Unexpected Second Chance

Chapter 2 - In love with a laugh

Two Years Later...

The sun was beating down on the late August day. Joe took a sip of his beer which with the heat would be as warm as piss if he didn't finish it. Taking a long pull, he decided it was time to jump in the lake to cool off.

He had a great summer even though he was waiting tables again for extra income. Owen's new girlfriend, Natalie's parents had a house right on Lake Sebago, and they had scored an open invitation.

Truthfully they'd practically been adopted into the family. He lost count of the dinners he had stayed for. As a thank you gift, he purchased a generous gift card to Les Bistros Français,  the Portland restaurant where he had been working all summer.

There was only a light breeze, as Joe took in the view. Every few minutes a boat zipped by, some towed a skier. Aside from the whir of the motors, there was laughter coming from the neighbors. Joe turned and saw her again.

Was it possible to fall in love with a laugh? He had resisted the urge to ask Natalie, if she knew the girl with the golden hair. He had overheard enough to know the house was owned by an older couple. Their grandsons were splashing, but who was she? Her screams filled the air as the boys drenched her.

Turning to Owen, he asked, "You wanna go in?"

Owen put down his beer and stood up without answering. He walked to the end of the dock and dove into the lake. Joe followed him and felt the cool water, as his body slid through it. Surfacing the laughter from the neighboring beach drew his attention again.

He turned back toward Owen, who was standing beside him in the water. Owen asked, "How was your trip home?"

Joe groaned, "Let's see... My mother is still trying to guilt me into coming home. Whitney attempted another seduction."

"Attempted?" Owen smirked.

"Well, maybe we fooled around a little bit. We didn't go all the way, but close."

"What's wrong with you? If she wanted it, you should have given it to her."

Joe frowned. "Because I don't want to be that guy. Seriously, just 'cause she can make me get it up, it doesn't mean I like her. I already feel like a jerk, but it's hard to resist when she's groping me."

"You two have always had a sick attraction going on. So what else is happening in the shit town we grew up in?"

"Nothing the kids are good. Leah's going to be a senior and Caleb's a freshman, can you believe it?"

Owen laughed, "If we stayed, I could have been their teacher. Obviously, you couldn't."

Joe shook his head and continued, "I saw Tommy and Gina."

"Yeah, are they planning to come up again this fall?"

"They said so. Hey, are you planning to go in before Monday?"

"I don't know. I'm not ready for summer to end. I need to get myself in gear. You're putting me to shame. I see you on your laptop."

Joe didn't want summer to end either. "I need to make a ton of copies so I think I'll grace the hallowed halls tomorrow morning. I have to work, so I might as well give up the whole day."

Joe felt more confident, as he prepared to start his third school year. Unlike Owen who taught math, Joe would have papers to grade right away, because English students were forced to write about their summer reading books —not that half of them bothered to do it. He had a few more shifts at the bistro and then he would commit to school full time.