“I guess that’s it,” she says when he hangs up.
“I can get you a generator. It might save what’s in your freezer. I have one at home in the garage,” I tell her, wanting her to understand it’s no big deal to grab it.
“I don’t think the food is salvageable.” She wrinkles up her nose again. “The power has been out for hours. I’m not worried about it. Thank you for the offer though.”
“Are you sure? It’s no problem.”
“I’m sure. It’s just groceries.”
I take turns looking at Oz and Memphis. That could be a couple hundred bucks in the fridge if it’s stocked up, which is not something we would waste, but it’s clear Waylynn is in a much different tax bracket than any of us.
“Looks like I get free rein,” Oswald says, hauling open the fridge to look inside.
“Don’t eat that, you’ll get sick,” Waylynn warns.
“He’ll be fine,” Memphis and I say in unison.
Waylynn
I’m silently dreadingmy next words, but I say them anyway. There’s no reason anyone needs to suffer here with me. “You guys can go home. I can’t even offer you decent food.” Once I say the words, I dart a glance at Bates. I’m not sure if he knows Oswald and Memphis have been staying here. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.
“I hate to admit it, Wavy, but your place is way nicer than ours, even without power.”
“We’re not leaving you here alone,” Memphis says, then turns to Oswald. “Unless you want to go back to your dorm? Then she would have a decent place to sleep at the apartment.” It’s strange how he doesn’t call it his home. Oswald doesn’t even offer a response, other than a snort.
“Already forgetting about me, huh, or do I get the broken futon?” Bates chimes in.
“Looking to join the party, are you? Can’t say I’m surprised,” Oswald remarks with a wide grin that looks a little freaky from the shadows created by the glow of Bates’ heavy-duty flashlight shining up at the kitchen ceiling.
“You know how much I hate being left out.” Bates turns his attention to Memphis. “My only question is, am I too late?” Something about the way Bates asks the question, specifically to Memphis, and the stiffness of his posture, makes me think he’s wary of either the question itself or the answer Memphis might give him.
Whatever is going on, it’s clear I’m not privy to the entire context. It’s like being with a group of people who are sharing an inside joke and no one cares to let you in on the punch line.
Memphis takes a long time before responding—so long, I think he might ignore the question altogether—but eventually, he says, “Maybe,” which seems completely noncommittal, but then again, I know I’m missing something.
I’m looking back and forth between them with thinly veiled confusion and scrunched up features until Memphis sets his sights on me, and then I rein in my curiosity.
“Do you mind if Bates crashes here?” The question is posed so soon after his weird response to Bates, I don’t immediately know how to reply. My instinct is to say that I don’t mind and he’s welcome to stay. He did come over to help sort out the power situation, but I don’t know if that’s the right answer now.
“If it’s okay with you. I don’t mind,” I hedge. It’s probably unfair that I’m making him take responsibility, but I do it anyway.
Memphis
I can’t say Bates’interest in Waylynn has gone unnoticed. I saw the way he looked at her the first day we showed up here, but I’m a little surprised that it seems like he might want to be included in what Oz and I are already sold on.
About fifty thoughts slam into my brain at the same time. Would I be able to handle sharing more of her? Would she be okay with it? What if Bates tried to take her from us? The only time we ever shared a woman, it was strictly sex and we both knew that going in. This would be different.
Would it be nice to have my best friend around more, the only other person besides my brother I care about? Yes. That response is the only easy answer. Did I ever think he would be into it? Not really, so I never gave it much thought. After his real dad left and his mom married Jimmy a few years later, he had a pretty normal upbringing, but I know his past scarred him too. Did I miss cues along the way?
I’m still mulling everything over, including Waylynn’s answer that Bates is welcome to stay as long as I’m okay with it. Of course she has no idea everyone else here isn’t referring to him crashing in one of the spare rooms for a night.
That, more than anything, causes me not to have to answer, because all of this is ultimately her choice, and there’s no way she’s ready to answer that kind of question.
I never really worried about Waylynn accepting both Oz and me. From the beginning, I could feel her attraction to both of us, but this might be too much to ask.
“Let’s go watch a movie.” Oswald breaks the silence, and I’m grateful for the reprieve. He angles his way toward Waylynn and bends his knees a little so he’s hunched in front of her. “Hop on.”
“I will not!” she snaps quickly and starts hobbling away on her crutches to get away from him faster.
