Page 14 of Husband Material
I paused. My profoundly shitty mood would be drastically improved by surfing. Although I didn't exactly relish being around anyone else right now, with my wound still fresh from the morning.
"You still pissed about the Lena thing?" Reid asked.
"Yeah," I said noncommittally. "But I'll see you on the beach in thirty."
* * *
I drove backto the house, picked up my board, and was on the beach quickly enough. Reid was already hitting the waves. A few minutes later, I was out there with him.
Surfing with Reid was a distraction. The waves were hollow and peeling, but with such short intervals between sets there wasn't really time for actual conversation. Definitely what I needed, even though my head kept asking the same question.Why the hell didn’t she stick around?
After our session, when we were walking back onto the beach, I saw it.
Caught in the knots of a lilac bush, a familiar-looking piece of paper.
Reid said something to me, but I ignored him as I jogged to the paper, certain it wouldn't be what I hoped it was.
"Hey, kinda looks like you," Reid said from over my shoulder.
I nodded. Sketched in skillful lines, Giselle’s portrait of me was a little ragged and smudged in places but still in one piece.God, she’s talented.I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to tell Reid, if anything at all.
My eyes stopped on the corner of the paper, which bore a distinctive embossedE. Where had I seen that before?
"Hell, it's been ages since I've been to Elysium," Reid said thoughtfully.
My questioning glance only made him shrug.
"You know, that fancy art shop downtown?"
Bingo. The façade of the store flashed in my mind. White Grecian-columned exterior, like it was a temple to the arts. An interior like a hippie's wet dream, with tie-dyed colors splayed everywhere. If that was where Giselle had gotten this paper from, that meant…
"Want to go there?" I asked abruptly.
Amusement taking over his face, Reid leaned on his board, which he had propped in the sand, and settled in for a good long wait as I looked at him—stone-faced.
I knew Reid well, and also what would get me off the hook with him. Clearly, this was going to require me dishing out some details.
"Some girl I met. We had a great time together and then got separated."
Reid dragged a hand through his wet hair before hoisting his board under his arm with another shrug.
"Sure, lover boy, we can go there."
Irritation sparked through me, but I followed him nonetheless. I wanted some company for this next part of my search. I wasn't sure why, other than a vague uneasiness I might benefit from some backup.
Uneasiness that I was heading into some dangerousunchartedterritory…for my heart.
* * *
Elysium was justas I remembered it. From its walls and floors painted in vibrant shades down to the now-ancient owner. The last time I'd been here was probably more than ten years ago, for some project at school. I recognized the grumbly old bat from back then and she seemed mostly unchanged.
"Revealing customer information is against the law," she said with a toss of her frizzy white-haired head to my question about a girl named Giselle matching her description.As if that concoction of "herbs" I smell isn't, lady.
She aimed her red-rimmed eyes at Reid and then me before turning away to rifle under the counter.
I looked to Reid for help as he muttered, "The shit I do…"
"Ma'am." He leaned on the desk.
