When it did finally happen, the scary part was that the actual sex was better than the fantasy I’d built up in my mind. Lisa Felton and I clicked between the sheets so well that it frankly scared me a little. If I’d been more mature when it happened, we might have ended up being a couple.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, actively told me that Lisa and I were a mistake, and I folded under the pressure like a house of cards in a stiff wind.
Looking back, that might be one of my greatest regrets.
Billy’s cancer had gotten me out of my head long enough to look at Lisa as more than the girl that got my motor running. Volunteering to spend time with cancer patients has a way of changing the focus of your thoughts from yourself to others. It allowed Lisa and me to take a step back and decide to be friends.
So, when I got my mom’s message that Billy was back in the hospital, a lot of old feelings rushed back. I liked the kid and wanted to go see him. I bailed on my flight instrument training class with Cassidy and talked Paul into going with me.
Of course, we had to take the Demon, and I had to drive. I worried that Cassidy would kill me later when she found out I’d taken it. I’d told her that there was probably salt on the road, and I didn’t want to worry about it rusting my baby’s undercarriage.
When I got to his room, I found Billy watching TV.
“David! I wondered if you’d come to visit me. Your mother stopped by with Mayor Duke this morning, and I asked about you. She wanted me to remind you that you haven’t been to church,” Billy said.
Billy went to my church and was involved in the youth group there.
“I was away shooting a Japanese drama series. I planned to be back this Sunday.”
“Maybe I’ll get to see you there.”
“Does that mean you’re getting out?” I asked.
“Let’s hope so. I came in for a follow-up, and they found the cancer had returned. They caught it early, so they started me back up on the treatment that worked last time. They want me to stay for a couple of days to make sure there aren’t any complications. If my test results are good in the morning, I’m outta here,” Billy said.
I was relieved when I heard the news. We chatted for a while, and I invited him to a baseball game in the spring after he got out.
◊◊◊
I was starving, so I headed to the diner for some of their fried chicken and pie. From the restaurant’s entrance, through the window, I saw Joey Marshall sliding into a booth and getting a menu. I stood there like a stalker, watching her.
“We going in?” Paul asked.
“Go and grab a seat at the counter. Order what you want,” I told him.
Paul followed my gaze and shook his head. He went in, and Kim Sun, a former cheerleader at Lincoln High, waited on him.
Joey was my strength and conditioning coach, and technically off-limits. In my head, I played the ‘what if’ game. What if I just walked away and did the right thing? What if I went in and sat down just to talk to her?
The problem was, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. When I first met Joey, I didn’t know she worked for the high school. I had to admit I’d had impure thoughts. But I’d tried to push those aside because I wanted her help in getting me in shape to play ball this spring. I didn’t want my desire to get in the way of my success.
Playing the ‘what if’ game helped me convince myself that I could walk away if I needed to. I could just be friendly and stop by and say ‘Hi.’ What would be the harm in that? I watched her intently read the menu. She looked on edge. I wondered if she was always like that. When we worked out, she was utterly focused. I wondered if she ever had any fun.
I couldn’t just stand there and stare at her. Nor did I need to add anything that wasn’t professional to our relationship. I shifted and started to dig for the keys in my pocket, turning away. Then she did it. Joey reached up and ran her fingers through her hair.
That simple act reminded me she was sexy as hell. Crud! I chuckled because she was my older version of Lisa Felton. I had a moment of clarity and realized I would burn in Hell for this.
Rather than stand there and contemplate my likely damnation, I pushed through the door of the diner and found it filled with hospital staff. It was a weekday evening, so there were mostly nurses and doctors. Some glanced my way and smiled, but I ignored their looks and focused on my goal. I stopped behind her booth, but she was so engrossed in her menu that she didn’t notice me. But I knew it was just an act. I’d seen her glance up when I came in.
I slid into the seat across from her. She looked up, and I saw a flash of irritation touch her blue eyes.
“You need to leave. This doesn’t look right.”
“It’s just dinner, Joey. No big deal,” I said.
“David!”
Why did her saying my name make me envision her calling it out in passion? This was wrong. She was right; I shouldn’t be here with her. Time to acknowledge it.
“I should go,” I said, admitting defeat.
I started to slide out of the booth.
“David, wait.”
