A Cappella Chapter Two

Chapter Two
         Ignoring the insistent knock at the front door, Ellie sat down on her parents' old floral sofa.  Her mother kept saying she would buy new furniture someday.  Someday never came.  The support structure of the couch had collapsed over the years, and now it felt like she would fall through to the floor if she landed too hard on the cushions.  She decided she'd go look for a new sofa tomorrow.  Maybe get a matching loveseat, too.  Sooner or later she'd have to make this house hers.
         She flipped through channels on the big-screen television.  Her father, the sports nut, bought it a couple of years earlier and loved to watch ESPN while lounging on the old sofa and munching honey-roasted peanuts.  On a whim, she lifted the cushion next to her.  A few peanuts lurked there.  A lump rose in her throat and she quickly shoved the cushion back into place.
         Angry at herself for the burst of unexpected emotion, she went back to flipping channels.  Reruns, talk shows, cartoons, and not much else flickered past  She finally settled on an episode of M*A*S*H, eager for some laughter.
         When the show ended, Ellie clicked the television off and went in the kitchen to refill her coffee.  She sat down at the table and opened her laptop.  Thanks to the wireless network she'd helped her father install, she was able to hop right online and check her email.
         Kevin had sent her four messages.  She deleted them without looking.  She had a message from the publisher with whom she'd just signed, so she quickly replied that the contract had gone out today.  It still seemed surreal to her that her name would be on the cover of a real book in a bookstore.  Her parents would have been so proud, so excited for her.
         She swiped an unbidden tear from her cheek and opened another message, this one from her father's best friend Tom.  Tom had tried to take over the father role in the last few weeks, but she heard from him less and less.  He had his own children to worry about.  His email asked how she was doing.  Ellie tapped out a quick response telling him about the publishing contract.  Then she closed her email program and opened a blank word processor page.
         The cursor blinked.  She stared at it.  No words came to her.  Ten minutes passed as she continued to stare at the empty screen.  Finally, she shut the laptop in frustration.
         The ringing phone made Ellie jump.  She had a feeling she knew who was calling. It rang again.  Slowly, she lifted the phone.  "Hello?"
         "Ellie?"  Sure enough, it was Kevin.  "I've been trying to get hold of you.  Have you checked your email?"
         "Kevin, please.  Leave me alone."  She tried to make her voice sound forceful, while inside she was trembling.
         He scoffed.  "Ellie, baby, you're not going to dump me because of one little
argument, are you?"  His voice sounded smooth and calm.
         She closed her eyes, trying to imagine the look on his face.  All she could see was his fist coming at her.  "You hit me, baby."
         "I already said I was sorry."  Her mind flashed back to the moments after he
struck her.  The look on his face, the shock that he had done such a thing, followed by a gasped, "Sorry."  Then he had turned and run from the house.
         "I wouldn't call that an apology," she muttered.
         "Ellie, I'm so sorry.  It won't happen again."  When she didn't reply, he went on.  "Let me make it up to you."
         "What could you possibly do to make it up to me?"  She shook her head in
disbelief.  "Do you know the looks I was getting around town today?  Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is?"
         For a moment, Kevin didn't say anything.  Then he sounded much less self-
assured.  "Looks?  What do you mean?"
         "There's a big, black bruise on my face."
         Kevin's voice became soft, concerned.  "I had no idea.  I… I'm sorry."
         Ellie paused.  Maybe he really didn't know how much he'd hurt her.  Maybe it was a mistake.  When her parents died, Kevin had done so much for her: bringing her flowers every day, letting her cry on his shoulder, helping her move, pulling her up out of the black hole she'd fallen into.  Did one rash action outweigh all the good?
         "Ellie, are you there?"  He sounded so lost.
         "I'm here," she said.  "Just tell me one thing, Kevin: why?"
         He sighed.  "Can't we talk about this in person?"
         She tapped a finger on the back of the phone, weighing her options.  If they met someplace public, maybe she could at least get some answers.  "I'll meet you at Silver Spring tonight at seven."
         He breathed an audible sigh of relief.  "Great!  I'll see you there!"
         Ellie hung up the phone, wondering if she'd just made a colossal mistake. 
Without even thinking about it, she crossed the kitchen and began pulling out mixing bowls and a pie plate.  She started scooping flour into one of bowls.  Her parents always used to be able to tell when Ellie was stressed because she baked.  The more difficult the pastry, the more stressed she was.  During her final exams in college, she produced items that would have made a French pastry chef jealous.
         As she cut the shortening into the flour, she realized there wasn't anyone else here to share the finished product.  Her parents loved her baking.  In fact, there were times she suspected they were trying to stress her out just so she'd make them a cake or some cookies.  She paused.  The new neighbor – he'd probably appreciate a homemade pie, she thought.  She attacked the crust again, mixing until it was ready to be rolled out.
         Soon, the smell of fresh apple pie filled the house.  Ellie sat down to do some writing while it baked.  She had been assigned an article by a women's magazine weeks ago, but hadn't started it.  Moving from writing technical manuals to non-fiction hadn't been as easy as she thought it would be.  Her deadline loomed, forcing her to tap out a few rough ideas and a paragraph or two.  Soon, ideas were flowing and she felt much more relaxed.  The oven timer went off, and she quickly set the pie on the counter to cool before returning to her computer.
         By the time she needed to get ready for her date with Kevin, she had nearly
finished the article.  Feeling pleased with herself, she saved the file and shut her
computer.
         Ellie surveyed the contents of her closet, finally choosing a modest knee-length emerald-green dress with a jewel neckline, one of her favorites.  She brushed her long,blonde hair until it shone.  Makeup application took longer than usual as she struggled to cover the bruise on her cheek.  Finally, she managed to lighten it enough that she could barely see it.  She put on some lipstick and went out to the garage.
         The drive into Bel Air took longer than usual.  On Friday nights, it seemed like everyone went out to eat.  Ellie marveled as she drove through the outskirts of the county seat.  When she was a little girl, all this was farmland and rolling hills.  Now, shopping centers and townhouses sprouted up everywhere.
         Kevin's red sports car already sat cooling in the parking lot of the Silver Spring Mining Company, their favorite restaurant.  Ellie got out, grabbing her purse and hitting the lock button on her car's remote.  The car beeped happily in response.  She walked into the restaurant and looked around the familiar interior for Kevin.  It didn't take long for her to spot him sitting at the bar.  He had a drink in front of him and was chatting animatedly with an attractive brunette.  She shrugged off a wave of jealousy and walked over.
         "Hey," Ellie said, tapping him on the shoulder.  He spun around on the barstool, smiling as his eyes met hers.  The brunette looked Ellie up and down, then scooted off her stool and walked away.
         "I'm so glad you came," he said earnestly.  "Oh, man."  He reached out and
touched his fingertips to her cheek, where the bruise still remained visible, despite all her efforts.  "I'm sorry.  I'm mortified, really."  He looked so sincere, so much like the wonderful, sweet Kevin she'd come to know.
         She smiled.  "Let's get something to eat."  They made their way toward the
hostess, who led them to a table for two near a window, the one Kevin always asked for.  Kevin held the chair out for her before taking his own seat.
         The waitress approached.  "Hey, guys.  The usual?" she asked. 
         "How you doing, Judy?"  Kevin smiled at the woman, an attractive brunette who had waited on them many times before.  "Yeah, the usual for me."
         Ellie said nothing.  Judy looked at her expectantly, then gasped.  "Hon, what happened to you?"  She pointed the tip of her pen at Ellie's cheek. 
         "It's nothing," Ellie said, blushing.  "And just an iced tea for me, please.  Thanks, Judy."  Judy looked back and forth between the two of them, clearly sensing something but not wanting to intrude.  She quickly turned on her heel and walked away.  An uneasy silence fell between them as they waited.
         Ellie cleared her throat.  "I, um, signed that publishing contract today," she said.
         Kevin grinned, that smooth grin that always set her pulse racing.  "That's
fantastic!"
         "I can't exactly live off it, but it's a good start."  She paused.  "I have some article assignments, too.  And to think my parents told me I'd never make any money writing."
         Kevin raised an eyebrow at the mention of her parents.  And in truth, Ellie hadn't thought about what she was saying until it came out.  They were such a big part of her life that she couldn't stop referring to them.
         It's not a big deal, she told herself.  But she still found herself blinking against the stinging tears that rose in her eyes.
         Kevin ran his hand nervously through his jet-black hair.  He opened his mouth to say something, and then Judy returned with their drinks.  She set a beer down in front of Kevin, and a glass of iced tea at Ellie's place.  Grateful for something to do, she grabbed the glass and took a sip, while Kevin guzzled half his beer in one long gulp.
         He set his mug down and looked earnestly into Ellie's eyes.  "El, I just wanted to explain," he began.
         She looked down at her hands.  "That's the least you can do."
         Kevin cleared his throat, took another gulp from his mug, and sighed.  "It wasn't your fault.  You remember that big job I bid on?"
         Honestly, she didn't.  Kevin talked incessantly about this or that "big job" and how much money he'd make if he won the bid.  His carpentry business kept him busy, but didn't really hold much interest for her.  "Sure," she lied.
         "Well, I was the lowest bid, of course.  But the contractor hired Jones."  He
practically spit the name of his main competition.  "I spent hours on the phone trying to reason with the guy.  He's worked with me before.  He knows I do quality work.  But he wouldn't change his mind.  Said he had some kind of complaint.  I told him it was bull, but he wouldn't budge."
         Ellie nodded, trying to figure out what this had to do with her.
         "And then I thought, 'At least I get to see El tonight.'  And I go to your house and you tell me you have some big assignment you have to do and you can't see me.  And all that frustration from earlier just…" His voice trailed off.  He took a deep breath.  "I couldn't take another rejection.  I just- I snapped."  He reached for her hand.  "But I swear nothing like this ever happened before.  Ever."
         Ellie pulled her hand back, placing it out of his reach in her lap.  She shook her head and slowly brought her eyes up to meet his.  "The only reason I agreed to meet you here," she said, "is because of what you've meant to me these past few weeks.  But as of today, if you raise your hand to me, I promise you'll never see me again."
         He smiled, seeming relieved.  "I won't," he assured her.  He reached across the table, holding his palms up in anticipation of her returning the gesture.  Grudgingly, she placed her hands in his.  "I'm going to make it up to you.  Anything you want: you name it."
         She smiled, starting to relax a bit.  "There is this new movie I've been wanting to see."
         "It's a date.  Let's say tomorrow night?"
         "Sure."
         They ate their dinners, and the whole time Ellie had this strange, uneasy feeling.  As she looked into the eyes of the man she'd trusted through one of the hardest times of her life, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had never really known him.

         The drive home gave Ellie time to think.  She couldn't remember Kevin's temper flaring like that before.  Sure, he got angry now and then, but not to the point of violence.  But then, in the three months she'd known him, he had never lost a bid.  What would happen the next time he lost out on a big job?  Or she disappointed him in some way?  But she had promised him a second chance, and she intended to follow through.
         As Ellie pulled into her driveway, she noticed the new neighbor sitting out on his porch.  It could have been her imagination, but it looked as though he sat up straighter when she drove past, almost as if he were trying to see her.  She felt her cheeks flush as she remembered his shocked reaction earlier.  Even with makeup on, she had noticed people staring at her in the restaurant.  She didn't want
to be looked at like that again.  She swerved around the back of the house and sat parked in the garage for a few minutes, wondering if the man would come over.  Finally deciding she was being silly, she got out of the car and went inside.
         The house still smelled of fresh pie, and she breathed in the scent with a smile.  I'll make a pre-emptive strike, she thought.  I'll take him that pie.  She looked up at the clock.  Tomorrow, she thought.
         The next morning dawned cold and clear.  Ellie opened her eyes and looked
around the room in confusion.  What am I doing in Mom and Dad's house?  Reality came flooding back to her, as it always did on mornings like this.  She rolled over and hit the snooze alarm.
         Nine minutes later, the clock woke her for the second time.  This time, she rolled out from under the covers and stumbled to the bathroom, flipping on the shower to let the water heat up.  She looked in the mirror, wincing at the sight of her bruised cheek.  It now had a nice yellow tinge to it, and if anything looked worse than it had the day before.  That odd, sick feeling balled up in the pit of her stomach, and she took a deep breath to calm it.
         The steam of the shower enveloped her and she began to relax.  Kevin cared about her.  The whole thing was just a big misunderstanding.  It wouldn't happen again.
         She dressed in her favorite pair of jeans and her Towson State t-shirt.  She patted makeup gently on the bruised cheek, blended it, and added more.  It looked a lot less obvious when she finished.  Maybe the new neighbor wouldn't say anything.
         Picking up her hairbrush, she carefully parted her long blonde hair in the center and brushed through it a few times.  She ignored the hair dryer as usual, preferring to let her locks air-dry.  Giving herself the once-over in the mirror, she nodded in approval.  I look friendly, she thought.
         Soon, she had coffee brewing and two pieces of hot buttered toast on the table.  The coffeemaker started the gurgling noise it always made near the end of brewing, and Ellie grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured herself a cup.  After breakfast, she'd wrap up the pie and go next door.
         She found herself wondering what the new neighbor's story would be.  A single guy looking for the simple life in the suburbs?  A newlywed buying a house for his bride?  A father bringing his kids to a bigger house?  The writer in her made Ellie naturally curious about anyone she met.
         While drinking her second cup of coffee, Ellie flipped open her laptop and
checked her email.  Her editor had sent a message acknowledging receipt of the contracts.  She deleted a few spam messages and logged off of her account.  Standing and stretching, she decided it was time to go meet the new neighbor.
         Ellie quickly ran her fingers through her hair and glanced at herself in the hall mirror before picking the pie up off the counter and walking out the front door.  The outside air felt cool on her bare arms and she made a mental note to grab a jacket when she went out later.  She walked down the porch steps and out her front walk to the sidewalk.
         As she strolled along toward the neighbor's house, she looked around her parents' neighborhood.  Old Victorian houses stood back from the road, many hidden behind stately oak trees.  Every home sported a porch, white siding, and a black lamppost in front.  Ellie grew up in the neighborhood, and felt comfortable there.  Nothing much had changed.  At least, not on the outside.
         She turned the corner on to her neighbor's walk and approached the front door.  Hesitantly, she raised her hand to knock.  The sound echoed through the house.  A moment later, she heard footsteps approaching from somewhere upstairs and the lock clicked.  The door opened and Ellie stood face to face with her new neighbor.