For the Best (25 page)

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders as I
dangled my legs through the slats of the caged tower walls. He
gathered the waves of my hair in his hands. “I want to live
together.”

I gulped. “Really?”

“I want to be with you as much as I
can.”

Tanner

I was home for the summer, working for a
company installing rooftop gardens on some condos in downtown
Jacksonville. It was a blustery early summer day. I stood on the
school steps at the double door entrance of the exterior portico
and studied the business listings. All I’d noticed the night I’d
eavesdropped on Hanna and that guy was the neon sign had been lit
with the words Brewery but in daylight a bold black iron sign
proclaimed
Bowzer’s Apps & Taps
looming above.

Listed in no specific order were multiple
businesses:
Gator and Sox Doggie Spa/Daycare/Grooming
,
Daytrippers
Adventures in Travel
,
Bubbles and Brews
Laundromat, Any Way U Want It That’s the Way We Stage It
– I
had no idea what that was. Last was Della’s nameplate declaring
Suite 100 CPA. My spirits soared. Hanna was here, all of those pipe
dreams of businesses she wanted to own had materialized. I walked
through the hallway, which with the exception of lockers still
looked very much like an old school.

I went to the travel agency, but it was
locked. Down in the basement, the old gym had gone to the dogs.
Inside a lot of canines were resting or playing tug of war with
rope toys. I recognized the Rottweiler.

“Can I help you?” a young woman asked.

“Do you know Hanna?”

“Yep, her, Della, Jace and Clay.”

My heart stopped. “Is she here?”

“Hanna’s not around. Clay is, up at the
brewery, the place isn’t open yet but the door’s unlocked if you
want to catch him,” she kept talking although she became
preoccupied corralling a Jack Russell mix who was humping a
Chihuahua.

“Okay, thanks.” I took off for the bar.

I watched Clay measure, accurate like a
chemist, kegging lines snaked around the vats, a yeasty smell hung
in the air.

“I like your brother. He’s a riot.” I
bristled feeling my defenses rise but before I could retort Clay
continued, “Thought we’d never get him to quit speaking in pirate
lingo last time he visited.”

He was interrupted by the phone. I went over
and studied the body of artwork displayed on the walls. Most were
of professional quality, a little artsy, perfect lighting. I
recognized the nearby spots: Matanzas Inlet with the small fort at
the mouth of the river where Hanna and I used to go kayaking back
in high school; Cumberland Island, Georgia with the wild horses on
the beach; the lighthouse over on Anastasia Island on the beach
side of St. Augustine.

The next piece of work contained one wallet
size picture squared in the middle of what was a collage of the
same photo mimicking itself into a continuous matt hundreds of
times. I squinted. Focusing I ignored the duplications to
concentrate on the center photo surrounded by chaos. Though
miniscule there was no mistaking the center shot was Hanna and me
at the top of the trail we’d taken in Waterton, Alberta. There was
meaning in the way someone had chosen to display the moment from
clear to distortion.

When I finally peeled my eyes away there was
only one other picture - a beautiful Pacific beach. In the distance
was Hanna walking into the sunset. I checked for the artist’s name
but below it stated not for sale.

Clay joined me. “Who took this?” I
asked.

“Hanna’s boyfriend.”

I swallowed hard, composed myself. “So what
does Hanna do here?”

“She, Della and I own the building and a
stake in each other’s independent ventures. We lease out the
remaining space.”

“She did it,” I murmured absentmindedly.

He scrutinized me. “So where is your evil
queen?”

“Evil queen?”

“Your girlfriend, that chick Skylar.”

I hesitated. “In Chicago, where she
lives.”

“She ever tell you about meeting Hanna?”

“Who?”

“Skylar?”

“Nooooo!” My one word denial came out so
forcefully he stopped his work to stare at me as if he knew I’d
never in my worst nightmares want Skylar near Hanna.

“She tracked Hanna down here on New Year’s
Day. Came in the pub like she owned the place. Accused Hanna of
using Trevor as a pawn to remain a part of your life. She said you
were ashamed of Hanna and thought there was something sexual
between Trev and her.”

“I would never think that or say something
like that.” I rubbed my hand on my chest, almost becoming panicked.
“Skylar can be rough.” Barely an excuse, it carried little
weight.

“That is all you’ve got to say? Your psycho,
possessive girlfriend publicly humiliates Hanna and you blow it off
with that comment.” He shook his head in disgust, returned to his
task.

It was drizzling outside. I could see it
bead and drip down the window. I sank onto a stool and despite my
company dropped my head onto the bar. Mumbling, I got out, “So you
guys all live here?”

“Yeah. We all needed a place to live that
wouldn’t cut into our bottom lines. In addition, Della needed a
permanent home to raise Keb. I just got the news Ansel is moving in
soon.”

Hanna

The baby monitor went off. Just back from
vacation, I was on Keb duty. Della was working up in the office so
after my only grooming appointment of the day I was doing daycare.
I asked one of the groomers who was renting a booth from me to
settle up with my customer. The Yorkie I had just bathed and
trimmed was all decorated with a tiny pink bow holding up a pouf of
fur between her ears.

Coming out, I ran up the stairs, Pinkie and
Bowzer both at my heels. The monitor, now in my hand, was silent. I
couldn’t hear Keb cry, he probably wasn’t. He was too curious and
independent for his own good. More than likely he was playing with
one of the numerous toys attached to his crib. I unlocked the big
steel door of Della’s unit and ran to the baby room.

I swooped him up. “How is my handsome
boy?”

He giggled and squirmed flashing twinkling
blue eyes at me.

With him in my arms, I went to the old
school intercom system button that was a direct line to Della’s
office. A male voice sounded through the speakers. Without
interrupting I tried to make out who was there besides Della and
Clay.

I sucked in my breath, realization dawning.
“Oh, God.” I hit the speed dial on my cell. I could hear my
ringtone going off over the intercom.

They were ignoring it. I texted,
I don’t want to see him.

I heard Della say, “Sorry, Tanner. She
missed her flight back. Guess you’ll have to table your speech till
another time.”

Hanna

Sick of unpacking, Ansel and I were barefoot
shooting baskets in the gym. Instead of playing the hoops game
HORSE we were alternating between spelling Hanna or Ansel with each
missed shot.

“How about it?” Ansel motioned with his head
over to the door that read
Boys Locker Room
.

“What take a shower?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Be my guest,” I teased.

He smiled wickedly and picked me up walking
toward the door. The light in the room was motion sensitive and
automatically lit when we stepped inside, only two bulbs in the
fluorescent tubes were good so shadows followed us. He turned and
locked the door, then put me down. I stepped up to his height
tilting my head for a kiss that he graciously provided.

He pulled me past the vacant, open doored
lockers and into the community showers. I tapped six
shower heads
above me as I walked sexily around the
tiled room.

“It’s hot water right?” he asked as if he
wouldn’t be up for a
cold shower
.

“Yes.”

Slowly I shed my top, then my pants as he
looked on with his arms braced on each side of the entrance
opening. With a teasing laugh, I tossed him my bra and panties.
Turning each faucet testing the water, the steam rose as the heated
wet met the cool air. Ansel skimmed his eyes up from my legs to my
waist and then my breasts. I stood under the shower letting the
spray drip down my body.

“You make me ache like a horny fifteen year
old,” he groaned stripping before he joined me.

We spent the next couple of hours giving and
taking in the boy’s locker room.

Tanner

Weeks later, I returned. From a back table,
I absorbed her. She took her place behind the bar, filled two
pictures of beer from the tap and set them on a tray. Clay came up
beside her. She smiled at him and playfully bumped him with her
hip. Then she became preoccupied with bartending. Hurrying, her
head lowered, she filled the counter with six shots of Jaeger. A
group of college guys cheered her on.

Hours passed before I got my nerve up.
Finally, I took a spot at the bar.

She looked up as if to take my order. "Oh,"
she said, quickly stepping back. "Oh, I…..I didn't see you come in.
How are you?"

"Good.”

She studied me. As the minutes ticked by, I
grew a little paranoid. “Did you text Della you didn’t want to see
me?”

She laughed but didn’t deny it.

“Why? Can’t we talk?”

“I thought you made it clear she wouldn’t
like that.” Her cell phone vibrated and she read the text. Her eyes
scanned until they met a man’s near the end of the bar.

I fumbled for words and immediately thought
now I should apologize for Skylar’s confrontation NOW
. “So
what is the seasonal brew?” I pointed to the list behind her.

“Clay went local. Dat’l Do-It pepper brew.”
She drew a beer from the tap and set it in front of me. “On the
house.” Then she walked away.

Hanna

Some
revelers whistled to get my attention.
I pulled them
their drafts from the most popular tap.
The brewery
was busy. Ansel sat in his usual spot at the end by the wall. He
had sent me a text while I was talking to Tanner.

U
OK?

I
had
looked up and nodded.

Though
distracted I couldn’t help notice how Tanner was staring at
me. “Hear you’ve got a boyfriend,” he commented.

“Ansel.”

“Your friend from Utah?”

I didn’t correct the state. “Is there a
reason you came Tanner?” I asked.

“Clay told me what Skylar said, I’m sorry. I
never thought or said anything remotely regarding what she accused
you of.”

“I figured.”

A guy leaned over the bar interrupting us,
“Can I get five shots of Patron?”

I visually searched for Clay who usually
took over when I hit a height challenge on top shelf placement. He
was across the room clearing a table. Reluctantly, I stretched up
on tip toe my skirt inching up as well. With one hand holding the
hem in place, I reached with my other. Then I felt the familiarity
of Ansel’s body as it leaned into mine, reaching the bottle and
putting it behind me on the counter.

I smiled and kissed his jaw. “Thanks. You
must have read my mind.”

“No, I was reading the minds of every male
in Apps & Taps.”

I laughed. “What were their thoughts?”

He smiled mischievously. “I’d like to tap
that.”

I smacked him playfully. Ansel moved and I
saw Tanner staring, looking like he’d been hijacked.

“Tanner this is Ansel. Ansel…Tanner,” I
introduced them.

Ansel was friendly, not overly so, just
normal. He moved around to the customer side of the bar and took
the seat by Tanner. They started talking as I waited on customers,
trying to remedy my self-conscious feeling by acting like the two
of them meeting didn’t bother me at all.

Tanner

I had almost charged over and knocked the
guy away from her, indignant and furious. Then she introduced us. I
was forcing my best smile –trying not to snap.
I
finished my drink in one long gulp, wincing as it lodged in my
throat. Finally I managed to relax my constricted esophagus.
Ansel’s voice pulled me back to the moment.
“So you go to
University of Florida?”

“Ummm…yeah.”

“I went to UCLA.”

I nodded.

“Total waste of money if you ask me.”

Hanna laughed as she swiped at some sticky
syrup on the counter. “I’m pretty sure you learned a thing or two
there.”

Ansel smiled and gave her a wink.

“You working local for the summer?” Hanna
roused me from my thoughts.

“Designing a rooftop garden on some condos
in downtown Jacksonville near the Landing,” I lied with quite a bit
of pompousness.

“Cool. I bet the view is great plus you get
to smell Maxwell House.” Hanna flattened herself over the bar and
retrieved the discarded shot glasses. I got a quick eyeful of
cleavage. Ansel’s expression when I saw his face told me he could
read my mind.

“I hear you used to surf.
You off tomorrow? Want to go out?” he asked me.

“Sounds great.” I glanced
at Hanna. She did not look happy.

Hanna

After closing, I trudged along the outside
of the fence. Ansel was sitting on the top step lighting a
cigarette and taking a drag as I played ball with the dogs.

I called out to him, “What are you
doing?”

“What does it look like?”

I leaped up a few stairs stopping three
below his and pointed at his cigarette.

He laughed. “Come on. I haven’t had one in
years.”

“I know. So why do you want one now?”

He leaned forward placing his elbows on his
knees closer to me. I ran my fingers through his hair.