Chapter 12: Thirsty

“I don’t think that suits you,” I said, referring to the tiara he was admiring.

I had expected to startle him, but he didn’t even flinch as he placed the prize on his head, turned to me, and posed. “Am I not the fairest of them all?” he asked, turning so the aging rhinestones could catch the light.

I stifled a giggle. “What are you doing in here?” I asked as he returned the tiara to the box and closed the flaps.

“There is a rosebush out there that is long overdue for a trim,” he explained. “I realized that I had forgotten my shears and thought I would find some in your gardening shed. I was mistaken. I didn’t realize that you were using the place to store your beauty queen paraphernalia.”

I threw up my hands as if I were a criminal being grilled by the police. “It’s not mine. I don’t know how it got here.”

“That’s what they all say,” he said, playing along. “You’re busted.”

I lowered my hands, laughing and feeling more at ease. “Those boxes were here when we arrived. I think they belonged to a former owner.”

“You would think that with all those crowns and sashes, this girl would have at least one pair of gardening shears,” he joked, shaking his head, then in a serious tone asked, “Do you happen to have a pair of shears I can borrow? If not, I won’t be able to get the trimming done until tomorrow.”

I raised my hands helplessly. “The movers may have stored them in the basement.”

“It’s all right,” he said, giving me a lopsided grin that made me feel lightheaded and queasy. “It will give me an excuse to return.”

He began walking towards me, and I flushed as I turned, leading the way out.

“I set out a couple drinks for you on the deck,” I told him as we walked up the stairs and onto the platform. When he gazed at the water and soda, I mumbled, “I didn’t know which you would prefer.”

“What do ~you~ prefer?” he asked as he rounded the patio table and helped himself to a seat.

“I would choose the water. Soda is too sweet for me,” I said.

He picked up the water bottle and offered it to me. “Why don’t you sit down and take a load off?”

I knew I should decline his offer and return inside, but my body—not allowing my brain to stand in the way of my infatuation—forced me to ignore my own orders.

I seated myself at the table and accepted the water, taking my time unscrewing the cap so I could avoid getting lost in his brilliant gaze.

He sat in a cockeyed position so he could rest his arm on the table, and though he wasn’t looking directly at me, I could feel him watching me from the corner of his eye, which made me feel self-conscious.

After a few moments of silence, he spoke. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Megan Fox?”

I almost choked on the water in my mouth and hurriedly swallowed. “Sure, people say I would be a dead ringer for her if she were shorter, darker, and looked nothing like Megan Fox.”

He broke out into a wide grin and faced me properly. “All right, you caught me,” he confessed. “I was just trying to pay you the highest of compliments, but I should have just told you that you are stunning in your own right.”

I felt myself flush and had to look away as I said, “You’re not so bad yourself.”

I could hear my phone ringing from inside the house. I knew it was my mother calling to ensure I had done as she requested. The thought of her was enough to sober me up.

I adopted a more professional tone as I stood. “I should go back inside and let you get back to work.”

“Why? It’s a beautiful day out, and we haven’t even finished our drinks.”

I clapped my water bottle in between my palms. “I shouldn’t be out here,” I confessed. “Technically, you are my mother’s employee. Besides, I’m still in high school.”

I thought my statement would discourage him, but he remained undeterred. “I just graduated this past spring,” he informed me in a conversational tone.

“Oh!” I cried, wanting to kick myself for sounding so delighted. “I guess I assumed you were older.”

“I am,” he confessed. “I was held back a year due to some family issues.” His eyes clouded over for a moment, but then he suddenly perked up. “So, I may be a little older, but I’m emotionally stunted.”

I chuckled. “I don’t think that is something to boast about.”

My phone began to ring again, so I decided it was time to wrap this up. “Well, I better get inside. I think my mother is blowing up my phone, and if I don’t answer soon, she’s going to worry.”

“As you wish,” he said, standing. “I’m all finished here for today, so I’ll pack up and be on my way.”

“Well, it was nice meeting you…Justin,” I managed, relieved that I had finally recalled his name. “I’m Dharma.”

“Dharma,” he said, licking his lips as if he were tasting my name (or perhaps his lips were just chapped, and I was romanticizing dry skin). “That’s an interesting name. Now I have to know your origin story.”

“If I’m around next time you’re here, maybe we can chat some more,” I offered.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, and I furrowed my brow in confusion, attempting to recall if I had invited him back. “I have to come back to finish trimming,” he reminded me.

I smacked my forehead with the back of my palm. “I’m sorry, this heat is frying my brain. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it,” he called after me as I turned to dash into the house.

“Damn it!” I cried when I realized I had four missed calls. I hurried to call my mother; she must have been waiting for me to return her call, because I didn’t even hear it ring before her voice was on the other end.

“Dharma! Why weren’t you picking up?”

“I left my phone in the bathroom,” I lied. “Sorry, Mom.”

In a calmer voice, she asked, “Has everybody left yet?”

“The landscaper is packing up now,” I said, doing my best to keep my voice casual. “He will have to return tomorrow to finish the trimming.”

“Well, thank you for handling things while I was gone,” she said. “At first, I thought about canceling, but now I’m glad I came. You will never guess who I ran into…”

As my mother continued to talk, I made my way down the hall to the main room and peeked through the curtain. Justin had just secured his mower onto the flatbed that was hitched to his truck.

I watched as he leapt easily from the platform. When he landed on the driveway, he glanced at his arm and noticed a large gash that was bleeding.

I felt inclined to run out and offer him aid, but before I could even twitch, he slipped off his shirt and wrapped it around his arm. I must have made a strange sound because I was suddenly reminded that my mother was still on the phone.

“Dharma!” She sounded alarmed. “Are you all right?”

I bit my lip and turned away from the window. “I’m fine, mom,” I said, forcing a chuckle. “I just stubbed my toe on your massage table.”

“You shouldn’t be in my office.”

“I know…,” I sighed. “I just swore I heard an ice cream truck.”

“You and your treats,” my mother chided me.

I snickered as I glanced through the part in the curtain just as Justin’s truck pulled away from the curb. ~You don’t know the half of it~, I thought.

“To get back to what I was saying,” my mother continued, interrupting my not-so-pure thoughts, “Sharon and Stu Goldberg have invited me to a dinner they are hosting, so I won’t be home until late.”

My heart sank. Though I had enjoyed my afternoon, I wasn’t looking forward to being alone in the house after sunset.

“When do you think you will be back?” I pressed, doing my best to sound neutral. Really, I wanted to shriek into the phone and demand she come home, but my mother sounded so jubilant, I didn’t want to ruin her mood.

“It will be late, but I’m sure I’ll be home before midnight,” she replied.

I heard a muffled voice in the background, then the phone went mute for a moment. A few seconds later, my mother returned, now speaking rapidly.

“Honey, it’s time for the next demonstration. I will see you when I get home.”

I was taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor. “Love you! I can’t wait until you get home.”

I waited, and when I got no response, I realized that she had hung up.

I stood there gaping at the phone for a long time, confused by what had just happened. It wasn’t like my mother hanging up without saying goodbye.

And then something occurred to me: the muffled voice in the background had sounded masculine. Was my mother in the company of a man?