Evie interrupted, p.20
Evie Interrupted, page 20
“The star quarterback never goes for the book geek.”
“How geeky were you?”
“Thick glasses,” I said.
He leaned toward me an inch. “That’s hot.”
“Braces.”
“Oh, baby.” Butler moved another inch closer.
“And you’ve witnessed my horrid transformation that occurs during the night into the Pennywise hairdo in the morning. That shits been happening since I was five years old.”
“Pennywise! That’s who it reminded me of. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out where I’d seen that coiffure.”
Slipping my hand underneath his shirt, I pinched Butler’s side. He stumbled back laughing.
“Paraphernalia? Coiffure? Someone’s been reading the dictionary,” I teased.
“I had to step up my game.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You see my girlfriend is not only beautiful and sexy, but she’s also uber smart. “
“Well, she sounds like a fabulous young woman who, no matter how much you flatter her, is still not going to the homecoming dance.”
He sauntered over to me, eyes hooded, all smoldering. “I’ll make it worth your time.”
“I’m listening.”
Placing his mouth next to my ear, Butler whispered, “Give me one hour at the dance, then I’ll take you back to my place where I’ll make you scream for the rest of the night.”
The combination of his chilly nose, his warm breath, and his words sent shivers down my spine.
“You drive a hard bargain, Coach.” My words coming out all breathy.
“So, you’ll come?”
“To the dance? No. To your place? Most definitely.”
“Come on, Evie. I want to show you off.”
“Butler, I’m not dressed.”
“You’re gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” I beamed.
“And you are dressed.”
“For a football game, not a dance.”
“Oh, Butler!” The sound of a high-pitched voice shot through the night air and across the parking lot.
Turning, I saw a head full of long wavy brown hair attached to a tall curvy body headed our way. She was dressed for a dance in a form-fitting black dress and matching heels.
“Butler, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” she said with a sweet southern accent.
“Hey, Constance. I’m trying to convince my girlfriend to be my date for the night.”
Looking at Constance, a glimmer of recognition flickered in my mind.
“Evie? Evie Chapman?” she said.
Butler’s gaze swung between Constance and me. “Y’all know each other?”
My face squished together. “Connie Ballentyne?”
“It’s Constance now, thank you.”
Constance Ballentyne was head cheerleader, class president, and homecoming queen during our senior year here at Porter. We weren’t exactly friends, but not enemies either. I hadn’t seen her in ten years. In high school she was cute and bubbly. But the woman standing a little too close to my boyfriend was drop-dead gorgeous.
“You work here?” I said with a little too much shock in my tone.
“I’m head cheerleading coach.”
“Of course, you are.”
“You and this handsome devil are dating?” Connie said with a little too much astonishment in her tone.
“Not only that, but we’re also having sex. Lots and lots of sex.”
Connie’s expression remained nonplussed, but I could tell disappointment was taking root in every bone of her body.
“Well, congratulations…I guess,” she said with a fake smile and insincere joy. “Um…so…the reason I was looking for—”
I hugged Butler’s arm. “My man.”
“Yes. The chaperones are having a quick meeting before the students start to show up for the dance.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Butler said.
“Awesome.” Connie clapped her hands together. “I’ll see you inside. Evie, it was nice—”
“I’ll see you inside as well.” I blurted out.
The way I was feeling and the words I was speaking surprised me. Never had I felt so possessive and jealous about anything. All I knew was I wanted and needed, Connie to know Butler was mine, and to back off.
She smirked, her gaze bouncing from Butler to me. “Oh. Very good. I’ll see you both again.”
Spinning on her heels, Connie’s statuesque figure headed back across the parking lot to the gym.
“That was something else,” Butler said, amused.
“Block me.” Moving behind him, I opened my car door.
“What?”
“Stand in front of me for a second.”
I slipped off my black jacket and tossed it into the passenger’s seat. I was glad I’d worn my long emerald green sweater. It hit me just above the knee and could do double duty as a dress.
Butler started to turn toward me. “Evie, what are you doing?”
“Don’t turn around. You’re my lookout.”
Sitting in the driver’s seat with my legs hanging out, I took off my knee-high boots, and shimmied out of my black leggings.
“What’s going on back there?” He twisted his head slightly trying to get a peek.
“I’ll be done in just a second.”
After putting my boots back on, I grabbed my purse, digging through it for lip gloss. Using the camera on my phone as a mirror, I applied the gloss, and checked the rest of my makeup to see if it was still relatively fresh. It was.
“Does it make sense that you’re scaring me and turning me on at the same time? Although, I have to admit I was already turned on by the way you acted with Constance. The entire he’s mine thing was hot. Funny, I never thought that would do it for me. You know you have nothing to worry about, right? Leggy brunettes aren’t my type,” Butler said.
Standing, I held Butler’s arm to balance while I tugged and shifted my sweater until it safely covered everything.
I peeked around his arm, “So, you think she’s leggy?”
A smile broke across his profile. “Well, she has legs, Evie, and they’re long.”
I snatched the Blue Devils beanie off my head, flung it into the car, and closed the door. Stepping out from behind Butler, I bent over, and combed my fingers through my hair. When I straightened, I was met by a shocked Butler staring at me, mouth slightly agape.
“What?” I said.
“You look…incredible.”
“You didn’t think I was going to the dance looking like I had just been to a football game, did you?”
Trying to stifle a laugh, Butler said, “Oh, so you’re going to the dance with me?”
“You asked me, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but you didn’t seem too keen on the idea.”
“I reversed my decision on the matter.”
“And Constance—”
“FYI, for the first eighteen years of her life she went by Connie.”
“She had nothing to do with this sudden change of heart?”
I huffed. “Butler, I can’t pinpoint the exact time I decided to go to the dance. Now hold my hand and let’s get in there.”
“I need to remember to call Constance the next time I want you to do that thing you didn’t want to do the other night,” Butler teased taking my hand.
I swatted his arm as he escorted me across the parking lot. Once inside the gym I stood off to the side and texted Maine while Butler had the chaperone meeting. Of course, Connie stood by his side. Occasionally, her head tilted back with laughter as she touched Butler’s muscular forearm. I shook my head, and thought, cheerleaders, always chasing after the quarterback.
Present
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
My thoughts hovered between the dream world and the real world when a muffled and repeated rapping cracked through the haze. Drifting back to sleep, images of my night with Butler invaded my mind.
We never made it back to his place. We stayed at the homecoming dance longer than his chaperone duty required. Pretending that we were back in high school, we danced, he introduced me to his colleagues, and I kept one eye on Connie’s shenanigans. Butler tried to get me to spend the night with him and, as much as I wanted to, I resisted the urge. Maine had already been sweet enough to allow me more time out. Tomorrow was an extra early day for her at the café, and I couldn’t ask her for yet another big favor.
Once I got home and filled Maine in on the events of the night, including seeing my long-lost family members and Connie, I checked on Mom. She was sound asleep with Linus by her side.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The succession of hits to the door ricocheted off each wall of my bedroom and were followed by a deep booming voice. I sat up and tried to shake the drowsiness from my mind and body before sliding out of bed.
As I stepped toward the door, the knocking became rapid loud pounding. My brain quickly tried to jumpstart and figure out what the fuck was going on. Other than Liza, Maine was the only other person who had a key to the house. Wrapping my hand around the doorknob, I pulled it open to find a tall man in a police uniform standing in the hallway. My body froze, my mind unable to form a complete, coherent thought.
“I’m Officer Adams from the County Police.”
“What?” I said, dazed and confused.
“I’m Officer Adams from the County Police. We were called regarding an older woman—”
“Where is she?!” I pushed past the cop and ran across the hall to Mom’s room.
My heart dropped to my stomach and then slammed into the floor at the sight of her empty bed. Breaths came out in sputtered spurts as my throat began to close. Turning, I bumped into the cop and began to power-walk down the hallway.
“Mom!” I yelled.
“Ma’am I need to talk with you.”
Ignoring Officer Adams, I continued my search. I wasn’t talking, listening, or anything else until I saw that my mom was okay.
“Ma’am, please!” The sound of heavy footsteps pounded behind me.
I found Mom in the front room, sitting in one of the chairs by the window, enjoying the attention of the fireman kneeling down in front of her. She smiled and looked adoringly at the blonde-haired man as he asked her a series of simple questions she was obviously incapable of answering. My gaze fell to an excited Linus, wagging and spinning at my feet. Seeing Mom safe caused my throat to constrict with a sob as tears threatened. I brought my hand to my mouth, turned, and stepped into the kitchen.
“Ma’am, can I have your full name, please?”
“Evie…I mean, Evelyne Rose Chapman.” I choked back a sob.
“Miss Chapman, how do you know the older lady?”
“Um…she’s my mother. What happened?”
“At approximately 6:35 a.m. we received a call from an Ingrid Slatter who lives across the street, stating that an older woman had walked into her house and appeared to be confused.”
“What? That makes no sense. My mother suffers from frontotemporal dementia. I’ve taken every precaution to make sure she stays safe inside, including special locks for both the front and back doors.”
“Is there another way she could have gotten out of the house?”
“No! I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Miss Slatter didn’t recognize your mother, so she called 911. Your mother had her purse with an expired driver’s license in it. That’s how we knew the correct address. We didn’t find a lock on the front door when we brought her home.”
“What are you talking about?”
I looked past him at the front doorknob to find it without the lock. Shifting my gaze to the small table just inside the entryway, I saw it. I frantically replayed the events of last night in my head.
Ran into Paul and Aunt Carol.
Butler and I went to the dance and he made me forget all about my family.
I came home and told Maine everything that happened.
Checked on Mom and Linus.
I floated into my bedroom and fell asleep high on the night.
This was all my fault. I was so consumed with all things Butler, I forgot to put the locks on the doors. I bit my lower lip in order not to cry. “Exactly what happened?”
“Apparently, Miss Slatter’s front door wasn’t locked…is that a thing in this neighborhood? Because you really should keep your doors locked.”
“I thought I did,” I whispered.
“Miss Slatter was in bed, heard a noise, thought she was dreaming, then heard your mother say, and I quote, ‘Hello, Busta.’ The neighbor then called us.”
“Why would Mom go over there? The lady across the street just moved in a week or so ago.”
“We searched the premises for the aforementioned Busta, but haven’t been able to find him.”
“Does the lady across the street have a dog?” I said.
“Yes.”
“My mom calls all dogs Busta.”
“So, there isn’t a Busta?”
“No Busta.”
Just then it dawned on me that I had been standing in the kitchen in full light, and in full view of this cop, wearing only my pajama bottoms and a flimsy T-shirt without a bra. Inconspicuously, I crossed my arms over my chest right before a younger cop joined us.
“Has the lady had breakfast or taken her medicine today?” the younger cop asked.
“She has dementia,” I snapped. I didn’t mean to sound so annoyed, but their presence was an obvious reminder of what a shitty daughter and caregiver I was. If the neighbor’s door had been locked, Mom would have probably moved on to the next house, then the next. God, she could have been attacked or killed.
“Your mom appears to be fine,” Officer Adams stated.
“Yeah, she seems to have taken quite a shine to Captain Malone,” the younger cop chimed in.
I followed the two men back into the living room where Mom and her crush were still in an intense discussion. The men exchanged words, but I was too focused on Mom to pay attention to their conversation. Patting the fireman on top of his hand, Mom said her goodbyes. I thanked him, and the two cops, before they filed out the door.
Finally, alone and with a clearer head, I kneeled in front of Mom and looked up with fresh tears in my eyes. How could I have done such a stupid thing? The nightly lock-up was an old habit at this point. I did it every single night without fail. Christ, I didn’t even hear the backup beepers I had installed alerting me when the outside doors were opened.
Tapping her knee, I said, “Mom, are you okay?”
“Am I okay?”
“What on earth made you leave the house and go across the street to a stranger’s home?” I knew she couldn’t give me an answer, but sometimes I just had to say things out loud. “How about we get you cleaned up and get some breakfast?”
“In a country cloud,” she said.
Smiling, I stood and took Mom’s hands, helping her out of the chair. Passing the large double window, I saw movement in the front yard out of the corner of my eye. The two cops were talking with Mom’s newfound love. I started to walk away when the sight of Butler dressed in a pair of dark pants and T-shirt, the one I sniffed that first night at his place, stopped me in my tracks.
I hid behind the curtain, not wanting to be seen by penetrating eyes. Butler, Captain Malone, and the two cops congregated in the front yard and exchanged words. After a few minutes, the Captain shook his head, prompting Butler to close the iPad he was holding. Dear God, would there be an official record of Mom’s jaunt across the street? If so, when Butler saw the name, Evelyne Rose Chapman, he’d realize I’d been lying to him this entire time. My mouth went dry as bile swished in my stomach. As the group of men turned and headed back to their vehicles, my eyes landed on Butler’s retreating back and the word, Volunteer, scrolled across his broad shoulders.
My heart wanted to run outside and fling myself at him. Come clean about everything and beg his forgiveness. But reality slapped me in the face. Once he put two and two together, Butler would feel nothing but contempt for me and never want to see me again. I’d had ample opportunities to come clean to him about my real life, but I didn’t grab any of them. It was better for Butler if he hated me. His anger would help him move on quicker to someone who deserved him and what an incredible person he was. So, I quietly said goodbye to Butler, stepped away from the window and led Mom down the hallway to start our daily routine.
Present
For the rest of the morning, I left my phone alone. With each notifying ding my heart sank. I knew the texts were from Butler. I was afraid the texts were from Butler. I assumed by now he had read the police report, saw Mom’s name, and figured out I was a bitch. There was no way the wandering lady from this morning shared the exact same name with his girlfriend. That would be beyond coincidence. I deserved his wrath and each ugly word he had every right to hurl at me. It turns out, not only am I a liar but a coward as well.
From the very first time Butler and I met, I knew there was a special spark, and I needed to stay as far from him. But stupid me thought I had control over the situation…control over my heart and kept pushing the envelope. Butler was only meant to be a distraction. Instead, he turned out to be the man of my dreams, who now had to be relegated to only my dreams.
I had to stay laser focused on my responsibilities. I got lucky today. Mom hadn’t been harmed. She was safe at home with me. I wasn’t going to allow myself to fuck up again. I knew I would have to face the repercussions of my lies. I owed Butler an explanation in person, but not today. My emotions were too raw as I assumed his would be. So, I retreated back into my bubble and went about my standard routine.
I put on a fake happy face as I went about my day getting Mom bathed, dressed and fed. Once that was done, I set her up in the family room, putting Gunsmoke on the TV to hold her attention while I finished laundry. I opted out of going to Dough-Mates and running errands, so I canceled Liza for the day. My phone stayed on the counter in the kitchen instead of in my back pocket. I gave it only a passing glance as I made my way around the house doing my chores.
