Page 76 of Lost Boy
My attention to detail is always spot on, so I wait for Seth to ever-so-slightly adjust his grip and yell ‘Pull!’to my entire team. We yank them forward so hard and so unexpectedly that Seth flies right into the mud.
Face first.
He even takes the second person on the rope right along with him. Dustin lands right on Seth, his weight further pressing the team captain into the mud, causing him to sputter and choke on dirt.
Cole immediately burst out laughing, and there’s just something contagious about his laughter. I join soon after until the entire length of our rope laughs at the public school idiots in the mud.
Yeah, our sportsmanship isn’t exactly going to get an A plus, but we’re still completing the challenges. So all Dale could do was sigh and call it an early day so the losers could shower their shame off before mealtime.
Dinner is assorted foil packets, catered by none other than Georgie. There’s white fish in butter sauce and Italian sausage with peppers and onions. But I’m choosing teriyaki chicken with pineapple and bell peppers. No doubt. That shit is bomb! I’m pretty sure Georgie made it just for me.
At the very end of the table are shrimp dinners with potatoes and corn on the cob in Cajun seasoning.
Thinking about their little legs swimming through the water, their speed and zig-zag, and their beady little eyes, I gag, dry-heaving while I reach for the chicken dinner instead.
Jamie side-eyes me like I’m about to yak all over the food.
“Shrimp,” is all I say, shivering in disgust.
I grab two packets for myself and two for Fallon, one sausage and one chicken. He’s still trying to catch up from being malnourished for the last five years. And me, well, I’m a big guy who needs a lot of calories to maintain my energy and body. Cole and Jamie also grab two, and we head to their campsite to grill our dinners according to Georgie’s convenient instructions.
Fallon is already there, perched on one of the sawed-off logs, scribbling in his little green notepad and chewing on the end of a Sharpie.
I stand there for a beat too long, no less fascinated by his mouth than yesterday or the day before.
Jamie sidles up next to me, subtly nudging me with his elbow. “Let’s go, lover boy,” he whispers teasingly. “Time to cook dinner for your man.”
I chuckle at my best friend’s joke, making my way over to set the food on the wooden table while Jamie grabs the charcoal.
I missed Fallon today. He stayed back, opting out of today’s trust-building exercise. Don’t blame him. I would have passed too, if it was an option.
“Hey, Fal. How was your day?”
He lifts a shoulder in response. “You?”
“Awesome ’cause Seth, Dustin, and Rich looked like complete tools. Wish you coulda seen it,” I say with a wide grin as I picture Seth face-down in the mud with Dustin on top of him. “Mud facials.”
He looks up from his notepad at that, giving me a curious expression, but doesn’t ask.
“Did you spend the day writing?” I probe, trying to get more answers out of him and wondering if he’ll sing me something later tonight. Just the two of us around our fire pit, like we talked about.
“Yeah. Found my way to the lake and took my guitar. It was nice.”
I nod, agreeing because itisnice out here.
“After dinner, wanna play something for me? I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
“I will, yeah. Dunno if I feel like singing, though. But I can play for you.”
“I’ll take it.”
I’ll take anything he gives me.
* * *
Saturday morning greets us with a cacophony of mockingbirds and woodpeckers. The distant sound of water running and the wind blowing through the leaves soothes a part of me that I didn’t know needed soothing.
Ten minutes into lounging, I’m drifting back into that warm, comfortable space, hovering on the edge of sleep. Bliss. It might be bliss. Especially when I’m curled around my sweet and broody little boyfriend.
