Edward

Chapter Twelve

Slater's Beach, Massachusetts - 2006

Every year a week or two before the end of summer when the houses are closed up for winter, the Slater's Beach inhabitants have a clam bake. It's out on the beach and although they have ample staff always at hand to do the work and manual jobs, the men and their sons dig the deep hole in the sand for the clam bake. The kids and those interested comb the beach early in the morning for rocks, seaweed, and wood. The entire ritual is overseen by the dads and up until this year Antoinette's aunt - Mary Grace oversaw the herb butter and managed ordering the lobsters, scallops, clams. This year Carol, Antoinette, and I made the calls and arranged for the food to be delivered and stored in the two freezers at Mary Grace's main house.

Carol eyed me from time to time communicating what a chatterbox she found Antoinette to be. After we made the calls for the seafood Carol asked Antoinette and me to go into town and purchase the corn, Portuguese sausage, rolls. She had Jack go into town to the liquor store with a long list.

Antoinette and I get into Edward's Jeep.

"Where's Edward."

"He's at my house. Writing. He's working on a novel."

"Do you read your writing to each other?"

She looked at me. "I've read his."

She started the car and I watched the muscles of her tanned, toned calf as she eased up on the clutch. Everything about Antoinette was alluring. I didn't think of her in a sexual way, although that's how guys saw her. But, to me she was different than anyone I'd known. I felt so connected to her and given her personality and the openness and confidence she had I thought maybe it was one sided. Maybe everyone thought Antoinette really liked them.

"Why not yours?" I pulled my sunglasses out of my canvas purse. One mom had gotten me at one of the yard sales she and dad had visited that summer in one of their excursions to Maine.

"That's cute!" She said. The lobsters, it's retro. 80s, right?

I nodded. "How come Edward doesn't read yours?" I opened a pack of gum—"want some?"

"Yes...pleeeasssee. It's not the he doesn't. I just don't want to share my stories with guys right now."

"Guys? Why not?"
"It's very feminist." She flip the turn signal on and as she did a silver charm bracelet jingled. "Guys don't like that shit, right?"

"That's so pretty." I said. "you're bracelet"

She held it up and shook it. little. "It's from Edward."

"Oh I love it."

"I actually asked him to come to Spain with me."

There's a long pause between us and for some reason I feel uncomfortable exploring this disclosure. She's at a stop sign looking both ways. Before she pulls forward she looks at herself in the rear view mirror "Oh God, my hair looks like I just fell out of bed, right?" She adjusted her full dark hair. It had a natural healthy bounce. It was long but moved as model's as if it had been quaffed, styled, and sprayed and the ocean breeze was a a fan for a photograph the would be perfect. She applied lipstick. "Yeah. I don't think he will" she finally revealed.

"He won't? Why not? He's crazy if he doesn't"

She laughs "That's what I told him!"

She lets off the break and we start into town. I wish we could keep driving somewhere. Spend the day together. She's leaving in just a few days and other than jack she's the first person I've met in a while that I had such a strong connection with. Likely I'd never see her agin.