Six Days: Book One in the SIX Series

by Randileigh Kennedy

  As I drove with Mallory to drop off the party delivery, I asked the question. “So, I know Meg works at that marketing firm, and Johnny said something about cooking for a restaurant. What about Steve and Griffin? What do they do?” I inquired nonchalantly.

  “Oh, Steve does construction. Well, I shouldn’t say that, it’s more like wood working I guess you’d call it. He builds custom shelves in people’s homes, that kind of thing. He does amazing work. He actually helped me with some of the counters and shelves in the bakery when I had it renovated. And Griffin works for his dad, which is kind of a sore subject. His family owns some of the buildings downtown, but I don’t really know what he actually does, is that weird? Did you ever watch all the reruns on all the time of that show Friends?” Mallory asked.

  I nodded.

  “It’s like Chandler, you know, everyone always has that friend where you don’t really know exactly what they do all day. We just know he doesn’t like it and he seems angry about it, especially as of late, so no one really asks too many questions.” Mallory pulled the car into the driveway of a log house set on Lake Tahoe. The house was gigantic. “The one time he was dared to leave, to get away from it all, he actually did. We couldn’t believe it. But that went terribly wrong, so he came back and we all just kind of accepted that the career path with his dad had been set.”

  Mallory and I carried in all of the bakery boxes, thanked the homeowners for their business, and drove back to the shop.

  “So how is it that all of you are still single? I mean, all three of them, Johnny, Steve, Griffin, they’re all good looking guys. Did any of you ever…” my voice trailed off as I couldn’t think of how to exactly phrase what I was getting at.

  “Oh no, ew,” Mallory blurted out. “I mean not ew, but I don’t know, that would just be weird by now, for me at least. I have known these guys forever. And honestly we’re all such good friends, I just don’t think we’d ever want to ruin that, you know? Although Meg and Steve,” Mallory said, shaking her head, “they did have a thing once. They’re both a little vague about the details, and it was years ago. I just know it didn’t last long and somehow they were able to walk away from it with no hard feelings, which I just don’t get. Then there’s Johnny, he actually dated Kate for awhile.”

  “Who’s Kate?” I asked, wondering how I was supposed to know who that was.

  “Oh sorry, Kate was my old roommate. She used to help me with the shop. The one who moved to New York on a whim and left me stranded.”

  “Oh, that’s right, Johnny had mentioned her the other night when he brought up the camping trip,” I said nodding, trying to piece everything together.

  “Anyway, Johnny and Kate’s relationship was always kind of up and down, for years actually. So honestly, that kind of just made it weird for the group a lot of the time, like we all had to take sides every time they were off again. I think we all learned a lot from that experience. We basically came to realize that we appreciated each other more as reliable friends, rather than trying to make it something more and it not working out. They eventually worked through it, kind of, but I don’t know. Something always felt off after that, you know?”

  “Yeah, I get it. I can see how that could make things weird, given how close all of you are,” I replied.

  “I really try not to have hard feelings towards Kate for just leaving me high and dry and all that, considering she was the one to push me into this in the first place. After my grandparents passed away and left me this old building they owned,” Mallory motioned to the bakery as we pulled back in the lot, “she always encouraged me to make the bottom into a little pastry shop. It wasn’t until the camping trip last year that she actually dared me to do it. At least as a place to bake stuff, versus crowding up our apartment with it I guess. So, I eventually had the bottom of the building renovated so I could handle a little more work. More birthday parties and such, nothing too crazy. As you know, it’s still just a hobby despite my very official looking sign, but I do feel proud about it. The guys were amazing. They did a lot of the work inside, as if they actually believed that someday I would have a full fledged business.”

  Mallory and I got out of the car. I looked through the windows of her shop, still enamored at just how cute and stylish the place was, considering how few people she actually had coming in. It almost seemed like a waste to take all of her business to her customers when they should be coming in to actually see and appreciate the place.

  “You do have a real business, Mallory. You do amazing work. More people will come eventually, it just takes time to build up a following,” I replied sincerely.

  “Eh, I don’t know. I just can’t give up my other job yet. Not without knowing this could really work, you know?” Mallory shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve always enjoyed baking, but it just seems surreal to me that I could do it full-time and get by like that. Sounds too good to be true. Besides, I’m still holding out for a handsome rich husband anyway, so maybe none of this will even matter,” Mallory said giggling. We walked back into the shop laughing.

  That evening, we cleaned up the bakery and sanitized all of the equipment. Although I was busy and distracted most of the day, it still nagged at me that Griffin hadn’t shown up. I hoped he would at least stop by the open house the following evening. Mallory was trying them out on different days of the week, just to see which types of people came on which particular days. She thought that maybe, eventually, she could work her way up to being open all day one or two days a week.

  That night Mallory and I went out for a couple of drinks with Johnny and Steve. They were fun to be around, and although I found Steve to be particularly handsome and funny, my mind still wandered to thoughts about Griffin. Maybe he was out on a date tonight? He seemed to be in a heated conversation on the phone the night of the party, maybe a relationship issue of sorts? Mallory had made it sound as if all the guys were single, but I guess she wasn’t really specific. Maybe he was at least dating someone casually? I was never good at figuring out how that all worked, the ‘rules’ of it all.

  Mallory and I left the bar at eleven o’clock and I actually went back with her to her place, thinking it would be easier to get an early start in the morning to prepare for our open house the following day.

  Mallory was very easy to get along with. She was open about her past relationships, talked a lot about her travels, and spoke endearingly about her family. She always had stories to tell, and I loved that about her. When it was my turn for conversation, I glazed over my childhood, thankful that we didn’t delve too deep into that. I felt comfortable talking to Mallory, I really did. But after hearing her stories about all the experiences she had, how wonderful her family was, I just didn’t think she would quite understand what a different life I had. I didn’t think she would judge me for any of it by any means, but I also didn’t want her pity. I liked to keep it light, almost pretending to even myself that I had a normal life as well. After talking for a couple hours, I finally drifted off to sleep on Mallory’s soft corduroy couch.

  The open house the next day went surprisingly well, and it felt good to hear the praises of our hard work. Mallory booked three birthday parties, a couple of graduation ceremonies, and even a funeral. That freaked her out a little bit, but it was still business. By the time the event was over Mallory squeezed my arm excitedly, gushing about all of the extra work we picked up. As she was going through the list of all the events we had coming up, the front door opened.

  “Ladies, how’d it go today?” Griffin asked, walking in with Johnny. Griffin wore a light blue striped shirt with grey pants, his thick dark hair perfectly in place. He looked even more handsome than I remembered from the other night.

  I quickly brushed my hair back out of my eyes, trying to look a little more put together. I was happy at least to have borrowed some of Mallory’s clothes that morning. I had picked out a cotton pink dress with a belt around it and it seemed relatively flattering.

  “Do you guys want something?
There are a few desserts left,” I asked, trying to sound casual and pleasant, rather than nervous from Griffin’s intense stare.

  “I actually have a few things to do tonight. I just wanted to stop by real quick to see how everything went,” Griffin responded, putting a hand in his pocket. Mallory walked around the edge of the counter and gave Johnny a big hug. She squeezed Griffin’s arm at the same time, thankful they both stopped by.

  “Today was fantastic! We got some new orders, which is always nice. You have no idea how happy I am to have found Addie. She really is amazing,” Mallory gushed, watching me blush. “Hey, do you guys want to check out that tapas restaurant this week? Meg has been trying to get me to go there with her the past few weeks.”

  Johnny nodded. “Sounds perfect. How about Thursday? I’m not working that night, so why don’t I swing by and pick you and Addie up?”

  “Sure, that sounds great. I’ve never been to a tapas restaurant before,” I chimed in. I had heard of them before and I liked the concept of free flowing appetizers all night, that sounded like a fun dinner. Something I certainly wasn’t used to, not with a group of friends like this.

  “I’ll probably have to work late that night, but I’ll come by as soon as I get off,” Griffin added.

  Johnny and Griffin said their good-byes and we finished cleaning up the shop.

  “Want to go to a late dinner?” Mallory asked. I nodded in exhaustion and we went out for some Mexican food.

  Throughout the week I tried to stay busy. I spent some more time at the bakery trying to perfect my decorating techniques. I had originally planned to get a second job but it didn’t seem necessary. Mallory split all the profits with me at the bakery, which was way too generous of her and surprisingly enough for me to get by on. I took a couple of her spinning classes at the fitness center and even hung out with Megan for some shopping and manicures, something I wasn’t really used to. Megan was fun, but her personality was much feistier than Mallory’s. She dated a lot, loved her work, and loved to go out dancing at nightclubs, though she admittedly enjoyed them less as she got older. She was very spirited and I enjoyed hanging out with her. We didn’t necessarily have a lot in common. She was gorgeous and always seemed to be out on the prowl, which was the furthest thing on my mind, but she amused me and I liked her company.

  Thursday night we went out to the tapas restaurant we had discussed, which was really fun. Johnny picked up Mallory and me as he promised and Steve and Megan met us at the restaurant. The menu was much more adventurous than anything I was used to, but no one else seemed to have an issue with rattling off new foods to try. Everything we ate tasted so good, but it was really the relaxed, fun conversation that made the dinner so enjoyable. We talked about Megan’s latest dating situation, and from the way everyone talked, I gathered her situation was ever revolving. She seemed so cavalier about it, which I admired in some way. Certainly better than feeling burned by all the let downs of yet another guy who failed to live up to her expectations, I suppose. Then again, I was still unclear of what Megan’s expectations actually were.

  Griffin finally showed up more than an hour after we arrived, and we were mostly done eating. Of course, as luck would have it, he filled the empty spot at the table on the opposite end of where I was sitting. Although I enjoyed having him directly in my line of sight, it was disappointing to me that we couldn’t really have much conversation.

  There was something about him, and it partially bothered me, but intrigued me at the same time. He seemed so busy and stressed out every time he would arrive somewhere, likely from work I gathered. But within minutes of being around his friends he was relaxed, carefree, and really funny. I enjoyed watching him interact with the others. They had so many inside jokes and old funny stories. That was when he was at his most handsome, when he was laughing at a memory he had with his friends. It was a very endearing quality about him.

  We all agreed to meet up that Saturday night as well to go out for a few drinks. Megan picked Mallory and me up, wanting to drive separate from the boys in case we wanted to drift off into a girls night later that evening. I figured that idea was Megan’s way of saying she planned to head out on the prowl later. I guessed that was probably easier to do without having the guys along with us, though I was never sure I was reading her right.

  Steve and Johnny met us at a nightclub called Flash. It was loud and relatively dark so we didn’t actually share much conversation. Again Griffin was late to arrive, but loosened up once he had a few minutes to unwind. He was an amazing dancer, just one more thing that drew me to him, however, he was a little too hands-on with some of the women he danced with. Beautiful tall women were all over him, which bothered me in a weird way. Although he was cordial with them, all of them unfortunately, he still shrugged them off when given the chance to dance with Mallory, Megan, or me. That at least helped my mood. At one point while we were dancing, he placed his hand on the small of my back and it felt electric. He stared into my eyes, making me believe he was in the moment as much as I was, though it appeared he looked like that with everyone else he danced with.

  After the nightclub Saturday night we went back to Johnny’s place instead of splitting off. I so badly wanted to be back outside on the patio with Griffin, under the stars. Instead we sat in Johnny’s living room drinking margaritas. People finally asked me questions about my past, wanting to get to know me better. I explained my generalized not-too-many-details childhood, indicating that a traditional family life hadn’t worked out too well for me. I glazed over Grant too, simply mentioning that I was in a long relationship that didn’t work out. I explained I was just looking for a fresh start for a life that otherwise wasn’t going my way.

  The thing I liked most about these people was that they didn’t make me feel bad about the life I had. They seemed genuinely interested in me, and I felt comforted to know that I could spill at least a few honest details about myself. Nothing as graphic as I remembered it of course, there was no need to completely scare them off at this point, but just enough for them to understand how I got here. How I just packed up my life one day to move to a new city where I didn’t know anyone, just on the chance there was hope for me that I could live a stable, mediocre life despite my past. So far, it seemed to be working.

  Chapter 5

  I was certainly excited about the camping trip, sure, but I had some anxiety over it as well. I’ve never really been the outdoorsy type. Hanging out the past few weeks with these new friends had been amazing, albeit unusual for me. Growing up watching TV, all those shows with large groups of close friends, I always thought that was just Hollywood magic. I never really knew those types of relationships existed. It really baffled me. All I knew were promises, lies, and leaving.

  The thing that gave me the most anxiety about the camping trip, excluding large bugs and the notion of hiking shoes as acceptable attractive footwear, were the dares. They were like New Year’s resolutions, but you made them for someone else. Last week we all had a big dinner out, their tradition for the drawing of the names. The group had decided beforehand that they would give me Mallory’s name, since she was the one I knew best from the group, to cut me a little break I guess. All the other draws, however, were a secret, and no one was supposed to know which name the others had pulled until the camping trip.

  I was elated to have Mallory’s name for this. It really did make the most sense. I was so excited to give her the dare. She had truly changed my life, so I liked the idea of inspiring her to do something with hers. But what about me? Surely no one in the group, other than maybe Mallory, really knew me by now. At least not well enough to suggest some kind of life change for this broken stranger. Who pulled my name? What on earth would they write for me? More importantly, the thing that freaked me out the most, what if I didn’t want to go through with it? In all the stories I had heard about past dares, no one ever mentioned someone failing to at least attempt theirs.

  I honestly had no idea what to pack for the trip. I a
lready dressed pretty simply as it was, but I wasn’t sure what else would be helpful to bring, other than a few changes of clothes and some durable shoes. Mallory came over and helped me with my wardrobe, promising me she had all the other essentials. In less than an hour we were on our way out.

  Mallory and I picked up Megan and Steve for the ride. The hour drive to the other side of Lake Tahoe passed quickly with quick witty banter from Megan and Steve, a good play list, and some amazing treats Mallory had packed in a cooler. As I stared out the window at the giant sequoias, my mind kept drifting. Why did my thoughts always lead back to Griffin? I knew him the least I suppose, maybe that was it. Over the past two weeks he missed a few get-togethers because he had been out taking care of some family business. Although he came to the dinner last Saturday night for the drawing of the names, he seemed a little aloof. I hadn’t seen him the rest of the week. He was so attractive, that was for sure, with his long eyelashes and perfect mouth. But there was something off about him too. He seemed a little withdrawn from the group at times, or maybe just around me. Maybe I annoyed him in some way? Mallory did say he wasn’t happy working for his father, maybe it was just stress from his job? No one really talked about it, so I wasn’t sure.

  I silently wondered how well Megan knew Griffin. I mean sure, they had been friends from school. But she seemed to know most of the guys quite well, which made me nervous. Why would it bother me? The thought of it just didn’t sit right. Maybe they had a thing once, like she did with Steve? I tried to shake off the thoughts.

  “Adelaide,” Steve said, waving his hand in front of my face. “Would you eat it?”

  I quickly shut out Griffin from my mind. “I’m sorry, eat what? Probably,” I responded, assuming I would be willing to eat most things, so it sounded like an appropriate answer.