“Eric, you’re really doing a great job helping me,” she smirked. “I especially appreciate you cleaning my pipes out yesterday. I didn’t think I’d ever get that done so well.”
He coughed and almost spit up his food. Emily didn’t pay any attention to the conversation.
“My pleasure,” he said after taking a drink of water.
“Emily, we have a dumpster coming tomorrow,” Julia began. “I think the weekend will be spent cleaning out the barn and the sheds of all that junk. Will you be able to help with that?”
Eric snorted.
Emily glared at him and said, “I don’t know, Mom. I might break a nail. Maybe it’s best if I just sit in the cool house and bring you guys cold beverages.”
“Don’t be churlish, Emily,” Julia groaned.
“It’ll be fine, Mom. I can help with that.”
“Good. Eric, I’m sorry the other bedroom doesn’t have a bed any longer. David took it with him.”
“It’s fine. I think I might camp outside if it’s all the same to you. I saw a tent in the barn, and I have some of that scrap wood to burn. I was going to do a bonfire later.”
“A bonfire?” Julia chirped. “We haven’t done that in ages. I figured we’d just put that wood in the dumpster.”
“Oh, we will still have to. Most of the wood in there is treated, so we can’t burn it.”
She smiled, “I’m sure I have the fixings for s’mores. I’m excited now.”
Eric laughed and Emily stayed quiet. He had no intention of inviting her to join them.
Emily got up and took her plate to the sink. Julia said, “Emily, I’ll need your help with the dishes, don’t run off.”
Emily didn’t answer. She jumped up and sat on the counter.
Eric had a third helping of the delicious salad and smirked knowing Emily was annoyed that she had to wait for him. Julia winked at him as she cleared the table.
*****
At dusk, it cooled but was still in the low seventies with a breeze. Not nearly has hot as the morning, so the fire wouldn’t make them too uncomfortable.
Eric set the last of the wood next to the firepit when Julia and Emily walked up with a cooler.
“I brought out some water, pop, and beer,” Julia chirped. “I also have graham crackers, marshmallows and leftover candy from Halloween to make the s’mores.”
“You’re as giddy as a little kid,” he teased.
She slapped his shoulder and handed him a beer. “Thank you for bringing the chairs out. I didn’t want to sit on the ground,”
He nodded and took a pull from the beer.
Emily sat in the chair across the fire from where Julia and Eric sat. Suddenly, the breeze picked up and forced the smoke directly into Emily’s face. Eric couldn’t help but laugh when she coughed and slid her chair to the other side of her mother.
Julia and Eric made small talk about his school experiences and her move back to suburban life. Emily sat stone faced and didn’t participate much. She felt like a third wheel and didn’t like how Eric ignored her. She was resolved to apologize to him, though, and make him see she wasn’t the same person anymore.
After a couple of hours, Julia excused herself to go to bed. Emily sat quietly and built a s’more out of the marshmallow she’d toasted. Eric watched her take a bite out of the hot snack and smirked when the marshmallow and chocolate dripped down her chin.
“What?” she demanded.
He shook his head. “You never could eat one without making a mess.”
She smiled, “Some things never change.”
He frowned, “I guess just the important things change.”
He started to clean up the area and she said, “Eric, don’t go yet. Can we please talk?”
He plopped down onto his chair and opened another beer. “The floor is yours.”
She sighed, “First, about this afternoon, I was only joking and I’m really sorry I didn’t say hello before I started joking with you. I can see how you would take that badly and I truly am sorry.”
“I accepted your apology for that.”
“So you said. Look, I’m also sorry for ghosting you. You did nothing to deserve it and it was the beginning of a part of my life of which I’m not proud. I turned into a bitch, and I lost a good friend because of it.”
He sadly looked into the fire. She read the devastated look in his eyes and began to cry.
They sat in silence as she’d said her piece and hoped he’d forgive her. She knew it was a hard ask, but she’d do anything to make it up to him.
She finally got tired of the silence and asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”
His head snapped over and his eyes glared at her. She asked, “What? It’s simple conversation, Eric.”
He frowned, “No.”
She was annoyed with his one-word answer, and asked, “Do you still watch Doctor Who? I had to binge a few seasons, but I still watch.”
That surprised him, he answered, “Yes.”
She shook her head. “What do you think of the new Doctor? I liked Thirteen and it’s sad to see her go.”
“Don’t know. We’ll see.”
She wanted to smack him into a conversation yet kept her patience. She said, “I think it’s great. Having the Doctor played by a gay black man after being played by a woman is a nice kick in the pants to the show.”
He chugged his beer and tossed the can into the flames.
“Can I have one of those?” she asked.
“I’m not your mother.”
She rolled her eyes and took the seat where her mother sat earlier. It was nearer to Eric and next to the cooler. She grabbed a beer for herself and offered one to Eric.
“What do I have to do to prove to you that I’m repentant and I’ve changed. I didn’t like who I became.”
He looked at her and took the offered beer, “You don’t have to prove anything to me, Emily. I’ll only be here for another week or so, and you’ll never have to see me again.”
“Jesus, Eric. What if I want to be your friend again?”
He laughed, “Why? I wasn’t good enough to be your friend before. Nothing’s changed with me. I’m the same dork you ghosted six years ago.”
He caught her looking at his chest.
“Oh! I get it. I guess in one regard, I’m not the same am I? I’m not the skinny, gawky nerd anymore.”
“Eric…” she whispered.
“No, don’t bother.”
He stood and tossed the beer into the fire. “I’m going to get some sleep now if you don’t mind. I have a lot of hard work to do tomorrow.”
He ducked into the tent which was a bit away from the fire. She watched as he zipped the flaps, then she cleaned up the area and went to bed. Her last thoughts were of Eric as she strummed her clit to a powerful orgasm.
*****
The beeping from the truck delivering the dumpster woke Emily. She looked at her phone and groaned when she saw it was only seven. “Shit! They must be working already. Eric is probably loving me sleeping later than them.”
She rushed out of bed, threw yoga pants and a t-shirt on, and made her way downstairs.
There was a plate with biscuits on the counter and a pot of sausage gravy on the stove. She groaned as she loved her mother’s biscuits and gravy. She put her shoes on, dipped a biscuit in the gravy and hurried out the back door.
The dumpster was placed, and the truck was already down the dirt road by the time she made it out to her mother and Eric.
“You should’ve woken me,” she whined as Eric threw the first load of junk into the dumpster. He shook his head and walked into the barn.
“You should’ve set your alarm if you wanted to help,” Julia sighed. “I figured you wanted to sleep in.”