Page 3 of Frenemies with a Player
I finish my mac and cheese and thank Mom with a peck on her cheek. Then I put on my winter puffer and head outside. It’s fucking cold. I can do the garage tonight, but there is no way I can fix the fence in the dark. There’s also no way I’m climbing onto the roof in the dark either. The last thing I need is an injury.
I start by emptying out the entire garage, which has a lot of shit my parents probably don’t need. They are clearly hoarders. I place earbuds in my ears and listen to some tunes. Meanwhile, I try to envision what the surprise would be. Casey seemed excited and it’s hard to please her. I begin to think maybe my parents want to take a beach vacation. Having a break from the cold winter would be awesome. My buddies back at school go on all kinds of beach vacations and tell their stories when they get back. Their skin is golden brown and they are radiating sunshine. In the meantime, my skin is creamy white. My body only knows the cold weather and I spend vacations doing chores. I try to get into the song I’m listening to because my life just about sucks right now. Hell, I was so busy with school and the team I can’t even remember the last time I got laid. I turn up the music to drown out my thoughts. I work quick to get the garage clean because my parents must be surprising me with a beach vacation. That has to be it.
CHAPTER TWO
Willa
After an almost five-hour flight from Vancouver, I am dreading the extra hour drive to my parents’ cabin on the Quebec-Ontario border. My parents used to live in Ottawa, but when they retired they figured it would be cheaper to live in the cabin my grandparents left them. So now I find myself driving a small rental in the heavy snow. I can barely see through my windshield. I’m freezing because the heat in this rental is taking forever to work. Since I have an hour drive, I call my friend, Sunny. She is back home in Florida visiting with her family. We’ve been roomies since our first year of university at the University of British Columbia.
“Willa, what’s going on?” Sunny answers after the first ring.
“Not much, other than my flight was a couple hours delayed. I’m driving in a snowstorm of sorts, and I am tired, hungry and just want to sleep.” I would cuss but I don’t like to use swear words.
“Damn, that sounds rough. I can’t imagine leaving Vancouver for a place that has even more snow,” she snickers.
“I can’t either, but my parents’ cabin is located in an area that is prone to storms. It’s sucks.”
“Well, just think of all the quiet time and reading you’ll get done in the cabin,” Sunny says.
“That doesn’t sound very appealing. The highlight of my vacation will be my parents’ neighbors’ Christmas party Christmas Day. It’s a gathering of sorts with food and dancing.”
“I remember when I went home with you our freshman year. It was a sweet little get-together.”
“Now you’re being kind. I still remember when my parents’ eighty-year-old neighbor asked you to dance then asked you on a date,” I chuckle. At least speaking with Sunny is easing my nerves somewhat. The roads I am driving on don’t have proper lighting and I squint against the reflection of my car lights hitting the snow.
“He was hysterical, and I’m irresistible,” Sunny laughs.
“I’m going to be so bored this year,” I complain.
“You could use the downtime. You’ve been working so hard,” Sunny says and that is the truth. I’m pre-law and hoping to get into Harvard Law School. I always figured I needed to shoot for the top since my parents are tight with money. I’ve applied for as many scholarships as I possibly can, plus a ton of grants, hoping it will be enough.
“Not this kind of downtime. It’s going to be too quiet.”
“What you need is a boyfriend,” Sunny chimes. She’s been saying this since freshman year. Problem is, I’m always doing homework. “That way you can go home with him for the holidays. You can choose one of the California boys at school.”
Since California is below British Columbia, a lot of Americans come to learn at our school, but none of them would be interested in someone like me. It’s not self-loathing either. I’m just bookish and an introvert. I want to do business law, which will involve meetings and reading lots of contracts.
“Dude, guys aren’t interested in me,” I reply dryly.
“Because you don’t give them a chance to be interested. You’re either in your room or holed up in the library.”
“I’m trying to secure myself a solid future,” I remind my friend.
“What you need is a guy to loosen you up and show you a good time,” Sunny giggles. “There are so many boys down here in Miami. I should’ve brought you home with me.”
“I don’t get to see my parents very often. I need to be home for Christmas. At least my parents got a new hot tub. I can try it out. It’s in the backyard facing the lake. It’ll be the highlight of my trip. I’ll pour myself a glass of wine, sit in the hot tub watching the stars, and relax.”
“The stars are unbelievable out there,” Sunny says. Since the cabin is so far away from city lights it is quite an incredible sight.
“Okay, I’m pulling up into their driveway now. Thanks for keeping me company.”
“Always,” Sunny replies. “Just be careful with the old dudes at the Christmas party.”
“Trust me, I plan to.”
“Have a good night, Willa.”
“You too, Sunny.”
