Please know this was written with the highest regard for my
home state of New Jersey and my beloved Long Beach Island where this
plot and my characters have lived and worked. Though Last Call is still
fictional, the timeline, path and destruction of the storm, Governor's
orders and the resulting damage is entirely accurate. I envisioned a
long time ago where Last Call Bar & Grill was on the map of Long
Beach Island, as well as Bella & Edward's home in Loveladies and the
Cullen's beach home in Harvey Cedars. The damage all three of these
buildings sustained is in keeping with the damage that happened in the
actual neighborhoods where they're located. My research was solid. New
Jersey and all of the victims of this terrible storm deserved as
truthful an accounting as this fictional story can relay.
~Counting Our Blessings~
 |
| Hurricane Sandy Outtake: Banner by Ladyeire Author |
BPOV
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Bags! Bags everywhere! My fingers feel like they're falling off!
Why couldn't I do this in more than one trip?
"Help! A little help, please!" I call out to any Good Samaritans
possibly hearing my cry as I stumble through the back door of Last Call.
"Well,
what the heck are you doing? Couldn't you send a text saying that you'd
be here in a minute and 'come outside to help, please?'"
My brother-in-law to the rescue.
"Sorry,
my brain was too focused on where to put all the decorations. I'm so
excited for the costume party!" I squeal and give him a kiss on the
cheek as he saves my fingers from certain annihilation.
James
pries about six of the bags out of my hands, leaving me with the other
five. Together, we haul the loot into the office and throw it all on the
couch and floor.
"427 dollars, Bells? Did you deplete Party City of
every Halloween decoration they carried?"
I
giggle. "Pretty much! Look!" I hold up the witch that looks like she
just slammed into a tree. "This never fails to crack me up!"
James
laughs and crouches down with me, helping me rifle through the bags.
"Oh, this is totally mine. I call dibs on the Jason Voorhees hockey
mask!"
I snatch it out of his hand. "Gimme that! You can't wear
it! I bought it as a decoration for the wall, doofus! You and Char have
to come up with your own costumes!"
I'm so excited that we decided to have a costume party at Last Call this year. Patrons can't get into the bar without
some
form of get-up, even if it's only a mask. We're having a contest for
the best costume. Forget Oscar and Emmy, first, second and third prizes
on October 31st are going to be the most sought-after awards ever! First
prize is a complimentary four-night stay at Four Seas Bed and Breakfast
to be cashed in at any time of the year; no blackout dates. Second
prize is a catering voucher from Four Seas for up to $500 and the third
prize is a fifty-fifty split with the bar of whatever the door earns
from the cover charge that night.
I convinced James and Edward to
beef up their Halloween event this year and this is what we all came up
with. James was sold on the idea without even hearing all the details.
Edward took a little more convincing. My reasoning was that by the end
of October, the crowds are completely gone. There are only locals
around, unless somebody makes a special trip out to LBI, so it's more
like a thank you to all the people coming out to support Last Call on a
daily or weekly basis anyway. We have the money and ultimately, it will
be a ton of fun. He still seemed a little hesitant about the amount of
work it would require, so I brought out the big guns.
I put on a
lacy royal blue corset, matching boy shorts and the coordinating robe
and showed up at the bar after hours one night last month.
It took all of five minutes before he agreed willingly to have the party.
Use whatcha got, I always say!
"So, when are we gonna start decorating?" James questions, now with an eye patch over his left eye and a pirate hat on his head.
"Would
you quit messing around with this stuff? This is for the wait staff at
the party! They have to be able to maneuver through the crowd, so they
can't wear elaborate costumes," I say, yanking the hat off his head.
"Listen
to you two, if I hadn't made you his brother by marriage, I'd swear you
were already siblings by the way you bicker," I hear my very own
personal phone-sex operator's soothing voice behind me.
I pop up
from my crouched position. "Hi, hubby," I sing out, leaping into his
well-defined arms that wrap around me instantly like a reflex.
"Hello,
my wife," he hoists me up further and gives me a peck…then dives back
in to suck on my upper lip, which of course, succeeds in eliciting a
soft mewl from me.
"
AHEM!" James not-so-subtly clears his throat. "I'm still in the room, horndogs!"
I reluctantly pull back with a goofy grin matching Edward's.
"Don't you have somewhere to be, little brother?" Edward asks, his gorgeous eyes locked on mine.
"No, but it appears that you do!" James snickers and I roll my eyes.
Edward
lowers me to the ground and prepares to bite back, "You leave my sex
life out of this. You're just jealous because Charlotte is traveling so
much."
I smack Edward's bicep as James stands up, wearing a court
jester's cap. "Well, I won't argue with that. She'll be home from Italy
this coming weekend, thank God. I'll need a solid forty-eight hours off,
if you can swing it."
"Oh, I can swing it for forty-eight…the question is, can you?"
I
widen my eyes at my husband, wondering why the hell he's starting a
sexual endurance smack-talking competition with his brother.
"Oh,
my God… you two! Back to your corners. You—" I point to James, "gimme
back that jester's hat and go tend bar with Justin, and you—" I turn to
Edward, "get back over here and kiss me some more. I haven't seen you
since yesterday afternoon!"
Edward's half grin goes to full-on blasting smile as he steps forward and scoops me up.
"WHAT?! Oh, I am so getting the short end of the stick on this order!" James exclaims, his arms folded across his chest.
"Trust
me, dude, there's nothing short about my stick," Edward retorts,
waggling his eyebrows at me while embarrassment forces me to bury my
face in his shoulder, groaning.
"Okay…this conversation has taken a
serious nose-dive into depravity…and I LOVE IT," my brother in law
shouts. "But yeah, Justin's getting slammed; I'm outta here…keep the
moaning to a dull roar!"
He closes the door behind him, leaving me and
my husband of almost five months all alone and laughing as we fall into
the couch surrounded by the Halloween decorations, including a dozen
cans of silly string.
He sees them in the bag next to him and cocks his eyebrow with a mischievous grin.
I raise my eyebrows in excited question, my mouth smirking like it's going out of style.
Oh yeah, things are about to get freaky.
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Thursday, October 25, 2012
"Hey
E, have you seen the news today? That hurricane is doing some major
damage in the Caribbean and Haiti. Mudslides, flooding…they're saying
the death toll is up to fifty already," I hear James talking to Edward
in the office as I approach from the kitchen. It's almost two in the
morning on Thursday. The doors of the bar are locked and it's just the
three of us closing down for the night.
"Yeah, I was watching CNN
earlier today. We'll keep an eye on it, but we're usually pretty lucky
up here. If it isn't Florida, it's usually North Carolina that gets
slammed when it turns toward the north."
Edward makes eye contact with
me and I pinch my lips into a mini-frown, sad to hear such a tragic
statistic about Haiti. He shakes his head. "I'm sure Jersey will be
fine, we'll get the typical residual wind and rain, we might lose a foot
or two of beach and business will be nil for twenty-four hours…no big
deal," he finishes, convincingly.
I hear James blow out a tired
breath. "Okay…until we know more, we'll just keep one eye on the news
and hope for the best. I'm outta here, kids. Talk to you tomorrow."
"'Night J!"
"See ya, bro!" Edward and I call out at the same time.
"You ready, babe?" I ask, yawning, as I collapse on the couch face down.
"Yyyyyyyup…just
let me finish this one time sheet…aaaand done!" He roars a yawn and it
makes me giggle. I hear him power down the computer, lock his filing
cabinet and then walk toward me.
"Come on, woman. Up. Take me home
to bed," I hear him politely demand and then feel his lithe fingers
dancing up and down the backs of my legs.
I squirm a bit under his warm and slow touch. Feels so, so good. I could
… really—
"Bella!"
I jolt and pick my head up, completely disoriented, "Huh? What?"
Edward
snickers and pulls my arm up so that I'm in a seated position. "Come
on, baby. You fell asleep for a minute or two. My magical massage was a
little too relaxing." He yawns again. "Let's go home so we can enjoy our
next two days being work-free together and start them off the right
way— in our bed."
"Deal." I say groggily, mustering up the best smile I can after a long day and night at Last Call.
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Friday, October 26, 2012
The
smell of coffee isn't unwelcome, but it's slowly rousing me from the
most pleasant of dreams.
My husband and I are on a secluded beach in the
tropics and he's rubbing suntan lotion on my back, his fingers dipping
here and there, in places where the sun really isn't going to be
shining. I do appreciate his effort and how thorough he's being, though.
"Bella."
I feel the stubble of his face tickling my bare back while kisses are being peppered along my spine.
"Morning, pretty girl."
My
eyes flutter open and I can see that we're nowhere near a tropical
beach, but I can't find it in me to care, because the delicious aroma of
hot coffee is wafting over from my night stand and Edward is still most
definitely dropping gentle, wet kisses along my back and shoulders as
his fingers roam and dip and roam and dip some more. Maybe that part
wasn't the dream—again, not complaining.
He drapes his strong arm
over my waist and pulls me back toward the center of the bed, pressing
our warm bodies flush against each other. I sigh when our skin sizzles
at the contact.
"
Mmmm, there you are. I didn't know how
much longer you were going to fight reality," the sexy timbre of his
voice and his hot breath on my neck causing goose bumps to sprout all
over my body.
"Coffee?" I question, in a breathy and weak voice,
attempting to reach for the steaming mug. But Edward reaches up, grasps
my forearm and drags it back over my hips, landing it squarely on his
deliciously thick and erect cock.
"Later," he groans as I fist him
and squeeze gently, tugging on the up stroke and swiping my thumb
across the tip before heading down to the base again.
Trying to
give each other equal affection in the spooning position is never an
easy dance. It's cumbersome and, more often than not, one person gets
the bulk of attention while the other gives. I'm trying desperately to
be a giver right now, but Edward isn't making it easy on me. He starts
thrusting into my hand, and in turn, into my back. I'm a flexible girl,
but my arm can only bend so much.
His tongue and lips are focused on my neck and doing a damn good job of making me forget my name, but never his.
"Edward,"
I softly moan while he sucks and bites. His hand has been resting on my
hip this entire time, but I feel it start its journey south toward my
pussy, which is literally dripping, waiting for him; I can feel the
wetness in between my thighs. His right arm snakes under my upper body
and wraps around my chest as his fingers find my very awakened
nipples…and he starts to pluck…to pinch…to twist.
I can almost
feel my orgasm brewing just by the attention he's giving my breasts. I
fold my right arm backward over my head, reaching for his hair. I find
it, tugging and scraping at his scalp; which only causes him to thrust
more into my left hand.
God Almighty, this foreplay is for the record books this morning. Yet, I'm desperate to feel him inside me.
Just
as I'm completing that thought, his fingers travel ever-so-leisurely
down to where I'm craving them. He slides one finger slowly through my
lower lips…taunting, teasing, circling, dipping…
"Ahhh!" I cry out in excited frustration and he chuckles behind me, still licking and nibbling on my neck.
"Happy
five-month anniversary, pretty girl," he softly croons in my ear as one
of his long digits finally, FINALLY claims my pussy and I clench around
it, whimpering.
I'm desperate to give my husband the hand job he
more than deserves, but with him fingering me so intently, his thumb
strumming my clit, his unwavering attention to my neck and ear with his
mouth and his other hand tweaking my nipples, I am less than useless. I
give up my attempts at rubbing him and reach my left hand up to cup his
cheek. The moment my hand finds his stubbly cheek that turns me on
exponentially, he turns and kisses my palm, now twisting his two fingers
inside me, and starts playing with my G-spot.
The writing is on
the wall. I scream out and completely fall apart under his spell.
"That's it, baby. God, Bella…you're so fucking sexy…"
He withdraws
his fingers from inside my body while whispering, "I need you." He runs
his hand down my thigh and lifts my leg up and settles it on top of his
hip. All I can do is nod in agreement.
"Need to feel your walls around
me." My eyes are pinched shut, still feeling the after effects of my
orgasm. "Right…the fuck…now." And without further warning, Edward slides
inside, fully joining us.
I let out an enormous, ecstatic breath
in as my husband momentarily halts his kisses and I feel his forehead
fall to my shoulder, him moaning in pleasure, as well.
He pulls
out slowly and drives right back in, eliciting a throaty gasp from me. I
do my best to tighten my pussy around him as he does the lion's share
of the work from behind.
I press my face into my pillow, overcome
with feeling so full from this position. My fingers continue to thread
through Edward's wayward locks; a harder tug here and there causing him
to grunt and huff.
"Fuck…so wet for me Bella," he groans, his hand
moving from my thigh back to my clit. I can feel his fingers playing
where we're connected as he gathers the juices and brings them up to my
swollen bundle of nerves. His thrusting increases in speed and he starts
rubbing back and forth in double time.
My breaths are coming
quicker now. I can feel my impending orgasm in my tightening abdomen.
Edward has known how to read my body like a book ever since our first
time. His sexth sense, as I've come to call it, never fails to know
exactly when to push forward and when to pull me back from the brink of
tipping over.
In this case, the sexth sense knows damn well that
tugging at my nipples is about to make me scream like a banshee…which is
exactly what we both want.
"Come on, Bella…give it to me. I wanna
hear you." Jesus, if his ministrations weren't doing the trick just
fine, his silky smooth voice would surely make me crumble.
I'm
whimpering and whining. He's now pounding and pounding. The sounds of
our skin slapping and the smell of our arousals have mixed with the
scent of hazelnut coffee, making this the kinkiest smelling coffee shop
on the planet.
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygo-hod," I'm squealing and
crying out as my body freezes, capturing the moment. His panting and
grunting are a sure sign that he's on his way. I clench, clench, clench
and Edward literally roars with his explosion.
Like I said, he's doing the lion's share of work; he deserves to roar like a jungle cat.
A minute passes with only the sounds of our attempts to control our breathing.
"Damn,
woman. You have my heart racing…but then again, you always do," he
whispers, placing a gentle kiss between my shoulder blades. "I love you,
baby."
I hum in response and turn over to face him. "I love you, too. And yes, a very happy five-month anniversary, indeed."
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Friday, October 26, 2012 (cont.)
EPOV
I
can hear the obnoxious buzzing of my cell vibrating on my nightstand. I
look over at my wife, sleeping soundly. Then I check the clock to see
it's only 9:45 in the morning. Normally we'd be up at this hour, but our
super-early sexy morning romp allowed us to fall back to sleep an hour
ago.
"Yo."
"
Sorry to call so early on your day off E, but we've gotta talk. Have you seen the news at all since last night?"
"No, why…is it bad?"
I hear James sigh.
"Yeah, it's looking like a major shit storm is about to rain down on us, no pun intended."
"Okay. I'm getting up. You at the bar or the B&B?"
"
Last Call."
"Let me wake Bella. I'll be there in twenty."
"'
Kay, see ya."
"Baby, I've gotta get up," I sigh, rubbing my hand down her side.
"Mmmkay…wait, why? Is everything all right?"
"James
just called. He said there have been some developments with the storm
and it might be heading our way. We need to talk and figure stuff out."
She
sits up, the sheet falling away from her fantastic tits, causing me to
smile in reverence and thanks for my blessings. "Okay, gimme ten minutes
and I'll come with you."
"You don't have to come," I start
pulling her back onto the bed, "I just wanted you to know I was taking
off. I'll be back after I work things out with J."
Her face contorts and she looks confused. "What are you going to talk about?"
"Just
about the storm, watch the weather predictions and see if we need to
make some decisions about boarding the windows, getting our hands on
sandbags, generators…stuff like that."
Her eyebrows shoot up and I
suddenly realize I might be in trouble. "And why wouldn't I be involved
in that discussion or the decisions that are being made?"
My mouth drops open, realizing that she thinks I'm acting like she doesn't count…that her opinion doesn't matter.
"Wait,
wait, wait. I wasn't saying anything about your status as my wife or
that you're not our partner in what gets decided for the businesses…I
was just trying to let you sl—"
"Well, if I'm all those things,
shouldn't I be up early with you, helping to make the tough decisions,
whatever they may be? So that I'm in the loop and if we need to scatter
and get stuff done quicker, I know what's going on?"
Yup. All that. She's completely right.
"Yeah,
you're right. You're absolutely right." I grab her hand and thread my
fingers through hers.
"Dumb husband award goes to Edward Cullen," I pick
her hand up and kiss it. "Mad at me?"
She smirks and huffs. "Not at all. I just wanted to remind you that I'm in this with you. This is
our life. I'll never try and take over what you and James built, but I'm here for you. I just want to help, that's all."
"I
know," I say, nodding, "I was just trying to let you enjoy your day
off...nothing more than that. But somehow I'm thinking we might have a
couple of days off coming, whether we want them or not."
"Okay. Let's go figure this out together."
We exchange a quick kiss and then in a whirlwind, we're out the door fifteen minutes later.
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
"So,
Governor Christie is saying that he might put out a mandatory
evacuation of all the barrier islands if it keeps on the path it's been
going," James says, offering us a bite of the western omelet and hash
browns he just whipped up.
Bella grabs a fork and starts digging in as James sits down next to her on the couch.
"Yeah,
and weather dot com is saying that this cold front and storm that are
brewing in the northeast will collide with the hurricane and make it
like the perfect storm."
"Like the George Clooney movie?" Bella asks, through a mouthful of potatoes.
My
eyebrows rise and I nod. "Sounds like it could be bad if it really
continues on this path. It's only one mile per hour under a category
three storm right now."
"I have a sinking feeling we'll be postponing our Halloween party until next year," adds my wife, resigned.
James
scrunches up his face in disappointment and clicks his tongue in
agreement with Bella. "Okay, so what's the next step?" he pipes up, and
then shoves an enormous chunk of omelet in his mouth.
"We head to
the storage room in the hotel. We've never dealt with a storm like this
in the three years we've owned this place, but I remember the owner said
he'd leave the sandbags. I haven't ever needed to check the
count…there's a first time for everything, I guess!"
"Oh, shit!
Yeah, now I remember!" James exclaims. "Hopefully we have a decent stash
to start with so we don't have to run around the state looking for
supplies that everyone will be after. What's the guest count at the
hotel today?"
"I spoke to Alicia yesterday and she said there were
three rooms booked for the weekend, nothing beyond that," I shrug.
"Maybe people have been smart enough to stay away knowing the storm was
flirting with the East Coast." I glance at the schedule for the staff at
Last Call for the next forty-eight hours. Six in all, including the
three of us. Thank goodness this is happening in the off-season. We'd
have even more of a headache on our hands if this were the middle of
July. "All right. First, let's check the supplies we do have and then
we'll head to a hardware store if necessary for the ones we still need.
Good?"
James and Bella nod, both their cheeks stuffed like Chip and Dale stashing nuts for the winter. I have to laugh.
"The
B&B only has two sets of guests this weekend. Julie said they're
booked through Sunday," Bella adds after gulping down some cranberry
juice.
"Okay. That's everyone then. We'll keep them informed once
we know more. Even though this thing is still over the Caribbean, if
it's really gonna hit us, we'll have to scramble," I grumble and steal
the buttered toast off the plate they're sharing.
"We'll be all right," James states confidently. "Eagle Scout, remember?" he says, puffing out his chest.
"You were an Eagle Scout, J? How come I never knew that?" My stunned wife inquires, dammit.
"Edward doesn't like to bring it up…he was always jealous."
"Why jealous, honey?" Bella asks, oozing sarcastic sympathy.
Freakin-A, man!
"Because I never made it past Cub Scouts, okay? I was too busy playing
basketball and street hockey! And— I never got my Webelos Arrow of Light
Award…I didn't finish the requirements in time…it still hurts," I trail
off, feigning a sob. My wife's eyes are wide open in shock and James
has fallen onto the floor in convulsive laughter.
After a minute of raucous laughter from the three of us, we head over to the supply room at the hotel.
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Saturday, October 27, 2012
I
line up the next stack of sandbags James and I have carted over from
the hotel. Luckily there were over two hundred bags in storage, so we
were able to put up a decent wall around the outside of the buildings.
Now we're working on the inside. He's downstairs in the wine cellar
securing the door and setting up the generators, then heading back over
to the B&B where Bella and Julie are trying to plug up any
weaknesses they see.
"Hey Ed! You really shutting down?"
"Six o'clock, John! So finish up that Manhattan! You need to get home to Evelyn so you can pack up and go."
Mr.
Cunningham blows some raspberries and starts in again. "They do this to
us every storm, Ed! You know that! You really think it's gonna hit us?"
I
shrug but try to sound convincing. "I know they've been wrong in the
past Mr. C, but just in case, J and I need to be safe, right? They're
calling it Frankenstorm because it's gonna collide with Halloween! I
might feel a little foolish if we were the only ones doing it, but the
governor has been pretty convincing, and everyone else is boarding up
their windows. "
"Ehhh, I don't know. My son is in Philly; says
he's coming to get us. I suppose we could go stay with him if they put
out a mandatory evacuation order." He sours his face. "I hate traveling
though."
I smile, understanding his predicament. An
eighty-five-year-old man shouldn't have to pack up his life and leave
the only home he knows because Mother Nature wants to kick up a fuss.
But…what's the alternative?
"Alright, kid. I'm outta here." I see
him slap a twenty on the bar and put on his fedora. "Take care of your
sweet Bella, okay? Stay dry."
I smile and pat him on the back.
"You too, Mr. C. Be safe…and don't give your son too much trouble. He's
just lookin' out for his old man, y'know?"
He raises his hand to
acknowledge he heard me as he pushes the door open and walks the two
blocks back to his bungalow on Ninth Street on this dismal, cloudy day.
A storm is most definitely heading our way. The amount of damage we'll sustain is still the question that remains.
"Wine cellar is done!" James shouts as he comes running up the stairs.
"I'm done up here, too. Ready to board up the windows?"
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Governor
Christie orders the mandatory evacuation of all the barrier islands of
New Jersey. Every resident must clear out by four o'clock in the
afternoon.
"You pack up everything you need, baby?"
"Yeah,
I'm just throwing my shampoo and stuff in my bag." Bella is rushing
around the room while I'm grabbing stuff from my closet and tossing it
in my duffle. I have no idea how long the evacuation order will stand,
but I have clothes for several days…and my parents certainly have
laundry facilities in Cherry Hill.
"And you really think we're as
secure as we can be here? I've never done this before," Bella comes out
of the bathroom, hands full, her bottom lip pulled in between her teeth.
"Hey."
I stand up from where I was hovering over the bed and walk over to her.
She tosses her bottles of every girly toiletry imaginable on our bed
and drops her head to my chest. My arms wrap around her and we just
stand there holding each other. Hoping…worrying…trusting that our life's
investments are going to be fine. That everything will be standing
after all of this is said and done.
"I'm scared, Edward."
"I
know. They're painting a pretty bleak picture, but we've done all we
can. Our homes are boarded up. The bar, hotel and B&B are as
sandbagged and secure as we can make them. Now we just have to hope for
the best."
She nods against my chest and raises her face to meet
mine. "Okay. I guess that's all we can do then," she sighs and gives me a
peck. "Let's get moving, then. We have to be off the island in
forty-five minutes. Is J ready?"
I nod, zipping up my hoodie.
"Yeah, he's just waiting on us in Harvey Cedars. Once we all caravan
outta here in our three cars, the rest will be in God's hands."
She smiles tentatively. "I guess that's the safest place for it to be."
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Monday October 29th and Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday
and Tuesday came quietly, and for us, so did Superstorm Sandy, as it
officially came to be named. It made landfall in Atlantic City on Monday
evening and continued to pound the northeast throughout all of Tuesday.
Not knowing at all what was happening down on LBI, all we could do was
sit around and wait. It was so strange to hear all of the reports out of
New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania, because where we were, it
simply looked like a miserable rainy Monday night and Tuesday. Yes, the
wind was blowing a bit from what we observed, but nothing near what news
outlets were reporting. It wasn't until days later that we discovered
the reason why the storm didn't seem so devastating. It was because the
eye passed directly over Southern New Jersey. We hoped for the best for
our island, but with the ocean and bay surrounding it on all sides, the
odds were certainly stacked against it.
The lights flickered off
once on Tuesday afternoon, and we figured that was it…here comes the
blackout. But less than a minute later, everything came back on and we
had power, cable, phone…everything. We certainly counted our blessings
as we continued to hear the reports saying that cities across the
northeast were plunged into darkness.
Passing the time was
actually pretty nice, just sitting around with Bella, my brother and
parents. No holidays to celebrate, no rushing around to cater jobs all
over Jersey or Philly, no constant running that has us all passing like
ships in the night. We just got to hang out. We watched movies, played
Phase Ten and Spades and ultimately cooked up a storm. My parents are
going to be eating for weeks. When James and I are locked up for too
long, we end up stocking the freezer and fridge with all sorts of
dishes.
It wasn't until Wednesday the 31st that the first images
of the devastation caused by Sandy started being released. We sat with
our mouths open seeing some of the aerial footage of the destruction
along the Jersey coastline. Videos went viral saying it was Long Beach
Island, when it really wasn't.
We were all on edge and couldn't do
anything.
Each of us took turns on the computer scouring still and
video footage, trying to pinpoint landmarks in order to help us orient
where we were looking, because literally, there was ocean water
everywhere at first…and when the water went away, the streets were
covered in sand. Not a light coating; it looked as if a blizzard had
fallen and coated the island— a blizzard of sand.
James and I held
it together in the beginning, but as those first few days after the
storm dragged on, we both became really grumpy and just wanted to get
back to the island. Problem was, it was all considered a hazardous area,
and the causeways onto all of the islands were shut down and blocked
off by the authorities. The only reason we were seeing images from time
to time was because there had been a few holdouts who truly did ride out
the storm, ignoring the mandatory evacuation order. It was a really
stupid move on their part, because as we continued to hear stories of
children swept out of their mothers' arms and cars that floated away
with people still inside…so many things came into perspective. There is
nothing, not a thing on this planet, that can't eventually be replaced.
But people were dying. People who didn't heed warnings, and even some
who did…but in the end, Superstorm Sandy was the monster storm that had
been predicted and all the preparations in the world couldn't have
stopped some of the horrific damage that occurred.
Poor Charlotte
was at her wits' end up in Manhattan. Late Monday night, the hospital
where her dad was admitted last week for complications with his COPD,
lost all power. The storm was so brutal that even their backup
generators failed. He, and about fifty others, including babies in the
neo-natal unit and many cancer patients, were evacuated to other
hospitals. Her dad ended up at Sloan-Kettering, which was the best place
for him since he was additionally diagnosed with cancer this past
spring.
She and her mom spent almost all of their time with him since he
was transferred, because their apartment in the city had been without
power since that night as well. If James wasn't suffering enough from
cabin fever just wanting to get down to the shore to assess the damage,
once he heard from Char on Tuesday evening, he wanted to be anywhere but
Cherry Hill. He felt helpless just like the rest of us. There was so
much suffering going on. Dad insisted that we change the channel after a
while because Mom and Bella often had tears in their eyes watching the
news and hearing the awful stories of tragedy as well as the uplifting
ones of heroism.
By Sunday, we were emotionally drained. The state
of emergency had been lifted a couple of days after the storm, so we
were at least able to get out into the fresh air and drive around. For
the most part, things got back to normal where we were in Southern New
Jersey, but again, we were the lucky ones who only dealt with the eye of
the storm.
News outlets have announced that on Monday officials
will be opening the causeway only to residents, from seven in the
morning until three in the afternoon. We have to bring proof of home
ownership and they'll allow us onto the island. We're going down in five
cars so that we can try and salvage as much as possible, depending on
what we find. That attitude might seem a bit dire, but we'd rather be
prepared than show up thinking everything is fine and discover a
nightmare instead.
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Monday, November 5, 2012
Our
first stop is the B&B. I don't know if this will end up being a
smart choice or not. There's sand everywhere…all over the streets, all
over our property. I can see from the driveway that our fire pit is
destroyed and, though the house is standing, the water mark where the
bay flooded the land sits about thirty inches above ground.
In our
last-minute preparations, we had put all the ground floor furniture up
on cinderblocks, but even that didn't stop the water damage. The floor,
all the furniture, the appliances in the kitchen, it's all been trashed.
We all just walk silently through the house, pointing things out to
each other and then somebody whispers like we're on solemn ground. It's a
humbling experience. We make a quick assessment of the rooms upstairs,
which thankfully, turn out to be fine; all the windows are in one piece
and held up thanks to the boards. It's going to cost a decent amount to
replace what was damaged, but we are blessed, because what isn't covered
under insurance, we can make up for easily because of our bank account.
I just wish that was the situation for everyone on this island. Sadly, I
know that isn't the case.
Aside from the sand factor, inescapable
anywhere on the island, the structure of Last Call held up really well.
The sandbags did an excellent job of keeping most of the water out. We
can see that the floor is a bit wet when we walk through, so we know it
did flood to a certain extent. Once we have an inspector come through,
we may only have to clean the floors rather than repair them, but if we
discover mold, we'll have to rip up the floor and start again, and
possibly even have to replace the bar. Either way, we're beyond thankful
to see the hotel and bar still on their foundation. We knew it was
financially more important to have the wine cellar supported with backup
generators during the power loss, but the refrigerators and freezers in
the kitchen weren't able to keep everything fresh, so all of that food
has to be trashed.
Next we head down to Harvey Cedars to check out
Mom and Dad's house. There's definitely water damage on the first
floor, but again, nothing that can't be repaired. Same goes for our
house. The dunes on the beach truly saved our property. Again, we saw
water damage in the basement, but miraculously, it's been empty ever
since last year, when Bella and I finished going through all the boxes
that her late aunt had kept for Bella after the car accident and coma.
All
in all, we know insurance will pay for a bulk of the damage and
whatever isn't covered, we can easily pay for ourselves. What faces us
now is the cleanup. It's going to be exhausting, but we'll pull together
as a family to do it. We're thankful that we are all safe. We're
thankful this happened on the off-season, and if it's within our power,
we will have everything cleaned up and ready to go by Memorial Day
Weekend of 2013. That will make it a very happy one-year anniversary for
Bella and me.
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
We've
been back on the island since the tenth of November and we've been
working like dogs every day. We agreed that it was a race against the
clock to minimize the mold and mildew damage that would set in, so our
first goal was to tear out all the flooring at our homes and the floors
and appliances at the B&B. After dropping a huge amount of cash at
Lowe's and Home Depot in Cherry Hill and Manahawkin for the supplies
we'd need, we made it our business to work as best we could every day in
order to make some gains. Once all the flooring and damaged furniture
was hauled out of all five buildings, James and I started in the
basement of our house and then Mom and Dad's first floor, where we
successfully installed the new flooring. Bella, aside from helping us
haul materials, was our port of call for all things insurance-based. My
sweet wife spent hour after hour, day after day on the phone with the
insurance companies, as well as ordering all the supplies for the
B&B and the bar. Unfortunately, they discovered mold in the radiator
panels, so the ground floor of the hotel as well as Last Call had to be
torn up, too. For that, we did go ahead and hire a contractor.
Our
working days started by eight in the morning, with Bella always making a
run to Dunkin Donuts over the causeway so we could have our morning
coffee and bagel, jelly and Boston Cream donuts too, of course. My wife
loves me something fierce. Somehow we had electricity in Surf City but
nowhere else on the island. We decided to sleep at the hotel; it made
the most sense, so we could at least have running water and charge our
phones and the tools while we slept. Plus, when we got tired of eating
fast food, we were able to heat up home-cooked dishes at the restaurant
and keep going with our work. We labored as hard as we could during the
daylight hours, because once the sun set, we really didn't want to be
using nail guns in the dark. With the amount of work to be done, none of
us had any time for injuries!
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
With
the lights voluntarily turned off, I watch Bella's scantily clad,
shadowy figure approach the hotel bed. It's a ridiculously early hour
considering our pre-storm habits, but with the way we work from sun up
till sun down, we more than deserve it.
"I hate this," Bella whines, climbing in and curling into my body.
"What, baby?"
"I
hate that we see so many friends in need and it's all we can do to get
our feet back under us and get our own lives going again." I rub her
arms and kiss her temple. "I feel like I want to do something for them."
"We've
all been through a huge trauma. And the cleanup is an enormous
undertaking. But the good news is that James and I are finished at both
houses. The floors are completely redone, so once the electricity and
gas lines are working again, we can move back home…that's something,
right?"
She rolls on top of me and claims my lips in a powerful kiss.
"It's more than something, it's amazing. What you and J have accomplished—"
"We,
Bella. You're in there, too. You've been working just as hard as we
have," I interrupt, making sure she knows that we couldn't have done
half of our job without her tireless communication efforts with the
insurance and supply companies.
"Okay, we. What we've done has
been pretty awesome…in just these ten days since they let us come home
to LBI…I—" she pauses, "I just wish we could do more. Clone an army of
Cullens to help out our friends and neighbors, you know?"
I run my
hands through her hair, tucking the stray pieces behind her ears. "I
know, baby. I know. I don't think anyone ever expected this to happen.
It's going to take years to rebuild some of these coastal towns,
especially up north."
"I had these big ideas that we could host a
Thanksgiving dinner for everyone on the island, you know? Anyone who's
here working…just come to Last Call and we'll feed you." She lays her
head on my chest and threads her fingers through mine while our other
arms dance and rub, soothing each other. "Pretty stupid, huh?"
"Hey."
I tap on her chin so she'll turn her face up toward mine. "Never
stupid. I wouldn't have expected anything less from you. Your heart is
so amazing…your bravery continues to astound me every day." I pick my
head up from the pillow and kiss her tenderly. "You never back down from
a challenge, and I'm so proud to be the one who stands next to you
through it all. C'mere." I squirm so that she knows I want to sit up.
She readjusts herself and I pull her back onto my lap again, her legs
straddling me.
I swipe my thumbs under her eyes to clear the tears
that just spilled over. "I know Thanksgiving is a lost cause because
it's just two days away, but check this out. This is my promise to you,
Bella. No matter what happens over the course of the next month, we will
feed our friends and neighbors on Christmas, okay? Conectiv is saying
the entire island should have power in the next week or two, which means
that we will be back in our home full-time and concentrating all our
efforts on repairing Four Seas and Last Call. Once we have electricity
and gas, this is what we're gonna do. We're going to let anyone we know
and trust stay at the B&B and here at the hotel. Even if we want to
let people stay at our house, we can do that for our friends, okay?"
She
smiles and I continue. "People who need to be here to clean up and
repair their home or business, if we can make the accommodations for
them, we'll have them stay so they can be that much closer to LBI and
aren't forced to live unsafely or have to travel back and forth from
wherever they are on the mainland."
Bella dives in and hugs me
tightly. "You're the best, you know that Edward? I love you so
much…thank you for understanding my need to help."
"Baby, I've
felt the same way, I just knew it would be a lot to take on and I didn't
want to stress you out any more than what we're already dealing with.
But listen to me, aside from letting people stay, we
will cook
them a Christmas dinner. It certainly isn't the way I intended to spend
my first Christmas with you as my wife, but this is who we are; this is
what we do."
She pulls back from our hug and we just stare at each other for a moment smiling. "Go Team Cullen," she adds with a giggle.
"How
does all that sound?" I ask, already knowing the answer now that she's
started softly kissing my neck, her warm, sweet breath and slow,
grinding hip motions creating chills up and down my spine. My cock,
tragically underused since this storm came to town and flipped our lives
over, is happily standing at attention under the heat and friction my
wife is creating for us.
"It's perfect,"
kiss. "You're perfect,"
lick. "We're perfect,"
suck. "Shall we seal the deal with a handshake?"
nibble.
I
chuckle deep in my throat and drag one finger down over her breast and
circle her nipple. "I'm pretty sure we can do better than a handshake," I
say, tipping her back as I pull her luscious breast into my mouth,
eliciting a gasp.
"Yes…yes…it was your special kind of handshake I was hoping for," she moans.
"Say the word, and it's always yours, pretty girl. Anything you want; we're in this together...forever."
~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~
