Page 44 of Erase Me
Ending the call, I made my way into the bathroom.Time was ticking away, and there was a lot to do before meeting up with Judy.As I was about to turn on the shower, my cell buzzed with a message from Reed.
- Thank you for coming out today
My fingers hesitated over the screen, weighing whether to respond or not.
- Never seen anyone pick up the sport like you did.You took to surfing like a fish to water
I couldn’t help myself.My fingers flew over the letters.
- Glad you don’t use cliches to compliment people
- Haha.But I meant it
- Had a good teacher.Thank you.Today was fun
- Did you tell Pat about tomorrow
- What about tomorrow
- You’re ready to surf t-street.We can get an early start
Glancing at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I noticed the goofy grin plastered on my face.Damn it.I wasn't going to let this happen.
- Can’t do that to my friend two days in a row
- Then how about night surfing?You can come out to play after her bedtime
- Hmmmmmm
- Remember the bioluminescent waves I was telling you about
How could he spell that so quickly?I could barely pronounce it.
- Let’s talk tomorrow
Putting the phone face down on the counter, I turned on the shower.
As the warm water needled my skin, I knew I had to face up to the reality of my relationship with Reed.We’d already had the best of times.Now, I had no choice but to prepare for the worst of times.
ChapterEleven
Reed
Leavingmy car in the parking lot of a bar out on El Camino, I made my way on foot into a neighborhood that was far different from the areas around Del Mar or the Pier.
It occurred to me that even though I was looking forward to seeing Avalie tomorrow, I didn’t think she’d like this part of town much.
A jumble of rundown industrial buildings lined the one road that curved its way through the neighborhood, and a maze of smaller roads and dark alleyways led off in every direction from there.Lots between the buildings were strewn with overgrown weeds, damaged shipping containers, old boats and construction equipment on blocks, and rusted junks of ancient cars and trucks.The fog that had rolled in was heavy with the smell of burnt steel, diesel fumes, paint, stagnant water, and other odors I couldn’t begin to identify.
As battered as the neighborhood looked, it was obviously a place where businesses continued to function.Every building seemed to have a sign posted by the garage doors that faced the street and alleyways.Several had colorful surfboards mounted above steel doors, and many of the buildings had old trunk benches and chairs in front, where proprietors undoubtedly sat and smoked and reminisced about those bygone golden years that probably never existed.
I passed a bar that was closed up tight, even though it wasn’t yet midnight.As I walked along a rusted chain link fence, a dog the size of a small Clydesdale materialized out of the murky light on the other side.He didn’t bark, but he eyed me warily as he followed me step for step.His raised hackles told me he wasn’t looking for friends.I didn’t get close enough to lose a leg.
When I reached the location I was looking for, I found it to be a scrap metal yard enclosed by a fence that was broken down in a half dozen places along the road.Inside, the lot was barely illuminated by a buzzing light wired up to the wall of a ramshackle wooden shack that was about the size of a postage stamp.A faded sign indicating ‘Office’ dangled cockeyed beneath the light.A chain and padlock held the office door shut, yet the adjacent window lay shattered, gaping voids where glass once stood.
Despite the missing sections of fence, an entry gate for vehicles also had a padlocked chain.No doubt, that was to keep any trucks from pulling in and carting off the rusted treasures in the yard.
I glanced around.There didn’t appear to be any life on the street or in any of the surrounding buildings.This part of town was quiet as an elephant boneyard.I ducked through one of the gaping holes in the chain-link fence and moved cautiously into the yard.
