Page 30 of Brandt's Rule

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Tempest slowed down considerably and carefully drove down the slender alley that led to her upstairs apartment behind the coffee shop. She knew before she got off her bike that she wasn’t alone. Pocketing her key and tucking her helmet under her arm, she climbed the stairs up to the landing leading to her apartment. There on the top few steps she found Bailey waiting for her.

“There you are,” Bailey drawled happily.

“Sorry I didn’t show up. Maverik is the man you were thinking he might be. Once he recognized me he wouldn’t let me leave. Had to take me home to meet the family. And let me tell you, he’s got a great family.”

“I’m so glad. I was thinking that from your description, it had to be him.”

“It is. And I love his wife, she’s very kind, very warm, but not at all a pushover. She couldn’t be to put up with him. He’s very strong willed,” Tempest said with a smile.

“Is he family? Is that what it’s about?” Bailey asked.

“No. And before you ask, I have a wonderful family. I love them deeply. They’re just kind of stuck in the old way of doing things, and I just don’t feel like I fit there. I never really did. The other kids would be running and playing and I’d just be sitting on the porch, or spending times with my parents and their friends. He’s the only other person that I’ve ever met, that I remember anyway, and his visit had a profound effect on me. I needed to make a fresh start, so I tracked him down.”

“That’s nice. That someone you happened to meet had such an effect on you. A positive one at that. I’m glad you found him. Are you going to stay a while?” Bailey asked, getting to her feet.

“I am. He said if I want a job, it’s mine. I’m going to see what happens. Who knows? Maybe it’s home. I already have a friend,” Tempest said, gently knocking her shoulder into Bailey’s as she went by.

Bailey laughed. “Good. Because I went to the trouble of buying you a second burger and onion rings. I know, I know, Remi said you were having pork chops, but I was already there and I just couldn’t bring myself to not bring you one.”

“You have a burger and onion rings in there for me?” Tempest asked, eyeing the white paper bag.

“I do. The second one.”

“Second one?”

“I had already ordered for us by the time Remi got there. He ordered his own, then we ate ours, and yours. He stayed for a couple of hours and then followed me home to make sure I made it safely.”

Tempest raised her brows and dropped open her mouth in mock shock. “Ohhh, well do tell! You let me go on and on about Maverik and his family when you have your own news to tell.” She unlocked her apartment door and led the way inside, setting her helmet on the small table by the door, then taking the bag from Bailey’s outstretched hand. Tempest set the bag on the small kitchen bar where she had two barstools ready and waiting. She went to the small fridge, took out two cans of soda and handed one to Bailey, took the bottle of ketchup out of the fridge and took a seat beside Bailey at the small bar. “Split it with me?” she asked.

“I ate one already.”

“I had pork chops,” Tempest said, “though it was a couple of hours ago.”

“Yeah, you did, didn’t you. Okay, I’ll share the onion rings,” Bailey said.

Tempest tore the bag and unwrapped the burger before putting ketchup on the paper the burger was wrapped in, then tearing the paper securing the onion rings so they could both get to them easily. “So, Remi followed you back here?”

“No, he followed me to my house. I waited until he left, then came here to talk to you. You weren’t home yet, so I just took a seat out back and waited for you.”

Tempest had just taken a huge bite of the burger. “Glad you did,” she said around her mouthful of food, causing them both to laugh. Tempest gestured with her hand for Bailey to go ahead and start talking.

“I don’t know what to say. He’s really nice, and I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think he might really like me,” Bailey said.

Tempest washed her food down with a gulp of soda. “What did he say?”

“Lot’s of things, I mean we just talked, like friends, you know? And when I told him you were my only friend, he said, no, that wasn’t right, because he was right there.”

“Aww, I love that,” Tempest said.

“I’m kind of afraid to hope,” Bailey said.

“It’ll be okay. No matter what happens, wouldn’t you rather see it through than always wonder what might have happened?” Tempest asked.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Tempest reached out and dipped an onion ring into the ketchup, crunching it happily.

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