thought it’d be warmer today.’
‘I think it’s because we’re close to the water,’ Alexis answered.
‘So, do tell,’ Susan prodded. ‘What he do? Do you like him? What did you say?’
Seeing Ethan coming from inside followed by Ted, Alexis said, ‘Later.’
‘OK, but I want to know everything.’ Susan moved from Alexis to Ted, hugging him around his waist as he tried to open the car door. The couple looked comfortable together. Alexis glanced at Ethan. His eyes trained on her for a brief moment. He was wearing a navy-blue technician’s panel jacket with the small logo for Adam’s Heating and Air embroidered on the front. On the back was the screen-printed emblem of a skull surrounded by spider webs with the words, ‘Tornado Tattoo’.
‘Man, you wouldn’t believe this guy,’ Ted said, laughing, as they got into the car. He nodded his head at Ethan. ‘Everywhere we go it’s been the same. He smiles. The girls whimper. He says he does tattoos and they offer him stuff. Man, I’m beginning to think I got into the wrong business.’
‘Hey, you better not think about trying to seduce other girls to get what you want,’ Susan said, slugging his arm.
‘Yeah, being cool does have its perks,’ Ethan said, starting the car.
‘What did you get this time?’ Susan asked.
‘Actually, we’ll get to see a yacht later,’ Ted said.
‘We get to go sailing on a yacht?’ Susan gasped in excitement. Alexis couldn’t help but smile.
‘Ah, well, not exactly.’ Ted chuckled. ‘We kind of got jobs cleaning yachts and sailboats. That girl’s uncle owns a shipyard and he’s hooking us up. Since it’s spring, everyone’s getting their boats out. They’re understaffed and overworked.’
Alexis’s expression fell. They got her a job cleaning boats?
‘Pays pretty well I guess,’ Ethan said. ‘Tressa says they’re desperate for help this week.’
Tressa? Alexis frowned, turning to get another glimpse of the gas-station cashier. She was watching them out of her window. The woman would so be named something like Tressa. Ethan reached into his back pocket, pulling out a piece of paper.
‘What’s that?’ Alexis asked. ‘Her phone number?’
‘No.’ Ethan smirked. ‘Directions to a house we can rent pretty cheap. It’ll only cost us thirty bucks a piece for three days.’
‘Three days?’ Alexis asked. ‘We’re going to be here that long?’
‘Why not?’ Susan asked. Alexis could tell her friend liked the idea. ‘It’s a beautiful location. I saw a sign back there for fresh cheese. You know, Wisconsin is the dairy state. We have to try the cheese.’
‘I want to try some of that cherry wine,’ Ted said. ‘Sounds interesting.’
‘I think I saw a billboard for vineyards,’ Ethan said. ‘And I got a map of the peninsula.’
‘You actually bought a map?’ Alexis asked, unable to help herself.
‘Only of the peninsula,’ Ethan said, winking at her. ‘Don’t worry, doll, I can still get us lost in the Midwest.’
Her stomach fluttered nervously at the playfulness of his tone. OK, why was she flirting with Ethan?
The directions led them through a long grove of trees, taking them to the outskirts of town. Ethan slowed down, looking for street numbers. ‘Ah, here it is.’ He turned into a long driveway. A new, modern ranch-style house was on one side of the drive. An older dwelling was on the other.
‘Which do you think is for rent?’ Susan asked.
‘That one.’ Ethan pointed to the older one. It was blue-grey. The paint was chipped off the sides and it was smaller compared to the other nineteenth-century houses in town. ‘Tressa said they’ll have a washer and dryer inside we can use, a fridge, stove, whatever. The weekenders cancelled and lost their deposit, so we get it half-price.’
‘Perfect,’ Susan said. ‘I could stand to do some laundry.’
‘Mm, I could stand for you to do my laundry, too,’ Ted said.
‘Me too,’ Alexis quickly said, scrunching
‘I think it’s because we’re close to the water,’ Alexis answered.
‘So, do tell,’ Susan prodded. ‘What he do? Do you like him? What did you say?’
Seeing Ethan coming from inside followed by Ted, Alexis said, ‘Later.’
‘OK, but I want to know everything.’ Susan moved from Alexis to Ted, hugging him around his waist as he tried to open the car door. The couple looked comfortable together. Alexis glanced at Ethan. His eyes trained on her for a brief moment. He was wearing a navy-blue technician’s panel jacket with the small logo for Adam’s Heating and Air embroidered on the front. On the back was the screen-printed emblem of a skull surrounded by spider webs with the words, ‘Tornado Tattoo’.
‘Man, you wouldn’t believe this guy,’ Ted said, laughing, as they got into the car. He nodded his head at Ethan. ‘Everywhere we go it’s been the same. He smiles. The girls whimper. He says he does tattoos and they offer him stuff. Man, I’m beginning to think I got into the wrong business.’
‘Hey, you better not think about trying to seduce other girls to get what you want,’ Susan said, slugging his arm.
‘Yeah, being cool does have its perks,’ Ethan said, starting the car.
‘What did you get this time?’ Susan asked.
‘Actually, we’ll get to see a yacht later,’ Ted said.
‘We get to go sailing on a yacht?’ Susan gasped in excitement. Alexis couldn’t help but smile.
‘Ah, well, not exactly.’ Ted chuckled. ‘We kind of got jobs cleaning yachts and sailboats. That girl’s uncle owns a shipyard and he’s hooking us up. Since it’s spring, everyone’s getting their boats out. They’re understaffed and overworked.’
Alexis’s expression fell. They got her a job cleaning boats?
‘Pays pretty well I guess,’ Ethan said. ‘Tressa says they’re desperate for help this week.’
Tressa? Alexis frowned, turning to get another glimpse of the gas-station cashier. She was watching them out of her window. The woman would so be named something like Tressa. Ethan reached into his back pocket, pulling out a piece of paper.
‘What’s that?’ Alexis asked. ‘Her phone number?’
‘No.’ Ethan smirked. ‘Directions to a house we can rent pretty cheap. It’ll only cost us thirty bucks a piece for three days.’
‘Three days?’ Alexis asked. ‘We’re going to be here that long?’
‘Why not?’ Susan asked. Alexis could tell her friend liked the idea. ‘It’s a beautiful location. I saw a sign back there for fresh cheese. You know, Wisconsin is the dairy state. We have to try the cheese.’
‘I want to try some of that cherry wine,’ Ted said. ‘Sounds interesting.’
‘I think I saw a billboard for vineyards,’ Ethan said. ‘And I got a map of the peninsula.’
‘You actually bought a map?’ Alexis asked, unable to help herself.
‘Only of the peninsula,’ Ethan said, winking at her. ‘Don’t worry, doll, I can still get us lost in the Midwest.’
Her stomach fluttered nervously at the playfulness of his tone. OK, why was she flirting with Ethan?
The directions led them through a long grove of trees, taking them to the outskirts of town. Ethan slowed down, looking for street numbers. ‘Ah, here it is.’ He turned into a long driveway. A new, modern ranch-style house was on one side of the drive. An older dwelling was on the other.
‘Which do you think is for rent?’ Susan asked.
‘That one.’ Ethan pointed to the older one. It was blue-grey. The paint was chipped off the sides and it was smaller compared to the other nineteenth-century houses in town. ‘Tressa said they’ll have a washer and dryer inside we can use, a fridge, stove, whatever. The weekenders cancelled and lost their deposit, so we get it half-price.’
‘Perfect,’ Susan said. ‘I could stand to do some laundry.’
‘Mm, I could stand for you to do my laundry, too,’ Ted said.
‘Me too,’ Alexis quickly said, scrunching
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