good.
Chapter Sixteen
“Princess!” my dad’s booming voice called through the restaurant, something that used to be embarrassing to me when I was in junior high but now that I was so far from home I really missed it. I practically ran into his hug, laughing out loud when he squeezed me and picked me up off the ground. Having a dad who is a former pro-football player meant a lot of my childhood had been spent with him tossing me around, even long after it stopped being thrilling to be thrown up so high. “How’s college treating you? You’re too skinny! Why aren’t you eating? Do you need money?”
“No, Dad, I’m fine. Besides, you just put money in my account last week.” I smiled, remembering how nervous he’d been about me going so far away to school. “Where’s Mom?”
“She had to head straight to the bathroom to check her hair,” he said, only halfway teasing.
“I did not, I had to utilize the facilities,” Mom interrupted in a stern voice before smiling. “And check my hair.” She pulled me into a tight hug, not caring a smidge about her makeup as she held her cheek close to mine.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, my words coming out garbled from my smooshed face. “How was the flight?”
“Well, not long enough for your father to get a drink, but just long enough for my ears to pop. But how are you? Now, sit right down and tell me what happened with the Thetas. I have half a mind to call national headquarters right this minute. Secret middle of the night votes...sheesh. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Well, Mom, it’s like I told you on the phone, they just had a problem with...”
“Hello!” Javier’s deep voice interrupted. The man had perfect timing. “I am Javier. And you are the mother and father of Andie!”
My parents looked at him open-mouthed, my father’s glass of scotch stuck halfway between the table and his face. “Um...I’m Andie’s dad, Robert. This is my wife, Sarah. And you are...”
“I am Javier de la Cruz y Garcia. And I am in love with Andie.” I hid my face in my hands.
“He’s not in love with me, we just met a few days ago,” I corrected him, my words coming out between clenched teeth as I forced a smile. Both of my parents stared, alternating between looking at Javier’s grinning face and my mortified one.
“Andie? Dear?” my mom said, leaving the rest of her sentence floating in midair somewhere over our candlelit table.
“Why, yes Mom?” I asked, stifling a laugh as my dad chuckled into the amber liquid in his glass, covering up his humor at the situation by muffling his own laughter with his drink.
“And might this have something to do with your decision to leave your sorority?”
“Actually, it’s funny you bring that up...” I started before Javier threw an arm around my shoulders and kissed me loudly on the cheek, making my dad bristle and sit up taller for just a moment before he realized that Javier was having a lot of fun at my mother’s expense. “You see, the sisters didn’t exactly like the fact that...”
“Andie and I will get married! Where is my goat?” Javier asked in an even thicker accent than usual, just for fun. My dad paused in mid-sip, but then quickly recovered when he saw through Javier’s game. My mother, however, had a little bit harder time figuring out the game and was absolutely incapable of finding the humor in it. She narrowed her eyes at him before turning her attention back to me.
“I’m sorry, did he say a goat? What is he talking
Chapter Sixteen
“Princess!” my dad’s booming voice called through the restaurant, something that used to be embarrassing to me when I was in junior high but now that I was so far from home I really missed it. I practically ran into his hug, laughing out loud when he squeezed me and picked me up off the ground. Having a dad who is a former pro-football player meant a lot of my childhood had been spent with him tossing me around, even long after it stopped being thrilling to be thrown up so high. “How’s college treating you? You’re too skinny! Why aren’t you eating? Do you need money?”
“No, Dad, I’m fine. Besides, you just put money in my account last week.” I smiled, remembering how nervous he’d been about me going so far away to school. “Where’s Mom?”
“She had to head straight to the bathroom to check her hair,” he said, only halfway teasing.
“I did not, I had to utilize the facilities,” Mom interrupted in a stern voice before smiling. “And check my hair.” She pulled me into a tight hug, not caring a smidge about her makeup as she held her cheek close to mine.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, my words coming out garbled from my smooshed face. “How was the flight?”
“Well, not long enough for your father to get a drink, but just long enough for my ears to pop. But how are you? Now, sit right down and tell me what happened with the Thetas. I have half a mind to call national headquarters right this minute. Secret middle of the night votes...sheesh. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Well, Mom, it’s like I told you on the phone, they just had a problem with...”
“Hello!” Javier’s deep voice interrupted. The man had perfect timing. “I am Javier. And you are the mother and father of Andie!”
My parents looked at him open-mouthed, my father’s glass of scotch stuck halfway between the table and his face. “Um...I’m Andie’s dad, Robert. This is my wife, Sarah. And you are...”
“I am Javier de la Cruz y Garcia. And I am in love with Andie.” I hid my face in my hands.
“He’s not in love with me, we just met a few days ago,” I corrected him, my words coming out between clenched teeth as I forced a smile. Both of my parents stared, alternating between looking at Javier’s grinning face and my mortified one.
“Andie? Dear?” my mom said, leaving the rest of her sentence floating in midair somewhere over our candlelit table.
“Why, yes Mom?” I asked, stifling a laugh as my dad chuckled into the amber liquid in his glass, covering up his humor at the situation by muffling his own laughter with his drink.
“And might this have something to do with your decision to leave your sorority?”
“Actually, it’s funny you bring that up...” I started before Javier threw an arm around my shoulders and kissed me loudly on the cheek, making my dad bristle and sit up taller for just a moment before he realized that Javier was having a lot of fun at my mother’s expense. “You see, the sisters didn’t exactly like the fact that...”
“Andie and I will get married! Where is my goat?” Javier asked in an even thicker accent than usual, just for fun. My dad paused in mid-sip, but then quickly recovered when he saw through Javier’s game. My mother, however, had a little bit harder time figuring out the game and was absolutely incapable of finding the humor in it. She narrowed her eyes at him before turning her attention back to me.
“I’m sorry, did he say a goat? What is he talking
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