“Oh, shoot. I’m so sorry. I completely forgot.”
“It’s OK. It’s not for another couple of hours.” He was quiet for a while. “I’d invite you again, but…” He gestured at the petals, and Laurel nodded ruefully. “Wouldn’t exactly work.”
“Can I come see you afterwards, though? Just to make sure you’re OK?”
Tears built up in Laurel’s eyes. “Do you think I will be OK?”
David joined her on the bed and draped one arm around her shoulders. “I hope so.”
“You don’t know that though, do you?”
“No,” David replied honestly. “But I certainly hope so.”
She rubbed her arm across her face. “Thanks.”
“So can I come?”
She smiled up at him and nodded.
Laurel was lounging on the couch when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” she called. She opened the door and smiled at David in his black T-shirt over bright yellow board shorts. “Hey,” she said, stepping out on to the porch and pulling the door shut behind her. “How was the party?”
David shrugged. “Would’ve been more fun with you there.” He hesitated. “How are you?”
Laurel looked down at the ground. “I’m OK. Same as this morning.”
“Does it hurt or anything?”
She shook her head.
She felt his hand trace down her arm. “It’ll be OK,” he said softly.
“How’s it supposed to be OK, David? I have a flower growing on my back. That is not OK.”
“I meant, we’ll figure something out.”
She smiled sadly. “I’m sorry. You came over to be nice, and I’m just—” Her voice cut off as bright headlights cut across her face. She held a hand up to block the glare and watched a car pull into the driveway. A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped out and began walking towards them.
“This the Sewell residence?” His voice was low and gravelly.
“Yeah,” Laurel said as he stepped into the light on the porch. Laurel wrinkled her nose involuntarily. His face didn’t look quite right. The facial bones were sharp and rugged and his left eye drooped. His long nose looked like it had been broken a few times without being set correctly and, even though he wasn’t sneering, his mouth was set in a permanent look of disappointment. His shoulders were enormously broad and the suit he was wearing looked out of place on his bulky form.
“Are your parents home?” the man asked.
“Yeah, just a sec.” She turned slowly. “Um, come on in.”
She held the door open and both the man and David stepped through. As the three of them stood in the entryway the man sniffed, then cleared his throat. “You have a bonfire or something today?” he asked, looking critically at David.
“Yeah,” David said. “Down at the beach. I was in charge of lighting it, and let’s just say there was a lot of smoke before there was any fire.” He laughed for a second, but when the man did not even smile, he fell silent.
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