Page 23 of Almost Had You

I groan, hook my bag in my elbow and brush my dress down on the sides. “You better, Mercer Ballentine.”

He points at me and winks. “You, me, and frozen sugar, sugar. I’m going to get a workout in. I left a bag of clothes in Bentley’s truck. Figured it would come in handy if I was making plans with you. We seem to ruin or lose clothing for sport.”

I can’t help but laugh, even if I’m shaking my head at the same time. We part ways. The walk to the Slippy Egg, where I’m meeting Tannie for lunch only takes five minutes. It’s right next to Dixie Swirl and Dizzy Rocket is right across the street from that. Mercer was making a joke about asking where we’re eating, there’s only one spot. On a typical day, most of the people in this restaurant are travelers passing through. They need gas and food and we have it. I wave at the waitress and take a seat at a two-seater table in the corner against the window. I open my laptop and connect to the spotty Wi-Fi to open the maps back up.

I spend fifteen minutes doing research on the area and mapping different locations until Tannie breezes in the door and takes a seat in front of me. Alabama heat still clings to her skin. She drinks down the water directly after she sits. “Spill it,” Tannie says, catching her breath. She waves our waitress over and orders the usual chicken sandwich, and I get the same. You have to eat it fried if you want to ensure you won’t get sick. All the locals know it. I can spot the travelers who don’t. Poor souls.

“He didn’t call after he said he would,” I explain, keeping it loose. “Mercer was busy with his friends and family and he just didn’t have a chance. That’s all. We’re meeting tonight. He apologized.” Sort of.

“Busy? Yeah, he was busy with someone else, Clover. Don’t be stupid. Think about the man. Where he’s been. How long he’s been without a woman’s touch. Mercer’s been busy alright, but don’t buy his brand of horse manure.” My throat clogs. She’s right. “He’d call an alligator a lizard to get laid, sweetie.”

This is tricky area. Tannie dates more—has more experience, but she’s also been known for giving some pretty terrible advice. “Are you sure? Did you see him with someone? Together? I don’t think that’s what he’s after.” It’s not what he’s making me seem he’s after. It could be all for show.

Tannie scoffs, points at her cup to signal she needs more water to the waitress and meets my eyes. “He’s after anything that says yes, he’s a military man without any responsibilities at the moment.” I can believe her and turn more tricks to find out if it’s truth, or I can deliver the message I need her to hear.

I shrug, brushing it off. “I’ll talk to him. Hey, I have to tell you something else. Something really important that you can’t talk about. Okay?”

Tannie’s blue eyes light up like a neon sign. “It may come as a shock, but I’m moving to Cape Cod to cut hair in my cousin Goldie’s salon. I haven’t told my parents, and I sort of hid beauty school from everyone. I’ve been sneaking around trying to make my dreams come true and this is what I want to do. What I’ve always wanted to do. To be a stylist in a fancy salon, making a life somewhere completely different.”

She looks at me, unblinking, and I think she may cry or scream, or be irrational, but when she finally speaks, she says, “We all knew you were leaving someday, Clover. It’s not shocking. I’m surprised it’s taken you this long. Why now, though? Cape Cod is so far away.”

Her response makes me feel a thousand times better. “I graduated and have experience under my belt. I’ve been doing hair in the city at the teaching school for a while now. Goldie’s salon is beautiful and I think it will be a perfect fit. It’s time. Election season is coming up and I can’t pretend anymore, Tan. I can’t be a perfect pawn in their perfect life any longer. All of these years, I’ve been everything they’ve wanted me to be, and I’m done faking it.”

Tannie smiles. “I’ll miss you,” she says. “You’re strong. The strongest person I know. I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about everyone here. You’re a pillar in our community. You are in charge of so many things. Have you considered that? The shelter? What happens when you leave?”

I’ve been working toward cutting these cords for a long time. If I told her how long, she’d be upset I was hiding it for so long. “It’s all handled. The shelter will continue to run, and I’ll be able to help remotely. You have all the town committee stuff. You have had it for a while now, or haven’t you realized?” I smile at my friend as the proverbial light bulb clicks on.

“Your mama is going to pop her top. Let me know before you tell her so I can get outta town.” The waitress comes and sets down our plates and we begin to eat. She asks questions and I give her the best answers I can, not knowing a lot of the finer details myself. It’s strange saying things out loud that have been imprisoned in my mind for so many years. Tannie’s easy acceptance gives me hope my mama knows me the same way my best friend does. She’ll expect it in some form. She will let me go without ultimatums and bad blood.

“Clover, are you even paying attention? Where are you right now?” My friend snaps her French manicured fingers in front of my face like she’s waking me from a trance.

I heave a sigh. “Far away,” I say, laughing. “Why?”

Tannie rolls her eyes as she finishes her water. “Mercer has run by about a half dozen times trying to get your attention. He’s the only man I know who would workout wearing shorts like that.”

My gaze shoots to the window. To the hulking man wearing an ugly brown shirt and black workout shorts that even I’d deem scandalous, they’re so short. It must be a military issue. No one would choose it on their own unless they were crazy. “What in the world?” I mutter under my breath. I watch the muscles bunch under his shirt as he runs away from us. When he gets to the only stoplight on this side of town, he turns and runs back toward the restaurant. When he’s close enough, I see him grinning as sweat drips down his face and neck, staining his shirt dark.

“He has your attention,” Tannie says. “Now what?”

I fish my wallet out of my purse and put down a bill to pay for our lunches and tip, and rise from the booth. “I have no clue,” I tell Tannie, shaking my head. My friend follows me out the door, the bell jangling as we leave.

“Mercer Ballentine, what in God’s name are you doing out here?” I call out, cupping a hand over my mouth.

“Ain’t it obvious, ma’am? I’m working out.” He continues jogging in place, right in front of me. Tannie stays a few steps behind me, giggling.

I sling one hand on my hip. “Here? Right now?”

“I wanted to remind you of one important detail, as well.”

I nod, waiting for him to go on.

He grins. “I don’t have your phone number. This is me texting you, darlin’.”

How is that possible? That so much has happened over the past five days and we didn’t exchange numbers? Keeping my back straight, I refuse to admit defeat over him. “You could have gotten my number from a dozen different people,” I say, jutting my chin. “Don’t think this is me forgiving you for not calling for days on end. That’s unacceptable.”

He pauses his jogging in place and takes a deep breath, wincing. “I’d never dream of asking for forgiveness. That’s what frozen sugar is for.” He pants out a few more breaths. “It’s really hot. I’m knocking on the Devil’s den.” His exclamation makes both Tannie and I chuckle.

“Out of Alabama shape. You should be ashamed of yourself, Mercer,” Tannie drawls.

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