Four Fun (Four)

“Got it,” I say nodding. “Thank you for checking that.”

“Well, we’re headed there too, but you’re welcome. Would you like some coffee? I have a travel mug you can use.”

“Sure, I guess. I can return it to you when I see you at Rusty’s.”

“No problem.” He pulls the mug from a shelf and fills it with a rich-smelling brew. “Do you want something to eat? We usually just grab protein bars in the morning, but I could make some toast, or we have cereal.”

“No, no thanks. I’m not hungry yet, but I appreciate the coffee.”

Devin sets me up with cream and sugar, and I take a sip before putting the lid on the mug. “Thanks for letting me stay last night. Please tell the others too. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” he says, grinning. I offer a smile in return, but look away quickly because his grin — along with those biceps — does things to me.

The drive home is fairly uneventful, thanks to Devin’s routing. There are some crews out doing cleanup, the ditches are full of water, and a creek I pass is running wild, but the roads themselves are clear.

Maybe I could have made it home last night, but I guess it wasn’t bad staying with the construction crew. Shane has an irritating big mouth, and Marcos kept to himself, but Khalil and Devin seem like really nice guys.

As soon as I cross the bridge onto Four Points, it’s clear that the island was hit harder than Whitman. There’s debris in the streets, several small trees snapped or downed, and a lot of people out cleaning things up.

I see so many work trucks on the drive to my apartment that I don’t take any particular notice of the ones in my complex’s parking lot. Then I realize the fire department is there, along with a truck from the electric company, as well as several other vehicles I don’t normally see in the lot. Meanwhile, most of the parking spots usually occupied by tenants are empty.

My eye goes next to the small group of people gathered near the building’s entrance. It’s not until I park and approach them that I see the problem. A very tall tree has uprooted and fallen into the side of the apartment building, damaging the roof, the siding, and breaking windows.

“Is everyone okay?” I ask the nearest person, a resident I know by face but not name.

“I think so, yes,” the older woman says. “Everyone is out. They’re assessing the damage now.”

I turn back and scan the lot; I don’t see Jade’s car. She must have spent the night at her boyfriend’s. If she’d been here and had to evacuate, I’m sure she would have called me.

I spot the apartment manager and make my way over to her. “I was away last night. What exactly is happening?” The building’s entrance is blocked with caution tape. Only men with hard hats are going inside.

“They’re checking out the structural damage,” she says. “It’s not looking good for the near future. Do you have somewhere else to stay?”

I can’t even wrap my head around that question yet, so I turn to a more immediate need. “What about our stuff? I need my clothes for work.”

“You might be able to go in later to get your things. They need to determine if it’s safe.”

“What if it’s not?”

The woman gives a helpless shrug. “I don’t know yet.”

13

Disarray

“Becca? What’s up?”

My roommate, Jade, is probably surprised by my call because we communicate almost exclusively by text when we’re not together.

“Have you heard about the building?” I ask.

“The what? What building?”

“I take it you spent the night at Justin’s,” I say, grimacing as I slowly walk back to my car.

“Yeah, we were out last night when it started pouring. His place was closer so we came here. What’s going on?”

I fill her in on the current state of our apartment building, and like me, she’s concerned about getting access to her stuff, though I know she also keeps a bag of essentials, including some clothes, at her boyfriend’s, since she sometimes goes straight to work from his house, which is what she must be doing today.

“That sucks,” Jade says when I’m finished. “I guess I’ll be staying at Justin’s for a while. Where will you stay? I wish I could invite you here.”

Justin’s house would not be an option for me, even if Jade thought it would. I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard her describe his household habits, and seen how particular he is when he’s at our place. Let’s just say he’s not the warm and welcoming type, and it’s a wonder that he even lets Jade keep a bag there.

Last I heard, Justin still hadn’t offered Jade an empty drawer or space in a closet. Her belongings literally have to stay in her travel bag. Once, she left a toothbrush on his bathroom counter, and he sealed it in a plastic bag and gave it back to her. She laughs off his behavior as quirky, but I think she’s fooling herself.