Shattered Rose (13 page)

He looked exactly like he had the other day—jeans, t-shirt and a black backpack, although his t-shirt was an army green today instead of red.

“You two know each other?” Issy asked looking back and forth between us.

“Yes, in fact, you must be
Issy, the fun and exciting roommate Avery told me about.  I’m Parker.” He reached out his hand to shake hers.

Issy
was overtly checking him out and then turned to me. “I like this guy.”

I just smiled, feeling a little embarrassed to be put on the spot, but
Issy didn’t waste any time. “We are on our way to grab some dinner, wanna come?”

Parker looked at me for a confirmation, making me feel a little guilty for not being the one to ask. “Um yeah, you should come. We were just going to the sandwich hut down the street.” 

“Hey, I should call Jake and see if he wants to join us,” Issy said mischievously as I flashed her a panicked stare even Parker picked up on.

“I’m sure he has other plans,” I stammered unable to process why
Issy would be so cruel after our earlier conversation.

“Too late, I’ve already texted him
, and he is on his way there.” Her eyes were gleaming, and I wanted to crawl in a hole.

“Ok then,” I said
, gritting my teeth and doing my best to keep a smile plastered on my face. “Let’s go.”

Issy
was in true form as we walked to the restaurant. She latched her arm through Parker’s and started giving him the third degree. “So, how did you meet our Avery?”

“We actually met in the quad. She was sitting there, looking very lovely as she watched the sunset, and I just had to say ‘hi.’”

I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until I finally released it. He didn’t mention that fateful night at all, or my total meltdown. I was once again impressed at his character and how he had gone out of his way twice now to spare my feelings.

“So you’re a student at Winsor then? What major?”

“Pre-med,” he answered.

“Wow, pre-med, what made you decide on that field?” At that point, I hit
Issy as discretely as I could and gave her the look that said,
What are you doing?

She ignored me and continued to wait for his reply.

“I love people, and I thought what better way is there to make a difference in their lives than to help them when they are in need of care? People are at their most vulnerable when they’re sick, and I want to be someone who can give them peace, and if I’m lucky, healing too.”

I was really starting to wonder if I had imagined him, because there was no way this guy was for real. 

“You will love my cousin, Jake, then. He always says he’s the ultimate caretaker.”

I unknowingly sucked my breath in when she
said that, which caused a coughing spasm so severe we had to quit walking. All I could think of was how much I wanted to be in the photograph getting swallowed up by the vortex so I could escape this moment. Parker immediately came to my aid, patting my back and handing me a bottle of water he had in his backpack.

“Thank you,” I said between coughs until I finally got myself under control. “I don’t know what happened.”

Parker walked into the restaurant to get us a table, and Issy whispered in my ear, “He’s cute! Why didn’t you tell me about him?”

“Because there is nothing to tell,” I fired back. “I’m going to kill you, by the way!” Despite my irritation, I turned and smiled at Parker when he joined us again.

“They have a table ready now if you want to go in.”

“Great! Lead the way.”
Issy was as playful as ever which was the only thing keeping me from a full-fledged panic attack. I had no idea how I was going to react with Jake in the room, and how much more awkward it was going to feel with Parker sitting right there. It wasn’t like he and I were dating or anything, but Jake brought out the worst in my insecurities, and I didn’t want Parker seeing that.

Parker pulled my chair out for me and then sat down adjacent to it, all under the watchful eyes of the always-perceptive
Issy.

“So
Issy, you heard all about me. What about you? What are you studying?” Parker asked with genuine interest.

“I’m in the undecided category,” she explained. “I f
igured it’s kind of like my hair. There is no reason to commit until you are sure. I figure I should take all the classes I like now and then my senior year, I’ll just figure out what major I can use to graduate and declare that one. My theory is that I’ll really like that major because I picked those classes by choice and not off some degree plan.”

Issy’s
logic was remarkable. She was so convincing, I almost thought it was a good idea.

“I can see some reason in that,” Parker said nodding. “Can’t say I’ve ever met someone on quite the same academic plan, but then again, I’ve never met someone with two different colored ponytails either. I think originality is a gift, and you certainly have it in spades.” Parker’s tone was totally complimentary and authentic, as if he was validating her right to be her own person.

“Thank you,” she said with a hint of pride.

I wasn’t sure how he did it, but Parker had a way of making you feel really good about yourself, like your individuality made you special and unique.

“What about you, Avery? We never got to that on our walk the other day.”

“I’m in engineering. I’m not sure what specialty, yet. I don’t have to decide that until next year, but I’m starting to think I may go into civil. I’m kind of fascinated with different types of structures.”

“Ahh, that explains your love for the staircase in the picture.”

“Yeah, maybe so.” I had never thought of that before, but it made sense, especially considering my two favorite art pieces were of a bridge and a pier. I never considered the idea that art and engineering could come together, but maybe it could.

We continued to make small talk until the waitress brought our drinks and the menus. Issy’s battering of questions revealed that Parker was from Boone, North Carolina, which was about two hours from Asheville. His parents had been married for twenty-seven years, and he had an older brother who did missionary stuff overseas. He explained how the town was named after the famous explorer, Daniel Boone.

I never thought hearing about someone’s hometown would be so interesting, but Parker had us falling out of our seats laughing at the stories he would tell. I was having so much fun
, I almost forgot Issy had called Jake until we heard him move the chair out and sit down.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, giving
Issy an annoyed look.

She had to fight to get under control and wiped the tears out of her eyes. “Parker was telling us stories from his hometown, and they are hilarious. The one of Mr. French and the cat…”
Issy stopped talking due to fits of laugher, and I followed suit. Jake looked considerably put out that he wasn’t included, which sobered us all up a little.

“I’m sorry, Jake. I guess you had to be here,”
Issy said apologetically.

“Well, I’m here now. So, what’s for dinner?” He grabbed a menu and began looking at the specials. I couldn’t believe he didn’t introduce himself to Parker. In fact, I had never seen Jake so off his game before. It almost seemed as if he was uncomfortable being in the same room with us. I took that as a direct slam against me and realized that
Issy probably forgot to mention that she was with me today. I wanted to crawl under a rock and looked down at my fidgeting hand, wondering how in the world I ever thought this guy cared about me.

“You ok?” Parker whispered in my ear sounding genuinely concerned.

I just looked at him and nodded, trying to give a convincing smile, realizing that I would have to do a better job at the whole hide-your-feelings thing.

I looked up at Jake, who was staring at the exchange between
me and Parker, and he seemed almost hostile. I quickly adverted my eyes and went to Issy who appeared very pleased with herself.

“Jake, this is Parker, Avery’s friend from school. Parker, Jake,”
Issy offered. The guys nodded at each other, the way men tend to do when uncomfortable, said muffled hellos, and then went back to their menus.

My anxiety was almost in full attack, as I felt my heart racing and my breathing become labored. I cursed myself, begging internally to calm down. I suddenly felt Parker’s hand over mine, just like he had in the quad. The effect was almost immediate. My heart slowed, my breathing became normalized, and I could feel the color returning back to my face.

He let go as soon as I had calmed and smiled up at the group. “I know what I’m having, how about you?”

We ordered our food
, and Jake excused himself to take a phone call. I was visibly more relaxed as soon as he left the table.

“I’m assuming there’s a backstory there,” Parker said gently, once again leaning into me.

“It’s complicated…and not at all an interesting story.” I knew I was trying to downplay the tension and my erratic response to it, but Parker knew better even though he dropped it, not wanting to make me more uncomfortable.

He turned his attention back to
Issy and asked her what she liked to do for fun. I don’t think he had any idea what an open-ended question that was, because all Issy does is “fun.”  It defines her life.

They were actively engaged in stories of road trips and adventures they wanted to take when Jake returned to the table. He had his old swagger back, like he had pulled a telephone booth transformation. He grabbed his chair by the back of it and slid it over
in my direction as he sat down. He was sitting so close to me that our knees were touching, and I felt his hand settle on the inside of my thigh near my knee. He was rubbing his finger up and down, so lightly and provocatively that my body immediately felt like it caught on fire. My pulse quickened, and I looked up at him, not sure what to expect. His eyes were smoldering, like he was ready to devour me. I suddenly felt embarrassed and exposed, wondering if Parker or Issy had caught that exchange. Luckily, they were still engaged in animate story telling, so they didn’t think it was odd when I excused myself to the bathroom.

I grabbed both sides of the sink and glared at myself in the mirror. I had to calm down; I had to find some control. How was he able to affect me like this…with just one touch! It was ridiculous! I splashed some cold water on my neck, gave myself another pep talk
before making my way back to the table.

Our food had come, and I dreaded the idea of eating in such a stressful environment. There was no question I had a love/hate relationship with food.
Life would be so much easier if I just never had to eat again, but here it was, surrounding me as always, mocking me with the realization I would never be free of its hold on me.

I moved my chair away from Jake as I sat down, which by default meant I was almost touching Parker’s. He smelled really nice, like an airy freshness that comes after a morning rain, but masculine enough to make your senses alert. He smiled up at me when I sat down and filled me in on their conversation.

“I was asking Issy here how you two met.”

“Oh no, what did she say?”  I was almost afraid to relive that first day through her eyes, having no idea how distorted it may appear.

“Why would you say that? I was perfectly complimentary,” Issy pouted.

Jake was texting on his phone under the table as if we were having the most boring conversation known to man. I ignored him and turned back to the group.

“She was very complimentary,” Parker assured me. “Said you were shy and timid, but she could see you had lots of heart. She also said she had never seen anyone run as much as you did.”

I blushed and nodded, thinking of how many miles I had logged that first week, most of them driven by the excitement and anticipation of seeing Jake.  What a joke!

“Parker runs too,” Issy pointed out. “He’s in some kind of military fraternity, and they run all the time.”

Parker started laughing, and it was infectious. “They’re not exactly a fraternity, but we do run. Maybe we could go together sometime?” he asked, looking at me.

Jake chose that moment to come back into the conversation. “I’m ready to go. You guys finished?”

“Avery hasn’t had a chance to finish eating yet, besides I’m having fun,”
Issy whined.

“No, I’m done. I’ll just get the rest to go,” I assured her, thrilled to have an out.

“Where’s your car, Issy? I’ll take you back to it.” Jake was trying to hurry us as if he had somewhere to be…or someone to be with.

“Actually Jake, you and I need to plan our Thanksgiving meal. Mom promised to let me pick all the dishes this year, and I need your input.”
Issy had threaded her arm though his and was pulling him out the door. “You two go ahead and keep talking, we’ll meet you back here in a little while.” And like a puff of smoke, they were gone. I didn’t know whether to feel nervous or excited about being left alone with Parker. Honestly, it just felt nerve wracking, like I was on a first date or something.

Parker was chuckling and turned back to me. “
Issy is amazing.”