Page 62 of Stoker's Serenity

“Past is past,” he evaded lightly, pulling me into his arms. “I’m living for the here and now, with you.”

“Slick,” I said, offering up my lips to his. He kissed me lightly.

“You will be, later tonight.” He gave me the devil’s own grin and I bit my bottom lip to try and keep my smile under control.

“How do you know I’m not already?” I asked, equally playfully and he gave a delightful little growl and attacked the side of my neck with these wonderful little love bites that left me squealing and squirming from the ticklish sensation he wrought.

We walked, hand in hand, down the sidewalk through air thick with heat, humidity, and the electrical charge that promised thunder and lightning. It was quiet out here, the threat of nature’s fury a hairs breadth from making itself known with a maelstrom of rainfall, angry growling skies and the clash and riot of light and sound.

I loved the moments right before a storm, the minutes leading up to the sky’s cathartic weeping, the rain sweeping the sidewalks and streets clean. The only thing I loved more than these quiet moments before the storm was the shining purity that came after, when everything sparkled wetly under the sun and the very air seemed cleaner somehow, the smell of wet, green earth left hanging on the air and the light chasing back the memory of the ominous clouds.

I kept pace with Stoker, our walk brisk as the sky let out its first rumble. I shuddered and picked up my pace beside him, my hand tightening around his.

“What’s up?” he asked his voice cautious.

“Nothing,” I lied. “I just don’t want to be caught by the rain.”

It was only half a lie, I told myself. I really did hate being anywhere and stuck in wet clothing, but what I really feared was the thunder. The crash and rolling bass through the sky echoed back to shotgun fire echoing through the corridors of Rachel Alice Morgan High School.

You know its thunder. You know what it is,I reminded myself and in this particular case, knowing reallywashalf the battle.

20

Stoker…

She was shy, nervous, and half-hiding behind me when we went into my favorite dive, right there on the edge of the beach. They had good food and a clean atmosphere that appealed to the tourists, but the place was all dive bar when it came to the food, and cheap when it came to the well drinks. Not as cheap asThe Plank, but definitely way better food.

Rory looked up from behind the bar and called out, “Sit anywhere, man! Hey, Orchid, that you hiding behind him?”

She peeked out from around me and smiled, calling back, “Yeah!” and it was the most adorable thing. She held my hand between both of hers and dared to come out a little, like, now that she’d been called out, she had to face the room, and I kind of got that about her. She was content to be a wallflower but once she was seen or remarked on, she realized she wasn’t invisible and came out in full bloom.

Go big or go home, right, baby?I thought to myself as we threaded through occupied tables and found a seat in a close two-seater booth along the left wall at the end of the bar, just before the short hall that led back to the bathrooms.

Rory came to the corner of the bar nearest our newfound seats and asked, “You know what you’ll have to drink?”

“Ah, I’ll take a beer,” I said and looked to my little orchid.

She pondered the drinks menu a moment and finally asked, “You got any cider?”

“Sure do, by the bottle. Dark Horse Cider, from up there in Washington State.”

“Is it dry?” She made a cute little face that screamed ‘dry’ was definitely not what she wanted.

“Eh, middle of the road,” he said, waffling his hand back and forth.

“I’ll try it,” she said with a smile, and he was a bartender on a mission, off after a stiff nod of approval to grab us our drinks.

We both perused the menu, even though I practically knew the damn thing by heart, until Rory came back to this end of the bar and set down two bottles for us. I got up and threw him some chin as thanks, bringing them back across the short expanse of open floor between the end of the bar and our table.

“Need a minute, or you know what you want?” he called from behind the bar.

“I’m ready if you are.” Serenity smiled and I could never do anything but smile back when she smiled at me that way.

“What looks good?” I asked her.

“I’m feelin’ the fish tacos,” she said with a wink, and I laughed.

“Fish tacos for the lady, and I’ll go with my usual.”

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