“Well, I hate interrupting y’all’s bonding time, but I wanted to see if one of you could drive me to the pharmacy to pick up one of my prescriptions.”
“Well of course we can. We can all go,” Mama insists.
I look between the two of them. Mrs. Goldbury looks tired and Mama looks equally exhausted. She worked a double yesterday and wanted to spend today with me, but I know what she really wants is to rest. Take a nap, even.
“How about you guys hang out here and I go and get it,” I offer.
“Oh, honey, are you sure?” Mrs. Goldbury asks, her face etched with concern. “I know there are better things for you to do on a Saturday night than go fetch my prescriptions. Technically, I won’t need it until about tomorrow afternoon. I have two more pills and that’ll be enough to last me if you don’t want to right now.”
“I’m happy to. Don’t worry, Mrs. G.” I pick up Mama’s keys from the bowl on the table by the door.
“Okay, well it’s under my name, Glenda Goldbury, and it’s the Big B pharmacy downtown. Sorry it’s so far. It’s the only place with good rates with my insurance.” Mrs. Goldbury steps up to me, opening the wallet that I have just now realized is in her hand. “If they ask for insurance, here it is and tell them you’re my granddaughter and you’re picking up my prescription. I’ll call them and let them know you are so they can confirm when you get there.”
“Okay, gotcha.”
She hands me a ten-dollar bill. “Get yourself something while you’re out too. You know I hate being a burden.”
I fight a smile and shake my head, lightly shoving the money back. “Mrs. Goldbury, I am not taking your money. This is not a burden. You need this, and I’m happy to do it.”
“Good grief, stubborn just like your mother,” Mrs. Goldbury mumbles as she stuffs the ten back into her wallet.
“Drive slow, Amber,” Mama calls after me as I turn for the door.
“I will!” I leave the house, going straight to Mama’s car, eager to go out alone.
I love driving. It helps me clear my head. I’ve been on break for four days and I’m hitting the peak of boredom now. It’ll be good to drive, think, maybe even stop by a gas station to grab some snacks…and also pretend that the memories of kissing Coach Torres aren’t playing reruns in my head.
The goal is to be over Torres by the time winter break is over.
Doable? I don’t know.
I thought the whole flirting with Stephen would get Torres to break and force him to talk to me, maybe even demand I go to his office and make out with him (I know, wishful thinking), but it didn’t. For the most part, Torres became even better at ignoring and avoiding me.
Honestly, I haven’t even given a second thought to Stephen since the break. I’ve been consumed by that kiss with Torres, and I catch myself thinking about doing more with him. Just last night, I found myself wondering what sex with him would be like.
Does he go slow, or fast? Is he hard, or gentle? Is he at expert level, or is he one of those guys who is super-hot but shitty in bed? I can’t see Torres being shitty at anything in life, except at being a nice human being.
After collecting the prescription, I walk out of the pharmacy with the white bag for Mrs. Goldbury, and climb into the car. I take the road through downtown Raleigh to take in some scenery, my drive home unhurried.
I drive by clubs and lounges and bars and I wonder what it must be like to be twenty-one and older and drinking all night. I have two more years to find out, and I am very much looking forward to that experience. Kendall has already promised a night out at a club on my twenty-first birthday. She swears she’s going to get me “really fucked up.”
I drive by one of the clubs with big, blocky red letters and the line wraps around the building. There is a hotel next to the club and as I drive by, I can see the chandeliers and even the bar inside that’s surrounded with people. A man in a black sweater and navy-blue jeans is walking to the hotel, his hands in his pockets and his head ducked, and I almost slam the breaks because he looks far too familiar.
I slow down and take a closer look, glad there aren’t any cars behind me. For a moment, I think my eyes are playing tricks on me but no.
I am not mistaken.
That is Joaquin Torres walking from a club to a hotel in my city. What the hell is he doing in Raleigh? And why does he look like he’s on a mission?