Page 65 of When the Walls Come Down
We spent several hours on those stools, shooting the shit, gabbing about work and our lives before San Francisco. We laughed—a lot. And smiled even more.
Together, we unraveled mysteries the likes of: Which mythical beasts would cause the most havoc if brought to reality and why humans thought pineapple was an acceptable topping for pizza.
It was well past midnight when Shane threw a stack of cash on the bar and we walked home together. It wasn’t arm in arm the way I would have liked, but it was still worth every single second of the inevitable heartbreak that would one day find us.
Or so I lied to myself.The forecast was perfect for an outside summer birthday party, and I finished the last of my coffee while looking out the sliding glass door. The late morning fog had already burned off over the bay.
I had to be honest, with a family as big as ours was getting, birthday parties were fun, but not necessarily the social event Maggie had made it out to be last night.
It was crystal clear how badly she missed her family, but I was happy to share mine with her. On the flip side, I was happy to share her with them. However you diced it, she was spending the day with me and that alone had me up at the ass-crack of dawn, in the gym, showered, and dressed with ample time to spare.
Although it wasn’t like I was suiting up for anything formal, so I didn’t really need all that much time anyway. Gray Chino shorts and a black V-neck were about as fancy as I was willing to get for a backyard barbeque. I trimmed my face but didn’t shave it bare, remembering how she’d said my scruff upped my hotness factor in her eyes.
Truthfully, I didn’t mind it, either. It kind of made me feel like a badass. Perhaps a little like Duke Longfellow.
Right on time, I heard a pounding on my door, but it was nothing like a knock. Out of the peephole, I saw Maggie—or at least I thought it was her. I couldn’t see most of her body behind all the packages she was holding.
Quickly, I opened the door. “What the hell did you do now?”
She peeked around the box on the top with a huge smile. “I may or may not have done some tipsy one-clicking last night before I fell asleep. They’re presents for your nephew.”
“Have you lost your mind? He’s, like, four. He doesn’t need all this shit. I only got him a card and some video game money.”
She swayed and the top three almost fell off, so I grabbed them for her.
“Thanks. And shut up. I haven’t been able to spoil anyone for weeks. Let me have my fun.”
As if I could deny her.
I already had my keys and my wallet, so I stepped out into the hall and locked up. Then the shopaholic and I made our way to the parking garage. I pressed the unlock button on the truck I rarely drove and heard Maggie whistle.
“Fancy whip, money bags.”
I opened the door on her side and then the extended cab part to pile all the gifts into the back. “It’s not like I have a lot to spend my money on, and my little brother does all my investment stuff. Plus, I’m a good saver. Not all of us have a shopping problem.”
She grimaced but then quickly rebounded. “Tell that to my newly decorated erotic bathroom. Sprayonce says hi by the way.”
I chuckled and rounded the front of the truck as she climbed into the passenger side.
“Buckle up,” I told her as I hit the ignition.
“Yes, sir. So, where do they live?”
“The other side of the city, but it’s a nice drive. They actually own Casey’s childhood home. It’s in a great neighborhood on the bluff. Big yards. Lots of trees. Their property is at the end of a lane, so they have a great view, a massive garden, and a lot of timber behind their house.”
“Sounds like a dream.”
“You’ll like it.”
She sat straight up and stared at everything we passed. She was wearing a hot little sundress, and her bare knee bounced up and down.
I put my hand on it, just long enough to make her notice she’d been doing it. “Are you nervous?”
“Shane, are you sure it’s okay I’m crashing this thing? Like, did you even tell them you’re bringing…a friend?”
“Peach, they’ll just be happy I finally have a friend. Besides, Casey—and I’m sure Blake too—already know we went on a date before you started at Bay.” Then it dawned on me that I hadn’t talked to either of them about how Maggie and I had decided to cool things off. It didn’t matter, at least not to me. As far as I was concerned, everyone there could just assume what they wanted.
