American Honey

by Heidi McLaughlin

  Chapter 2

  I finally survived the rest of the semester and with the blessing of my Dad, I’m all packed up to head to Louisiana. I’ve printed directions and I have my GPS configured, just in case. Dad has been worried to death telling me over and over again to call him no matter what. I’ve already assured him that he will hear from me on the hour, every hour, if that’s what he wants. Yep, that’s exactly what he wants. As I hug him goodbye, I cling tightly to him. My Dad is the most important person in my life and I love him so much.

  “You be safe kiddo. If you change your mind up the road, just turn around.” He tells me with the most serious look on his face.

  “I know Dad, but I think this will be good for me. I will be safe, you know that.”

  “Of course I do. It’ll sure be quiet without you here this summer. I love you Shayleigh.”

  Dad never calls me by my first name, so that fact that he just did, has tears springing forward in my eyes. “I love you too Dad. I better get on the road, it’s a long drive.”

  “Have fun and don’t forget--”

  “I know Dad,” I interrupt him. “Call you. I will, I promise.”

  I hug him tightly one last time before climbing into my car and shutting the door. Once the engine roars to life, I take in a deep breath and let it out as I begin to back out of our driveway and officially begin my summer.

  ***

  I’m getting closer to my destination. My legs hurt like hell but I’ve managed to stop a few times to stretch. Sirius XM has been amazing during this drive, but now, I’m getting antsy. I’ve been inside Louisiana for awhile now and I’ve kept my promise to Dad. He’s gotten many phone calls from me. I just hung up with him and now I’m on Hwy 171 inching closer and closer to Sienna. I’m getting ready to call her and let her know that, when a popping sound fills the air and my car begins to veer off the road. Shit. I slowly hit the brakes and pull over on the side of the road. I sit there for a minute before deciding to climb out of the car and see what the hell happened. Did I hit something? I step out of my car and into the humid air. The humidity takes my breath away leaving me hot and bothered, but not in a good way. Hello, Louisiana. One look at my passenger side front tire and I see it, it’s flat. Shit, this is fucking great. Of all the things my dad taught me, changing a flat is the one thing I didn’t pay attention to. Way to go Shayleigh.

  I groan as I stare at the tire. I seriously cannot believe this happened. I walk to the car and pop the trunk. I know everything I need to change the tire is in there and I’m praying that I can figure this out. Reaching down, I grab the jack out of the trunk and it’s like trying to hold a ton of bricks. I set it beside the car, letting out the breath I was holding and try to strategically place it where it looks like it should go. I’m beginning to sweat in places that sweat shouldn’t be allowed in. I want to cry. I’m seriously thinking this is a sign that I shouldn’t have come here. I have no clue what I’m doing.

  I can’t get the jack to do anything I want it to and I’m about to give up when the sexiest voice comes from nowhere causing me to jump. “I saw you sitting here and it looks like you could use some help.”

  I look up and blink my eyes trying to make sure I’m not going delirious out here in the middle of nowhere. This God in front of me looks absolutely heavenly standing there with his baby blue eyes and short brown hair. His jeans are snug, but not too tight and that t-shirt should just be molded onto his skin. Holy shit, I’ve died and gone to heaven. That’s the only explanation I have right now.

  “I, uh yeah. I could, thanks.” That’s all I can get out of my mouth. Way to go brain, just leave me hanging.

  This godly like stranger walks around to the back of my car to get everything else out that I didn’t get and he looks back at me and chuckles. “Missouri huh? You’re a long way from home.”

  “Tell me about it,” I mumble.

  “I’ll get you fixed right up. So what are you doing out here?”

  “I’m spending the summer down here with my best friend. I thought it would be a good idea to drive, but apparently, that wasn’t such a good idea.”

  “Not a worry pretty lady, shit happens. Lucky for you, I’m here to save the day.” He winks at me and I practically melt. My insides are all twisted like a pretzel. Butterflies assault my body and I seriously can’t remember the last time something like this happened to me.

  He gets to work immediately, jacking the car up like it’s nothing. How can he make it look so easy? He’s kneeling beside my car and I can see the outline of a Skoal can in his pocket. I lick my lips as I watch him, praying he doesn’t turn around and see me lusting after him. A few more minutes pass and before I know it, the tire has been replaced. It’s a donut which kinda pisses me off. My car looks funny now. I know as soon as I can, I’ll be going to buy a new tire so my baby looks good again.

  He stands up and smiles at his handiwork before placing everything, including the tire, into the trunk. He shuts the lid and turns back to smile at me. “There you go, as good as new.” His smile is killing me and I’m glad it’s hot as hell outside so he can’t see me blushing.

  “Thank you so much. I seriously couldn’t have done this without you. You’re a lifesaver.”

  “Not a problem. I’m Beau,” he says extending his hand out to me. His hand is a little greasy from changing the tire, but I place my hand in his and try not to completely lose myself.

  “I’m Shayleigh.” Our hands stay connected for what seems like ages before I finally pull mine away. Without thinking of the grease, I wipe my hand on my shorts and look back at my car. “Well, thank you again so much. I need to get going.”

  “It was my pleasure, Shayleigh,” Beau says giving me another wink. I give him an unintentional cheesy smirk before walking back to my car. I can feel his eyes on me the whole time and the urge to look back crosses my mind, but I push it back.

  He drives off and again, I’m sitting in my car replaying the events. I grab my phone and see a missed call from Sienna. Shit, I forgot to call her.

  “Shay, I was getting worried about you. Are you ok? Did you get lost?” she asks me.

  “No, I’m fine Sienna. I got a flat tire, but I’m fixed up and I’m not far. I need to go get a new tire as soon as possible though, I can’t ride around on this stupid donut.”

  “Oh shit, why didn’t you call me?”

  “I was going to, but someone stopped and helped me.”

  “Damn girl. Well, be careful and I’ll see you in a few.”

  I hang up the phone and start my car again. Slowly, I ease back onto the road and drive again. Icy baby blue eyes fill my thoughts and I’m not sure why. Yes, he was gorgeous, but I doubt I ever see him again. At least I had the luxury of watching someone sexy change my tire and not some old nasty man with a plumbers crack.

  Fifteen more minutes in and I'm pulling up at Sienna's house in South Lake Charles. It feels so weird to be here after all this time. What I remember has changed immensely. I take a deep breath as I climb out the car. This is it, the real beginning of my summer.

  Chapter 3

  I’m barely out of the car when Sienna comes running out of her house. Skyping and texting pictures just doesn’t do our friendship justice. Her long red hair is braided and hanging over one shoulder and her legs are like mine, they go on for days. We could almost be twins, except my hair is blonde. Her eyes light up just like mine do and we don’t stop until our arms are wrapped around each other. A tear falls from my eyes and my heart warms, this moment is everything I’ve ever imagined it could be. I’ve missed her more than she could ever realize.

  “I can’t believe you’re finally here! I’ve missed you best friend!” She squeals. She squeezes me tighter to where I almost can’t breathe, but that is okay with me.

  “I know! It was a long ass drive and I can’t believe I got a flat tire. Oh shit, that reminds me, I have to call my dad real quick.”

  “Oh damn, you haven’t called him yet? You better! I’ll ge
t your suitcase out for you.” She jumps up and down still squealing as she runs over to my trunk. I pop it for her as I grab my phone out of my pocket.

  Dad is a little uneasy when I tell him a complete stranger changed my tire for me. He threatens to come down here and help me, but I assure him I’m just fine. All I have to do is go buy a new tire. He eases up and tells me to be safe. We tell each other bye and I turn to Sienna. Our eyes reflect the excitement that we know is to come.

  “Let’s go inside and get you settled. Do you want to do anything tonight? We can go somewhere or just stay inside, it’s totally up to you. I know you’ve been in a car for ten freaking hours.”

  The thought of going out somewhere in town scares me. Mom creeps into my mind. I haven’t seen her in forever so I’m not sure if she would even remember me. Hell, would I remember her?

  “I, uh, I’m kind of nervous to go anywhere. I’m not too keen on possibly seeing my mom.” I admit to her.

  She looks at me kind of crazy for a minute before finally opening her mouth to speak. “Shay, you didn’t know? Your mom remarried about five years ago and moved to Arizona with her new husband and his kids.”

  Husband and kids? Hearing this is like a blow to my gut. Emotions that have been kept locked away threaten to surface but I won’t show them. Mom doesn’t deserve my tears. She didn’t want me or dad, but found someone better and took in his kids? It’s fucked up on more levels than one, but somehow, I am okay. Maybe it’s because Dad has made sure I’ve been okay all along. I make a mental note to tell Dad about this later. This is my summer and I won’t let her get to me. I look at the clock and it’s only about 6:30pm. Now that I know there is no chance in hell of seeing my mom, I look at Sienna and flash her a wicked grin. “Where are we going?”

  ***

  After taking a shower and fixing my hair, I’m now wearing a blue jean skirt and a pink and black chevron printed blouse with sandals. Sienna is dressed in a short black dress with her sandals and we are ready to head out for a night of fun. Because of my tire situation, we climb into her Ford Mustang and we are off. I’m exhausted, but I’m not letting that ruin my summer. I can sleep later.

  “Ok, so I’m trying to think of where we can go. There are a few little bars around and those are great, but I want you to have a really good time. Want to dance?”

  Sienna is rambling on and on, she is way too excited. It’s so cute. “Yeah, dancing sounds great. Just lead the way, I’m good wherever we end up.”

  Sienna pulls up at to a brick building. I look over at her wondering where the hell we are, when she says, “It’s a nightclub Shay. They have Cajun bands that play and it’s pretty fun. I’m not too sure who is playing tonight, but let’s go in and if you aren’t having fun, we can go somewhere else.”

  I make sure to grab my ID and my money as I open the car door. The parking lot is packed so it must not be that bad of a place. Sienna refuses to let me pay for my own way in, even after I argue with her. I run up to the bar and buy her first drink for her. I press the cool bottle to my lips and let the liquid slide down my throat. I’m listening to the band play a Cajun song and I’m watching everyone dance. It looks so neat, I wonder if I could remember how while I’m down here.

  I’m lost in thought watching the dancing and listening to Sienna talk to the bartender, when a certain sexy voice breaks into my thoughts. “I must be a lucky man, getting to see you twice in the same day. Shayleigh right?”

  My eyes shift over to the God. How in the hell did this happen? Never mind that, I'll take this as a sign.

  "Lucky huh? Wow I'm surprised you remembered my name Beau." I say taking another sip of my beer. This is my first drink. Drunk is nowhere near an option, but with Beau around, I can't help but feel a little tipsy from his looks alone.

  "I never forget the name of a beautiful woman." He says winking those beautiful eyes of his.

  "Do you say that to every woman you meet?" I ask wearing a grin on my face. I can play this game.

  Before he can respond, the band plays a slow song starts and he smiles that beautiful smile of his. His hand reaches out for mine, that same hand that I shook earlier, except this time it's clean.

  I don't even turn to look for Sienna when I place my hand in his. Sparks ignite within me as I let him lead me to the dance floor.

  He pulls my body close to his, almost making us one. This feels too perfect. Couples are all over dancing and holding each other tight and yet, I can't really pry my eyes away from Beau. The one minute I look away, I spot Sienna dancing with a guy and when our eyes lock, her smile widens and she winks. All I can do is grin and turn back to Beau.

  "And for your information, I don't use that line on every woman." He says against my ear. His breath sends chills running down my spine and my knees almost buckle. "You have the most beautiful emerald green eyes I've ever seen." All I can do is cock my head to the side and stare at him in awe. Beau seems to be full of panty dropping lines and I'll be damned if mine aren't begging him to rip them off now. I don't care that I don't know him.

  The song ends and a big part of me is disappointed. Something about being that close to him felt too right. The kind of right that I've never felt before.

  The band suddenly switches to a fast upbeat Cajun song. My eyes widen and escape suddenly becomes necessary. Beau doesn't let go of me though. "Do you know how to dance to this?"

  "No, I think I'm just going to go back to the bar."

  "It's easy," He says with that grin. "Just follow my lead.” Before I know it, I'm laughing like a fool and enjoying the hell out of myself. Now that I think about it, dad used to dance with me in the kitchen back when he and mom were together. I guess the Cajun never left my blood.

  By the time the song ends, I'm out of breath and practically dying of thirst. I all but leave Beau behind to go order a beer. Sienna walks up beside me wearing a grin that would rival a Cheshire cat.

  "So, Beau Granger huh? You move quick, you just got in town."

  "What are you talking about? He helped me change my tire earlier."

  "You don't remember him do you?" She asks.

  Dumbfounded, I shake my head. I have no clue who he is. "He was that chubby kid you used to tease the fuck out of. He was so glad when you moved. I'm taking it he either doesn't remember you or he's so into you he doesn't give a shit. "

  My eyes dart back over to the ever so sexy Beau Granger making his way over to me. This is the poor boy I teased relentlessly and now I just want to jump his bones? What the fuck?

  Chapter 4

  The rest of the night was spent full of dancing and drinks. I racked my brain over and over again trying to remember Beau Granger from when I was younger. It suddenly hits me like a ton of bricks. I used to call him “Busty Beau.” He was indeed a chubby boy and he had boobs that would make a teenage girl jealous. We were in our preteens and he made a comment to me one day which resulted in backlash, and Busty Beau was born. He hated me for that, it was one of those nicknames that stuck and soon everyone was calling him that. Now, he could rival a freaking God with how amazing he looks. He’s no longer Busty Beau, he’s beautiful-knock-my-fucking-socks-off Beau and I am not sure I want him to know who I am just yet, if ever. He’d surely hate me even more and then my summer would be ruined.

  I felt even guiltier when he walked Sienna and I out to the car. I had stopped drinking once Sienna pointed out who he was. I really wish she hadn’t done that. He offered me drink after drink, but I politely declined, making up the excuse that I was the designated driver of the night. Sienna gave me the craziest look, but didn’t say another word. I was sure she caught on to what I was doing. I definitely didn’t need to get drunk and then blab everything about who I was. I do hope to be able to apologize to him one day. He leaned in and placed the perfect kiss on my cheek. His lips felt like heaven and oh how I wanted to feel my lips on his, but guilt flooded me.

  I’m lying in the spare bedroom in Sienna’s apartment staring at the ceiling. It’s only a
bout 8 a.m. and I’m not sure if she’s awake yet, so I just continue to stare. Beau freaking Granger. I can’t get him out of my mind no matter what I do. Thirty minutes pass and I decide it’s time to get up and take a shower. I need to get a new tire as soon as possible. I let the water run over my body as the nights events continue to play over and over again in my head. Why can’t I let this go? It’s the past. Who cares who he was then, even if it was me who started it all? No one in this town has seen me in years, no one will recognize me.

  I step out of the shower and dry off. I pull my long blonde hair into a messy bun and decide it can air dry. The humidity will have it dry in like five seconds. I throw on a pair of shorts with a t-shirt and my favorite sandals. Sienna is sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee. She grins widely when she sees me and points towards the coffee pot.

  “Morning Shay. Grab yourself a cup, there is plenty.”

  I walk straight to the cabinet and grab a snowflake coffee cup. I fill it to the brim and add just a tad bit of creamer. I sit across from her and let the warm liquid slide down my throat. “Mmmm, this is so good.”

  “I believe that’s the same thing you said after Beau kissed your cheek last night.” She smiles.

  I look at her glaring. “Did you have to bring him up?”

  “What? I’m sure you dreamt of Busty Beau all night long. Didn’t he develop nicely?” she continues to grin.

  “Oh my god, Sienna. I did not dream of him all night. And yes, I suppose he did.”

  “Freshman year, he walked in and everyone was like who the hell is that? I had a class with him and no one had really figured it out yet. When the teacher called roll and I heard his name, girl, I could not believe it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask.

  “Well, you lived way up north, what would it have mattered?” She makes a good point so all I do is continue to sip my coffee and nod. “What do you want to do today?”