Plus One. How to Catch a Cloud - ix

Shoot. What did I do? What was I thinking? She asked herself all these questions. Why did he bring out the worst in her?

Tweet. Buzz. Buzz.
Tweet. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

INCOMING CALL: PHOENIX

"Hi," she answered.
"Hey Ara. What time will you guys get here?"
"I don't know. I'll probably be there by 12AM the latest if I leave now."
"You haven't left yet? What about Chuck?"
"Well, he's going on his own. I've changed my mind. I'm gonna take the bus down. It'll be just as long as driving myself, but I won't waste my energy."
"OK, just call us when you get to the terminal. I'll pick you up!"
My, he sounded perky, she thought.
"OK, I will. Uh, hey Nix... What's up? You sound over the moon about something..."
"Yeah! I'm getting married remember?"
" Oh yeah," she blushed. How could she have forgotten?
"Get your butt on a bus already. We have lots of things to discuss and we have some great news"
"K, I'm leaving now. Bye!"
"See you soon!"

After getting off the phone with his little sister, he dialed his Best Man's number.

"Hello?" Chuck answered, his voice laced with uncontrollable irritation.
"Hey Chuck, what's up?"
"Phoenix? Oh, hey... I was going to call you," his voice finding normalcy.
"Are you coming down?"
Chuck was silent on the other line. Not wanting to hurt his friend, he slowly began with, "I can't make it, Nix..."
"Not even one night?"
"Y'know, I think maybe you should find a new Best Man..."
"Why?"

"We don't get long, man. We tried, but we're like oil and water. You deserve a no stress, no drama wedding so I think it's better if you just take me out."
"But you've done so much already, Chuck! You can't bail on me now..."
"I would still-"
"You are still Best Man, Chuck. I'm not changing it. You've already pulled more weight then I thought a Best Man would. You don't have to come down. I just thought the other weekend was good. Maybe some other time."
"Have a great time."
"Thanks! I can't lure you in with a promise to go to the lounge again to visit your five lady friends?"

Chuck laughed, "No way. They were more like lady distractions."
"Saving yourself for the one?" Phoenix chuckled.
"Ha! I was probably made to never find my 'one'. You're very lucky. You don't have the reputation of a promiscuous drunk. "
"Dude, you don't have that rep," Phoenix tried to assure him.
Chuck shrugged.
"I gotta go man..."
"OK. See you some other time then."

It was 11:45PM and Phoenix had just pulled into the passenger pick-up area.
Ara jumped into the back seat as Phoenix and Georgia greeted her with 'Hellos'. They began updating each other with the wedding planning tasks each had finished.

When they got home, Ara was put to bed in their guest bedroom. Just as well, she thought, considering she needed to get Charlie out of her head. It didn't work too good considering this is where he stayed the last time; Even if it was only for one night.

Tweet. Buzz. Buzz.

Tweet. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

She gasped.

INCOMING CALL: CHARLIE

"Hello?" she answered cautiously.
"Hi Ara. I didn’t want to wake them up. Can you open the door for me? Thanks."

Disconnected call.

She grunted. So he was still mad at her. OK. Fine. She resolved that they didn’t have to be friends. They’d get this wedding over with, and stay out of each others' lives.

Just like before. Right.

Hopping out of bed, she took extra care to take longer than usual. She didn’t want to trip on a stair if she walked too fast, no. Slow and steadily she got to the door and unlocked it. Opening the door a bit, she peeped out to see if he was there. Her efforts were wasted because he was still at his car unloading his overnight bag.

Drat.

She left the door open for him, and began to prep the living room sofa-bed.

Hearing his feet shuffling and the door locking into place, she popped her head out of the living room to see where he’d gone and couldn’t find him.

A glance at the stairs, she whispered as loud as she could. It was almost as if she was hissing every word, really.

"Charlie!"

"CHAR-LIE!" she hissed.

His face came into view. A scowl. Great.

"What?!"
"Where are you going? You’re sleeping in the living room tonight."
"But that’s where you sleep."
"They put me in the guest room upstairs."
"But you like the living room. You can have it."
"Fine!"
"Ok, then."

With that he walked back up and shut the door.

Ugh!

The nerve, she thought.

Her brother told her that Charlie wasn’t coming down anymore. What made him change his mind, she wondered and drifted off to sleep. Her final thoughts being that she hoped he had come to see her and tell her everything was just like before. OK. She scoffed at her own thoughts. How full of it was she?!

Thumping the pillows in the guest bedroom he could smell her shampoo. Great, he should have taken the living room. The bed down there was more comfortable and didn’t smell of her. Now, he was stuck in a rut. He’d have to endure being in the company of someone who disliked him for all his vices. Having them thrown at him like that after he’d resolved to change, hurt. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone and found it hard to admit it to himself, but there it was. Shame.

In any event, he found it selfish to disappoint Phoenix with such a thing like self-loathing. He didn’t hate or even dislike Ara for pointing out the ugliness about who he’d built himself up to be. He just didn’t feel clean around her. He felt like he’d just been scraped off the bottom of her high heel shoes. And that did not make him feel so hot.

He’d just have to remember - he was here for Phoenix and Georgia. Ara was just a part of the package. And totally off limits. More now than ever.