I narrow my eyes at him. “What are you talking about?”
We haven’t seen each other in years. Granted, Driftbay is small, but I know how to avoid someone if I really want to. And James… I would be content if I never saw him again for the rest of my life.
“You Calloway women sure are kryptonite for Osborne men.”
The blood in my veins begins to boil as I stare at him across the counter. Sure, it’s been twenty years since he broke my heart, but some wounds you never fully get over.
We were together for six years. I was completely enchanted and when I thought a ring was going to appear, I was informed that ourrelationship wasn’t the fairytale I’d envisioned. I’d been cheated on for half of our relationship. It completely blindsided me.
I thought he was the love of my life, though he never truly respected my dreams. But the sex was good, so I stayed. Charlie and Caroline hated him. Looking back, I realize I was settling. He tore my self esteem to shreds but I still looked at him with stars in my eyes. It took a lot of therapy sessions to bounce back from that breakup.
I stare at him as he adjusts the burgundy tie around his neck again with long, slender fingers.
“Thea,” he begins, “it seems, put her hands on my son.”
“She didn’t start things, but she sure as hell ended them,” I say, snapping out of the past. “I believe your son is the one who put his hands on her first and wouldn’t take the word no for an answer.”
James leans across the counter and lowers his voice. “If she ever touches him again, there will be charges pressed.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” I say, “because she’s never going to see your scum of a son ever again.” I uncross my arms now, rage pulsating through my body.
“Be careful how you speak of my son.” James glares at me.
“Or what, James?” I retort. I don’t give him a chance to response as my fists ball at my sides. “Get out of my diner,” I add, doing my best to keep my tone even.
He smirks at me, and turns to go.
“Always a pleasure, Beth,” he says, the words sliding off his tongue like liquor.
I stretch my neck after he’s gone, feeling the anger radiating through my body and tension taking root. I take a deep breath to calm down. I don’t know what I ever saw in him.
Penny catches my gaze from across the diner, having caught the end of my interaction with James.
“I need a minute,” I tell her as she crosses behind the counter.
“Okay,” she says, nodding with wide eyes. She’s never seen me lose my cool before.
I march off to my office and slam the door behind me. It shocks me that even after all this time, James can still elicit this kind of reaction from me. I lean against the door and close my eyes, focusing on steadying my breathing.
Five things you can see,I think, reverting back to my therapy days.
I glance around my office, focusing on the gigantic calculator on my desk, the jar of pens, my notepad, the stapler, and the calendar hanging above the wall. I take another breath in.
Four things you can touch.
My fingertips graze the hem of my T-shirt. I run my right hand over the door behind me, before I walk towards my desk. I sit down in my chair and slide my hand over the leather armrest and then play with the cap of the discarded highlighter on my desk.
Three things you can hear.
I close my eyes and focus on my breathing, in and out. I can hear music through the wall coming from the kitchen, but I can’t make out the lyrics. I can also hear the hum of the air-conditioner. It’s methodical, enough to lull me to sleep.
Two things you can smell.
There’s the air freshener I’d plugged in a while ago, some artificial Hawaiian breeze scent I’d picked up at the general store. I catch a whiff of my perfume as I reach for the packet of gum across the desk, the one thing I can taste.
I pop a piece into my mouth, my senses temporarily overwhelmed with the flavor of wintergreen gum.
I feel centered again, but take a few extra moments before returning to the roaring life of the diner.
