When Love Calls Read online

  “We can’t do this with your son here and awake. It is not going to happen!”

  “I know,” he rasped between bated breaths as his fingers trailed from my face into my loose tresses.

  I pulled away and tried not to look at the obvious bulge in his pants as I bent over to pick up my notebook and purse that I’d let fall in the midst of our heated encounter. Mike, however, did not attempt to avoid staring at my ass like it was a steak being waved in front of a hungry lion! I scooped up my things and speed-walked toward the door.

  “Wait Erin! Let me walk you out!”

  I gripped the door handle and pulled it open before turning to Mike. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea and, by the way,” I sniffed. “Your pizza is burning!” The last thing I saw was Mike dashing toward the kitchen. I chucked as I strode to my car. It felt good to know that I had not only affected him, but had thrown him off his game. It made me feel like I was finally getting back on mine. It looks like the tables may be turning. I thought as I gave myself a quick glance in the rearview mirror. And they’re turning in my favor.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Angie and I arrived in Orlando late Friday night and made our way to the hotel in our rented Impala. It wasn’t my first choice, but it was clean and available so we took it and ran in hopes of getting checked in before the end of dinner service. Angie had already chastised me twice for not keeping my eyes on the road. Although it was dark out, I could see clusters of coconuts hanging from the palm trees and I was fascinated. I can’t wait for daylight. In my mind, there were already a dozen different paintings being created. I couldn’t wait to add vivid detail to the imagery in my head.

  We managed to check in and get back down to the bar right before the kitchen closed. “Thank God,” Angie said. “I’m starving! We’d better fuel up for this run tomorrow. Were you trying to head straight out after the race or did you want to do some site-seeing first? Who knows when we’ll be back in Orlando?!”

  “We can do some site-seeing. As long as we get to Miami in time for late check-in I’m cool! I’d prefer to beat the girls there, though. Their flight gets in around eight, right?” I looked over at Angie who had already started on a glass of red wine that I’d missed her ordering.

  “Yeah, I think they get in around that time.” She tilted the glass to her lips then paused when she saw how hard I was staring. “I’m sorry. Did you want a glass? I didn’t order you one because I know you are cutting back. I figured I’d let you take the lead on that one. Who am I to force you to drink? Even if it is my birthday weekend and you’re making me run in a race that I had to come all the way to Florida for. Nope, I wouldn’t dare force you to have a glass of wine with me.” Angie turned the glass up and swallowed a gulp of wine then cut her eyes in my direction.

  Instantly I flagged down the barista. “I’ll have a glass of whatever she’s having.” I jerked my head in Angie’s direction. I took the edge of the glass between my lips and paused just long enough to mutter, “Passive-aggressive ass,” before rolling my eyes and taking a sip. Angie snickered and waited for my reaction. It had been weeks since any alcohol had hit my tongue and the bitter grapes against my tongue tasted like sweet nectar to me. I closed my eyes for a moment and savored the smoky flavor as it danced over my palate.

  “Mmm hmm. You missed that shit, huh?” Angie teased with a chuckle. I didn’t break the bond of my lips to the glass. Instead, I rolled my eyes again and took another sip of the cool liquid. Already I could feel it relaxing my body and I welcomed the ease as the waitress slid a plate of wings in front of me and a chicken club sandwich in front of Angie. Hunger overruled thirst and I set the wine glass gently on the bar and plucked a wing from the plate.

  “Maybe we could walk through Disneyland?” I said between chews. Right then I knew I was ravenous because I hardly ever talked with food in my mouth. In fact, it was one of my pet peeves. I paused long enough to finish my bite before continuing. “Do you think they’ll put us out for not buying a ticket to the park? “

  “Erin, there will be thousands of people in the park. I doubt they’ll be worried about us but the most we’d probably be able to see would be the theme park where we’re running,” Angie said before biting into her sandwich.

  “We could go to Sea World or see what else is around to look at. Ohhh! Better yet, let’s go on one of those alligator tours!!” I was getting excited. I wanted to do and see everything, but there wasn’t enough time. I’ll have to make another trip down to be a tourist. Site-seeing wasn’t the only thing that had me excited. I was giddy about the plans I’d made for Miami and nervous about how I was going to get my friends to go along with my plots. There was a reason I wanted to have Angie here first. I knew if she went along with my plans, the other girls would follow suit. I had already searched for gator tours before we arrived and found one that started at noon which gave us plenty of time to run the race, pack, shower and head to the tour site. I played it cool as I waited for Angie to agree.

  “An alligator tour could be cool. We definitely can’t do that in Chicago so I’m game!” Angie agreed like I knew she would. She wasn’t a big fan of going out of town to do things you could do at home. If we shopped, it needed to be in places we didn’t have back home for things we couldn’t get back home. Plus Angie was a bit of a daredevil, so it was easy to get her to agree to do something as unique as looking for alligators.

  “Great! I’ll talk to the clerk at the front desk about setting it up and I’ll meet you back in the room.” I watched Angie round the corner toward the elevator, then propped myself up against the bar and ordered another glass of wine. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.” I said with a longing gaze as I gripped the glass. I welcomed my old friend to my parted lips and relished the warming sensation creeping up my back and across my shoulders. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually felt genuinely buzzed from just a glass or two of wine and for some weird reason, for a second, I felt proud of myself. I’ve managed to stay away from both ass and alcohol for nearly a month. That is pretty damned impressive. I decided not to hold my weakened moments of self-gratification against me. All things considered, it was still quite an accomplishment. I swallowed the last bit of wine and paid the tab for me and Angie’s food and drinks. I love how she just knew I was paying. I smirked. It was Angie’s typical “birthday girl” behavior. She didn’t pay for shit on her birthday weekend. It was a standard she’d set years ago and had somehow managed to get people to go along with it.

  When I got to the room, Angie had showered, dressed and was propped up in her bed flipping channels on the TV. Damn this chick moves fast. She was clearly eager to be in relaxation mode so I didn’t bother her with conversation. I tossed my suitcase on the bed and rummaged around until I found my pajamas and running clothes. As I stepped into the shower, I thought about the race and how much it meant to me to be running in it. Even though it wasn’t a half marathon, it still felt good to be stepping out of what used to be my comfort zone. I realized that as the days passed, I felt less and less compelled by the life I’d once chosen to live. Now, I embraced each day and the adventure it held. In fact, I had begun to seek them. Each day I sought an opportunity to feel alive and each day in some small way, I found one. As I laid my head against the pillow, I closed my eyes and said a prayer of gratitude for my life and the new gifts that had been placed in it. I had a new zeal and thirst for life and for the first time ever I felt like I was living my life on my own terms and not for or because of anyone else. So that night my prayer was simple. Thank you.

  *****

  “Rise and shine,” Angie exclaimed as she pulled back the curtain. It was still dark out so I thought surely her gesture was for dramatic effect. I rolled over and squinted as Angie proceeded to turn on the desk lamp and the light on the nightstand. She turned up the volume on her iPod and let Justin Timberlake’s Suit & Tie blast as she danced around the room. “Get up Erin! Get up and get your mind right for this run!”

  �
�It’s only six miles Ange! I think I’m ready,” I mumbled and attempted to pull the covers over my head. Angie snatched them back. I sat up in the bed and shoved the wayward lock of hair dangling in my face behind my ear. “Besides, I need quiet to prepare.” I pleaded. “I like to meditate!” It was obvious my plea fell on deaf ears. Angie proceeded to twirl around the room singing at the top of her lungs. I ambled into the bathroom, brushed my teeth, washed my face and touched up the bun tightly coiled on the back of my head. When I came out, Angie was fully dressed and had rolled into song number two to which she was humming and gyrating. Accepting the fact that there would be no meditation in m future, I joined in on the chorus of I’m Every Woman and shimmied into my running pants. We danced and sang our way out of the room and toward the elevator and I pushed the down button.

  My phone buzzed in my Fanny-pack and I reached to retrieve it. “I can’t believe you actually bought that thing.” Angie smirked and shook her head. “I was joking when I put it on the counter with the rest of your running gear.” I poked my lip out and feigned and offended pout as I pulled out my phone.

  “What? This thing comes in handy! Besides, that hip-holster you wear isn’t too different from mine!” I glanced down at the pouch strapped around Angie’s waist. Sure, it was shaped a little different but we were both using them for the same purpose and in my eyes, she too was wearing a Fanny-pack. My phone shook again in my hand and I glanced down at the screen and saw two messages there. I clicked on the first message. It was from Josh:

  Good Morning Erin! I know today is your big day! Enjoy your race and the rest of your time in Florida. Watch out for alligators and bring me back a souvenir!

  I smiled down at the phone and sent back a “Thank you” text. The next message was from Mike:

  Good morning beautiful! I don’t need to wish you luck because I know you’re gonna kill it out there today. I hate that I won’t be there to cheer you on and to give you a well-deserved rubdown afterward, lol! Seriously though, have a great run and enjoy your trip! I can’t wait for you to come back so we can get back to work on your new singing career!

  I smirked at that message and text him “Thanks. I’ll take a rain check on that rubdown.” Two different messages from two very different men. Even though they both offered the same sentiment, each text had affected me differently. It was right there in front of me, the sweet versus the spicy. Together they were a perfect match. Josh and Mike were like cayenne pepper in chocolate. The initial sensation was sweet and comforting, but the aftertaste was vibrant and hot. Together they both stimulated and satisfied. I can’t think about this right now. I shook my head gently to scatter the thoughts. A glance to my right found Angie, arms crossed, with her nose turned up and giving me a knowing sideward glare.

  “What’s the matter with your face ma’am,” I asked fighting back a smile.

  “Nothing Miss Polyamorous! I see you’re still playing both sides!” Before I could protest the fact that Angie had been spying over my shoulder she chimed in. “That’s right! I saw your little text messages from your two boy toys. I guess you and Josh must be getting along much better now, huh? And you and Mike?!! Well, judging from your reply, celibacy is just a vow waiting to be broken” Angie laughed full out as she shook her head and gave me a look that screamed, “Hopeless.”

  My response was quick and laced with attitude. Maybe even a bit too much, but I forged on. “We are friends Angela! We support one another in our efforts to grow and change. Josh is working on some things within himself too, so he understands what I’m doing and what I’m going through. That’s all. As for Mike and I, we are working on a project for a performance at an open-mike night in a few months. That’s it… mostly.” I knew my overly emotional response had given me away if my eyes weren’t doing it now. Angie knew me too well for me to even fake like I didn’t feel anything for Josh and Mike and I knew she was about to call me on my shit.

  “Whatever,” Angela said. “Have you and Mike slept together again recently? I saw you two at the park the other day and even if you are just working with him right now, it will be more than that very soon!” She gave me a look that said, “You know I’m right” and truthfully, I knew that she was. I flashed back to how I’d nearly come unglued at Mike’s house the other day and how little Adrian had so unsuspectingly been my saving grace. I decreed right then that any future sessions needed to have Mike’s son in attendance if I had any hope of maintaining my resolve. That’s not a very practical request. I countered mentally. It wasn’t fair to use Adrian as a barrier between me and Mike. I was an adult and needed to keep my ass and hormones in check. Thoughts of Mike dissipated as little Adrian appeared in my head. He was so sweet and well-mannered. Where is his mother? How could any mother not love such a sweet, respectful boy? I considered asking Mike about it all when I got back. There was still so much I didn’t know about him and I still wanted to know it all. Angie hadn’t said a word the entire time I was lost in my thoughts. How rude of me. I committed then, that the remainder of the trip would be all about Angie and the rest of my friends. There was plenty of time to worry about Josh and Mike when I got home. This weekend was about my girls.

  We arrived at the amusement park and checked in at the registration desk. It was official, I was runner number 1222. I was surprised to see so many runners in attendance. Most of them were families. Seeing so many children around had me second guessing. These kids can run six miles. I was either old as hell or completely out of shape. Either way, there was no point in dwelling on it now. Today I was running a 10K and gonna rock the shit out of it and I’d be damned if I was gonna let some little kids show me up!

  The weather was considerably warmer than when I ran back home and the sun was only beginning to creep up over the horizon. The burst of sunshine prompted me to survey the scenery around me. My breath caught in my chest as I took in the Tree of Life carving. Etched in the base of a tree were the most tremendous details of wildlife. I walked over and resisted the urge to hop the fence and forage through strategically placed bushes to run my fingers across the detail of an ape and tortoise and a bear. Whomever the artist was, had given each animal life, although their images were undoubtedly petrified in the wood, in which they were created. A sadness rested atop my chest as I faced the fact that this was a time my photographic memory would need to capture and hold on to the details of every moment. I wanted to feel the curves of the wood beneath my fingers and burn them organically in my mind, but I knew it wasn’t possible. I scanned every minute detail I could take in before I heard the call for us to gather. This will all make it to a canvas for sure. I thought before Angie tugged my arm. “Come on, let’s go over here and stretch.” I unenthusiastically followed her lead and settled in an open space she found where we stretched and prepared for the race. “You good Erin?” Angie eyed me with inquisition.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just taking in all the beauty around me.” I said, taking a final scan of the park. A few minutes later we were instructed to line up. Soon thereafter, the man on the microphone began a countdown and when the gun sounded, people took off running. I shifted my thoughts to the activity at hand. Focus Erin. Breathe. Listen to your rhythm. More than anything I wanted to finish strong. After all, I’d been training pretty regularly for this so it was officially “put up or shut up” time.

  From the beginning of the race, Angie and I had trotted along at a steady pace and even managed to keep up comfortable conversation. It wasn’t until midway through the race that a faint churning began in my stomach. I dismissed it for about a mile past the initial feeling before I began to sweat profusely and the watery taste of bile flooded my taste buds. I slowed my pace some and took down some water to fight against the sudden urge to vomit.

  “Maybe we should have eaten something this morning,” Angie said with concern as she reached into her waist pouch and pulled out an energy bar. “Here! Eat half of this. It should be enough to settle your stomach without making you sick. Are you sure you
want to continue?”

  “Yes,” I breathed. “I’m fine. I just got a little overheated all of a sudden. I’m ok now.” I gnawed on a corner of the bar that tasted like tree bark and oats. “The energy bar helped.” I showed a weak smile. It was all a lie! I felt queasy and hot. I wiped away the sweat that began to trickle down my forehead. Despite feeling like I’d been hit by a car, I managed to maintain my slowed pace and trudged forward.

  The race that should have taken us about an hour ended up taking closer to an hour and a half. I finished the race and immediately collapsed down onto the concrete. I chugged some more water in the hope of shaking off whatever had come over me. “Maybe it was running in the warmer weather or maybe I didn’t hydrate enough,” I said weakly between pants. Slowly I felt my body temperature regulate as I swallowed down the remainder of water in my bottle.

  Angie sat down next to me, concern etched across her face. “Maybe we should go back to the hotel so you can lie down before we get on the road this afternoon.”