June, Reimagined (56)
“I want a permanent reminder of you.”
June backed away from the tattoo parlor. “We should head to the bus station. If we miss the last bus, we’ll be stuck here for the night.”
“And that would be such a bad thing?”
“I want to drop this film at the store before it closes.”
The setting sun painted the Scottish Highlands in orange and pink during the ride back to Knockmoral. June didn’t care what Matt said. This place wasn’t the small Shire he depicted. It may not be a big city, but it offered just as much. The fact that Matt didn’t see that annoyed June. The more time she spent with him, the more she dreamed of getting away from him. For over a month, she’d longed for Matt to be physically close, and now that he was, June wanted distance. She counted down the hours to Matt’s departure.
Twilight had descended when the bus finally pulled into the depot. Matt and June walked to the convenience store on the high street so that June could drop off film and pick up her developed pictures. Ivan, the man behind the counter, set his newspaper down when June and Matt walked in the door. She knew him from the café: egg salad sandwich and tea with milk and honey.
“I was worried you left town,” Ivan said. “Haven’t seen you at the café the past few days.”
“Jesus,” Matt grumbled. “You take a shit in this town and everyone knows.”
June bit her tongue and approached the counter. “I just took a few days off, but I’ll be back next week.” She gave him three rolls of film to develop.
Ivan handed June three packs of pictures. “My wife was wondering if you do weddings? Our daughter, Isla, is getting married this summer. We’ll be needing a photographer.”
Matt sidled up to the counter with Kit Kats and Smarties, Cadbury chocolate bars, and two tubes of Pringles. “Do you have Miller Lite?”
“No,” Ivan said. “I’m sorry, I don’t.”
“Bud Light?” Matt pressed. Ivan shook his head. “Coors Light? Corona? Icehouse? PBR? Anything that comes chilled in a bottle or can?”
“Do you like Tennent’s?” Ivan smiled. “Or Stella, maybe?”
“That one.” Matt pointed. “Finally.”
Ivan offered to retrieve the twelve pack. Matt leaned on the counter, annoyed.
“Why are you being so rude to Ivan?” June asked.
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
Matt gestured to the items on the counter. “I just thought it would be fun to get all our favorite things for our last night. And I know how much you like Miller Lite. That’s all.”
Ivan returned with the beer and bagged everything. June paid and thanked him. “I’ll be back at work on Monday. Egg salad and tea waiting for you.”
“And think about the—”
“Cheers, mate.” Matt wrapped his arm around June and pulled her toward the door. She stopped him on the street outside, her own annoyance bubbling. “What?” Matt asked.
June didn’t know how to articulate her frustration without causing another fight.
“Look. I’m sorry I didn’t want to hang around chitchatting with the fucking cashier,” Matt said, “but it’s our last night and I want you all to myself. Is that so bad?”
It wasn’t an unreasonable request. It was totally rational. Understandable.
“Not bad at all,” June conceded.
“Good.” Matt grabbed her by the arms and pulled her close. His thumbs pressed into her, like an imprint in concrete. “Because I want to eat Coneys and drink crappy beer, and when we’re nice and drunk, I want to gorge on candy and eat an entire tube of Pringles. Just like high school.”
June ignored Matt’s grip on her. “Only if I get the sour cream and onion.”
“Fine, but only because I love you.”
Back at the inn, June dropped Matt at her room with their goodies before checking to make sure that the kitchen was clear of Angus. She then knocked on Eva’s door. Eva answered, her blond hair pulled into a high ponytail, thick black glasses perched on her nose.
“Hiya,” Eva said.
June didn’t know what she was doing. She just knew she needed a break from Matt.
“Do you want to come in?” Eva asked.
“I don’t want to interrupt.”
“You’re only interrupting a bad case of writer’s block.” Eva opened her door wider. A scented candle burned on her desk, filling the room with the smell of lavender.
“Smells good in here.”
Eva blew out the candle. “It’s supposed to calm me down when I write.”
“I think I need one.” June went directly to the window. Not a single light was on at Lennox’s house.
“He’s not home,” Eva said.
June tried to act like she hadn’t kept a constant eye on the house, like she wasn’t consumed with thoughts and worries that proliferated and kept her up at night. She had been so angry and frazzled at the pub that she had aimed her pain and frustration at Lennox, but did he deserve it? June didn’t know up from down lately. But every time Lennox’s car was gone, she wondered where he was. Every time a light was on, she wondered what he might be doing. It was driving her mad.
“I thought maybe after Up Helly Aa . . .” Eva said.