Page 13 of Dare You to Run
I exhale with an exaggerated roll of my eyes. “Is everyone around here crazy or is that proprietary to you?”
She skips over to me and bumps my hip with hers. “It’s in the water so be careful, because it’s contagious. C’mon. Miss Shirley is waiting.”
FIVE
My eyes trackevery move she makes as she shuffles from foot to foot while talking on the phone to her daddy dearest.
“Dad, I know. I’ll email my professors and tell them there’s been a family emergency. It’ll be two weeks and I’m doing great in everything. I can do remote classes. I promise it will be okay.” She grows quiet and chews on her bottom lip. “I don’t know. I can…I don’t know. I have no solution for how I will get a computer. Maybe I’ll go buy an iPad. I gotta go find a place to get some clothes, anyhow. I have the outfit I’m wearing and the one I wore on the drive out. I don’t think a short denim skirt and cowboy boots are going to cut it for everyday wear.”
I hear a little noise –the kind that tells you someone wants your attention and you try your best to ignore it, but just can’t– and look over to see Kinsley standing next to Miss Shirley, the two of them watching me with judging eyes. I know exactly what they are trying to infer and I’ll be damned if they guilt trip me into it.
“Do you think the beach condo is available?” She asks and plops down into a comfy chair. “Well, when you find out, please let me know right away. I may just take an Uber to a strip malland get some necessities. If it isn’t available, I’ll just look for a hotel.” She shakes her head, listening to the other end and I can only imagine her daddy is sending her the number to his black card to take care of everything. “Love you too, Dad. Give Sloaney and A.J. a big kiss from me. Bye.”
She presses end, puffs out a defeated breath and stares at the phone in her hands, looking sad and deflated. I look over to the ladies again, they’re non-verbal gestures intensifying. Kinsley glares at me, and Miss Shirley raises her eyebrows and widens her eyes. Those are universal symbols for‘you better say something before I do’. My hands ball into fists and internally I’m screaming. At Kinsley and Miss Shirley, at this woman for being so devastatingly beautiful, and at myself for what I’m about to do. I clear my throat and take a couple steps closer to her.
“Dagen.” She lifts her head and looks at me, nervously. “If you’re planning to stay here while we work on your vehicle, I…I have a loft that is private from the rest of my house. You’re welcome to stay there if you’d like.”
A loud, audible gulp falls from her mouth and her eyes flit to where Kinsley and Miss Shirley stand with wide smiles.
“Um. I-I don’t know if–”
“Oh honey, don’t worry about Henny. He’s not a creep or anything, Just an asshole.” Kinsley bats her hand in the air like she’s swatting away the crazy notion that I may take advantage of her.
“And I live very close by and will make sure he is a perfect andgracioushost.” Miss Shirley adds.
I sigh and don’t understand what I did in my life to deserve these two. Wasn’t my upbringing enough punishment to escape ladies like the ones that seem to want to run my life?
“I mean, if you’re sure. I don’t want to impose. My parents are contacting the people we’ve rented a beach house from in previous years, so it’s possible I may be able to use that.”
“And if it’s not available?” I ask her.
She twists her mouth and says quietly, “I was just going to find a hotel.”
“For two weeks? Do you know how much that will cost in addition to the repairs? Are you ready to foot a bill that big?” She opens her mouth to speak and I interject. “Wait. I forgot. Daddy’s paying for it so I guess it doesn’t matter. We don’t have a Ritz-Carlton, so you may have to be okay with the local motel.”
She slams her hands on the arms of the chair and jumps to her feet. “I am so sick and tired of you being a top tier jerk to me. I am not a spoiled brat like you are implying. Yes, my father will be paying for the repairs, but don’t think that means it’s just another day. I’ll have to make it up by shoveling horse shit out of the stalls. They’ll put me in charge of feeding the animals and checking on the cabins. Not to mention I’ll probably be the one busting my ass every weekend, leading horseback riding lessons and teaching kids how to shoot an arrow. Do you know what it feels like to get tagged by a rubber arrow? You’d think it doesn’t hurt, but that rubber is a hard tip and when it comes flying at your head, you can only hope and pray that you’re left with a bruise and not down one eye. Don’t get it twisted and think I’m on a free ride thanks to mommy and daddy. Nothing is free in my home.”
Her green eyes glow with anger, but damn are they beautiful. Maybe I am being a little too harsh on her. She’s done nothing but be a mesmerizing woman who is slowly draining me of my ability to reason and form sentences. I can’t fault her for being gorgeous.
“I apologize. I have no excuse and I’m sorry for how I’ve spoken to you.”
“What?” the three women say in shock.
“Don’t make me say it again. You’ll get blood from me before a second apology.” She works hard to hide her smile, pressing her full lips into a tight line. “You can let your family know you found a place to stay. If it makes you more comfortable, I will stay somewhere else.”
“I’ll be sure to pop in to check on ya. My work is pretty lenient and I can set my own hours.” Kins walks out from behind Miss Shirley’s desk.
“Your work is lenient because your boss is your dad,” I tell her and she replies with a tongue out.
“Dagen, why don’t I take you to get whatever things you are needing and then we can go by grumpy’s house to drop it off.” She turns to me, holding out her hand, and says, “Keys, please.”
I scowl, but she only wiggles her fingers at me. With an exasperated sigh, I pull out my keys and hand it over.
“There’s an alarm so let me write down the code fo–”
“I already know it.”
“What? How the fuck do you know my alarm code?”
