Let Me In

by Parker, Ali

  “I like having you in my cheer section.”

  “What about your friend, Charlie?”

  “What about him?”

  “Is he cheering you on?”

  I laughed. “He is now. He wasn’t quite so cheerful when I called him around three this morning.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh no! Did you really?”

  “I had a new idea and I wanted to run it by him,” I explained, not really seeing anything wrong with the call. Charlie certainly had.

  “Was he pissed?”

  “He threatened to remove certain body parts.”

  She burst into laughter. “I might have to ask him to find other ways to get back at you. I like all of your body parts right where they are, as they are.”

  I grinned. “Me too.”

  “Is he helping you?”

  “Yes, for the most part. The guy is a genius when it comes to the mechanical side of things. He could put together a boat with his eyes closed. He knows what will work and what won’t. He’s my sounding board. My ideas can be a little wild at times.”

  “I’m glad you have a friend like that.”

  “He’s demanding a percentage of the profits,” I told her.

  “Are you going to concede to his demands?”

  “Of course. I really couldn’t have done it without him. I’m not going to tell him that. Not yet. I still have a long ways to go before I can get this on an actual ship and in the water.”

  “How long did it take you to get your first design sold?” she asked.

  I blew out a breath. “Years. Probably about five years. Even after I got the design sold, it took another two years before it hit the water. None of this is fast. People think the government has red tape. They should see what it takes to build a ship.”

  “I can only imagine,” she said. The waitress came by to take our orders.

  “How are you and your dad?” I asked, broaching the subject that was still very sensitive.

  She shrugged. “We aren’t exactly talking.”

  “I am so fucking sorry,” I said. “I hate that I am the cause of strife between the two of you.”

  “Don’t be sorry. This is on him. I know it will take some time, but I think he will come around eventually. It’s all a little raw for him right now, but he will have to learn to deal with it.”

  “Has he shown any signs of dealing with it?”

  She grimaced. “No.”

  “I cannot begin to tell you how guilty I feel. I hate the way things have turned out.”

  “It’s okay,” she assured me. “I am okay with it. At first, yes, I was hurt and angry. I think I’ve reached the point of acceptance. I can’t change him and I’m not going to try. I accept he can’t accept my decisions. Does that make any sense?”

  I smiled and sipped my soda. “It does, coming from you. What about the awards banquet? Have you decided if you are going to go?”

  “I am going. He can’t stop me. I’m not going to miss it.”

  “Good for you. Stand strong.”

  She blew out a breath. “It isn’t easy. I think it’s a very good thing I’ve been so busy. I don’t have a lot of time to think about it. I just keep moving forward.”

  “That’s all you can do.”

  “Do you want to go with me to the banquet?” she asked. “I know I’ve asked you before but I’m throwing it out there again.”

  I slowly shook my head. “This is a big night for him. I don’t want to ruin it. He doesn’t like me, and I get it. I have enough respect for him to let him have his night without any drama.”

  “You’re right. I’ve thought that as well. I want to be there, but if he is truly that mad at me, I don’t want to make it difficult for him. He should celebrate without worrying about me.”

  “He will want you there,” I insisted. “Whatever he’s going through right now is not going to be permanent. When he does calm down and you two do put your relationship back together, you’ll both be glad you went.”

  “You’re right. I just hope that realization comes sooner rather than later. I really hate not talking to him. I worry about him. I just know he is probably eating nothing but junk food.”

  She was a good daughter. It was too bad her dad couldn’t see that. “I’m sure he’s fine. It’s going to take a lot more than a month or two of shitty eating to take him out.”

  “You’re probably right. Eventually, he is going to have to cave in. He is going to have to realize I’m not changing my mind.”

  “About me?” I asked.

  “Yes, about you. It isn’t just you. It’s me making decisions for myself without him butting in.”

  “Good for you,” I told her. “You make a lot of decisions every single day for other people and you seem to have some pretty satisfied customers.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate your confidence.”

  “How could I not be confident? You are choosing me. That’s a damn good bet.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh lord. Now you are proving my father right.”

  “How?” I asked innocently.

  “By being arrogant.”

  “Only because I know this is right.”

  She slowly shook her head. “You are dangerous.”

  “Want to make a run for the bathrooms? As hard as I am right now, it will take less than three minutes. I don’t want to brag, but in this moment, I am more than happy to be a minute man.”

  She burst into nervous laughter, her cheeks staining red. “You are so bad. Here I was thinking my dad might one day see you as the fine, upstanding gentleman I know you can be instead of the miscreant he thinks you are.”

  I shrugged a shoulder. “Even fine upstanding gentlemen have needs. I need you.”

  “When I get back to work, we are going to have a talk.”

  I frowned with confusion. “Why when you get back to work?”

  “Because I need to check my schedule and find somewhere to squeeze in a little time with you.”

  “And then I can squeeze my way into you,” I replied without missing a beat.

  She bit her lower lip. “You are a tease.”

  “I’m not teasing. You name the time and place and I will be there.”

  “I will and you better damn well be there.”

  I winked. “I wouldn’t miss a chance to be with you.”

  Chapter 42

  Evie

  Nelle was scowling at something behind me. I turned around to see what had her encouraging premature wrinkling. “Will you stop?” I scolded.

  “I can’t help it,” she muttered.

  “Yes, you can. This is why I didn’t want to come here. You are going to be picking apart that poor bartender all night. Give him a break.”

  “He sucks,” she said. “No wonder he doesn’t make any tips. I wouldn’t tip him a penny.”

  I sighed, sipping on the drink that really wasn’t all that good, but I was not about to tell her that. “If it wasn’t for him, you would never have a day off. He is a necessary evil.”

  “Evil maybe, but I’m not sure how necessary it is.”

  “Pay attention to me,” I demanded.

  She finally looked at me. “You are a needy date.”

  I laughed. “You have no idea just how needy I am.”

  “Gross.”

  I shrugged. “It’s true.”

  “I guess that means you guys still haven’t managed to find some alone time this week?”

  I groaned. “No. He had to go out of town to talk to someone about something that had something to do with a boat. He told me but I honestly have no idea what he was talking about. He gets really excited about his project and he speaks a totally different language.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes drifting over my shoulder again.

  “No, you are not.”

  “Did you guys figure out what to do about your daddy?”

  I rolled my eyes. “There is nothing to do about Daddy,” I answered. “He doesn’t want to
be rational and I can’t make him get it. He’ll either come around or he won’t.”

  “That is really too bad.” She wasn’t looking at me.

  “Oh my god,” I said. “Go. I can see you are dying to go say something to him. Just do it and bring your ass back here. With a fresh drink for me. I don’t want another one from him.”

  “Ha! See? I told you! He’s terrible.”

  “He is, but that’s not our problem right now. Right now, me and you are catching up on girl talk. One night of bad drinks is not going to hurt anyone.”

  She scoffed. “I just want it made very clear I’m not the shitty bartender.”

  “No one would ever think that,” I told her.

  She disappeared behind the bar. It was always like this when we came in on her days off. She called me Type A, but she was just as bad. She was very particular about what she did and didn’t like in her bar. It was very much her way or the highway.

  She returned ten minutes later with fresh drinks for both of us. “There,” she said with a sigh. “I feel much better.”

  “Good, now focus on me.”

  “Oh, you poor, deprived girl.”

  I grinned. “I like all the attention.”

  “Fine, let’s get back to the daddy and boyfriend situation.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “That is not a pleasant conversation.”

  “Your dad is giving new meaning to the term overprotective father,” she commented.

  “It is so dumb. The more I think about it, the more I realize how alike they are. I think if my dad could pull his head out of his ass for five minutes, he would see how awesome Xander is. The way his mind works is incredible. I love to hear him talk about his project, even if I don’t understand a word he is saying.”

  “You got it bad,” she said as she shook her head.

  “I do,” I confessed. “I so do.”

  “I think you are doing the right thing, for what it’s worth. Giving it time to cool down is the smart thing to do. I think if you keep trying to shove it in your father’s face, he’s only going to push back harder. Let him get used to the idea a little at a time. He’ll soon see it’s not as bad as he thought.”

  “I hope so. Xander is amazing.”

  “Of course, you are going to say that.”

  “He really is,” I told her. “I feel like I must be wearing different glasses than the rest of the world.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t see what my dad sees, or even his dad. Every time he tells me about his father, I’m just dumbfounded. Then I think about my dad, and I’m like, I get it. They hate him because he’s rich and successful. They must have shared from the same bitter pills bottle.”

  “You do have on some rose-colored glasses, but that’s because you are in love.”

  I flinched. “Don’t say that.”

  “But it’s true.”

  “I don’t know if it is.”

  “I think it is,” she said as if she was an authority on the subject.

  “Maybe. I do miss him like crazy.”

  “Is he going to be back tomorrow?”

  “I hope so,” I answered. “I’m not sure. He was talking about giving a proposal on Monday, but he wasn’t sure it was going to happen.”

  “For his new thing?”

  “Yep.”

  “Your rich boyfriend is going to be even richer.”

  I smiled. “It’s not about the money, but I do love that he is so successful. I just wish his family was around to share in it all.”

  “He has you,” she reminded me. “But speaking of family, any more from the brother? I’m looking forward to my date with him.”

  I laughed. “I don’t think the Marines grant leave for a first date. You are just going to have to be patient. That is assuming he wants to date you. You can be obnoxious.”

  She cocked her head to the side before waving a hand over her body. “Seriously, he would be lucky to get a date with me.”

  “You are right. He would be. Maybe he can come back for the holidays.”

  “I don’t know. That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “Eating a meal is a lot of pressure?”

  “For a first date, yes. I don’t want him to meet me and see me stuffing my face.”

  “Oh, that’s a good point,” I said.

  “But I do want to meet him. You’ve got me excited to meet the little brother of your perfect man.”

  “He’s a good guy. I like him and I know you will.”

  We sipped our drinks, our eyes drifting around the bar as it began to fill up. It was still early, but I considered myself an old lady. I couldn’t stay out until the wee hours of the morning. I had to work tomorrow. I did not want to show up with a hangover. After learning a hangover was just really not worth it and completely preventable, I had made a conscious decision to avoid them like the plague.

  “Do you think Xander is the guy that will father your future children?”

  I nearly choked on my drink. “What? What are you talking about? Why would you ask me that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just thinking about our future.”

  “Our future, like me and you?”

  “Yes. Me and you. You are pretty wrapped up in this guy and I don’t blame you for a minute. I am a little jealous but I’m happy for you. You deserve a good man.”

  “I don’t know what our future holds,” I told her. “I would not even dare to speculate or fantasize about it.”

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “Because it’s been a month. We aren’t that serious. I am not going to start thinking about marriage and all that stuff.”

  She looked thoughtful. “But do you think you might get to that point?”

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  “I’ll say it. You love him.”

  “I don’t really know what love is,” I told her. “I have never been in love with a man. I have liked a few and been fond of others, but how do you know what love is? There isn’t a definition or a test you take that tells you whether you are or not. This is a new thing and I think I might just kind of be in the mindset that it’s an infatuation.”

  “I’m sure there is an element of infatuation to it, but I don’t think it’s just that. You are different.”

  I chewed on my bottom lip. “It feels different than anything I have ever experienced before. I do feel a little bit infatuated, but I also feel like it’s more whole. Like it isn’t just sex and it isn’t just the fun we have when we are together. It’s the total package. I can’t explain it.”

  She offered a smile. “That’s probably why people who are in love don’t describe it. They just smile a lot and feel joy.”

  “I do feel a lot of joy. When I see his name on my phone or think about getting to see him, I get little butterflies in my stomach. This last two weeks has been the real test. Instead of me just being like oh well I have work to do, I miss him. I’m not worried about him forgetting about me or what we have fading away because we haven’t seen each other. It’s solid.”

  “Stop,” she groaned. “You are making me so jealous.”

  I laughed. “I’m sorry. I wish I could explain it better. I want to understand it better myself. I want to know if it’s love.”

  “Would it change things?”

  “No. Yes. I mean, I think I would be more inclined to heal the major rift between him and my father if I knew it was love.”

  “That will come with time. Rarely does anyone like their in-laws. You are getting a head start in that department.”

  “That’s an understatement. I wonder if his dad will like me.”

  “How could he not like you?” she teased.

  “The same way my dad doesn’t like him. He’ll probably think I want Xander for his money.”

  She waved a hand. “That’s stupid. I don’t think you should worry about what anyone thinks. This is between the two of you. You guys get to figure out what comes next for you both. Don’t worry a
bout what I think or what anyone else thinks. For the record, I’m all for it. I’ll miss you, but you’ve got to move on.”

  “I wouldn’t ditch you,” I protested.

  “It’s the girl code. It’s the way it goes. You are going to have a man and you won’t need me as much. Don’t feel bad. I’ll get a man one day. Maybe. I’m not sure I want one.”

  I laughed, pushing my hair back as I did. “When you get one as good as I have found, you’ll want one.”

  “Probably.”

  “I should really get going,” I said, fighting a yawn.

  “See? It’s already starting. You are ditching me at eight o’clock on my night off.”

  “I have to work tomorrow,” I argued.

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it. You are mature and responsible, and you have a real job.”

  “Damn the adulting thing,” I teased.

  She got to her feet and gave me a quick hug. “If I don’t see you tomorrow, please tell your father congratulations for me.”

  “I will do that—assuming he will talk to me.”

  “He will. Are you going alone or are you going to take Xander?”

  “Xander doesn’t think it would be a good idea for him to go. He doesn’t want to rain on my father’s parade.”

  “He’s got a good point.”

  “I’ll be all by myself, the odd man out, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

  “Take care. I’ll talk to you soon. Let me know what color my dress will be.”

  I stopped walking. “Your dress?”

  “For when I’m your maid of honor. I don’t do pink. Do not put me in pink.”

  I laughed and walked out of the bar. I was glad I at least had her support. It was too bad my father wouldn’t give his. Thinking about a wedding just made me feel sadder. Would my dad walk me down the aisle? Would he refuse to participate?

  “Relax, Evie,” I scolded. I was getting way ahead of myself.

  Chapter 43

  Xander

  I was tinkering on my boat when my phone rang. I glanced over, ready to let it go to voicemail until I saw Evie’s number. I quickly wiped my hand on my pants before grabbing the phone.