by Simon Archer
I nodded back and turned my attention to Lorraine, Andi, and Vila. We chatted about the various shops in town until the car came to a stop, and Glen opened the door for us to exit. I hugged him goodbye before he went to pick up Bennett and Jack, then the girls and I headed into the house.
“Wine, Lorraine?” I called out as I entered the kitchen.
“You know it,” she called back. I grabbed a bottle of Pinot Grigio, two wine glasses, and two bottled lemonades. I walked across the foyer and out onto the patio with the suspended furniture, where the girls had set up. The view was beautiful. The sparkles over the water made the ocean almost too bright to look at directly. The different shades of sand blended together so well that if you looked just so, you couldn’t tell where the wet sand began and the dry sand ended. Far off down the beach were the lightning stones, tucked underground.
“I brought you two some lemonade,” I told Andi and Vila as I handed them their bottles. Neither one of them drank alcohol as a rule.
“Thank you,” they replied in unison. I poured two glasses of the wine and left the bottle on the table. I handed Lorraine her glass and found a suspended papasan chair facing the three girls, and sat down.
“I could almost forget about a pool with this most beautiful and comfortable side of the house,” Lorraine commented.
“Crazy enough, we don’t get out here much,” I told her.
“Well, not yet, anyway,” Andi added. “It seems something has been going on non-stop since the day we moved in!”
“She’s right about that!” I agreed with Andi. “What got you and Jack on a plane so unexpectedly?” I asked Lorraine.
“Oh, Jack and Bennett were talking about us coming down after you settled in, and then coming back for the wedding, and blah, blah, blah. So, I told him if getting to Barbados was such a huge deal, why didn’t we just go now. Then it wouldn’t be a bother any longer!” Lorraine broke out in laughter at her own work-around for calming her husband’s anxiety.
“Well, I’m certainly happy you are here!” I told her.
“Speaking of the wedding, have you two set a date yet?” Lorraine asked me. I knew the question would come, eventually.
“No, we haven’t. We’ve talked a little about the wedding itself. It’s just been hard to pick a date,” I told her.
“I’m telling ya, just pick the date and make your life work around it, instead of trying to work a date around your life!” Lorraine advised me.
“She is opposite most girls, Lorraine,” Vila started, talking about me. “She’d rather get on with the being married part than get on with the wedding part!”
Lorraine looked from me to Vila and back.
“Oh! So you are the simple wedding, get-it-over-with girl!” she dramatized.
“Not exactly,” I replied. “I just don’t need a lot of frills and such. Some simple decorations on a beach, and a few people that I won’t end up needing to babysit by the end of the night, and I’ll be good to go. I think Bennett wants a big wedding, though.”
“Why do you think that?” Andi asked, nearly spitting out her lemonade.
“He seems to opt for checking out wedding stores and such the few times we’ve gone window shopping for ideas. I just figured he wanted something a little grander,” I explained to her. She and Vila started laughing hysterically. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, honey,” Lorraine said. “I have a feeling they know of a little miscommunication you and Bennett are having that neither of you realizes.”
Vila took a deep breath to calm her laughter. “You can say that again, Lorraine!” She turned to me, still giggling. “Lottie, there is no way in a million years that Bennett cares about some big, fancy wedding!”
“You two are so alike you don’t even recognize it in each other! He’d rather just be married too!” Andi told me.
I’d had no idea he felt that way. I’d never asked, and neither had he. I started laughing, and Lorraine did too.
“How fast do you think we could get Sven, Asher, and Carson down here?” I asked.
“Why do you want all of them here?” Andi asked, suddenly looking confused. Vila made a show of rolling her eyes.
“Andi, how dense do you have to be? Why else would Lottie want them to come to visit while Jack and Lorraine were here as well?” she asked, astonished at Andi’s question.
“I don’t know! I’ve learned not to assume anything these days!” Andi spouted back at her.
“This time, by not assuming, you are making an ass of yourself!” Vila laughed. Andi’s face turned red.
“Oh yeah? Is it anything like when you got drunk and rode your horse home backward and then slept on him like that after stopping him in the pigpen? Is that how much of an ass I’m making of myself?” Andi sniped.
“No, you’re more of a ‘those nice guys asked me to let them in the store so they could validate an insurance claim’ ass,” Vila retorted sarcastically. “Oops, too bad that they robbed our master blind, those nice insurance men.”
“How about putting your ass on a bunch of little cards that were thrown around Las Vegas? Am I that kind of ass?”
Andi wasn’t giving up, so I stepped in.
“Ladies, nobody is making an ass of themselves,” I soothed. “And we all have some interesting tales about our past. Granted, the two of you have more than most, but there’s no point in dredging up any of the bad ones!”
Andi and Vila glared at each other for a moment, and then both of them looked at me.
“You want to get married right away, don’t you?” Andi asked. She immediately looked at Vila to see if she was going to comment further, but she remained silent.
“I do want to get married right away,” I confirmed for her. “Do you think Bennett will be okay with that?”
“He’ll love the idea!” Vila answered for Andi. “He probably would’ve done it a while ago had you two talked a little more about it and realized you are on the same page!”
Bubbly happiness swelled up in my chest, and I looked at Lorraine.
“How long can you and Jack stay?” I asked her. I wanted to know how much time I had to plan and execute my wedding.
“Oh, honey, we don’t have any restrictions,” Lorraine said, waving her hand dramatically in the air. “I don’t work because… well… I don’t feel like it. You know, perks of being married to the owner of the company. And, Jack, he owns the company so he can work from wherever the hell he feels like it! I’m telling you, Lottie, you might consider enjoying some of the ‘millionaire’s wife’ perks a little more!”
She was selling herself a bit short, but I already knew that. She didn’t work, that part was true. However, Lorraine made Jack’s life run smoothly in every way possible. She was like the ultimate personal assistant that could predict his needs before he knew he needed something.
“Well, I’m glad to hear it! Plan on staying a while!” I told her. “And stop passing yourself off as just being a millionaire’s wife. You are a freakin’ machine, Lorraine!”
She laughed and started nodding her head.
“You’re right, but nobody else has to know!” she joked. That got Vila and Andi bouncing up and down in their chairs.
“What do we do? What do we do?” Andi begged to know.
“For now, nothing,” I told them.
“Aww, nothing? Really?” they protested.
“I’m going to need you on point as soon as I get Bennett’s go-ahead. I’d love to move forward on our own, but I’m only half the equation here!” I laughed. “Now, how about some wine, lemonade, and decorating ideas? Think beach!”
We spent the next hour tossing ideas around about how to dress up a beach for a wedding. I loved that the girls were so excited about the wedding. I adored them and appreciated everything they did for Bennett and me. When I’d found out they were magical, I was concerned for a moment that I may run into jealousy issues, but that never happened. We were all able to enjoy each other, and we just continued to grow close
r as more time passed. I couldn’t wait to marry Bennett, and they couldn’t wait to call me Mrs. Anders.
It was the perfect situation.
By the time Glen had gone to pick Jack and Bennett up and returned with them, Lorraine and I were a bottle in, and the four of us girls had everything except the dress picked out.
17
When Jack and I caught up with the girls at home, Lottie and Lorraine were feeling no pain, thanks to a bottle of Pinot Grigio, so I opened another one for them. They tended to be the type of women that had everything under control one hundred percent of the time, so when I saw an opportunity to perpetuate their good time, I took it. Andi and Vila explained that our minds had been changed from the pool patio to hanging out on the suspended seating one. Jack and I pretended to be offended momentarily, knowing that neither of us cared. I squeezed myself in the papasan beside Lottie and listened to her tell a story about a baby crawdad she’d rescued as a kid.
“It was the cutest, most disgusting thing you’ll ever see!” she laughed.
“What was it in danger from?” Lorraine asked her.
“My brother eating it!” Lottie busted up, and so did Lorraine. Their laughter was contagious. Soon we were all laughing. Once the howling died down, Lottie looked up at me and smiled.
“Hey, wanna get married this week?” she asked casually. I blinked at her, not positive I’d heard her correctly.
“What was that?” I asked cautiously.
“Do you want to get married this week? I can have it all set up in a matter of days,” she repeated. I glanced around the patio from face to face. Finally, Andi nodded at me to give me some indication that Lottie was serious and not just playing a prank.
“Yes, I do,” I replied, trying to sound as casual as possible. Lottie squealed with delight, threw her arms around my neck, and kissed me hard.
“I can’t believe I didn’t ask you that before!” she yelled as she jumped up. Without a word, Lorraine, Andi, and Vila hopped up, and in a flash, all four girls ran back into the house in a fit of giggles, leaving Jack and me alone on the patio.
“Well, she’ll have plenty of help,” Jack joked after the girls left. “Lorraine is a master planner.”
“So is Lottie. I have no doubt whatever they whip up is going to be amazing. I’m just happy we are on the same page. I thought she wanted a fancy wedding, even if it wasn’t very big.” I shook my head with the aftershock of realizing we’d been mis-communicating the whole time, and neither of us had bothered to ask the other.
“Hey, it worked itself out,” Jack said, as though he could read my thoughts. “Now, tell me this next step you wanted to do with the program.” The man could switch a subject like a pro.
“Want a beer before we dive in?” I asked him.
“Sure,” he answered. I left him long enough to run to the kitchen, grab the beer, and then return. I sat across from him in a sort of porch swing-type chair.
“Getting an accurate weather reading with the program is our next step,” I told Jack. “We need to let it run for an extended period and create a prediction in a non-testing environment.”
“Why the sudden need for field testing?” Jack asked. We had the program work in real weather patterns before, but always after the weather event had already been predicted. Then we waited to see if the program would match the prediction. It was time to see whether it could fabricate a prediction of its own.
“I want to see its capabilities, and I want to see if the AI adjusts for what it knows about the strange energy we are working with,” I told him.
“Where do you suggest we test it?” he asked cautiously.
Testing of that sort would require us to borrow weather station capabilities. There was no way they were going to give that up without being told what for. It involved non-disclosure contracts, secret meetings, and all sorts of hush-hush proceedings.
“Kansas, or Texas, your choice,” I told Jack.
“The big brothers of Tornado Alley,” he smirked. He was correct. The two states had the most tornadoes per year than any of the other forty-eight. If we could get an early prediction on a tornado, it would fast track our project like gangbusters.
“Any better ideas?” I asked, wanting his sincere opinion. I was still getting used to having a business partner.
“Nope, I’m good. I’ve told you before, you do the tech, I’ll do the money and marketing,” Jack reminded me in good humor. “I’ll have the office send you the contact info for the stations we networked with.”
“Perfect,” I thanked him. “Now, wanna see the house? This place has some crazy stuff!”
“I thought you’d never ask!” Jack replied, hopping to his feet.
I got up and started in on the tour by reminding him where the lightning stones were. He rolled his eyes at me like he was sure I thought he was an idiot. The two of us had a good laugh and headed in for the rest of the house. He loved the hidden projector booth in the theater and the interesting lighting throughout the house, but it was in the hall between one of the guest rooms, and a bathroom, that he noticed something I had not seen before.
“Where does that go?” Jack asked, pointing at the ceiling above his head.
I looked up but didn’t see anything. “Where does what go?” I asked for clarification.
“That door. It looks like an attic door. This place has an attic, doesn’t it?” he asked.
“Yeah, but we haven’t found it yet.” I squinted at the ceiling and finally pulled my phone out, turned on the flashlight, aimed it up, and looked again. When the light hit it just right, I could see the faded outline of a square in the ceiling.
“How the hell did you see that just walking through here?” I asked Jack, amazed at his eyesight.
“Stands out like a sore thumb. You know, our company offers vision insurance. You may want to look into it,” he joked.
“Hilarious, Jack, really,” I said as dryly as I could while keeping a straight face. “I have to go get a step ladder. I’ll be right back. Don’t kill anyone with your out-of-this-world comedy.”
With that, I walked to the nearby bathroom. There was a stool in there for opening the tiny shower window. It would work perfectly for reaching the door in the lower hallway ceiling. When I returned, I had to use my flashlight to find the outline in the ceiling again. I set the step ladder under it and climbed up a few steps. When I could reach it, I pushed, but initially, nothing happened.
“Is it moving?” Jack asked, watching from below.
“Not yet,” I answered. I couldn’t tell if it was stuck from being painted over, or purposefully closed off. I pushed again, this time with more force. A tiny piece of paint fell to the floor off the corner of the visible seam, and that meant the door was just stuck. I took another step up the ladder and pushed my weight onto the square. There was a tremendous crack, and the door pushed in. Dust and debris fell from the hole as I stood there, still holding the square of drywall that had been covering it. I closed my eyes and put my head down to avoid getting it in my eyes.
“Looks like it had been a while since anyone had been up there,” Jack observed. “Is there a pull-down ladder?”
I slowly looked up to see if it was safe to peer into the hole without getting dirt in my eyes. There was still some dust floating, but nothing to worry about. Darkness filled the space above, and I couldn’t make out a ladder.
“Shine your flashlight in here,” I called down to Jack. I would’ve used mine, but both my hands were holding up the ceiling panel.
Jack made quick work of getting his phone out and the light on. When he shone it above me, there was indeed a ladder. I tipped the drywall panel sideways and lifted it down, handing it to Jack when I got it through the hole. Then I grabbed on to the end of the ladder and pulled. It initially stuck but released pretty quickly. Once again, dirt and dust started to fall as it unfolded. I held on to it as I climbed down my footstool. When I was back on the ground, I gave a final tug, and the ladder extended all the w
ay. Jack and I stood there, staring at the rickety old thing.
“I’m not so sure climbing that is such a good idea,” Jack observed, examining the ladder rungs for cracks.
“I’m not so sure either, but that isn’t going to stop me from doing it,” I told him. “We need better lights to take up there with us, though.”
“I keep hearing ‘us,’” Jack joked.
“Yes, you do,” I confirmed for him. “I have a few Mag lights in the toolbox. I’ll be right back.” I made quick work of getting to the bedroom closet and returning with two flashlights.
“How many of those things do you have?” Jack asked.
“Seven, why?” I responded. I had been raised to always have an alternative light source, so I always did.
Jack just shook his head and chuckled to himself as he took one of the flashlights from me. “Get up there, before I change my mind and don’t come up after you.”
I put my foot on the bottom rung of the ladder and slowly added pressure. When my full weight was on it, I lifted my other foot to the second rung and repeated the process. Surprisingly, each of the rungs was solid and didn’t even give under my full body weight. Watching me gave Jack the confidence he needed to start climbing up after me. I ascended into the hole, shining my flashlight around me as I went up.
It wasn’t until I was seven rungs up the ladder that my head crested the floor of the attic, and I could look around. I stopped and shined my light through a room that seemed to go on forever in all directions. There were various piles covered with drop cloths located around the room, and a thick layer of dust blanketed everything.
I continued up and finally stepped off the ladder and onto the attic floor. I peered above me. The ceiling was high enough for me to stand, which I was grateful for, given how much dirt was on the floor. I took a few steps to the side to give Jack room to get up the ladder, careful to lift my feet out of the dirt so as not to stir it up in his face. When he stepped off the ladder and into the dirt, he shone his flashlight around as well.
“Wow, this place is huge!” he observed. “It looks like it may cover the entire house!” He wandered away to a blanketed stack on one side of the ladder while I walked over to one of my own.
