Page 55 of Make it a Double

And donuts

Sawyer:

And a cold cherry 7up

Me:

Anything else? A catered lunch, perhaps?

Sawyer:

…

Sawyer:

Just the donuts and soda

When I told Sawyer to text me a time and a place, I didn’t realize she was going to send me on a wild-goose chase first thing on a Saturday morning, but I was more than happy to oblige. If that was what it took to get back in my girl’s good graces, that was precisely what I was going to do.

She wanted donuts? I brought her a variety dozen.

An ice-cold Cherry 7UP? I had three in an insulated travel cooler.

The chair was an initial problem, but after a quick internet search and one trip to the only hardware store in thirty miles, I solved that little issue. I walked out with two beneath my arms, including one with a pop-up sun visor on top, just in case Sawyer wanted to sit in the shade.

I might not have known what we were doing, but I damn sure wasn’t going to show up unprepared. It was important to show Sawyer that not only was I capable of following directions, but I also exceeded expectations in a gold star fashion.

The field was easy enough to find once I got used to Sawyer’s directions. I’d never gotten somewhere strictly using landmarks as map markers. It was definitely efficient, adding to Pinecrest’s small town charm. It was nothing like back home in NYC. Things changed so quickly in big cities. One day, you’d be driving to work and pass a new sub shop with a line out the door, and two months later, it’d be something else entirely.

It kind of seemed like a gift to know a place so intimately.

Just like she said, the parking lot was packed to the brim with minivans, diesel trucks, and parents running toward the field with their kids. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I didn’t care if it meant spending time with Sawyer. When she asked me for a do-over, it had taken everything I had not to pump my fist in the air like I was in a John Hughes movie. I thought I’d ruined everything by letting her walk out. I’d be damned if I was going to fuck this up, too.

Even if this wasn’t the best place to work through the predicament we found ourselves in, a few hours with her were worth more than all the words in the English language. I’d take what I could get and say thank you when we were done.

After driving down countless rows of cars, I finally found a spot in the next lot over. There’d been no sign of Sawyer’s gold Camry, though. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was nearly nine. She should be here by now, shouldn’t she? I pulled out my phone, ready to send a message and make sure she was okay, when her name flashed across the screen.

“Hey, sorry. I know I’m running a few minutes behind.” I climbed out, cradling the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I popped the trunk of my SUV. “It took me a minute to find a parking spot, but I finally got one. Where are you?”

“It’s about time. I was about to send out a search party,” Sawyer murmured, her amusement evident.

I liked the sound of that for all the wrong reasons. The thought of her being concerned enough to look for me shouldn’t have had me feeling so elated, but it did. “On second thought…” I said, leaning against the side of the vehicle. “I could use a hand for all the things I brought. I was very thorough.”

“Is that right?” The smile in her voice was evident as she said, “That can be arranged. Where are you?”

“Great question.” I scanned the area, looking for anything I could use as a marker. There wasn’t much around me other than tall trees and vehicles, but I could make out a rusting white pipe fence just ahead. “Oh. There’s a pavilion to my left, and I can see the entrance.”

Muffled voices sounded in the background, including a high-pitched whistle I could hear from my car. “Perfect. Stay right there.”

Sawyer disconnected the call before I could tell her I was just joking. My car was a decent walk from the entrance. I didn’t want her to come all the way out here when I could handle it by myself.

Well, sort of. I would definitely need to make two trips in order to bring all of this out to the field. It seemed like a fantastic idea to go above and beyond what Sawyer had asked for at the time, but I hadn’t really thought about how I was supposed to transport everything.

I should’ve taken the man at the store’s advice and gotten the travel wagon he suggested. Maybe I’d go back.

Damn, wishful thinking already had me planning for the next time she asked me for anything.

By the time I managed to get both chairs under one arm, the cooler strap slung over my shoulder, and the donut box perched precariously on top, I realized I’d made a horrible mistake in not closing the trunk. My keys were stuck in my pocket, and I’d have to let something go in order to get them.