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Owen Blackbourne
"Come on Owen, can't we just stop somewhere for dinner before meeting the boys? You haven't let us stop anywhere for hours." The impulse to block Sean's words out and keep driving was nearly overwhelming. We were fifteen minutes away from where the other members of my team were staying, so it only made sense to ditch his idea and drive straight through town.
I stared forward at the road, briefly glancing over the small restaurants and shops that lined the busy red-brick sidewalks. With a population of only forty-two thousand, one would expect it to be boring and slow, but the frequent passerby proved that although the town didn't hold nearly the amount of dwellers as our favored Charleston, Wayward is charming in its own right. "I'm sure the boys already made something for dinner. You can treat yourself to some leftovers once we arrive."
Sean brushed away the curly, sandy blonde hair that hovered just over his eyebrows and held up his cellphone, wiggling it around directly in front of my face. I frowned. "Already sent a text. Kota said that there's none left. It's actually quite a shame. I feel like I always miss out when Nathan barbecues."
Dryly, I said, "If you learned how to cook for yourself, that wouldn't be an issue." Even with my light mocking, I still parked in front of the nearest restaurant, which gave a clear view of a sign above the entrance that read The Amber Taste.
Sean immediately catapulted out of the vehicle, then leaned down to give me a pressing look through the window as he rubbed a hand over his stomach. "Hurry it up, Owen. I'm a growing boy that needs his food to stay healthy."
Rolling my eyes, I slipped out of the drivers side and straightened my charcoal grey suit to get rid of the presence of driving for several hours. "You're a grown adult. Act like one."
His green eyes held mirth. "I take offense to that. Let's go."
A moment later, we were shown to our seats near a large single pane window that overlooked the crowded main street. If I was correct in my assumptions, the college campus we would be teaching at is less than a mile away, nestled tightly between a few different shops. The dark mahogany tables around us were empty, which would help give some semblance of privacy to go over mission details during our meal.
A cheerful looking woman strolled over to us, pen and pad in hand. She was pixie in size, with shoulder length dark hair that showcased her bright smile and kind, intelligent eyes. "Hello there, I'm Lydia. Before I give you a few moments to look over the menu, can I get you both something to drink?"
"Water is fine, thank you." Nodding along, the waitress turned her gaze to my brother.
Giving a charming smile, he said, "I'll take a whiskey on the rocks, please."
I held back a grimace. Sean didn't drink often but it still worried me on occasion. He once demonstrated an addictive personality when we were young and I hoped it wouldn't carry on into his adult years. Still, I kept my thoughts to myself.
