After my first time at the Hibiki Grill, and I hoped I would return.
Brandon and Noah did more than their share of making it special. We discussed bands we listened to and concerts we had gone to or wanted to go to.
Noah became very animated when he found we both loved the same little known band, Starflicker. He suggested we go and see them, and he definitely meant just the two of us. Brandon had no idea what band we were talking about, and for some reason, Noah pointed out our mutual friends Sam and Ry didn’t know Starflicker either. I already knew that.
“Do either of you have any travel plans for summer?” I asked in between bites of delicious succulent meat.
They both looked back at me as if traveling hadn’t occurred to them.
“I’ve nothing planned. But I’m open to all suggestions,” Noah said. “I haven’t thought of more than one week at a time while in school. My schedule seemed too packed to make plans for the summer. I’m just glad to have hours to myself.”
“Same here,” Brandon said. “Our parents are workaholics, and we grew up with their hard work ethic and their Christian beliefs. What about you?”
“Religion was less of a big deal in our house. My mom works hard. She’ll still be at it even through the break. Math isn’t going to change, but she’ll learn new ways to teach it. So for this summer, I haven’t got hard and fast plans with my mom. I’d like to go and visit my grandparents soon. They aren’t getting any younger, and I spend as much time with them as I can. They are more like my second set of parents.”
“Do they live far away?” asked Brandon.
“No. Not at all. It can be done as a day trip if you have a car. It’s a tiny town a couple of hours from here. If Mom can’t go soon, I can take a bus. And apart from that, I’m an extra set of hands for any volunteer work needed. So keep me in mind, Brandon.”
“Don’t you work too many hours already?” Noah asked.
“Oh, no. You don’t understand. What else would I be doing? Plus, I enjoy it; doing something useful that changes people’s lives instead of filling my time with meaningless activities. You know it’s fun, and I like getting out of the house and chatting with everyone. I guess that makes me sound sad and lonely. But really, it’s to do with being an only child in a single-parent household.”
Brandon tapped on the table as if singlehandedly applauding my words. “Yeah, Noah, you don’t come along often enough to understand the social aspect of volunteer work. We bond and form great friendships.”
Noah pursed his lips and gave Brandon a stare that made me think if Noah could shoot laser beams from his eyes, Brandon would have been turned into a pile of smoking ash.
“And about your grandparents,” Noah said when his death glare had done all its damage, “they are a couple of hours away, you say. I could take you. We could go in my car, there and back in one day, or we can stay over. I don’t mind which.”
“I’m free tomorrow,” I shot back with a grin, only half-joking. I dearly loved my grandparents.
“I can’t go tomorrow, but I can drive up the next day,” he offered.
“Hey, I was just joking about tomorrow. I assume you have lots of plans.”
Brandon grinned. “But Noah doesn’t actually have a car, and I don’t think you’ll want to travel pillion on that bike of his.”
Noah struck up the glare of death again. “Honestly, Grace, I have no plans set in stone for the summer, and I’d love to take you. Just not tomorrow, because tomorrow is the day I’m getting a new car.” And he stuck his tongue out at Brandon.
The double act of brotherly antics made me giggle.
“Well, Noah, when you have the car, we can fix a date for a road trip. I’ll see if my grandparents can put us up if you are willing to stay over.”
“Yes, I really am. But If they don’t have space, I can stay in a motel or rig up a tent or something.”
“So call me when you have a car,” I teased.
“Or tickets to a Starflicker concert, whichever is sooner,” he replied.
The brothers were both nice guys individually but that lunch date was the first times we’d all hung out together. And the first insight I had that they were a terrific double act. I found myself hoping to go out with both of them again.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
NOAH JONES
I need a reliable car that I can drive away tomorrow.
As soon as I got home, I searched the internet for a new car. I wanted comfort for a road trip, sizable enough for plenty of luggage—because I didn’t know how long Grace might want to be away for.