The Summer of Bells: The Essences Saga - Book #2

Summer: Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

I parked my car and marched up to Mrs. Baker.  “What are you doing?”

“Watchin',” she told me, smoking curling out of her mouth.

“Well, you're being rude,” I reply.  I grabbed her cigarette and stomp it under my shoe.  I don't know what overcame me.  No one crossed Mrs. Baker.  She looked as shocked as I felt.  From the corner of my eye, I saw the girls on the porch back inconspicuously into the house.  Nicole was the only one watching us with any measure of unconcern. 

The only rationale to my actions that I could come up with was that I didn't want to tarnish Gloria's memory by making a bad impression on the new neighbors.  That was Gloria's house they were moving into.  I just won't spoil it by Mrs. Baker's or the girls' brazen behavior.

“Girl, you got a lot of nerve,” Mrs. Baker scorned me, her dark eyes glittering dangerously.  I hauled her out of the lawn chair anyway and did my best to ignore the way her mouth turned down sharply.

“Don't 'Girl' me.  You are being rude, and I won't have it.”  I folded the chair as soon as she was out of it and shooed her into the house.  The girls scampered out of our way.  Mrs. Baker didn't talk to me for a whole week after that.

I returned to my car to get my yoga bag.  A man's voice called to me, “Excuse me?”  I turned around and saw my new neighbor trotting across the yard towards me.  He was a tall man, with a muscular build and a sharp, angular nose.  It was only nine in the morning, but he was sweating heavily.  He stopped in front of me, removed his ball cap and wiped his forehead on his arm.  His head was shaved, and I decided that he was one of those men who could pull off the bald look.

“It's hot, isn't it?”  He accent suggested a north-eastern origin, somewhere in the Boston area.  He smiled down at me; I return the smile, trying to maintain aloofness befitting two strangers.

“It's the humidity,” I answered, “You'll get used to it.  I'm Min.”  I hold out my hand.  He looks at it briefly before wiping his own hand on his shorts and shaking.

“Nick Adams.”

He didn't say anything else, and I felt like a fool standing there, so I shouldered my bag and said, “Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Nick.”  I stepped toward the house.

“I'm sorry,” he said, looking embarrassed, “The sun has fried my brain.  I meant to ask if I can borrow some water.  Mine hasn't been turned on yet, and I'm about to die of thirst.”

“Of course, but how do you plan on returning it?”

“I'm sorry?” he repeated.  I closed my eyes and sighed through my nose.  “It's a joke, Nick.  Come on in.  Can I get your family something as well?”

He followed me up to the porch.  “Oh, no thank you.  I sent my nephew to the store for some drinks, but he's been gone a while.  I just couldn't wait any longer.”  He stopped at the door.  I opened it and looked back.  He gave me a sheepish grimace.  “I’ll wait here, if you don’t mind.  I don’t want to drip on your floor.”

There were sweat drops on the porch by his feet.  “Don’t worry about it,” I told him.  “Come in and cool off.”  He blinked for a second and then trailed after me into the house.  I could hear Mrs. Baker banging around in the kitchen.  She was still mad.  Nicole was sitting on the couch, looking exhausted.  The others were clustered around the stairs.  They stared at Nick as he entered.

“Hi,” he said to them in a guarded tone.  The way they looked at him would have put anyone on his guard.  I dropped my yoga bag in the entrance and introduced Nick to the girls.  We proceeded to the kitchen, and I hear Mae whisper, “He’s cute.”