Relax. Relax. Relax.
It became a chant as I put on a white tank top, then quickly fished out my lip gloss from my purse and applied it.
Dammit. My hair was a mess. Caleb liked to run his hands through it. It always needed a hell of a brushing after every time we kissed.
God. That had been so very, very close. I still wasn’t ready to do it with him, but I loved it when we kissed. He made me feel strange things…with his hands…his mouth… I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Focus.
I had no time to play with my hair, so I just pulled it up in a bun on top of my head.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Everything was going to be fine. It was just Beatrice-Rose. Caleb’s childhood friend. It was nothing.
I quietly walked to the living room, listening. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Caleb doing push-ups on the floor.
“Caleb?”
“Yes, baby?” he huffed, raising his head to look at me.
“What are you doing?”
He placed one hand behind his back and was doing one-arm push-ups now. He winked. It reminded me of my second day in his home, when he was showing off his arms and butt to me. It felt so long ago. I pursed my lips, trying to keep from laughing at the memory.
“You got me so hot that I had to cool myself down. Don’t want anything sticking up when Beatrice-Rose comes in, now, do we?”
My laughter disappeared. Heat rushed up in my cheeks. The things he said…
“That was the neighbor, by the way, but Beatrice-Rose is coming up now. Did you do something with your lips?”
Did he notice everything?
“And that top.” Suddenly, he jumped to his feet, still shirtless. “Red, you’re not helping.” His voice was turned low—the I’m-going-to-kiss-you kind of low.
“Caleb, she’ll be here any second!”
I picked up his shirt from the floor and tossed it at him. He caught it easily.
“So?” he challenged, stalking me. I backed away, laughing now. “Can’t I get a kiss?”
He kept on coming, and I kept on backing away. This reminded me of what had happened in the bathroom when we—
Focus!
He seemed to enjoy stalking me like this.
“Caleb,” I warned, looking behind me, ready to bolt.
He paused, blinked, and then blew out a breath. “You’re right. What the hell. Red, I swear, you’ve made me a walking hard-on.”
I rolled my eyes. “Is that all you can think about?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “If all meant you, then yes.”
When the soft knock sounded at the door, Caleb let out a sigh and put on his shirt. My insecurities fled as he grabbed my hand and led us to the front door.
When Caleb opened the door, I caught a flash of light-blond hair and a whiff of expensive floral perfume as a body catapulted through. I heard Caleb’s oof! and his hand was wrenched from mine. I turned to see Beatrice-Rose pressed against Caleb, her hands wrapped around his neck like an octopus’s tentacles. That was mean, I scolded myself. She hadn’t done anything bad to me. Not yet, my subconscious added. I ignored it.
“Cal! I missed you!” she cried out, delighted.
My insecurities came flooding back with a vengeance as Caleb hugged her back before pulling away from her. He looked at her and smiled.
“Hey, B. How are you?”
She was petite. And very beautiful, with classical features that reminded me of the princesses in fairy tales.
The first thing I noticed was her hair. It was light blond, straight as a pin, and ended just below her jawline in a perfect bob. Ruler-straight bangs framed her big blue eyes.
It was hard not to appreciate the white satin blouse she had on, with a loose bow tied around the collar. She paired it with black leather shorts that showcased long legs and a pair of royal blue pumps. She exuded class and expensive things.
I felt like a character in “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The giant, to be specific.
She placed her hand on Caleb’s arm. Squeezed. “I’m good. I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by.”
“It’s fine,” Caleb said, steering her toward me. “I want you to meet my girlfriend, Red. Red, this is Beatrice-Rose.”
Girlfriend. Just hearing him introduce me like that sent the butterflies skittering around my stomach.
Beatrice-Rose’s eyes widened as, for the first time, she finally noticed me. The hand that was on Caleb’s arm fell to her side when Caleb reached for my hand again, lacing our fingers together. Her blue eyes followed the movement, and stared at our intertwined fingers.
Something there, I thought, as an emotion flashed in her eyes, so fast I wasn’t sure what it was. Then she smiled at me.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. It’s so nice to meet you, Red. I’m Beatrice-Rose.”
She offered her hand. Her nails were unpainted but tastefully manicured. My nails were chipped and untrimmed as I shook her smooth, soft hand, and I wondered what she thought of mine, rough from dishwashing and cleaning. I didn’t like this self-conscious feeling. Didn’t like it at all. I let go as fast as I could.
“Veronica, actually,” I clarified. “Caleb calls me Red. It’s nice to meet you too.”
She threw her head back and laughed. Did I say something funny?
“Cal, remember when we were kids and you used to call me Yellow? Glad you kept the habit.”
Her hand reached for his arm again. She touched him so casually, as if she’d had a lot of practice over the years.
Yellow.
Cal.
B.
Yellow…
Caleb nodded, smiling fondly as he remembered. My stomach knotted.
Beatrice-Rose’s eyes shifted to me. “It’s my hair,” she explained, pointing at her shiny locks.
I slowly removed my hand from Caleb’s, needing some space. He noticed, a frown marring his forehead.
“I called Ben Blue too,” he said, stubbornly reaching for my hand again. I tugged, but he only held it more firmly.
I didn’t want to hold his hand. I wanted to stomp my foot and walk away…but she was there and I didn’t want to appear to be a spoiled kid.
Beatrice-Rose let out a laugh. “Oh God, yes, I remember. Our families went on a lot of trips when we were younger. We got in trouble a lot. And Ben… Well, let’s just say he was less serious at the time. He had an obsession with dyeing his hair blue.”
Caleb laughed. “Yeah. He’s too busy with work now.”
I got it. They had a lot of memories together. They were close. They had a bond.
But more importantly, Caleb named people colors that he associated with them. It wasn’t just me. It wasn’t our thing. My heart fell into my stomach.
“I’m so sorry, Veronica. I didn’t mean to…” Beatrice-Rose laid her hand softly on my arm, a sign of comfort, as if we’d been friends for a long time. Maybe she just liked to touch people. But I didn’t like being touched by strangers. It wasn’t my thing. I stepped away.
“It’s just that…I haven’t seen Caleb in months,” she said. “I’ve been away, in Paris. And he’s family. I don’t…really have much family.”
I heard the genuine sadness in her voice. I felt bad. I shouldn’t have judged her so quickly. She and Caleb must be really close, and she must have missed him a lot.
But there was something there… I knew it wasn’t just sisterly affection she felt for him. She liked Caleb as more than a friend. I could see it in the way her eyes lingered on his face, the way her hands stayed on his body. I knew, as only a girl would, that she had feelings for Caleb.
“You ladies want to hang out on the balcony or in the living room?” Caleb asked, but he was only looking at me. I didn’t answer.
“Living room is fine,” Beatrice-Rose answered, walking ahead of us. “Dinner will be here in ten. I ordered our usual.” She grinned, kissing her palm and blowing it in Caleb’s direction.
“Perfect.”
Our usual.
Just how many times had she stayed over here to have a usual? And how close were they? Were they…together before? Oh God, what if they were? This was so awkward. And if they were, why hadn’t Caleb told me? I hated these thoughts. This was why I didn’t want to get close to a guy.
Jealousy.
Such an ugly feeling. I hated it. I hated Caleb for making me feel it.
He pulled me on the couch beside him as he chatted with Beatrice-Rose. I asked them if they wanted drinks, and they both refused. She talked about her trip to Paris, how she had to go back this summer because her best friend was getting married there.
Paris. Someday, I promised myself, I’d go there too. I would love to go around the world.
With Caleb, my subconscious whispered. Again, I ignored it.
She went down memory lane with him, asking if he remembered that time when they went camping and he had to carry her back to camp because she’d sprained her ankle. Or those times he gave her peanut butter sandwiches. With no jelly. Her voice just held a hint of disgust. I loved peanut butter sandwiches. And yes, with no jelly. Those were my favorite. But I didn’t tell her that.
What was I doing here? They didn’t need me here to keep them entertained; it looked like they were having a lot of fun talking by themselves. I should leave. Suddenly, I felt Caleb reach for my hand, squeezing it gently. My eyes flicked up at him, but he was still talking and laughing with her. He squeezed my hand again.
A feeling of warmth settled in my chest. I smiled. Somehow he knew when I needed comfort. I was still anxious, but his hand in mine served as a Band-Aid to all of it. He was my Band-Aid. I noticed that Beatrice-Rose looked at our joined hands, then quickly pulled her gaze away.
When the intercom buzzed, Caleb got up. “Finally. I’m starving!”
Beatrice-Rose chuckled, shaking her head so her hair swayed with the movement. “You’re always starving.”
“Yes, I am.” He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth. “Starving for Red.”
