Choices (4 page)

“Um, have you noticed that someone has been eyeballing you all night?” Kristy whispered.

“Hmm…It’s probably the other guests, waiting for Paul to make a fool of himself…again!” I whispered back.

“I don’t think so…” She murmured into her glass
and winked.

“What
’s the matter? You got something in your eye?” She shot me a look that screamed…duh?

“What the
hell are you talking about?” I murmured back to her as I took a sip of my own glass.

“Oh, you know damn good and well what the hell I’m talking about, Miss I Don’t Miss A Trick!”

“I assure you, my dearest friend, I don’t have the fain
test idea of what you are talking about.” I replied questioningly.

“Oh, you are really going to make me spell it out for you, aren’t you, you PITA!” She was whispering a little louder this time.

“Hey, that’s my line and I am not being a PITA! I don’t know what you are talking about.” I was starting to get frustrated.

“Our guest of honor has not taken his eyes off you since you got out of the car. I told you were rocking that purple halter top.” Kristy explained excitedly.

I nearly choked on my glass of ice water. I really don’t drink that much anymore, especially when I’m out with Paul.

“WHAT?” Okay that was a bit too loud.

“Brandon, has been watching since you first meet him. And I have been watching him watch you. It actually has been quite interesting. He seems to be stalking you like prey. Everywhere you move or turn he isn’t far behind or beside you or in front of you.”

“You have had too much to drink. Ease up there sugarplum!”

“Well, my suspicions may just be confirmed rather quickly. Brandon and Jo are headed in our direction and he has you in his line of fire that’s for sure. Wow, he does look like a determined young man.” She replied huskily as she quickly vanished leaving me there to fend for myself.

“Laurel
, I was just talking to Paul and he mentioned that you were thinking of refurbishing your sunroom.” Jo smiled as she sidled up next to me.

Jo had a sure-fire way of getting all the facts. Some things just never change no matter how much they remain the same.

“Yes, Jo, that’s correct. We have had a few architects in to give us their vision, but we can’t seem to find one to capture what we really want.”
Why was I looking at the flagstone?

“Well, it just so happens that Brandon has graduated
from the Pratt Institute with a degree in architecture. He has a fantastic job lined up with one of the leading architectural firms, Perkins Eastman in New York on Fifth Avenue. He starts in the fall but wants to chill out this summer before he moves away. He loves the farm and wants to visit with his grandparents before he goes. Maybe he could help you with your project this summer. It will give him something to do so he doesn’t get rusty.” Jo gushed enthusiastically.

“Wow, Mom, nothing like putting Laurel on the spot. She may have other plans. You can tone down all the accolades too. It really sounds pretentious.” He replied coolly
. Crap, modest, too. Will wonders never cease?

“Nonsense! I absolutely will not!” She was indignant now. “My only son, whom I raised
single handedly, is the most gifted, creative and smartest architect on the planet. Why would I not shout that from the rooftops?”

“
Sheesh, Mom. Could you embarrass me anymore? Okay, Mom, you win, but let’s let Laurel off the hook.”

Hmm…did he say something I needed to respond to? Shit, pay attention Laurel! It’s so hard to concentrate with the sound of his voice echoing in my ears.

“I would love your opinion and ideas. Our odd sunroom is rather challenging and daunting. Whatever you could offer would be terrific, but I don’t want to monopolize your time. Enjoy your summer, chill out like your Mom said. You’ll be working soon enough. Enjoy this time now and cherish it.” I managed to look him in the eye and stay upright. Not an easy feat.

“I don’t mind at all. I prefer to stay focused and busy and I thrive on challenges. What do you say I come over some time next week and I could have a look
around? I’ll get your number from my Mom and I’ll call to set up a time.”

“Um, sure, but like I said I really don’t want to impose on you. Go play and have some fun.” I stammered.

“Good, it’s settled then. Take care Laurel and I will see you next week.” He said politely, shook my hand and quickly returned to the party.

Did anyone else hear the sizzle of electricity that shot through my b
ody? Is my hair standing on end? Laurel, close your mouth, you are probably drooling, you idiot! Good Lord, what the hell just happened!

I was stunned. Kristy ran over to me.

“Listen, honey, as much as I would love to find out what the three of you were talking about, I have to warn you that Paul is…” She raised her eyebrows and nodded her head in the direction of the basement. I quickly got her drift, groaned audibly and aged about two more years.

“Of course! Why should this party be different from any other! Is Mitch down there with him?” I
sent a silent prayer up to my guardian angels and hoped that they would carry it on their wings up to where it needed to be heard.

“Yeah, honey, he is. I’ll round up the troops for you and Mitch is trying to get him up the steps.”

“Christ! What! We have been here all of two hours and already he’s zonked! Not surprising really. Thanks, Kristy and be sure to thank Mitch for me too.” I summoned my inner warrior and headed toward the basement. I found Mitch and Paul at the bottom of the stairs. Mitch was trying to get Paul to navigate his way up the steps without it being obvious that he was helping him.

“You…you’re da best…best buddy…ever! I…I mean…it.” He swayed and tried to pat Mitch on the back.

“I know buddy, I know.” Mitch glanced up the steps at me with a sympathetic look. “Don’t come down, honey, I’ve got him. He sees you and he gets, well, you know how he gets. Just get yourself and the kids in the car and I’ll get him up the steps and into the car without too much of a scene.” I nodded and turned to look for Kristy and the kids when I ran into Toni.

“Laurel, sweetheart, you look fabulous! You look absolutely the same as you did when we were in high school.”  She raised her eyebrows and gave me the head to toe appraisal that implied but I’m still better than you.
Christ, of all people! It has to be her. Now! Just perfect, perfect!
I was beginning to sweat, not glisten but sweat and I could hear Paul calling my name as he staggered up the steps.
Oh, sweet Jesus, please let her move on! Please!

“LAUREL!! Hey, I see you up there you sexy bitch! Isn’t my wife just the sexiest thing you ever saw, Mitch?” Of course once he saw me he moved even quicker, if that was possible and somehow it was.  I looked away from him and smiled nervously at Toni and ran a shaky hand down my neck.

“Seems someone’s had a little too much to drink?” She raised her eyebrows and smirked into her glass of Chardonnay.

“Hey, don’t ignore me, woman! You see me! Don’t be rude!” He was up the steps and next to me before I could blink
an eye.

“Now, my shoney, was a little shunky before, now ssshe’s one hot sexy bitch! That’s okay, I loved her shunky and I love her as a skinny bitch, s’kay, I pre…um…prefer…yeah that’s it, I prefer her shunky
. C’mere sexy bitch and give big Daddy a smmoochy.” You know there were times in a woman’s life when she would have loved to have been called a skinny bitch. Having your husband paw you publicly at a graduation party, and say them while he was a drunken fool was not one of them. He was pawing my breasts and grabbing my backside as I tried politely to fight him off while nervously smiling and excusing myself from Toni.

“Toni, it was so great to see you, so great. Take care, um…I have too…” Mitch had managed to extricate Paul from me and I glanced back at the two of them and saw that Kristy had managed to round up the kids and had the valet finagle my car up to the front of the driveway. I was seething.

“Calm down, honey, it’s alright. Here are your keys, just get him home and to bed. No one even noticed a thing.” I looked at her hopefully until I turned around and saw Jo’s son with a look of organic disgust with burning eyes and doing his own share of seething that rooted me to the concrete.
Look at that, yeah, right, no one noticed. He’s probably pissed we ruined his party, total stranger too. Who could blame him?

“Laurel, honey, c’mon. Get in the car. Don’t
worry; everything’s going to be alright.” She kissed me as I got in the car. “Call me.”

“That’s it big guy, in you go, there you go, watch your head.” As I heard Mitch talk to Paul and I made my way into the car and backed slowly out of the driveway, I turned back around to look out the front windshield to see if he was still watching. He was but th
is time he looked sad, very sad, and waved goodbye to me.

Kristy was always a beautiful girl. All the guys liked Kristy. She was tall and thin and really smart and funny with a huge heart to embrace everyone. So it wasn’t surprising that she would end up with the most handsome guy in the senior class of 1986. Their love was the type of love that made you want to puke and wish you had it all at the same time. They met officially at a football game waiting in line for hot dogs and hot chocolate. She told me she knew instantly t
hat he was the one. “Oh, c’mon,” I said, “That’s ludicrous.” “I know! It sounds corny, I know, I know, but there was something about the way we looked at each other. It was a sensation like a déjà vu, like I had met him before and we were supposed to be together.”  “Oh, honey, I need to get you out of the cold. Your brain is freezing,” I said. They were devoted to one another even back then. Kristy once told me it was a gut wrenching feeling, what she felt for Mitch - “not in a bad way” she said. She told me that she would only glance at him and her stomach would clench. She knew the end of our senior year that no matter where they went to college they would end up together, forever, with lots of babies. The true fairy tale ending; the gorgeous girl with the gorgeous guy, married, five children and still in love. Sheesh! I’d hate her if I didn’t love her so much, him too. They give me hope even to this day that love at first sight exists and can survive, seventeen years and five kids later.

Kristy’s everything to me but I’ve already told you that. We meet in first grade but really didn’t start up a friendship until fifth grade. I broke my leg one summer and Kristy called and asked if she could come over and hang out with me. We
’ve been inseparable ever since through high school, college, career, marriages and children. We have a beautiful blended family, mine and hers. Even our husbands get along.  I enjoy spending time with Mitch as well. He’s really sweet, funny, smart and tall, dark and handsome with a devilish grin that could swallow you whole. It’s so easy to see why Kristy fell head over heels with him. I think I had a slight crush on him too but they were meant to be together. It was incredibly obvious to anyone who had eyesight how much these two were born for each other.

Mitch has had his share of heartache, too. Kristy has been so supportive. I couldn’t think of a better person to help Mitch through his and his family’s heartbreak. It’s amazing to me when you think about how families can mesh and intertwine themselves together. I never got the full story until just recently. We were over for dinner- our usual family get together of the Brittinghams and the Reynolds. I spotted a new photograph I hadn’t seen before and I asked Mitch about it because it wasn’t anyone I had recognized from Kristy’s family. Kristy was putting little people to bed, Mitch and I were cleaning up and Paul was playing the WII with the older little people.

“Wow, Mitch who is that? She is absolutely phenomenal. She’s strikingly beautiful. Her eyes are haunting and piercing and that shade of blue is breathtaking.” I could have gushed more but stopped myself.

“Yeah. She was beautiful, wasn’t
she?”

I realized as I opened my mouth and inserted my foot that this must be a picture of the family tragedy that happened to Mitch’s family while we were still in high school. I’ve never seen the photo out so I was spellbound.

“Oh, God, Mitch, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry.”

“Oh, no, it’s alright. I just put it out a week ago. I found it when I was cleaning out my closet because Kristy was threatening divorce if I didn’t
, and I stumbled across this picture. It’s my sister, Jennifer. Her anniversary was coming up soon, so I decided to put her picture out. I dunno, it seemed like such a waste to have all that beauty stuffed into my smelly closet. She was seventeen there, right before she ran away; right before she died. Everyone loved Jenny, especially all the boys.  But, there was only one who captured her heart. I mean look at her, she’s gorgeous. That’s really how I like to remember her. She would have been forty one.”

“Oh, hey, I’m
sorry; you don’t need to talk about it.” He sighed and walked over and picked up the photo and handed it to me to get a better look.

“No, it’s okay. It was a long time ago. My family refused to talk about it.  I’m surprised Kristy hasn’t told you everything already. You two are so tight.”