“So just keep doing what I’m doing?”
“Pretty much, man.”
“I somehow figured as much, but I was still hoping you might have something else for me. Something I’ve been missing.”
“How’d you figure out how to do what you been doing in the first place?” he asked.
“Watching you, and the captain, and Charity with Galahad.”
Marlin chuckled. “Yeah, we are one ragtag fucking hell of a crew, ain’t we?”
“Truth, brother, but I don’t think any of us would have it any other way.”
He grunted in agreement and we sat sipping cold beer, staring out over the water just over the rock wave-break of the marina.
“One last piece of advice?” He looked at me over the rim of his sunglasses.
“Lay it on me,” I said.
“Open up right back. Don’t hold back. You can’t expect her to be an open book and not return the favor.”
“I ain’t got no secret pain, not on the level like she’s got.”
“Doesn’t matter. Lead by example. Even if whatever she touches on hurts. Doesn’t have to be tit-for-tat, but don’t hold back, man.”
“There are some things I can’t tell her.”
“Club things, yeah, I get that – but the explanation as to why you can’t tell her those things ain’t off limits. Be as open as you can, until you can’t.”
I nodded.
“Seems only fair.” I let the comfortable silence fill in for a while, finally saying, “Thanks, man.”
“Any time, brother. Any time.”
* * *
The days slidby in slow motion, stagnant, hot, muggy, and sheer miserable hell. I’d like to think it was just the joys that was working outside in Florida, but that didn’t explain why the nights passed much the same when I was back in the air-conditioned confines of my house. I knew that as soon as she was here, it would be like a balmy breeze sweeping through the place. That was, of course, as soon as she got here.
I was with the boys from the band in the garage. The club meeting had gone by quick this week. The plan was as it ever was for me: club meet, band practice, and that’s where it deviated. Instead of taking my ass back toThe Plankor meeting up with the guys at the beach, I was staying home with my orchid.
I couldn’t wait. I was jittery, almost worse than stage jitters, which was fuckin’ weird for me, but I kinda liked it at the same time. Made me feel alive in a way I’d only ever gotten on the back of my bike with the open road in front of me, the wind in my hair, and no real destination in mind.
“Jesus Christ, man!” Gideon shouted. Rory quit it with the drums and Finn raised his eyebrows over the neck of his guitar.
“Sorry, my bad, guys.”
“Dude, I’ve legit never seen you like this before,” Rory called from behind his drum kit.
“Yeah, man. I mean, I fuckin’ miss her. I can’t wait for you all to really meet her. She’s somethin’ special.”
“Look, just do me a solid, smoke a fuckin’ bowl or some shit, mellow out, and try to stay on key.”
“G! Man, take it easy. Maybe you should smoke a bowl and chill out.” Finn scowled at him.
Gideon scrubbed his face with his hands and raked his long, dyed black hair back from his face. I’d quit dying mine black a while ago. It was just too much of a pain in the fucking ass when I was already a natural dark brown with no grays in sight.
“Let’s take five, those who need to can take a piss or grab a toke and we can take it from the top. I’ll get my shit together, I promise,” I said.
