Page 15 of Storm Bound
“Welcome to Cedarwood Beach, I guess,” I said to myself, the sarcasm in my voice completely taking over.
Five
Charlie
Icouldn’t believe Adam had almost walked away without my number. I’d hoped it was because he was tired and slightly confused and not for any other reason. Because wouldn’t that be a kick in the teeth? Having an amazing day with him, having a dinner date and all the flirting only for it to be just a Greyhound fling.
“So, little bro. I see you got yourself abooooyfriend,” Luke said, dragging out the last part.
I punched his arm as he set off, and he laughed.
“Grow up,” I told him.
“Sorry. Sorry. You try and spend every single day of your life with third-graders and then you tell me if you can talk like an adult,” he said.
“Touché. But I draw the line at singing ‘Sitting in a Tree.’”
“But wouldn’t you love to sit on that man and show him a good time, though?” Luke smirked.
“Well, duh! Who wouldn’t?”
“My little brother has a crush on Mr. Hunky Adam,” he mocked.
“Doctor,” I said.
“Huh?”
“Dr.Hunky Adam,” I corrected.
Luke glanced at me and gaped.
“Damn, girl. You snatched yourself a doc? Good work, comrade. Good work.”
I frowned with a sigh when something flew right in front of the windshield.
“Watch out,” I screamed, and Luke steered the wheel, bringing us into the opposite lane for a second before straightening the car again.
The flying thing was a big piece of plastic that would have been harmless if it wasn’t so big and if it wasn’t so windy.
“It’s fucking crazy out here,” I said once we were back on course, my heart thumping in my chest at a hundred miles an hour.
“Tell me about it,” Luke said. “They’re saying it’s going to get worse. There’s a whole lotta storm down south. We might need to evacuate.”
“Welcome back home, Charlie,” I sighed.
Of course all this shit would be happening when I decide to take a little break from the city for a few months and visit my family. Why wouldn’t it?
“Hey, don’t say that. We’re gonna have fun. You’ll see. It’s good to have you back. Even if it’s just for six months,” he said.
“Yeah,” I said. “It’ll be good.”
I got to hang out with my brothers, sister, and my nephew and nieces; eat my entire weight in Yaya’s Greek food; catch up with all my favorite comic books; and work at a much slower pace with Dr. Becker. Who knows? Maybe I’d even get a chance to find another hobby.
“Everyone’s excited to have you back. I hope you got some sleep before you got here because I’m very much doubting you’ll get any in the next twenty-four hours.”
“Great,” I said with a heavy dose of snark, but as much as I loved my sleep, I was also excited.
No one pampered better than Greek yayas, and my yaya was the master pamperer to shame all pamperers.
