“Hellloo . . .”
Alexis was suddenly aware of Glory peering hard at her.
“Want to tell us what’s going on?”
“I—I just changed my mind about eating there, that’s all. It smelled nasty and was giving me a headache.”
“If not here, where?” Charmaine asked testily.
“Can we do it some other time?”
“Fine with me,” Tessa said cheerfully, going toward the car. “Want me to drive?”
Alexis met her friend’s gaze, but shook her head. “It’s all right. I’ll drive.”
Her hands shook as she inserted the key into the ignition. She backed out of the lot with a screech and floored the accelerator to get into the flow of traffic.
“Don’t kill us,” Charmaine said.
Tessa blasted the radio so that no one could talk on the ride home.
SIX
Alexis told no one about seeing her father with another woman, not even Adam. Tessa said, “It was probably harmless,” when she talked to her later in the week.
“ ‘Harmless’ is being there with Mom.”
They were in the library again, studying for a political science test.
“There’s probably a good explanation.” Tessa tried again.
“Like what? I’ve tried to think of good explanations. But the way he was looking at her—” Alexis’s voice caught.
“I don’t know, but parents are strange animals, and they do strange things.”
“What if it was your father?”
“My father? The only restaurants he frequents are the ones with menus posted on the walls.”
“This is serious.”
“I know.” Tessa sounded contrite. “If you really want to know what’s going on, maybe you should ask him.”
“I can’t do that. Not now.” How did Alexis explain to Tessa about her parents’ war zone at their house? “You won’t say anything, will you? I—I can trust you not to blab this around, can’t I?”
“How can you ask that? Of course I won’t.”
“You may be right about there being a good explanation.” Alexis wanted to drop the subject. It was giving her a headache, and thinking about it all the time was tying her stomach in knots. She wondered how many of her father’s late nights had been spent with this woman. She shook her head and took deep breaths. She hated the direction her mind was going in and forced her thoughts to return to images of her father calmly reading the paper in the den, and organizing stacks of paint cans in the garage, and practicing his golf putt in the backyard. That was her father, not the man looking into the eyes of the unknown woman at a public restaurant.
A public restaurant! Of course, why hadn’t she thought of that before? If something clandestine was happening, why would he choose a restaurant as popular as Sea Dreams, where anybody could see him? She quietly shared her revelation with Tessa.
“Good thought,” Tessa said, beaming Alexis a smile. “Very good thought. You’re a born debater, Alexis. You see both sides of a situation and think them through. If this had been an actual debate and I was a judge, I’d give you the round.”
For the first time that afternoon, Alexis smiled. “You’re prejudiced.”
“True, but it’s still a good argument.”
Alexis pretended to return to studying, but her thoughts wouldn’t stop spinning. She had devised a logical excuse. Now she and Tessa could stop thinking and talking about seeing her father with another woman. But her explanation gave her no real peace. Which was the whole problem with mistrust. Once it began to grow, it was like a weed that couldn’t be killed.
At the end of the month, Alexis and her friends drove two cars to Disney World in drizzling rain, keeping in contact via rearview mirrors and cell phones. Sawyer led the caravan with Alexis and Tessa in his car. Adam followed in his and Alexis’s car with Kelly and Wade. If Wade had been disappointed with Tessa’s choice to ride without him, he hadn’t let on. “No way do I want him to think of us as a couple,” Tessa told Alexis before they left the driveway.
“No problem,” Alexis said. She knew that riding with Adam and Kelly would have been difficult for Tessa. During the long drive Alexis played a book on tape; then Sawyer switched to his favorite CDs. They ate lunch at a fast-food place along the way.
At Disney World, they checked into two reserved suites at a hotel inside the grounds. When the three girls threw open the door to their room, Kelly said, “Wow. Pretty nice.”
“Yes. Well, Dad wanted us to have the best,” Alexis said. She was determined to spare no expense on the trip. It would serve her father right if she maxed out his card. They each made perfunctory calls home to say they had arrived safely, then set out with the guys to explore the Magic Kingdom.
“Where to first?” Adam asked on the monorail ride into the heart of the park.
“Space Mountain,” everyone said in unison.
The line to ride the roller coaster was short because of the light rain, so they got in without much of a wait. Strapped into the seat, Alexis cuddled against Sawyer. “Okay,” he said as the ride started to move, “I’ll be Worf the Klingon like in Star Trek, and you can be Counselor Deanna Troi, that psychic woman.”
“She’s an empath,” Alexis said. “And why her?”
He nuzzled Alexis’s neck. “Because she’s pretty, like you are. And because she always knows what others are thinking and feeling. And because she ended up loving big ugly Worf.”
Alexis felt a melting sensation. “You’re not ugly.”
He laughed. “Thank you, counselor. So tell me, what else am I thinking?”
The roller coaster began to climb slowly inside Space Mountain, and twinkling lights representing planets and stars emerged.
Alexis pressed her fingers against her temples. “I’m seeing a soccer trophy in the spring.”
“True. But it’s not spring yet. What am I thinking right now?” He leaned closer.
“That you’re going to—” She got no further, because the coaster made it over the first hill and went hurtling down into the dark. Her stomach fell, and she grabbed hold of Sawyer’s arm. “Hang on!”
“You hang on!” Sawyer shouted above the roar of the machine. “To me!”
From the seat behind them, she heard Kelly shriek. Alexis watched the stars fly past as the coaster whipped around the galaxy, barely missing an asteroid heading toward them. She ducked reflexively and felt Sawyer’s arm tighten around her. “Scared?” he shouted.
“No way!”
The ride through outer space took only a few minutes, yet left Alexis breathless and exhilarated. When the coaster rolled to a stop at the space station, she turned toward Adam. “Let’s do it again.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Not me,” Kelly said. She looked woozy.
Adam caught her around the waist. “Maybe you’d better sit for a minute.” He led her to a bench. The light, misty rain had stopped, and the sun was attempting to make an appearance.
“You didn’t think that was fun?” Alexis asked.
“I hardly ever have fun while nauseous.”
Tessa and Wade came up to them. “That was a blast,” Tessa said. “Who’s up for another go?”
“Kelly’s a little shaky,” Alexis said.
Kelly looked at the others. “You all go on. I’ll wait here for you.”
“I won’t leave you,” Adam said, sitting beside her.
Kelly said, “No, really. Go. Roller coasters just aren’t for me.”
“How about the merry-go-round?” Wade asked, his tone condescending.
“Knock it off,” Adam said. “She can’t help it if she doesn’t like coasters.”
“I’ve got it,” Sawyer interjected. “We’ll flip a coin to see who sits it out with Kelly. That’s how we decide things on our soccer team.”
“Seems fair,” Alexis said. She could tell Adam really wanted to go again, and she didn’t want him to miss out.
“That’s okay with me,” Kell
y said.
Sawyer took out a quarter and paired off with Alexis. “Call it.”
“Heads.”
“Heads it is. I lost that round. Alexis is riding. I’ll flip with Adam.”
“Tails,” Adam said.
“You win.” Sawyer lost to Tessa too, so only he and Wade were left. Alexis had her fingers crossed that Wade would lose the call, because if he did, Tessa would ride with Adam and she with Sawyer, while Wade baby-sat Kelly. Perfect.
Wade lost the toss, and Alexis could barely suppress her smile. Looking dejected, Wade sat. Tessa said, “Tell you what. After this ride, I’ll go with you again.”
Kelly smiled weakly. “I’m really sorry I have such a touchy stomach.”
“Not a problem,” Alexis said.
“Take it easy,” Adam said. “We’ll be back soon. Wade, you take care of my girl.”
Wade saluted.
Alexis knew she didn’t dare look Tessa in the eye for fear of making them both giggle uncontrollably. She and Sawyer fell into step behind Adam and Tessa, heading for the short line at the start of the ride.
Sawyer took her hand. “Why do you look so happy? Did I miss something?”
“Not a thing.”
“But you are happy about something, aren’t you?”
“I’m happy because I’m with you, Mr. Worf.”
Adam turned. “Mr. Worf?”
“Inside joke,” Alexis said.
Sawyer shrugged. “She’s clairvoyant,” he said to Adam. “Didn’t you know?”
“You’re both nuts,” Adam said with a grin.
“Let’s go, Number One,” Tessa said, catching on to the Star Trek lingo immediately.
“Well, if I’m Number One, who are you—the captain?” Adam asked.
“Oh no. . . . We can’t all be officers. Just think of me as just another dreamer aboard the star-ship.”
Adam grinned. Sawyer tightened his hold on Alexis’s hand. And Alexis silently wished that Kelly wouldn’t be waiting when the ride was over.
SEVEN
But Kelly was waiting, and she looked a whole lot perkier. Adam put his arm around her, and Tessa fell back alongside Wade. They toured the area, and dusk was falling when Sawyer announced, “I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry,” Alexis said.
“I’m a growing boy.”
“Let’s go to the Hard Rock Cafe,” Wade said. “I know there’s one on the grounds.”
“Hotel first,” Adam said. “I want to grab something from the room.”
Alexis thought Adam’s request was odd, but Kelly thought it was a good idea because she wanted to get her sweater.
The group caught the monorail back to the hotel and were met in the lobby by a pretty girl dressed as a hula dancer. “It’s luau night,” she told them as she draped colorful leis around their necks. “Big party by the indoor pool. Live rock band and free food. No crowds either. Come join us.”
“Rock band?” Sawyer’s face lit up. “We can do Hard Rock tomorrow night.”
“Get your bathing suits,” the dancer urged. “The pool’s heated.”
In the elevator, Tessa groused, “I hate bathing suits. Mine is so old.”
Of course, Alexis knew that Tessa felt self-conscious in a bathing suit and had only brought one because Alexis had insisted. “It’ll be fine,” she said.
“You can borrow one of mine. I brought two.” Kelly’s big blue eyes looked innocent as she made her offer.
When Kelly stepped into the bathroom to change, Tessa said, “Was she being hateful? She must know I couldn’t squeeze into one of hers even if I greased myself all over with olive oil.”
Alexis said, “Ignore her. I’m not sure that her mouth and her brain are in constant communication.”
Tessa giggled. “Well, I did get to ride Space Mountain with Adam. And I sat as close to him as I dared. Maybe she’s miffed about it.”
“Who cares? Just forget about her and have a good time.”
“It isn’t easy seeing her with him, you know. Not that I have one chance in a million with him myself.”
“Are you sorry you came?”
Tessa thought about the question before saying, “No. Just being around him is a high for me. Even if Kelly is permanently attached to his side.”
Alexis thought instantly of seeing her father in the restaurant with the pretty younger woman instead of her mother. “Nothing’s permanent,” she said.
Down at the pool, a small band dressed in surfer shorts and Hawaiian shirts played for about sixty people. Buffet tables were laden with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, platters of fresh vegetables and sliced fruit and trays heaped with bite-sized desserts. Wade and Sawyer were already in the water, but Adam sat in a lounge chair wearing long black spandex bicycle pants and a shirt.
“What’s with the outfit?” Alexis asked, dropping her towel onto his chair.
“When I was packing, I grabbed the wrong thing out of my drawer.”
“Does that mean you won’t come swimming?” Kelly sounded disappointed.
“I’m swimming—if you don’t mind being with someone who looks this nerdy.”
Sawyer came out of the pool when he saw Alexis. “I told him to just wear a pair of shorts.”
Adam shrugged. “I didn’t bring any spares.”
Alexis said, “Well, you do look nerdy.”
“So sue me.” He took Kelly’s hands. “You look great. Go on in. I’ll save us a table, then jump in.” He urged her toward the water, then began gathering chairs around a poolside table, staking a claim with extra towels draped over the chair backs.
Sawyer grabbed Alexis’s hand. “Let’s go down the water slide.”
“I thought you were starving.”
“I am, but we may as well wait until the line goes down.”
She looked over to see guests clustered around the buffet. The band began a loud tune, and the next thing Alexis knew, she was climbing the ladder for the slippery glide down into the heated aqua water of the pool. Soon Tessa, Wade, Adam and Kelly were sliding with them, one right after another, reminding Alexis of playful seals. She lost count of the number of times she climbed the ladder. At some point they stopped long enough to sit and eat at the table Adam had saved.
They were finishing up when Kelly pointed and said, “Look.”
Underwater lights were turning the pool’s water shades of yellow, green, blue, red and orange in rhythm to the music from the band, just back from a break. From the sides of the pool, water shot from almost invisible hoses. The streams met in the air before falling in cascades of lighted rainbows onto the surface. As lights shimmered and the water danced, the audience broke out in applause.
When the water show was over, a volleyball net was stretched across the water and an invitation was issued for the guests to choose up sides. “All right,” Sawyer said with a grin, and rubbed his hands together. “Come on, guys. We can take on anybody.”
Alexis felt her own competitive spirit rise.
Kelly stood and started for the water. Adam didn’t follow, so she asked, “You coming?”
“I think I’ll sit out for a while. You go on and play.”
Kelly glanced longingly at the water. “I should stay with you.”
“Why? Truth is, I’m not very good at volleyball.”
His excuse surprised Alexis because he was good at the land version of the game. “You doing all right?” she asked.
“Doing great. I just don’t want to play. I’ll kick back and watch you guys destroy all comers. That okay with you, Mother?”
The others laughed at Alexis’s expense. “Gee, excuse me for asking a question,” Alexis said.
“And excuse me for taking a break. What are you, my parole officer? Jeez, Ally, butt out.”
His words stung. “Didn’t know you could be so touchy.”
“Didn’t know you could be so nosy.” Adam looked at Sawyer. “Does she nag you like she does me?”
Alexis felt color creep in
to her cheeks.
“Love is blind,” Sawyer said good-naturedly.
“But not silent,” Adam said.
“Now, children, let’s behave,” Tessa said.
A whistle blew, and Sawyer took Alexis’s arm. “Save it for the match, tiger.”
Privately, Alexis seethed as she went into the water. Adam had no right to bite her head off and embarrass her in front of the others. All she’d done was ask if he was all right, and he’d picked a fight with her. Not fair!
“Heads up!” Sawyer called, and Alexis snapped out of her funk in time to see the ball headed straight for her. She smacked it hard, and within minutes she had forgotten about her tiff with Adam.
Their little team kept winning because Tessa turned out to have a fantastic serve and Kelly a mean spike.
“Way to go, Kelly,” Wade said after she had almost stuffed the ball down a guy’s throat on the other side of the net.
“I like to pretend the ball’s my math teacher’s head,” she said with a blue-eyed innocence that made the others laugh.
The opposition dwindled until theirs was the only team remaining. Finally, they were declared the official champions of the event, and as they climbed out of the water to get their individual plastic trophies, Alexis looked over at the table where Adam had been sitting. His chair was empty.
Later, in the room, Kelly asked, “Do you think he left because he’s mad at us?”
“Why should he be mad at us? He had his chance to play,” Alexis said, irritated with her brother all over again. They were getting ready for bed, and Tessa was in the bathroom brushing her teeth.
“Maybe I should call him,” Kelly said. She kept fidgeting with her hair and looking insecure.
“Feel free.”
Kelly grabbed the receiver and punched in Adam’s room number. Alexis tried not to listen while Kelly talked, but when it seemed as if they were about to hang up, she asked Kelly for the phone. “It’s me, your nosy sister,” she said. “You know, the one with the genuine gold plastic trophy for winning at water volleyball.”
He chuckled. “And this is me, your sorry brother. I shouldn’t have gotten hot with you. Are we straight now?”
She shrugged, feeling her irritation melting. “I guess so. I didn’t mean to go off on you. I just didn’t understand why you wouldn’t play.”