Dirty Summer 5

Maggie

Maggie slammed the oven door shut and shook her head as she stared at the pouring rain out the kitchen window. Rain, in huge, steady drops, had been falling from the sky for three solid days. She sighed and went over to the kitchen island to stir her second batch of cupcake batter. Three days of rain. Three days since she’d heard from Reid. Not that she was counting, but if she were, she would report that there had been no phone calls, no messages, no texts, nothing.

No entanglements is what they had agreed on, but she thought she would have at least heard from him. He had promised to call and even asked about taking her to a movie. This was worse than when he hadn’t followed through after their morning on the pier. She sighed again, smiled, and then tried to shake away that tingly little feeling that seemed to creep into her belly every time she thought about the sunrise encounter. Another deep breath and she stirred the strawberry-laced batter more vigorously with her spatula.

“Girl, whatcha trying to do? Whip those poor strawberries into nothing?” Justyn asked as he loped into the kitchen.

“She’s been like this for days.” Blair trailed behind him with a knowing smile on her face. “She’s been beating around in the kitchen since the rain began. Grumpy and baking up a storm.”

“Not grumpy,” Maggie responded with a glare. “Just bored. Seriously, aren’t you two tired of the rain? Wait, don’t answer that question. You’ve been holed upstairs for days. I don’t want to know.”

“Jealous?” countered Blair.

“Not fair,” Maggie said, and walked back to the refrigerator. “Now where did I put that cream cheese?”

“Seriously, G, he hasn’t called?” Blair asked. “A text?”

Maggie shook her head, then cut her eyes to the left where Justyn was propped against the bar polishing off a second cupcake. She mouthed, “Not now.”

“He probably doesn’t even have a clue what we are talking about,” Blair said, walking over to Justyn and kissing off a tiny bit of frosting that had landed on the bottom of his chin.

“What? Don’t insult me, darlin’,” Justyn said. “You are dealing with Mr. Perceptive.”

Both girls were reduced to a fit of giggles for a couple minutes before When she recovered, Maggie saw her friend giving Justyn a playful smile.

“Well, enlighten us, Mr. Perceptive,” Blair said pointedly. “Why hasn’t sweet Maggie here heard from your best buddy in the past several days? He promised to call and take her to the movies, and then promptly dropped off the face of the earth.”

“Well, you know I don’t like to get involved in other people’s personal business,” Justyn said, reaching for a third cupcake.

Maggie swatted his hand. “No more, mister, until you enlighten us. Like Blair said.”

“You would deny a growing boy his baked goods?” he said with mock horror. “And they are mighty fine baked goods, Maggie, if I haven’t already mentioned it.”

“Stalling, stalling,” Blair said, shaking her finger.

“Ok, if you must know,” Justyn said. “Reid was in a pretty foul mood today. He got back from Raleigh this morning. He had a business meeting with investors. He said he’d tell me later. When I saw him before I came over, his nose was buried deep in a bunch of reports.”

“See? He was out of town,” Blair said, smiling at Maggie.

He didn’t even tell me he was leaving, and it sounds like an important meeting, Maggie thought. No entanglements, no entanglements, she reminded herself. Why would he tell her about a business trip?

“He also gets testy when he can’t get outside and swim or at least go fishing,” Justyn said, jolting Maggie back to the present conversation. “I could tell the numbers were irritating him, but I know not to bother him until he’s straightened it all out in his head. He has to burn off some steam somehow to process everything and work out his frustration. Although, if the rain keeps up, I doubt the computer will hold up for much longer. Can I have my cupcake now?”

“Of course,” Maggie said. “Here’s one freshly frosted.”

“Wait a minute,” Blair said. “Work out his frustration, you say? Something physical?”

“Yep,” Justyn responded. “Like the baseball game the other night. He has to get back to swimming, but the rain needs to let up.”

“Swimming miles in the sound is not the physical activity I have in mind,” Blair said, rounding the island and grabbing Maggie by the wrist. “Come upstairs now. I’ve got a plan.”

Seven

Blair

Blair was digging through Maggie’s armoire, tossing aside sundress after sundress. “No, this won’t do. You need to make more of a statement,” she said, tossing aside Maggie’s favorite pink striped tank dress.

“What kind of statement am I looking to make?” Maggie asked.