Fearful Renegade

Three

December 30th 2011

The sun was shining and reflected with a blinding brightness on the snow below.  His eyes squinted against it so he reached into his pocket and pulled out his sunglasses.  It was warmer than it had been yesterday or during the giant snow storm the day before that.  He turned to the door and shouted.

“Dew let’s go buddy!”

The dog came running out of the house and headed right to the Dodge Ram Laramie in the drive way.  AJ locked up the house and then walked over to his truck; he unlocked it and opened the back door for Dew.  The dog eagerly jumped in and AJ frowned as the wet paws hit the back leather seats. 

“I need covers” He sighed remembering for the eighteenth time. Closing the door to the back seats he opened the driver’s side and climbed in. Tossing Dew’s leash on the passenger seat beside him he started the truck and sat there for a moment, letting it warm up. He looked in the review mirror to the dog lying down on the back seat.  He smiled as he pressed on the break and put the truck into reverse.  Looking out his mirror he checked everything before pulling out of the driveway. 

He followed the roads and made his way to the community dog park.  It was a large field on the outskirts of town and it gave Dew a chance to run around.  He tried to get out there every couple of days.  When he hit the edges of town he saw the parking lot and noticed it was empty except the lone car pulling out.  The person drove pass and gave him a wave and he politely waved back.  Turning into the lot he got the spot right at the entrance and parked the truck.

When he and Dew where both out of the vehicle, he remotely locked the doors and turned on the alarm, not that he had to in this town.  The dog made a dash for the gate knowing this was the place he could go to let it all out.  He was gone in a flash running around the snow as AJ walked through the entrance.  Noticing his hands were getting a little cold he put his them in his pockets, not ready to use the gloves yet.

He liked coming out here with Dew, the view of the town, the trees surrounding you, and the sound of the Ocean in the close distance.  Remembering he brought the yellow wubbie out for him to play with he quickly walked back to the truck and unlocked it.  As he closed the door after retrieving the toy AJ heard a car pull in.  He looked through his windows and saw the familiar Chevy Silverado park beside him.  Walking around the front of the truck he waited for Siannah to get out. 

“Hi” She said as she closed the door.

“Hey” He replied a little shocked to see her out at this time.  Usually she did her walking in the evening.  Looking back he checked on Dew and saw him rolling around in the snow, he rolled his eyes at how childish that dog could be. 

“Looks like he’s having fun” She said right beside him.

He turned and looked at her.  “Yup” It was then he noticed the two dogs on leashes ready to hit the park.  She bent down and unhooked their leashes.  AJ followed her back inside the back and he watched as the two dogs and Dew began sniffing each other.

“The volunteer at the clinic was sick so I had to come in and give these guys a day walk.” She told him as he looked back at her.

“Well it’s a nice day out.” He replied.

“Yeah” She nodded. “Hey are you going to the New Years Eve party at the community center?”

“Huh?” He replied and then he remembered the posters that hung in the grocery store.  “Oh, naw probably not.” He replied.

“You’re not going to spend New Year’s Eve alone are you?” She asked with a light laugh.

“Well I’ll hardly be alone Dew will be with me.” He said as he looked to his dog, Dew’s head shot up as he blew some snow out of his nose.

“Seriously Alex come to the party, it’s not a complete bore I swear.” She replied and it kind of made him smile on the inside that she wanted him to go.

“Hey spending New Years Eve alone isn’t all that bad besides, I’ve had many New Years Eves where I’m with thousands of people, it’s kind of nice.” He said to her lying a little.

“Okay” She said with a small frown.  “But if you change your mind, I’m heading there around nine.”

There was a long silence and he looked for something to talk about because he didn’t want the conversation to end but he didn’t want to talk about the party or going out.  His eyes darted over to her she was wearing a long thick wool grey jacket, she had on matching grey leather gloves, her boots also grey went up to just below her knees where her jacket ended.  Her hair was twisted along the side and collected into a black flower like clip with netting that held the rest of her hair. Her lips were red with lipstick but it wasn’t the shiny glossy lipstick, it was the stuff that looked like it stained her lips.  He didn’t know he knew eye liner and nail polish.  Her sunglasses were like something Audrey Hepburn would wear and it covered the usual cat’s eye eyeliner style she wore no matter how her makeup was styled.

“Well, I should head back.” She said as she turned to him. 

“Okay” He replied a little disappointed.

“Guess I’ll see you around” She replied giving him a light smile.

“Yeah of course” He said returning the smile and adding a nod.

Siannah whistled for the dogs and they came running back, AJ noticed Dew followed.  She reached down and leashed them up and then headed to her truck.  He gave her a wave as she pulled out and she wave back.  When she was gone he looked back down to Dew.  The dog was playing with his wubbie still in AJ’s hand.  Pulling it away AJ pulled back his arm and let the weird cloth wrapped rubber toy fly through the air.  Dew quickly spun around and headed for it. 

AJ sighed.  “Was she asking me out? Or just asking me to go?” He thought.  Dew came back with his toy and dropped it in front of him.  Bending down AJ picked it up and gave it another good toss.  “What if she was asking me out and I just shot her down with some lame ass excuse about spending New Years Eve alone.” He sighed again.  “Naw, she wasn’t asking me out.” He thought as he lightly shook his head. “Was she?”

His mind and heart wrestled with that question the rest of the day and night.  Again his heart play tricks on his mind to get the upper hand for the morning.  Pictures of them dancing, drinking, laughing and then the kiss at midnight, flashed throughout his mind the entire night.  His body wanting to feel, touch, and be touched again took his mind and the kiss all the way back to his house, to his living room and then too his bed.

When he woke the next morning his heart had won again and this time his mind didn’t talk him out of it.  After breakfast he took Dew for another run around the park just in case she was there but she wasn’t.  When he got home he went up to his room, to the closet and walked in.  He searched through the rows of hanging clothes for something suitable.  Something black and stylish and he lightly smiled when he found the suit he was looking for.  Her grabbed a red shirt and decided to go tie-less tonight.  Taking shoes from the shelf near the front of the closet he walked out and laid the clothes out on the bed.  He also made sure to search for his dress coat, since his puffy red winter one wouldn’t look so good.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning; making sure his place was presentable.  Although it’s not like he had late night parties and all night pizza binges.  Then when it was time he started getting ready.  He took a shower, he shaved he did the normal ‘getting ready for a date routine.’

“It’s not a date” He thought to himself.  “She just wanted to know if I was going and if I changed my mind she would be there.”

When he was done he jogged down the stairs and saw Dew lying on the couch, he brought up his giant head, his sad but happy eyes looked up at him, and his ears stood tall. “Well I think I still clean up pretty damn nice” He said as he looked in the mirror above the fireplace and then too Dew, the dog just stared at him.  AJ walked over to his back door and let the dog out, he closed it, headed over to the wine fridge and opened a bottle.

His nerves were starting to get to him.  Thought about whether the stalker would find out.  He didn’t want anything to happen to Siannah, it wasn’t like he wanted anything to happen to Emily either but this is why he was out here, to get away and now he was possibly going to let someone in.  Taking a sip from the glass he looked over when he noticed Dew was standing at the door.  Putting the glass down he walked over to it and opened it.

“You better not shit while I’m gone; I’m not rushing home tonight so I can let you out.” He said as the dog walked in and lied down in his spot between the fireplace and couch.

“Alright” He sighed as he walked over and took one last look. “I think I’m ready” He walked over to his closet and grabbed his dress coat putting it on.  Pulling his keys from the hook he made sure he had his wallet and then set the door and window alarms.  He left the house, locked it and headed to his truck.  He looked around and noticed how cold it was.  He couldn’t figure out how they calculated temperature out here but this month it had been in the minus for weeks.

“Whoa that’s cold!” He said as he slammed the truck door.

With a shiver and a moan he started his car and impatiently waited for the heat to come on.  When he was warm again, he buckled up and pulled out of the drive way.  He drove through the town and made his way near the dock where the community center was located.  He saw her truck when he was pulling in and found himself smiling that she was there already.