Font Size:  

Garrett


Ispent the evening hanging out at the Valley Fire and Rescue station with my brother Corbin and his coworkers. It was a quiet night in the valley, so they used their time to wash the fire trucks, make chili and cornbread, and shoot the shit. A couple of the guys had to run out to the parkway to assist a broken-down motorist, but other than that, it was an uneventful evening.

After his shift, Corbin gives me a ride back out to the Man Caves to grab my bag and head to my parents’ house for a shower.

“You’re welcome to come bunk at my place,” he offers.

“Nah, I’m good at the river. It’s nice to just be by myself and alone with my notebook a bit. Besides, I don’t want to be a third wheel,” I tell him.

“First of all, you’re my brother. You could never be a third wheel. Secondly, Susanna decided she needed some space and took off to her sister’s in Gatlinburg last night.”

Fuck, not again.

Susanna and Corbin have been dating since high school. She is a trust-fund baby whose grandparents left her enough money to live off of for the rest of her life when they passed away. She gets a deposit from the trust once a month until her death. The problem is that almost every time the money hits her account, she gets antsy, picks a fight, and takes off on Corbin. He waits patiently at home until she returns. And she always returns.

“Again, Cor, really?”

He doesn’t respond. Rather, he changes the subject. “You want to stop for a beer?”

That’s code for I don’t want to go home to my empty house yet.

“Actually, I’m hungry again. Wanna go grab food after I freshen up?” I ask.

“Sure. Whatcha in the mood for?”

“The Oak Barrel?”

“The Oak Barrel? Damn, I hope you brought steak money, superstar, because you’re buying.”

We run by my parents’ house, so I can shower and change. Mom is home, but Pop is out in his workshop and doesn’t bother to come in to say hello. Which is odd, but I figure he’s a little mad at me, so I just leave him be, and we head on out to dinner.

When we make it to The Oak Barrel, the best and only steak house in Balsam Ridge, the parking lot is packed.

“There’s going to be a wait,” Corbin grumbles.

“Stay here,” I say as I exit the truck and walk inside.

It takes me five minutes to talk my way into a table in the back of the restaurant, away from the main dining room.

I stick my head out and wave Corbin in.

“Must be nice to be able to walk in anywhere and get a table without reservations. I forget what a big deal you are,” he says as the hostess shows us to our seats.

I wait until we’ve ordered drinks before I dive back into our earlier conversation.

“When are you going to get out from under Susanna’s crazy ass?” I ask.

“Not you too,” he barks.

It’s something we have all been hoping he’d finally do for years now. The problem is, he loves the nutjob.

He sighs. “I’m hoping she’ll get all this restlessness out of her system,” he says.

“She’s in her damn thirties now, Cor. Don’t you think it should be out by now?” I ask.

He cuts his eyes to me. “You’re one to talk. How’s your love life?” he quips.

“We’re not talking about me. I’m an artist. Restlessness comes with the job. Susanna just gets a wild hair up her ass every time she has cash to burn and wants to party. That’s not fair to you. We’re all tired of you getting upset and depressed every time she does her disappearing act. You deserve better, man. You need to cut her loose, so you can find a woman who wants to settle down and have a family with you.”

“I love her,” he says.

“I know, brother, but that girl has been driving you insane for years now. Every time I talk to Mom, she tells me you two are on another break. You might love her, but I’m not sure she loves you. Not like she should. You need to make it a permanent break this time and find another female to keep company with and get your mind off her,” I suggest.

“It’s not that simple,” he insists.

“Yes, it is. It’s exactly that easy.”

“Most women in this town are either related to me, already taken, or just here on vacation. It’s not like there is a huge singles pool to fish from in Balsam Ridge,” he spews the lame excuse.

“Stop looking for a wife and just enjoy the company of a beautiful companion. Look around. There are several desirable females in this establishment alone. What about her?” I lift my chin in the direction of the bar, where a leggy brunette is perched on a stool, filling out some paperwork.

Corbin turns in his seat to take her in.

“I’ve never seen her before,” he states as the waitress approaches with our drinks.

“Looks like she’s planning to stay awhile. I bet that’s a job application.”

The waitress sets our glasses in front of us and removes a notepad from her apron.

“What are we having tonight, fellas?”

“I’ll have the T-bone steak, medium rare, a side of seasoned fries, and another whiskey neat. My friend here will have the brunette at the bar,” I reply.

She looks over her shoulder to the bar area and then deadpans, “I’m sorry. I’m only able to offer what’s on the menu tonight. The chef doesn’t take requests,” she quips as her eyes slide to Corbin.

“Ignore my brother, Jules. He thinks he’s funny. I’ll have the trout with a baked potato, please.”

“Another beer?” she asks.

“Not for me. I’m driving, I’ll have this one and then I’ll switch to Coke,” he answers.

She scratches his order down and walks off.

Corbin picks up a peanut from the bowl on the table and nails me with it. “Thanks a lot. The waitress is one of Susanna’s friends, asshole.”

I laugh. “So? She left you, remember?”

“She’ll be on my damn porch when I get home. If she doesn’t show up here now.”

“You can always bunk with me at the river,” I offer.

He just shakes his head, but I notice that he keeps glancing over at the brunette in interest.

“Seriously, you should ask for her number, bro. She’s cute.”

“I’d rather not drag another female into my mess,” he says.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like