by White, Karey
“I’ve never understood him when it comes to dating. He dates great women but it never goes past a certain point. Anyway, I know he’s been trying to sort out his future, and I think the concert might be a nice distraction. As long as you don’t care, since you gave me the tickets.”
“Of course I don’t care. I’d rather have them go to family than not get used.”
“I thought you’d feel that way. I wish Gina felt better, so we could use them.”
“I do too. Take good care of her, and tell her I love her. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Nah. The doctor says it’ll just take time. Thanks for being understanding.”
It should have been warm. It was the end of June, after all. It rained for hours the day of the Mumford and Sons concert, and even though the rain stopped more than an hour before the concert started, the evening was chilly and damp. When Kyle and I arrived at America’s Cup Pavilion, workers at the venue were drying off seats, and the coffee and hot chocolate lines were the longest in the tent.
I looked around the tent for Angus and Wyatt, sure Angus would want some hot cocoa with extra whipped cream, but I couldn’t find them.
I was excited. I love live music and had been a Mumford and Sons fan since before they’d become so popular. Even though I felt bad Will and Gina weren’t here, I was glad Angus was coming. He was the one who’d introduced me to their music, and I knew he’d like it.
We walked out of the tent and made our way to our seats. We were seated a few rows from the stage, a little to the right. People laughed and yelled around us, some already intoxicated. The fresh, just-after-rain smell was occasionally interrupted by the too-sweet scent of a few people smoking things security must have decided to ignore.
“Hey, guys, how’s it going?” Angus and Wyatt stood at the end of our row. We moved into the aisle to talk.
I hugged Angus and Wyatt and took Kyle’s arm, pulling him forward. “This is Kyle. Kyle this is my friend since forever, Angus, and this is his friend, Wyatt.” After my conversation with Will, I was suddenly unsure how Angus would want Wyatt introduced.
Kyle shook their hands and then put his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m glad you guys were available to use the tickets,” I said.
“I feel terrible for Will and Gina. She must be pretty miserable to miss this,” Angus said.
I nodded. “Will said she’s had to get fluids by IV since she can’t keep anything down. Sounds awful.”
“Some people have such a hard time with pregnancy,” Wyatt said. “My older sister was really sick. Makes me nervous. Good thing babies are so cute or who’d want to risk it?”
“So you’re an aunt?” I asked.
“I have two nephews. Totally worth the sickness.” She snickered. “Easy for me to say, isn’t it?”
We laughed. “Kyle’s an uncle, too. Angus and I have to wait for Will and Gina’s baby, and then we’ll join you in the ranks of uncle and aunthood,” I said.
“Honorary unclehood for me, but I’ll take it,” Angus said. His parents had always wanted to give him a brother or sister, but it had never happened. So he’d either have to marry someone with nieces and nephews or be satisfied being the honorary uncle to any kids born to the Emersons.
“I guess we’d better go find our seats.” Angus pulled out the tickets.
“You’re over there on the side in the ninth row.” I pointed at a section farther back. “Sorry about that. Will got me better tickets than I got him.”
Angus gave me a chastising look and shook his head. “I think Will just took the lead.”
“Hey, you’re here, aren’t you? That oughta be worth something.”
“And Will gave me the tickets. Thanks for reminding me. He keeps moving up.”
I punched Angus in the arm.
“We’re going to get a bite to eat after the concert if you two would like to join us,” Kyle said.
“Yeah, you should,” I agreed.
Angus and Wyatt looked at each other, and Wyatt smiled and gave a little shrug.
“Sure, why not?” Angus said. “Where are you going?”
“Charlotte voted for breakfast food, so we thought we’d go to Happy Cakes.”
“Sounds good. We’ll meet you there after the show,” Angus said.
We moved back to our seats and sat down, while Angus and Wyatt made their way to theirs.
“Will took the lead in what?” Kyle asked when we were seated.
“Ever since we were kids, he’s teased us about which twin he likes best. He had a good thing going there for a while ’cause we both wanted to be the favorite, so we’d do nice things for him, and he’d pretend he was keeping a tally of who was the favorite. Then we got wise. Now it’s an old joke.”
“Smart guy.” Kyle laughed. “I can’t wait to meet Will so I can see which one of you is my favorite.”
“Dang, I’m probably going to lose again,” I said.
Kyle pulled me close and kissed me. “You’re at a definite advantage.”
“I am?”
“Of course. You can rack up bonus points any time you want.”
This time I kissed him. “Like this?”
“See, you’re ahead already.”
The concert was good. Kyle didn’t recognize some of the songs, but he wasn’t embarrassed at my cheering or singing along to almost everything. The biggest disappointment was the playlist didn’t include a couple of my favorites. I kept waiting, but they didn’t come. I was happy when they played Angus’s favorite song during the second encore. I craned my neck and found Angus when it started. He gave me a long-distance high five.
It was nearly midnight by the time we got to Happy Cakes. Angus had texted to say they were almost there, so we sat on a red vinyl bench by the front door and waited for them. After the chill of the outdoor concert, the bright lights and warm interior of Happy Cakes felt almost tropical.
“It’s so hot in here,” Wyatt said when we were seated at a booth.
“There’s a hook here at the end if you want to take off your jacket,” Angus said. We all took off our jackets, and the guys hung them up. I suddenly felt frumpy in my jeans and loose-fitting sweater. Wyatt also wore jeans, but they had to be a couple sizes smaller than mine, and even though her crisp, white blouse wasn’t skimpy, the fit and the two unclosed buttons made it unintentionally sexy. At least it appeared to be unintentional.
“Sorry they didn’t play ‘Winter Winds,’ Chuck,” Angus said.
“I know. I was bummed. I was afraid they weren’t going to play ‘White Blank Page.’ Thank goodness they had two encores or you’d have been disappointed too.”
“Chuck?” Kyle asked, grinning.
“Oh yeah. I forgot you’d never heard my lovely nicknames before.”
“Kinda cute,” Kyle said.
“No.” I pointed at Kyle. “Don’t start using it. And you.” Now I pointed at Angus. “You’ve got to stop calling me that in front of new people. You were supposed to let that nickname die a long time ago.”
“It’s better than Chuckers,” Angus said.
“Chuckers?” Kyle asked.
“That one’s just mean.” Wyatt gave me a look of solidarity. “I think you should call her Charlotte. If you feel the strange, adolescent urge to use a nickname, you should at least limit it to Charlie.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Listen to her, Angus. She’s obviously a smart woman.”
“There’s no denying she’s a smart woman,” Angus said. “But I’m not sure she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to nicknames. She’s never had one.”
“My name is Wyatt. There was no need for a nickname.”
“That’s kind of a great name,” Kyle said.
“I like it fine now, but let me tell you, growing up was a nightmare. Kids at school had a heyday with it.”
“Is it a family name?” I asked.
“I wish it were. Then there’d at least be a good reason for her to use it. My Mom a
lways liked it, so since she wasn’t having any more kids after me, she decided she’d have to use it on me or give up ever having a Wyatt. So she named her sweet baby girl Wyatt.”
“What’s your sister’s name?” I asked.
“Penelope. To be honest, I think I prefer Wyatt, but don’t ever tell my sister. She thinks she was the lucky one.”
Our food came, and we must have been starving because we all attacked our meals.
“Charlotte tells me you’re starting your residency this fall,” Kyle said to Angus.
“Just trying to decide where I want to be for the next few years.” I noticed Angus didn’t look at Wyatt.
“My vote is still Alameda,” I said, “but it might be fun to come visit you in New York. How soon do you have to make a decision?”
“Soon,” Angus put another bite of food in his mouth. I had the feeling he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so I helped him out. “Working on any exciting events?” I asked Wyatt. “She’s an event planner,” I told Kyle.
“I’ve got a huge wedding the day after tomorrow,” Wyatt said. “I was glad the concert was tonight or I couldn’t have come.”
“She’s also doing a big fund-raising dinner for Mercy House in a few weeks.”
“What’s Mercy House?” I asked.
“It’s a shelter for kids whose parents are in jail or rehab,” Wyatt said. “They’re trying to help people learn about it. I was trying to get someone with a big name to attend, but so far the biggest name I have is Colletta Scott.”
“Who?” Kyle asked.
“Exactly,” Wyatt said. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy she’s on board, but she’s not very well known. She had a minor role in Tom Cruise’s sci-fi movie a few years ago, but I don’t think many people know her by name.”
“Would a political name help?” Kyle asked.
“Don’t tease me,” Wyatt said, and we laughed.
Kyle laughed. “I’m not teasing. I could check with Dad and see if he and Mom could attend. It’d be a win-win, right? They get attention for helping a good cause, and it would help Mercy House get some good media coverage. If you want me to check with them, I can.”
“Of course. That’d be great.”
It was well after one when we finally left the booth and headed for the parking lot. “Thanks for getting Will the tickets,” Angus said.
“No problem. Tonight was fun.”
“Yeah, we should do it again sometime,” Wyatt said.
“I’ll be in touch about the fund raiser,” Kyle said as we got in our separate cars.
We pulled up to my curb, and Kyle walked me to the gate. “I think I’ll go to the fund raiser whether Dad can or not. It sounds like a good cause.”
“Angus says Wyatt does a good job. It’d probably be a nice evening and a good meal.”
“Want to come with me?”
“I’d love to.”
“Let’s plan on it. If my parents come, we can all go together. They think you’re great.”
“They’re pretty great, too. It says a lot that they can like me even when I make a fool of myself.”
“They were impressed with how hard you tried.”
I groaned. “You’ll have to teach me how to drive the boat. Then you can all do tricks, and I can make myself useful. Unless you’re afraid I’d drag one of you to death. Or run over you. Maybe you shouldn't teach me to drive the boat after all. It’s kind of a scary thought.”
Kyle put his hands on my shoulders and smirked. “You don’t scare me at all, Chuckers.”
I took a step back and swatted his chest. “Don’t call me that. That’s the worst one of all and I hate it.”
Kyle laughed.
“I’m serious.”
“Don’t worry. I like Charlotte better.” He took my face in his hands and kissed me. His arms slid around my back and he pulled me closer, his lips never leaving mine. “I probably should have turned my car off,” he finally said against my mouth. He let out a long breath and took a few steps backward, toward his car.
I unlocked my gate. “Have a good night,” I turned to wave goodbye.
He stepped toward me and kissed me one more time before he walked to his car. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said over the top of the car. When I was safely inside, he got in and drove away.
“And now you know the whole Jelly Belly story,” Barney Berry Blue Jelly Belly said from the screen.
“This isn’t the whole story,” said Bubblegum Betty.
“What did we miss?” asked Barney Berry Blue.
“Eating them!” said Bubblegum Betty.
Barney Berry Blue laughed and turned toward the audience who sat on little benches in the screening room. “Of course. No Jelly Belly story would be complete without tasting us. Let’s go through that door on the left, and you can sample our delicious flavors.”
“And don’t forget to mix and match us. My favorite combination is Toasted Marshmallow and Chocolate Pudding.”
“That’s pretty good, but my favorite is buttered popcorn and root beer. It’s like a movie theater in your mouth.”
“After you’ve found your favorites, be sure to stop at the Jelly Belly store and buy Jelly Bellys for you and all your friends.”
“Thanks for visiting the Jelly Belly factory.”
“Come back again.”
The lights came up, and teachers and parents lined up a first grade class to go sample the Jelly Bellys.
“It turned out great, Charlotte.” Jasper Summers was the director who’d hired Fife to put together the Jelly Belly tour.
“This was a fun project. I’m glad you liked it. Seriously though, nothing like a room full of kids to make you nervous about the finished product. I was afraid they were going to hate it.”
“They loved it. You had them at the Jelly Belly disco dance. That was a genius way to start. It’s hilarious. If you ever need a recommendation, let me know.”
“Thank you.”
“Be sure to stop in at the store. Cheryl’s got a gift basket for you.”
Mom and I made our way around the two dozen first graders who were sampling different Jelly Belly flavors and into the factory store. “Jasper said to see you,” I said to the cashier wearing the “Cheryl” nametag.
“Oh, you must be Charlotte. We put this together for you. Great tour, by the way.”
Cheryl pulled out a large basket from a shelf beneath the cash register.
“Oh my. This is huge.”
“It’s got a bunch of the new Snapple flavors. You’ll like those,” Cheryl said.
“Thanks for inviting me,” Mom said when we’d put the basket of Jelly Bellys in the back seat. “It’s fun to see what you do.”
“Thanks for coming with me. I wanted some moral support in case the kids started booing.”
“That wasn’t likely. I wish I could come with you this afternoon. Of course, the day you’re going to help Gina ends up being the day I have an impossible-to-schedule doctor’s appointment.”
“Nothing serious, though, right?” I asked.
“No, just routine. It’s just hard to get in to them. I’ve had this scheduled for more than a month.”
“It’d be fun to have you come along, but don’t worry. I figured since I was coming out here this morning, I’d take the rest of the day off and go help Gina get on top of things.” The pregnancy was still keeping her down most of the time.
Mom was quiet, and when I glanced at her, she gave me a mischievous smile.
“What’s that all about?” I asked.
“Angus told Will that you and Kyle really like each other.” Her voice was silly and sing-songy.
I laughed. “Oh did he?”
“So are things progressing?”
“Yeah, I guess so. He’s cooking me dinner tonight. Do you think that’s a good sign?”
“It depends on how well he cooks,” Mom said. “What does he do for a living?
“He works at his Dad’s tech company. I don’t know w
hat it is exactly. Something complicated and techy. He’s a great guy, and I like him a lot. Which makes this whole thing a little scary given my track record, you know.”
“Knock it off. Your track record is just fine.”
“Mom, you don’t have to say that. I know you and Dad worry. You think Will and McKayla never talk?”
“We just want you to be happy,” Mom said.
“I know. And if we’re being honest, I’ve done my fair share of worrying. Did you know Hannah and some others—I’m not even sure who all it was—call me the husband maker?”
“Hannah Shelton? Mavis’s daughter?”
“Yeah. My old roommate.”
“I thought she was your friend.” Momma Bear was suddenly appearing.
“She was. She still is, I think, even though we haven’t seen each other for years now. I overheard Mrs. Shelton telling someone that at Harrison’s wedding.”
“That’s awful. Why would they say something like that?”
“Because Mom. It’s kinda true. Have you not noticed a pattern? Haven’t you noticed every guy I’ve dated since high school has gotten married right after we quit dating?”
“I knew there were a couple. Harrison, of course. And Taz.”
Taz. Mom probably remembered Taz because of his unforgettable name.
Taz was a musician who I’d met at the school. My graphic arts professor had a younger brother who was the drummer in a band called Soul Magnets. Taz wrote most of their music, played guitar, and sang. The band had arranged with our professor to have our class design a CD cover for the demo they’d be sending to radio stations and record producers around the country. I’d come up with the winning design. My reward was a photograph with the band in the department newsletter and tickets to a live show at The Sepia Underground.
The Soul Magnets were a pretty good band—a little darker and moodier than I was used to, but pleasant. After the show, Taz invited me to go get tacos. He was brooding and a little mysterious, and his smiles were rare and measured. Once, after we watched Lady Gaga win an award wearing a meat dress, I offered to make the band matching shirts made of tuna casserole. It wasn’t that funny, really, but Taz was in a good mood that night, and he laughed. Aloud. Twice.
It was by far my proudest Taz moment.
