Page 16 of Debts and Desires
Seven Days to Go
Carter’s words hung heavy in the air as he drove me deeper into the heart of the woods. We had taken a back road that turned into a driveway at some point. The only reason I knew it was a driveway was because of the mailbox at the end.
As the trees closed in around us, a sense of suffocation enveloped me, a feeling of being trapped in the middle of nowhere.
I really, really,reallyfucked up this time.
Finally, a building came into view—a white farmhouse against the wooded backdrop. The front yard was lit up with an overhead light and had a white picket fence that went up all the way to the front porch. It then connected with a wire fence and gate that split the porch where the front door began. Within the fenced porch area were two rocking chairs, a small table, and a white wooden bench swing hanging from the ceiling.
There was a dog door within the fence, too, to the left of the front door. A large picturesque window adorned the space beside the doors. The house was dark inside.
“This is actually really nice,” I said.
“What, you think I lived in a shack?” Carter retorted, his tone laced with a hint of defensiveness.
“No, I just… I don’t know what I was expecting,” I replied, realizing how my words may have come across. How did I keep offending him?
“Wait here,” he said before getting out. He walked around and opened my door again. His gentlemanliness was ironic, considering the agreement we were in. And considering how he had fucked me into his desk earlier.
As I stepped out of the Blazer, the silence of the woods enveloped us, broken only by the distant rustle of leaves in the wind. Carter was grabbing my things from the back when I noticed a movement near the fence. A black and white Border Collie emerged, guarding its territory with a wary gaze fixed on me. It growled, taking a defensive stance.
“Hush, Mac. Inside,” Carter commanded with a snap of his fingers. With those simple words, the dog’s growl subsided, and he trotted off towards the porch, disappearing back through the dog door and inside. “He won’t bite unless I say.”
“Good to know.”
Carter led me toward his home. The door creaked open, and he flipped on the lights. It surprised me how cozy his home was.
We entered into a small foyer area with stairs directly to the right. An open living room sat to the left. It was a modest place, if not a bit dusty. The living room had dark green walls and a fireplace that looked like it hadn’t been used in ages. There was a wooden coffee table in front of a brown leather sofa where Mac was laying. A burgundy recliner sat near the picturesque window. And a TV was mounted above the mantelpiece. There were no pictures anywhere. Carter sat my things at the bottom of the stairs before sitting on the bench beside them. I sat my guitar case near my things. He began to unlace his boots as I continued to look around.
To the right of the living room was the dining area. It had an old oak table with four chairs. Straight ahead was thekitchen. It was fairly large, with what looked like newer white appliances.
“Hungry?” he asked, walking away before I had the chance to answer. I shrugged off my jacket, tossing it on my things, then kicked off my flip-flops and followed him into the kitchen, where he pulled out a chair at the table.
“It’s almost two in the morning,” I said. Mac sauntered in, laying on a bed beside the back door. He gave a warning growl again, making me step back.
“Mac, knock it off!” Carter snapped his fingers again. Mac let out a small whine, putting his head down, but keeping his eyes on me. “Sit,” he said to me.
“You don’t have to cook for me.”
“Sit,” he repeated, much more aggressively this time, and I did as I was told. He rummaged in the fridge for a little, pulling out some containers. “You like chicken?”
“Yeah. But like I said, you don’t have to cook for me,” I repeated.
“Ain’t cookin’, just heatin’. Besides, we both need our strength for the rest of ournegotiations.” He took the lid off, placing it in the microwave.
“N-negotiations?” I asked. He pressed a few buttons, the machine humming to life.
“Yeah.” He paused. “What happened at the shop wasn’t enough to solidify the deal.” At the beep of the microwave, Carter pulled out the food. “I wanna make sure you know exactly what you’re gettin’ in to. You may change your mind.”
“I won’t.” After pulling out some plates and forks, Carter dished everything out, then slid the food to me, the smell making my stomach rumble. “Thank you,” I said, taking the food.
“Don’t thank me yet. We ain’t even started.”
We ate in silence.
After our meal, Carter gave me a tour of the upstairs. There were four rooms; two guest rooms, a bathroom and his master room. He had carried my bags up, depositing them into theroom I would be staying in. He led the way to the attached bathroom, where he showed me how to operate the shower. Once he left, I made quick work of my still semi-damp clothes.
As I showered, his words echoed.
