“Here on the island?”
“Yeah.At Fred’s Ched Shed.We’re going to make ricotta, paneer, or queso fresco.”
“But … everyone will see us together.”
I gasped.“You mean it’snota cheese making workshop for the blind?”My eye roll seemed to disarm her, and she smirked.Then I laced our fingers together again before looking soulfully into her eyes.“Gabrielle Campbell, will you go on a date with me to make some cheese, please?I promise to call you Mrs.Campbell and pretend like I don’t eat your ass on a daily basis if you’d prefer.I will even try to refrain from eating your assduringthe class if that will make you join me.”
She burst out laughing and shook her head.Wiping a tear of laughter from her eye, she cast another sideways look at me.“You promise not to eat my ass during class?”
I crossed my heart with my free index finger.“And hope to die.All bets are offafterclass though.A man only has so much willpower.”
“Fine,” she finally said.
“Oh, Mrs.Campbell,” I crooned as I rolled on top of her, “you make me so happy.As a thank you, how about I eat your ass?”
She rolled her eyes, but I was already ducking under the covers.“If you insist.”
Just like I hated watching myself on television during interviews, I couldn’t stand the sound of my own voice and refused to listen to the podcast when it dropped Friday morning.
Instead, I accompanied Gabrielle, her cousins, and the McEvoys to the community center where they were set to present their proposal for Bonn Remmen’s land.
No matter where I went, whether it be the grocery store, Hugh Tapper’s to make pottery, Sage’s for watercolor, or Unger Wellness for PT, I heard murmurs about this available land and how coveted it was.So, feeding my curious nature, I walked over there one night after Logan told me it was the property next door to the McEvoy’s.
While overgrown, the land was beautiful.It had a gentle, natural slope, a sandy beach, lots of south-west sun exposure, privacy from the tall standing trees framing the property on three sides.And in the middle of it all was a squat little one-story shack with shake siding, moss on the ancient roof, and a crumbling stone chimney.Gabrielle showed me a picture of their diorama for their plans during one of our “breaks” Thursday night, and I could picture it so much better having been there in person.
“Do you want me to come in with you?”I asked her as I sat behind the steering wheel of my truck.She was in the passenger seat.Raina drove with Jagger, and Naomi and Danica drove together.
Releasing a slow, deep breath, she swallowed and smoothed her charcoal dress slacks down her thighs.“I don’t know.I feel like you might distract me.”
That made one corner of my mouth tip up.“Yeah?Like you might spontaneously orgasm just from being near me?”
The look she gave me was not one of amusement.Whoops.Not the time for jokes.
I reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.“You’ve got this.You’ve all got this.That land is your land … that land is my land, from California to the—”
Another sharp look from her had me shutting up.“Sorry.”
Several big trucks pulled into the muddy community center parking lot, and behind the wheel of one of them, I recognized Jagger.Raina was with him.
“Show time,” I said, pulling her hand so she had to face me, and leaning in to give her a kiss.Only, she didn’t kiss me back.She tensed right up and even kept her eyes open.
A nervous, stuttered breath fled her nose, and she let go of my hand.“I … I’ll catch a ride home with my cousins.You can go … do whatever you need to do.Don’t wait for us.”
Like an arrow straight into my heart, I recoiled a little in my seat.“You’re sure?”
The McEvoys were beginning to climb out of their trucks, some of them looking this way.Without glancing at me again, she opened the door.“Yeah.Sorry.I’ll see you later.”
Then she bailed out of my truck and with determination in her stride, she hustled to catch up with her cousins—not looking back at me once.
I sat there for a while, even after everyone had gone in, just staring at the door, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.I came to support her, and she wanted me to go?
Did I invite myself?Was I even wanted there?
I remembered mentioning it last night after she showed me the diorama that I’d love to come and support them, and she said sure.But was it a compulsory “sure”?Did she feel obligated to let me come?
Willing the door to open and Gabrielle’s face to appear, with a big, relieved smile, I sat there a little longer.Until a text message from my brother, Rebel, popped up on my phone.
What the actual fuck, little brother?You’ve started your own woke, douche podcast?Your career is over.You know that, right?Everything you’ve worked so hard for, everything you’ve ever dreamed of achieving—poof!Gone.Because you can’t keep your mouth shut and your opinions to yourself.What if it was me?What ifIwas in Henderson’s position?Would you still call me out?
