I look out the tiny window to see if they’re still in the lobby but can’t really see anything but blobs. Leaning back, I close my eyes and think of Whiskey, and how hard I’m going to have to work when I get back to Bailey.
At some point, I fall asleep and jostle awake when the plane lands. I look out the window to try and figure out where we are to no avail.
“We’re in Wilmington,” Quinn tells me. “Nola is meeting us here with a car rental.”
“Oh cool, I appreciate the ride to Bailey.”
He laughs and pulls his bag from the overhead compartment. “I sort of told Nola what’s going on, and she’s determined to be a matchmaker or something.”
“What do you mean?” I follow Quinn off the plane and down the stairs. We follow another aviation clerk into their lobby, where Nola’s waiting for us. Well, technically, she’s waiting for Quinn. I’m just the third wheel.
“Hey, Nola,” I wave at her once Quinn’s done hogging her attention.
She dangles a set of keys in front of me. “Your rental.”
“Um, thanks.”
“You can thank me after you see what I picked out.” She takes me by the arm and leads us outside and right to a brand new matte black Wrangler that only has a bikini top.
“Whoa.”
“Right?” she says, “I hope she likes going topless.”
Quinn and I pause and look at each other, waiting for Nola to realize what she just said. She’s opening the back door when she looks at us and asks what we’re doing.
“Babe, do you know what you just said?”
She smiles. “I do, now let’s go!”
* * *
When the sun rises the next morning, I’m already up, showered and dressed. I’ve had a nasty tasting cup of coffee that I brewed myself, and paced the floor of my room with my phone in my hand, waiting for an appropriate time to call Whiskey. I had planned to do it last night when we got into town, but after stopping for dinner, visiting multiple antique stores, and driving along the coast, we didn’t pull into Bailey until after sundown. I thought about calling Whiskey then, but figured she was at work. The thought of going over and seeing her played heavily on my mind as well, but I don’t want to get in her way. I know I have my work cut out for me today, trying to convince her to take a day off from work. I don’t know her financial situation and realize it might not be so easy for her to be carefree with me but I’m determined to try. Plus, being the manager at Bailey’s Bar and Grill May make it difficult for her to take any time off.
As soon as the clock turns to eight, I press her name on my phone. I know it’s still early, but I’m eager to hear her voice and desperate to see her.
“Ajay,” she croaks into the receiver and instantly the image of her in bed, wearing nothing but my t-shirt, comes to mind. I close my eyes and wish not only that I was there, but that I could think of anything else because those thoughts will only get me into trouble.
“I’m sorry that I woke you.”
“No you’re not,” she says. I chuckle because she’s right.
“I wanted to let you know that I’m in town.”
“I know.”
“You do?” I open the door and stand on the balcony, wondering if she lives nearby and saw me.
“Mhm… Dhara. She’s a huge fan and she saw one of your band members. I assumed he was with you.”
“Ah, yes. That would be Quinn, which brings me to the reason why I’m calling. His girlfriend is with him and I’m wondering if you’d like to go to the beach with us today. I realize you probably have to work—”
“I’ll go,” she says interrupting me. “Can I meet you at Bailey’s in an hour?”
“I can pick you up.”
“No, I have to stop there for a few minutes so it’s just easier if I meet you there.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in an hour.”