2. Ami #2
His deep blue eyes flash with annoyance.
“You know, I was actually making progress until you showed up.” “Progress toward what? Burning down the entire block?” I retorted.
“Seriously, Smoke, you might want to stick to salads.” “Noted,” he says dryly, tossing the ruined dish towel onto the table.
“So, how was your writing course? Maggie told me you were going to one.”
I smirk, crossing my arms.
“Oh, you know, just fine. But at least I got away from the city for a bit. How about you? I saw you pull Clara out of the bakery yesterday and it made me proud of you. And thankful, too.” After a long silence, Ethan gives me a strange look that I can’t describe.
He squints and tips his head side to side.
“Whaaat?” I finally urge him to at least say something.
“So that was you across the street then.”
Now I’m flummoxed. He nodded to me. He looked my way several times. And now he asks if it was me?
“Honest, Ami, I really didn’t recognize you behind the shades and hat. And what’s with the extra six inches of hair? I thought there was a new girl in town.” Then the slow smirk crosses his face, and he adds: “And I couldn’t wait to meet her, yummy yum.”
I smack his shoulder and fake pout, but I can’t hold it in, and I burst out laughing. He’s such a toad. “Maybe if I had worn a long blonde wig, you’d be chasing a phantom girl around town for weeks. Anyway, Smoke, besides playing with fire, what else have you been up to?”
He shrugs.
“The usual. Work! Just on a holiday for a few days. The truck that went out earlier is only going to a small grass fire, so I didn’t get called in.
” “You owe me breakfast for saving your sorry butt and your now dead grill. My heroism deserves some pancakes.” “My culinary skills are clearly limited, you must remember.”
"That I can see," I gesture towards the grill, which still has smoke coming from it.
***
After helping Ethan, I settle down in my kitchen. Seabrook's morning sunlight streams through the window, making the countertops shine like gold.
With a sip of coffee, I lean against the counter.
Breakfast is simple. Just some toast and scrambled eggs.
And then the memories start flooding back.
One summer in particular stands out. It was unforgettable when Ethan and I were teenagers, but the dynamic was pretty much the same.
We never really got along!
We were always at each other's throats back then, constantly trying to one-up each other. And it's not like much has changed now. But it’s better. Still, I miss the time back then. Even though it was exhausting; weirdly, it was also kind of fun.
Who knew that we would still be here years later, still bickering?
I finish my breakfast and rinse the dishes, my mind back to the present.
Seabrook is quiet in the early morning; the only sounds are the distant call of seagulls and the gentle rustling of palm leaves, and of course, the occasional fire truck.
And as much as I hated losing to Ethan back as a kid, I can’t help but smile at the memory, even when he is still as insufferable as ever.
Focus, Ami. Now it's time to get ready to go see Aunt Maggie.
After a quick shower, I throw on my favorite sundress that Aunt Maggie gave me and some sandals. With my coffee mug for the day in hand, I head for the door, stepping out into the sunny morning. The air smells like salt and blooming flowers.
I take a few steps down the driveway, my eyes fixed on the beautiful sky above, but then…
Suddenly, I collide with something solid, nearly spilling my coffee.
I look up, and of course, it has to be Ethan.
His hands grip my arms to stop me from falling over, and we are suddenly very close.
Almost too close. “Watch where you’re going, Ami.”
“Maybe you should watch where you’re standing,” I retort, but my pulse quickens at the closeness of his body near me.
“You always did have a way of running into trouble.”
“And you always have a way of being right in the middle of it,” I snap back, but my voice is breathier than I would have liked.
His closeness is doing weird things to my brain. I think that his deep blue eyes may have some magic in them.
He smirks, his eyes flicking down to my lips for a fraction of a second.
“Missed me, didn’t you?”
“Like a hole in the head,” I say, but the words lack conviction.
Ethan's hands slide down my arms before he finally lets go.
I take a step back, trying to regain my composure, but my skin tingles where he touched me.
“Still making a mess of things, I see,” he says, gesturing to my nearly spilled coffee.
“Better a mess than a bore. What’s your excuse for being out here, anyway? To make another disaster?”
“No, just fixing up the fence. But I could use a distraction. Care to help?”
“As tempting as manual labor sounds, I’ll pass. Besides, I have better things to do.”
“Like avoiding more collisions?”
Ah… He is the same smug, grumpy, infuriating Ethan. I swear, he lives to annoy me.
“Like finding a way to get through this summer without strangling you,” I reply sweetly, giving him a mock smile. And then I turn away, heading down the street to do what I left my home to do before I bumped into him. That is, if my brain can remember what that was.