AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And, really, I’m not addicted to sex. I can count the number of times I’ve gotten laid in the past decade on one hand.
So is it a crime to need a little…help…every now and then?
I shove Burtie deep in my bag, pop out the batteries, and zip up my bag so we can book it to the gate.
30
Kenzi
It takes an eight-hour flight, a three-hour drive, and a thirty-minute ferry ride to get to Hannsett Island.
I’m feeling the thick fog of jet lag in my skull, but I grip the steering wheel of my rental car, a white PT Cruiser, and knuckle through it. Otto, who slept most of the flight, is now bouncing around excitedly, face pressed against the glass.
“Mum! Look at all the snow! It’s like a gingerbread town!”
“Yeah, baby,” I murmur. “Just like a gingerbread town.”
The last time I was here, over a decade ago, it was a different picture. Summer. Hot sun, crystal-white beaches, kids playing volleyball in the sand.
It’s winter now. December 17, to be exact. And Hannsett Island is a ghost town. The tourists, like geese, flew elsewhere for the winter, leaving nothing but locals with parkas and shovels behind. The sun dips low in the sky now, bleeding out a red winter sunset, and the lights flicker on along Main Street. Streetlamps are tethered with holly and Christmas lights. There are a couple of signs of life—a lantern flickering outside of a tavern that calls itself “The Anchor” and, bizarrely, an ice cream shop—but most of the storefronts look locked down for the winter.
The road is slick, snow drifting softly, and I drive slowly, not putting too much faith in my Cruiser’s capabilities.
As we climb the small incline up the island, the Lighthouse Medical Center comes into view. It’s a large, multibuilding medical center, connected to an old red lighthouse by the edge of the cliff, which gives it its name.
Hannsett Island has two main draws: the sparkling beaches in the summer and Lighthouse Medical, which is known as one of the most prominent medical centers in the Northeast. And, unsurprisingly, one of the most expensive and hardest to get into. The waiting list is a year out.
I know. I’ve checked. And I don’t have a year to spare.
“Are we almost there?” Otto whines. “I’m tired.”
“I know, me too, honey. We just have one more errand to run, and then we’ll be done for the night, okay?”
“Okay,” he grumbles.
I don’t blame him for wanting to go to sleep. I want to sleep, too. Hell, I want to do anything except for what I’m about to do. It’s risky, it’s insane, and borderline illegal.
But I’ve got nothing left to lose.
I find the parking lot at the back of the center and park the car. Otto and I climb out, and he follows me inside. It’s freezing outside, and we’re met with a gush of hot air as soon as the sliding doors open for us. A statue sits in the lobby—a man holding up the universe. A guiding light through the dark reads the inscription, and I really hope it’s true.
I head to the front desk and pull on my nicest smile. “Hi!”
The receptionist is probably twenty minutes from clocking out, but she pulls a polite smile for me all the same. “How can I help you?”
“My name is Kenzi Stratton. I’m here to see Mr. Leonard King.”
The edge of her mouth slides downward into a frown. “I’m sorry…he’s packing up for the day. Did you have an appointment?”
“Not exactly, but it’s really important that I see him.”
Her eyes fall to Otto, who is laying his helmet-head on the counter, looking tired. I shift my body between them to get her attention. Look at me, don’t look at my kid. “I’m with the Dr. Mazie Show,” I lie. “Maybe you’ve heard of it?”
“Oh!” Her eyes light up suddenly, excited. “Yes, I love that show. This must be about Jason’s appearance?”
“Sure is.”
She presses her lips together, thinking about it, though she’s clearly made up her mind already. “His office is on the top floor, to the left. If you go now, you might still be able to catch him.”
