“How do you like this place?”
“It’s great,” I told Nick, who sat across from me in the small waterside restaurant the next night. For some reason I had expected something not quite as mature, but Nick had surprised me. It was a beautiful night and I looked out at the water as I finished my meal.
“Cool. So how’s Jordan?” He smiled mischievously.
“Well, tonight she’s jealous, actually,” I told him, shaking my head. He laughed.
“Really?”
“Yep. Kept calling me a backstabber. It was a nasty scene.”
Nick laughed again, then peered at me closely. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Are you really a greeting card designer?”
It was my turn to laugh. “Yes, I really am. It sounds like such a made-up job, but it’s what I do.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Now can I ask you a question?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Depends,” he said mock-skeptically.
“Well we made a deal, so...”
“Oh,” he said, nodding. “I get it. You’re collecting now.”
“It’s only fair.”
He shrugged. “What do you want to know?” he asked.
“Whatever it is you know about Lily and Brian, I guess.”
“You don’t know anything?” he pressed. I shook my head.
“No. I didn’t even know they knew each other.”
“But she’s your cousin.”
“We’re not that close - she was in Kentucky, I was in Wisconsin, remember?”
Nick nodded. “OK. Well, I guess back in high school Brian and Lily dated. To hear him talk he was crazy about her - they were crazy about each other. First love, you know? They spent every minute they weren’t in class together, all their free time outside of school, everything. Bri said Lily was super hot...?” He looked to me in confirmation and I nodded. “Not just that, but...everything. Everything was right about her, so he was thrilled that she had chosen him out of all the guys she could have been with. They even talked about a future together.”
Nick sat back. “They were together like that for a few months before her parents asked to meet him. Brian wasn’t low class or anything, but his family wasn’t rich. Lily’s family was.” He again looked to me.
“My aunt Catherine married into a lot of money when she married my uncle Tom,” I told him.
“Yeah, well, neither were too happy when they found out Brian was who Lily was dating.”
“She also married into a lot of snobbery,” I added. Nick smiled.
“Right. The day after he had dinner with her family Lily told Brian her parents said she couldn’t see him anymore. He was crushed, and I guess she was too. They still wanted to be together, so they snuck around her family. He knew, though, that he’d never really get to be with her as long as he was still...well, not rich. He’d been planning on going to a Bible college in Ohio to be a teacher, not to be a performer or anything like that. But, when Kevin called him at school that day to offer him a position in the group it was like fate.”
“He saw his chance,” I finished.
“Exactly.” Nick got a faraway look for a moment. “You know, it’s funny. The other four of us were in show business before all this. Brian never was, and didn’t ever plan on it. He was happing singing in school plays and at church. No one ever asks why he changed his mind.” He focused on me again. “Anyway, so Brian and Lily got together that night. He told her the idea and she agreed that it sounded great. As soon as she graduated she’d move to Florida, and eventually they’d get married. It was all set. The next day, he got on a plane and left Kentucky.” He wore a soft smile and I knew I did too.
“Wow,” I breathed. It seemed so...I couldn’t think of a word to describe it. Dreamy, maybe.
“His first few months here he stayed holed up in his room, calling and writing Lily. He didn’t talk about her much to anyone else, but every now and then he’d say something to me. As her graduation date got closer he got more and more excited.” His face suddenly changed from thoughtful to bitter. “But then the date came and went. She called less and less, then stopped altogether. He got real quiet then, and you could just see in his eyes he was heartbroken. He blamed her family, said they’d heard about her plans and stopped her. He blamed everyone but her.” It was clear from his tone that this wasn’t how Nick felt. “The next thing he heard was a few years later. She had gotten engaged and was moving to Florida.”
“Jason found a job with a good law firm down here.” I sighed. “Poor Brian.”
Nick nodded. “He heard she lived somewhere around here, so he started asking people casually if they knew her. When you mentioned her and that you were related...wow, I thought he was gonna faint right there. We went back to the house and he started pacing, asking what he was supposed to do. I’m not sure he ever thought he’d actually find her and have a chance to see her.” Nick looked out at the water, then back at me. “He wants you to invite her over so he can stop by.”
I was surprised. “Really?” I questioned.
“Yeah. He wanted to ask you at the party but I guess he chickened out.”
“Why does Brian throw those parties? He said he doesn’t even like them.”
Nick half-smiled. “You haven’t figured it out?” I shook my head. “He hopes Lily will hear about them and come.”
It made perfect sense. Another thought struck me. “Is that why he bought that dress? To butter me up?”
“No. Brian does stuff like that. Maybe subconsciously it’s another way for her to find out just how much he has to spend, but I doubt it. Bri’s just like that. He felt bad about not coming over to say hi sooner.” He gave me another big grin. “And frankly I was a little pissed that he hadn’t come over sooner too...once I saw you.”
I rolled my eyes. “That was too cheesy for words.”
“I know. I try.”
He paid our bill and we decided to go for a stroll. As we walked the story Nick had told drifted through my mind. It amazed me that Lily had lived that life and no one had really known. I wondered if she’d ever told Jason about Brian, then doubted it. Jason would have backed her parents completely. But then, Jason had proven he was a total jerk, too. I made a face as I thought about seeing him with Myra. Nick laughed, tearing me away from my thoughts.
“What’s the face for? Am I that bad?”
I laughed. “No, just thinking.” It was quiet for a few seconds, then I saw Nick fishing in his pockets and holding something out to me.
“A penny,” he said, smiling hopefully. I laughed again and went to lean on the rail, looking over the water.
“That story’s just amazing.”
“Yeah.”
“And sad.”
“Yep.”
“And it’s so hard to believe that Lily would-” But I stopped as I felt Nick’s hand touch the side of my face. I turned a little to face him.
“I’m getting a little jealous.”
“Why?”
“Because all this time you’ve been thinking about Brian, and all I’ve been thinking about is you,” he said softly, an almost teasing smile on his face. His eyes caught the faint light and gleamed. Suddenly Brian and Lily didn’t seem so important anymore. I stepped closer to Nick, and as his face neared mine all thoughts of Brian were pushed far aside.
* * * * *
When Nick dropped me off that night it was nearly two o’clock. Brian’s house was all lit up - every window blazed with light. “He probably can’t sleep,” Nick ruled. “I’d stop and say hi but I’m beat.” He winked at me and I laughed. We said our goodbyes and I headed for the house. As Nick pulled away I made out Brian’s silhouette crossing the lawn. When he was close enough he waved.
“Hey there!”
“Hi,” I called, taking a seat on the railing and stifling a yawn.
“Was that Nick?” he asked. I nodded as he rested his arms on the railing perpendicular to mine. “You two have a nice time?”
“A really nice time.”
“Good.”
I nodded towards his house. “The city of Orlando will have you to thank for the next black out,” I teased. He looked back at his house briefly, almost as if he had forgotten it was there.
“Oh. Yeah, I couldn’t sleep so I started going through rooms.” He glanced at his watch. “Do you want to do something?”
“Like what?” I wondered, amazed.
“Oh I don’t know. We could just drive around...Denny’s is always open, or Waffle House...” He looked hopeful but I was exhausted.
“I would, but it’s a little too late for me.”
“You sure?” His disappointment was easy to read. I nodded, unable to fight back the next yawn.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “Maybe some other time.”
“OK then,” he agreed, making no motion to leave. I thought back over what Nick had said, how Brian wanted to “drop in” on Lily. I knew that it wasn’t right - after all this time it couldn’t be friendship he wanted - but I felt Brian deserved it after so many years. Lily deserved it too, actually.
“Nick told me you wanted me to invite Lily over, so you could see her,” I blurted out. Brian looked at me.
“He did.”
It wasn’t quite a statement or a question. “I’ll do it. Just let me know when.”
He lifted his head slowly from the rail. “You will?”
“Sure. Or if you want, the three of us could go out to-”
“No,” Brian interrupted firmly, surprising me. He laughed a little. “No, I think it’d be better if she came over here. I’d like her to see...”, he waved his hands vaguely at his estate, “...you know, where I live.”
Of course he did. “All right. I’ll give her a call this week and get a feel for her schedule. Are there any days that are better for you?”
“Nope, any day is fine,” he said quickly. He was already far away. I got up and stretched.
“OK then. I’m off to bed.”
“Sure, yeah...I mean goodnight. And thank you,” he said. I smiled and entered the house. As I got ready for bed I saw his silhouette passing cross his windows, no doubt already preparing his home for Lily.
Chapter 5
