Robin Alexander - Pitifully Ugly

“Shannon?” Something in Kalen’s tone made me face her. “I

think I’m going to be sick.”

We both began digging in the pockets of the seats in front of

us for a barf bag. I nearly broke Kalen’s nose as I shoved one in

her face. She missed anyway.

When I was allowed to get up from my seat, I soaked the

miniscule bathroom, trying to rid myself of the stench of bacon

and eggs. I was nearly sick a couple of times, too. I repeated the

process on our layover in Atlanta and emerged from the bathroom

looking like I’d wet my pants. Kalen was nice enough to buy me a

sweatshirt to change into, but we had no time to search for pants.

She apologized all the way from the airport and was still

begging my forgiveness when I was tempted to put my foot in her

chest and shove her from my car when we arrived at her house.

The high side was that the subject of Hailey didn’t come up again.

I could torment myself on that one without Kalen’s assistance.

I looked at my watch as I entered the courtyard and was

relieved to see that it wasn’t quite five. I figured that I’d beaten

Hailey home from work and wouldn’t have to greet her smelling

like vomit. I was wrong. She was in her usual spot on the bench.

“Hey, welcome home,” Hailey said with a bright smile that

faded the minute I got within a foot of her. Even Fuzzy appeared

put off by my odor.

“I know I reek,” I said, keeping my distance. “Kalen got sick

the minute we left the ground in Miami.”

“I was going to ask you to dinner, but I just lost my appetite,”

Hailey said as she fanned her grinning face.

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That invitation would’ve thrilled me before the conversation

with Kalen. Now I stood mute, pondering a comeback.

“I’m just teasing,” Hailey said as her expression turned

serious. “You’re probably tired and just want to relax.”

“It was a hellacious flight,” I tried to explain. “Can I take a

rain check?”

Hailey looked disappointed but recovered quickly. “Sure, go

shower. We’ll get together another night.”

I smiled as best I could and kept my distance as I made my

way to the door. I heard Hailey and Fuzzy come in behind me,

and I turned to look at them. “You may not want to ride up in the

elevator with me.” I gestured to the stain on my pants.

Fuzzy looked as though she agreed wholeheartedly. The ball

clamped between her jaws was not rubbed on my pants.

Hailey pursed her lips. “Good point. We’ll take the stairs.”

I put my jeans into the washer, then turned it off when the

tub filled to let them soak and went straight to the shower. As I

washed the rank smell from my body, I thought about Hailey and

the way she looked when I declined dinner. I hated to disappoint

her, but Kalen’s words floated around in my brain, filling me with

doubt.

I felt like there was something good between us. Something

we could build on, but then I’d hear Kalen’s voice warning of

disaster. I was in deep thought when I got out of the shower and

heard my cell phone chime in the bedroom. Wrapped in a towel,

I retrieved it and read Hailey’s message. Is something bothering

you? Why did I have to be surrounded by intuitive women? Couldn’t

they just be dumb like me? And speaking of dumb, I responded

without thinking. I think we should talk, but not tonight. How

about dinner tomorrow night?

Hailey’s reply was slow in coming. I think I understand. Some

things are better left unsaid. Let’s just leave it at that.

My heart sank. I called her and waited until her voicemail

picked up. “Please don’t do this, Hailey. I…I don’t want to talk via

voicemail and text messages. Please call me.” She didn’t return

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my call, nor did she answer my text messages. With a head full

of wet hair, I pulled on a pair of sweats and marched down to her

apartment. She didn’t answer my knock.

I pressed my face between the door and the facing. “This is

usually said of me, but don’t you think this is a bit childish?”

“She’s not home.”

I turned to see Kevin, the maintenance man. He’d been

standing a few feet away the whole time with a paintbrush in

his hand. He jutted his chin toward the elevator. “She left about

ten minutes ago with her dog and what looked like an overnight

bag.”“Umm, thanks,” I said before taking the stairs up to my

place.

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Chapter 17

Assumptions make an ass…

I awoke the next morning and checked my phone. No messages

from Hailey and no voicemail. I sent her another text message

asking for a chance to talk. It went unanswered.

I switched on the TV for something to take my mind off of

her while I waited for an answer that I figured would never come.

A used car commercial caught my attention. I glared at it as it

summed up my life.

Are you looking for a girlfriend? Someone to fill those lonely

nights and warm your heart, as well as your bed? Hurry in now

and trade your peaceful albeit empty life for one of our slightly

used models. You’ll be cruising along life’s highway in no time.

Of course, they always forgot to mention in those commercials

that your new ride will be slightly damaged, confusing to operate,

and sometimes will leave you stranded on life’s highway—alone

and wondering why everything came to a screeching halt.

I just didn’t have it in me to browse the lot any longer. I’d

found the one I wanted, but it seemed that I’d gotten caught up

in the flashy exterior and neglected to see if I was investing in a

lemon.

You always hear of people having epiphanies. One morning

they wake up and have a moment of clarity. I thought I was having

one of my own. I’d been so focused on having someone to share

my life with that it made me kind of pathetic. “Love me, love me,

please pick me and complete my life.” I suddenly had a mental

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image of myself as a pooch in the pound barking and pawing at

my cage door as prospective owners came looking. Well, shit on

that!I threw the covers back and jumped out of bed. Ten minutes

tops, I was dressed, my hair was sticking out the back of a ball

cap, and I had an apple in my hand for breakfast. I was a woman

on the move with my tennis racket tucked under my arm. As

briskly as I could manage, I walked to the health club, rented a

basket of balls, and loaded up the machine.

When the first ball shot toward me, I smacked the hell out of it,

then apologized to the woman on the adjoining court. She rubbed

her hip as she glared, and I continued undaunted. I pounded all my

frustration away on those balls until I was drenched with sweat.

“Someone must’ve really pissed you off. I don’t think I’ve

ever heard anyone growl like that.”

I turned and faced a sporty-looking woman who was

probably in her mid-thirties. She was all smiles standing there in

her starched white tennis outfit looking like a million bucks. The

Shannon who went to sleep the previous night might have been

beguiled by the way she looked me over, but today’s Shannon was

a different breed of cat altogether.

“I’m Sue,” she said as she thrust out her hand. “Are you