The Dream - Whitney Dineen Page 0,51
me. Truthfully, he didn’t have to twist my arm much because I wanted to lay eyes on Davis one more time, too.
Long story short, Davis and Jessica were there together, I drank too much and made out with a guy named Flinn. Buck broke it up when he found us in the pool house together and drove me home. I threw up on his shoes as a thank you. I cannot wait to get to college and meet some new people.
I bang on the door to Buck’s trailer. He opens it looking as polished as ever in a pair of khaki slacks and a striped navy and white button-down shirt. “Do you ever not look like you’re about to have tea with the queen?” I demand grumpily.
“Little do you know, they wouldn’t even let me through the servants’ entrance of Buckingham Palace looking like this.”
I push past him and make a beeline for his grandmother’s ancient rust-colored floral sofa with wooden feet. When I plop down, he asks, “What crawled up your bum?”
“I just came from downtown where I ran into Davis and Jessica. They were leaving his condo. Together.”
His eyes pop open in interest. “What were you doing at Davis’s condo?”
“I didn’t know he lived there. I was getting information on houses for sale at his brother’s real estate company.”
“I take it this chance encounter has you feeling a bit forlorn.”
“You could say that.” Then I change the subject. “I’ve been thinking about what Sammy said to us last night.”
“What’s that?”
“That you and I should get together.” As an afterthought, I add, “I don’t find the idea the least bit revolting,”
He bursts out laughing. “Thank you?”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I tell him. “You’re gorgeous, I already adore you, and you know everything about me. Sammy might be onto something.”
“You’ve already said you have no interest in moving to London.”
“I don’t,” I agree.
“Well then, while I don’t find you the least bit revolting either, it seems that we’re better off staying friends than mucking up our relationship by going after something that’s destined to fail.”
“But I don’t have any romance in my life,” I whine, sounding exactly like the lonely loser I am.
“Then you should start exploring your options,” he tells me.
“I don’t know how to go about that. I don’t even know where the single crowd hangs out in Creek Water.” It better not be at the Fresh Catch because I can never go back there.
“The first thing you have to do is stop working so much. That way, when you find out where the action is, you’ll have time to participate.”
“You mean stop working at Shuckie’s?” I ask.
“That would be the logical choice,” he says before adding, “To sweeten the pot, I’ll fund all of our adventures while I’m in town.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to kiss me first to make sure we’re not meant to be?” I ask, only partially kidding.
“Darling,” he drawls in an aristocratic way that’s at complete odds with his start in life, “while it’s true that I love you, there is no part of you that I want to kiss right now. You’re sweaty and gross.”
“Kick me while I’m down, why don’t you?”
He walks over to me, pulls me off the couch and wraps his big manly arms around me. “Quit being such a baby. Go get cleaned up and I’ll take you out to lunch and buy you the biggest steak you’ve ever had.”
“With a baked potato?” I ask.
“And a bottle of cabernet, if you want.”
“Make sure you let me know if you ever change your mind about us, okay?”
“Quit being so pathetic, Ash. It doesn’t suit you.” Then he adds, “Let me know if you ever decide to move to London. If you do, I promise to consider your tempting offer to be more than your Duckie.”
“Duckie didn’t just love Andie, he worshipped her!” I tell him. “You can’t be my Duckie unless you worship me.”
“Noted. Now go put on some clean clothes and come get me when you look more presentable.”
I walk out of his trailer feeling like an untethered buoy that’s been dropped in the middle of the ocean. I’m flotsam bobbing along with no real direction. Every plan I’ve ever created for my future seems to lack importance; every dream of the perfect man showing up one day, slips away into the abyss. How in the world did my mom continue to put one foot in front of the other when it came to dating?
Yet,