“That was a terrible decision.” I exhaled sharply. “So what is the plan now, are you going to try and go to college somewhere around here?”
“The plan right now…” She started to stand. “Is sleep.”
“Goodnight, Charley.” I shook my head in disbelief, still processing what she said.
“Goodnight, Mr. Vance.” She started towards the stairs.
Charley ascended the stairs to join Madison in her room. I sat at the table with her words tumbling around in my head, but the sight of her naked body made rational thought complicated. When I was her age, I was working two jobs and taking care of Madison. College wasn’t even an option. I couldn’t imagine having that opportunity and just throwing it away. Madison and Charley always had a bit of a competitive edge when they were in school and it seemed like Charley always did better than Madison. As disappointed as I was to hear Charley had been expelled from college, I had no dog in that fight. She would have to fight the battle with her parents and the few times I had met them, I got the feeling they weren’t the type to take it lightly. I put the thoughts of Charley out of my head and went upstairs so I could go to sleep. The adrenaline of the rescue had completely evaporated, so I was beyond tired.
Chapter 3: Charley
The summer passed slowly. Normally the months were gone in a flash, but without college on the horizon, it seemed to drag on forever. I finally told Madison what happened and she was supportive, even if she was a little concerned by my lack of a follow up plan. I took a job at the mall, working retail like I did in high school. My parents seemed to be numb to the whole situation after a couple of months. I was their failure and they mostly ignored me unless I needed something. They didn’t even respond when I told them I had a job. I was ready for summer to end and all of the college students to head back to school—except Madison. The thought of her leaving and the only person who seemed to care if I lived or breathed being taken away from me for months left me with a sense of dread I couldn’t overcome. Her car was already packed when I walked up her driveway on the last night of her summer break.
“Hey, Mr. Vance.” I waved as he opened the door.
“Hello, Charley. Come on inside. Madison took my car to pick up a few things, but she should be back soon.” He stepped back and opened the door.
“That would explain why she hasn’t responded to my texts in nearly an hour.” I shook my head and laughed. “She’s shopping.”
“I probably shouldn’t have given her my credit card.” Mr. Vance grimaced and wrinkled his nose.
“Definitely not a good call.” I sat down on the couch and stared at the movie he had paused to answer the door.
“How are things with you?” He took a seat in his chair. “Madison said you got a job?”
“Yeah, I’m working retail at Walton’s Boutique. I worked there in high school and they were happy to have me back.” I shrugged. “I’ll find something better once the college kids abandon their summer jobs.”
“So you haven’t put any more thought into school?” He raised his eyebrows at me and tilted his head.
“I’m not ready yet.” My fingers started to fidget with the edge of my shirt like they often did when I felt like I was being judged. “Maybe in a year or two, I’ll look into something local.”
“I hope you do.” He stood and picked up an empty glass from his table. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Sure, do you have beer?” I looked towards the kitchen.
“Are you trying to drown yourself in my pool again? How about some tea?” He started walking towards the kitchen.
“Tea sounds good.” I let out a sigh as my mind flashed back to the night he pulled me out of the water.
Mr. Vance had stayed true to his word and nobody knew about my late night escapade except the two of us. Madison would have never let me live it down if she found out. She would have told all our friends and then I would have lived with some stupid nickname for the rest of my life. I watched Mr. Vance as he fixed the two glasses of tea. It seemed like he had foregone shaving for a few days and the stubble on his face made him look even more attractive than normal. The shirt he was wearing was a thin undershirt that made his muscles more visible than normal. The fact he had saved my life only added to the crush I had developed. He wasn’t just a hot, sexy older man; he was also my hero. If he wasn’t my best friend’s father, I might have somehow worked up the courage to go for it, even if he was a bit older than me. He returned to the living room and handed me my tea.
“Thank you.” I smiled and sipped it. “Wow, that’s sweet!”
“I think I put an extra cup in it by accident.” He shrugged and sat down. “It’s still drinkable.”
“More than drinkable.” I lifted the glass again. “This might give me more of a buzz than a beer.”
“Should I go cover the pool now?” He sipped his tea and eyed me with a sarcastic grin.
“No, when I get hopped up on sugar I get hyper, not stupid.” I shook my head back and forth. “By the way, thank you again for saving me and for keeping it a secret from Madison.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” He waved me off. “I understand why you didn’t want anyone to know.”
I lifted my phone as it buzzed. “Oh, Madison sent me a text. She’s shopping… That’s all it says.”
“Is that girl-speak for ‘don’t expect me home anytime soon’?” He sipped his tea again.
“Probably…” I sighed and put my tea down on the coaster. “I can come back later. It looks like you were in the middle of a movie.”