Chapter 5
"Hey, I think I left my cell phone in the car from when I picked you up. Can I use yours for a second?" he asked.
A voice came out from the bathroom.
"Sure!"
Merrill dialed the number. It rang and rang, but no answer.
"What's up, it's Ali. Sorry I'm-"
Merrill hung up the phone and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. Finally, she came back. She crossed her long, toned, and sunkissed legs as Merrill sat next to her on the sofa.
"So," he said, "what's new?"
"Nothing much. You?"
"Same. Season's over."
"So what are you gonna do with all the free time?"
"I don't know. Probably spend time with my family."
They looked at each other as Merrill put his hand on her thigh She leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss. Even though she was putting all of her feelings into the kiss, he wasn't. He pulled his lips away from hers and turned his head.
"Kylie.."
"What is it, baby?"
"I can't do this tonight. It's just that..I've got a lot on my mind."
Kylie sighed with frustration and stood up.
"Fine. Call me when you're not thinking about your sister-in-law."
"I'm not thinking about her."
"You've called me Alicia twice tonight."
"But I.."
"Goodnight, Merrill."
"How are you getting home?"
"I'll take a cab."
She opened his door and slammed it behind her.
"Have a good night!" he yelled.
Merrill leaned against the door and closed his eyes. He gave serious thought to calling Alicia, but decided that he would just drive to Bucks County in the morning.
'Then I can talk to her in person,' he thought to himself.
Meanwhile, 30 miles away, Alicia stepped out of the shower and sat in the garage bedroom by herself. Lying on her stomach on the bed, she stared at her cell phone.
"1 missed call..hmm."
She checked the number and didn't recognize it. She forgot about it and threw it down on the bed next to her.
'It couldn't have been Merrill. He's not going to call me,' she thought aloud, 'He's a typical guy.'
Not even five seconds after that thought, her phone rang. She didn't even look at the caller ID as she picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's me."
"Colleen, why are you calling me?"
"Because I'm too lazy to walk over to see you."
"I thought you were..someone else."
"Merrill."
"I didn't say that."
"Alicia Nicole.."
"Fine. You got me."
"You can and never will be able to lie to me. So what are you doing over there?"
"About to go to bed. I have nothing better to do."
"Well, whatever you do, try not to think about Merrill."
"How can I not, Coll? I really think I did the wrong thing."
There was an incoming call beep on her phone.
"Coll, someone's beeping in. I'll see you in the morning."
"Ok, sweetie. Goodnight."
"Night."
Alicia clicked over.
"Hello?"
"Is this Alicia?"
"Yeah, it is. Who's this."
"I'm not sure if you remember me or not, but this is Kylie. Merrill's Kylie?"
"Merrill's Kylie? He didn't tell me he owned a Kylie."
"Listen, you need to let him go. I can't spend a night with him without him mentioning your name."
"He's only been back in town for a night. And we've only been out once, so why are you implying that I'm always on his mind."
"Well, he was going to call you himself and tell you this, but he thought maybe I should do it. Besides, he wants to be with me, not someone like you. He told me he only took you out because his brother wanted him to."
"Oh really? Well, you know what? Don't ever even contemplate calling my cell phone again, you stupid bitch."
Alicia hung up and threw the phone against the wall. She hadn't had time to process the conversation, but all she knew was that she was infuriated with Merrill.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Merrill pulled up in the driveway of the Hess home. He got out of the car and went into the main house. In the kitchen, Graham was sitting with Morgan, who was drawing something.
"Hey there," Merrill said, "What are you two making?"
"An early birthday present for Alicia. Her birthday is a week from today."
"I totally forgot. I should get her something. Where is she?"
"Upstairs with Colleen. They're talking about something..they've been up there for an hour."
"I'll go check on them."
"I don't know if that's a great idea. Alicia was pretty livid about something that happened last night."
Merrill left the room and headed up the stairs. He could hear the conversation leaking out from behind the door.
"..I was ready to tell him that I changed my mind. But no. He's got that idiotic bimbo all to himself."
Puzzled, he knocked on the door.
"Graham, come in!"
"It's not Graham. It's me, Merrill."
Alicia said, "We're having a private conversation. Can you please leave?"
Merrill was shocked by the icy tone in her voice.
"What's wrong?"
Alicia walked to the door and swung it open.
"I'll tell you what's wrong. I love how you had your little girlfriend Kylie call me and be your messenger."
"What are you talking about?"
"So you took me out because I'm Colleen's poor little sister?"
"No! Where the hell did you get that idea from?"
"I don't know- ask Kylie."
"So she called you?"
"I have nothing else to say to you. I'm just glad I stopped things with you when I did."
"Ali, wait. I can explain.."
She shut the door in his face and he slammed his fist against the wall. A few minutes later, Alicia left Colleen's work room and went down the stairs. Merrill was sitting in the living room with Graham, and he stopped his conversation with him when he saw Alicia rush into the kitchen. He got up and followed her as she walked outside, headed to the garage house.
"Ali, wait a second. Let me explain- please!"
"There's nothing to explain, Merrill. You're an asshole and you're two- faced. You made that perfectly clear."
"Stop being so stubborn! Just talk to me!"
Alicia stopped walking. She turned around and reluctantly faced Merrill. Just looking in his eyes made her go weak in the knees.
"I'm listening," she said.
"First of all, I did not- repeat, did not tell Kylie to call you on my behalf. You know I would never do that. And second of all, if I wasn't the least bit interested in you, I wouldn't be having this conversation with you right now. We've been through this, and I know you feel rushed into everything, but I really do have strong feelings for you."
"How do I know you haven't said the same thing to Kylie?"
Merrill bit his lips and ran his fingers through his hair.
"See," he said, "this is going to be a problem. If you can't trust me, what kind of relationship could we possibly have? When the season starts up again, I'll be traveling all across the country with lots of girls like Kylie. But if I know you're waiting back home for me at the end of the day, it's like they don't even exist. I can have that trust in you..I can look in your eyes and know that you'll be faithful to me. So why can't you have that trust in me?"
"I can, Merrill. I can have that trust. It's just that..you're gorgeous and you've got so much going for you. I'm so average and so...Pennsylvanian. You could have a hot girlfriend like Kylie in the blink of an eye. Why me?"
Merrill traced the side of her face with his fingers and said, "Because you're the exact opposite of the girls I meet when I'm road. Except for the fact that you're probably the most breathtaking woman I've ever seen- more beautiful than any woman I've ever met before. And you're down-to-earth and genuine. I love those qualities in you."
He leaned in to kiss her and she met him halfway.
"What do you have planned for this afternoon?" asked Alicia.
"I don't know. I've got a few months of free afternoons. Why?"
Alicia took his hand and led him towards the garage house.
"Follow me."
"Hey, I think I left my cell phone in the car from when I picked you up. Can I use yours for a second?" he asked.
A voice came out from the bathroom.
"Sure!"
Merrill dialed the number. It rang and rang, but no answer.
"What's up, it's Ali. Sorry I'm-"
Merrill hung up the phone and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. Finally, she came back. She crossed her long, toned, and sunkissed legs as Merrill sat next to her on the sofa.
"So," he said, "what's new?"
"Nothing much. You?"
"Same. Season's over."
"So what are you gonna do with all the free time?"
"I don't know. Probably spend time with my family."
They looked at each other as Merrill put his hand on her thigh She leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss. Even though she was putting all of her feelings into the kiss, he wasn't. He pulled his lips away from hers and turned his head.
"Kylie.."
"What is it, baby?"
"I can't do this tonight. It's just that..I've got a lot on my mind."
Kylie sighed with frustration and stood up.
"Fine. Call me when you're not thinking about your sister-in-law."
"I'm not thinking about her."
"You've called me Alicia twice tonight."
"But I.."
"Goodnight, Merrill."
"How are you getting home?"
"I'll take a cab."
She opened his door and slammed it behind her.
"Have a good night!" he yelled.
Merrill leaned against the door and closed his eyes. He gave serious thought to calling Alicia, but decided that he would just drive to Bucks County in the morning.
'Then I can talk to her in person,' he thought to himself.
Meanwhile, 30 miles away, Alicia stepped out of the shower and sat in the garage bedroom by herself. Lying on her stomach on the bed, she stared at her cell phone.
"1 missed call..hmm."
She checked the number and didn't recognize it. She forgot about it and threw it down on the bed next to her.
'It couldn't have been Merrill. He's not going to call me,' she thought aloud, 'He's a typical guy.'
Not even five seconds after that thought, her phone rang. She didn't even look at the caller ID as she picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's me."
"Colleen, why are you calling me?"
"Because I'm too lazy to walk over to see you."
"I thought you were..someone else."
"Merrill."
"I didn't say that."
"Alicia Nicole.."
"Fine. You got me."
"You can and never will be able to lie to me. So what are you doing over there?"
"About to go to bed. I have nothing better to do."
"Well, whatever you do, try not to think about Merrill."
"How can I not, Coll? I really think I did the wrong thing."
There was an incoming call beep on her phone.
"Coll, someone's beeping in. I'll see you in the morning."
"Ok, sweetie. Goodnight."
"Night."
Alicia clicked over.
"Hello?"
"Is this Alicia?"
"Yeah, it is. Who's this."
"I'm not sure if you remember me or not, but this is Kylie. Merrill's Kylie?"
"Merrill's Kylie? He didn't tell me he owned a Kylie."
"Listen, you need to let him go. I can't spend a night with him without him mentioning your name."
"He's only been back in town for a night. And we've only been out once, so why are you implying that I'm always on his mind."
"Well, he was going to call you himself and tell you this, but he thought maybe I should do it. Besides, he wants to be with me, not someone like you. He told me he only took you out because his brother wanted him to."
"Oh really? Well, you know what? Don't ever even contemplate calling my cell phone again, you stupid bitch."
Alicia hung up and threw the phone against the wall. She hadn't had time to process the conversation, but all she knew was that she was infuriated with Merrill.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Merrill pulled up in the driveway of the Hess home. He got out of the car and went into the main house. In the kitchen, Graham was sitting with Morgan, who was drawing something.
"Hey there," Merrill said, "What are you two making?"
"An early birthday present for Alicia. Her birthday is a week from today."
"I totally forgot. I should get her something. Where is she?"
"Upstairs with Colleen. They're talking about something..they've been up there for an hour."
"I'll go check on them."
"I don't know if that's a great idea. Alicia was pretty livid about something that happened last night."
Merrill left the room and headed up the stairs. He could hear the conversation leaking out from behind the door.
"..I was ready to tell him that I changed my mind. But no. He's got that idiotic bimbo all to himself."
Puzzled, he knocked on the door.
"Graham, come in!"
"It's not Graham. It's me, Merrill."
Alicia said, "We're having a private conversation. Can you please leave?"
Merrill was shocked by the icy tone in her voice.
"What's wrong?"
Alicia walked to the door and swung it open.
"I'll tell you what's wrong. I love how you had your little girlfriend Kylie call me and be your messenger."
"What are you talking about?"
"So you took me out because I'm Colleen's poor little sister?"
"No! Where the hell did you get that idea from?"
"I don't know- ask Kylie."
"So she called you?"
"I have nothing else to say to you. I'm just glad I stopped things with you when I did."
"Ali, wait. I can explain.."
She shut the door in his face and he slammed his fist against the wall. A few minutes later, Alicia left Colleen's work room and went down the stairs. Merrill was sitting in the living room with Graham, and he stopped his conversation with him when he saw Alicia rush into the kitchen. He got up and followed her as she walked outside, headed to the garage house.
"Ali, wait a second. Let me explain- please!"
"There's nothing to explain, Merrill. You're an asshole and you're two- faced. You made that perfectly clear."
"Stop being so stubborn! Just talk to me!"
Alicia stopped walking. She turned around and reluctantly faced Merrill. Just looking in his eyes made her go weak in the knees.
"I'm listening," she said.
"First of all, I did not- repeat, did not tell Kylie to call you on my behalf. You know I would never do that. And second of all, if I wasn't the least bit interested in you, I wouldn't be having this conversation with you right now. We've been through this, and I know you feel rushed into everything, but I really do have strong feelings for you."
"How do I know you haven't said the same thing to Kylie?"
Merrill bit his lips and ran his fingers through his hair.
"See," he said, "this is going to be a problem. If you can't trust me, what kind of relationship could we possibly have? When the season starts up again, I'll be traveling all across the country with lots of girls like Kylie. But if I know you're waiting back home for me at the end of the day, it's like they don't even exist. I can have that trust in you..I can look in your eyes and know that you'll be faithful to me. So why can't you have that trust in me?"
"I can, Merrill. I can have that trust. It's just that..you're gorgeous and you've got so much going for you. I'm so average and so...Pennsylvanian. You could have a hot girlfriend like Kylie in the blink of an eye. Why me?"
Merrill traced the side of her face with his fingers and said, "Because you're the exact opposite of the girls I meet when I'm road. Except for the fact that you're probably the most breathtaking woman I've ever seen- more beautiful than any woman I've ever met before. And you're down-to-earth and genuine. I love those qualities in you."
He leaned in to kiss her and she met him halfway.
"What do you have planned for this afternoon?" asked Alicia.
"I don't know. I've got a few months of free afternoons. Why?"
Alicia took his hand and led him towards the garage house.
"Follow me."