When I wake the next morning, I throw on my work clothes and bound into the kitchen, feeling absolutely famished. I forgot to eat dinner last night.
Grandma sits at the table, newspaper in her hands and a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. "Morning, dear. I just made a fresh pot of coffee." She gestures to the countertop.
I grab a mug from the cupboard and pour myself a cup, then join her at the table. "Where's Mom?"
Grandma lowers her newspaper and gives me a look. "She didn't come home last night," she says pointedly.
"Oh." I take a sip of coffee. "Oh!" I repeat, understanding what has happened.
We hear the jangle of keys and the front door swing open, and we share a look. We turn to look into the living room and see Mom come in, dressed in the clothes I saw her in at the pier yesterday.
"Melissa Routledge, you sly dog!" I catcall to her, and she jumps at the sound of my voice.
"What are you doing up?" she asks.
"It's after 9:00, and I work lunch shift today," I tell her. She sits her purse down and enters the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee. "Where have you been?" I ask sweetly.
She gives me a look. "We all know where I've been," she says pointedly, trying to hide her blush. "And remember, he's coming tonight for dinner," she adds after Grandma and I make another face at each other.
"Right, I remember. I'll be here," I promise her.
Mom quickly changes the subject to last nights festivities, and to her credit, she doesn't throw me under the bus in front of Grandma. There's no mention of my being drunk in public and stealing beers from the beer counter. She goes on to tell a lively story about her and Ben meeting up with a couple of old friends, and how they sang karaoke at the Pelican Grille to a packed house.
After laughing with us about her night out, she makes breakfast for everyone and then goes to shower as I get ready to leave for work.
"Hurry home after work this evening! I'd like you to come to the store with me to get what we need," she requests as I head out the door.
"Okay!" I call back. I let the door slam behind me.
****************
At the grocery store after work that afternoon, Mom is acting strange. Nervous, even.
"Mom, are you worried about me getting to know Ben or something?" I ask as she fumbles with a ton of Old Bay seasoning.
"What? No. I'm excited you guys are going to get to know one another," she says. We approach the meat counter and she asks for varying amounts of shrimp and crab legs.
"You've been especially clumsy since we got here," I say, and she bumps another customer with her cart, proving my point.
"Sorry!" she says to the stranger. She turns to me. "I'm always clumsy," she insists.
"Okay, sure," I say sarcastically.
"Can you go to produce and grab corn, onions, and potatoes while I wait here for the seafood?" she asks, watching the butcher prepare her order.
"Yeah," I say, and she hands me the list with the exact amount I need.
After a visit to the produce section, Mom crashing the cart into the milk cooler, and checking out, we head back to the house. I jump in the shower to wash away the work grime and get ready while mom prepares the low country boil feast.
Ben turns up with a bottle of wine and a cheesecake at promptly 5:30. Mom asks me to answer the door.
"Hey, Em," he says with a smile.
YOU ARE READING
Endless Summer // JJ Maybank
Romance"You've really got it coming to you now," he threatens, eyes blazing. He takes another hit of his juul before tossing it on the table. "Truth or dare?" "Dare," I tell him. "Do your worst," I challenge, and his eyes light up. "I dare you to kiss me...
