shrimp after shrimp, dropping the shells on the
newspaper. The dipped the shrimp in cocktail sauce over and over
again until they were gone. They finished the pitcher of beer that
Sean had ordered when they first sat down.
As they walked
back to Marla’s apartment, stuffed with shrimp, Sean took Marla’s
arm. They walked in companionable silence. It had been a good night.
They both had needed it.
Back in the
apartment, Marla said she needed to get to bed. She was exhausted
from the shop, from everything.
“ Thank you
for dinner,” she said as she hugged Sean goodnight. “It was
great. I needed that shrimp more than I knew.”
“ Good night,”
Sean said as he headed to the spare bedroom.
The next
morning, Sean was already up when Marla went into the kitchen. He had
made the coffee and had a skillet of scrambled eggs on the stove.
“ Sit down,”
Sean said. “I’m making breakfast.”
He brought her
a cup of coffee and she poured cream into it. A few minutes later,
Sean put a plate in front of her with scrambled eggs and toast with
butter and jam.
“ This is
great,” Marla said as she chewed on a bite of toast. “I just
might have to keep you around.”
Sean laughed.
“I was thinking about my car. I left it at Jackson’s and need to
get it. If it hasn’t already been stripped for parts,” he said.
Marla offered to take him to get his car, and after breakfast, they
set out for Mobile. The BMW was still parked near the front door of
the bar.
“ I’m
surprised they haven’t towed it,” Sean said as he got out of
Marla’s car.
He unlocked the
door as he walked to his car. “I was thinking,” he said. “That
maybe I could go to the condo and get my stuff. I know I’m not
going to be able to stay there ever again. I just need to clear out
and take care of things with the realtor.”
Marla followed
Sean to the condo. Everything he had fit easily into his trunk and
back seat of his car. He said he wanted to leave the dishes and
kitchen stuff, but he took the towels and linens and the TV.
“ I’ll follow you
back to Bay Point,” Sean said. “I guess I need to call Catherine
and let her know I’m leaving.”
Chapter
Ten
Marla and Sean fell
into a regular routine. She went to the shop every day and when she
walked back upstairs, Sean was usually sitting on the couch watching
the news with Lucy in his lap. After a cocktail, he took her out to
eat. They ate at Steamboat Joe’s or Victoria’s, another seafood
restaurant in town. Sometimes they drove to Mobile and ate along the
bay or in town. Once, they drove to Gulf Shores and ate at a
restaurant on the pier. Some days, Sean came down to the shop and
worked with Derrick on the furniture or went with him to estate
sales. Jada and Derrick never questioned Sean’s presence, they just
accepted it. Marla was grateful for that.
Her parents
were another matter. She did not tell them that Sean was staying with
her. She didn’t think they would understand. They asked her every
now and then if she had talked to him and how he was doing. She told
them that they were in touch.
As Thanksgiving
got closer, Cynthia called Sean and invited him to Thanksgiving
dinner. He accepted. That day, he and Marla drove separately to her
parents. Marla helped her mother with the dinner while Sean and Bob
watched football games. Marla wasn’t worried that her father would
ask Sean where he was living or anything like that. But Cynthia did
ask Marla. It made her very uncomfortable to lie to her mother. “He’s
got that condo in Mobile,” she said.
“ I think I’ll
go to Atlanta for Christmas,” Sean said to Marla one night as they
were watching television. “My parents want to see me, and I want to
see them.”
This was coming
out of the blue to Marla. But of course she realized that Sean would
want to see his family. She was surprised that she felt upset that
Sean would be gone. He had become part of her everyday life.
newspaper. The dipped the shrimp in cocktail sauce over and over
again until they were gone. They finished the pitcher of beer that
Sean had ordered when they first sat down.
As they walked
back to Marla’s apartment, stuffed with shrimp, Sean took Marla’s
arm. They walked in companionable silence. It had been a good night.
They both had needed it.
Back in the
apartment, Marla said she needed to get to bed. She was exhausted
from the shop, from everything.
“ Thank you
for dinner,” she said as she hugged Sean goodnight. “It was
great. I needed that shrimp more than I knew.”
“ Good night,”
Sean said as he headed to the spare bedroom.
The next
morning, Sean was already up when Marla went into the kitchen. He had
made the coffee and had a skillet of scrambled eggs on the stove.
“ Sit down,”
Sean said. “I’m making breakfast.”
He brought her
a cup of coffee and she poured cream into it. A few minutes later,
Sean put a plate in front of her with scrambled eggs and toast with
butter and jam.
“ This is
great,” Marla said as she chewed on a bite of toast. “I just
might have to keep you around.”
Sean laughed.
“I was thinking about my car. I left it at Jackson’s and need to
get it. If it hasn’t already been stripped for parts,” he said.
Marla offered to take him to get his car, and after breakfast, they
set out for Mobile. The BMW was still parked near the front door of
the bar.
“ I’m
surprised they haven’t towed it,” Sean said as he got out of
Marla’s car.
He unlocked the
door as he walked to his car. “I was thinking,” he said. “That
maybe I could go to the condo and get my stuff. I know I’m not
going to be able to stay there ever again. I just need to clear out
and take care of things with the realtor.”
Marla followed
Sean to the condo. Everything he had fit easily into his trunk and
back seat of his car. He said he wanted to leave the dishes and
kitchen stuff, but he took the towels and linens and the TV.
“ I’ll follow you
back to Bay Point,” Sean said. “I guess I need to call Catherine
and let her know I’m leaving.”
Chapter
Ten
Marla and Sean fell
into a regular routine. She went to the shop every day and when she
walked back upstairs, Sean was usually sitting on the couch watching
the news with Lucy in his lap. After a cocktail, he took her out to
eat. They ate at Steamboat Joe’s or Victoria’s, another seafood
restaurant in town. Sometimes they drove to Mobile and ate along the
bay or in town. Once, they drove to Gulf Shores and ate at a
restaurant on the pier. Some days, Sean came down to the shop and
worked with Derrick on the furniture or went with him to estate
sales. Jada and Derrick never questioned Sean’s presence, they just
accepted it. Marla was grateful for that.
Her parents
were another matter. She did not tell them that Sean was staying with
her. She didn’t think they would understand. They asked her every
now and then if she had talked to him and how he was doing. She told
them that they were in touch.
As Thanksgiving
got closer, Cynthia called Sean and invited him to Thanksgiving
dinner. He accepted. That day, he and Marla drove separately to her
parents. Marla helped her mother with the dinner while Sean and Bob
watched football games. Marla wasn’t worried that her father would
ask Sean where he was living or anything like that. But Cynthia did
ask Marla. It made her very uncomfortable to lie to her mother. “He’s
got that condo in Mobile,” she said.
“ I think I’ll
go to Atlanta for Christmas,” Sean said to Marla one night as they
were watching television. “My parents want to see me, and I want to
see them.”
This was coming
out of the blue to Marla. But of course she realized that Sean would
want to see his family. She was surprised that she felt upset that
Sean would be gone. He had become part of her everyday life.
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