Ghost Rider
We were about to leave when Spencer spun around at the door, “Wait! I forgot something.” He ushered us into the kitchen, where he told us to wait while he jogged to his room. I didn’t have a clue what he could be doing.
We glanced at one another as we waited and said nothing as Spencer seemed to tear through his luggage. He was noisy for only a moment, and he returned carrying a stack of white boxes. They looked like the ones Lizzie used at the bakery, just smaller.
He handed one to each of us with well wishes from Ali, “She sends her best wishes and apologies again for not being here.”
Ali was Spencer’s sister-in-law and she’s the type who always knows how to get her hands on things. She is a jet setting business lady with her finger on the pulse of luxury imports, high-end goods, exclusive experiences, the kind of connections that make impossible things happen. She was invited to the wedding but sent word a few weeks ago, via Spencer, that her flight out of Marrakesh was delayed a day, and she wouldn’t make it in time. I completely understood. It was nice of her to try and now a bonus.
“Please send our thanks,” I added as I examined the box. It was sealed with a small holographic green sticker with an artistic interpretation of a green apple. I slid my fingernail under the edge of the sticker and pulled back the lid to a, sugar coated, green gummy bear. It smiled up at me and Spencer explained that it was cannabis infused. I smiled hoping that tonight’s shenanigans would be boosted by this little confection
Smiling, I turned and found both Zora and Lizzie clinking their bears together like they were toasting with champagne glasses before sinking them into each other’s mouths. I giggled, but stopped when I saw Erin. She was frowning again, but this time at the opened box. I started to say something but Spencer swept in for the save. He spoke softly to her, “Only if you want to, no pressure. Okay?”
She actually gave him a soft smile before letting her face sour again. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t really eat blue food,” Erin said as she held up her blue gummy bear with visible distaste.
Spencer and I both smiled, but that was a bad idea. Erin’s eyes narrowed, and her cheeks flushed. We were getting closer and closer to a true Erin spiral, but I was able to cover up our mistake by quickly giving her an option, “I’ll trade with you.”
“What do you have?” She asked, her shoulders relaxing.
“A green one and I think it’s green apple because it had a little apple on the sticker.” I explained and offered her the box. She took it, trading me her blue one, which wasn’t a big deal for me. I was glad to make her comfortable.
Her gummy bear tasted like cotton candy. I was delighted, but that aftertaste, though. It was bracing and had us all going for water as the sour taste made us squint. As I gulped some water from the kitchen, I saw Spencer slipping off to the side to write in his notebook. He saw me looking and smiled as he tucked the notebook into his back pocket.
“Do we have a reservation somewhere?” I asked, hoping for a plan.
“Don’t worry,” Spencer said, seeing my concern. He smiled and as he walked by he patted me on the shoulder. Spencer then turned with a flourish. “It’s time to mount our brooms and fly into the night ladies!”
There was a collective cheer as we headed for the door, but Erin added, “We don’t ride brooms anymore.”
It got a laugh, but I knew she didn’t mean to be funny. I grabbed her hand and we walked out the door to some of the heaviest rain I’ve seen in a while. It was pouring out of the gutters and onto the steps. We’d have to be careful.
I looked to Spencer for whose car we’d pile into, but he motioned to the large black SUV rumbling into the driveway. It was very big and very black. Even the windows were tinted. Not that we’d need that, but the privacy was nicely unexpected.
With the car parked at the bottom of the steps, we started to chance the rain. None of us brought umbrellas or jackets, but the driver waved for us to wait. They stepped out with a large umbrella and walked up the steps to meet us. I noticed he looked a lot like Spencer, but where this guy was thick, Spencer was athletic.
The driver greeted us and said “There’s only room for 5.”
We all looked around confused. “There are only five of us,” Spencer spoke for us as he turned and counted out loud.
The driver looked confused at something behind us, his eyes widening slightly before he blinked hard and shook his head. I turned too, but nothing was there. When I turned back to the driver, sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool rain. He shifted his weight and mumbled, “Yeah, sorry, I can take one at a time with the umbrella.”
Erin offered to go first and didn’t ask any questions, so we moved on quietly. The driver followed her with the umbrella and I turned to Spencer. “What was that about?”
Spencer’s eyebrows rose and he shrugged. I frowned and wondered if it was connected to our ghostly encounter. I wished on a star that Erin didn’t make the same connection. I hope that since the stars were hidden behind the clouds it still counted as a wish.
The driver guided each one of us to the car and settled in behind the wheel. As we made ourselves comfortable, Erin leaned forward from the backseat, her voice sharp with suspicion, “Excuse me, driver, what did you see on the porch?”
The driver froze and looked into the rear-view mirror, “Nothing, ma’am.” He adjusted his seat belt and put the car in drive.
Erin wasn’t happy with that answer. She leaned even further forward, gripping the headrest. The driver looked uncomfortable, but got ready to drive. Back to front, Zora and Lizzie were in the second row, Erin and Spencer were in the next, and I sat up front with the spooked driver.
“Did you see someone else on the porch?” Erin pressed again, but he sat still for a few beats. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out some eye drops. He responded to Erin as he cleansed his eyes, “I’ve got allergies ma’am; my eyes were fuzzy.”
She added, “So you’re saying you didn’t see something?”
Erin scrutinized his every move, and I think she almost smiled when she made him uncomfortable. The driver cleared his throat, and seemed nervous as he said, “Sorry, ma’am, I miscounted.”
Erin, unsatisfied, “Did you see a woman?”
The driver swallowed hard, but Spencer saved him, “Now, ladies, we’ve got this nice gentleman driver all night. Let’s try to take it easy on him. The party just started.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, attempting to help Spencer.
Spencer revealed with a flourish, “My dear Dani, you will be dining at the only casual eatery on the island, the Shoreline Social Club.”
I cheered, relieved it wasn’t upscale. Fancy is so not my style. I also giggled because Spencer took that moment to attempt the worst British accent I had ever heard, “Kind sir, we wish to—” He stopped mid-sentence and cracked up at himself, waving his hand dismissively.
The driver, glad for the refocus, nodded and carefully dodged the bigger puddles. Most puddles were safe but occasionally you’d find the sinkholes we commonly refer to as potholes. Erosion is real.
We all continued to laugh at Spencer, but Erin sat sullen. It seemed like she would let it go, but who knew how long she’d hold it in. I watched the rain streak across my window and hoped the restaurant would be loud enough to drown out her questions.
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