October Outing

Chapter 4 - Exotic

The once empty cabin was soon filled with chatter and music from the two visitors; Toby and Inke now settled in after unpacking the car and vaguely sorting out their items, until tomorrow. The two-story cabin would list as a two and a half bedroom, one bathroom; the Burgundy family would tell people that it sleeps up to twenty on a good weekend. Crafted wooden décor and cozy cottage crafts occupied most of the wall and shelf space inside, collected over the decades from adventures and local craft stores. This week, there were only two occupants, giving them more than enough room and less reason to fight for food and a place to sleep.

Inke sank into the worn fabric couch with a sigh of relief, cracking a fresh can of alcohol, as she raised her legs onto the large coffee table, between the roughly arranged furniture, in the open living room. They were facing towards a glass wall that overlooked the rough stone staircase leading down to the lakeside. Trees poked into sight from the sloping hill, but left an otherwise unblocked view of the water. "I missed this." She smiled, glancing at Toby as he took a seat on the couch, opening his own drink. Even as the sunset was almost over, the few scattered lights from across the lake reminded them how peaceful the outside was.

"Yeah, it never gets old." Toby clanked their cans together, "Seeing it makes me want to live out here."

"You think your parents would let you? And what would you do without all the convenience and technology of the city life?" Inke took a swig of her drink, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'll just live off the grid with solar panels and shit. The closest town isn't that far, and a lot of the other cabin owners live here for months at a time. Plus, I'm sure they would let me live here if I kept it in good condition." He chuckled, putting his feet up on the table as well.

"Ohhh, mister exotic. Gonna make a farm and animal pen too?" She nudged Toby with a smirk. "I could see being here for a month or two, but years? No thanks. I'll be sure to come visit though." Inke teased as she was elbowed in return.

A soft chime from the sunflower clock on the wall, indicating it was seven in the evening. "Hungry? I think we had some burgers aside for tonight." Toby pushed himself up from the couch with a grunt, "Oof, first thing when I move in is some new furniture."

"Just a few upgrades huh?" she joined him, lifting from the couch, "It's not that bad, once you get passed the metal springs in your ass." Inke chortled, giving him a gentle push towards the kitchen, "Burgers sound good. Everything in the fridge or still in the coolers?"

He lead the way with a silly half-dance walk, making sure to slow down their pace and get in her way. "Bit of both, check the cooler and I'll grab from the fridge. Barbecue might need a clean too." Toby snickered as he was pushed again, stepping forward back into a normal walk. The kitchen was similar in style to the living room, though it was kept cleaner with less clutter. Faux slate laminate counter tops with outdated appliances made an L shape around an open space in the middle, leading to the living room, dining area, and a door outside.

"Gross, it probably looks rotten with all the build up since last time." Inke shuddered, turning towards the cooler tucked away to the side of the kitchen, seated on the wooden slat flooring. Flipping open the lid, she scoured through for some vegetables and other toppings.

Toby pulled the burgers from the fridge, "It's usually not that bad," he paused in reflection, "...except for that one time." He shuddered and twisted in ghoulish disgust.

"Yeeeah, don't tell me. I'm looking forward to the burgers, and I would like to keep my hunger." Inke gave him a glare, placing the ingredients on the counter. She opened a drawer below her, grabbing a knife and a couple other utensils to prepare the food. "You got the mystery box then? Cool, thanks buddy." Unzipping her hoodie and tossing it on nearby chair, Inke moved to the sink, turning on the tap as she began to wash her hands and food.

Toby sighed, "Yeah yeah, I'll handle the cooking." Stepping around her and grabbing what he needed, Toby head outside onto the small stone patio where the partially rust covered barbecue waited for attention. With a deep inhale, he used the cleaning brush to pry under the lid and slowly lifted, hoping nothing was waiting for him. With a loud clang, the top opened wide, revealing a dusty and weathered grill. Letting out a long sigh of relief, he placed down the food and plate on the side, getting to cleaning off the barbecue before lighting it up. "It'll be about fifteen minutes!" He shouted through a window they had cracked open a bit.

The night carried on, Inke and Toby enjoying a long awaited first meal, drinks, and the company of themselves. They talked of the plans for the next days, where to go, what to do; making sure they could squeeze every ounce of fun from this week before they had to return back to their jobs and routine.