Page 51 of The Beach Shack Summer
The bell chimed. Meg and Margo entered, Meg carrying her laptop bag and looking frazzled, Margo carrying her usual calm energy.
“Why is Tyler in the alley looking like someone died?” Meg asked.
“Stella wants to learn to drive,” Bernie supplied helpfully.
Margo’s face lit up with delight. “Oh, how wonderful! You’ll love driving here, sweetheart. The Pacific Coast Highway at sunset?—”
“Margo,” Meg interrupted. “Look at Tyler.”
They all turned to watch as Tyler ended his call and stood in the alley, staring at his phone like it had personally betrayed him.
“Give him a minute,” Stella said. “He’s processing.”
“You did this on purpose,” Joey accused. “You waited until he was comfortable and then dropped the bomb.”
“Actually,” Stella said, “I was trying to save him from Patricia. The driving thing just happened to be real.”
“You used a real desire as a fake excuse?” Bernieasked, clearly impressed. “That’s some next-level strategy.”
“Thank you,” Stella said modestly.
“L-plates,” Bernie repeated, still confused. “Is that like a license plate?”
“Learner’s plates,” Stella explained. “In Australia, you get these yellow plates that show you’re learning. Here it’s different, yeah?”
“Here it’s called a learner’s permit,” Margo said gently. “We’ll need to get you a handbook, schedule the written test?—”
“Margo!” Tyler had returned, looking pale. “Please don’t help plan this.”
“Someone has to,” Margo said practically. “You look ready to faint.”
“She wants to drive. My daughter wants to drive. In a car. On roads. With other cars.”
“That’s typically how it works,” Meg said, and Stella could see her fighting not to laugh.
“This isn’t funny!”
“Tyler,” Meg lost the battle against her grin. “Your face when she asked?—”
“She said L-plates! I didn’t even know what she meant! And then I AGREED with her! I told Patricia it would take months!”
“Which you seemed pretty happy about at the time,” Stella pointed out.
“That’s not—that’s completely different?—”
“Is it though?” Stella asked innocently. “You’re theone who sold Patricia on the whole months of driving lessons thing. Very thorough process, you said.”
“I was trying to get rid of her!”
“And it worked. You’re welcome.”
“Don’t—” Tyler took a deep breath. “You tricked me.”
“I multitasked,” Stella said. “Saved you from Patricia AND asked about something I actually want. Efficiency.”
“She’s got a point,” Bernie said. “Kid’s working smart, not hard.”
“Bernie, you’re not helping!”
