Page 34 of The Hometown Dilemma
Mom fixed me with a look, one which told me I needed to step in. I didn’t need a second invitation to do so.
“It’s okay, Jaime, I’ll take you home.”
A fork of lightning sliced through the sky, followed a few seconds later by the low rumble of thunder. The unexpected noise caused Jamie to jump, clutching a hand to her chest.
“Shit,” she breathed. “It’s getting closer.”
“Then we should head off before it gets any worse.” Dad slapped my arm. “Good job tonight, son. It’s been a blast.”
I basked in his compliment for a moment before another fork brightened up the room. “Let me know when you get home, okay?”
Mom and Dad laughed.
“Who’s the parent here?” But Mom nodded. “Of course, we will.” They linked arms, then ran off to find their car, leaving Jaime and I alone.
“What else do we have to do before we can go?” asked Jaime.
She cast a glance around the bar, which looked like the aftermath of the storm already. Under normal circumstances, we would clean up before going home but I was concerned the weather would get worse and we’d end up stranded here. Although I couldn’t think of a better person to be stranded with.
“Why don’t we leave it until tomorrow? If you’re okay to come in early?” I suggested.
Her shoulders relaxed. “Sure, I can do that. I’ll get all the glasses onto the bar to save us some time in the morning.”
“I can do that too. We’ll get it done quicker that way.”
We headed in opposite directions, circling around the floor collecting the empty glasses and putting them in the dish bins on the counter. The relentless sound of heavy rain falling, punctuated with thunder and lightning, accompanied us. It was incredible how quickly the weather could change here, and I never got used to it.
An unusually loud crack filled the room, followed by a blinding flash and then everything went black. I stumbled, bumping into a table and knocking the contents onto the floor. The sound of smashing glass merged in with a scream from Jaime’s direction.
“Jaime? Are you okay?” I looked into the darkness, trying to adjust my eyes to the lack of light.
“Yes, I think so. Are you? I heard glass breaking.”
Carefully, I trod a path towards her voice, the shards crunching under my feet. “I knocked some stuff off the table. I’m fine.”
Another flash of lightning lit up the room, giving me the opportunity to pinpoint exactly where Jaime was. I used the opportunity to get as close to her as I could before it went dark again. This time, there was a longer break between that and the thunder.
“The power might be out.”
“You think?” There was a slight tremble in her voice, and I reached out to grasp her upper arms. Her hands snaked up to grab my wrists, her smooth skin brushing mine. “I hate storms.”
“It’s okay, you’re safe.”
The loudest crack yet broke into our moment and Jaime scooted closer to me, burying her head in my chest. I couldn’t help but lean down and smell the coconut scent of her shampoo.
Having her in my arms felt so right, in spite of the circumstances.
Now was my time.
My chance to see whether she had the same feelings for me as I did for her.
Gently, I moved my hand and stroked her hair, feeling her snuggle closer. A small sigh escaped her lips.
At least she wasn’t pushing me away.
She turned her face up towards me. In the dim light, I could make out the look of questioning in her eyes, as if she was wondering what might happen next.
I took my chance.
