Genesis

CHAPTER 19 Saturday Night's (All Right for Fighting)

I could feel the tension as I approached the porch steps, as thick and heavy as the air on this steamy Georgia afternoon. I said hello nicely enough, but Ty just stared at me and gave me the guy nod.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"How was work?" he asked sardonically.

"It doesn't seem like you really want to know."

"Oh, I already know."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you with Mike!" he said angrily.

"What are you talking about?"

"I was going to surprise you by picking you up at work and taking you out to celebrate your first day. When I pulled in, you were lying in his arms! Neither of you even saw me because you were too busy staring at each other!" he said in a raised voice.

"That wasn't what it looked like," I tried to explain. But he stopped me.

"I saw you, Essie! I'm not stupid!"

"Let's go for a walk in the woods before my mother comes out here."

I started to walk down the stairs and he followed after a moment, silent. When we were safely hidden behind the large live oak that stood as a lone sentinel at the head of the path, his ugly side showed itself.

"I told you that I didn't want you working there," he yelled, gripping my bicep too tightly and spinning me toward him. "You have no idea what I wanted to do when I saw you with him."

"Let...go...of...my...arm," I warned. "I know you don't want to hurt me."

He ripped his hand away. "Sorry. What the heck, Essie?" he sighed.

"Ty, if you would give me a chance to explain..."

He was silent.

"Michael walked me to my car and we both reached for the door handle at the same time and it startled me and when I went to turn, I tripped and he caught me before I hit the ground, and that's it," I said all in one breath.

He looked pensively at the ground.

"Nothing happened," I reiterated.

"It didn't look like nothing," he muttered, still not looking at me.

The sun was still fairly high in the early evening sky and it was hot. Sensing we might be there for a while, I sat down under the oak's shade in a pile of fallen leaves and pine needles, hoping they would provide a buffer between my favorite jeans and the Georgia red clay that had already claimed several items of clothing from my siblings. I leaned back against the trunk, legs out straight in front of me, arms folded obstinately across my chest.

It felt good to sit and relax after running around the nursery all day. Ty hadn't said anything else, but he was now glaring at me. Instead of glaring back, I closed my eyes and imagined myself back in the field at Black Creek, lying on my blanket, listening to "Meditation from Thaïs". After about half of the song had played in my head, I felt Ty sit down next to me, his shoulder touching mine. I kept my eyes closed and my arms crossed, giving him the opportunity to speak first. After all, it was he who was being absurd.

Instead of offering the apology I was sure I deserved, he laid his head on my shoulder. Wait! That's not fair! I remained stationary. He wriggled in a little closer, turning his head just enough to be able to tenderly kiss my neck. Uh, oh. My pulse quickened and my resolve softened. How was I supposed to stay angry when he was being so... so... beguiling?