Second Chances in New Port Stephen - Chapter 85

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Second Chances in New Port Stephen - Chapter 85

Eli slept late again, waking only for a few moments before rolling over and falling right back into
a dream state. During one brief period of consciousness, he thought he heard the front door
close and his parents’ car rumble away. Then nothing but a stretch of dark. Until the doorbell
rang. And rang. And would not stop ringing.
He pulled himself out of bed with a sour groan. His parents had to be out; they’d never ignore a
doorbell and would never sleep as late as—he glanced at the old digital clock on the nightstand
while he pulled on his pajama top—Jesus, well past noon. He shuffled to the door with all the
enthusiasm of a dog being taken to a vet appointment. It occurred to him it might be Nick. He’d
left Eli a voicemail during yesterday’s interminable Christmas dinner, but Eli literally never
checked his voicemail and wasn’t even sure how to do it on his new phone. He figured if it was
an emergency, a rational person would text.
He half hoped it was a Jehovah’s Witness at the door; he still hadn’t come up with a good way
to woo Nick. Was it even possible to have that conversation about keeping up the fun,
experimental sex (and nothing else, totally cool with just sex, nothing to see here) if he hadn’t
even brushed his teeth? Eli opened the door anyway.

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“Holy shit.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair and down his face. “Margo? What the hell?”
Margo—all six foot three of her—stood on the front porch. Her curly hennared hair was pulled
back in a headband. She wore a velour tracksuit. Her shoes were slip-ons. Everything about her
screamed hot off a transcontinental flight. “Hey, stranger.”
Eli didn’t even consider playing it cool. He tipped forward and wrapped Margo up in a bear hug.
She smelled like rental-car air freshener and cigarettes. He hadn’t realized how much he’d
missed her.
“Whoa. Okay.” Margo returned the hug carefully. “You all right, buddy?”
“Yeah.” Eli gave her one last squeeze before holding her at arm’s length. “I’m just—it’s good to
see you. Unexpected, but good. What are you doing here?”
She scrunched her nose as she smiled. “What, I can’t check in on my friend? Make sure he
hasn’t started wearing those oversized shirts with a deep-sea fishing mural on it while blasting
Jimmy Buffett?”
Eli gave her an unimpressed look.