“No, it’s just easier than trying to direct you. I promise, I won’t put a scratch on it.”
“You had better not. I’ll have your ass.”
“Whoa. Calm down. I promise.”
“You have no idea how much went into this Thing.”
I have a 1973 Volkswagen Thing. I found it in a classified listing when I was fifteen. I begged my dad to get it and spent the year paying for it and for parts. He and two of my brothers and I had rebuilt the engine into something a little more beefy than the original. It took me two years to save up for the paint. While I was doing that, they built me a partial roll cage and bumpers, and then lifted it for me. I had added some diamond plate around the bottom and then put big tires and rims on it. Finally, my senior year of high school, I got it painted glossy lime green. It was beautiful. I was very protective of it.
“It looks like it. Did you do this?”
“I helped, although it was mostly my dad and brothers. I worked for three years to get everything I wanted on it. My mom did the interior as a graduation present for me.”
“I’m not sure about the color, but I like the lift.”
“I know. Makes it look more like a real car, doesn’t it?”
“Should I just lie?”
“No, don’t bother. People either love or hate Things. I love them. I accept that others are not as enlightened.”
“If you say so,” he said, taking the keys from me as he opened the passenger door for me. He shut the door and came around to the driver’s side.
“Any special instructions? Wouldn’t want to risk a beating over mistreating your flying lime.”
“Show her some respect,” I said. We both laughed. Love my car though I do, I know it’s hard to take it seriously.
“Why does your plate say Coconut?” He was being careful as promised. I was glad I let him drive. I would have been lost. It was like a rat maze.
“Haven’t you heard the song Lime in the Coconut? I know it’s not that obscure.”
Seth laughed. “You get better and better, Tibby.”
I have to mention, I have that car to this day. I won’t get rid of it. Every so often, my dad comes over and does an overhaul, and I still keep the lime paint and my coconut license plate. People often tell me that I should get a new car, but I figure, why? If the engine goes in this one, I’ll just get a new engine. Thankfully, when I was drinking and partying a lot, my dad kept taking it from me. He always had a reason, fixing this or that, but really what he was doing was making sure I didn’t smash it up in a random act of stupidity. I was mad as hell when he was doing it, but I am thankful that he did. It didn’t jive with my bitter recollections of having parents who drank, but what I was realizing is that people all have layers. Some are good, some stink to high heaven. This was one of my dad’s good layers. Or maybe he was trying to keep me from repeating history. Who knew?
It only took about five minutes before Seth was pulling up to a small driveway in front of a dark house off one of the million side streets. When we got to the door, he entered a code on the key pad. A light came on, and the door clicked as it unlocked.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The house was far more unassuming outside. Inside, the foyer opened up to a large open dining and living area, with a kitchen off to one side. In the back of the house was a wall of two-story windows looking out over the water.
“Wow. This is gorgeous.”
“Yeah, I got lucky. They’re right on Back Creek. They keep a boat here, so when they’re home, they don’t mind if I go out on it. They’re really great.”
“It’s nice that they let you come here when they’re gone.”
“They know I won’t trash the place. I don’t have my friends over to party. Usually, I just come over to get a break.”
“I’m very thankful. Okay, Seth, you promised a fireplace.”
“I did. Let me get it started for you.” He flicked a switch, and the fireplace turned on. I could feel the heat right away. I headed for the chairs that were in front of it. Even better, there was a blanket draped over each chair. I took off my shoes and curled up under a blanket.
Seth had gone to the kitchen while I was settling in.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“Something hot. Tea maybe?”
“I can do that.” He moved around the kitchen and in what seemed like no time, came over and handed me a mug.
“What, are you still cold?”
“I am. But it’s getting better.”
“You could let me help you warm up,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
“I could. Pull up a chair.”
He brought the second chair over closer to mine. He moved it right in front of me. When he sat, I put my legs across his and tossed him some of the blanket.
“Just met me and already sharing blankets.”
“Aren’t you a lucky man?”
“So far. You know, I can see that you’ve practically nested in there, but at some point, I will need to eat again.”
“Then let me order us some Chinese. I love Chinese on nights like this.” Maybe this way, I could actually pay for something. I didn’t want him funding the entire day.
“It’s a deal. It doesn’t have to be immediately. I won’t starve right away.”
“Oh, good. I’m really comfortable.” I wiggled my feet next to him.
Again with the comfortable silence. It sounds awkward, all these pauses. It wasn’t. Seth was the first one to speak again.
“You never answered me before. Do you believe in second chances?”
“I’d like to. I like the idea. Don’t you?”
“Only if you get to go back wiser than the first time around. Otherwise, you’re the same person and you’ll make the same choices, because all the things that influenced you the first time are still in play.”
“Well, sure. Isn’t that kind of the point? To go back and take a better path because now you know better?”
Seth took a moment before answering. “I guess it is. If you didn’t have that knowledge, you’d be caught in a Groundhog Day kind of thing.”
I giggled. “I love that movie. It would not be fun to be living that though. But even in the movie, he knew he was just repeating things. That’s what made it so hard. He knew he was in what seemed like an endless loop. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t be upset. You couldn’t.”
Seth shook his head. “Stop. It’s like the never ending merry go round with you.”
“I am very good at beating a point until it falls over and begs for release.”
He laughed. “I can see that. So back to the question. You would believe in a second chance?”
“If it could be done, sure. Why are you so focused on this?”
He gave me what seemed like a very searching look. “Would you? Take the opportunity to do something over? I’ll tell you, it’s because I feel like I got one when you called me.”
Wow, this hit close to home. I didn’t want to lie, but I also didn’t want to give away the farm in regards to all my stuff. “Yes, if the situation was right, I would like a second chance. I would have to feel like there was a reasonable chance that things would be positive. Not a guarantee, or anything, but at least a sporting chance.”
He smiled. “A sporting chance. Veddy British of you, isn’t it old gel?” He looked down his nose at me. Since I had read reams of Regency romance novels in my youth, it put me in the mind of a crusty old dowager. The thought made me laugh.
“Laughing at me already? I can see the downhill slope,” he said.
“No, it’s just….” I stopped, not sure whether to tell him what I had been thinking.
“Just what? It’s okay, my ego is shattered, no need to try and buffer now.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I truly doubt anything is shattered, Seth. To ease your curiosity, I was thinking about when I used to read all those romances in high school, usually from nineteenth century England, and you looked like the old dowagers that seemed to be i
n every single one in them. It was the way you were looking down your nose at me,” I finished, starting to laugh.
“God. And here I thought my ego couldn’t be beaten down anymore. I was wrong,” he said. “I am now comparable to old English ladies. What happens if I see you tomorrow? How much further can I go?”
“I don’t know. You seem to be breaking records of all sorts. Wait and see. Maybe even you will be surprised.”
“Not sure I can take it. Besides, I shouldn’t have to. You’re here with the cream of the crop of American universities.”
I laughed again, this time even louder. Here was the mid attitude I remembered. “Is that what they tell you?”
He had the grace to look sheepish. “Sort of, along with why aren’t we living up to our supposed potential?”
“Explains a lot,” I said.
“It’s not like it’s a piece of cake to get in here!” Now he was looking sort of indignant. Dowager indignant. I muffled a laugh. He was right, it wasn’t easy. I had learned that in the years after I had met him.
“I’m just teasing you. Calm down.”
“You’re not doing a thing to soothe my wounded pride,” he said.
“Are you in theater regularly? You really need to be if you’re not.”
“I act a little, but nothing serious.”
I smiled. “It fits you.”
“You think so? I just look at it as something to do.”
“In between what? Classes?”
“Yeah, and lacrosse. And training. And insane coaches. And study.”
“What a busy life you lead.”
“I do. I have to tell you honestly, I probably won’t be able to see you as much as I would like to if we keep on seeing one another. I have to make grades to get into the aviation program. I have weekends, but that’s about it.”
“I appreciate your honesty, Seth.” He looked at me funny. “No, really! I do! I would rather know that you have limits and are upfront about them. I can’t really leave school during the week anyway. I have loads of homework, and we have a pretty big distance between us.”
“That doesn’t have to be a bad thing,” he said quickly.
“No, I think it’s actually a good thing. What about the summer?”
“I get about a month off.”
“Oh, well, that’s okay, then. I’ll get to see you a little. You’ll need to email and text, and let me know of your devotion in all other methods available to you, though.”
“A little demanding, don’t you think?”
I shrugged. No sense in pretending anything. I really didn’t have anything to lose. “Maybe. I don’t need you to be with me twenty-four/seven because I think everyone needs their space. I used to fight with Tim about it. Going to the same school, we didn’t have a lot of chance to have our own space. But if we communicate regularly and keep the connection that way, I’m okay with that.”
“I have to take that back. You’re not as demanding as I thought. You don’t know me. You trust me?”
Ah. The long distance trust conversation. Already. Wow. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. “I don’t have any reason not to. If you don’t want to be involved, I trust that you’ll alert me to that fact before you let anyone else know,” I said with a smile. “I can deal with rejection, but I hate being the last to know.”
“Fair enough. I’ll let you know of my devotion daily.”
We both laughed. “It’s so nice that you’re so accommodating,” I said.
“What are you doing over the summer?”
“Danni wants me to come here and work with her over the summer. She always seems to make a lot of money from her summer jobs, so I’m thinking about it. What will you be doing?”
“I’ll be on a cruise somewhere. Not here. But I get a month off, I can see you then.”
“You do have family, don’t you? They might want to see you. Besides, let’s wait and see about summer. We may not be talking by then.”
An odd look crossed his face. I wouldn’t have noticed it, but it was striking in its intensity. It was gone as quickly as it was there. “I hope that’s not the case. I, well….” His voice trailed off as he looked into the fire, seemingly not willing to look at me. Weird.
“You can tell me, or not. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
He sighed. “I kind of feel like an ass. You told me you were involved with someone else, and I totally ignored it. I knew I had to make a move, but hitting on other guys’ girlfriends is not my style. I feel bad, even though your ex sounds like a jerk. I don’t feel too bad, though, because we’re sitting here, and I can’t think of anywhere else I would rather be. I just know my actions don’t look all that good.”
I shrugged again. “Tim was not my true love. I did love him, but the whole thing was dying. You can’t take all the blame. I ignored my attachments as much as you did. He won’t die, and you and I get to see if our initial impressions are right. Besides, Tim now gets a new, younger girlfriend and a cause to martyr himself over. Win all around.”
He laughed. “How could you be comfortable for him to be with? It’s a little unnerving, listening to your take on things.”
“I don’t know. I loved how different he was from me. But it didn’t make us closer, or allow us to experience new things. It just caused problems. Hence his new and far more biddable replacement. What about you? You were recently involved.”
He sighed, and looked away. “She wanted me to be there whenever she wanted or needed me to. Parties, weddings, since all our friends are getting engaged or married, whatever. I can’t be there all the time. She didn’t care about grades like I do, and I put a hell of a lot of time into studying. Plus, she wasn’t real keen on all the moving we would have to do with me in the service.”
“Then, like me, you’re better off.”
He took my hand. “That I am.”
“Why don’t we just see what happens? Let’s try to get together a couple of weekends a month. You could come down and stay with me in the next couple of weeks if you wanted,” I said. I wasn’t sure I should have, it would imply all sex all the time, but I didn’t know how much time I had, and I needed to see where this might have gone.
“I could next weekend, if you like. Is there somewhere I could stay?”
That was nice. He wasn’t assuming he would be staying in my room. I liked that. “Uh, yeah. My room. We’ll figure something out. I mean,” I said, actually feeling myself blush, “Not like I am inviting you to an orgy, but that you won’t have to sleep on the floor or anything.” I didn’t tell him I actually had an extra bed. I’ll admit it. I wanted to see what he’d say.
“An orgy sounds wonderful, but I think maybe clothes ripping can be put off for a while.”
Well done, Seth, I thought. You handled the whole sleeping bit well.
“Besides,” he said cheerfully, “You have to parade me around as your latest boy toy and make the ex all angry and jealous. Since I’m sure I’m far better looking, he’ll look like the ass he is, and you’ll be lauded far and wide for your superior taste.”
“You sure you’re the better looking one?” I teased.
“Yep. Guys who screw around look like guys who screw around. I’m not one of them, so I automatically look better.”
“Wow. That was very astute, Seth.” I was surprised. He was far more mature than I had thought. It was a nice surprise.
“Since he’ll be rubbing the floozy in your face, you need to fight fire with fire,” he said.
I laughed. “A man after my own heart. You’re willing to be used for such a purpose?”
“I would be delighted. I can be an ass with the best of them.”
“It’s a date then. Next weekend.” He squeezed my hand, and I squeezed his back. By mutual unspoken consent, we moved away from relationship topics and into the finding out about one another.
We stayed in his sponsor’s house all evening. He ordered way too much Chinese food for us, which he wouldn’t let me pay for, and
we stuffed ourselves in front of the TV. I resolved that I would get the bill first every time next weekend.
Eventually, I said, “I really do need to get back. Danni will be disappointed we didn’t meet them out, and I was supposed to spend the weekend with her.”
“I doubt she’s even back yet. I know Will had his eye on her. He probably talked her into hanging out late as well.”
I arched a brow at him. “The overwhelming charm you all possess?”
“Only those of us that are lucky,” he said.
“Let me call her and see what’s going on,” I said. I got up, and he started picking up the remnants of the Chinese food massacre. I walked towards the doors to the deck, and dialed Danni’s cell.
“Tib! Hey! Where are you?” I could tell she was in a bar, which made it surprising she even answered the phone.
“Seth and I are hanging out at his sponsors’. I wanted to see what you were doing. I feel bad, being gone all day, Dan.”
“It’s okay. Will called me, and we went to a late lunch, and then we came up to Harry Browne’s. You should come up, the guy singing here is great.”
“Um, okay. Let me talk to Seth. Maybe we’ll meet you.”
“Call me back! Bye!” She hung up quickly, which told me that Will was in the near vicinity.
“Everything okay?” Seth asked, coming to stand behind me.
“You were right,” I said, turning towards him. “She and Will are out. They are up at Harry Browne’s? Is that a bar?”
“Oh yeah, Seamus is playing there tonight. Yeah, it’s a bar up on State Circle. Seamus Kennedy, he’s great. He sings all the old Irish songs and a lot of other stuff. He’s hilarious. You want to go over?”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I was torn. Part of me wanted to soak him up like a sponge, keep him all to myself but that was not totally in character for who I was supposed to be at this point in time. Or who he was. So I probably needed to act more my supposed age, and go with that.
“Yeah, that sounds good. I have my fake ID with me, and it seems to work okay in the bars around here.”
“That’s good, they can be hard asses about it. If they don’t accept it, we’ll just come back over here, okay?”
Three Wishes: Time Traveler Romance (Heart Of The Djinn Book 1) Page 10
