Six Days: Book One in the SIX Series (5 page)

           
“Do you guys want something? There are a few desserts
left,” I asked, trying to sound casual and pleasant, rather than nervous from
Griffin’s intense stare.

           
“I actually have a few things to do tonight. I just
wanted to stop by real quick to see how everything went,” Griffin responded,
putting a hand in his pocket. Mallory walked around the edge of the counter and
gave Johnny a big hug. She squeezed Griffin’s arm at the same time, thankful
they both stopped by.

           
“Today was fantastic! We got some new orders, which is
always nice. You have no idea how happy I am to have found Addie. She really is
amazing,” Mallory gushed, watching me blush. “Hey, do you guys want to check
out that tapas restaurant this week? Meg has been trying to get me to go there
with her the past few weeks.”

           
Johnny nodded.
“Sounds perfect.
How about Thursday? I’m not working that night, so why don’t I swing by and
pick you and Addie up?”

           
“Sure, that sounds great. I’ve never been to a tapas
restaurant before,” I chimed in. I had heard of them before and I liked the
concept of free flowing appetizers all
night, that
sounded like a fun dinner. Something I certainly wasn’t used to, not with a
group of friends like this.

           
“I’ll probably have to work late that night, but I’ll
come by as soon as I get off,” Griffin added.

           
Johnny and Griffin said their good-byes and we finished
cleaning up the shop.

           
“Want to go to a late dinner?” Mallory asked. I nodded in
exhaustion and we went out for some Mexican food.

           
Throughout the week I tried to stay busy. I spent some
more time at the bakery trying to perfect my decorating techniques. I had
originally planned to get a second job but it didn’t seem necessary. Mallory
split all the profits with me at the bakery, which was way too generous of her
and surprisingly enough for me to get by on. I took a couple of her spinning
classes at the fitness center and even hung out with Megan for some shopping
and manicures, something I wasn’t really used to. Megan was fun, but her
personality was much feistier than Mallory’s. She dated a lot, loved her work,
and loved to go out dancing at nightclubs, though she admittedly enjoyed them
less as she got older. She was very spirited and I enjoyed hanging out with
her. We didn’t necessarily have a lot in common. She was gorgeous and always
seemed to be out on the prowl, which was the furthest thing on my mind, but she
amused me and I liked her company.

           
Thursday night we went out to the tapas restaurant we had
discussed, which was really fun. Johnny picked up Mallory and me as he promised
and Steve and Megan met us at the restaurant. The menu was much more
adventurous than anything I was used to, but no one else seemed to have an
issue with rattling off new foods to try. Everything we ate tasted so good, but
it was really the relaxed, fun conversation that made the dinner so enjoyable.
We talked about Megan’s latest dating situation, and from the way everyone
talked, I gathered her situation was ever revolving. She seemed so cavalier
about it, which I admired in some way. Certainly better than feeling burned by
all the
let downs of yet another guy who failed to live up
to her expectations, I suppose. Then again, I was still unclear of what Megan’s
expectations actually were.

Griffin
finally showed up more than an hour after we arrived, and we were mostly done
eating. Of course, as luck would have it, he filled the empty spot at the table
on the opposite end of where I was sitting. Although I enjoyed having him
directly in my line of sight, it was disappointing to me that we couldn’t
really have much conversation.

           
There was something about him, and it partially bothered
me, but intrigued me at the same time. He seemed so busy and stressed out every
time he would arrive somewhere, likely from work I gathered. But within minutes
of being around his friends he was relaxed, carefree, and really funny. I
enjoyed watching him interact with the others. They had so many inside jokes
and old funny stories. That was when he was at his most
handsome,
when he was laughing at a memory he had with his friends. It was a very
endearing quality about him.

We
all agreed to meet up that Saturday night as well to go out for a few drinks.
Megan picked Mallory and me up, wanting to drive separate from the boys in case
we wanted to drift off into a
girls
night later that
evening. I figured that idea was Megan’s way of saying she planned to head out
on the prowl later. I guessed that was probably easier to do without having the
guys along with us, though I was never sure I was reading her right.
 

Steve
and Johnny met us at a nightclub called Flash. It was loud and relatively dark
so we didn’t actually share much conversation. Again Griffin was late to
arrive, but loosened up once he had a few minutes to unwind. He was an amazing
dancer, just one more thing that drew me to
him,
however, he was a little too hands-on with some of the women he danced with.
Beautiful tall women were all over him, which bothered me in a weird way.
Although he was cordial with them,
all
of them unfortunately, he still
shrugged them off when given the chance to dance with Mallory, Megan, or me.
That at least helped my mood. At one point while we were dancing, he placed his
hand on the small of my back and it felt electric. He stared into my eyes,
making me believe he was in the moment as much as I was, though it appeared he
looked like that with everyone else he danced with.

           
After the nightclub Saturday night we went back to
Johnny’s place instead of splitting off. I so badly wanted to be back outside
on the patio with Griffin, under the stars. Instead we sat in Johnny’s living
room drinking margaritas. People finally asked me questions about my past,
wanting to get to know me better. I explained my generalized
not-too-many-details childhood, indicating that a traditional family life
hadn’t worked out too well for me. I glazed over Grant too, simply mentioning
that I was in a long relationship that didn’t work out. I explained I was just
looking for a fresh start for a life that otherwise wasn’t going my way.

           
The thing I liked most about these people was that they
didn’t make me feel bad about the life I had. They seemed genuinely interested
in me, and I felt comforted to know that I could spill at least a few honest
details about myself. Nothing as graphic as I remembered it of course, there
was no need to completely scare them off at this point, but just enough for
them to understand how I got here. How I just packed up my life one day to move
to a new city where I didn’t know anyone, just on the chance there was hope for
me that I could live a stable, mediocre life despite my past. So far, it seemed
to be working.

           
I was certainly excited about the camping trip, sure, but
I had some anxiety over it as well. I’ve never really been the outdoorsy type.
Hanging out the past few weeks with these new friends had been amazing, albeit
unusual for me. Growing up watching TV, all those shows with large groups of
close friends, I always thought that was just Hollywood magic. I never really
knew those types of relationships existed. It really baffled me. All I knew
were promises, lies, and leaving.

           
The thing that gave me the most anxiety about the camping
trip, excluding large bugs and the notion of hiking shoes as acceptable
attractive footwear, were the dares. They were like New Year’s resolutions, but
you made them for someone else. Last week we all had a big dinner out, their
tradition for the drawing of the names. The group had decided beforehand that
they would give me Mallory’s name, since she was the one I knew best from the
group, to cut me a little break I guess. All the other draws, however, were a
secret, and no one was supposed to know which name the others had pulled until
the camping trip.

           
I was elated to have Mallory’s name for this. It really
did make the most sense. I was so excited to give her the dare. She had truly
changed my life, so I liked the idea of inspiring her to do something with
hers.
But what about me?
Surely no one in the group,
other than maybe Mallory, really
knew
me by now. At least not well
enough to suggest some kind of life change for this broken stranger. Who pulled
my name? What on earth would they write for me? More importantly, the thing
that freaked me out the most, what if I didn’t want to go through with it? In
all the stories I had heard about past dares, no one ever mentioned someone
failing to at least attempt theirs.

           
I honestly had no idea what to pack for the trip. I
already dressed pretty simply as it was, but I wasn’t sure what else would be
helpful to bring, other than a few changes of clothes and some durable shoes.
Mallory came over and helped me with my wardrobe, promising me she had all the
other essentials. In less than an hour we were on our way out.

           
Mallory and I picked up Megan and Steve for the ride. The
hour drive to the other side of Lake Tahoe passed quickly with quick witty
banter from Megan and Steve, a good play list, and some amazing treats Mallory
had packed in a cooler. As I stared out the window at the giant sequoias, my
mind kept drifting. Why did my thoughts always lead back to Griffin? I knew him
the least I suppose, maybe that was it. Over the past two weeks he missed a few
get-togethers because he had been out taking care of some family business.
Although he came to the dinner last Saturday night for the drawing of the
names, he seemed a little aloof. I hadn’t seen him the rest of the week. He was
so attractive, that was for sure, with his long eyelashes and perfect mouth.
But there was something off about him too. He seemed a little withdrawn from
the group at times, or maybe just around me. Maybe I annoyed him in some way?
Mallory did say he wasn’t happy working for his father, maybe it was just
stress from his job? No one really talked about it, so I wasn’t sure.

           
I silently wondered how well Megan knew Griffin. I mean
sure, they had been friends from school. But she seemed to
know
most of
the guys quite well, which made me nervous. Why would it bother me? The thought
of it just didn’t sit right. Maybe they had a thing once, like she did with
Steve? I tried to shake off the thoughts.

           
“Adelaide,” Steve said, waving his hand in front of my
face. “Would you eat it?”

           
I quickly shut out Griffin from my mind. “I’m sorry, eat
what? Probably,” I responded, assuming I would be willing to eat most things,
so it sounded like an appropriate answer.

           
“That’s my girl, Addie. So it’s been decided, I will hunt
it, Mal can cook it, and at least Addie and I will eat it,” Steve shook his
head proudly as if approving his own idea. I grimaced, hoping the conversation
would take a different turn.

           
“So what time are Griffin and Johnny going to be there?”
Megan asked Mallory. “I feel like I’ve barely seen Griffin in the past two
weeks. What's going on with him?”

           
“Ah, he’s fine. Everything’s fine. It’s something with
his dad, as usual. I think there is some problem at work and he’s been left to
handle it, so he’s pissed off about it like always. They should be there
tonight before sunset,” Steve said, propping his knee up on the dashboard.

           
After some more general conversation we finally reached
the campsite. Nestled in the woods, the campsite opened up to a spectacular
view of Lake Tahoe.

           
“This is amazing,” I said with a whispered breath,
stepping out of the vehicle with my bag in one hand and Mallory’s cooler in
another.

           
“Let’s get everything set up before dinner while we have
good light,” Steve said, unloading tents, stakes, and tools from the trunk.

           
Getting the campsite set up took more work than I
thought. Of course it didn’t seem like much work to Megan, who was leisurely
walking around most of the time with a Tequila Sunrise in her hand. Mallory
began unwrapping the dinner she had prepared earlier that day, neatly placing
the cut up meat and vegetables into a large skillet. As she set the pan over
the fire grate, a pair of headlights pulled up the dirt path. The vehicle
parked right next to Mallory’s car and Griffin and Johnny stepped out of it.

           
“Something smells good,” Griffin said, walking towards
the fire with a bag slung over his shoulder. He wrapped his spare arm around
Mallory and kissed her cheek.

           
“Just in time for dinner,” Mallory replied, returning his
hug.

           
“Imagine that, you guys showing up
after
I’ve set
up the site again this year,” Steve said in a mocking tone, reaching for the
cooler.
“Drinks?”

           
Johnny and Griffin both nodded and Steve opened up a
couple beers and handed them over.

           
“So Meg, lovely camping clothes as usual,” Johnny mused,
noting Megan’s tight jeans, heeled boots, and her fitted shirt that was a
little too thin for the falling temperatures.

           
“You never know who you might see out in the middle of
nowhere,” Megan chuckled back.

           
Dinner that night was amazing. We ate seasoned cubes of
steak with roasted vegetables, still searing with the scent of the crackling
fire. After dinner we cleaned up our dishes and refilled our drinks. I turned
to see Griffin sitting in a chair by the campfire. He wore a red hooded
sweatshirt and was softly playing a worn guitar.

           
“You play guitar?” I asked, my voice cracking with
amusement.

           
“Yeah, a little,” Griffin replied without breaking from
his melody.

           
“A little?
Come on man, you are
one of the most talented guys I know,” Johnny said, sitting down in a chair
next to Griffin. “This guy,” Johnny said pointing his finger at
Griffin,
“is an amazing artist. You should hear some of his
music. It’s really good.”

           
Griffin looked up and smiled a bashful smile.

           
“Eh, I don’t play much anymore. When we were younger I
always thought I’d run away to California and become some famous musician, much
against every hope and dream my father ever had for me of course,” Griffin
said, his mood sobering. “Guess I’ve done a terrible job at disappointing him
so far, given that I’m here, working for the man,” he smirked.

           
Mallory and Steve sat down around the fire as well, so I
joined them. Megan eventually followed.

           
“What about you Addie? Is there anything you promised
your younger self you would become?” Griffin stared at me intensely. I thought
for a moment he was looking through me, but then I felt his gaze in my throat.

           
“Uh, well, I don’t know, I guess,” I replied, shrugging
my shoulders.
“Something normal.
Something
different from my parents.
Happy, I guess.”

           
“I hear
ya
,” Johnny piped in.
“If I became my father, I would be a
dissatisfied
accountant with a second mortgage and an ex-wife who’s always angry. No thank
you.”

           
I was glad to have the attention off me. The conversation
turned quickly and the group talked about past camping trips. They reminisced
about people falling into the lake, the time Mallory forgot the
food,
and even a surprise bear encounter one year.

           
Oh great.
I have to worry not only about a hike
they were talking about taking tomorrow despite my limited athleticism,
and
worry
about bears? The soft strumming of Griffin’s guitar pulled me from my thoughts,
and I wondered what kind of music he sang. I couldn’t help but smile at him,
watching him there with his guitar through the light of the fire. He looked so
relaxed, and I was happy to see that. We sat around talking for a bit longer
and Griffin finally sang some music, a little Jack Johnson, some Dave Matthews.
The songs weren’t all that familiar to me, but the others knew them well. It
was relaxing, soothing music, and I enjoyed watching Griffin play. Eventually
he put the guitar down and everyone refilled their plastic cups with whatever
they were drinking. I stuck with wine, not really sure I would like much else.
I was glad that Griffin sat directly across from me. He wore dark jeans with
his red hooded sweatshirt and his skin glowed in the light from the fire. The
mere sight of him made me smile. Something about being out in the woods made
him
look
more rustic to me, and I found him quite
appealing.

           
“So should we start?” Megan asked loudly to the group,
interrupting my thoughts. “Dare box?” She skipped over to the table and pulled
out a small wooden box. “So here’s how this part works Addie. You tell everyone
who you had and what you’re daring them to do. Then you put your card in the
box, the card you wrote the dare on earlier. They can’t remove their card until
they’ve completed whatever they were dared to do. Basically everyone has until
the following camping trip to get their dare out of the box. Does all that make
sense?”

           
“What happens if someone doesn’t do what they’re dared to
do?
If they don’t complete it?”
I asked cautiously. I
had been wondering that all along, ever since Mallory had explained the dares
to me in the first place. I was so grateful to be invited in on something that
was important to them, but nervous to be the buzz kill if I wasn’t comfortable
with what I was dared to do. I didn’t exactly have the means to fly to France
like Mallory did.

           
“Well,” Johnny chimed in, “has that actually ever
happened?” He looked around at the group, and everyone looked deep in thought,
and then shook their heads no. “We all make sure the person completes theirs, I
guess,” he added.

           
I suddenly felt even more terrified of what someone may
assign of me. What if it was something I just didn’t want to do? What if it was
something I needed money for, not just the traveling thing, but something else
someone thought I needed? I wasn’t sure they really understood my current
situation. I mean yeah, I was making some money at the bakery, but that was
literally all I had to my name. I certainly wasn’t in the position these other
people were in, in that regard. I was so appreciative of these new friendships
and their easy acceptance of me into their group, but there were still so many
things they didn’t know about me.

           
“Does that make sense?” Mallory asked me, snapping me out
of my panic.

           
“Yeah sure, I guess,” I replied, nodding my head in
agreement. If I had somewhere to actually go, I wondered if I would have gotten
up in that moment and left.

           
“Well, since we all know already that you have Mallory,
you should go first,” Megan stated, passing me the old wooden box she held in
her hands. Megan had helped me fill out my card earlier that day, just to make
sure I understood how this worked.

           
“Alright Mallory,” I began, clearing my throat. “Maybe
this is obvious. Maybe you saw this coming, I don’t know. I dare you to open
your bakery full-time, seven days a week. I dare you to make it your career,
not just your side hobby. Not just opening an extra day here and there, but I
mean every day. I know you’re worried about getting enough business to make it
work, but now that I’m here, I’d like to help. We can take shifts and split up
the days, and I can…”
           
Mallory interrupted me before
I could finish. “Oh Addie, I’m not ready yet. That terrifies me. The shop isn’t
that
busy yet, and what if it doesn’t work? I can’t just jump on that
ship right now. People don’t even really know the shop exists just yet. I’m
just experimenting really, messing around with some small orders. I would
probably need at least another year, if not more. I would have to
really
build up business for that to work.”
           
“I thought you couldn’t say
no?” I said with a little waiver in my voice. “Mallory, I know you can do it.
We
can do it. You’re ready.”