AllFreeNovel
Share Us
While Tom was checking her over to make sure she didn’t have any more water in her lungs, I had gotten all of the information to follow up with the woman and her son.
“They actually are here all summer on our street on the bay side. She was embarrassed that they got caught up,” I tell her. I want to bring up her kissing me but I’m not sure she wants me to so I stay silent.
“Man, that kid was the epitome of straight up panic. I kept trying to get him off of me and onto the buoy but he would not let up.”
“Sometimes people don’t trust the inanimate object over the human. Especially while panicking.”
“Thanks for saving me,” she says and when I look at her, she’s smiling like she really did want to kiss me. For a second, I think about bringing it up, then I chicken out.
“Anytime, Molls,” I say then turn back to watching the water.
CHAPTER 6
YOU’RE A FIREWORK
MOLLIE THEN
I’m mortified. Not only did I get blown off by Owen at a party he asked me to come to, but then I almost drowned as a lifeguard and then kissed him. I don’t even want to talk about the fact that I then spit up ocean water right after.
Only I would get into a situation like this one.
“You’re still going to come over later, right?” Owen asks as we walk over the dunes after this awful day.
I shrug. “Maybe, I’m kinda tired from all the almost dying today.”
“Well, if you change your mind,” he says gesturing to his house.
I nod and give him a little wave as he passes under the house into his aunt’s yard. Quickly, I rinse off and head inside to get things ready for tonight. My mom called this morning to tell me she’d be here around 7 pm. It’s cutting it close but the fireworks don’t start until like 9:30 when it gets dark.
I make a few hamburger patties and cut up some onion and tomato for my mom. I love a plain burger but mom likes a ton of stuff on hers. The potato salad is already made, and I just need to shuck the corn.
Getting everything ready is not keeping my mind off today and I keep going over and over in my mind what I did and if I ruined everything. I can’t tell if Owen kissed me back and since he didn’t bring it up, I’m assuming he wished it never happened. I just don’t want it to affect working together. Things could get real awkward real fast.
I take a deep breath and decide to just let it go for now and concentrate on getting things ready for dinner. I’m setting the table when the house phone rings. My mom got me a cell phone for graduation but I haven’t even set it up because the reception down here is lousy. People love this island and hate any progress so have voted down a cell tower several times.
“Hey mom,” I say since the display on the cordless lets me know it’s her.
“Baby, hey,” she answers and I already know before she says anything that she’s not coming. “The traffic was a nightmare and I ended up turning around. I wouldn’t have made it for fireworks, let alone dinner. I’m so sorry.”
For some reason, I tear up a little. Today was a hard day. I was really looking forward to talking to her about it and getting her opinion about Owen. I just miss her and miss sharing things with her.
“I understand, mom,” I say and I do. “I can save the dinner stuff for tomorrow.”
There’s a long pause and I know she’s about to disappoint me once again.
“Sweetie, it’s just I have so much work, and I’d have to turn around and drive back tomorrow night. I know you were looking forward to having a girls weekend. I promise I’m coming up on Thursday this week. I need a break so badly.”
My mom works really hard, and I know her boss frowns on people taking vacations or any time off for family. I know, he’s a real peach. Fortunately, she is one of the best execs at the company and the clients adore her, so she’s irreplaceable. This gives her more leeway to take time off, but she rarely gets a chance to anyway because she’s so busy.
“Okay,” I say because I don’t know what else I can say. I could get mad because I spent a few hours this morning getting everything ready, waking up three hours early, or I could just let it go. When I was younger, I’d get all surly and lay the guilt trips on thick. Unfortunately, this didn’t change anything except making my mom feel worse than she already did.
I press the end button on the phone and stare at the table. I bought new colorful placemats and got napkins with fireworks on them. The food is ready but my appetite is gone so I throw everything away. It’s wasteful but I can’t find it in myself to give a shit.
As I pick up the bowl of potato salad, I decide not to throw it away and instead I pick up a fork and just eat it from the giant bowl. I pour myself a giant glass of white wine and plop down at the table, tucking a firework napkin into my shirt.
After eating about half of the bowl, I start to feel a little sick so I cover it and put it back in the fridge. I refill my wine glass and go up to the deck and lay on one of the loungers feeling sorry for myself.
I wake to the sky booming and sizzling and realize I am missing the firework display. Sitting up, I can see them going off and somehow, I’m not impressed. Whatever, they’re overrated anyway. I take pick up the phone I brought out here and call my dad.
