Page 48 of Semi Sweet
“I’m a capricorn, I hate lima beans, and I’m a marketing major.”
“You and I both know that’s not what I mean,” Sean replied.
I clutched Beth’s gift as I said, “What do you want to know?”
We’d reached the other side of the road, delicious smells wafting out of a Greek food place.“ A million things. But for now, I want the five minute version of who you were before Evan came around.”
“Wouldn’t you prefer the drunk, dramatic version at two in the morning?” I said, once again trying to dodge the question.
“Oh, I fully expect to get that as well,” Sean replied. “You are much more uninhibited when you’ve got alcohol in your veins. I already know that.”
I elbowed him hard in the side. “So are you,” I deadpanned. I rolled my eyes and heaved a sigh before I said, “I’m the middle of three daughters. My older sister is named Allison. She is two years older than me. Last time I saw her, she was just out of college for an education degree. She wanted to teach middle school math. My younger sister is named Elenore. She’s old enough to drink legally now and that kind of makes me want to cry.”
“What about your parents?”
I looked down at the sidewalk as I searched for the words. “My mom is very gentle. She went along for the ride ninety-five percent of the time. Don’t mess with her kids, though, then the fire came out,” I said with a wistful smile.
“And your dad?”
“Jackson Hale probably should have had sons. He is far too much of a hardass to have three delicate daughters.” He often made a quick getaway when my sisters or I cried or had ‘girl drama.’ I also had vivid memories of him plugging his ears and singing loudly when we talked about our periods. I felt my chest grow tight as I remembered. “I called him the other day.”
Sean looked surprised. A car honked in the distance before he asked. “How did that go?”
“I hung up when it was time to leave a voicemail.” When he looked like he was going to ask me more, I shook my head. “Nothing else about my past until I’ve had at least one drink, please.”
We’d arrived, anyway.
“You might want to go first,” he offered. “No one knows you are staying with me. It’s not that I care. I just want to respect your privacy.”
I smiled at him. That was more consideration than I’d been given in a long time. “Thanks. That’s probably wise.”
I pulled on the door handle and the sound of poor singing and the smell of spilled beer flooded my senses. I was not a country fan and someone wailed along to a Dolly Parton song as people milled about the bar.
Beth’s excited squeal overpowered the singer when she saw me enter. She raced to meet me by the door and threw her arms around my neck.
“Oh my God, I worried that I would never see you again. I thought you were dead.”
I crinkled my nose at her. “That’s a bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think?” On the inside, my heart was swelling. I never thought I’d have anyone at Cash Value Market concerned for me and now I had two.
Beth shook her head vehemently. “Sean told us you called out. You never call out! Then Evan was beside himself. He asked everyone if they had heard from or seen you. I was worried he accidentally killed you and was making it look like you ran away or something.”
I wondered if Victoria had said something to him about my bonus hours when he stopped by the store.
“Beth, I think you are watching too many true crime specials on TV,” I said and held out my gift for the girl. “I’m very much alive.”
Sean must have counted to one hundred or something, because the door opened and he was there.
If Beth’s eyes could have gotten any wider, they probably would have popped out. “Holy crap, two people I never expected to see here.”
“Happy birthday, Beth! Your gift is that I’m supplying the drinks tonight.”
“How but one drink and you get up there and sing?” Beth asked hopefully.
“Absolutely not.”
Beth guided us over to where Max, a few other clerks, and several girls I didn’t recognize were sitting. Sean escaped to the bar when she explained that if you wanted to sing you had to put your name on a list. I ended up putting my name down, convinced I might as well live a little now that I was a free woman. That, and I assumed I’d be a few drinks in by then.
“So….” Beth sat beside Max and made sure Sean was still ordering drinks before she asked, “Now that you are a free woman, are you and Sean finally going to finish what you started at that party?”
