A Simple Life: Chapter 52 (Patreon)

My excursion got delayed by a few hours so I got another chapter in while I had the chance.  I'm not addicted to writing!  You're addicted to writing!  I swear, I can quit it anytime I want.  😆  Okay, gotta go.  See y'all in a few days.

***

We share a quick drive-through breakfast, munching it in the parking lot, before Winona takes me with her to the little boutique pet shop to pick up some ‘gourmet’ food for the cats.  As it wasn’t even 8 am yet the place was closed but I give her some good pointers of what to look for when it was open.  Far too soon we are rolling up to my building.  Our date, our night, our time together was over.

Parking the truck but leaving the engine running Winona looks over to me.  She offers her hand and I take it.

“I had the best time last night.”  She squeezes my hand.  “The best.”

“Me too.”

“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow?”  I say, trying to hide my disappointment.  A whole day until I saw her again?  It was going to feel like an eternity.  “Sunday?  Um, I work until 6 but after that I should be free.”

“It’s a date.”  She says.  “I’ll come get you at 7.”

“Not much will be open.”  I say.  “The whole island rolls up the sidewalks Sunday evenings.”

“I’m aware.”  She says.  “I’ll figure something out.”

“We could climb a tree.”  I quip.

She laughs.  “Moving up in the world.”  Leaning across she kisses me.  This one as tender as a rose petal.  Closing my eyes I savor every last blessed second.  As our lips part we both let out a soft sigh, mournful at the parting but buoyed by the knowledge that we would see each other again.  “Take care of yourself Sprout.”

“I will see you soon.”

“Count on it.”

She lets go of my hand.  I slide out of her truck and close the door.  She gives a final wave, which I return, then drives away.  I continue to stand until the truck disappears around a corner then continue to stand for a few minutes longer.  The morning sun made my home island glow and chased the cool of night from its shores.  Lovely.  What a lovely day.

***

Back in the apartment I find Brayden crashed out on the sofa with the television still on.  I turn off the TV, move the controller onto its charger, then slip the blanket bundled at my roomie’s feet up over his slumbering body.

In a sort of daze I go through the motions of showering, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed in my work clothes.  My shift didn’t start for another couple of hours but I couldn’t see any reason not to get ready now.  Soon I am sitting on the balcony looking out over the neighborhood with a mug of hot tea cupped in my hands.  With every beat of my heart only one singular thought pulses through my usually chaotic mind.  Winona.  Winona.  Winona.

I liked her.  I liked her so much.  I might even love her.  There was nothing about her that wasn’t absolutely perfect.  The only woman I had even heard about that might rival her perfection was my grandma.  Oh how I wished I could go talk to Grandpa right now and tell him everything.  Well…not quite everything.  Just the important stuff.  But I knew he was up late last night at a party and I didn’t want to wake him.  I would talk to him first thing after work.  My big date aside I desperately wanted to see him again.  I had to go see him every chance that I could…because soon those chances would be gone forever.  And with that thought comes the first dark cloud to my sunny mood.  My now misty eyes drift from the mountainous island interior toward the port at the peninsula’s tip.  How could life be so kind and so cruel all at the same time?  How could it offer me something so wonderful as my night with Winona with one hand while taking my Grandpa away with the other?  Why did life have to be so hard?  I sigh.  But whoever said life would be simple?

After a deep breath I focus again on the good feelings still filling my sails from my first date with Winona and daydream about what the second one would bring.  I’m not sure how long I sit out, long enough for my half drank tea to turn stone cold, but when I come back in Brayden was sitting up.

“Good m-morning Brayden.”

“Yeah.”  He grunts.

“Would you like some t-tea?  I have a pot made.”

“Nah.”  He rubs his eyes, picks his nose, and scratches his balls in that order and all with the same hand.  “I gotta get lookin for a job.”

“Oh!”  I say, hope blooming.  “I saw a help wanted sign at the…”

“Hey.”  He cuts me off and points.  “You didn’t come home last night.”

Instead of answering I just sit with a tight lipped grin and blush.

“Eyyy!  Avie!”

“What?”

“AVIEEE!”

I giggle.  “I-I-It was late and we h-had some wine.  Winona didn’t want to d-drive.”

“You smashed her!”  He claps then pumps a fist.  “Fuckin A dude!”

“It w-wasn’t like that.”  I say. “She’s not that k-kind of girl.”

“Yeah right.  ALL girls are that kind of girl dude.  Don’t let them fool you, they want it as much as we do.”  He gets up and comes over to clap my shoulder with his nut scratching hand as he scratches his ass with the other.  “I don’t get how the hell you get more pussy than I do.  It’s because I won’t simp for them I think.”  He stretches, scratches his hairy belly, then stumbles toward the kitchen in search of breakfast.  “Women can’t handle a man who thinks for himself.”  He punctuates the point with a rip-roaring fart.

“You’re probably r-right.”

“Wanna pick up more cereal when you’re at work.”

“Sure Brayden.”

“Well she’s sure not my type but hey, whatever gets ya off man.”  He rummages through the cupboard.  “If you want to put a good word in for me with Kayla though…fuck yes!”

I ignore the comment knowing damn well Kayla wouldn’t touch Brayden even in a hazmat suit.  She might be ‘Kinky Kayla’ with an ever growing list of lovers, with one more now that Briar was quite possibly among our rank, but she had high standards.  If she couldn’t be your friend she definitely wouldn’t share her bed.

“Ahem, um, I saw a help w-wanted sign at that shoe store beside the pet shop.”

“Shoe store?  I don’t want to be smelling nasty feet all day.”

“Oh.”

After a moment he pulls down a pack of ramen and tears it open.  “I might check it out.  If nothing else hits.”

I smile.  “You’ll find something Brayden.  Just b-believe in yourself.”

“Pff, right.”  He dumps the noodles and spices in a pot and fills it with water.  “You think Winona and her Dad are looking for someone?  I can turn a wrench or whatever.”

“What? I thought you h-hated them.”

“I don’t HATE them.”

“Y-Y-You said they r-ripped you off.”

“They did!  They’re crooks.”  He says.  “But they’re honest crooks.”

I shake my head.  “I’d p-probably stick to the shoe store.”

“Damn Avie, help a bro out here would ya?”  Opening the fridge he peers inside.  “We need some Sriracha too.”

“I’ll get some.”

I sit with him as he slurps down his breakfast doing what I can to encourage his job search.  I did not want the awkwardness and financial hit of Brayden coming up short when the bills were due, again.  Despite initially blowing it off he seemed to be warming to the shoe store idea and the pair of us talk about what a job their might entail, him arguing the cons and me promoting the pros, and by the end the pros had won him over.  It was going to be the first place he hit today.

“I think the Nguyen’s own that store.”  He says as he heads off to make himself presentable.

“Yep.” I say.  “With Jeannie off to m-med school they’re probably looking for someone to take her spot.”

“Jeannie was cool.”  He says.  “Hmm.  I served them coffee a few times.  They always left a tip.  Maybe they remember me.”

“Er, maybe.”

“I’ll use that.  To break the ice.”

“Sure B-Brayden.”  I say positively, not wanting to bring him down.  “Good idea.”

The buzzer goes off announcing somebody at the down stairs door.  Maybe it was Winona!

I leap from my chair.  “I-I got it!” Hurrying to the intercom I press the button and say in a cheery sing-song voice.  “Who is iiiit?”

My heart falls as the familiar voice on the other end sings back mockingly.  “It’s Jaaaack.”  The mock cheeriness then cuts off sharply.  “Open the door dummy.”