Seeing Shadows (Shadows 1)

"Did you let Grant know you were here yet?" Sarah asked as she paused in front of Grant and Marcus' door.

"Not yet. Can you tell him to get his ass out here?"

"Sure!" Sarah agreed immediately.

I opened the rear door of the car, intending to slide in when Simon stopped me, grabbing my elbow.

"Sit in the front."

"Grant can sit in the front. Sarah and I'll sit in the back. More leg room for Grant." Grant was only a few inches taller than me but I didn't let that fact interfere with my reasoning. It would be more comfortable if I was sitting in the back with Sarah. If I sat in the front, it seemed too much like two couples going away for the weekend.

Simon shook his head. "Grant always falls asleep on long drives and I need a co-captain that'll keep me from dozing off."

I looked at him, concerned. "Are you tired? We can take turns driving."

Simon grinned, as alert as I'd seen anyone look and I narrowed my eyes. "I'm not tired but if I have to look at Grant's ugly mug snoring away, it's bound to be make me sleepy."

I folded my arms across my chest. I didn't believe his excuse. "Well, it just so happens that I'm practically narcoleptic when I'm in the car for long periods of time. Why don't you have Sarah sit in the front." I was lying since it had always been hard for me to fall asleep in any place other than my own bed. I was afraid of having a vision and flipping out in front of too many witnesses.

"I'm okay with watching you snore. You're much better looking than Grant."

"Hey! I don't snore!" I protested.

Simon winked. "Perfect. Then you get the front seat." He opened the front car door and pushed me inside. I sat down before I could think of a response, knowing that Simon's reasoning had been nonsensical but somehow he had still gotten his way.

Grant came outside and threw a duffel bag in the trunk. He climbed into the back seat along with Sarah as Simon slid into the driver's seat and started the car.

"Hi Caitlin," he greeted enthusiastically. "Ready to brave the wilds of Connecticut?"

I turned around with a grin. "Sure. Although I hear that the preppies can get out of hand when there's a sale at Ralph Lauren."

Simon gave a snort of laughter. "Unfortunately, that's not far from the truth. Except they would never claim to have bought anything on sale."

"Hey, it's not that bad!" Grant protested. He turned to Sarah. "Don't listen to Simon. He just always figured himself a rebel but he secretly has a stash of polos and khakis in the back of his closet."

I gasped in mock horror. "Khakis and polos?! What'll that do to your rocker image?"

Simon grinned. "The only khakis and polos I have in my closet are the ones Grant's hidden there. He doesn't want anyone to know he likes to wear them, along with argyle socks, when he's lounging around at home. Thinks it'll hurt his Henchmen image."

Sarah laughed at Grant's expression of outrage. "It's okay, Grant. I'll never believe it until I see it."

Grant pretended to be offended but then ruined the effect by grinning. "Seriously, Connecticut isn't too bad. It has its share of uptight preppies but there's normal people too. At least in my town. Don't get me started on Darien. That's where all the Richie Riches are."

"Just how rich are you, Simon?" Sarah asked guilelessly. Sarah came from an upper middle class family but she seemed intrigued by Simon's wealth. I couldn't help but be shocked by her lack of filter. It seemed an indelicate subject to handle so boldly.

Simon just laughed, not seeming offended. "I'm not rich. My parents are rich." Simon glanced at me before continuing. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to lie and say money doesn't make some things easy. It's given me plenty of advantages I haven't turned down. But at the end of the day, it's not going to make you happy if you have nothing else in your life."

Grant sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Simon was always a disappointment. I kept trying to convince him to ask his father to buy him a helicopter when we were in high school but he refused."

"Yeah, right," Sarah scoffed.

Simon cocked an eyebrow. "Actually, he did. Grant's never been grounded in reality."

"Hey! I bet your dad would have gotten you one. Complete with a pilot. Especially if you had promised to become a lawyer."

Simon shook his head in amusement. "I can't count how many times Grant has tried to get me to ask for crazy things for his benefit by sacrificing myself to a dull life of law."

"Well, it would have come in handy today. We could've flown instead of having to drive six hours," Grant rebuffed.