Summer and May

Chapter Thirteen: Summer

I was known at Dockside for jamming way too many napkins into their dispensers, but here I was, jamming them in. Thinking about Jeremy. And Will. And Brown. And May. Like clockwork, she tapped my shoulder.

"I think that's enough." she giggled. I turned around to hug her. It had been over twenty-four hours since I'd seen her last, which was a record for the summer so far.

She helped me stock the napkins, the silverware, and the salt and pepper shakers just before our lunch rush. We talked as we grabbed drinks for our tables or waited on their food. By the end of the night, we'd been transferred to the Take-Out window, which was our favorite spot to be. It gave us all the time in the world to talk.

"Since I haven't seen you since the drive-in, tell me what you did yesterday." I held up a hand. "And I love you, May, but please spare me the details of that 1960s engine you fixed. You know I don't understand any of that lingo."

May shot a paper wad into the trash as she chuckled at me. We helped another customer order six orders of fish sticks with extra tartar sauce before she could answer me.

"Well, it was, uh... an interesting day, actually."

"Do tell."

"I went for a run. Then I fell into the lake, right over there." she pointed through the window at one of the many docks off the harbor. I immediately snorted.

"Seriously?"

She nodded vigorously. "Oh, yeah. And just when I thought no one saw me, guess who offers me a hand to help me up?" I hated guessing. I just stared until she gave me an answer. "Jeremy Dawson."

My eyes nearly bolted out of my head. "What?!" I shrieked.

May's head resembled a bobblehead. "Yup. So embarrassing."

I followed her to the drink station as she filled up her lemonade. "Well? What happened? Are you okay?"

She waved a hand. "Oh, me? I'm fine. Just embarrassed. Especially since the new guy had to help me out." she rolled her eyes, chugging her lemonade like it would escape from the bottom of her cup. She held up a pointed, unmanicured finger. "But, we did have an interesting conversation."

Goodness, May was like a podcaster. She spent so long getting to the point. I waited for her to tell me more, but my patience was running thin. My father and I were the least patient in our families, and it was getting worse for me with age.

"First, he made me catch a fish with him. And then we talked about Sully."

I blinked. "How is that interesting?"

She turned her mouth to the side, her big brown eyes bobbing around. "I guess that's it."

I shot her a look. She got me all excited for nothing. "Well, anything he shares with you could be some good conversation topics for me. He doesn't say much."

"He's a man of few words," May said in a funny voice, stocking a new sleeve of styrofoam cups.

"Well, if you two are hitting if off... maybe you can help me out here? I think..." I leaned in closer, mortified at the fact that someone besides May could hear these words. "I think I like him. But, I don't know how to connect with him. If I'm not thinking about tearing his clothes off, I'm reaching for conversation."

May's face turned from confused, to concerned, and back to confused. She was so difficult to read sometimes. "You guys seemed to hit it off at the drive-in. What do you need me for?"

I rolled my eyes in a dramatic fashion. "We did, but we don't like any of the same things! He wants to talk about fishing, and his family business, and... oh my gosh." I stopped myself, coming to the most insane realization. "He's like you, May."