RoomHate(27)

“Hi, Will. Thank you. Come in.”

Justin’s arms were crossed. His body language was more like an armed guard at a bank rather than a man standing casually in his own kitchen.

“You remember my roommate, Justin.”

“Of course. How are you feeling?”

“Very energized at the moment, Dr. Danger.”

Will seemed annoyed at Justin’s mispronunciation. “Dan-ger,” he corrected.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to anger Dr. Dan-ger.”

Will wasn’t amused. “No problem.”

“Where are you kids going tonight?”

“The Boathouse. You been there?”

“Right on the water. Smooth. Putting out all the stops.”

Grabbing my purse, I said, “Well, we should get going.”

Justin held his hand out. “I’ll take care of the flowers.”

Somehow, I wondered if they would end up in the trash the second the door closed behind us.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

When we got outside, Will turned to me. “Your roommate likes to butcher my name. He’s a bit of a wiseass.”

“Yes. He can be.”

Will opened the door to his Mercedes and let me in the passenger side. The conversation was easy on the way to Tiverton. He asked me about my teaching career, and we spoke about his time at the University of North Carolina Medical School at Chapel Hill.

My phone vibrated.



Justin: Those flowers were from the supermarket.



Amelia: How do you know?



Justin: He left the orange sticker on. What a tool.



Amelia: It’s the thought that counts.



Justin: Look in the backseat. I bet you’ll see milk and eggs.



Amelia: Don’t you have to be at Sandy’s?



Justin: Heading out now.



Amelia: Break a leg tonight.



Justin: Stay out of Danger. Better yet, keep Danger out of you.



Amelia: You’re a goof.



Justin: Order the lobster. At least you’ll get something out of tonight.



Amelia: Goodbye, Justin!



“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Sorry.”

He looked over at me. “So, what were we saying? Oh, you were about to tell me when you’re planning to head back to Providence…”

“The last week in August. I have to get my classroom set up for the beginning of September.”

“I bet your students really dig you.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I wish I had a teacher that looked like you when I was in middle school.”

“Well, I like to think they appreciate me for other reasons.”

“Oh. I’m sure they do.”

When we arrived to the restaurant, it was already dark out, so the waterfront view wasn’t as great as it would have been during the daylight hours. It was starting to get chilly, so we opted for a window seat inside but overlooking the water. Lights from some of the sailboats illuminated the dark ocean. White Christmas bulbs hanging inside the restaurant made for a cozy ambience. The smell of fresh seafood filled the air. I laughed to myself, thinking of how Justin would probably say the place smelled like dirty snatch.

I ended up ordering swordfish with mango salsa while Will opted for Chicken Marsala. The conversation while we were waiting for our food was pretty mundane. We spoke a little bit about the upcoming presidential election. Will was a republican while I was a democrat. I also told him the story of how I came to inherit Nana’s house.

My phone vibrated.



Justin: How’s it going?



I didn’t want to be rude and answer him. So, I ignored the text until Will excused himself to use the restroom.



Amelia: Aren’t you supposed to be singing?



Justin: It’s my ten minute break.



Amelia: Everything is fine.



Justin: Just checking to make sure you’re still alive.



Amelia: I have not had to use the knife, no.



Justin: Did you order the lobster like I told you to?



Amelia: No. Swordfish.



He didn’t respond, so I assumed that he was done texting me, which was good, since Will was headed back to the table.

Our food arrived, and the waitress brought me a second glass of wine. We ate in comfortable silence when I could feel my phone buzz on my lap. Figuring it was Justin, I was curious to look down but didn’t want to seem rude. After I was halfway through my meal, I decided to excuse myself to go to the bathroom so that I could check my phone.

In the restroom, I leaned against the sink as I took my phone out.



Justin: You were right.



What did that mean?



Amelia: Right about what?



After waiting for five full minutes, I decided to head back to the table.

“Everything alright?”

“Yes. Everything is fine.”

“I was thinking we could drive back to Newport, maybe take an evening walk down Main Street and stop for coffee or ice cream, whichever you prefer.”