After programming his phone, he stands and faces me. He reaches out to take my hands and help me up. “I wish I could stay here all day and talk with you, but Adam’s going to think I got mugged if I don’t come back with his latte soon.”

Before I have any time to react, Evan is wrapping his arms around me and giving me a hug. Instinctively, I hug him right back, enjoying the feel of his muscular frame in my hands. My nerve endings are firing and I take a deep breath to try to clear my head. He hugs me tighter.

I feel his hand move from my lower back to my shoulders and I look up into his eyes. He smiles and leans down, then kisses me gently on my forehead. I close my eyes to shut out everything else around me to enjoy the sensation of his lips on my skin. He sweeps the hair off my shoulder and whispers in my ear, “I’ll be in touch,” as he releases me and steps into the coffee shop.

I get to work early for the lunch shift and begin filling the ice bins as Emmy joins me on the patio. “Hey, Emmy, what’s new?”

“Not much. Jason and I broke up.” She shrugs her shoulders and goes about readying the bar for customers. I don’t know much about her relationship with Jason, other than he was the brother of one of her teammates. Emmy never said much about him. I don’t even know how she felt about him.

“Oh, Em, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” I try to gauge her response. She keeps filling the bar rack and going about her business.

“Yeah, Jason’s a great guy and all, but there was something missing. I don’t know how to explain it. He’s super sweet, we got along great, and we always had fun together. But, I don’t know...” she just trails off. I know what she means. There was no spark.

Despite the gloomy weather, we are pretty busy. People-watching is one of the best parts of being a bartender. Lots of people seem to be getting an early start on their weekend.

At one table, there’s an older, gray-haired very well dressed man with a much younger woman. She’s wearing tons of bling and is showing off what appears to be a very expensive set of new boobs. I never could really wrap my mind around that one.

There’s also a young couple sitting at the bar that is obviously deeply in love. Every time I glance over at them, they are touching. I see him whispering in her ear, and she’s blushing. They have a few drinks, order some food off the bar menu, and off they go.

My mind drifts to thoughts of Evan. I can’t stop thinking about how his arms felt wrapped around my waist. Then there was the kiss ... his lips pressed against my skin, it makes me quiver just thinking about it.

“Emmy, can I ask you something?” I’ve been dying to talk to someone about today’s misadventures and get her take on it.

“Shoot. What’s up?” She’s cleaning some rocks glasses while we chat.

“Well, this morning, I was running on the beach by Evan’s house and I’m pretty sure I saw him on his deck. He ran back into the house before I had a chance to talk to him. Then I ran into him at the coffee shop and he told me it wasn’t him. How do I know if he’s telling me the truth?” I give a heavy sigh and wait for her advice.

“Hard to say. How did he act when you ran into him at the coffee shop? Did he avoid you?”

“No, actually, he waited outside for me to come out. He was really kind of cute about it.” I sighed at the memory of seeing him sitting there with Maddy waiting for me.

“Jette, if he was trying to avoid you, do you honestly think he would have waited for you outside a coffee shop? Seriously?” Now she’s looking at me like I’ve got two heads.

“I know, you’re right. It’s just that when it comes to Evan, I can’t think clearly. I want to believe him, but I don’t completely trust myself or him. He’s got this pull on me I can’t explain.”

“Oh, honey, I know exactly what you mean. That’s what was missing from my relationship with Jason. It’s called chemistry and either it’s there or it’s not. Sounds like you’ve got it bad.” Emmy is right. “When are you going to see him again?”

“Not until Sunday. He invited me over for dinner. I think he’s going to cook for me.” A huge grin spreads across my face. I can’t hide my delight at the thought of spending more time with Evan.

“We have to celebrate. I’m going to Derek’s tonight. Why don’t you join me? He’s having a party. It’s just a small group of us. You’ll know almost everyone. I know Derek would love for you to come over. We’ll have so much fun. Please?” It sounds like fun. I haven’t really been out much since I’ve gotten home. Dinner and the mall don’t really count. If I say no, that means I’ll be sitting home thinking about Evan. I will not become that girl. The one that sits home waiting for some man to call.

“I’m in. Will I have time to go home and shower after work?” Working behind a bar means that by the end of my shift, I’m a dirty, sticky mess.

“Absolutely. You have one hour. I’ll pick you up. Want to bring your roommate? Everyone’s really cool. He’ll have a blast.” Emmy hasn’t met Auggie yet and I think they really would get along well.

“I’ll ask him. He usually has plans, but you never know.” I pull out my phone and send Auggie a quick text inviting him to Derek’s place. Just as I thought, he has plans. Now, I’m even more pleased to be going out tonight. Otherwise, I would be all alone with nothing to do.

The rest of the shift goes by uneventfully. A steady stream of customers make the time fly by and before too long, it’s time to hang up my apron and head home.

I barely have enough time to shower, feed the dog, and get myself ready. I throw on a pair of skinny jeans and a white lace tank, and dry my hair quickly letting it flow naturally over my shoulders. Now, without much fuss, I’m good to go. Just as promised, in exactly one hour Emmy arrives at my door and ushers me to her car.

Derek and his friends are renting a house not too far from me, just over the bridge, and in no time, we’re there. We make our way to the backyard, following the sound of the music vibrating through the air.

“Emmy!” an unfamiliar voice calls out from the patio where I quickly spot Marcus sitting beside someone I presume is his fiancée, Camilla. Marcus makes quick introductions, and I immediately like Camilla. She’s shorter than me by several inches, but her killer heels readily make up for the difference. She extends her hand to shake mine, and I immediately notice the rock on her finger. It’s a beautiful diamond engagement ring that overpowers her delicate, small hand.

“What a beautiful engagement ring, Camilla. When’s the big day?” She turns to Marcus and looks adoringly in his eyes.

“In the fall. September. We booked the Manasquan River Golf Club for the reception. I’ve just started booking the photographer and florist. We haven’t found anyone to do the desserts yet, Jette. Marcus thought maybe we should talk to you before we make any decisions.”

Wow. Could this be my first catering gig? “Oh, Camilla, I’d love to talk to you about your wedding. I did some work in Colorado at a wedding cake purveyor and I gathered some great ideas we could talk about.” We exchange phone numbers and I may have just booked my first client. This day just keeps getting better and better!

I excuse myself and find Derek at the patio bar mixing some drinks. “Hey, Jette. I’m so glad you were able make it. What can I get you to drink? Would you like an Orgasm? It’s my specialty.” He doubles over in laughter. He cracks himself up!

“Make it a Screaming Orgasm, and I’ll take it.” Working at a bar on the boardwalk has taught me the names of some very kinky cocktail names: the Sexy Alligator, Naughty School Girl, a Wet Spot, and my favorite, the Dirty Butthole. Honestly, who thinks this shit up?

Derek fixes us a couple of drinks and leads me over to the fire pit. Emmy, Marcus, Camilla, and his roommate Grant are roasting marshmallows on sticks. I’ve never noticed before, but there’s something about Derek that really grows on a person. He’s got a great smile that lights up his whole face. He’s got a handsome but unassuming quality about him.

They are in the middle of a conversation about movies that they would or would not pay to see and the recent Hollywood fascination with fairy tales. “Okay, Jette, if you had to choose, which movie would you see, ‘Goldilocks: Locked and Loaded’ or ‘The Girl Who Cried Wolf’,” Emmy quizzes me.

“No way. I’ll pass on both. But I’d pay to see ‘Scary Mary Poppins’. Does that count as a fairy tale?” For the next half hour or so, the group debates the merits of current movie trends. By the end of the conversation, Derek, Emmy, Grant and I have plans to go to the movies tomorrow after work.

The evening winds down shortly after midnight when the rain that’s been threatening to fall all day finally makes an appearance. Emmy and I climb into her car and call it a night. “So Jette, what’s going on with you and Derek?”

“I don’t know what you mean. He’s cute. A nice guy and all, but there’s definitely nothing going on.” I wonder what brought that on.

“You may not think there is, but Derek is definitely interested. He was following you around like a puppy dog all night long.”

“Whatever. He’s just a big flirt. I see him flirting with girls at the bar all night long. It’s nothing.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

Emmy drops me off at home. Auggie’s not home yet, so I leave the porch light on and get ready for bed. I take off my watch, brush my teeth, and plug in my cell phone to charge it. There’s a missed message lighting the screen. I finally let myself have some fun tonight I never checked my phone once all night. I swipe the arrow to unlock the phone and there’s a message waiting for me from Evan.

Hey running grl – can’t wait til Sunday

It’s too late to text him back. Or is it too early? I hug myself at the thoughts of today’s developments. I have a dinner date with Evan, a potential wedding client, and a really cool new group of friends. Sleep overtakes me and I drift into a sweet slumber with dreams of fairy tales and movie stars.

Early Saturday morning my alarm wakes me from a sound sleep. I peek out the window and I am greeted with stormy skies. Heavy rain has cancelled my morning run and I get a chance to sleep in today. I get back into bed, pull the covers up to my chin, and close my eyes.

By ten o’clock, Jack calls to tell me I can have the day off. The outside patio is closed due to the pouring rain. I decide to spend the day creating a decadent dessert for tomorrow’s dinner date. Scouring through my recipe books, I decide on a Salted Caramel Entremet.

An entremet is a classic French cake that is comprised of different complementary flavors with a variety of textures. There’s a layer of cake, mousse, and crunch, each incorporating a unique flavor. The result should be an explosion of taste and texture that awakens all the senses.

As I start gathering my ingredients, I begin to think about the ingredients for my drink of choice last night, a ‘Dirty Butthole’. The main ingredients are Kahlua and Jägermeister. Perhaps I should incorporate those flavors into a new creation uniquely my own. Jägermeister has a complex combination of orange, ginger and cinnamon, while Kahlua has a rich coffee base. I just know these flavor profiles will work really well together. Salted caramel glaze and chocolate curls will give it the desired texture and visual appeal I’m hoping for.

Auggie never came home last night, so I find myself alone in the kitchen cooking. I put my iPhone music on shuffle and wait to see what Siri plays for me. She treats me to FUN., one of my favorite indie-pop bands. As I’m dancing around the kitchen cooking, singing, and baking, I’m interrupted by a new text message.

Evan: missed u this mrng running grl ;)

He winked at me. I take a break and text him back.

Jette: im baking you something special right now

Evan: mmm cant wait to taste your sweet treat

Oh my God! He’s flirting with me again. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Jette: looking forward to tasting ur main course :P

Evan: we’ll have to see about that 2mrw

Jette: gtg before i burn my butter. later

Looks like it’s going to be another great day. I put my music back on and resume my bake dancing.

Just as I put the finishing touches on my Entremet, Reese calls to check in. “Hey, Reese! I’m so glad you called. What’s up?”

“Nothing much, I’m bored. I miss Denver. Life here in Wisconsin sucks.” Like me, Reese moved back home after graduation. She’s from a small town just west of Milwaukee. “How’s life at the Jersey Shore? Meet any hot surfers yet?”

“Well, I have a date tomorrow night, but it’s not with a surfer. His name is Evan and he’s a trainer with the New Jersey Sentinels.” I still can’t believe it’s really happening.

“Seriously? A trainer? Does he have a hot body?”

“Reese, you have no idea.” I spend the next half an hour telling her all about him. She is giddy when I tell her about my accidental meeting on the beach and chance meeting at the coffee shop.

“Jette, it sounds like kismet. You know I don’t believe in accidents. You need to really give this guy a chance and see where it leads.” Reese is a true romantic.

“But he’s just so ... perfect.”

“Bull crap. There’s no such thing as a perfect man. You know, sort of like the Loch Ness Monster ... they say he exists, but no one’s actually seen him.”

Reese always makes me feel better. By four o’clock, I start to get ready for the movies. The four of us are going to the five o’clock showing of ‘Means to an End’ playing at the local movie theater. We all take our own cars so we can be on our way afterwards. Not surprisingly, I’m the last to arrive, and when I do, I find Derek, Grant, and Emmy waiting in the lobby for me. Derek’s height makes it easy to find him in the crowd and I make my way over to join them.

“I bought your ticket, Jette. What do I get in return?” Derek raises his eyebrows and grins devilishly.

“Oh, Derek, you’re such a sweet talker. You make my knees weak,” and I patted my chest with a quick thrumming while looking up at him adoringly.

The four of us head into the theater and take seats along the back wall of the theater. We’re just in time to see the trailers for other movies, which is my favorite part. There are some great blockbusters being released this summer: romances, action/adventures, comedies, and cartoons. I find myself wondering what kind of movies Evan likes to see and what it would be like to be sitting in a dark theater so close to someone who makes my pulse race and my skin tingle.

A little over two hours later and the movie’s over. We decide to head over to Applebee’s to grab a few drinks and dinner.

In a few weeks, Wilkinson’s is having a big event to raise money for Restore the Shore. I’ve heard there are going to be some famous people attending, and I’m wondering if Derek and Emmy have heard anything specific.

“I heard Bruce Springsteen may stop in,” Emmy says. “He rarely makes scheduled appearances. Last time he just showed up, played a couple of songs, and his body guards snuck him right out the door.” As a true Jersey Girl, I am an avid Bruce Springsteen fan. Making drinks for The Boss would really be a thrill.

“Jack told me some big names from sports will probably show up,” Derek adds. “Some players from the Devils and Sentinels are supposed to be here, too.” I’ll have to try to remember to ask Evan if he knows anything about his team coming to our epic event.

Derek asks, “Grant, you have to come out for this. I’ll get a pair of tickets for you and a date. You in?”

“Hells, yeah! I’m banking on Bruce showing up. Count me in.”

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 734