What's Left of Me
Page 27
Making my way outside, I watch as Jason and Genna rake the orange and red leaves that have fallen from the huge maple tree that sits in front of their three bedroom, two-story home.
“Hey, you. Where are you off to this morning?” Genna asks as she stops raking.
“I’m going to Saint Paul for the day to the hockey scrimmage.”
“With who?”
“Parker,” Jason answers.
“Parker?” Genna questions. She is trying hard not to smile.
I didn’t tell her of my plans for precisely this reason. She’s been bugging me to date more, and I didn’t want her to read too much into this day.
“It’s not what you think.”
“I didn’t say I thought anything.”
“We’re going as friends. He knows I’m a Wild fan. Besides, the scrimmage is free, so it’s not like he spent anything on the tickets.”
“Again, I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“I’m just explaining it to you.”
“I’m not thinking anything.”
“Then get that look off of your face!”
She laughs. “What look?”
“The you’re-so-full-of-shit-you-totally-like-him look,” I say.
She giggles. It’s that giggle that lets me know I am 100% correct.
“I don’t think you’re full of shit. I just think you’re blind. Or in denial.” I watch as she turns back to the yard, giving the leaves her undivided attention.
“I’m done with this discussion. It’s a friendly get-together. I’m sure after today he won’t even look in my direction again. Now, end of story.”
Genna shakes her head. “I wasn’t having a discussion.”
There is a deep sigh across from us, and I turn to face Jason. I know he wants to add something to the discussion. Genna follows my same movement. We both stare at him, waiting for him to start talking.
“He got tickets in one of the suites,” he states.
“He got a suite?” I squeak out.
“Well, not the entire suite, but he bought two tickets in a suite,” he replies, obviously unaffected by the news he just shared. I don’t understand why Parker would spend that kind of money on getting us in a suite for a scrimmage, of all things.
“Just friends, Dre?” Genna chimes in, grinning.
I roll my eyes, ignoring her, and walk over to Jason. “He got tickets in a suite? For a scrimmage? From who?”
“Not sure. He just came into work this past week and said you two were going to the scrimmage and that he bought tickets in a suite. I didn’t ask questions.”
“What do you mean you didn’t ask questions?” I ask at the same time Genna says, “You didn’t ask for details?”
Holding up his hands, he looks back and forth between us. “Hold on, ladies. One at a time, please. No, I did not ask questions. We’re men. We don’t get into all that detail shit. What’s the big deal?”
Awesome. He spent however much getting us those tickets and it’s not even a real game!
Genna goes back to raking. “Well, Aundrea, I’d say Parker is going a little past the friend stage. Sounds like a date to me.”
“Me too,” Jason throws in.
I have a feeling this is a date too, but I shake it off. I still can’t get over the fact he spent that kind of money. Who does that?
At exactly eleven o’clock, Parker pulls into my sister’s driveway in a shiny little two-door sports car. My jaw about hits the grass, as does Genna’s.
“Parker,” Jason says, setting down his rake to walk over and greet him by grabbing his hand and giving him a hug.
I take this opportunity to check out his car. I haven’t seen it at the clinic so I can only assume it’s new. I’ve never seen one like this before. It’s a metallic gray with dark tinted windows. I can see droplets of water running along the bottom of car, showcasing the fresh wash. This is a hot car. Shit, this just might be my dream car!
Great, now I sound like a guy who is getting a hard-on over a damn car.
I watch as he talks with Jason. He’s wearing light jeans with a fitted, navy polo shirt. There is nothing more I want in this moment than to be either one of those pieces of clothing clinging tightly to his body. Friends. I repeat the word over and over in my head until it sinks in. It never does.
Parker’s eyes meet mine and he smirks. I can’t help the giddiness that takes over, and I give him a warm smile in return.
“Good morning,” he says as he comes to stand directly in front of me.
Looking up to meet his gaze, I found my voice. “Hi.” With one look, he has the ability to make my heart flutter.
Parker turns toward my sister who is on the other side of the lawn watching us. He gives her a small wave, and she returns it with a little too much excitement.
“Ready?” he asks.
You have no idea. “Yes.”
He holds out his arm in front of him, gesturing for me to go first. I wasn’t nervous before this, but suddenly the butterflies that have taken over my stomach are all I can seem to concentrate on.
We make our way to the car and I check out the logo on the hood as I head to the passenger door. I don’t know anything about cars but, for the most part, I can make out the manufacturer by the logo. There are only a few I don’t know. This logo is easy. It simply reads Scion in the center of an oval with a fancy “S” behind the word.
“Hey, you. Where are you off to this morning?” Genna asks as she stops raking.
“I’m going to Saint Paul for the day to the hockey scrimmage.”
“With who?”
“Parker,” Jason answers.
“Parker?” Genna questions. She is trying hard not to smile.
I didn’t tell her of my plans for precisely this reason. She’s been bugging me to date more, and I didn’t want her to read too much into this day.
“It’s not what you think.”
“I didn’t say I thought anything.”
“We’re going as friends. He knows I’m a Wild fan. Besides, the scrimmage is free, so it’s not like he spent anything on the tickets.”
“Again, I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“I’m just explaining it to you.”
“I’m not thinking anything.”
“Then get that look off of your face!”
She laughs. “What look?”
“The you’re-so-full-of-shit-you-totally-like-him look,” I say.
She giggles. It’s that giggle that lets me know I am 100% correct.
“I don’t think you’re full of shit. I just think you’re blind. Or in denial.” I watch as she turns back to the yard, giving the leaves her undivided attention.
“I’m done with this discussion. It’s a friendly get-together. I’m sure after today he won’t even look in my direction again. Now, end of story.”
Genna shakes her head. “I wasn’t having a discussion.”
There is a deep sigh across from us, and I turn to face Jason. I know he wants to add something to the discussion. Genna follows my same movement. We both stare at him, waiting for him to start talking.
“He got tickets in one of the suites,” he states.
“He got a suite?” I squeak out.
“Well, not the entire suite, but he bought two tickets in a suite,” he replies, obviously unaffected by the news he just shared. I don’t understand why Parker would spend that kind of money on getting us in a suite for a scrimmage, of all things.
“Just friends, Dre?” Genna chimes in, grinning.
I roll my eyes, ignoring her, and walk over to Jason. “He got tickets in a suite? For a scrimmage? From who?”
“Not sure. He just came into work this past week and said you two were going to the scrimmage and that he bought tickets in a suite. I didn’t ask questions.”
“What do you mean you didn’t ask questions?” I ask at the same time Genna says, “You didn’t ask for details?”
Holding up his hands, he looks back and forth between us. “Hold on, ladies. One at a time, please. No, I did not ask questions. We’re men. We don’t get into all that detail shit. What’s the big deal?”
Awesome. He spent however much getting us those tickets and it’s not even a real game!
Genna goes back to raking. “Well, Aundrea, I’d say Parker is going a little past the friend stage. Sounds like a date to me.”
“Me too,” Jason throws in.
I have a feeling this is a date too, but I shake it off. I still can’t get over the fact he spent that kind of money. Who does that?
At exactly eleven o’clock, Parker pulls into my sister’s driveway in a shiny little two-door sports car. My jaw about hits the grass, as does Genna’s.
“Parker,” Jason says, setting down his rake to walk over and greet him by grabbing his hand and giving him a hug.
I take this opportunity to check out his car. I haven’t seen it at the clinic so I can only assume it’s new. I’ve never seen one like this before. It’s a metallic gray with dark tinted windows. I can see droplets of water running along the bottom of car, showcasing the fresh wash. This is a hot car. Shit, this just might be my dream car!
Great, now I sound like a guy who is getting a hard-on over a damn car.
I watch as he talks with Jason. He’s wearing light jeans with a fitted, navy polo shirt. There is nothing more I want in this moment than to be either one of those pieces of clothing clinging tightly to his body. Friends. I repeat the word over and over in my head until it sinks in. It never does.
Parker’s eyes meet mine and he smirks. I can’t help the giddiness that takes over, and I give him a warm smile in return.
“Good morning,” he says as he comes to stand directly in front of me.
Looking up to meet his gaze, I found my voice. “Hi.” With one look, he has the ability to make my heart flutter.
Parker turns toward my sister who is on the other side of the lawn watching us. He gives her a small wave, and she returns it with a little too much excitement.
“Ready?” he asks.
You have no idea. “Yes.”
He holds out his arm in front of him, gesturing for me to go first. I wasn’t nervous before this, but suddenly the butterflies that have taken over my stomach are all I can seem to concentrate on.
We make our way to the car and I check out the logo on the hood as I head to the passenger door. I don’t know anything about cars but, for the most part, I can make out the manufacturer by the logo. There are only a few I don’t know. This logo is easy. It simply reads Scion in the center of an oval with a fancy “S” behind the word.
