We wandered through the park together, stopping now and then to read a plaque or watch the street performers. Emery held Kalo’s leash, and every time we walked by another dog she had to stop to sniff them out. Emery didn’t seem bothered by it, though. He just watched her patiently, eating his slider, and he even shared his water with her once we’d found a place to settle in for the concert.
It was a lively Sunday night, and though it wasn’t much better than Alabama, the night air did seem to be a little cooler in Texas. I even had on one of the light sweaters I’d packed, which made me smile even bigger. Maybe I was forcing it to be sweater weather, but as long as I wasn’t sweating, I was happy.
Emery had purchased a large blanket from one of the vendors and spread it out on the lawn near the front of the stage. We both sat on the itchy fabric of it, Kalo plopped down between us, belly up. Emery lazily rubbed her fur with his eyes on the stage, though he didn’t look like he was really waiting for the show to begin, just like he was there. Existing.
“Are you okay?” I asked, but it was just as the first long note played from an electric guitar, and the crowd cheered, welcoming the local band to the stage.
Emery turned to me, the lights from the stage casting him in a purple glow. He gave me a thumbs up, then his hand rested on Kalo’s head again, and he faced the stage.
The band’s energy was infectious, the crowd swaying and clapping along as they played a mixture of popular covers and their own music. They sounded a little like they were from the 80s, reminding me of Bruce Springsteen with the melodic flow of their voices and instruments. When they took a break and the DJ came on, I took Kalo for a walk around the park and grabbed a four-pack of doughnuts from one of the food trucks Emery and I had been eyeing earlier. But when I made my way back to our blanket, he wasn’t alone.
There was a girl sitting next to him, right where I had been before, though calling her a girl felt stupid because she was more a woman than anything else. Her long, dark hair fell all the way down to her short jean cut-offs, and she tossed it back behind her shoulder with a laugh at something Emery had said. The closer I got to them, the more her beauty struck me — dark, exotic eyes, gold headband wrapped around her forehead, lips full and painted a deep, dark red. She looked like a modern day Pocahontas, and I was the girl with glasses too big for her face.
Emery looked up at me when I made it to the blanket, causing Pocahontas to follow his gaze. She didn’t glare at me or eye me up and down. She just smiled, a beautiful smile, her eyes falling to the box in my hands.
“Oh, my gosh! Those doughnuts are the best, have you had them yet?” she asked with a light, airy voice. Kalo hopped into her lap and she laughed, petting her behind the ears. “Well, hello there!”
“Kalo, down,” I scolded, tugging on her leash until she was on the other side of me.
The only empty part of the blanket was beside our new friend, so I sat down with as much grace as the awkward third wheel can. My leg made a clinking noise when it hit the heel of her boot and she eyed me curiously, but I just cleared my throat, tucking my legs to the side opposite her and opening the box of doughnuts.
“You can have one, if you want,” I said, offering her the first pick. I glanced at Emery, who was watching me with eyes a little less dull now.
“You’re so sweet! Thank you.” She picked up the small vanilla one with lemon icing, taking a bite and wiping the frosting from her stained lips. “I’m Emily.”
“Cooper.”
“Cute name!” She smiled, turning back to Emery, and then she offered him the doughnut she’d just taken a bite of.
They seemed to have some inside joke I didn’t know about, because his eyes flashed, a hint of something there as he leaned forward and took a bite. It felt more like I’d walked in on him pounding her against the wall in our hotel than just seeing him eat a pastry she held in her hand.
The band kicked up again, and Emily leaned into Emery, speaking into his ear over the sound of the music. I couldn’t hear them now, but Emery was laughing, and that same unfamiliar zing flitted low in my stomach as I reached into the box and pulled one of the cereal-covered doughnuts out.
I was acutely aware of the two of them as the band played through their second set. She was so gorgeous, and even with her back turned to me now as she cuddled into Emery’s side, I couldn’t help but trace the lean lines of her frame, her long, tan legs, her shiny black hair. She had one hand propped back behind her and it slid closer to Emery’s, her fingers just barely brushing the top of his.
Why are you staring at them, creep?
I shook my head, trying my best to ignore them. What did it matter? Why did I care she was here, sitting close to him, making him laugh? I didn’t even know him.
His journal entries flashed in my mind and I shoved those thoughts down.
He was single. He loved being single — that much he’d told me. This was probably going to be a part of the road trip, so I needed to get used to it.
But I couldn’t stop staring.
Emery leaned into her, whispering something in her ear as his fingers laced with hers on the blanket behind them. His eyes found mine and I blinked, turning back to the stage quickly and shoving another bite of doughnut in my mouth.
Suddenly, Emily stood, waving at me with flushed cheeks before walking slowly and purposefully toward the park exit, her doe eyes looking back at Emery as she tucked her hands in her back pockets.
“Emily wants to show me her album collection,” Emery said, handing me the keys to his car.
“Oh.” I took the keys from his hand, swallowing down the acid building in my throat. It was like he was speaking to me in code. I had a pretty good idea what album collection really meant.
He eyed me for a moment, like he was waiting for me to protest. When I didn’t, he pushed himself up off the blanket and followed Emily’s trail, hands in his front pockets, just as calm and confident in his walk as she was.
Except, unlike her, he didn’t look back.
“Ugh!”
I tugged my over-the-shoulder bag off, slinging it into the desk chair across the room before sliding the half-empty box of doughnuts on top of the desk. Kalo didn’t seem fazed by my temper tantrum as I hastily unclasped her leash, letting that drop to the floor with another huff.
Flopping down on the edge of my bed, I pulled off my sneakers, a juvenile curl on my lip as I replayed how sweet Emily had been to me. “I’m Emily. I’m a drop-dead gorgeous exotic free spirit with long beautiful hair who eats doughnuts and still manages to have a six-pack,” I mocked, rolling my eyes and turning to Kalo for reinforcement.
She just tilted her head.
“God, they even sound cute together,” I said with a sigh, flopping back onto the bed. “Emery and Emily. Em and Em. Ugh.”
Kalo whimpered, her paw patting my hand like she understood. I ruffled her fur, still sour-faced as I reminded myself again how stupid I was being. I just need a hot shower, I told myself, sitting up on the edge of the bed again. And a good movie.
I texted Lily and Tammy both to let them know I was alive and well before stripping out of my clothes and letting the hot water from the shower wash away my frustrations from the day. It had been a weird one, especially since every other day of my life up until that point had been practically the same.