On The Edge Of Falling

Lindsey, The Replacement

            The smell of Zak's cologne flowed down the hallway to my bedroom, like a river to the sea. I felt like a cartoon character when they smelled a fresh pie baking. The aroma would enter their nostrils, and lift them off the floor. Flapping their hands, as they float to the smell. I snuck through his room, to his bathroom. Zak was busy checking himself out in the mirror, and I thought it would be fun to mess with him. I inched closer and quickly grasped his waist. "Hey, good looking!" I yelled, causing Zak to jolt and swat me away like a pesky fly.
            "Damn it, Addy." Zak sighed, as I tried to control my laughter. His scared face was absolutely adorable. I looked him up and down, admiring the clean cut attire.
            "Where are you off too looking all fine and shit?"
            "Tonight's my date with Lindsey."
            "Oh, I almost forgot about that." I sighed, wishing it was all a bad dream. I was pissed that I brought it up, allowing me to remember. "You nervous?" I asked, as I pulled myself up onto the counter. I was trying to be as supportive as I could.
            "I don't know, kind of. It's been a while since I've been on a date."
            "Well, I hope it goes better than the last one." I laughed, remembering the bimbo who was terrified of sweet little Gracie. The way that chick screamed you'd think she was being mauled by a tiger.
            "Do you think I'm likable?"
            "What are you talking about?"
            "Like, if I didn't have the money, or the cars, or the show, do you think women would still be attracted to me?"
            "Are you kidding, Zak? Look at you!" I yelled, as I looked at Zak's reflection in the mirror. "You're handsome, funny, sweet. I mean, you were quite the douche bag when we first met, but the more I got to know you, the more I saw a wonderful man. A man that would drop anything to help his friends, or even a woman stranded in Vegas. Zak, any girl would be lucky to be with you." I smiled. I meant every word I said, I just didn't like the thought of me not being that lucky girl.
            "How do you do that?" Zak asked, with a soft grin marked on his face.
            "Do what?"
            "You make me feel brave when I'm nervous. You make me feel happy when I'm sad. You just...make me." I could feel the tears forming in my eyes, but I held them back, as I cleared my throat.
            "Don't get too sentimental on me, boss. You have a date to go to remember?" I grinned, as I hopped off the counter. As I walked out, I was once again filled with deep regret. I wanted to be that woman he took on dates and got nervous for. Some other woman was going to be living my dream. It wasn't fair.
            I sat downstairs, on the couch in front of the television. Watching some more trash tv. I couldn't understand why, but it always put me in a great mood if I was upset for any reason. Gracie made sure to stick close by my side, since her dad was so busy focusing on his attire. "It's okay, girl. Maybe, the date will bomb and he'll be back at home with his girls, where he belongs." I smiled, and softly patted her head.
            Suddenly, I received an unexpected phone call from my mom. Given the fact that I usually dodged her calls from being so busy, I thought I'd put a smile on her face by answering. Although, my smile was quickly stripped away, as I heard the whimper in her voice. "Addilyn, they found him." She cried.
            "Um, first of all, hi mom. Second of all, they found who?"
            "Jake. Addy, witnesses saw him outside your apartment the night it burnt down. They have footage on the security cameras. It was him, Addy." My heart felt as if it would burst wildly from my chest. Not from sadness, but from pure anger and hatred. After everything that man did to me, he had to finish it off by destroying everything that was important to me.
"That son of a bitch!"
"When are you coming home, Addy?"
"Mom, do you think that now of all times is a good time for this?"
"I just miss you so much." The sadness in her tone caused me to stop and think. It would be nice to go back and give my mother a proper goodbye. I mean, she wasn't a bad mom. A little over protective, and controlling sometimes, but always loving and there for me when I needed her. It was my turn to be there for her.
"Okay, mom, I'll ask Zak to give me some time off. Besides, I have a few choice words for that asshole." I heard Zak walking down the stairs. "Mom, I'll try to get a flight out tomorrow. Alright, love you too." I watched, as Zak approached me, as I hung up the phone.
"Flight to where?" Zak asked, showing me he had been eavesdropping.
"My ex boyfriend, the one I caught cheating, was the one who burnt my apartment down."
"Holy shit, that guy really was a douche."
"Yeah, so, would it be alright if I take a few days off? I'd like to go see my mom as well." I clasped my hands together, and gave him a sweet smile. Curious if my charm would win him over.
"Of course, you can. I'm off to my date. Wish me luck." Zak waved, as he went for the door.
"Good luck!" My mouth said the words, but my heart was saying, "I hope she has a strange fungus growing on her face and you run from her screaming."
Zak's heart pounded, as he pulled up Lindsey's driveway. Lindsey stepped onto her front porch and down the steps to Zak's car. Her beauty was, without a doubt, breathtaking. As she climbed into the passenger seat, she greeted Zak with a soft peck on the cheek, creating a cheeky grin from ear to ear. "I'm sorry, I should've probably done that after the date." Lindsey laughed.
"I didn't mind at all." Zak smiled.
Zak offered his arm and escorted Lindsey to their table at the restaurant. It was a lovely evening, so Zak thought it would only be appropriate to enjoy their meal in the fresh air. As Lindsey sat across from Zak, she couldn't take her eyes off him, or wipe the smile off her face. "I'm sorry if I seem giddy. I just really admire everything that you do." Lindsey started off the conversation.
"Don't apologize, I'm flattered that you're a fan, and honestly, you're much more calm than some of my other fans."
"It's funny, I thought you'd immediately shoot down the thought of going out with me. To be honest, you didn't seem very interested in me when we first met. You were quite focused on that woman."
"Woman? Oh, Addy." Zak smiled greatly at the mention of my name. "Yeah, she's my assistant. She just a really great friend."
"Oh, well, that's a relief. By the way you looked at her, I thought I'd have some pretty tough competition." Zak decided to quickly changed the subject. If he continued to think about it, he would want to run right home.
"So, how long have you been a waitress?" Zak asked, as the waiter placed their drinks on the table.
"A few years now. I'm really just trying to pay my way through school."
"Oh, really? What do you go to school for?" Zak was expecting an answer of acting, or modeling, due to her good looks and perky personality.
"I'm studying to be a veterinarian."
"Wow, that's amazing." Zak's eyes lit up, as if he just saw a brand new sports car in his garage.
"Yeah, I really love animals. I want to make it my life mission to help every animal in need, and find them all good, loving homes." Lindsey continued to talk to Zak about her goals and dreams, and Zak listened intently. He was fascinated by the fact that he had actually been set up with an interesting woman. The more and more time went by with Lindsey, the less and less he was thinking about Addy.
The night was coming to end, and Zak had pulled back into Lindsey's driveway. He was a true gentleman, as he walked her to her door. Zak was still waiting for her to invite him inside to ravage him, like all his other dates did, but he wasn't sure if he was ready. Although, Lindsey wasn't showing any signs of avidity. "Thank you, Zak, for a wonderful night. I really had an amazing time." Lindsey smiled, as she slowly leaned in. Zak had a need to stop her, but decided to roll with it. Her soft lips pressed against his. Not too firm, but not to gentle. Zak was surprised by how much he actually enjoyed it. As she pulled away, she gave him one final goodbye, before entering her home. Needless to say, Zak wore an enthusiastic grin the entire drive home.
I sat in front of the window in the living room, waiting for Zak's car to pull up. As I saw the headlights, my heart stopped. Was she going to be with him? Was I going to have to suffer seeing him with another woman all over again? I made a promise to be okay with him dating, but I wasn't sure if I could bite my tongue if this girl was anything like the last. Zak walked in, and to my surprise, he was alone. I quietly exhaled to myself and pretended to be captivated by an article in a magazine, trying to not make my spying obvious. "Hey, stud, how'd the date go?" I asked.
"It went really well, actually." The smile in Zak's face worried me. He had a great time, and he didn't even bring her home? He must really like this one.
"Oh, well, that's great."
"Yeah, Lindsey's fantastic."
"That really is great, Zak. I'm happy for you." You're such a fucking liar, Addy. I hope she rots in hell. "So, you wanna watch a movie or something?" I asked, seeing that it was still early and I was craving some time with him.
"Nah, I'm actually just going to go to bed. Goodnight." Zak said, as he casually walked up the stairs.
"Oh, okay...goodnight." I said, but Zak was already halfway to his room, not hearing a word I uttered. It was like I was invisible. I went from being the girl who he spent all his time with, to just his assistant. I looked down at Gracie, who was also saddened by her fathers lack of affection, and gave her a crooked smile. "Well, girl, looks like I've been replaced."