“Roni told me once that with her brother, what you see is what you get.”
“Check.”
“A dog owner.”
“Check,” Amber said. “Although you did kind of rig that last one.”
“So that’s it, then,” I said, folding up the list. “I did it. I have the Perfect Boyfriend.”
“And the perfect prom date,” Amber said.
“Hey!” Mom stuck her head in. She held up her orange dress. “Isn’t anybody going to help me turn into a pumpkin? ”
My boyfriend arrived right on time, in a limo. He looked so handsome in his tux. He might have walked off the cover of one of the Strang Unique catalogs. Plus, he smelled like Italian leather with a hint of lime. And he brought flowers for me and for my mom and told us we both looked beautiful.
I couldn’t believe the change in the sky as Eric and I dashed to the limo. A cool breeze had swept in dark, bottom-heavy clouds. “Looks like we’re in for a storm,” I observed, ducking into the plush row of seats. “That’s going to put a hitch in our after-prom plans.” Our class had rented the park center, with mini-golf and batting cages.
Eric scooted closer. “I have some alternative plans I want you to consider.” He wrapped his arms around me, and I snuggled in. “I’ve rented a suite at the Hilton.”
“You what? ”
“Don’t say anything yet. I’m not pressuring you. It’s your decision. I just want you to think about it. I love you, Bailey, and I want this to be the perfect night, a night you and I will remember for the rest of our lives.”
15
Eric and I sat at the prom court’s special dinner table at the club. I think I was the only one not touching my food. Eric was downing everything set in front of us, with no questions about how safely food had been prepared. More than anything, I wanted to call Amber and talk to her about Eric’s “alternative plans.” But I’d left my cell home because it wouldn’t fit in my bag. “Eric, could I borrow your cell? ”
“Didn’t bring it,” he said, finishing off his chocolate cake.
“You’re kidding.” He always had his cell.
He leaned into me and whispered, “I didn’t want to make it easy to track me down after the prom.” He reached over and squeezed my knee. I still felt that shudder of pleasure whenever Eric touched me. He was a magnet, or a spinning vortex, drawing me in. I knew he meant it when he said this was my decision. I could say yes or no. But how could I say no to Eric? Somewhere along the way it had become almost impossible to say no to Eric Strang.
I really had to talk to somebody. I looked around for Mom, but she’d only promised Mrs. Strang to be there when the dancing started.
All around us, lights twinkled, and tables glowed. The room smelled like a garden. The other tables had turned in their ballots for prom queen and king. Behind the scenes student leaders and faculty volunteers were tallying up the votes.
Conversations around our table seemed stilted. Jeannette, who looked elegant in a short teal gown, kept a calm smile on her face, but even she wasn’t talking much to Glen or anyone else. I thought about talking to Jeannette about Eric, but I couldn’t do that to her. I knew how she felt about him.
Eric’s mother came to our table. “This is it, everyone,” she said. “I need you to move backstage so we can make the announcement. Don’t forget. The king and queen make their speeches before the waltz.” Babbling more instructions at us, she herded us behind the curtain, where we stood like sheep waiting for slaughter.
Mrs. Strang sneaked up behind me. “You really shouldn’t bite your nails.”
Unaware that I had been, I dropped the offending hand. “Sorry. I always eat myself when I’m nervous.”
She didn’t laugh. Neither did Eric. Outside, thunder rumbled and shook the stage.
Mrs. Strang shushed us, and we could hear Brad, the junior class president, welcome everyone to the Tri-County Senior Prom. “Remember, no losers tonight,” he said into the mike. “We’ll start with the fourth runner-up.”
“Eric, I can’t do this,” I whispered.
“Don’t be silly. You’re just nervous.” He took my hand.
“I don’t mean this. I mean all of it.”
Eric dropped my hand. “Are you talking about after the prom? ”
Was I? Or was it something more?
“Cara and Michael!” shouted Brad.
Cara groaned, then painted on a smile and walked out through the curtains with Michael as the crowd clapped politely.
“Listen,” Eric said, putting his arm around me. “Everything will be perfect. You’ll see. Just leave it to me. I know you want this as much as I do.”
“How can you know that?” It wasn’t a challenge. I really wanted to know.
“What do you mean? ”
“Because you don’t really know me, Eric.” Maybe I was finally admitting Roni was right about her onion theory.
“How can you say I don’t know you?” He laughed, but it didn’t quite work. Was the vortex slowing down? “Come on, Bailey. This isn’t you.”
“No, this isn’t me.” I pointed to myself, finally beginning to understand what was so wrong. “Eric, I hate my hair this way.” I yanked at one of the plastered curls that was already giving me a headache. “This is a gorgeous dress, a fantastic dress—just not on me.”
“Bailey, you don’t know what you’re—”
But I was just getting started. “I don’t like to waltz. I hate that bow your mother puts in Shirley’s hair. And it makes me sad that Shirley can’t bark. I love desserts. I stop for roadkill. I am a born Grady girl! I worked at Grady’s Gas and Snack, Eric. You never even knew that.”
He backed up a step, braced to defend himself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know—”
“Of course you didn’t know! How could you? I didn’t let you know. I wanted to be perfect for you. I wanted to be the person you wanted me to be. It wasn’t your fault. That was my mistake.”
My mistake?
“Oh, man. I guess this was another case of mistaken identity,” I explained, more to myself than to Eric. “Only this time it was my identity that was mistaken.” I laughed, feeling free and right and honest—and me again—for the first time in a long time.
Eric glanced nervously at his mother, who was glaring our way. “Keep your voice down, will you, Bailey? ”
“No.” I laughed and said it again. “No can do. This is me—loud and obnoxious, like Adam and Eve.” Eric had called my dogs that once—loud and obnoxious. “And I’d give just about anything to help Shirley be loud and obnoxious, too.”
Eric threw up his hands. “Now you’ve totally lost it.” He looked over at Jeannette, and I wished I could have read his mind.
Two more couples had been called onstage as runners-up. Jeannette and Glen were the only ones backstage with Eric and me. I wondered how much they’d overheard.
From the other side of the curtain, Brad boomed into the mike, “And our first runner-up couple is . . . Jeannette and Glen!”
Applause broke out from both sides of the stage. Jeannette called over to us, “Congratulations, you two!”
Eric’s mother was right there, pushing us to follow Glen and Jeannette. “I knew it. Congratulations. Now remember everything I taught you about the waltz.”
Eric and I walked to center stage and were crowned by last year’s king and queen. I felt the tiara on top of my piled-up hair. It was not a good fit, not in any way. Eric waved to the crowd, but I just couldn’t. He walked to the mike and started speaking, thanking everybody.
I looked around for a familiar face, and the first thing I saw was a splotch of orange, with arms waving at me. I grinned at my mom. Then she pointed to the side of the club, where doors led to a patio. I followed her gaze and saw Amber cheering for me. Travis crouched beside her, struggling to hang on to Adam and Eve’s leashes. Amber. I should have known she’d sneak in to see if I won.
Eric’s speech was winding down. Any minute it would be my turn. What on earth
could I say?
“Bailey? ” Eric said. He backed up, and the mike was mine.
I dragged myself to the mike. My too-tall heels clunked, and when I stopped at the mike, my breath was amplified like a rush of wind. “Um, thanks. I mean, I know you just voted for me because you love Eric.” I heard polite laughter, and I laughed, too. My tiara tottered, and I reached up and pulled it off. “This thing is a lot heavier than it looks.” I grinned at Eric, but he wasn’t smiling. “I don’t think anybody here questions the fact that Eric Strang is the perfect prom king.”
“Whoo, Eric!” a girl shouted in the back of the hall. Other kids laughed.
“I agree. On the other hand, come on. I am so not a prom queen.” Nobody laughed. “Eric is the perfect boyfriend, too. I’ve looked a long time for a perfect boyfriend. The only thing is that until a few minutes ago, it hadn’t occurred to me that to have the perfect boyfriend, I had to be the perfect girlfriend. And I’m no more that than I am a perfect prom queen.” I glanced over at Eric again. He shook his head, but he didn’t look angry anymore.
The only voice I heard was Eleanor Strang’s whisper from behind the curtain, “You’re ruining everything!”
“Eric Strang,” I went on, “you are a prince. And a prince deserves a princess.” I laughed softly. “I am a frog. You could kiss me for the next twenty years, and you still wouldn’t turn me into a princess. Not even a classier frog.” There was nervous laughter, but I’d tuned out the audience. I wanted Eric to understand. “I’d still be a goofy frog because, guess what, I like being a frog.”
Mom apparently couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I love frogs!” she shouted.
“Me too!” cried Amber. She and Mom had come together and now stood in the center of the dance floor, just below stage.
“You go, mademoiselle!” someone in the back shouted. Roni, dressed totally in black, gave me a thumbs-up. A couple of her fellow goth party crashers stood with her.
I don’t think most people had any idea what was going on. I faced the audience. “So thanks for voting. And you got it half right. Eric is the perfect prom king.” I walked over to Jeannette and put the tiara on her head. She tried to stop me, but I won. And that crown was a perfect fit. I went back to the mike. “See? She’s the perfect prom queen. And you guys just wait until you see her waltz. So . . . I guess that’s it then.”
The room grew silent, a horrible silence. A deadly quiet. People were whispering and staring back. I don’t know what they expected. But I couldn’t seem to move.
Then I heard a little, off-key voice. “Jeremiah was a hound dog!” Mom.
Amber, in jeans and letter jacket stopped staring at Mom, turned to face me, and belted out, “Dated him for a while.”
I laughed out loud. Stunned silence reigned in the country club. I hurried down the steps to join Mom and Amber, singing, “He left me flat, but I’m tellin’ you that . . .” They joined in for the rest of the verse as we lockstepped into our rock ’n’ roll routine.
Billy the sax player picked up on the chorus and struck up the band. They played, and we sang and slid into our synchronized dance steps. Before I knew it, people were clapping, then racing onto the dance floor to join us. People in gowns and tuxes were doing the twist and the swim and every other old move they knew. Roni bumped into me. She was doing the cha-cha with Glen. It was crazy.
Suddenly Amber stopped. “Listen!”
“I know,” I said. “They’re loving it!”
“No!” Amber said. “Not that! This.” She unzipped her jacket, and there was little Shirley.
“Amber, how did you—?” But I stopped. Because I heard it too now. It sounded like a squeak. Then it grew to a yap, yap.And it was coming from Shirley.
“She’s barking!” Mom shouted.
Little Shirley had found her voice at the prom—just like me.
“Eric’s mother will be so pleased,” Amber said. “Looks like you guys got yourselves another dog.”
Mom shook her head. “Three dogs.”
“Come on!” I shouted. “Let’s get out of here.”
Mom and Amber took off, and I started to run after them. Then I turned to see where Eric was. He and Jeannette were sitting on the stage, watching, talking. I waved until they saw me. It struck me that I really was walking away from the perfect boyfriend. It might be a very long time before I got another boyfriend. I’d probably be spending a lot of time with just me. But maybe it would be okay. I didn’t mind me so much now.
Jeannette shrugged, palms in the air, then waved back. I think she shouted, “Thanks!” but I couldn’t hear her. Everybody was singing now.
Eric kept staring at me, but I didn’t read hate there. He was looking at me as if he were seeing me for the first time. Maybe he was.
I stared back and hoped he could read half of what I was feeling. I knew he didn’t understand, not everything. But I prayed he’d understand enough to be okay. Maybe Jeannette could help him get there.
Amber and Mom were outside with Travis and the dogs when I ran out. A light rain fell, and Adam and Eve were already soaked. Shirley wouldn’t stop barking. Amber let her down, and she pranced in mud puddles, showing off.
“What now? ” Travis asked.
I turned to Mom. “Good question. I don’t really feel like hanging around here.”
“Me either,” Mom said, hiking up her orange gown. “Bailey, we’re going to St. Louis! I’ve always wanted to see what kind of garage sales they have in that city.”
“A road trip! Good for you guys!” Amber cried, snuggling closer to Travis, who put one arm around her and held on to Adam and Eve with his other hand.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. “What about the dogs?” I asked.
Mom grabbed Adam’s and Eve’s leashes out of Travis’s hand and took off for her car. “They’re coming with us!”
“Well, come on, Shirley!” I yelled, running as fast as I could, with the dirty little bundle of dog on my heels. “On to St. Louis! No dog left behind!”
ST. LOUIS—The Present
“LOOK! THE RAIN’S STOPPED.” I stare out the big front window of Louie’s of St. Louie. The sun is coming up. We can’t see it yet, just the light it promises.
“Well, I’ll be,” says Louie.
Far away that stone city arch comes into focus as a fog lifts. “Louie, you can see the Arch from here!” I exclaim. I grin at my three new friends around the table. They’re staring outside like they’ve never seen that world before.
Colt turns back to me. “So you and Eric . . . ? ”
I shake my head.
“You’re not with him anymore? ” he says, something real in his voice, like it matters to him.
“Nope.”
“Nice save,” Rune says. He gets up from the table and stretches. Tattoos dance on his arms. “I better get on home, see if I can get me a couple hours’ sleep before chasing my boys all over Six Flags.”
“Good for you, Rune,” Louie says.
Rune smiles at Louie and nods, some understanding passing between them. Then Rune stares down at me. I don’t think he knows what to do with me. I reach up to him, and he leans over and gives me an awkward hug. His big arms close around me so gently that tears, good tears, spring to my eyes. “I’m glad you and these here dogs ended up at Louie’s tonight,” he whispers. “You’re gonna be just fine, Bailey Daley.” He stands up and almost stumbles over Eve. Rune takes the dog’s face in his hands. “And you, Eve ol’ girl, you take care of her.”
Eve’s tail thumps the café floor, and the dog makes whimpering sounds for more attention.
“Yeah,” Rune says, his face close to hers. “I’m gonna miss you, too, girl.” He glances at me, maybe including me in this conversation. Maybe not. “I think I’ll get my boys a firehouse dog just like this one. Might even call her Eve the Second.”
“Eve the First would be honored, Rune. Have a great time at Six Flags.”
Rune nods to all of us. “I’ll do that.” And then he’s
gone.
Louie lets out his low laugh that turns into a cough. “Well, you kept your bargain, Bailey. Guess we know why a young lady with such a fine gown graced our premises in the middle of this night.”
I glance down at my Strang Unique, covered by the gaudy green sweater. Eric’s mother would have a heart attack. “I can’t wait for the stores to open so I can get something else to wear.” I smile over at Louie. He looks older and more wrinkled in the dawning light, and more beautiful in his own way. “I want you to meet my mother, Louie.”
“I’d like that.”
“Of course, you’ll have to wait until she can get something to wear besides the pumpkin dress.” I laugh, and so do Louie and Colt. When we stop laughing, I know it’s time for me to leave. But I love it here. It’s helped me to talk to them, helped me in ways I can’t explain, like telling the stories made the pieces fit.
That makes me think about when I first walked in. The dogs had shaken off rain all over the linoleum floor. I stand up. “I want to mop your floor, Louie. The dogs and I messed it up.” I turn toward the door, but all the water has dried.
“Don’t you worry about that.” Louie gets to his feet, but it’s obviously an effort, his body straightening by bits and fits. “I reckon it’s time for me to think about opening. It’s a brand-new day out there.”
“Do you need some help? ” Colt asks, scooting back his chair. Shirley, still in his lap, wakes up and barks for good measure. “With Rune gone and everything? ”
“I’ll be fine, thank you, Colt. Sunday’s a light day. I’ll manage just fine. Got me a girl who comes in for the lunch crowd.” Louie smiles across the table at me. “You’d best get on back to your mama before she wakes up and finds you missing and brings all of St. Louie down on my little café.”
I know I have to tell him goodbye. How could it be so hard after so little time? I dash around the table and wrap my arms around the old man. He folds his stiff arms around me and leans his head against mine. I can’t hold back the tears. I didn’t cry once during my whole story about falling three times from love, and yet here I am crying like a baby, saying goodbye to a wrinkled old man I’ve only known for a few hours. “I’ll never forget you, Louie.”
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