On the Line

I tugged at my collar for the millionth time and readjusted my sunglasses, shuffling my feet as I surveyed the faces of the people in the park. I didn't see a head of auburn hair, nor did I see any familiar faces. I checked my watch, but saw that I was still early. She must be a punctual type of person, which was fine, but the sign on the ice cream vendors trolley said he closed up shop at seven, and I really wanted ice cream.
I found out that two days pass by very slowly when you have nothing to do. Just like a watched pot never boils, a watched clock never ticks. On Friday afternoon, I took her hat to the dry cleaners and had it spruced up, the inside hem stitched back together, the elastic replaced, and I even had her name embroidered in bright Ireland green thread on the inside. It looked good as new, just awaiting its owner.
I placed the hat on the bench next to me as I sat down to wait. The weather was nicer today, a light jacket offering plenty of warmth, and the sun was beginning its slow sink behind the trees. This could be a romantic date; a walk in the park, maybe share an ice cream cone, and watch the sunset. But without her, I was just some weird dude hanging out in a park by himself.
As seven o'clock inched closer, the park began to clear out. Tiny hands gripped onto their bike handles as their little feet pedaled faster and faster down the sidewalk. The moms on their daily jog, pushing strollers filled with cooing babies, began to head home to their husbands. The college students taking up picnic tables packed up their books and pencils and went back to their dorms. Even the ice cream vendor called it a day, locking up his trolley and pushing it towards the parking lot. I watched as he loaded it into his van and drove away, taking my ice cream craving with him.
As seven-thirty drew nearer, the lamp posts flickered on, and a night security guard showed up for duty, nodding his head at me as he passed. I nodded back. “Late shift, eh?”
He shrugged. “Somebody has to do it,” he called as his footsteps took him further away into the park.
At seven forty-five, I was beginning to feel like a fool. She wasn't going to show, and honestly, I couldn't really blame her. I was a stranger. That's the first rule a father teaches his daughter as she begins to blossom into a young woman, not to meet strangers, especially alone.
At eight o'clock, I stood up, collecting her hat and began to walk toward the park entrance, looking down at my shoes. Nearing the entrance, I heard a pair of footsteps ahead of me. I looked up, a girl coming into the park, clutching a blanket in her hands. I gave her a slight smile as I passed, making sure to give her plenty of room on the sidewalk. I heard her footsteps cease as I walked further away.
“Ni...Niall?”
I turned back to her, nodding my head. “At your service.”
She grinned, her eyes wide. “Oh my god! I've always wanted to meet you!”
I opened my arms and she stepped forward, wrapping hers around my waist. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I'm great. Is this really the end of One Direction?” she asked, sadly.
I shrugged, pushing my hands into my pockets, kicking a rock at my feet. “Nah, it'll never be over, it'll just...pause. It's not that we don't want to continue, it's just...”
“No, I get it,” she interrupted. “You're human beings, too, you can't spend your whole life on tour.”
I nodded, giving her a smile. “Hey, what are you doing in the park by yourself?”
She smiled. “Oh, I'm not alone...Well, I won't be. I'm waiting for my friend, he's supposed to be off work at nine and he'll meet me here.”
“You're going to sit in an empty park by yourself for an hour?” I asked, a sinking feeling in my stomach.
“Mmhmm,” she hummed. “Yeah, I do it all the time. What are you doing here so late?”
I shuffled my feet again and looked out at the empty parking lot, my Range Rover the only car occupying a space. “I was supposed to meet someone, but she's apparently not going to show up.”
She nodded. “I see. Well, that's a shame.”
I was ready to go home and collapse on the couch, but I didn't want to leave her alone. We've always been protective over our fans, there was no way I could leave her here and have a clean conscience.
“Ya know, actually, I just remembered...She said she'd be here at nine, not seven! I think I'll sit down and wait here, with you, if that's okay.”
She shook her head, smiling. “Oh, no, you don't have to! My friend will-”
“Yeah, I'm not leaving you in this park by yourself after dark, your friend on his way or not,” I laughed. “I'd never forgive myself if you made the front page of the newspaper tomorrow morning.”
She nodded, smiling. “That's very sweet of you.”
I shrugged. “You guys stuck by us for years, I'm just returning the favor. Are you hungry? I was supposed to eat at seven, but...ya know, I had the time wrong...”
“Um, yeah, I'm kind of hungry,” she mumbled.
“Okay, how about I drive you down the road and we'll grab McDonald's? We'll come back and wait for your friend and hang out. Is that okay with you? If you're not comfortable, we can--”
“I trust you,” she interrupted, a smile on her lips. “I'll share my blanket when we get back.”
I led her to my car and got the door for her, hurrying to climb into the driver seat. She was quiet, softly humming along to a song on the radio. We went through the drive-thru and we both ordered chicken nuggets, and she argued with me when I paid for her dinner.
“How many albums have you purchased?” I pressed.
“All of them.”
I nodded. “How many concerts did you go to?”
“Every tour,” she smiled.
“And because you bought our albums and concert tickets, I can afford to buy you chicken nuggets. Don't argue with me.”
She pursed her lips and smiled softly, turning her head back to the dashboard. I sat at the window patiently, turning to look at her. She looked a bit younger than me, but thankfully not young enough to get me into any trouble by being seen with her. “I like your style,” I said, grinning.
“Hmm?” she asked, looking down at her clothes. “Why?”
I gestured to my own outfit, and then pointed back to hers. “Twinsies.”
I watched her eyes dance back and forth before a grin broke out on her face. We both wore skinny jeans and white vans, red plaid shirts over a white t-shirt, and we even had matching Raybans, tucked into our shirts ever since the sun went down.
“Oh my god, I hadn't even noticed,” she laughed. “So, do I dress like a dude? Or do you dress like a girl?”
“Oh, please, plaid is a universal pattern for men and women!”
She rolled her eyes, taking the bag from me as I passed it over the console. “Sure, keep telling yourself that.”
I drove back to the park faster than before because the fries smelled heavenly and I was still hoping to maybe catch Lillian. I also didn't want this girls friend to show up and her not be there. The park was still empty as we entered through the gates and we sat down on the same bench I'd taken up an hour before. She spread the blanket out over our laps, insisting she didn't care if we got crumbs all over it, and we dove our chicken nuggets into dipping sauces.
“How often do you meet your friend here? And why?”
She shrugged, swallowing before she spoke. “It's easier. We live on opposite ends of the city, so we meet here a few nights a week so we're not trekking all over town. Who are you supposed to meet tonight?”
“Oh, just a friend. I don't know where she is, though...”
“Oh, it's a girl friend?” she asked, teasing.
“Please don't tweet about it,” I mumbled, laughing. “She's...she's not...No one knows who she is.”
“Do you like her?”
I felt my cheeks redden as my lips stretched into a smile. “She's cool.”
“Adorable,” she giggled, shaking her head. “You can't even admit it!”
“We haven't met yet!” I countered, laughing, shaking my head. “I don't know if I like her.”
“Then why are you blushing? And wipe that grin off your face, you look ridiculous!”
I rolled my eyes, embarrassed. “Okay, fine, I like her. Are you happy?”
“I am,” she insisted, quietly. “I'm glad you found someone. What is she like?”
I pressed my back into the bench, grinning. “She's...great. She's so funny and she's smart and, even though I've never met her, she's sexy. I don't know, she's just...”
“Different,” she added, nodding her head. “She's different.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “She's just different.”
She changed the subject, tearing her fries into small pieces before chewing. We talked for an hour or more, sitting in a dark park as the night got older and older. It was nearing ten o'clock when she pulled her phone from her pocket, her face pulling into an upside down smile. “Aw, damn.”
“What's wrong?”
“My friend just texted me, he's gotta pull a double, so he won't be able to meet me.”
I nodded, checking my watch. “Yeah, and I guess my friend isn't going to show, either.”
I stood up, feeling a little defeated, and collected our trash and put it into the bin across the sidewalk. She folded up her blanket and set it down on the bench. “Can I be annoying and ask you for a photo?”
I grinned, nodding my head. “Of course, but you're not annoying.”
She pulled her phone from her pocket and I stepped in closer and smiled for her camera. “I like it,” I said, approving the outcome. “Good photo.”
“I agree. I'll post this on the internet and watch it go viral tomorrow,” she laughed. “Anyway, it was really nice to meet you, Niall.”
“It's always great to meet fans,” I insisted. “I had a lovely evening, even if it wasn't how I had planned on it being.”
“I have one last question,” she said, smiling. “Can I see your phone?”
I cocked my head to the side. “Why?”
She laughed and pulled my phone from my hand, unlocking the screen as her cheeks reddened. “Because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'd never forgive myself otherwise. I'm going to send myself a text from your phone. I promise, I won't give out your number, or text you, or call you. Not unless you call or text me.”
She placed my phone back in my hand and grinned. “You were always the cutest band member.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I'll be sure to tell Payno.”
“So, if things with that girl don't work out and you ever want to just...talk, or whatever, you have my number. You can delete it, if you want, but...That's up to you,” she added, laughing.
I nodded, tucking my phone into my pocket. “That sounds great to me. Let me walk you to your car.”
She nodded, turning down the sidewalk to the parking lot at the other end of the park. She drove a small black SUV, which seemed very fitting of her personality. “It was great to meet you, Niall, thank you.”
“I enjoyed it,” I insisted, giving her one last hug. “I'll remember you if..well, ya know.”
She nodded as she climbed into the driver seat, pulling the door closed, and wiggling her fingers at me. I turned and walked away, back to my car.
I drove home and changed into sweats, sinking into the couch cushions with a beer in my hand and a surprising emptiness in the pit of my stomach. Not a hungry sort of emptiness, a sad sort of emptiness. Though I couldn't blame Lily for not showing me up, as it was risky, I still felt down about it.
On the coffee table, my phone began to buzz. I picked it up, not recognizing the number, and opened the text. It was the photo of me and the girl from the park, with one sentence. “I hope she's your dream girl, Horany Toad.”
And there's only one person on the globe who calls me that.
She didn't stand me up. Lily was there all along, playing her mind games to figure me out. With shaking fingers, I called the number and waited as the phone rang once, twice.
“Hello,” she sang. Not a question, but a greeting.
“Lillian?”
“Hi,” she giggled.
“I had no idea!” I yelled, laughing. “You had me fooled the whole time! You sly, sneaky thing!”
She giggled hard, proud of herself. “I'm so sorry, but you make it so easy!”
“I thought you stood me up!”
“No, of course not,” she giggled. “I was testing you.”
I rolled my eyes, sinking back into the couch. “Did I pass?”
“Uh-huh. With flying colors.”
“Good,” I whispered, a permanent smile on my face.
“So,” she piped, hyper. “What are your plans for the evening?”
“I'm not sure,” I muttered. “I'm sorta hungry, again. I had planned on spending the evening with you, but..”
“Yeah, I wasn't there,” she laughed.
“What are your plans?”
“Just gonna hang out with a friend.”
I nodded, toying with the fabric of my t-shirt. “Oh. I was going to see if you- Who the hell is ringing my doorbell this late?”
“Probably a big, scary monster,” she giggled.
I stood up from the couch and peeked out the window. “Pizza? I didn't order a pizza. Hang on, let me take care of this.”
The line was silent, she had hung up. Shit. I threw the phone onto the table and jogged to the front door. “Hi, sorry, I didn't order--”
“I followed you home, Horany Toad.”
I froze. She had changed clothes, now wearing a pair of leggings, her hair pulled into a ponytail, but it was her. The girl from the park, the girl from the phone, the faceless girl that had taken over my dreams.
“Lily Pad,” I whispered.
She smiled, her soft pink lips turning upwards. “I ordered wings, and that doughey cinnamon bread thing. You said you liked those.”
“How did you--”
“I followed you home, hid around the corner, had it delivered to my car, and...here I am.”
It was strange, watching her lips move and hearing her voice. I'd never really imagined what she looked like, and I had no guesses, but watching her lips form such simple words had me entranced. The way her tongue slid over her teeth, the way her lips formed each syllable carefully, the way she bit her bottom lip as she waited for me to speak.
Her top lip was just slightly thinner than her bottom lip, full and pink with a soft shimmer. Her bright blue eyes blinked slowly, curtained by thick, dark eyelashes, and her near flawless skin was the home to one freckle, just below her lower lip, and all I wanted to do was reach out and brush my thumb over it.
“Niall? Can I come in?”
I watched as her lips formed my name and felt my blood run cold in my veins.
“Niall?”
The way her tongue danced against her teeth, her bottom lip pulling in as her teeth bit down...
“If this is too weird, I can go-”
“No! Don't go,” I yelled, louder than I intended. She stepped back, her big blue eyes widening as she pulled in a shaky breath. “I'm sorry,” I mumbled, quietly. “I'm just a little...”
“Hungry?” she asked, hopefully, holding up the pizza box in her hands.
I smiled, reaching out for the box. “Yes. That's exactly it. Come in, I'll grab you something to drink-”
“I brought wine,” she interrupted, pulling a bottle from her purse. She smiled softly, giving the bottle a gentle shake.
I nodded, smiling. “Follow me.”
She followed me into the kitchen and sat down at the bar once I patted the tabletop. She sat quietly and watched as I pulled a beer from the fridge and placed a roll of paper towels on the counter. “Need a fork? Anything?”
“Um,” she hummed, surveying the surface. “A glass?”
I nodded, laughing. “I don't own wine glasses.”
“Got a pint glass?” she grinned.
“Ahh, that I do!” I shouted, sliding across the tile floors in my socks, stopping at the fridge. I pulled the freezer open and grabbed a glass. “And it's even chilled,” I said, placing it in front of her.
I walked around the bar and sat down next to her, laughing as she pulled a wine corker from her purse. “Is that Mary Poppins handbag? What else ya got in there?”
She didn't miss a beat, dumping out the contents of her bag onto the table top, sending lip glosses and pens rolling across the surface. “Anything strike your fancy?”
I rested my chin in my hand as I skimmed the table, reaching out for two pieces of minty gum. “These, for later.” She nodded, agreeing with me. “This, for now,” I muttered, turning on her iPod. “What are you listening to?”
She let me scroll through her music as she pulled a bottle of Germ-X from the pile of her stuff and squeezed a drop onto her hands. I watched as she pulled the pizza box towards her and lifted the lid before pulling a slice from the pie and gently placing it on my plate before throwing one on hers. She did the same with the wings, pinching three wings between her fingers one by one, depositing them gently onto my plate. She stood up, licking her fingers clean as she crossed the kitchen, flipping on the stove and throwing in the cinnamon dessert.
“Watcha doing?”
“Keeping it warm,” she smiled, sitting back down next to me. She smelled good, sweet and fruity, young, but mature. “What are we listening to?”
I shook my head, powering the device off. “Nothing. I just want to listen to you. How was your day?”
I admit, I wasn't listening, but I was watching. I watched the way she relaxed into the chair, curling up her legs beneath her. She chattered on as she pulled the pepperoni from her pizza and ate those first, licking the grease from her fingertips, her fingernails painted a bright orchid. She chewed slowly, between sentences, tossing her crust to the side when she was done. She put three wings on my plate, but she only gave herself one, and I watched as she slowly tore the meat from the bone and placed it on her tongue, laughing as she recounted a funny part of her day. Her lips were stained from her purple wine. Her story ended as she wiped her hands clean on a paper towel, balling it up on her plate and pushing it away. “So, how was your day?” she asked, pulling her hair from her ponytail. Her hair hung in loose, messy, natural waves that brushed against the swell of her t-shirt. She ran her fingers through it, pulling it over her left shoulder as she smiled at me, waiting for me to speak.
I stood up and gathered our plates as I started talking, tossing the napkins in the trash and the plates in the sink. I moved the leftover pizza and wings to the fridge and pulled the desert from the oven, placing it in front of her with a fork, which she pushed aside. She tore off a piece with her fingers and took a bite, closing her eyes as she hummed in appreciation.
“I agree,” I muttered, mouth full. “I love this stuff.”
We moved to the living room after we finished off desert. I refilled her wine glass and led her down the hall, kicking my shoes out of the way. “I would have cleaned up if I had known you were going to come over,” I mumbled, running a nervous hand through my hair.
She shrugged, helping herself to the blanket on the back of the couch. “A pair of shoes isn't a mess, Niall. Come sit with me.”
I did as I was told, pulling the blanket over my lap after placing her wine glass back into her hand. With only the lamp on, the room was dim. She sighed, closing her eyes and resting her head back against the couch.
“Tired?” I asked.
She shook her head, smiling. “No. Relaxing. I haven't done anything like this in a very long time.” She sat up for just a second, twirling her ponytail in her hands before leaning back, tossing her ponytail over the edge of the couch. She brought the glass to her lips and I watched as she took a small sip.
I hesitated for just a moment, but I reached out and gently ran my fingers through her hair, watching her face for a reaction. She opened one eye, a smile on her lips.
“This okay?” I whispered, pulling my hand away.
“Yeah,” she whispered back, closing her eyes again.
I returned my fingers to her soft hair. With her eyes closed, I was able to study her face again, the gentle slope of her jaw, her rounded chin, the way the light hit the hollows of her rosy cheeks. Her skin was pale, only showcasing a dusting of makeup and mascara.
Her hair was clean, my fingers didn't tug through teased volume, or catch on hairspray. I gently twirled it around my finger and let it fall, watching the loose curl form. She wore no jewelry, nothing flashy about her. She was a natural beauty, not drawing attention to herself, but capable of turning every head in the room.
One hand gripped her glass of wine, the other rested on her thigh. While her hand was small, she had long, slender fingers, neatly painted and well maintained. She had a delicate wrist, framed by a woven rainbow of thread, frayed and worn.
“I'm really glad you followed me home, Lily Pad,” I whispered.
She opened her eyes and turned her head, her stained purple lips stretching into a soft smile. “I am, too, Horany Toad.”
I settled down into the couch, propping my feet up on the table and my hands in my lap. My heart warmed as she slipped her hand in mine, her fingers fitting loosely between my own.
“I need to go soon,” she whispered. “It's getting late.”
I nodded, rubbing circles with my thumb against her skin. “Okay. Your purse is still dumped out on my countertop.”
She sighed, lifting her head from the couch, her blue eyes darkening. Sleepy. “Help me throw it all back in?”
I nodded and stood up, pulling her up with me. She followed me into the kitchen, her fingers never leaving the embrace with mine until we reached the counter. She bent down and collected all the items that had rolled into the floor and I began tossing it all back into her black bag. The last item was a tube of lip balm. She reached for my wrist, her warm hands halting my movement as she pulled it from my fingers and popped off the lid, rubbing the product over her lips before tossing it into her bag. “I think that's the last of it,” she whispered, pulling her hair tie from her wrist.
I pulled it from her fingers and pulled it onto my own wrist, protectively gathering up her hair over her left shoulder, running my fingers through it again. “I think I like it down,” I mumbled.
She nodded softly, giving me a gentle nod. “Okay.”
“Will you come back soon?” I asked, leaning back against the counter, wrapping both of her hands into mine and tugged her closer.
She stood a bit shorter than me, a petite frame, her head the perfect place to rest my chin. “How soon is soon?”
I shrugged, smiling. “Tomorrow.”
She grinned, laughing. “I think I'm free tomorrow afternoon.”
“Okay,” I whispered. “Tomorrow.”
“Walk me to the door?”
I nodded, tugging her forward, flipping off the light as I passed. “Wait right here, just one second,” I said at the door.
I ran down the hall and grabbed her hat from my pillow, the one I'd rescued from the street, and carried it back to the door with me. “I hope you don't mind,” I mumbled, gently pulling it down over her ears, “but I had it spruced up just a bit. Good as new.”
She shrugged, reaching for my hands again. “Not a complaint will fall from these lips.”
I watched as she wet her lips, biting down on her lower lip again. I copied her move, watching as her eyes fell to my mouth, not shy about letting her gaze linger. I reached out, running my thumb over her lip and brushing against the freckle that had been maddening me ever since I set my eyes on her. “I'm so desperate to kiss you,” I whispered, leaning in, walking her slowly back against the door. She took small steps, her eyes falling to my lips again before rising back to meet my eyes, giving me a small nod, hardly noticeable.
She exhaled as I leaned closer, her breath minty from the gum we'd pulled from her bag. She didn't close her eyes, but she tilted her head to the left just a bit, inviting me in. I dropped my hand from hers and brought it to her waist, gently circling around her back, her back arching slightly at my touch, pulling her upper body closer to mine. Her lips were just a whisper away, but I didn't dare close my eyes yet, wanting to take in every shift of color her eyes made.
Her lips fell open and she stood up on her tiptoes, her lips coming to my ear. “Please kiss me,” she breathed, her fingers digging into my forearms, her eyelids fluttering shut.
I took just a moment to look at her, eyes closed and relaxed, her cheeks flushing, her bottom lip trembling as she slowly parted her lips.
I closed my eyes, my breath frozen in my lungs, and leaned in, slipping her bottom lip between my own. It was like a slow burn that thawed me from my core, the way her hands slid up my arms and around my neck. She didn't hesitate to kiss me back, being the first to move her lips against mine. I gently ran my tongue against her bottom lip and met with hers, her breath escaping all at once as she pulled me closer, her right hand sinking into my hair as she kissed me slowly before she pulled away. With bright, wide eyes and a heaving chest, she smiled, biting her bottom lip. “I have to go,” she whispered, breathless.
I nodded once, trying to catch my breath. “Tomorrow?”
“Mmhmm,” she muttered, stepping in close again. “Bye.”
“Bye,” I mumbled, dragging my lips against hers, really not even kissing her, just wanting the feel of her lips against mine again, breathing heavy, my blood pounding through my heart.
She placed a soft kiss to my lips while I stood frozen and then she pulled open the door, wiggled her fingers at me with a smile, and then she was gone, leaving behind the taste of her strawberry lip balm, a flush to my cheeks, lungs desperate for air and a promise of tomorrow.