Chapter 3
It’s all hustle and bustle in the great city
of San Francisco. The sun shined down on the picturesque metropolis making it
every bit as beautiful as it’s postcards claim. Large ships sailed to sea
beneath the monumental Golden Gate Bridge. Hundreds of tourists were busy
window shopping on the famous Fisherman’s Warf and trolleys sailed gracefully
down the steep hills cheerfully ringing their bells as they went. It was a far
cry from the serenity of Whitmore Lake and as Sarah stepped out of the airport
shuttle van in front of her aunt’s house she was overwhelmed by it all. As a
driver set a couple of raggedy old suitcases on the curb Sarah glanced up the
street marveling at the long row of connected houses. “Haven’t these people
heard of grass?” she wondered aloud stepping up to the front door.
Sarah took a deep breath before ringing the
doorbell. An intensely beautiful woman significantly younger than Sarah’s
father answered the door. She looked as if she’d stepped straight out of a
modern woman magazine. She was wearing a sexy yet sophisticated dress suit and
was frantically flipping through her daytimer. She flashed Sarah an
intoxicating smile while yelling into the mouthpiece of a cell phone that hung
from her ear. She waved Sarah in and shut the door behind her. “I don’t care
how you do it,” she ordered into the phone, “Just get it done!”
Sarah watched mystified as she snapped her
phone shut. The woman closed her eyes and took several slow deep breaths as if
she were in some yoga class. Once calm she opened her eyes and threw her arms
around Sarah. “Welcome!” she cried with excitement practically squeezing the
life out of Sarah.
“Hey Aunt Janet.” Sarah said trying her best
to take a step back from the intense woman.
“I’m glad to see you made it ok. I’m really
sorry I couldn’t come get you but if you haven’t noticed I’ve had a bit of a
crisis today.”
Sarah shrugged. “The airport was a little
chaotic but I’m still in one piece.”
“Chaotic?” Janet smirked, “Chaotic is serving
lamb to a vegetarian wedding party.”
Janet grabbed one of the suitcases and headed
up the stairs. “Come on,” she laughed as Sarah stared blankly around the house,
“Your room’s this way. I’ll help you unpack.”
Janet threw the suitcase down onto the bed of
the guest room and Sarah placed the other next to it. Janet had not stopped
rambling since Sarah arrived. “Your dad tells me you like cars,” she said, “I
found a good deal on an old car. It needs some work, but I though you might
like to fix it up. Then you’ll have something to do this summer and a way to
get to school in the fall.”
Janet stopped talking and stood over the
luggage puzzled. “Is this everything?” she asked as if that were impossible.
Sarah nodded and Janet broke into laughter.
“Wow!” she exclaimed, “I would need more bags than this for my shoes alone.”
Sarah forced a smile and then began to wander
about her new room. She looked out the window and saw a beat up old Mustang
parked on the curb. Janet was right, it was pretty beat up but at least it was
a classic year. She turned around to see Janet pulling things from the
suitcases and hanging them in the closet. Sarah was a little confused why she
was hanging up jeans but she didn’t bother to ask. Janet pulled a pair of
overalls from the suitcase and held them up to examine them. They had grease
stains on them and were starting to get worn out in the knees. She wrinkled her
nose. “No offense Sarah, but you’re not going to turn many heads walking around
in stuff like this all the time. Don’t you own a skirt?” She asked rummaging through
what still remained in the suitcase.
“Oh, I don’t wear dresses.” Sarah replied.
Janet laughed but Sarah didn’t. Janet stopped
her giggling and stared in disbelief at her niece. “You’re serious?” She
gasped, “You really don’t own a skirt?”
Sarah shrugged and Janet shook her head in
bewilderment. Finally she shrugged and her eyes lit up with excitement. “We can
fix that easy enough. There’s tons of great shopping in this town. We’ll go
this week.”
Janet’s phone rang and she groaned as she looked
at the caller ID. She smiled at Sarah with a wink and then skipped out of the
room. Sarah flopped down on the bed pushing the suitcases to the floor. “This
is going to be a long year.” She said with a sigh.
********
A man
in a tuxedo sat behind a beautiful grand piano filling a swanky restaurant with
a romantic melody. Brian and Nick sat at a table set for four. Nick stared
curiously at the door to the ladies room. Brian watched a well-dressed couple
twirling gracefully on a small dance floor. The lovebirds shared a quick kiss
and Brian began nervously fidgeting with his collar. “I can’t believe you
talked me into this.” He said swallowing a large gulp of ice water. “I feel
like Jerry Lewis doubling with Cary Grant.”
“What do you suppose they do in there for so
long?” Nick said ignoring his brothers’ complaints.
“I don’t understand why you couldn’t get one
of your buddies to baby-sit this girl.” Brian grumbled.
“You should be thanking me Bri. When’s the
last time you went on a date?”
“I don’t have time to worry about girls.”
Nick sighed at the agitated tone in his
brother’s voice. “Explain to me why your taking a full coarse load again? I
think you completely missed the point of summer break.”
“The sooner I graduate the sooner I get out of
here.” Brian sighed.
“You wouldn’t dare leave me alone in that
house. It’s bad enough having you away at the dorms during the week. Remember
you promised you’d save me from becoming the next President of the U of M
Alumni.”
Brian rolled his eyes but then smiled at his
younger brother. “That’s better.” Nick said when he saw the smrik. “Keep the
smile. I need you to at least pretend to enjoy yourself tonight. I need you to
be my wing man on this one.”
“Your wing man?” Brian asked raising an
eyebrow at Nick.
“You’ve gotta help me out. Deanna’s worried
that I’m not serious about our relationship.”
Brian laughed recalling Nick’s track record
for meaningless flings. “Deanna sounds like a smart girl.” He teased.
“Come on Bri. It’s different this time. I
really like this one. You gotta help me look good.”
“What do you mean it’s different this time?
Different how? You want get married or something?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down. It’s been a
month. I just want to get past a fifth date.”
“Right.” Brian said with a laugh and then sat
up straight as their dates returned from the restroom.
A little later Brian cringed as Deanna fed
Nick a bite of her pasta. This has been the most uncomfortable date Brian’s
ever been on. He and his date both squirmed awkwardly in their chairs as Nick
kissed Deanna. One kiss became two and Brian kicked Nick underneath the table.
Nick looked at Brian somewhat hurt while Brian glared back. Seeing his
brother’s discomfort, Nick rolled his eyes and then turned his charm toward
Brian’s date. “So Veronica, Deanna says you’re an art major at NYU?”
“Art history.” Veronica corrected.
“That sounds fun.” Nick said making polite
conversation.
“I like it.” Veronica shrugged.
Nick glared at his brother hinting at him to
say something. Brian thought for a minute and then said, “It must be nice to
study something you love.”
“Isn’t that the point?” Veronica asked a
little less than impressed at Brian’s statement.
Brian was drowning and Nick stepped in to save
him. He forced a laugh and said, “You’ve obviously never met our dad.” Nick
laughed again and then in a tone of voice that clearly mocked his father said,
“You have to be practical if you’re going to make it in this world. No time for
play son, that’s what retirement is for.”
“I’m a business major.” Brian shrugged.
“Sounds fascinating.” Veronica replied
sarcastically.
“It’s not so bad.” Brian defended himself
thinking that the chemistry between him and this girl couldn’t have been worse,
“Nick and I want to start our own business together. It’ll be worth it to be my
own boss some day.”
Deanna looked at her boyfriend surprised. This
news impressed her. “You want to start your own business? Oh honey, that’s so
ambitious of you. And so cute.” She whined in a patronizing tone.
Nick flashed a look to Brian that sort of
said, now your talkin’ and grinned wickedly at Deanna. “Well I’m a cute guy.”
Deanna couldn’t resist the smile and giggled
as she rubbed noses with Nick. The two kissed again. Brian cringed again and
forced an awkward smile at Veronica. She politely returned the gesture and
broke the awkward moment by asking, “What kind of business are you going to
start?”
“We don’t really know yet, maybe something to
do with cars. Although we have slightly different taste, that is one passion
that Nick and I share.”
Deanna pulled her lips away from Nick with a
laugh. “That’s the truth.” She said, “I don’t know what it is about the Harper
men and their cars. You should come by the house sometime. Grandfather is
always looking for someone to show off his collection to.
Brian’s interest was peaked for the first time
all evening and he sat up in his chair. “Your grandfather collects cars?”
Nick beamed with pride. “He has a garage that
would make Henry Ford jealous.”
“Really?” Brian asked curiously thinking that
this evening may not be a total waste after all.
******
It was another bustling day in the big city
and Janet was one of the busiest bodies in it. She was quickly unpacking boxes
from the trunk of her car and setting them on the front steps of her house. Her
assistant, a young man the same age as Sarah, carried the boxes inside the
house. Sarah drove up in the Mustang and parked out front. The cherry red car sparkled
like new. “Back already?” Janet asked when Sarah stepped out of the car.
“Almost didn’t make it back.” Sarah laughed.
“Still having problems with the engine?”
“No.” Sarah said with a smirk, “But does there
have to be a stop sign at the top of every single hill in this city?”
Janet chuckled. Sarah leaned against the door
and proudly patted the vehicle. “I think she’s finally finished.” She
announced.
“She’s fabulous!” Janet’s assistant exclaimed
walking back outside.
The young man who was now admiring Sarah’s car
surprised her. She forced back a giggle and looked curiously at her aunt. “You
remember my assistant, Lance?”
Lance offered Sarah a flimsy handshake and she
smiled at him. “The guy who wouldn’t hand me a wrench because he didn’t want to
ruin his manicure?” she chuckled, “How could I forget?”
“The
condition of one’s hands says so much about a person.” Lance replied
dramatically and took a close look at Sarah’s hands. He wrinkled his nose at
the grease-stained calluses and chewed up nails. “We have got to get these
fixed before your big debut.”
Lance dropped her hand and picked up another
box. “My what?” Sarah asked following Janet and Lance into the house with the
last box.
“I told you she’s not going to like the idea.”
Janet said to Lance as if Sarah weren’t even in the room.
“What idea?” Sarah demanded.
“A party.” Janet sighed knowing that Sarah
would protest.
“Uh-uh.” Sarah said shaking her head
forcefully.
“A beach party.” Lance elaborated hoping it
might help sway her.
“No way!” she replied.
“You have to.” Lance said with a whine, “Every
year the school throws a huge back to school party for the new seniors. The
ocean, a barbeque, a DJ… Justin and Chris playing volleyball in the sand
shirtless…”
Sarah and Janet exchanged glances as Lance
drifted off into a dream. “It would be a good way for you to get to know some
of the other kids.” Janet suggested.
Sarah hesitated but then gave up her protest.
“Fine.”
Lance clapped his hands together excitedly.
“Oh goody! I just love parties! Come, come. We have a lot of work to do.”
Lance grabbed Sarah and began to drag her out
by the arm. “I am not getting my nails done.” She warned him and then turned
her attention back to Janet, “And I’m not wearing a skirt!”
Lance pushed Sarah out the door and flashed a
wicked smile at Janet. “It’s a beach party.” He giggled, “You don’t need a
skirt, you need a bikini.”
The day of the party Sarah sat in the parking
lot at the beach watching a couple of girls walk past her wearing bikini tops
and sarongs. She frowned and announced to Lance, who was sitting shotgun, that
she was not getting out of the car. Lance opened the door and dragged her out.
Sarah clung tightly to the giant beach towel that she had wrapped around her
body. Lance stole the towel revealing a plain one-piece swimsuit and some cut
off shorts. Lance took off running toward the crowd while Sarah chased after
him.
***