“Oh yeah, just my dream come true,” he tells me, with sarcasm dripping from his voice.
He pulls onto the dirt and up next to the fence bordering the job site. “So, this seems like a big project which must mean that your company has made a name for itself.”
“It has. I wasn’t sure if it would at first. I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to do, but I had gotten really good with my hands, building things and what not, and construction just seemed like the right avenue. I started working for a company first to help pay for college but when it went up for sale, I knew I wanted to buy it so I applied for loans. Of course, I was too young with basically no credit, so it required my dad co-signing and the use of JamesTown and the shop as collateral. It killed me to let him do that.” I can see that it still bothers him by his tense and slouched posture.
“Well, I’m sure he knew you would make it worth it. He had faith in you obviously as well as your uncles it sounds like,” I tell him.
He nods his head slowly and when he looks back up, I can tell he’s out of whatever mindset he had slipped into. More than likely, he was beating himself up for not being good enough to do this on his own. That would be his opinion, but no one else’s. Drake has always been his own worst enemy when it came to certain situations. “Yeah, I work my ass off every day to make sure that this business makes it. If they lost JamesTown and the shop because of me and my company, I’d never forgive myself.”
I nod my head. “I know.” That’s the Drake I know and love. It’s the one that haunts my memories and keeps me awake at night wondering what happened to that boy. “Well, I should let you get back to work. I just wanted to thank you for the gas and now lunch.”
“It wasn’t a problem,” he tells me. “Where did you apply?”
“Everywhere in that little shopping section by the clubhouse. Hopefully, one of the stores or eating places will call me back.”
“Did you apply at Surf’s Up?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah, I may not surf anymore, but I used to manage pretty well and I’m sure I could sell the merchandise,” I tell him with a laugh.
He chuckles while rubbing at the stubble coating his strong jaw line. “I’m sure you could and then some.”
My eyes go wide and I cock my head to the side in confusion. “What?”
I watch as his ears turn red in embarrassment. “You’re still hot, Zo. You know that. The guys would be lining up to buy everything in the damn store just because you recommended it.”
I scoff and roll my eyes. “Doubtful, very doubtful.”
“I don’t doubt it for a damn minute,” he tells me.
I sigh because my stomach is jumbled with tacos and butterflies and the way Drake’s blue eyes feel like they’re peeling back every defense and act that I put on to keep people away. He used to do this back in the day, but it never felt like this or maybe I just didn’t understand what that stare meant. I didn’t know how hard life could be without him. “Well, I should let you get back to work.”
“Okay,” he says, and I step around him and start to head for my car when I realize that I left my purse in his truck.
“Drake!” I call out to his retreating back. He stops and turns around. “I left my purse in your truck.”
“Oh, you might want that.” He grabs his keys from his pocket and unlocks the truck.
I jog over and grab it from the passenger side. The picture on the sun visor catching my eye once more. I hold up the purse to let him know that I got it. “Wouldn’t want to get you into trouble with the misses.” I laugh, but a strange look crosses Drake’s face.
“Don’t need to worry about that,” he huffs out.
My tongue is burning with a thousand questions, but two are in the forefront of my mind, but I ask the one that seems the least heavy. “Did your parents have another little girl?” Drake visibly tenses and I’m not sure why. I point back to the truck. “I noticed the picture of Dawsyn and that little girl and just assumed that they had another one.”
“No, they didn’t. I need to get back. Have a good day,” he tells me, before turning around and stalking away. I watch until I lose sight of him in the midst of workers, dust and machines. Confused doesn’t even begin to cover how I’m feeling right now. Drake’s answer was so vague when I asked about the picture, but why did he tense up? I mean, what’s the big secret? I roll my eyes and shake my head before climbing back into my car and heading back to the clubhouse.
The whole drive back I keep picturing the little girl in the picture with bright blue eyes and head full of dark brown ringlets and Drake’s strange reaction to her. Drake is so secretive now or maybe he isn’t. Maybe, I’m just used to how he used to be, when I was his best friend. When he told me everything first. When I mattered in his life. I lost that position in his life the moment that I left. Actually, I think even then I still had a spot in his life. It was when I changed my number and completely abandoned my life here that I lost him. As I pull back up to the clubhouse, my memories float back through again, every single one of them tied to Drake.
Junior prom was supposed to be a big deal. It would have been a big deal, but of course my dad didn’t give two shits if I went or not. As a matter of fact, he made it his mission to make sure he ruined it for me because I was excited about going. Liam Fields had asked me to attend prom with him and I was beyond excited. I had money saved to get myself a dress, but of course, I was almost a hundred dollars short to get the dress I wanted so badly. It was a princess dress and nothing like what people expected of me. I was the original Sinner Girl, so I should dress in something tight, short and that showed off every part of my body but I didn’t want that.
I take a deep breath before going downstairs and finding my dad. “Can I talk to you a minute?” I ask him quietly.
He rolled his eyes, but got up from his stool at the bar. “What do you want?” he asks, as soon as we reach the hallway.
I swallow past the nerves in my throat and try to take a deep, calming breath. “I wanted to ask if I can borrow a hundred dollars.”
My father’s head falls back in laughter. His beer gut shakes from the sound and I feel my insides crumble around themselves. “You’ve gotta be shitting me, kid.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m serious. I’ll pay you back next week as soon as I get my paycheck.” I had a part time job mostly on weekends and a few days after school.
“You think I’m just going to give you a hundred dollars?” His bushy eyebrows raise with question.
“I’m not asking you to give it to me, just a loan. I’ll pay you back as soon as I get paid. Hell, I’ll pay you interest,” I bargain with him.
He scratches at his chin. “What’s it for? It’s not for drugs or some shit, is it?”
I roll my eyes. “No! Contrary to what you believe, I’m not like her.” Her, meaning my mother. “I’m not into drugs or anything like that. It’s for a prom dress.”
His eyes widen before he starts laughing again. “Oh now that’s the best damn thing I’ve heard in a long time. You really think you need a prom dress.”