chapter 28
Cody watched the clock. He was blown away by Dana last night and couldn’t wait to see her again.
The road was a lonely place. A different city every night, sometimes a different girl. That wasn’t his scene, but he was a man and temptation was everywhere. The boy who never dated in high school more than made up for lost time.
But it was an empty existence.
The hotel rooms all looked the same. Miami, Memphis, he could be on the moon. Every night was a generic room, a small shower and loneliness. His ritual was to come back and drink a beer just to take the edge off. He wasn’t proud of this habit because he so associated alcohol with his father, but he needed something to bring himself down from the rush of performing. He only allowed himself one beer though. After his reckless night in Jacksonville when Laura surprised him, he really made an effort not to drink too much. He saw how easy it was for the alcohol to take away his good judgment and he never wanted to get that out of control again.
He grabbed a pair of jeans and a vintage looking Aerosmith shirt. Cody knocked on Harper’s door on the way out.
“Hey man, I’m off...be back later.”
Harper grinned. “Off to meet Miss Deejay?”
“Maybe,” he drawled. “What are you up to today?”
Harper slipped out of his room holding the door open slightly with his foot. “Not what, who. Remember those waitresses from last night – the blonde and brunette?”
Cody heard giggling behind the door. “So which one didja hook up with?”
“Dude, not one...both.” Harper raised his hand for a high five.
Cody reluctantly slapped his friend’s hand. He wanted to smack some sense into him. “Careful...”
“Always man, but c’mon.” More giggles emanated from the room. “I better get back. You want in on the action later? These girls are wild...up for anything.”
“Not my scene, but hey, thanks for thinking of me,” Cody said sarcastically.
Harper didn’t pick up on it. “Anytime, bro.” He turned back into the room, “Ladies...did you miss me?”
The door closed cutting off noises Cody wished he never heard. Sometimes you don’t need to know everything your buddy’s doing.
He walked out of the hotel into the bright Miami sunshine. The brilliant light gleamed off the art deco buildings. Amazingly fit people rollerbladed by. Model types sipped café con leche at outdoor cafes. Cody was only a few hours from his hometown of Pinetree, but he might as well have been a world away. He felt like an outsider. This was Dana’s city, her point of reference. What would she think when she learned he was just a small town boy? Forget it if she ever learned his true past. But she wouldn’t. No one would. That life was dead and buried. Forever.
He walked out by the ocean to steady his nerves and refocus. Thinking about his past always unsettled him. Cody removed his shoes and let the warm sand sift through his toes. The water in front of him was sapphire blue. There was something very calming and peaceful about watching the waves roll in and out, about the roar as they crashed onto the shore and the soft sound as they pulled back to the sea. In the distance, sailboats and race boats crisscrossed in the sun. This was paradise.
He looked at his watch and started walking back to meet Dana. Away from the beach, he came back into reality and crossed the street to find the Java Café.
As he was walking he saw her.
Her raven hair was unmistakable. He hurried his pace to catch up. He saw a man come up behind her and place his hand on the small of her back. Dana turned toward the man and wrapped her arms around his neck. Cody stopped dead in his tracks. The man bent down and kissed her briefly. He saw Dana smile and take his hand as they walked toward the parking lot.
Cody felt his heart drop.
Small town kid, big city girl.
Who was he kidding? He turned away and headed back to the hotel.
Heartbroken.