Restored (2 page)

***

“So maybe you have a guardian angel?” Ashley teased Lexi. Ashley was still dressed in her work clothes, a slim-cut blazer with a knee-length skirt, gray pinstripe. She rarely looked anything less than perfect, a trademark of hers.

The house was open on the first floor—with a large double window behind the sofa, where diffused evening light trickled inside. Ashley sat on the edge of the sofa, intently looking at Lexi, who lay on the cushions. Ashley was Lexi’s cousin as well as her roommate. After Lexi’s mother died, Ashley insisted that Lexi move from Florida to Maine to live with her.

To prepare for her new job, Lexi had gone to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to switch her driver’s license to an up-to-date Maine license. Beginning Monday, she would be working full time, and there wouldn’t be time to do the little things. Unfortunately, these little things were important. She was now a resident of Caribou, Maine, and her identification needed to reflect that.

“Do you know how many times that I’ve hurt myself and no one came to save me? If I had a guardian angel, don’t you think I could have used him before today?” Lexi paused momentarily. “Only God knows what I even said to him. You know how I am with blood… It’s ridiculous. I knew I was in trouble when my ears started to ring.” Lexi rubbed at her forehead, reliving the light-headed feeling that had hit her right before she’d fainted. “You know that feeling. First your hearing goes, then your vision, and in the tangle of it all, you can’t stand upright anymore.”

“No, luckily, I don’t really know that feeling. Blood doesn’t bother me,” Ashley said.

“I managed to get out of the building before I went down.” Lexi knew all too well what it was like to pass out, having done so on multiple occasions that involved blood.

She lay semireclined on the sofa, and a pillow rested under her foot. She looked tattered, her blond hair on her pillow rippling in waves that were just as defiant as her own personality. Her ornately dressed injured foot looked like a birthday present—it only missed a proper bow.

“So you forgot his name?”

Lexi figured Ashley was angling for at least a partial name to go on so she could figure out the identity of Lexi’s rescuer.

“I could barely remember my own name when he asked it. I think his name began with a
C
, or was it an
A
? Nope, I can’t remember. He was handsome though. I do remember that much. I mean, if that helps at all.” Lexi held her index finger on her chin, in deep thought. Thinking about the doctor’s kiss reminded her of Justin, her ex-boyfriend who’d cheated on her right after her mother’s death. Justin’s kisses were raw and hormonal like that of a frat boy. He didn’t take the time to meet her needs of an intimate connection. The care her rescuer had given her transferred into his every touch, especially in his kiss. Justin tarnished the way she thought about relationships. He’d only been out for himself. Lexi found solace in the fact that she hadn’t lost her virginity to him. She would have given herself to him, had longed for him, but that was a bullet she’d dodged.

“I guess we won’t know the identity of this Good Samaritan,” Ashley said with disappointment in her voice. “Well, did you get everything else taken care of?”

Lexi was pulled out of her personal torture with Ashley’s questions. “Luckily yes, I had already been to Verizon, TD Bank, and I even bought myself a new lunch bag for work and a few new outfits,” Lexi said as she adjusted the pillow under her foot.

“Need some Advil for that?” Ashley nodded toward Lexi’s injured toe.

“Yes please.”

Since Lexi had stumbled through the front door, Ashley had nursed and tended to her. Ashley had even offered to freshen the dressing, but Lexi knew it was too early for that. The dressing was still in good shape—and so prettily wrapped—and if the toe was disturbed, then Lexi would probably pass out or get sick. Ashley had brought in Lexi’s shopping bags and even programmed some phone numbers in Lexi’s new cell phone, including Ashley’s, Mike’s—Ashley’s boyfriend—the power company, a few local restaurants, and a local cabby’s number.

“Well, that’s good. You probably won’t have too much time once you start work next week.” Ashley handed Lexi two Advil pills and a small glass of water.

“Shoot, I just hope that I’ll be able to wear shoes come Monday. I can see it now. They’ll already regret hiring me when I stumble in there in flip-flops,” Lexi said as she glared at the foot in question.

“I’m sure we’ll come up with something before then. Don’t worry. It’s still a few days away. Maybe it’ll be getting better by then.”

“You have no idea how relieved I am to have a job. I mean, what a weight off my shoulders. I thought that maybe I would have to work at McDonald’s with high-school students until something more substantial came along,” Lexi said. She set the drained water glass on the coffee table. She’d taken unpleasant jobs in the past, because she’d had to. Her mom had told her she was building character, but really it solidified a fear she couldn’t shake—there wasn’t enough jobs or money to go around. Mom hadn’t indulged her much—there was never money or time for that.

“I told you it would work out… Mike put in a good word for you. I’m sure that didn’t hurt your odds.”

Lexi smiled at Ashley. Mike’s brother worked at a local clinic, and it had a job opening. With Mike’s backing, Lexi was offered the job by the clinic’s founding physician. Lexi hadn’t yet met Mike’s brother to properly thank him.

“I didn’t get to meet his brother, unless he was an older man. I was interviewed by a lady and by an older gentleman named Dr. Hale. I’m grateful though. I’m sure that was the pull I needed.” She’d had a hard time finding a job in Tampa, where the population was as vast as the available jobs.

“Ha! Well, Mike’s brother is older than him, but only by a couple of years, like two or three, tops. Not at all what you would call an older man. I wish he was single. You’d make a terrific pair! His girlfriend is a piece of work. We can’t even do couple things with them.”

Lexi smiled politely, not having anything to add. She didn’t know Mike’s brother or the girlfriend, so it was a dead conversation.

Ashley ordered a delivery pizza for dinner—both were hungry, and ordering a pizza would be faster than cooking. Once alone, Lexi tried to clean up her purse. After her fall, all of her purse’s contents were just thrown back inside. She was finally able to put her license in her wallet properly. She noticed a small, folded-up piece of yellow paper with a phone number on it, but no name. She’d forgotten that he’d given her that. She wished it had his name on it. Then she could at least call to thank him. She wouldn’t just call him up not knowing his name. That conversation would be too awkward. She pushed the small piece of paper behind her license in her wallet, deciding to hold on to it for safekeeping. Maybe his name would surface at some point. Even though she couldn’t recall his name, she remembered how he tasted. His facial hair had bristled across her face and tickled her lips. He’d taken her by surprise, a memory etched on her mind. Just the thought of the way his skin smelled gave her goose bumps. There was something about that stolen kiss that seemed so intimate, so right…

***

When Caleb pulled into his driveway, he could see Benjamin sitting in one of the porch windows on the inside. Benjamin was a large brown tabby Maine Coon that Corrine had rescued shortly after Caleb started dating her. Benjamin technically lived with Corrine, but he seemed more at home at Caleb’s house. Corrine wasn’t a naturally caring person, and Caleb had been confounded when she brought home the small, fluffy kitten. Benjamin knew his master though, so he gave most of his attention to Caleb.

The lights lit up his restored shingle house. A shiver rippled down his back as he realized that Corrine was there. He’d expected her to be there but had hoped that she would somehow vanish from his life.

When Caleb attended events with Corrine, other men were jealous of him for having her on his arm. Corrine looked like the total package—long, sleek dark hair, angelic face, ample curves, prestigious job, and a car that packed speed. Her aspirations were only wallet deep. Caleb was at a point where he wanted to settle down. Corrine wasn’t a good girlfriend, and she certainly wouldn’t be a good wife.

Now that he had someone else on his mind, he couldn’t tolerate Corrine’s crap any longer. Her hot temper and silent treatment. Her demands that he work around her schedule. Her incessant whining about her subordinates at work.

He’d kissed another woman, and he wished that he hadn’t let her just drive away. It surprised him how innocent he felt after kissing Lexi, without a twinge of guilt. He had been with Corrine for nearly two years, and initially they’d worked well, but something had changed. She became more demanding about spending time with her, but less understanding of his career. At first he’d thought she was just going through a rough spell—one that had started a few months after they’d met. Unfortunately, Corrine had retained the haughty attitude. Caleb had asked if she wanted out of the relationship, as he’d wanted his freedom from her. But she always seemed to hook him back and make him feel guilty to even consider leaving her. Tears never fell on her cheeks, but he didn’t want to be the source of her pain.

And he’d recently learned about her family’s history of mental illness. Her aunt was institutionalized at the Dorthea Dix Psychiatric Center in Bangor. Corrine’s aunt had been at the institution for as long as she could remember, though she had never met her aunt in person. Corrine didn’t exhibit symptoms of a mental illness—she was just selfish and self-obsessed. Corrine always got her own way, a fact Caleb knew all too well.

As Caleb walked up the steps and onto the porch, the vibrations from the television’s volume rattled the floorboards. Corrine turned up the volume when she was in the kitchen so she could hear the television from the living room. Caleb stopped to pet Benjamin before seeking out Corrine. For a cat, Benjamin needed as much attention as a dog. Not happy to be left alone, he hung around Caleb, swishing around his legs and laying across his computer keyboard.

Caleb turned the volume down on the television and headed toward the kitchen. Seeing Corrine would only dampen his mood. He rather liked that Lexi clouded his mind. There was something about her that made him feel lighter, whereas Corrine made him feel weighed down.

He found Corrine sitting on the granite countertop, sipping a fruit smoothie, the blender beside her on the counter. She looked up at Caleb as he neared. Her eyes were large and looked full of accusations. Caleb’s throat constricted, and his stomach knotted.

Corrine worked as a pharmaceutical rep, and she earned a substantial commission. She could get doctors to push her products even without buying the office an obligatory lunch. Her smile and low-cut blouses kept her commission flowing. She was flirtatious when it meant professional gain. Caleb wasn’t threatened by this, as she’d long sold herself on him. She kept him on his toes by taking him to social events—she networked like no one else could. There were also glimpses of the girl he thought she was—surprise lunches, flowers to his parents’ on their anniversary every year, and building up his confidence with compliments. Was it enough though? Somehow the scale was still off balance.

Corrine sat on the counter looking casual, but Caleb knew better. Corrine wasn’t known for her pleasant feminine attributes alone—she was a brewing storm. She was more observant than most people, with her catlike ability to remain sly all while hiding her true agenda. Her senses seemed to be superhuman. How did she do it? The keen look in her eye said it all—there’d be hell to pay. She looked down, her smooth blackish-brown hair cascading forward, and her lips were poked out in a pout. When Caleb walked silently across the tiled floor, she lifted her head. Caleb looked into her eyes. They were red rimmed. Had she been crying? He would have to break things off with this strong-minded woman. Not easy.

Caleb leaned against the counter. “What’s going on?” Calming her down would be the first hurdle, a difficult task on its own. His stomach clenched. If there was no hope of something more, he’d take what Corrine dished. Hurting her was never his intent.

“Nothing. I was just waiting for you,” she said flatly.

“Well, here I am…” Caleb said. She’d trapped him for two years now. The sex had been unbelievable at first, but he’d been through enough with her, and even that wasn’t great anymore.

“That’s just it, Caleb. You’re here, but you’re not giving me what I need.” Her voice was livelier but still disconnected. Control was what she wanted, and she usually managed to accomplish that.

What she said only fueled Caleb, and with clarity he rebelled. She’d meant to hurt him, but this time Caleb saw his escape. He sighed and rested an elbow on the counter. “I don’t see how this will ever really work. We’ve tried for too long… I’m tired, Corrine.” When he realized he’d actually spoken out loud, he was just as surprised that he’d said it that plainly. Other times he’d tried to end it, he wasn’t as honest. And that hadn’t worked.

“You know what, Caleb? How could you be tired? I’m the only one who’s ever worked at this relationship!” Veins stood out on in her neck as she yelled.

“Think what you will, Corrine! I don’t want to fight with you anymore. That’s partly what I mean. You’re always up for a fight, always with your claws out, and for what? Nothing! You can say what you what, but I know that what we have isn’t healthy. I want more for myself. You should want more for yourself too.” The constriction of his chest eased as he told her what he’d resisted saying before. It had been bottled up far too long.

Corrine scowled at him and dropped the glass she was holding. Shards of glass danced across the tiled floor as the berry-colored liquid oozed into the mortar between the tiles. “You still love me!” She hopped off the counter, avoiding the shattered glass, snatched her purse, and picked up Benjamin, who hissed as he was jostled.

“He can stay, you know,” Caleb said, gesturing to Benjamin.

Corrine turned toward the door without a word, her red-bottomed high-heeled shoes clicking against the hardwood floor in the living room. Caleb watched her go, her Fiat’s taillights speeding away without hesitation.