by Tony C. Skye
Julianna laughs when Matt pulls the burger away from his mouth. Barbeque sauce covers his nose, mouth, and chin. A bacon strip hangs between his tightly closed lips. Matt's smile reveals the bacon strip wasn't part of his plan. He reaches up and takes a hold of the bacon as his teeth snaps through it. The rest is left inside of his chipmunk-stuffed cheeks. His struggle to masticate the cow within his mouth inspires Julianna to pick up her sandwich. Her eyebrows lift playfully.
“Like this?”, she questions before opening her mouth wide. She takes a massive bite and drops the half-eaten burger back onto her tray. Ketchup covers her nose, chin, and lips. But instead of bacon hanging from her mouth, an estranged pickle slice must be fingered into her stuffed mouth. She, however, has upped the blond hair boy by one. Ketchup spots the front of her cheeks.
Matt swallows. He chuckles while observing the humorous sight.
“Yeah,” Matt agrees, “Just like that.” He patiently waits for Julianna to take her turn with the struggling moment of chewing. After she swallows and takes a drink of her soda, Matt makes his challenge.
“If I can do better than you,” Matt proposes, “Then you have to go out on a date with me. But if not, then I'll leave and you'll never see me again.”
“Do I get to try again?”, Julianna questions the fairness in his proposition.
Matt nods, “Until your burger's gone.”
“You're on,” Julianna accepts the offer, “But no crying when I beat you.”
Matt smiles. He takes his next bite, but doesn't even come close to Julianna's last bite. She laughs at his valiant messy attempt to sweep his princess off her feet. The boy swallows, takes a drink of his Coke, and swallows again. Julianna's smirk is a silent braggart’s right to her victory.
“I think I've bitten off more than I can chew,” the boy's horrible pun is so bad that it causes Julianna to laugh out loud. She points with her left index finger towards Matt's burger.
“Eat,” Julianna playfully commands. The dread across his face as he glances to the burger amuses her.
Matt tries again. Again he fails. Julianna waits for him to take his drink before pointing again.
“Eat,” Julianna commands with a little boast to reflect her impending victory. Matt hesitates.
“What's wrong?”, Julianna criticizes, “You giving up on me so soon?”
“Not a chance,” the boy defends with a mixture of pride and knowing defeat. He watches Julianna sit back against the seat with her arms crossed in front of her black tee shirt.
“Then what's taking you so long?”
Matt snatches up the burger and takes another bite. When he finishes, he can't close his mouth. Julianna covers her mouth and laughs. The sight is really disgusting; yet, she's quite amused at the same time.
Matt chews for what seems like forever before swallowing, taking a drink, and then swallowing again. Julianna's victorious grin is even harder for him to digest. He hadn't realized just how large that last bite if hers was. If he had of, he sure wouldn't have wasted his opportunity at asking out the most beautiful girl he's ever laid eyes on.
“I'm not giving up,” he explains, “I just need a sec.”
Julianna patiently watches as the boy takes another drink of his soda before letting out a long extended belch of relief. She grins, grabs her Mountain Dew, takes a drink, and sits back. She allows the carbonated soda to work its magic and belches longer and louder than the boy across from her.
“Nice one,” Matt compliments.
“I was raised by my dad,” she confesses her reasons for having no shame in the normally rude behavior for a female. Julianna points.
“Now eat.”
Matt sighs as he looks at the last part of his burger. He picks it up and folds it in half.
“That's cheating,” Julianna accuses.
“Is it?”, Matt projects innocence. He easily shoves the stack into his mouth with his right hand. Julianna enjoys the boy's conquering eyes. She glances down to her plate and knows for a fact she could clear the whole burger in one bite. After all, her last bite was for fun. Not competition.
Julianna picks up the burger, folds it in half, sticks it partly in her mouth, and then fakes a gag reflex.
“I can't,” she declares her defeat. Julianna throws her burger down on the plate to complete the boy's unearned victory.
Matt raises both arms above his head. His white tee shirt hugs his biceps tightly. The shirt, however, isn't too small for him like some guys try to do. His biceps are just that big. Julianna grins in such a way as to make the boy feel like he's bested her.
“Give me your phone,” Julianna answers the boy's response with her right hand held out.
“Absolutely,” Matt says while lowering his hands. He stands up, reaches into his front right pocket, and retrieves his smartphone. Julianna's mouth opens when Matt nervously fumbles his phone right onto the ceramic tile flooring. The boy quickly bends down and picks it up.
“You still have a phone?”, Julianna grins as Matt hands her his phone.
“Yeah.”
Julianna touches the screen and holds out the phone.
“It's locked.”
“Oh,” Matt takes the phone back and swipes the screen. His mind scrambles to remember the password he usually knows without question. He fills in the password's calling and receives Invalid Password in return.
“Problem?”, Julianna questions.
“No,” Matt moves his fingers, “I've got it.” He shakes his head when he sees the rejection once again.
“I might have messed it up,” Matt speaks while attempting the password again.
“I don't bite,” Julianna tries to lower the guy's anxiety.
“Hope not,” Matt hands the phone to her with a grin, “I'm not into the whole vamp scene.”
Julianna takes the phone, swipes the screen, finds his contacts, and adds her information. She holds out his phone.
“That's good,” she smiles, “Because I'm the mother of the antichrist.”
“Ha-ha-ha,” Matt laughs.
“It was nice meeting you,” Julianna stands up with her tray of uneaten fries, “But I need to go. I'm late as it is.”
“Don't worry about that,” Matt nods towards her tray, “I'll get it.” He reaches out with his right hand.
Julianna sits her tray down and shakes the boy's hand.
“It was nice meeting you, Julianna,” Matt's blue eyes sparkles against the white florescent lighting of the mall's ceiling.
Julianna smiles and releases his hand. She turns and walks towards the food court's glass doors. Matt watches the beautiful girl with emerald green eyes leave out of the mall's entrance. He looks down and touches his phone's screen. Julianna's name and number is there. The high school senior smiles.
* * *
Ring-ring. Ring-ring.
“Hello?”, Martha answers, “I'm still not used to this thing, dear. Whatever happened to good old fashioned cell phones? It seems a phone should have numbers you can push on and one button to accept the call.”
“It didn't ask you if you wanted to accept the call?”
“That's not the point ,dear,” Martha complains, “All this other stuff is just too stressful for an old lady.”
“Grams, you promised you'd stop calling yourself old.”
“I believe you promised that for me, Jules,” Martha counters.
“I guess you have me there,” Julianna concedes.
“Anyway,” Julianna gives her reason for the call, “I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving the mall and will be home soon.”
“I'm not at home, dear,” Martha informs, “Frank and I are in town with you.”
“Okay. Um - should I meet you somewhere then?”
“Yes,” Martha confirms, “Do you know where the Dairy Queen is from where you are?”
“By that military grave yard?”
“Memorial, dear,” Martha enters her teacher mode.
“Okay, grams. Memorial military grave yard,” J
ulianna playfully corrects herself. She hears Martha laugh.
“The intersection by the Dairy Queen,” Martha places a mental picture within her granddaughter's mind, “When you get there from where you are, you're going to turn right.”
“Turn right at the Dairy Queen,” Julianna verbally confirms.
“You're going to drive for about ten to twelve blocks,” Martha pauses as Frank interrupts her.
“Ten blocks. Eleven blocks,” Julianna listens to her gram's repeating Frank's directions.
“Frank, shut up,” Martha ends his input.
Julianna laughs when she hears her grandfather laugh. She loves the way her grandparent's play and tease one another. It's cute. But more than that, it's the byproduct of their love – a love that has been tested, refined, and tested some more. And not some fake rendition dreamed up from an ad executive to sell goods or a producer somewhere trying to sell their latest movie. Their love is the real deal.
“Anyway,” Martha signifies she will be ignoring her pesky husband, “Keep driving until you see a large park.”
“A large park,” Julianna repeats the visual imagery.
“It's on your left when coming from the Dairy Queen. You can't miss it.”
“Got it,” Julianna answers, “That's where you are?”
“Sorry, dear,” Martha bears the bad news, “No. You'll need to turn right at the intersection just past the park's entrance. The name of the street is Lombart. You're looking for 2713 S. Lombart.”
“2713,” Julianna recites her gram's instructions.
“If it's too confusing, Frank and I can just meet you at the mall.”
“No. I think I can handle it,” Julianna answers, “If I get lost I'll call you.”
“Okay, dear. See you soon,” Martha closes.
“Love ya, grams,” Julianna closes before ending the call. She pushes on her screen and speaks.
“Okay google.”
Julianna hears a beep and speaks again.
“How do I get to twenty-seven thirteen south Lombart street?”
Julianna grins as a map pops up on her screen detailing her directions. She sits the phone on the seat next to her and starts up the engine.
* * *
“Twenty-seven o-nine,” Julianna speaks out the addresses on the left side of Lombart street, “Twenty-seven eleven.”
“What are they doing here?”, Julianna questions as she makes the turn into the high-end sport car's parking lot. Her anxiety level grows with excitement as she ponders the possibilities of why they would ask her to come here. Julianna smiles at her grams who is standing out in front of the large glass showcase room. Martha waves.
Julianna parks the Mercedes and exits the car. She walks across the parking lot. The sign above the showroom's double-doors reads: Lombart Street Exotics.
“You made it,” Martha greets with a wide smile. Julianna's big eyes are well worth their weight in gold.
“Let's go inside,” Martha coaches, “Frank's inside talking to one of his old friends.”
“Sure,” Julianna sounds a little disappointed.
Martha opens the left door. She holds her grin until her granddaughter passes through in front of her.
“There he is,” Martha sees Frank standing at a large wrap around customer service counter. A man as tall as Frank stands next to him. Both men are laughing.
“Frank, honey,” Martha calls out from behind her granddaughter, “She made it.”
Frank turns his head. Julianna sees him turn back to say something to his friend, but she can't make out the words. The salesman nods and shakes Frank's hand while patting him on his left shoulder. Frank turns to face his family and crosses the minimal distance to greet them.
“See, Martha,” Frank brags, “I told you she'd be fine.”
“No you didn't,” Martha playfully slaps her husband's chest, “You stop that.”
“Shall we?”, Frank holds out his right arm for Martha. The woman's long red hair dances as she interlocks her right arm with his.
“Let's,” Martha plays along.
“Julia, dear?”, Martha questions, “Why are you still standing around? Pick out your car already.”
“What?!”, Julianna's excited tone fills the showroom, “Are you serious?”
Martha's eyes glow with pride. Frank smiles with adoration. The salesman is smiling from the front of the customer service counter. And behind him, a woman of her twenties grins.
“Yes, Jules,” Frank calmly answers, “Your grandmother's very serious. Martha despises you driving her car.”
“No I do not,” Martha scolds, “Don't you listen to him. He's full of meanness today.”
“I'm just having fun, kiddo,” Frank apologizes to his lovely granddaughter.
Julianna smiles, but her attention is drawn to all of the cars inside of the showroom. There's so many of them, she can't fixate on anything.
“Why don't we start over there?”, Frank points towards the back right corner.
Julianna looks over. Her mouth opens slightly. She walks nonchalantly – fighting off the urge to yell and scream like a banshee before a hard run. When she gets closer, Julianna peers into the driver's side window of the silver McLaren MP4-12C. Her hands rests on her knees for fear of touching the expensive car.
“The keys are inside all of them,” Frank explains, “No one's here, but us. Today's all about you, kiddo.”
Julianna stands upright and glances around the showroom.
“Can I see that one?”, Julianna points at a lime green Lamborghini Aventadar.
Martha squeezes Frank's arm. She had already mentioned that Julianna would love the car's color. He nods knowingly.
“It's been waiting for you all morning,” Frank confirms.
Julianna walks over and takes a look through the driver's side window. Her hands clumsily searches for the door handle.
Click.
The door lifts upward.
“No freakin’ way,” Julianna steps back with a glowing smile.
“That's borderline potty mouth, dear,” Martha answers.
“Sorry, grams,” Julianna plays off the small chastisement while climbing into the luxurious car. Her legs extend outward as she grabs the steering wheel. She looks over at her grandfather.
“It feels like a race car.”
“It is as far as street cars go,” Frank replies with instruction, “So you must promise to use wisdom when driving. If not, we can head over to the BMW shop and get you one that's more like your gram's car.”
“Safety first, dear,” Martha agrees with Frank's assessment.
“I'm not a boy,” Julianna gives her answer.
“And that's why Martha and I agreed you were old enough to handle this kind of choice.”
“I won't let you down,” Julianna swears, “Promise.”
“You couldn't let us down if you tried,” Martha corrects her granddaughter's words. The woman notices a hesitating look coming from the young woman sitting in the car.
“Why the sad face?”, Martha questions.
“You guys can't afford something like this. It's too much. I really spent a lot at the store. It was hard to stop.”
Frank laughs. His outburst causes Julianna to feel more uncomfortable than she already is. He shakes his head and looks at his wife.
“I think it's time you two do some talking. I'm going over to catch up with Tim.”
Martha points at the car, “Why don't you help her pull this car out so we can test drive it?”
Julianna begins to get out so her grandfather can take the reins.
“That's your seat,” Frank stops her, “I'm just a passenger.”
Martha makes her way to the front entrance and heads over to her car. She pulls out her spare keys and sets the alarm. The woman walks back over to the showroom and waits out front for the green Lamborghini to make its appearance. Fifteen long minutes later, the car rounds the left side of the building. The engine dies, restarts, and the car jerks forward. She
watches as Frank says something before getting out of the vehicle. He walks over to Martha.
“Good luck, grandma,” Frank's eyes shift towards the green exotic car. He pecks his wife on the left cheek with his lips.
“Can she drive it?”, Martha lays out her concern.
“She's getting the hang of it. We drove around in the back for a while.”
“I don't want to get into an accident, Frank.”
“I would never let her take it out if I thought that.”
Martha concedes with a nod. One of the many wonderful attributes about her husband is that the man is serious whenever it comes to his family's safety.
“We might be a while.”
“Take your time,” Frank understands, “We have this place to ourselves all day.”
Martha kisses her husband and heads over to the car. She can see her granddaughter mentally cycling through the clutch and shifting mechanisms.
“Are you ready?”, Martha asks while slipping herself into the seat. She closes the door and fumbles around with the five-point harness for a seat belt. The race-style belt doesn't inspire much confidence.
Julianna's lips move outward with her sigh of forced air.
“Um - sure.”
“Oh you'll be fine,” Martha does her best to calm her driver, “Let's see what this pretty car can do.”
Brrp!
The engine dies.
“Ah,” Martha notices Julianna's mistake, “Frank should have told you how to do that better. Try lifting your toes and keep your heel on the floor with the clutch.”
Vroom. Vroom.
The engine sparks back to life. The tires screech as the car darts forward. Julianna stops the vehicle without killing its engine.
“Too much accelerator,” Martha speaks the obvious, “But we'll work on it as we go.”
The older woman points at Lombart street, “Turn left up here.”
* * *
Within thirty minutes, Julianna is able to start and stop at each intersection without any problems.
