Page 36 of The Problem with Perfect

“Selfish. Listen to me make a fool out of myself and then don’t reciprocate with your own foolishness.”

I grin. “There’s plenty of foolishness for you to revel in. No need for me to share it all right at the jump.”

She hums in acknowledgment.

“Speaking of foolishness,” I continue, “on Tuesday nights, I have family dinner. It’s a thing I do with Abby. It’s her, Jackson, Briar, and Andy. Dinner and drinks and sometimes card games. Abby told me I should invite you, now that we’re dating.”

“You know, that actually sounds like a lot of fun, but I’m working tomorrow night.”

“Yeah, I figured.” I’m a little disappointed, though I try not to think too much about it.

“Maybe next week? I usually work on Tuesdays, but I can ask someone to switch.”

I shrug, though I know she can’t see me. “It’s not a big deal. If you can make it, you can make it. If not, don’t sweat it.”

We’re quiet for a long moment, and I can feel our conversation coming to a close. Something inside me starts flicking through things we could talk about, and the unfamiliar desire to stay on the phone with someone surprises me.

“I think I’m gonna head in,” Bellamy says, though, making it clear she’s ready to bring our call to an end. “I’m exhausted and I have to help my mom with her garden in the morning.”

I grin, imagining the two Mitchell women out mowing and weeding and whatever else they’re planning to get up to.

“Alright, well…have a good night.”

“You, too, Rusty.”

We end the call, and my eyes scan over to the TV, where I see the game highlights are running. I had the last inning of the game on mute and don’t remember watching a single minute of it.

I sigh and click it off then finish my beer before flicking the light switch and heading up to bed, where I dream of a tiny dog in a purse and lying on my back on a dock, staring up at the sky.

chaptereleven

Bellamy

“Thanks so much for picking me up.” Emily hops into the passenger seat of my CRV and chucks her purse on the ground. “I swear, this car is going to be the absolute death of me if I don’t get it figured out.”

“Glad I could help,” I reply, waiting until she’s buckled her seatbelt before pulling away from the small wooden cabin Emily lives in with her grandmother. “And I’m sorry about your car. Is it going to take a while to fix?”

She shrugs and rolls down her window, allowing the slowly warming summer air to filter in as we turn out on the main road.

“No idea. Gam said if it’s too much, we can always share her car, but she uses it to get to bunco with her friends, and I don’t want her to be any more stuck at home than she already is. I’d rather walk.”

One of the things I love about Emily is how much she cares for her grandmother. It’s been just the two of them since Emily’s mom left when she was a toddler, and she’s always said her Gam is the only mom she’s ever needed.

“Hey, would you mind swinging by the resort really quick? I was hoping to pick up my paycheck and get it cashed before the weekend so I can try to sort this shit out.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

The South Bank Resort and Marina is the only hotel in Cedar Point and the largest employer in town. It’s been the site of some of my favorite memories—high school prom, multiple marriages for friends and family, and a variety of seasonal events. Emily is one of several bartenders from The Mitch who pick up shifts at the resort when the number of guests rises during the summer.

I’ve worked a few nights there in the past alongside Emily, usually when our friend Elijah asked if I could serve as extra hands for a banquet or special event. He used to be our manager at The Mitch, working for my uncle for as long as I could remember before becoming the events manager at South Bank.

“You get to see Elijah at all?” I ask as we cross Temple Bridge and turn onto South Bank Road.

“Hell yeah I do,” she replies, smiling wide. “Who do you think I’m going to beg when I go in there asking for my paycheck early?”

I laugh. “I miss having him around. Celine is okay, but…I don’t know.”

“Celine is a boss. Elijah was family.”

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