Addy clutches her stomach as we both fall into a fit of laughter, unable to control ourselves. I’m going to miss her. If there’s anyone who has ever had my back, it’s Addison Edwards.
* * *
Turning eighteen and graduating from high school flew past in the blink of an eye. I wasn’t nervous about graduating. Just glad it was finally over. I’d managed to graduate with honors, even surprising myself with how my grades were excellent given what I’d been through the last few months.
All my family, including my aunts, uncles, and cousins, were at the ceremony. Many of them cried though I’m not sure why. I was just so relieved it was over, and I didn’t have to see everyone in this godforsaken school anymore.
Initially, I planned to leave for Europe as soon as school was over. Then, I got a summer job opportunity making it hard to refuse. My mom’s bestie, Eric, had a client who needed a house sitter for the summer. House is probably not the right word to use, more like mansion sitter. The mansion is located in Santa Barbara, and part of the job also involved dog-sitting the three King Charles Cavaliers—Paul, Ringo, and Adele.
The English couple who owns the place are traveling to Asia and would usually bring their dogs, but apparently, on the last trip, there was an incident with airport staff and Paul. He got snappy, and they got slapped with a big fine.
They paid extremely well, so well even Eric said I’d be a fool to pass it up.
“I would have died for a job like this when I was slaving away to make a dollar at your age,” Eric complains, pouring himself a martini in the fancy bar inside the den.
“What were you doing at eighteen?”
“Street work,” he answers flatly.
“Street work? Like a hooker or male equivalent?”
“God no,” Eric exasperates, placing his hand on his chest. “Modelling on the streets for some D-grade fashion magazine.”
My shoulders fall as I roll my eyes at him. “Okay, you can see how I took that wrong, right?”
“Sweetheart,” he calls with a big grin. “Enjoy this while you can. Soon you’ll be backpacking through Europe, questioning whether you can afford deodorant. Then, you decide food is more important, and it’s a slippery slope from there on.”
“Like you’ve ever done it.” Ringo walks over to me and rests his head on my lap. Adele is not impressed as she lays on the dog bed but continues to give me the cold shoulder. Paul is standing at the window, eyeing the gardener with a wicked death stare. “You only stay in five-star hotels.”
“The way God intended it,” Eric responds with a smile. “According to my friend Harper, you’ll need the following things. A hot girl bikini for the beach and pool. Stick to white. It’s the best color against the European tan you’ll have.”
“Okay…”
“Black body-con mini dress. You can style it up with accessories that are light to carry,” Eric rambles, barely taking a breath. “Now, even though I loathe flats with a mini, you’ll want some sandals to go with it. Heels will not be your friend when you’re drunk and trying to walk down a flight of steps in Santorini.”
“Got it, sandals.”
“And listen, just make sure you stay protected.” Eric lets out a heavy sigh. “No glove, no love.”
“C’mon,” I joke, unable to keep a straight face. “As if I’d sleep with a stranger in a foreign country.”
Eric places his hand on mine. His face turned serious. “Honey, we all do it. Most of us live to regret it unless, of course, it’s some Italian man who can’t speak English with a big dong which makes your eyes water.”
“You fucked an Italian man with a big dong which made your eyes water?”
“Sweetheart, I couldn’t walk straight forweeks.”
All of a sudden, my ass begins to hurt. Eric has had a colorful past. Thank God he’s married now because I just can’t imagine him still on the loose. He talks a lot of smack for someone married, but Tristan, his husband, is used to his ways and pretty much just ignores it.
“This conversation hurts,” I tell him.
Most of our summer days were spent lounging by the pool. For someone with a full-time job, Eric sure had a lot of spare time on his hands. He used to work for Mom as her assistant. Then he moved into marketing. Now, he owns his own PR company and works with high-profile celebrities, which, according to him, is his dream job.
The days passed quickly as did my time in this summer job. I’d finished planning my itinerary for the next year, including a stop in all the countries I’m keen to visit.
Then, it came time to say goodbye. It’s supposed to be easy, given my excitement. What I didn’t expect was this wild ride of emotions. One minute I’m dreaming about lying by the pool in Mykonos. The next, I’m almost crying because I don’t want to leave the house.
The morning of my departure is a quiet one. Mom made breakfast, pancakes and waffles, just how I like them mixed together. The fresh brew of coffee smells extra good, even though I’m not a coffee drinker unless Starbucks Iced coffee counts.