Chapter Six

Evie was at Peter’s again. School had just begun only two short months ago, and this was Fall Break. The first weeks of school had been harrowing. I was at a classroom maximum, and the students I had inherited this year were challenging, to say the least. I hoped this was the worst of it, or I was in for quite a year. I decided to set off on my little weekend excursion to “regroup” as Amy had so aptly put it since Peter had Evie this weekend and after the past few months I’d had, I desperately needed a break.

Bob Marley was singing about three little birds as I maneuvered the Jeep roughly through the bumpy terrain of the seemingly abandoned dirt road. However, here and there throughout the dense forest, other cabins sat nestled in the tranquility that surrounded me. They all appeared to be vacant, void of any vehicles that would indicate otherwise. It really did feel good to be here. Away from everything. 

The cabin appeared as though it had been unoccupied for some time. I checked the trip odometer. 5.3 miles I had traveled down this little dirt road, and I passed maybe five cabins. The road continued and vanished up the mountain, into the thick trees past the cabin, but I had no idea for how far or if there were any more homes deeper in the woods. I got out of the Jeep and stretched and reached over the console into the passenger seat to grab my duffle bag. I would only be here for three days. So, I had packed a t-shirt to sleep in, clean underwear, three tank tops, three pairs of shorts, and a sweater and sweatpants to protect me from the cool bite of autumn nights.

Georgia is notorious for days that consist of 70-degree weather during the day, with drops into the 40s at night. The rest of the contents of my bag consisted of cds, liquor, and more liquor. And of course, I brought some bologna, cheese, and loaf bread. Sustenance. I had to eat, and I had no plans whatsoever of leaving this place, and it was very doubtful that I could get a pizza delivered way out here. 

I surveyed the simple, rustic cabin. It was small and made of weathered wood. I wasn’t sure if the wood was truly that worn or had been deliberately battered so as to appear distressed. It had a tin roof that had rusted in places. I hoped it didn’t leak. I didn’t anticipate rain, and I didn’t really care if it did, but I didn’t want to get wet while inside. The place was completely encompassed by massive trees all around despite the fact that it sat proudly atop a steep hill. There was a gravel walkway that led to the steps going up to the back screened-in deck and another walkway, also made of gravel, leading to the stairs that twisted up to the front door.

I climbed the many steps leading to the deck of the cabin. This is where the owner told me I would find the key in a lock box. She’d given me the combination to unlock it, and I had to write it down. I knew I’d never remember it. I took the steps two at a time and reached the top of the steps in no time flat. I looked around the screened in deck. There was a small bistro table with a tray and a vase containing freshly picked flowers. In the center of the deck, a tree was growing. I stood there for a minute gawking at it. I had never seen anything like it. Too cool. The deck had been erected around the tree. In the corner of the deck butted against the cabin was an enormous hot tub. It looked like it was made for quite a few people. Nice. I’ll be seeing you real soon, I thought, smiling goofily at the tub, as I walked over to it to remove its padded cover. I folded it and placed it in the corner of the porch and turned the machine on. I was going to be hitting that ASAP. 

I dug into my shorts pocket to retrieve the piece of paper on which I’d written the combination. I entered it into the lockbox, freeing the key. As I unlocked the glass door to the cabin, sliding it open, the smell of apple cinnamon invaded my senses. I looked around. The place was so clean and cozy. To my left was the kitchen, with its small stove and little refrigerator. Not a mini-fridge but just a smaller version of a normal-sized ones. And there was the bar. I gently flung my bag onto the counter and began emptying the drinks and food. I immediately poured a glass of vodka. Straight. I drained the glass almost instantaneously and quickly refilled it, sitting it and the opened bottle on the bar beside the glass doors to the deck. 

After I’d placed the food in the fridge and the booze at the bar, I walked back into the main area where I had entered. It was a living room with a lavish couch, a coffee table, a cushy chair with an ottoman, a rocking chair, and a stereo. On the other side, directly opposite the sliding doors, was the front door. A small television with a DVD player and a VCR with an assortment of movies in either form was centered in front of the coffee table. There was Blazing Saddles, Somewhere in Time, Total Recall, some kids’ movies, some unlabeled VHSs (hmm), and The Matrix. Quite the variety, I mused. There was a fireplace in the far right corner of the room. Right beside it sat a large basket accommodating the wood and a small bucket of what the owner had called “kindling” on the phone. 

I immediately started a fire, knowing that the nights get pretty cold up here in the mountains. On the coffee table were flyers of nearby attractions, a phone book, a few magazines (fishing mostly…ugh), and a stack of racy novels. I sauntered across the room and to my left, just past the kitchen area was a door to the bathroom, and just past that was the bedroom. Quaint. I walked into the bedroom, tossed my duffle bag onto the bed, and dug out my cds and my t-shirt, pitching my tee onto the bed. I marched out of the room, went directly to the cd player, popped in Imogen Heap, put it on repeat, and turned it up. I slid out of my clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor in the middle of the living room. I strolled to the bathroom and grabbed the two towels that were folded neatly and lying in a basket beside the tub. 

“I have a hot date with the tub outside. Sorry little guy. Don’t take it personally.” I raised my eyebrows up and down as I whispered to the bathtub.

I giggled at myself as I sauntered, bare-ass and naked as the day I was born, across the living room, grabbing my glass of vodka and the bottle from the bar as I passed it, and headed out the sliding glass door.