AJ was sitting outside having his morning cigarette and for the second morning in a row he was graced with Brandy’s presence. “Morning,” he smiled as she walked towards him. She smiled warmly although the thoughts in her head were directed otherwise.
She slowed down so she could watch him more carefully but he took it as an invite. “Do you run everyday?” “Almost. ‘Cept when the weathers bad or I’m sick.” “Oh is that all,” he giggled, mocking her accent.
“AJ is it? Where do you get off making fun of the way I talk, in my hometown none-the-less? I don’t make fun of you, and well…. I… I’m sorry, Mr. McLean,” she pleaded. “Mr. McLean,” he boasted. “My name’s AJ, unless of course you would like to call me bone. Please don’t apologize. I like your spunk.” She stomped off into the house, making a growling noise, in pure frustration.
********
“Excuse me, Kevin,” Katy said softly after knocking on his bedroom door. “There’s a phone call down stairs for you from a Mr. Howie Dorough.” “Oh ok, I’ll be right down, tell him to wait. Thanks Katy,” he smiled lazily.
“Hey D. What’s goin’ on man,” Kevin said, picking up the receiver from the end table at the bottom of the stairs. “Kev man, it isn’t looking to good right now. I got reporters coming out my ears right now. They’re staking out my place, I saw ‘em at AJ’s place. They’re everywhere.” “Howie, I told you to come down here. No one suspects it; it’s too simple. I am sitting here reporter free, fan free.”
“Someone has to help Nick out. He can’t stand alone on this one.” “D, did we help him into it? How’s your eye anyway,” he asked. He was answered by a momentary silence. “Look I need to go. Just thought I’d call and fill ya’ in and all. So I’ll catcha’ later.” “K, bye D.”
********
“Hey could I read that when you’re done,” Brian pointed to the paper Heather was reading. “Yea sure, no problem. Are you a Sunday morning comics fan.” “Oh yea. I collect ‘em and post ‘em on my wall.” His obvious sarcasm made her giggle. “Well that’s all I’m interested in so you can have the rest,” she said between her laughter while handing him the remainder of the Sunday morning paper.
She poured him a cup of coffee and they stood beside of each other reading. It looked somewhat comical in itself the way they were standing there covered in newspaper.
“I was wondering where my paper went this morning.” Jack bellowed. “My little rascal usually gets it on Sunday’s but now she’s decided to share it with someone else other that her daddy.” “Well he asked first, daddy.” “I see, I see. Some strapping young man comes along and steals my baby girls heart and now he steals my paper.” Brian smiled over the top of the paper.
“I’m sorry Mr. Davidson. I just wanted to check up on something I’ve been following. You can have it back now if you want.” He folded the paper back the way it was and politely handed it to Heather’s father. He seemingly kept the section that interested him so. Folding it again, and placing it under his arm, he walked out onto the patio and plopped down on an old wicker rocking chair.
********
Brandy sat in her room sulking over her conversation with AJ this morning. She couldn’t let it go, how rude she’d been, how funny he thought it was. Her mama had kept asking her what was wrong with her but she just brushed it off and went on doing her regular daily tasks.
She decided that the best thing, for her conscious, would be to apologize to him. Even if he did laugh at her accent she wouldn’t feel so bad if she got it off her shoulders.
She padded lightly down the hallway until she reached his door. She tapped on it softly. No one answered but she could here music coming from inside so she knew he was in there, he probably just couldn’t hear her.
She opened the door slowly as not to startle him. When she caught sight of him, her breath caught in her throat. He was in the middle of the floor, shirtless, doing push-ups. He didn’t know she was there, or if he did he didn’t acknowledge her. A light sweat was gleaming on his shoulders and back. She struggled to catch her breath while he pushed himself up from the floor repetitiously. “Uh… AJ,” she said softly. He didn’t hear her. “AJ,” she half yelled.
He sat up suddenly and turned the music off. “Brandy,” he smiled breathlessly. “Did you need something?” “Um… yea sort of.” “Well come sit down,” he grinned, patting the carpet space next to him. She walked over and sat down. “I just wanted to apologize again for being so entirely rude to you this morning.” “You weren’t rude. I was rude, and I’m very sorry. I shouldn’t have made fun of the way you talked. Besides I think it’s kinda’ cute and all,” he said, laughingly mocking her once again. She pushed him playfully. “Shut-up,” she smiled.
********
Katy was sitting in the swing on the front porch, which wrapped around three sides of the house. She seemed to be oblivious to the world around her as she was wrapped up in one of her notorious Jude Deveraux books. She did this a lot after supper. It helped her to relax, as she told everyone.
Kevin walked out onto the porch with his glass of iced tea, looking out into the sky. He noticed her sitting there and admired her demeanor. She carried herself with a sense of pride, yet she didn’t seem stern at all.
He couldn’t resist the temptation to sit with her on the old cherry oak swing. “Ms. Katy, what are you reading.” He sat down next to her and scooted closer. “Oh it’s just a romance novel.” “What’s the name of it?” “The Duchess,” she replied. “Sounds interesting enough.” There was a silence between them.
“You know I think AJ is a little stuck on your sister, Brandy.” “Yea I noticed. If he thinks she’s his type he has it coming to him though. She really naďve, she isn’t the wild type in the least.” “Well AJ is known for changing girls perspective on things you know, but I guess you know her better than I do.” “Well you can’t make me believe my little sister would fall for someone so… so much…,” she was tempted to say bad for her but she chose her words differently, “different than she is. They’re like night and day.” “Yea. Kinda’ like us, huh?” He grinned crookedly. “No, I think we have a lot in common.”
He seemed to move closer and closer to her as her words rolled on. “We were both raised in the south. We’re both mature and reserved to ourselves.” He inched closer. “We’re both tall,” she trailed off. His lips touched hers so softly it felt like a feather floated between them. He pulled away from her, looking into her eyes, as if asking permission to kiss her again. Her eyes said yes, and he gave her a kiss that seemed to set the night on fire.