My Brother's Best Friend

Chap. 41

"So I learned something interesting about you," Parker informed me, as I slathered my blueberry bagel in cream cheese.

"And what's that?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him.

"Let's just say that I'm going to have some fun with this one."

"What?"

He nodded towards a package sitting on the counter, wrapped in wrapping paper.

"Is that for me?"

"No it's for the other Emily Winston in the apartment."

"You're such an asshole."

I abandoned my bagel, heading over to my present. There was a note attached to the top of it.

You're going to need these for the long distance.

"What?"

He just smiled at me.

I opened my present to reveal shoe box, and inside were a pair of black Converse.

"I'm confused," I admitted, raising my eyebrows at him. "I love them, but I'm totally lost."

"Hang in there," he advised, patting my arm. "And finish up your bagel, we're leaving in five." And then he headed back to his room.

I picked up the note again, rereading it before staring at the shoes.

What long distance?

~*~

"This is so exciting," Michelle said, a smile spreading across her face. "It's like we're on Law and Order or something."

"And how do you figure that?"

"We're putting all the clues together," she defended. "What was today's clue?"

I passed her note that was attached the pair of khaki shorts sitting on the counter this morning.

You're going to need these so you won't burn up in the sun.

"So we know you'll be walking a long distance and it'll be hot, so it's obviously outside," Michelle stated.

"Is it like a hike?" I asked. "Is he taking me on a hike?"

"That doesn't sound very romantic."

"I know," I agreed. "I'm not an outdoor hiking-type person. And I don't think Converse are hiking shoes."

"And cute khaki shorts are not meant to be ruined in nature," Michelle added. "So definitely not a hike."

"So what else involves long distance and outside?"

"It's Florida," she pointed out. "So everything."

"Well we know it's not the beach," I said, taking another bite of my salad.

"Good detective skills, you can't wear tennis shoes to the beach."

"Well you could but that would be awkward."

I crossed my right leg over my left, resting my chin in the palm of my hand. "I'm not good at solving mysteries."

"It's only day two," Michelle pointed out. "We don't have enough clues to solve it yet, only eliminate things."

And then Emmett walked by our table, absorbed in his phone.

I grabbed his arm, pulling him down into the seat next to me.

"Well hello there."

"What does this mean?" I asked him, handing him the note Parker had left me this morning.