by Eliza Freer
I laugh. “I’m sure they did. Bet you saw a lot of action on those wilderness hikes.”
Wilder looks at me surprised. “There’s no way you were a Girl Scout.”
I scoff. “God no. You think they’d want me? I’m not exactly Girl Scout material. You know how I feel about nature.” I shake my head. “I do watch TV and read books though, and those sometimes include scouts. I know wilderness hikes are a thing. I may not be interested, but I know they exist.”
Wilder rubs my shoulder and shifts his gaze to Grant. “So, tell me about yourself.”
Grant’s eyes widen just a little. “Not too much to tell. Spent a year abroad in London. Architecture major. Izzy’s brother. Mediocre bowler, and did I mention, very happy you two are a couple?”
Wilder chuckles. “Me too, man. But, London. That’s cool. They have some great architectural examples over there. I went on this wicked tour once where we saw all these famous buildings and they explained all the architectural importance. I don’t know that I really understood it, but I can appreciate something beautiful, building or otherwise.” Wilder looks over at me after that statement.
I roll my eyes and take another drink of my coffee. “Ew. No. Bad. Normal conversation. Not laced with innuendo please.” I can’t hide my small smile, but do love giving him a hard time.
Wilder sighs. “Fine then.” He takes another drink of my coffee, not remembering he doesn’t at all like the taste. He looks at Grant again. “So, let me guess. You went out once, she’s a handful that busted your balls the whole time, and you just decided maybe you don’t have the stomach for more than one date with this one here?”
I punch his arm. “I might not be everyone’s favorite flavor, but I’ve never had any complaints.”
Both guys turn and looks at me with widened eyes. I shake my head. “I don’t exactly know what that means, but both of you should get your heads out of the gutter.”
Izzy walks over at that moment. “Grant, what did you do? Are you openly propositioning Femme for sex again? I told you one more time and you won’t be allowed back in here.”
I throw back my head and laugh. The guys stare her down, both for different reasons. “Iz. Babe. I love you, but I already tried to play them against one another and your brother folded like an origami crane. Which is to say, many times and in an overly complicated fashion.”
Izzy grabs my empty plate to take back with her. “Fine, fine.” She turns to Wilder. “Whose death is better? Sylvia Plath or The Bronte Sisters?”
Wilder thinks for a second. “Oven is a pretty interesting way to go. I don’t know anything about how the sisters died.”
I sigh at him. “They both died of the consumption. It’s quite tragic, really. Moulin Rouge sexed up that whole coughing up blood thing. Not everyone has a tortured artist waiting for them in the wings, who inadvertently watches you die.”
Izzy shakes her head. “Truth. But it’s also possible those corsets ruptured a lung or something. Ugh, the history of women’s fashion and it’s singular focus to please a man and strike their fancy is just sickening.”
I swat Izzy away. “I love you, but go away. We’ll rail on men later, when we don’t have two sitting here being perfectly lovey.”
Izzy walks back towards the counter. “Fine, but I’m holding you to that!”
Wilder looks to me confused. “Why the death question?”
Grant answers. “She wanted it to be the tip question before East convinced her otherwise. She’s got a thing for serial killers and famous deaths.”
I wrinkle my nose at him. “Not like A THING, like a turned on thing. Just like, she’s interested by it. Not in a gross, please marry me Ted Bundy way.”
Grant looks at me skeptically. “Don’t be so sure.”
Wilder laughs and stands. “Well, this has been fun, but I need a real coffee and then need to jet. This was just a quick pop over social visit.” He leans over and kisses me. “I’ll call you later.” He winks at me as he walks up to the counter to place his order with Izzy.
I smile and turn back towards Grant. “You totally kept your cool there, bro. What’d you think? He’s some mafia hit man who was going to come at you like you’re Tony Soprano in an Italian restaurant?”
Grant holds his hands up. “I don’t know what you’re mixed up in. You’re a wild card. I value my life.”
I laugh. “Fair enough. Now, can we talk about when FNL went off the rails when Landry and Tyra killed that guy?”
Grant laughs. I feel someone rub my head and feel the door behind me open. I glance back and see Wilder leave. “Also, poor Riggins, right?”
Grant nods. “The murder thing, yeah, weird. Justified, but what is that about? Riggins, hands down, best character. Super sad though. I mean, jail? For his garbage brother? I wouldn’t take the rap for Izzy. I mean, family, sure, but no.”
I laugh. “Agreed. In fairness, I don’t think Izzy would take the rap for you either. However, she’s more likely to be the cause of jail and trouble than you are, so just watch your back.”
Grant shakes his head at me. “Don’t fool yourself, East. You’re both trouble. Just different shades.”
I nod. “Truer words, my friend.”
********************
After finishing my shift, I head out the front doors and notice my dad standing on the sidewalk waiting for me.
I skip up to him and give him a kiss on the cheek. “Well this is a pleasant surprise.”
Dad offers his arm to me like an old timey gentleman. “Daughter.”
I take his arm. “Father.” I smile as we start walking towards home. “To what do I owe such a pleasure?”
Dad chuckles. “Just miss you kid. You’re always so busy with all of your working and friends and preparing for college that we don’t see much of each other lately. Thought I’d take this opportunity to spend some time with you.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, and your life defining career has nothing to do with our time apart.” I glance over at my dad and notice a small frown. I feel a shift in his energy and immediately soothe any guilt he might be feeling. “But thank God for that. How else would I get so many hot men to follow me around all the time, and perfect my binge drinking at an early age.”
Dad smiles. “I don’t think I have anything to do with your ability to have guys following you around. And as far as the binge drinking goes, I’d be more concerned if we had a liquor cabinet to speak of.” Dad sighs. “No, my girl, you’re all responsibility and adult decisions. I was too good at parenting. It’s a curse.”
I shake Dad’s arm. “Oh, oh, oh, don’t you worry your pretty head. College is all about making bad decisions. At least that’s what the brochures say. I’ve just delayed your having to sternly parent until I'm technically an adult. That way it’s a sneak attack. Catch you unawares.”
Dad shakes his head. “If only.” He leans over and kisses my temple. “But, really, you have any other plans for today, or you have some time for your dear ol’ da’?”
I wrinkle my nose. “Technically, I have time. If you insist on adopting an Irish brogue, I might have forgotten that I have plans doing anything else.”
Dad unlatches my hand from his arm so he can wrap his arm around my shoulders. “Fine. So how was work?”
I nod. “Good. Izzy tried to make a really morbid question today, I convinced her otherwise, but still let her have her own weird spin.”
Dad grins. “So what was the question of the day?”
“Would you rather have your head in an oven or in the sand?”
Dad smirks. “In this town I’d guess in an oven.”
“Ding, ding, ding. I think by definition if you have your head in the sand you don’t know you have your head in the sand, so why would you choose that as your option?”
Dad laughs. “Well, I guess it’s a good sign that people would rather be dead than be ignorant.”
I twist my head to the side and give him a strange look. “That’s what you took
away from that? That’s a weird thing to say, Dad. Super weird.”
Dad grins. “Anything else interesting happen?”
I chuckle. “Well, Wilder came into the shop while I was having coffee with Grant and tried to do this whole macho show down thing. It was pretty funny, actually. I mean, Grant of all people. The guy looks like he’s getting a PhD in being a nice guy.”
Dad narrows his eyes at me. “He does, but what did you say to antagonize him? Because, I love you kid, but I don’t buy your innocence.”
I grin at the memory. “I might have seen Wilder’s caveman look in his eye and told him that Grant was an old lover.” I feel Dad stiffen. “Which he isn’t! Swear to God! But you know how I feel about possessiveness and all that, so I wanted to head that off at the pass. Besides, we just had a conversation about how necessary trust is during our heart to heart after that mess of a meeting with his dad.”
Dad glances at me. “So you guys talked that out, huh? How’d that go?”
I tilt my head back and forth. “Well. We had a good talk. We cleared the air and then kinda decided we didn’t want to be in this middle ground of ‘what is our relationship’ so we decided to do the official boyfriend and girlfriend thing. You know me, I’m not the halfway in girl. That I won’t be one of the many. So, kinda, man up or this was fun while it lasted.”
Dad pats my arm. “Glad it all worked out. I am taking credit, though. I did some great work convincing you to hear the boy out when your stubbornness was going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
I purse my lips. “I don’t understand that phrase in practice alone. Did people commonly wash babies and when they were about to dump out the water, which, where were they washing these babies? In a big basin? A metal bucket? A trough? Anyway, when they’re done and it’s like ‘hey guys, bath time’s over’ and they head outside of their log cabins to toss the water, do they not notice the baby’s still in there? Or even if they weren’t paying attention with their eyes, you’d notice the weight difference between a tub full of water and a tub full of water and baby.”
Dad pats me on top of my head. “You think too much.”
I sigh and lean into his shoulder. “One of my many flaws, I’m afraid.”
Dad smacks me on the back of my head. “Shut it. You’re perfectly imperfect, just as you’re supposed to be. So Wilder is your boyfriend now, huh?”
I nod. “He is. I’m cautiously optimistic.” I sigh. “My concerns don’t so much lie with how he feels about me, I mean clearly he’s fallen under my carefully crafted spell, but that he’s got this divided life. His dad wants him to be this great aviation guy, and Wilder wants freedom to be the musician that he really is. He even said he’s got these two hims and he was trying to keep me, and the life he actually likes, away from his dad.”
Dad nods pensively. “And what did you say to that?”
“I think it’s sad. I mean who cares? You should be who you are, and honestly, I don’t really know why he isn’t. But, it’s not my life to live. I’m just smarter now, and won’t be surprised again. Learned that lesson.”
Dad kisses the side of my head as we turn into the walkway leading to our house. “Honey, I hope one day you’ll stop waiting for people to disappoint you.”
I pause while he unlocks our door. “I don’t wait for that. You won’t disappoint me. Your team won’t disappoint me. Well, as friends I mean, not as football players. I don’t know about that piece of it. Tassie would never let me down.”
Dad opens the door and steps in, holding both hands up in a placating gesture. “Okay, I stand corrected then.” He sighs as he moves inside the house and I follow. “I guess I just mean, I’m going to be really excited for the day when I know you’re not tiptoeing into your choices because of what some little prick did to you. To us. That’s all. But, good news for you, I love you no matter what.”
I laugh. “Thanks, Pops. Hey, you know someone asked me recently why you named me Easton.”
Dad lets out a loud laugh as he opens the refrigerator and grabs us both waters. “And you told them it’s because I’m totally uncreative and was low on time?”
I take the water from him and sigh. “Essentially. But it suits me, so I think it worked out for both of us.” I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and pull it out to check the message.
WILDER: Hey, i forgot i stopped in to ask you something earlier. i’m having people over for a little party tomorrow night and wondered if you would want to come?
ME: I think it’s a girlfriend duty to go to her boyfriend’s parties, anyway. what time?
I smile and Dad notices. “Who you texting there? Lover boy?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes. They’ve been wanting to do a follow up to ‘Working For The Weekend’ called ‘I Work All Weekend’. I told them it’s a bit obvious and doesn’t have the same anthemic drive, but it could work in a nostalgic way.”
Dad looks confused. “Huh?” He pauses for awhile, waiting to figure it out. “Oh! Like the band from the ‘80s. Gotcha. Sometimes that brain of yours works a little too fast for me.”
I feel my phone vibrate again. “Nah. It’s just all this pop culture stuff, Pops. If I’d been able to turn it into some sort of sports analogy you’d have been there right away.”
Dad rolls his eyes back at me. “I’m glad that’s all I’m good for. What’s he want anyway? Your boyfriend, not the band.”
I smile. “He’s having a party tomorrow night and wants me to come. Probably a ‘show the new girlfriend off’ kinda thing.” I check my phone.
WILDER: Party will start at 8 i think, but i’d love for you to come by whenever you want.
WILDER: I take it back. party starts at 8 am. be here 8 am sharp.
I laugh and look at Dad who looks thoughtful. “What?”
Dad scrunches up his face. “Don’t you have Tony’s birthday tomorrow night? The team’s been talking about it all week. I think they don’t know I’m listening when they talk about taking my daughter out and sneaking her into a bar. So, I know you’re going, and I know he really wants you there. Up to you, kid, but you did already commit to that.”
I groan. “Ugh. I forgot. Okay.”
ME: Wy i totally forgot until my dad literally just reminded me. i’ve got one of the player’s birthdays tomorrow night and i’ve been committed to it for weeks. can i still come by and just have the guys come and get me when i need to leave for the party?
WILDER: Sure. i get it. bummed of course, but i’ll take what i can get.
I frown, not sure if he’s mad or not.
ME: I really am sorry. you’re not mad are you?
WILDER: No gorgeous i’m not mad. what time you think you’ll be by?
I look up at Dad. “Hey, do you think you can drop me at Wilder’s tomorrow? I’d like to get there at around sixish if possible.”
Dad nods. “Yeah, I’m going to the stadium tomorrow anyway, so I can take you on my way there. Just be sure to get an address.”
ME: Dad can drop me around six. address please?
WILDER: Okay. 745 Oak Hill Ln. Blue house
WILDER: If you can get here before six just let me know. i’ll be out grabbing stuff for the party but definitely be home early if you’re going to be there.
ME: I have plans with Tassie or i would. can’t wait to see you though.
WILDER: Me too.
ME: Hs and Ks
WILDER: Hearts and Kittens?
ME: Haha. Hugs and kisses. you’re hopeless
WILDER: Just for you.
ME: Gross. get a hold of yourself
WILDER: Haha. ok babe. see you tomorrow
I put away my phone and smile. My dad groans. “Oh, no. This relationship of yours might be the death of me. I’m going downstairs to update my will.” He kisses the top of my head and heads downstairs. “Love you, kiddo.”
I laugh. “Love you too, Pops.”
I remember I need to let Riley in on the information for the night, since I’ll go to the party
with the guys, so I send a group text to Riley, Blake, Simon and Paul.
ME: Boys. so i’ve gotta spend some time at wilder’s before tony’s party tomorrow night. can you come pick me up when you’re headed over to the bar? i have his address
RILEY: No problem. where’s he live?
ME: 745 Oak Hill Ln.
BLAKE: We’re probably heading to monroe’s tavern at 9. that okay?
PAUL: Can we crash his party? i want to properly meet this guy.
ME: Okay thanks loves. so see you at 8:45 or so?
ME: No paulette you can’t crash. you can come in and say hi when you pick me up though. compromise?
SIMON: No fair. 8:45 sounds right.
PAUL: Fine. that’ll have to do. but i will give him my sternest looks.
RILEY: Your sternest looks aren’t super stern man.
BLAKE: Don’t worry. we’ll all go in and intimidate him as a group. sorry east. it’s happening
ME: You and riley have already met him!
ME: But *sigh* fine. not like i could convince you otherwise. paulette i think you’re very scary.
PAUL: Ha! see! i knew i was her favorite.
ME: Yeah…that’s totally what i said. see you boys tomorrow.
SIMON: For the record, i’m scarier than paul is. but i’m glad east is helping with his self esteem problem.
ME: No comment. but by the way, my dad knows about the party tomorrow
RILEY: So?
BLAKE: Why would coach care?
PAUL: Oh hell.
SIMON: And?
ME: Oh, nothing. just apparently your team can’t keep their traps shut and he knows you’re all planning on sneaking me into a bar so you can get me drunk.
RILEY: Hey now that’s not the plan.
BLAKE: Isn’t it?
SIMON: Who talked?
ME: Dunno. he actually reminded me about the party when i told him about wilder’s. he said you guys don’t think he’s listening when you talk about me but he is. just warning for the future.
