Rescue Me

I woke up in a bedroom I wasn't familiar with. The midmorning sun was bouncing off of the white walls making the room brighter than it should be. I sat up and rubbed my eyes and looked around. I found myself in Benedict's room. I looked down and found I was still in my blue dress with my jewelry still on. Looking to the other side of the bed, I found that Benedict wasn't there. Clinging and talking could be heard coming from downstairs. Getting up, I make sure my hair is in place, and I make my way downstairs.

Martin was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee with a plate of half eaten scrambled eggs and toast. I looked around for Benedict and Tom and found them outside on the porch having what it appeared to be an intense conversation. I made to go back upstairs, but Martin caught me.

"Good morning," he said, "We weren't sure when you were going to wake up. Would you like some breakfast? We have coffee."

I smiled and shyly made my way down stairs, "Um.. just coffee for now, thank you."

Martin got up to get me a mug. I sat down in a chair at the table and turned my attention to Benedict and Tom. They hadn't noticed anything in the kitchen, but were still apparently arguing. Martin came back over with my coffee and took his seat back at the table.

"What are they arguing about?" I asked as I took a sip.

"I haven't the foggiest." He said. We were both quiet for a moment then he cleared his throat, "What did you and Benedict do last night?"

I turned to look at him. "We um… went out to dinner, then um… we had a few drinks, then we came back here."

"And that's it?"

I looked at him and I nodded, "Yeah… and that's it."

He nodded.

"Are… are they arguing over last night?"

Martin shrugged, "Like I said, I have no idea what they're talking about."

I took another sip of my coffee and then sat silent for a moment.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Keeping you warm."

I let a small laugh escape me, "No. I mean… are you going to kiss me?"

"Do you want that?"

"Isn't that what you were going for?"

"If I kiss you, does that make this a date?"

I frowned at him and pulled away. "I guess it does."

Pulling me back in, he looked into my eyes and said, "Then it's a date."

Standing up, I looked at Martin, "I'm going to go."

"Do you need a ride?"

"Um… no? I'm going to… to walk. I um… need to just be alone right now."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Thank you for the coffee."

I found my shoes at the entrance and I left the house. I started at a slight job, sticking mostly to the yards of other houses and the golf paths to make sure I wasn't followed. I kept playing last night over and over in my head, hating myself for what happened. I looked down at my hand and saw my wedding ring and began to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Teddy." I said. "I'm so sorry."

Running now, I made it to my house. I was up the driveway when I saw Benedict and Tom coming down the road in a golf cart. I made a sprint for the front door, begging for it to be open. Turning the handle I was relieved that my mother had the same habits I did, and I ran into the house and shut the door. Locking it I slid down the wooden panel and I let a sob escape me.

The doorbell rang and I jumped but didn't answer.

"Kaycie," called Tom. "Kaycie please answer the door!"

I said nothing, stifling my sobs so they wouldn't hear.

"Kaycie, it's Ben, please answer the door."

I wiped the tears from my face, but still said nothing. They continued to ring the doorbell and pound on the door, but I didn't move. After a while they stopped and talked to each other.

"This is your fault," Tom said, "This is all your fault."

"My fault?"

"If you hadn't of snogged her, and slept with her, this would never have happened!"

"I didn't sleep with her!"

"But you did snog her! You took advantage of her!"

"Advantage?"

"You know what happened to her! You know how she felt! Yet still, you took her out to dinner, got her sauced, and took advantage of her."

"That is not what happened!"

"No? God Ben, I knew you had a thing for her, but this is unacceptable. She's here trying to relax and get over the death of her husband. She needs time to grieve, and you're here fucking it up for her!"

"That's not what happened. We went out, we had drinks, we went to the beach, she got cold-"

"So you thought kissing her would warm her up? Give her your jacket."

"It was supposed to be only dinner. Just to… get her away from her mother."

"Then why wasn't Martin and I invited?"

Benedict didn't say anything. The two of them walked down the steps of the house and drove off. I sat next to the door my chest heaving, my tears dried. When I was sure they were gone, I stood with shaking limbs. Slowly I went to my kitchen and grabbed any easy food I could find and made my way to my bedroom. Sitting on my bed, I quickly ate what I had, not really chewing it. After swallowing the last bit, I sat for a moment and felt cold spread through me. Getting up, I took off my dress and jewelry and put on my swim suit. Grabbing a wrap, I covered my lower half, grabbed a pair of sandals, and one of my many books. Grabbing a bottle of sunscreen, I left my house. Walking to the beach, I applied sunscreen and found a chair to sit on. Looking out over the ocean, I watched as boats and parasailers moved about the channel enjoying the bright sun. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes for a moment. I could feel the heat of the sun against my skin, but the cold was still inside me. Determined to ignore the feeling, I opened my book and began to read.

My cell phone rang and I saw it was my mother.

"Hello?"

"I see your date went well."

I sighed, "It wasn't a date, mom."

"Well you spent the night with him! Wanda and I agree that means it went very well."

"Please don't refer to it as a date."

"Whatever you want, Sweetie. Wanda and I are planning a little celebratory dinner tonight for you and Benedict."

"Celebratory dinner?"

"Of course! To celebrate you two becoming a couple!"

"We're not dating, mother."

"What? Why not? What did you do?"

"What did I do?"

"Well you have to have done something. I mean, you leave with an attractive available young man, you're gone for hours, and you spend the night with him. What are we supposed to think?"

"I didn't come home last night because you set the alarm!"

"You know the passcode."

"You changed it!"

"Well it's not my fault you don't know it."

"Mom… yes it is."

"Well you never asked, silly."

I closed my eyes and sighed, "Fine. Mother, what is the new passcode?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely, it's 9548."

"Thank you."

"The dinner is still on. We are going to celebrate the two of you."

"Mom, please don't."

"Too bad. Benedict's friends will be there too! It'll be great. The uniting of our two families, ah! Wanda and I have dreamed about this our whole lives!"

With that she hung up. Setting my phone down I thought of ways to escape this. Clearly talking to my mother wasn't an option. She doesn't listen to me enough to know what I want. I could wait and tell everyone at the dinner that Benedict and I aren't together… that would crush Ben, but it might also hurt his parents. Was that a risk I was willing to take? I could leave the island. Take the ferry to our car and drive somewhere. The problem there would be that I would have to come back eventually. Knowing my mother she would just report that I stole our car and have the police bring me back.

Looking down at my ring, I felt the tears prickle the back of my eyes. "I haven't said good morning to you today, have I?" I rubbed the band with my thumb as a tear escaped from my eyes. "Good afternoon, Teddy. I love you. I'm… I'm so sorry I missed talking to you this morning. Please don't be mad." Leaning my head back on my chair, I got ahold of my emotions enough to stop crying. "It's so weird being on this beach without you. I want nothing more but to look over and see you building your silly little sand mounds trying to convince me it was a medieval fortress mound. I want to hear you talk about how watching me walk on the beach looks like a Michael Bolton music video. I… I miss how happy I was when I was with you."

Out in the ocean a speedboat was racing by followed by a wave runner. The sounds of their engines pierced the quiet roll of the waves for a few minutes, then faded. Looking back down at my ring, I played back last night.

"What are you doing?"

"Keeping you warm."

"No. I mean… are you going to kiss me?"

"Do you want that?"

"Isn't that what you were going for?"

"If I kiss you, does that make this a date?"

"I guess it does."

"Then it's a date."

"I'm so sorry about last night. I didn't mean to forget about you. I feel like I've cheated on you. I just want to hear you talk and know that everything is going to be okay. I just want to know that you still love me. Please let me know that you still love me. Please let me know that I haven't disappointed you."

A gust of wind picked up and tugged my hair into my face. As I pulled my hair away the sunlight brightened and I couldn't help but smile.

"I think that was a good sign," said a voice. Starting I turned and found Wanda standing off to the side. "Sorry, dear, I didn't mean to scare you. I saw you sitting here and came over to say hi. I'm sorry to have overheard you talking to your husband."

I gave her a small smile, "You're fine. I'm sorry you had to stumble across this."

"Do not be sorry, my dear. It's perfectly natural to talk to your loved ones, especially when they're gone."

"Did my mom tell you about last night."

Wanda came over and sat on the other lawn chair, "She told me that you and Benedict went on a date."

"We went to dinner." I said with a small smile, "It wasn't a date."

"Wasn't it?"

"It was supposed to be just dinner. I mean… we did… kiss… but we shouldn't have."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean, why not?"

"Why can't you kiss someone?"

"I'm recently widowed! I can't kiss anyone! I have to grieve, I have to be single-"

"Says who?"

"Says… you know!"

"My dear, grieving is different for everyone! And if I can give my humble opinion, three years does no long a widow make. Do you think that you should miss out on wonderful opportunities that might make you happy?"

"So you think I should just forget about Teddy and date your son?"

"I don't think you'll ever forget Theodore. And as for dating my son, that is up to you. If you think that is what will make you happy, then I don't see why you should pass on it."

I was quiet for a moment and then sighed. "It's quite hot out today."

Wanda laughed, "Yes, I dare say it is."

"When is the dinner tonight?"

"It is at six thirty."

"Will you try your best to tell my mother that your son and I aren't together?"

"I will try my best."

I smiled, "Thank you."

"Shall I leave you to your book?"

"Um, I might turn in, I'm getting a little hungry."

"Well, be warned, it appears Thomas has found us."

Turning I found Tom walking toward us from the bridge I would need to take to go home. Sighing, I bid Wanda goodbye and walked over to greet him.

"I've been so worried about you, are you okay?"

"I'm good."

"I'm sorry if it was anything Benedict did."

"It wasn't Benedict."

"If there is anything I can do, anything at all. Even if it's just listening," Tom put his hand on my shoulder, "Please let me know."

I smiled, "Thank you, Tom." My stomach growled, "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm more hungry than I anticipated."

"Then let me treat you to lunch! I'm quite hungry too."

"Tom, I don't know. I've already garnered a bunch of trouble going to dinner with Ben, I can't imagine what would happen if I went somewhere with you. No offense."

"Well, then how about we eat at one of our houses? That way it won't seem like a date."

I thought about it and smiled, "All right. My house is closer if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

Smiling, I turned and began walking to my house with Tom beside me.