Read Online One of the Guys by Jessica Strassner - Free Book Online

“ Ew !” she
cried.
                “What?” Chris cried in response. He
looked alarmed.
                “It’s… umm. It’s an egg,” she said,
her fingers closing around the egg and pulling it out. “It’s… kind of soft.”   She held the egg out to Chris, who cupped it
gently in his palm.
                “Weird,” he said.
                Kate repeated the process with the
other hen, but there was no egg. She peeked in and around the straw to make
sure she wasn’t missing any eggs. “I guess there will be more tomorrow.”   She turned and headed towards the house,
circling back around to the front porch. She stooped to pick up her bag and
Chris picked up his backpack, still holding the egg in his hand.
                Kate reached down into the basket of
pink impatiens at her feet. She felt around a bit in the damp soil and came up
with the key to the front door. She unlocked the door and tossed her bag on the
couch. “I’ll take that,” she said, holding out her hand for the egg. “Make
yourself at home.”
                Her mom had said to stick the eggs
that she collected in an egg carton in the fridge, so she headed towards the
kitchen. When Kate opened the refrigerator door, she stood gaping at the
contents for a second. An entire shelf was filled with egg cartons. She lifted
one up. Full. She reached for another one. Full. She reached for another one. It
felt lighter, so she opened it and placed the egg in an empty slot. “I think
we’ll have omelets in the morning!” she called. “Big ones.”
                Kate went back into the living room
and leaned against the door frame, tucking her hands into the back pockets of
her jeans. Chris was standing in front of the fireplace, looking at all of the
pictures on the mantle. “You were a cute kid,” he commented.
                “Thanks,” she said, peering over his
shoulder and hoping that none of the pictures were too embarrassing. “So, what
do you want to do?” she asked.
                Chris turned and looked at her. “I
don’t know,” he said. “What is there to do around here?”
                “Um…”   Kate scratched her head. “Not much.”
                “Is there someplace we can go grab a
drink or something?”
                “Not anywhere nearby,” she said. “But…
my dad always has beer in the fridge in his tool
shed!”

 
    *
                She couldn’t help it; so much for being
girly. Kate let out a big burp. She and Chris had been sitting on the front
porch swing for hours, drinking beers and talking. There was nothing else to
do!  
    She
felt completely comfortable and at ease around Chris. Maybe it was the beer
talking, or maybe they were just getting along really well. Either way, she was
enjoying herself. The late September weather was perfect, with the air just
beginning to cool off in the evenings.
                “No wonder it’s getting cool,” Chris
said, nudging her and pointing through the trees. “I think we’re in for some
rain,” he added, just as the breeze picked up and sent Kate’s hair flapping
into his face. She tucked her hair over her shoulder and peered at the sky.   Dark clouds were quickly rolling in their
direction. They didn’t look pretty.
                “Maybe we should go inside.”   Kate got to her feet just as another gust of
wind scattered their empty beer cans off the table and sent them rolling across
the porch. She and Chris stooped to gather them up and the rain began to splash
down in big, fat drops. They dashed inside and dumped the empty cans into the
garbage. Both of them leaned against the sink, looking out the window into the
back yard.
                “It’s coming down really hard,”
Chris commented.
                Kate yawned. “I bet the satellite
goes out. That means no TV.”   She