am.”
“I’m
just more approachable. You’ve got this edgy biker chick vibe about you, not to
mention incredible smarts. That’s down right terrifying to a guy, which brings
me to my second point. The very fact you’re not falling at Jack’s feet like
everyone else might be refreshing. He probably likes the sport of it.”
“Oh,
well, paint me enchanted. Nothing screams romance like a man who enjoys preying
upon his prospects.”
“And
may I remark, your outburst back there with him hardly qualifies you as a
wallflower now. It takes a strong personality to talk to someone like that.”
Gwen
pulled up alongside the curb to drop me off when we reached my house.
“You
want to meet up with us when you’re finished with lover boy?” asked Gwen.
“Yeah,
where’re you gonna be?”
“Bella
Deboure’s Boutique.”
“I
thought you were picking up Ian from work,” I said.
“What’s
your point?”
“Asides
from the cruel and unusual torture of dragging a guy to go dress shopping?”
“Hey,
I need a male perspective, and I can’t have Jeff see what I’m going to wear for
Homecoming. I want it to be a surprise. So Ian’s about as close as I can get to
a man’s opinion, not to mention he’s the only thing that’ll keep you from
running out on me.”
“Funny,”
I said. “I’ll be there probably around 6:30.”
“Love
you.” Gwen sped off down the street the moment I shut the passenger’s side
door.
I
walked up the driveway to the back of the house, seeing my dad’s legs sticking
out from underneath the Cutlass.
“How’s
she coming along?” I shouted over the radio.
“Can’t
quite figure out why she’s not turning over,” he called back, rolling himself
out.
His
face was painted with grease and oil smudges, and his hair was matted to his
forehead with sweat.
“You
hitting the books already?” he asked, surprised by my early arrival. “Thought
you’d be enjoying the weather.”
“That’s
actually what I need to talk to you about. Would it be alright if someone came
over? I’m supposed to be tutoring them for English class.”
“What
time?”
“They
should be here by four,” I said, uneasily.
My
dad glanced at the clock inside the garage and chuckled. “Good to see you’re
giving me time to make a decision.”
“I
know it’s short notice, but-”
“I’m
kidding,” he said. “So what’s he like?”
“Sorry?”
“The
guy who’s coming over.”
“I
didn’t say it was a guy.”
“You
didn’t have to. The fact you wouldn’t specify this someone’s gender
pretty much says it all. So?”
“He’s
a detestable ass-hat of global proportions,” I said.
“I’m
not even sure what that means, but I take it that’s not a good thing,” my dad
laughed.
“Safe
assumption,” I said, going through the side door of the house.
After
fixing my hair and changing into fresh clothes, I headed back outside to see
two denim decorated legs again jutting out from beneath the front hood.
“You
want anything to drink?” I asked, poking my head out the door.
“Soda.”
I
popped back inside and snatched a can from the refrigerator.
“Here,”
I said, holding the can out at the base of the car.
Sliding
out from under the vehicle, Jack came bouncing upright, taking the soda from my
hand.
“What
the hell are you doing here?” I asked, almost jumping back in surprise before
catching a peripheral view of the clock.
“Giving
your dad a hand,” he said, cracking the pop tab open.
“I
said ‘four.’ You’re a half hour early.”
“Hey,
try starting her up,” said Jack, seeing my dad coming out of the garage.
Paying
no mind to this stranger’s interference, my dad climbed inside the Cutlass and
revved the engine, rejoicing as it turned over with a wondrous purr.
“Thanks,
man,” said my dad, heading over and shaking Jack’s hand. “Good to see someone
knows what they’re doing here.”
“Hey,
it’s no problem. It was just the solenoids. I had
“I’m
just more approachable. You’ve got this edgy biker chick vibe about you, not to
mention incredible smarts. That’s down right terrifying to a guy, which brings
me to my second point. The very fact you’re not falling at Jack’s feet like
everyone else might be refreshing. He probably likes the sport of it.”
“Oh,
well, paint me enchanted. Nothing screams romance like a man who enjoys preying
upon his prospects.”
“And
may I remark, your outburst back there with him hardly qualifies you as a
wallflower now. It takes a strong personality to talk to someone like that.”
Gwen
pulled up alongside the curb to drop me off when we reached my house.
“You
want to meet up with us when you’re finished with lover boy?” asked Gwen.
“Yeah,
where’re you gonna be?”
“Bella
Deboure’s Boutique.”
“I
thought you were picking up Ian from work,” I said.
“What’s
your point?”
“Asides
from the cruel and unusual torture of dragging a guy to go dress shopping?”
“Hey,
I need a male perspective, and I can’t have Jeff see what I’m going to wear for
Homecoming. I want it to be a surprise. So Ian’s about as close as I can get to
a man’s opinion, not to mention he’s the only thing that’ll keep you from
running out on me.”
“Funny,”
I said. “I’ll be there probably around 6:30.”
“Love
you.” Gwen sped off down the street the moment I shut the passenger’s side
door.
I
walked up the driveway to the back of the house, seeing my dad’s legs sticking
out from underneath the Cutlass.
“How’s
she coming along?” I shouted over the radio.
“Can’t
quite figure out why she’s not turning over,” he called back, rolling himself
out.
His
face was painted with grease and oil smudges, and his hair was matted to his
forehead with sweat.
“You
hitting the books already?” he asked, surprised by my early arrival. “Thought
you’d be enjoying the weather.”
“That’s
actually what I need to talk to you about. Would it be alright if someone came
over? I’m supposed to be tutoring them for English class.”
“What
time?”
“They
should be here by four,” I said, uneasily.
My
dad glanced at the clock inside the garage and chuckled. “Good to see you’re
giving me time to make a decision.”
“I
know it’s short notice, but-”
“I’m
kidding,” he said. “So what’s he like?”
“Sorry?”
“The
guy who’s coming over.”
“I
didn’t say it was a guy.”
“You
didn’t have to. The fact you wouldn’t specify this someone’s gender
pretty much says it all. So?”
“He’s
a detestable ass-hat of global proportions,” I said.
“I’m
not even sure what that means, but I take it that’s not a good thing,” my dad
laughed.
“Safe
assumption,” I said, going through the side door of the house.
After
fixing my hair and changing into fresh clothes, I headed back outside to see
two denim decorated legs again jutting out from beneath the front hood.
“You
want anything to drink?” I asked, poking my head out the door.
“Soda.”
I
popped back inside and snatched a can from the refrigerator.
“Here,”
I said, holding the can out at the base of the car.
Sliding
out from under the vehicle, Jack came bouncing upright, taking the soda from my
hand.
“What
the hell are you doing here?” I asked, almost jumping back in surprise before
catching a peripheral view of the clock.
“Giving
your dad a hand,” he said, cracking the pop tab open.
“I
said ‘four.’ You’re a half hour early.”
“Hey,
try starting her up,” said Jack, seeing my dad coming out of the garage.
Paying
no mind to this stranger’s interference, my dad climbed inside the Cutlass and
revved the engine, rejoicing as it turned over with a wondrous purr.
“Thanks,
man,” said my dad, heading over and shaking Jack’s hand. “Good to see someone
knows what they’re doing here.”
“Hey,
it’s no problem. It was just the solenoids. I had
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