The Maine Events, Rodney Riesel [best books to read in your 20s TXT] 📗

what he is.Not ready to get married to me. Maybe I wasn't ready to get married to him. Didhe ever think about that?”

Allen shrugged.

“Anyhoo, what brings you to town?” Donnie asked.

“Just thought a change of scenery might help.”

“Help? Are we suffering from a little writer's block?”

“You might say that.”

“Voices inside your head aren't speaking to you?”

“You might say that as well.”

“It'll work itself out. Trust me, I've seen it before. Mysecond husband was a writer.”

“What was your first husband?”

“A woman.”

“Ya lost me.”

“I call my second husband my second because he's the secondperson I was married to. My first marriage was to a woman.”

“No kidding?”

“Yeah, I was a bit confused back then.” Donnie brought theglass back to his lips and then remembered it was empty. “Looks like someoneneeds a refill.”

“All I have is tequila.”

“Oh my goodness, I do not drink tequila. It turns me into awhole different person.”

“Who's it turn you into?”

“Let's just say that after two shots of tequila I suddenlyknow what everyone's problem is, and I'm not afraid to tell them.” Donniestood. “You'd better get writing, Blue Eyes, and I better get myself anotherdrink.”

Donnie spun around and sashayed down the walkway toward thestairs. As he reached the doorway, he looked back over his shoulder and winkedat Allen. Allen wished he had looked away before that happened, but he didn't.He felt his face redden just a little bit.

Great, he thought, now Donnie thinks I waschecking out his ass as he walked away. He downed his drink.

“We had company, Frankie,” Allen said when he walked backinto the room. “You didn't even come out and say hello.” He placed his glass inthe sink. “I'm going to take these books over to Mildred. You staying here?”

Frankie barked.

“You want me to turn on the TV for you?”

Frankie barked again.

Allen picked up the remote control, turned on thetelevision, and stopped flipping through the stations when he came to a rerunof Family Guy. “Hey,” said Allen, “it's the one where Peter has the epicfight with Ernie the giant chicken. This should be right up your alley, seeingas how you have a bird fetish.” He tossed the remote onto the bed. “Turn it ifyou want to watch something else.” He picked up Mildred's books, stuffed themin the same grocery bag she'd delivered them in, and walked outside, closingthe door behind him.

Allen crossed the parking lot wondering what room Cam andMildred were staying in. He crossed Long Sands Road and stepped into the frontparking lot of the Grand View Inn. As he walked along the front of the building,he inspected the balconies. There was a Sponge Bob beach towel hanging over thefirst room’s railing. He figured neither Cam nor Mildred owned a Sponge Bobbeach towel. Another balcony displayed flippers, a diving mask, and a coupleboogie boards—probably not their room. He finally came to a second floorbalcony with a red and white Sooners beach towel. Sitting on a plastic deckchair was a green ball cap.

That could be a John Deere hat, Allen thought. Itmust be their room.

Allen bent down, picked up a small stone, and tossed itunderhand at the sliding glass door. He waited to see if anyone came to thedoor. When no one did, he tossed another one.

I bet Mildred is watching her soaps.

He tossed a third stone; this one was a little large. itsmacked against the glass hard enough to make Allen cringe. He scanned hissurrounds to make sure no one was watching. All six guys at the constructionsite were staring at him.

“I don't know what room they're in!” Allen called out.

One guy shrugged, but that was about the only reaction outof them, and they went back to what they were doing.

Allen reached down to pick up one more stone.

“What the hell are you doing?” asked a man.

Allen dropped the stone and rose up. Standing on the balconywas a shirtless man. His hairy, keg-sized belly rested on the vinyl railing.The hair on his shoulders and arms was as dark and thick as the hair on hisstomach.

“I'm looking for a friend of mine,” Allen explained.

“And you thought he was in my room?”

“I thought his room was your room.”

“This is room seventeen.”

“Okay.”

The guy no longer seemed irritated or angry. “What room isyour friend in?”

“I don't know. His name is Cam Owens.”

“Old man? Wears a John Deere cap?”

“That's him.”

“The guy yanked his head to the right. “Next room down.”

“Thanks.”

“Don't mention it.” The big guy walked back through hisslider.

Allen stooped to grab another stone.

“Allen?” asked Cam.

Allen dropped the stone and turned to see Cam and Mildredstanding on the sidewalk.

“Oh, hey, guys,” said Allen. “I was just looking for you.”

“In the parking lot?” Cam asked.

“No, I was tossing pebbles at your window trying to get yourattention.”

“Our room is the next one down.”

“I know that now. I have Mildred's books.”

Mildred's face lit up. “Oh, thank you so much,” she said,holding out her hand. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I'll treasure these,Allen.” Her voice cracked. Oh, I'm just a silly old sentimental thing.”

“Won't catch me arguin' with ya,” said Cam.

Allen walked to her and handed her the books.

“I'm going to run back upstairs and put these in the room,Cam.”

“I'll wait right here for ya,” Cam replied.

Mildred hurried down the sidewalk and around to the rear ofthe building.

“Your neighbor seems like nice guy,” Allen pointed out.

“Guy looks like a big fat werewolf, doesn't he?”

“I guess that's one way to describe him.”

“If you get up close to him, you can see he's got thesefangs—pointed and everything.”

“I don't plan on getting that close to him. Where were youand Mildred heading?”

“We were gonna take a walk down the street and grab acocktail and maybe a light lunch.”

Allen looked up at the dark clouds passing over. “They'resaying it might rain.”

“They who?”

Allen shrugged. “Weather people, I guess.”

“That might scare me a bit if they ever knew what theheck they was talkin' about.”

“Yeah, I guess it seems like they are wrong moretimes than not.”

“Would ya care to join us?”

“No, thanks. I don't want to intrude.”

“Intrude's ass,” Cam shot back. “If you came along, it wouldgive me someone to talk to.”

“What's