You Belong With Me (20 page)

              Michael’s face turned hard and his mouth formed a tight straight line.
Oops.
Maybe she shouldn’t have let that slip after all. They reached the barbeque booth in silence and Layla ordered Jane’s sandwich, a bag of chips and a drink.

              The cute guy taking the orders grinned at her. “I could swear I’ve seen you before. You know, if you wanted to ask me out, all you had to do was say so. You don’t have to waste your money on another sandwich you won’t eat. The answer is yes,” he said, flirting outrageously with her.

              Layla laughed, amused by the young man’s swagger. “You’re just a little young for me, don’t you think?” she said, taking the plate of food from him.

              The guy leaned over the counter, resting his elbows on the wooden counter. “There’s a reason going out with cougars is so hot.”

              Layla raised an eyebrow, her eyes twinkling at him. “Yeah, what’s that?” she asked, well aware that Michael was standing to the side listening to everything and staring murderously at the guy.

              “Because Cougars are hot. My name’s Jason by the way. You know what? You really need to watch the fireworks with me later.”

              Layla stuck her hand in her pocket and grabbed her money. Michael threw a ten dollar bill on the counter, grabbed her hand and dragged her away before she could answer Jason.

              “Hey!” she squeaked, Jason yelled something but they were out of hearing range and she couldn’t make it out.

              They reached a clearing of trees and Michael stopped, turning around to face her. “Flirting with that kid? Why would you do that right in front of me?”

              Layla rolled her eyes. “He was at least twenty and
he
was the one flirting. I wasn’t. Besides, you and I do not have a relationship. There is no commitment here,” she said, pointing back and forth between them. “Because if there was, you wouldn’t be dating your ex-wife,” she said becoming completely serious.

              Michael looked down at his feet. “I’m not
dating
her Layla. Doesn’t the fact that I love you mean anything?”

              Layla shrugged and looked away. “No Michael, it doesn’t,” she said and then winced at his hurt expression. “We’ve already gone over this. You’re the one who came to me and told me that Ashley was the same girl you used to know and that for Stella’s sake you wanted to see if you could make it work. How am I the bad guy here?”

              Michael, ran his hands through his hair, looking more and more tense and upset. “Yeah, I said that, but I’ve been regretting it ever since. Ashley
is
the same girl I used to know, but that’s the problem. She’s still a girl. She told me she was ready to be a mother and a wife. But I’m not so sure Layla. It turns out she didn’t pass the bar exam. She’s trying to figure out what to do next and so she gave in to her parent’s pressure and came to see Stella. She told me her parents drove her past my house and that’s when she knew she wanted to reconnect with me. Now that I’m doing well professionally, she’s willing to give it a try. I know she’ll leave again Layla.”

              Layla’s eyes went wide as she looked away from Michael’s tormented face.
Wow
. “And Stella? How will that affect Stella if her mother leaves again?”

              Michael stepped forward and grabbed Layla’s hand in his. “It’ll crush her. She needs someone who she’ll always be able to depend on. Someone who will love her no matter what.
I do to
Layla
. Please don’t shut me out,” he said quietly, stepping closer.

              Layla still had Jane’s lunch in her other hand, so she couldn’t push him away. She wasn’t sure if she could or even if she wanted to, but she knew she should.

              “Look, I feel for what you and Ashley are dealing with here. It won’t be easy making room for each other in your lives. You’ll both have to be tolerant and patient with each other and the people you are now. I think if you both agreed to see a family counselor the transition would be a little smoother. I can get you a few recommendations if you’d like,” she said in a toneless voice.

              Michael glared at her. “Why are you going all social worker on me? I don’t want the social worker. I want you,” he said, his face close to hers.

              Layla looked into his eyes and felt her heart ache. When would looking at him stop hurting?

              “Well, you don’t need
me
. You need a social worker. Sorry Michael. Go back to your wife and child and just . . . , just leave me alone please,” she said softly pulling her hand out of Michael’s now limp grasp.

              She ignored the pain on his face as she turned and hurried away, reaching her own booth within minutes. She walked around the counter and handed Jane the bag and then took over her spot so she could eat. Kit looked at her oddly and Jane frowned, but they didn’t ask and she didn’t volunteer anything.              

              An hour later, she watched as her two sisters made it halfway up the greased pole before slipping down, squealing and laughing and she felt her bruised heart expand in love. Seeing Kit laugh so freely and seeing Jane enjoying herself made even the pain worthwhile. Being here with her sisters was the best decision she’d ever made.

              “Layla!” Kit and Jane called to her, motioning with their hands. Layla grinned and stared up at the pole. If Jane and Kit couldn’t do it, there’s no way she could.

              Kit walked over and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the pole. She groaned in embarrassment as she realized all the noise Kit and Jane were making had drawn a crowd. She glanced around and closed her eyes in exasperation.
Of course
. Michael, Ashley and Stella were now standing on the outskirts of the circle, watching her and her sisters.

              Jane, oblivious of Michael, walked to her older sister and held a twenty dollar bill high in the air. “Twenty dollars says there’s no way you can climb that pole,” she said with a sneer and a western drawl that had Kit and Layla cracking up.

              Kit dug in her pockets for money to counter the bet, but she was out.

              “I have a hundred dollars that says she can,” Michael said, stepping forward and holding a one hundred dollar bill in his hand.

              Layla glared at Michael. She’d just barely told him to back off and here he was again. She walked over to him and leaned up to whisper in his ear. “Why won’t you listen?” she demanded.

              Michael looked down into her face, not smiling as his eyes drank her in. “How can I listen to you tell me to back off? I can’t. It goes against everything my heart is telling me to do.”

              Layla felt like kicking him in the shins. “Take your hundred dollar bill and . . .,” she said, her eyes narrowing dangerously, before Michael put a finger over her lips as a grin split his face.

              “Temper, temper,” he said before glancing around the crowd. “I think she’s scared. Let’s give her some encouragement,” he shouted, clapping his hands and motioning for the crowd to join in.

              Layla rolled her eyes and then turned her back on Michael. She was going to win his hundred dollar bill if it killed her. And then she’d use it to buy the ugliest set of dishes she could find for his and Ashley’s wedding present.

              Kit and Jane smiled worriedly at her as she walked over to the pole. “Uh, sorry,” Jane muttered, as she put her twenty back in her pocket. “I forgot you hate attention,” she said, wincing as at least fifty people had wandered over to see what was going on.

              Kit winced and patted her sister on the back. “We’ll both kill Jane afterwards if it will make you feel better. I still owe her a mouthful of Crisco anyways.”

              Layla nodded her head. “It’s a plan. Okay, here goes major public humiliation,” she said and put her arms around the pole. She was in pretty good shape since she’d been doing yoga for the last two years. Sometimes it was the only thing that would help her relax after a stressful day on the job. Her toned muscles wouldn’t be able to help her though if she couldn’t get a grip.

              “You can do it sweetheart,” Michael yelled behind her.

              Layla turned her head and glared at Michael for using the endearment and when she saw his unapologetic grin, she felt a burst of anger ignite inside. She started to climb and envisioned the pole as Michael’s neck. Every time she grabbed hold of the warm metal she squeezed the life out of him. Within eight minutes she was within six inches of the top. She ignored the screaming and yelling and kept going. She felt her body slip slightly. Although the grease had been practically wiped off from the hundreds of people trying the pole throughout the afternoon, not many had gotten so high, so it was starting to get more and more slick.

              “Jump up and touch the top!” Michael yelled. “That’s all you have to do is just touch the top ring!”

              Layla, breathing heavy now from the exertion looked up, her muscles screaming and begging her to let go and slip down the pole. She looked down at the crowd below her and felt herself slip another inch. And then she saw Ashley, standing next to Stella and Michael. She was laughing.
At her
. Layla closed her eyes and bunched all of her muscles, ready to spring. She was getting that hundred dollar bill or she would die trying. She leaped up, her fingers stretched out.

              And touched it.

              She grabbed on to the ring, holding tight for a minute, so the crowd could see she had truly done it before sliding slowly down the pole. As soon as her feet touched the grass, she was grabbed in a double hug by Jane and Kit as the crowd roared in delight.

              “You are so disgusting,” Jane said gleefully, staring at the dirty grease all over her older sister.

              Layla laughed as she looked down at her ruined t-shirt and cutoff jeans covered in black greasy streaks. The short, bald man in charge of the pole climb walked over with a large stuffed teddy bear almost as big as her.

              “You’re the first winner today. You deserve it,” he said handing the bear to her. Layla stared down at the large bear and knew Bubba would rip it to pieces the first chance he got. She caught sight of Stella and smiled as she walked over to her.

              “Would you like this teddy bear Stella?” she asked, standing the bear beside the girl. The teddy bear was taller by three inches.

              Stella stared at her in awe. “
Me?
You want to give your teddy bear to
me
?” she asked, reaching out to touch the bear’s soft fur in awe.

              Layla laughed and nodded. “I want you to have him. What do you say?”

              “Um, we better not accept. It’s just too big to be honest. It’ll take up half her room,” Ashley said, coming to stand next to her daughter.

              Stella’s face fell immediately and Layla looked away, her smile fading at the pointless cruelty.

              “Stella, you may have the teddy bear. Tell Layla thank you. It’s time to leave.” Michael said, coming to stand next to Layla.

              Stella’s eyes went wide again and she reached out to hold the bear, her arms only able to reach half way around the bear’s back it was so big.

              “Michael, is that wise? You know we’ll just end up giving the thing to Goodwill anyways,” Ashley said, sounding irritated at being countermanded.

              Michael looked like he wanted to say something but bit his lip. “I believe this is yours,” he said, holding the one hundred dollar bill out to Layla.

              Layla raised an eyebrow at Michael and took the bill, slipping it into her pocket. “Thanks.”

              Michael smiled at her and then lifted the large stuffed animal and sticking it under his arm. “I knew you wouldn’t give up,” he said quietly and then took his daughter’s hand and walked away as Stella shouted her joyful thanks.

              Ashley waited until Michael and Stella were a few feet away before stepping closer to her, twitching her nose distastefully at all the dirt and grease Layla was covered with. “Bribing a little girl with a stupid stuffed animal to like you is pathetic. You’re wasting your time. Stella is
my
daughter. Remember that,” she spit out and stomped away.

              Layla frowned after the angry woman as her sisters came to stand beside her.

              “She’s right Layla. Bribing Stella in order to get her to like you better than Ashley is really low,” Kit said with a sad shake of her head.

              Jane snorted but jumped in. “Yeah Layla. Kind of tacky. If you really want to bribe Stella, just give her Bubba.”

              Layla grinned and shook her head. “Come on you two brats, let’s go take down the booth. The show is over.”

              After cleaning up and taking down their signs, Jane’s date for the night showed up and helped them stow all the coolers in the back of her car. They waved to Jane and Trevor and then she and Kit hurried home, both exhausted. After showering, they ended the night sitting on beach chairs on their top deck, watching the colorful explosions paint the sky. But when it came time to go to bed, she lay there, not sleeping. All she could think of was Michael’s face right before she’d walked away from him. He’d looked so lost and hopeless. But there was nothing she could do about it. This thing between him and Ashley needed to play out. If she manipulated anything, it would just come back to hurt them in the future.

Chapter 17 – Sabotage

              Max came by on her way out of town at eight o’clock, just as the sisters were turning on the kitchen lights. Since it was Sunday, they’d had the rare privilege of sleeping in. Max surprised everyone by giving each sister a big hug and a surprisingly sweet smile.

              “I’m so glad I can leave Fircrest knowing you girls have everything in hand. Everyone I talked to at the parade yesterday was excited for you girls to take over. This town is happy to have Belinda’s up and running again, they’re behind you. I won’t have to spend any time worrying about ya. Belinda would be proud. Yes she would.”