The False Exit Read online

  “I think the non-fat could do me some good!”

  “Kevin agrees!” Clifford said just before Bill shut the door.

  “Cliff!”

  “Sorry, just a little humor!” Clifford hollered as Bill clicked the door shut.

  32

  Anna Marie waited anxiously in the cell phone parking lot. The flight landed on time, but there was no message from Claire. Her sister knew to text her as soon as she finished in baggage claim. She waited long enough to justify her worry.

  She texted her, Did you get your bags, yet?

  Her phone chimed back, Sorry. We’re ready.

  We? Anna Marie texted back.

  I mean ‘we’ as in… I am ready for us, you and me!

  Be right there. She texted back.

  Anna Marie pulled into the traffic and found herself in a pile of slow moving vehicles inching their way through the arrival gates. Her sister would be at the far end of the terminal. She crawled up to the last lane and spotted Claire flirting with a young man who appeared to be waiting for a ride as well. Typical Claire, she thought. He was a handsome man who appeared to be far too young, but Claire had an enchanted effect on men of all ages. Her sister looked ten years younger than she was, and when she was around men, she acted twenty years younger than she should.

  “Oh, Claire, Claire, Claire—” she said under her breath as she pulled up and watched her sister reach her arm around the man. She wondered if they’d met on the plane and imagined that Claire might have already scored his number. Claire was too busy flirting with the man to notice Anna Marie approaching. She pulled up and honked. Claire threw an excited hand in the air and started toward the car. The young man followed her. Had Clair managed to get him to help her with her bags?

  “Oh please,” Anna Marie said to herself as pushed her gear into park and rolled her eyes at her sister’s ploy. She leaped out of the car and shouted, “Claire!”

  “Anna Marie!” Claire shrieked. They met at the back end of the opened SUV. Claire threw her bag into the back and gave Anna Marie an excited hug.

  “Surprise!” she said as she stepped aside to reveal the young man throwing two more bags in the back. “This is Jonny. Jonny, my sister, Anna Marie.”

  Anna Marie’s mouth fell open and into an awkward pause.

  “I told you I was going to bring you a surprise!” Anna Marie held the pause. “Surprise!” Claire said again.

  She shook her head in an attempt to speak. “Oh, oh wow, this is your surprise?”

  “Yes. This is Jonny!”

  “Okay, well—welcome, Jonny,” Anna Marie spoke slowly and carefully trying to allow her mind to catch up to the moment. “You certainly are a surprise!” The young man grinned. Anna Marie turned back to her sister now forcing a smile and said, “I thought maybe you had found a way to smuggle a key lime pie to me, I had no idea—not an inkling you were bringing a whole—person.”

  “I know, great surprise; right?”

  “Great!” Anna Marie answered with a false excitement. “Wow, it is going to be a completely different weekend than I’d anticipated,” she said. She made her way back to the front of the car. She watched her sister open her own door and climb into the front seat. Jonny jumped in behind her.

  “So, Jonny, I’m so surprised that I don’t know what to say. Welcome to Kansas—?” Anna Marie said as she pulled back into the traffic. She slowly turned her eyes back to her sister. She knew, Claire knew, but when it came to men, Claire held little to no boundaries.

  “Thank you, Ms. Anna!” the young man said.

  “Ms. Anna?” It took all she had not to pull the car over and put things straight. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and said with a false tone, “Jonny, you can call me Anna Marie. I go by my full name. Claire is the one and only person who calls me Anna or sometimes Annie. I always prefer Anna Marie, but whatever you do, don’t ever call ‘Ms.’ anything, okay?”

  “Got it!” he said enthusiastically. “Anna Marie it is.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she shot her sister another look. Claire raised her eyebrows requesting her sister to back down. It wasn’t going to happen.

  “So, how long have you lived in Kansas?” Jonny asked.

  “Too long!” Claire said before Anna Marie could answer. Jonny and Claire laughed. Anna Marie did not.

  “I was born and raised here with my dear sister, Claire.”

  “No way,” Jonny said. “I thought you were from Florida, Claire.”

  “No,” Anna Marie said. “She was Kansas bred and raised.”

  “Wow, so were you like born on a farm? I’m suddenly picturing you with braids and milk cows,” he laughed. “I had you pegged as a hot surfer chick growing up. Not a girl with chickens.” He laughed at his own joke. The girls did not. Claire kept her attention on Anna Marie.

  “A hot surfer chick?” Anna Marie mocked. He didn’t catch it.

  “Seriously, did you live on a farm with cows and chickens and such?”

  “No,” Claire said, “we’re from Kansas City.”

  “So, like the wizard of Oz. You lived in Emerald City?” he laughed again.

  Claire shifted her body in the seat and turned toward him. “You can’t tell from here, because the airport is in the middle of nowhere. Kansas City is very progressive. I think you will be surprised! We have big buildings, museums, theatres—”

  “Indoor plumbing,” Anna Marie added.

  “Yes, indoor plumbing,” Claire repeated sarcastically.

  Anna Marie adjusted the rear view mirror. “What about you? Have you lived in Florida your whole life?” She emphasized the word whole with a glance to Claire.

  “Yup, I’ve always lived in Reddington Shores.”

  “Reddington Shores?” Anna Marie said. “If I remember correctly, that is a rather affluent area.”

  “It is,” Claire piped in. “Jonny grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth.”

  “Really?” Anna Marie said. “Is it still there?”

  “Anna!” Claire said.

  “Don’t fret, I’m sure he has no idea what we are talking about,” Anna Marie said.

  “Uh, you’re right. I seriously don’t!” he laughed uncomfortably.

  Anna Marie puckered her lips at Claire. Claire threw her a coy shrug.

  “I hope you like Barbeque,” Anna Marie said. “Bill is joining us for dinner. I made reservations at Jack Stack’s tonight. I’ll give them a call and change the number from three to four.”

  Claire ducked her head into her chest. “Jonny doesn’t eat meat.”

  “Oh,” Anna Marie answered, “he is going to get awful hungry this weekend. We only have cows here in Kansas. There is no seafood. We are too far from the ocean. Kansans only eat cows and pigs. Oh, except for potatoes, we eat potatoes.”

  “That works for me. I can just have potatoes,” Jonny said.

  “She is being the devil, Jonny, you can get fish or a salad there.”

  “Okay, I’m just saying, I’m flexible. I’m fine. I’ll eat whatever.”

  “As long as it isn’t meat?” Anna Marie said.

  “Right, no meat.”

  “We can work with that,” she said. It was impossible to disguise her disappointment. She was in no mood to entertain a stranger. What was Claire thinking? She wasn’t thinking because a beautiful man stepped in front of her. Could she even call him a man? It wasn’t fair to call him a boy. He wasn’t a man either. She determined he was a man-child. Anna Marie took a deep breath. She would have to try hard not to take it out on the poor kid. Her disappointment was with Claire, not him. He was obviously innocently dragged into another bad choice driven by Claire’s addiction to beautiful men and her uncanny ability to trap them.

  33

  Liz’s phone rang just as she was opening her door. She grabbed it from her purse.

  “Hey, Gary.”

  “Hello, luv! Would you like to go to a movie tonight?”

  “Oh gosh,” she replied. “I just got ho
me. I’m absolutely exhausted. I’m sorry. I just can’t tonight. I think I’m just going to throw on my pj’s and watch TV.”

  “I say pumpkin, it sounds perfectly wonderful. Would you like a bit of company to watch the telly with?”

  Liz hesitated. She didn’t want any company; especially with an annoying fake accent. She wanted her own space for the evening. Was her interest in Gary wavering? Or was it that she was gaining interest in Mark? She didn’t want to hurt Gary’s feelings.

  “Sure,” she said.

  He dropped the accent. “It’s okay, I will let you be.”

  “No wait, I said, ‘sure’,” she replied.

  “I know, I heard ‘sure’. I also heard the hesitation. I shouldn’t have invited myself. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. We’re dating. It is okay to invite yourself.”

  “And, it’s okay for you to say no,” he added.

  “I didn’t say, no. I said, ‘sure’.”

  “I heard what you said. It’s okay,” Gary answered.

  “Don’t get all weird on me, Gary.”

  “I’m not getting all weird. I’ve just noticed that you’ve been a little distant lately. I should just let you be, but instead I panic and push myself on you. That’s what I do. I should do the opposite.”

  “I haven’t been distant. I’ve just been busy.”

  “Okay, then you’re busy. So, I should give you space to relax.”

  “Exactly, I’m going to relax. Why don’t you get over here and relax with me instead of acting all weird and sulky?”

  “Oh God, am I being weird and sulky?” he asked.

  “Stop, Gary,” she said. “Are you coming or not?”

  “I’ll be there in a bit.”

  “Okay, see you shortly,” she answered.

  “I’ll be there a bloody minute. Actually, how’s about I pick us up a spot of pizza on the way?”

  He just had to pull the accent again. Liz dropped on the edge of her bed and silently said, “Oh Lord!” She picked her head up and faked her enthusiasm, “Alrightee then, sounds good!” She’d given in; she even used the bloody accent to do it!

  A hot shower and a cozy pair of sweats soon relaxed her into a state of tranquility. She set a couple of wine glasses on the counter, lit a scented candle and cuddled up on the sofa. By the time the doorbell rang, she’d fallen asleep. She leaped off the couch.

  “Hey!” she said as she opened the door.

  “Oh no. Were you sleeping?”

  “How could you tell?”

  “You have impressions of the sofa on the side of your face,” he said.

  “I told you I was tired.”

  “Oh gosh, do you want me to go so you can go back to sleep?”

  “Gary, it’s seven-thirty in the evening. I’m not going back to sleep. Besides, you brought pizza. Why would I want you to go?” she teased as she pulled the pizza from his hands.

  “Sorry, it took me so long to get here. I wanted to get your favorite. The place was packed.”

  “Oh wow, you got Waldo’s! I don’t deserve you.”

  Gary stepped into the room. “Wine looks good. It smells nice and clean in here too.”

  “It’s the candle.”

  “Yeah, good thing the candle smells clean because the place is filthy,” he joked.

  Liz kept her apartment spotless. She often teased that it was spotless because she didn’t really live there. She spent so much time at her Grandmother’s house that her apartment didn’t require much attention. She was particular and liked to have everything in its place. Gary was the same. She wondered about Mark. She had never seen his apartment. She screamed at her mind. Why was she thinking about Mark again? What did she care what his apartment looked like? Focus, she told herself. Gary was there, not only had he brought pizza—he’d brought her favorite pizza. He was charming. She glanced at him. His hair was swirled into an adorable flip on top. She wondered how he went about the process of creating his single wave each morning. She was sure that Mark walked out of the shower and simply shook his curls into place. Mark, Mark, Mark! She was doing it again.

  “Would you like me to open the wine, Liz?” Gary asked.

  Liz nearly leaped out of her thoughts. “Yes!”

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. I’m just still waking up. The pizza smells good.”

  Liz grabbed some plates and they settled onto the sofa. Gary sat close to her. He smelled like Mark.

  “Still wearing that cologne Mark told you about?”

  “Yes. Why? Don’t you like it?”

  “No, it’s nice,” she said. “What did you used to wear?”

  “Voyage.”

  “I liked that too,” she said.

  “Good to know,” he said.

  “How about the pizza? How do you like it?”

  She looked at her slice and then at his. She’d already eaten her first slice to the crust and he was just getting started. She laughed. “I think it’s embarrassingly obvious.”

  “Don’t be embarrassed! I love a girl who is not afraid to eat!”

  “I’m not sure how I should feel about that.”

  “I meant it as a compliment. Girls that are funny about food and eating are always self-absorbed. I’ve dated girls like that. Okay one girl, I once dated a girl like that,” he laughed. “Okay, the only other girl I ever dated was like that.”

  “Wait, you’ve only dated one other girl?”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty embarrassing. I haven’t dated much.”

  “That’s not embarrassing to me. I haven’t dated much either.”

  “Really? I guess we haven’t talked about that; have we?” Gary said.

  “I always avoid the subject. I’m afraid that guys will think something is wrong with me if they find out I’ve barely dated anyone.”

  “Seriously? That’s silly. There’s nothing wrong with you, Liz. You are perfect!”

  “Thanks! I don’t think that way about you either. I don’t. I mean I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. Mark is the only other guy I’ve ever been out with on more than one or two lame dates. I don’t even know if I could count the few times we went out as dates. We weren’t even dating, really.”

  Gary set his pizza down. “What, wait are you serious? That is it? Seriously?”

  “Okay, now you’re making me wish I hadn’t told you.”

  “No, please don’t feel like that. I just didn’t know. I assumed you had dated a lot. I felt so far out of my league with you.”

  “So, now you feel like I am more of an average catch. Did I just lose my place in the rankings?” she asked with an uncomfortable grin.

  “No, not at all. If anything, you got put up higher. I have a lot of respect for you. I just thought I’d be awkwardly inexperienced when it came to you know?”

  “No, I don’t know.”

  “Yeah, you do,” he blushed.

  “Gary, you are seriously adorable.”

  “You are seriously gorgeous,” he said. He gazed into her eyes. They both fell silent. She set her empty plate next to his and raised his arm over hers. She snuggled into him and he reached over and handed her a second slice.

  34

  Bill was looking forward to an evening with Anna Marie and her sister. He could hear the disappointment in her voice when she told him that Claire had brought a guest. Claire was a strong, smart and vibrant woman, but he’d noticed that men did something to Claire that destroyed her sense of reasoning and social norms. He knew it was going to be a difficult weekend for Anna Marie.

  When he reached Jack’s Stack, Anna Marie had already texted him. They were to meet in the bar. The change in the reservation caused an additional thirty-minute delay. He parked and sent her a text, I’m here.

  Meet me out front, I’ll walk you in.

  Anna Marie was waiting outside. “Hey!” she called.

  “Wow, don’t you look great!” he said. He gently kissed her cheek. “So, you got a little surprise?”
<
br />   “Oh my God, Bill. What is wrong with my sister? Can you believe it? I thought she was bringing me a pie or something! She brought a surprise date. Who does that?”

  “Your sister, apparently.”

  “I was looking forward to the weekend with her. I’m so disappointed.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Brace yourself. He’s a baby, literally!” She grabbed Bill’s hand and led him inside.

  When they approached the bar Claire and Jonny were locked into a deep kiss. Anna Marie rolled her eyes at Bill and cleared her throat loudly. Claire didn’t flinch; she was deeply engaged.

  “Claire!” Anna Marie shouted.

  “Oh hey, Bill!” she said as she broke out of the kiss completely uninhibited. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in years!”

  “You don’t look a day older, Claire!” Bill said as they embraced.

  “Oh, how I hope you are right,” she joked with a whisper in his ear, “and let’s not say how many days older I am!” She turned her attention to Jonny. “This is Jonny.”

  Bill put his hand out. “Jonny,” he said, “I’m Bill.”

  Jonny looked at Bill’s hand and left it empty.

  “Jonny doesn’t shake hands with anyone. He doesn’t believe in it,” Claire said, “he’s a hugger.”

  Jonny stood up and reached to Bill for an embrace. Bill awkwardly tried to oblige. Jonny stepped back from him. It was obvious that the early drinks had already started to have an effect on him.

  “No, heart to heart,” he said. He put his right hand on his own heart and his left hand on Bill’s heart. “Heart to heart,” he repeated. Then he pulled his heart to Bill’s in a deep embrace. He stepped out of the hug and took Bill in from head to toe. “Bill,” he said. “Bill!” he repeated nodding his head in approval.

  “Jonny,” was all Bill could manage. “Jonny!” He glanced at Anna Marie. Her eyebrows were raised so high on her forehead that he wondered if they would ever release. She pulled her gaze to Claire. Claire and Jonny seemed oblivious to the unnatural height of Anna Marie’s expression. Claire gave them both a prideful grin and Jonny wrapped his arm back around her.