Page 11 of Stoker's Serenity

“Her first name and sort of where she lives, that’s it.”

“Gonna have Radar look her up?”

“Naw, man. I don’t want any spoilers, not with her. She’s chill.”

“Good deal.” He nodded along and finally sighed and put his feet up and asked, “Got any weed?”

I huffed a laugh and said, “Yeah, hang on.”

* * *

I got my shit done,ready for the work week, hung out with a few of the guys and watched some television, and sent ‘em all packing when I needed to crash so I could get up for work the next morning.

I lay in bed that night and stared at the lit screen of my phone and smiled to myself. Serenity had been on my mind all fuckin’ day and I couldn’t wait a minute longer. I dialed her up.

“Hello?”

“So, does this make me desperate or overeager or what?” I asked and she laughed lightly on the other end of the line.

“Neither, I think… it would only be those things if I did it.”

“What kind of logic is that?” I asked, smiling like a fool.

“A crazy person’s,” she said simply. “You’ve officially been warned.”

“Good to know.”

There was a pregnant pause, heavy with promise and a little bit awkward. Finally I spared us both and broke the silence.

“I wanted to check and see how you were doing, you know, after last night.”

“I’m okay,” she replied softly. “Thanks to you.”

“How about your friend? She good?” I asked.

“Much better, she lost around a hundred and sixty-seven pounds last night and has never looked better.”

I laughed at her totally serious, totally deadpan delivery.

“I think we both had to guess that was going to happen.”

“Right?” She gave a gusty sigh as she asked, “So, what are you doing?”

“Chillin’ in bed, about to go to sleep. I gotta get up for work tomorrow morning.”

“Ah, me too… the whole work thing. What do you do?”

“Construction, actually. I frame houses and buildings, put up the skeleton, the plywood and the like.”

“Oh, that sounds… really tedious and boring.”

I laughed out loud. She was an interesting girl. Timid, yes, but also completely fuckin’ fearless. I wanted to know more, so bad.

“What about you?”

“Um, boring and tedious, thy name is retail,” she said, sucking a breath between her teeth. I laughed again and she cried, “No, seriously! Don’t judge. I graduated high school and I knew there was no way I could go to college and be able to pay my student loans on the other side, so I just have a high school diploma and it sucks, but I don’t really know what else I’m supposed to do… you know?”

“Hey, I only have a high school diploma,” I told her. “Who am I to judge?”

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