Seven o'clock on a Saturday night and Ben walks into the kitchen and says simply,
Little bee, let's go camping.
Who?
Caleb's got the kids for movie sleepover so I figured you and I would go. Go pack your boyfriend and let's get going.
He turns and walks out of the room. If I know Ben, he'll put his truck keys in one pocket, a guitar pick in the other pocket and proclaim that he is ready to go. Not sure he's ever really figured out the whole tent + sleeping bags + food part of the deal. Ben doesn't actually live in the reality he claims to. He lives in a different fantasyland, where camping equipment just falls from the sky for him to use. That hasn't changed in twenty years.
I take off, scrambling. Sleeping bag. Check. Tent. Check. Food. Check. Run down the driveway to the boathouse and kiss the kids and tell them where we will be. Check. Urg. Phone isn't charged. Will do that on the drive in the truck. Check. Sketchbook and pencils. Check. Extra blanket in case it's colder than the forecast. Check.
I am waiting in the front hall with mostly everything when he returns with his guitar case and he looks around.
Where's Lochlan?
I don't know? Camper, probably?
Go get him. Come on. We have to get moving to get a site before dark.
I thought you were being sarcastic about bringing him.
No. I wasn't.
You want him to come camping with us?
Yes?
Are you going to kill him in the woods?
Only if he tries to kiss me again.
He doesn't do that. You do it to him!
Oh, right. Okay, I'll only kill him if he doesn't respond to my advances.
You've a very hard man to figure out, Benjamin.
I hear you like guys like that.
Just..wow.
That WAS sarcasm. In case you were wondering.
