When the SUV pulled into the gate, I sent Duke inside and called to my mom to let her know I was leaving. Grandma Dawson had claimed shotgun, and Brook’s parents claimed the middle row, so I got in the back with Brook. Today’s Town Hall wasn’t going to be like the ‘get out the vote’ campus events I supported last weekend, despite being held at UIC’s Pavilion.
That was the reason my grandma was going. People across the state knew who she was, and it would be an older crowd.
“What are we supposed to do?” I asked.
“You’ll sit behind the panel in case a question gets directed to you,” Grandma Dawson said.
“So, this is going to be boring,” I said.
Brook hit me in the back of the head. I was sure Paul was with me on the sentiment, though. Everyone else seemed to be excited about going to a Town Hall meeting.
◊◊◊
Once we settled into our drive, Brook jabbed my side to get my attention. She had her tablet out and showed me a sailboat. They offered a one-week cruise that would start in Puerto Rico and end in Aruba. They were equipped to fill dive tanks.
The more I read about the yacht, the more excited I got. It was a luxury catamaran that would comfortably accommodate up to eight guests while covering up to 300 nautical miles per day under sail. It was sixty-nine feet long, but the website said the yacht was still compact enough to fit into most harbors. And its shallow draft allowed it to slip into quiet coves and anchorages that would be off-limits for keelboats of her size.
It had four guest cabins, each with a queen-size bed and private bathroom. That would be perfect for our parents, Brook and I. It came with two crew members who sailed the yacht and cooked gourmet meals. I flipped through the photos, and it looked like a floating five-star hotel. It even had air conditioning so you could get a good night’s sleep.
It said they would customize your cruise to your specific needs. If you wanted to act like a tourist and enjoy what the different islands had to offer, they could do that. For the group who wanted to just relax, they would find beautiful secluded coves. They also had options for the more adventurous.
“What does this cost?” I asked Brook.
She told me, and I calculated it as a per-person price. For that much money, I could buy a yacht.
“Seriously? Eighty-eight thousand in total?” I asked.
“No, it’s eleven thousand total for the week. That includes everything. Of course, it can be more if you do some add-ons.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“If you’re a foodie and want high-end wine, for example.”
“Don’t tell my dad, he’d want some expensive scotch.”
“I think our dads will get along,” Brook said.
“What do we have to do to book it?” I asked.
She blushed.
“I already did,” she said and then asked a question before I could object. “Who are you bringing with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your room is big enough to have someone sleep with you.”
“I thought …” I started and then realized the parental units would be with us. So much for that plan.
“I was thinking about inviting Cassidy.”
I ran through the list of guys I knew, but I didn’t want to sleep in the same bed with any of them for a week. Maybe I could convince my parents to allow me to ask Beth. The only problem with that was I wanted to spend time with Brook. It would be a little awkward if Beth were there. This was one of those times where Tami said my first instinct was always wrong. I would be better off going alone.
“Let me think about it.”
“I need to know by Monday so I can order plane tickets.”
“For now, just figure I’ll go solo. If I change my mind, I’ll take care of the tickets later.”
“Call your mom,” Brook ordered.
I knew Ava, Brook’s mom, had been listening to us.
“Ava, you want to call her?” I asked, and she had the grace to act confused about what I was asking.
“Mom will call her,” Brook said.
Ava got her phone out and dialed. I smiled to myself when she didn’t ask who she was supposed to call. She definitely needed to work on her acting skills.
◊◊◊
When we arrived at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s campus, we made the trek to their basketball arena, the UIC Pavilion. They had a stage set up with panel-type seating. There was VIP guest seating on a riser behind the panel. My grandma and I were assigned seats in that area. They set it up so the TV cameras could see the supporters.
Brook and her family were assigned seats on the floor close to the front. I felt a little bad they didn’t rate VIP seats. Bill Carl, the banker and minority owner of the Cubs, brought his wife Elinor over to say hi. It turned out my grandma was good friends with them. They chatted with my grandma while I spaced out.
