Incomplete Read online

  _______________

  Gage opened the door to the small coffee shop and immediately spotted his daughter. She was sitting at a table with a single chocolate cupcake in front of her. Making his way toward her, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a woman watching him.

  “I wish I could draw as much attention as you,” his daughter said as he sat down opposite her.

  Gage chuckled. “I don’t draw attention.”

  “Dad,” Scarlett drawled. “Every place you go women are looking at you.”

  “That’s only cause I’m getting old,” he told her and grinned.

  “Whatever.” She threw a hand out and rolled her eyes.

  Gage tossed his phone on the table. “Hey, just remember you have my genes, it will happen.”

  His daughter was in that awkward teen stage. The one where she was transforming from a kid to a woman all in the midst of finding out where she fit into the world. Currently, she was all about being a social butterfly and spending as much time with her best friend as she could, even sleeping less at home. But he had no doubt that she was going to turn out as beautiful as her mother.

  She pushed the cupcake across the table. “Happy birthday, Daddy.”

  His heart warmed. Not because she had texted him while he was out having a few beers with the guys telling him to meet her at the coffee shop so she could wish him a happy birthday, but because she called him daddy. Something she hadn’t done in two years.

  “Thanks, Letty.” He winked at her.

  Her eyes drifted to the table, her cheeks turned pink as she whispered, “You haven’t called me that in a long time.”

  “I know.” His voice was low.

  The waitress appeared at the table, and Gage ordered a black coffee and waited for her to leave before he addressed his daughter. “So, you took time away from your friends to meet me?”

  “I did.” She hung her head. “I felt bad not being with you on your birthday. Plus, I knew Mom wouldn’t.”

  She was right, his wife’s idea of a birthday gift was a blowjob in the shower that morning. Not that he was complaining, but the twelve and a half hours that had passed since then, he hadn’t heard a word from her.

  “It’s all good, honey. I was your age once, I get it.” Gage said, while taking the wrapper off the large cupcake, breaking it in half, and holding out a piece to his daughter.

  She took it, held it in front of her mouth and then asked, “What’s going on between you and Mom?”

  “Nothing,” Gage said around a mouthful of the sensational chocolate treat.

  Scarlett put her piece on a napkin and cocked her head. “I’m not a little girl anymore, I can see it.”

  Gage shook his head. “It’s just a stage married people go through, that’s all.”

  She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Yeah, and that’s the same stage Rachelle’s parents went through right before they got a divorce.”

  “No,” Gage spit out quickly. “No one is splitting up. Your mom is involved in her work right now, it happens.”

  Scarlett tilted her head and muttered, “Okay.” But he knew by the tone of her voice that she thought he was full of shit. She grabbed for his cell, tapping the screen to check the time, and saw the notification across the locked screen. “You’re playing Friendly Words?”

  Gage looked down, reading the small banner letting him know that Tilly F had played him back that morning. “Yeah, it’s not bad.”

  “Such an old person game.” Scarlett chuckled and added, “I gotta go, Dad. Rachelle is waiting outside and I don’t wanna miss the beginning of the movie.” Her voice was low when she said the last.

  “Letty, it’s fine. You go, have fun,” Gage told her.

  She smiled, rose, came around the table and gave her dad a huge hug and kiss on his cheek. “Batting cages this weekend?”

  “You’re on.” He smiled at her and watched his daughter walk out of the coffee shop and into the passenger side of Rachelle’s car. She was a good kid. She had her moments, but deep down she had a heart of gold.

  His attention was quickly averted to the cup that was placed on the table. “Thank you,” he said to the waitress.

  She slowly slid a napkin his way, and the closer it got, Gage noticed it had writing on it. Her name and phone number. “Anytime,” she whispered seductively before walking away.

  His eyes drifted from the napkin to the thick silver band on his ring finger. It didn’t matter anymore that your finger was encased in any kind of metal symbolizing that you were off the market, vowing to be faithful and love another for the rest of your life. In today’s world, that token of devotion meant nothing. He took a swig of the hot coffee and tapped the screen on his phone. Bringing up Friendly Words, he saw that Tilly played a word worth fifty-eight points. “Fuck.” He grumbled.

  Then he raised his head and apologized to the older couple sitting next to him. The woman smiled and sat up straighter to get a look at his phone on the table. “Friendly Words, I get it.” She chuckled.

  He smiled at her as they were getting ready to leave. He added, “This one woman is kicking my ass.”

  “Happens all the time,” the man chimed in, pointing to his wife with a smile on his face.

  “Have a good night,” he told them.

  The woman looked to him. “Thank you, you do the same and good luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  Gage watched them walk out the door. As soon as her husband let the door go, he reached for her hand. He wondered how long they had been married. He also wondered if he and Heather would have that when they were their age. They had it once, but somewhere along the way they lost it. So, thinking they might in the future had him shaking the thought from his head that his daughter left there about his marriage failing.

  He looked at his phone, saw that Tilly F wasn’t active, but that he had three notifications from others challenging him. He clicked on Tilly’s game first and studied his letters and the board for ten minutes before he added a word that gave him fifty-two points. He accepted the other challenges where he played a word on each board, but he sat there hoping Tilly F’s green dot would light up just so he could kick her ass. It wasn’t long before his phone alerted him that she had played him back. He smiled as he tossed the last bite of cupcake in his mouth and opened the app.

  _______________

  Tilly finished the bottle of wine. Her feet were up on the folding table she had once used to paint with the kids. Every color in the rainbow covered the gray vinyl top, and a few colors not in the rainbow but hand blended by Justin.

  Luke hadn’t said good night; he hadn’t even followed her out of the kitchen. She knew he wouldn’t. Knew he was thinking she was being a nag. If concern for him missing out on his own children growing up made her a nag, then so be it.

  She glanced around the room. It was the catch all room. It had a little bit of everything, but the kids were getting older. A lot of the stuff she could donate. Maybe she should turn it into an office. Having a place to escape would be nice, particularly after an evening like the one she’d just had. Her heart ached; they didn’t have much time where they could be together, so losing one of those nights was hard, but what surprised her was the realization that it didn’t bother her as much as it should.

  Reaching for her phone, she checked her email; there was one from Tammy. The cupcakes all sold, the money going toward new choir shirts. Did her husband even know his daughter was going on a trip with the choir this year? No. She hadn’t told him yet, but he hadn’t asked either. Seemed like it should be a two-way street.

  She closed out of her email, opened Friendly Words and saw that Gage had responded with a word worth fifty-two points. She grinned at her phone. “Nice job, Gage.” He was still losing, but not by much. Resting her head back on the chair, the letters moved through her head as she tried to find
a word to up his. The challenge was fun, but so was taking her mind off of what had brought her into that room. The simple joy of a game with a stranger, with nothing more pressing than finding a word that racked up the points for her. She spent ten minutes thinking, and in the end, came up with a word worth forty-six points. She didn’t close out the app because there was a green dot next to Gage’s name. Instead, she grabbed the empty bottle and her glass and moved to the kitchen. Pouring herself a glass of water, she retrieved one of the few cupcakes she’d reserved for her private stash. Sitting at the island, she ate the chocolatey goodness and waited for Gage’s next word.

  Gage chuckled to his phone when he opened and saw the word ‘lonely’ butted up against another word to make forty-six points. It was ironic. Because he was lonely on his forty-sixth birthday. He looked to the small bubble icon in the upper right corner. With a finger hovering over it, he tapped it and typed out a message, even though it was unlike him to chat with a random stranger.

  Nice to meet you, Tilly F. Although, you are kicking my ass, I’m enjoying the game.

  He kind of lied, because Gage didn’t really like to lose. Playing a word off her L only gave him twenty-eight points. He grumbled under his breath before taking a gulp of coffee. Glancing to the time on his cell, he read ten twenty-two. Grabbing all the stuff on the table, he placed his phone in his pocket and walked to the trash, throwing out the napkins and cup. Then he went to sit in his truck in the parking lot only because he didn’t want to sit in the coffee shop alone anymore.

  Tilly saw a notification pop up on her phone. Opening it, she read the message from her opponent. He was enjoying getting his ass kicked? She grinned, suspected that wasn’t entirely true because who enjoyed losing? She wasn’t sure why she hesitated to reply, but she stared at his message for a while before she typed back.

  It’s nice meeting you. I have to confess, I’m new to this game. I didn’t think it would be as fun as it is, but it really does suck you in. I’m enjoying the game, too, though I am kicking your ass. ; )

  Gage had the radio on, music playing loudly. But when he read her message, the drum solo coming from the speakers mixed with his laughter. He took two things from her first message: she liked to talk, and she liked to tease. So did he.

  I’m new to the game, too. Though, my daughter informed me tonight it was a game for old people. Lol. It does suck you in, many times today I went to reach for my cell to play but got called away. As for kicking my ass, it is my birthday today, can’t you at least let me win? ;)

  Tilly read his message twice. He had a daughter, and it was his birthday. She couldn’t help but wonder why he was playing a game with a stranger and not spending his birthday with his daughter. Her heart went out to him because in his shoes, she’d feel...well, lonely. She studied their game, thought of a word worth seventy points, but she instead chose a word worth only thirty.

  Happy birthday! I’m suddenly out of words. ; ) Old people game? I think I take offense. Thirty-eight isn’t old, though my kids would suggest otherwise. I was in the baking aisle of the market earlier when I thought of a word. I pulled out my phone right then and there. Got a few looks...kids today so attached to their phones. Of course, my critics were all silver-haired, bussed in from the nursing home to do their weekend shopping.

  Gage saw she played a word worth thirty points, but he also saw that the number one was hovering over the message icon, he chose the latter. Thirty-eight, he was eight years older than her. He wondered in that brief second what she looked like.

  Thank you! Thirty-eight, huh? Try just turning forty-six. Lol. How many kids? By the way, were you one of those people bussed in? :P

  Gage tucked his phone in his console, deciding that sitting in the parking lot of the coffee shop on his birthday made him look sad. Add in it being a Friday night and playing Friendly Words just made it pathetic. He went home. To an empty house.

  Tilly read his message and laughed out loud, loud enough to cause an echo. She turned her head toward the door wondering if she woke anyone, but when silence greeted her, she looked back at her phone. Forty-six. She felt forty-six sometimes. Again, she found herself curious as to why he was talking with her and not spending his birthday with his family. She grinned at the face he’d made at the end of his message. He liked to tease, too.

  At forty-six, I think you’re the one being bussed in. ; ) Kidding, forty is the new thirty, or so they say. I have two kids, fifteen and fourteen. Sometimes, though, trying to keep up with them, I wouldn’t mind a weekend at the nursing home. How old is your daughter?

  Gage rushed in the house and just about pushed Velvet outside to do her business all because his cell chimed almost five minutes ago. Yeah, he was pathetic. But it was nice to talk to someone. As he stood in the doorway, watching the dog, he pulled up her message and read it. He grinned at the screen and replied,

  Nahh, too old for the bus, they just bring me my food now. The new thirty? I call bullshit on that, cause in no way do I feel like I’m thirty. I can think of better places to spend a weekend than a nursing home. ;) My daughter, Scarlett is 15. Married?

  Tilly could think of better places to spend a weekend too, not that she had in a long time. The question about being married had a knot forming in her gut remembering earlier. She hated fighting with Luke, but lately it seemed to be happening more, and considering he was never home, it bothered her...a lot.

  Too old? Yeah, at forty-six they must have to blend your food and administer it with a straw. Scarlett, that’s a great name. Not one you hear often. 15, now I understand the old person comment. My kids are Justin, he’s the fifteen-year-old, and Ashley who’s fourteen. Yes, I’m married, seventeen years. You?

  Gage got Velvet inside and gave her a much-needed treat, since he all but kicked her outside the house. While she ate her small bone, her crunching filling up the silence in the house, he grabbed a beer from the fridge. Once she was done, he called for her to follow him. She did, prancing behind him into the living room. He toed his sneakers off and sat in the recliner. Before taking a pull from his beer, he patted his leg, Velvet jumped up and nestled her little body between him and the arm of the chair. He read Tilly’s message and smiled. She liked the name of his daughter, he picked it out. Then that grin turned into laughter, which caused Velvet to stir. Blend his food. Funny.

  Ahhh, smartass you are. :P But a funny one. Yeah, married 16 years. I see you live in West Chester, that right? I’m in Yardley, about an hour from Philly. And if I’m correct, you’re about two hours from me.

  Tilly moved to the refrigerator for a bottle of iced tea, reading his message while she did. He was married. She so wanted to know where his family was and why they weren’t all celebrating his special day. Birthdays for her kids lasted for a week...they got out of chores, had unlimited television watching. Even for her birthday, they made her breakfast in bed and did most of the work around the house. Once upon a time, Luke was part of the tradition, but over the years, it was just something she shared with her kids. Would there come a time when they no longer wanted to celebrate with her? The thought made her sad. Maybe Gage’s family didn’t make a big deal out of birthdays.

  He lived only two hours from her. She gave herself a moment to roll that around in her head. Then she went ever further down that road and pondered what he looked like. All teasing aside, forty-six wasn’t old. He was funny and real...or at least she wanted to believe he was. He was also close enough to be considered a neighbor. She pulled herself from those thoughts.

  I haven’t been called a smartass in a long time. It’s like riding a bike. ; ) Yes, I’m in West Chester, and yeah, we’re about two hours from you and an hour from Philly. Not that we get there as often as we’d like. Do you work in the city?

  Gage had his head laying on the back of the recliner, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. She was married. Where was her husband? Was he in the city at the new jazz club with
his friends while she sat at home alone? No, probably not. But as the day kept on, and there was no word from his wife, which was continuing into night, the whole situation was pissing him off. The chiming took him from his thoughts. Quickly, he tapped on the screen, thinking it was Tilly; instead, he found a text from his wife- The girls and I have been drinking. So, we’re going to grab a hotel room. Happy Birthday! Call you in the morning. He read it four times. He’d told her to go, but hoped deep down inside she’d back out. He thought about tossing his phone across the room in anger. But then he’d lose talking to his new friend, one who, apparently, had no life either if she was talking to him on a Friday night. Gage backed out of his wife’s text without sending one back. When it alerted him a second time, he had a glimmer of hope that Heather was texting him again, but when he saw that there was a new message from Tilly, that didn’t disappoint him.

  No, I don’t. I own a local landscaping company. I don’t get into the city all that much either. Took my daughter a few months back to see Pink at the Wells Fargo Center, but other than that, I very rarely go into Philly. As a matter of fact, my wife is in the city right now with her friends.

  He knew he shouldn’t have said anything, but the longer the thought sat in his head, he was too pissed to give a fuck.

  Tilly read his message over a few times. His wife was in the city with friends on her husband’s birthday. Luke had done that to her, but it wasn’t friends who had kept him away; it had been work.

  But it’s your birthday.

  Gage read the words and breathed out a chuckle, typing back.