Phew. That went well.
After my dad hugged Livia, he came to me. “How’s my son?”
“Good. How about you, Pops?”
“Better now.” He hugged me then clapped me on the shoulder. “You’re looking fit.”
“Scotty and I play basketball pretty often.”
My dad shook Scotty’s hand. “It’s nice to see you.”
“You too, sir.” Scotty held out the wine. “It’s not vintage, but it’s pretty good.”
My dad took it. “Thank you. My wife loves wine.”
And I love alcohol.
We walked inside then gathered around the table. I ate out a lot because I was busy and lazy, so it was nice to have a home cooked meal, especially one where I didn’t have to do the dishes.
My mom passed the bread around. “So, what’s going on with you guys?”
“I have an art show this weekend,” Livia said.
“You always have art shows,” I mumbled.
“Because I need to make a living,” she snapped.
“What time?” my mom asked excitedly. “Your father and I will be there.”
Wow. They were really making an effort.
“At one.” Livia smiled. I could tell she was thrilled about the support of my parents.
“We’ll be there,” my dad said.
“Are you coming, Ash?” Livia looked at me.
She really needed to ask that? “I’m always there, Liv.”
She nodded then took a bite of her chicken.
My dad looked at Scotty. “So, how’s street fighting…or whatever you do?”
Street fighting? I tried not to laugh.
“Well,” he said. “I made it to the championship this year. Ironically, my opponent is one of my closest friends.”
“That’s going to be such a good fight,” I blurted.
“You make a living doing this?” my dad asked.
Of course, my dad cared about the income.
“I do.” Scotty was humble and kept his income to himself.
But I wasn’t humble. “He makes twenty grand for every match he wins.”
Livia shot me a glare.
I didn’t care. I kept eating.
“Wow…that’s impressive.” My dad had new eyes for Scotty. “Where can I sign up?”
Everyone laughed.
“Son, how’s school?” my dad asked.
He wanted me to be a surgeon like him. I was the only child that followed in their footsteps. Now the attention had increased by tenfold. “It’s good. I have a boring patient for my clinical rotation, but it’s okay.”
“They’ll give you more advanced cases as you go along.” My dad gave me a reassuring nod.
My mom gave me a smirk. “So…any girls you’re interested in from school?”
I didn’t mix business with pleasure. Since I saw my classmates everyday, I didn’t fool around with them. It would get too messy. A few showed their interest in me but I always brushed them off. “No, not really.”
My mom was disappointed by that response. “There’s got to be somebody…”
Just a girl across the way in my apartment building I was dying to fuck. “Too busy with school.” That was always a good excuse.
“But you’re getting older, Ash.” She said it like it was a threat.
I didn’t have the heart to tell my parents I’d be a terminal bachelor and there wouldn’t be any grandkids from me. “I’ll find someone. Don’t worry.”
“He will.” Livia gave me a meaningful look.
Yeah…never going to happen.
My dad turned his gaze on Livia. “I went by your house yesterday but it was empty. The property manager said it was for rent again. Did you move?”
Oh no. My parents didn’t know she was living with Scotty. I had a feeling this would end badly. I grabbed the wine and filled my glass to the brim.
“Yeah,” she said calmly. “I found a new place.”
“Where?” my mom asked.
Livia held her ground but she was starting to falter.
Scotty took the lead. “She lives with me.”
Both of my parents stilled.
I could tell they didn’t like that very much.
“You live together…?” My mom looked horrified. “And you aren’t married?”
My parents really needed to get with the times.
“Yeah,” Livia said plainly. “And we love it.”
I drank half my wine then waited for the explosion.
“But you aren’t married.” My dad said it like my mom didn’t say those exact same words.
“No, we aren’t,” Scotty said. “But we love each other and we’re together all the time anyway.”
“That’s no excuse to jump the gun.” My mom struggled to keep her voice down.
“Mom, calm down.” Livia held back her irritation.
“Calm down?” my mom asked incredulously. “How do you expect me to calm down? You obviously aren’t a virgin anymore.”
I covered my face because this was getting too awkward. I just wanted to crawl under the table.
“No, I’m not,” Livia said simply. “I’m a grown adult and I make my own decisions. I do what I want.”
“This is unacceptable.” My dad abandoned his food.
I felt obligated to chime in. “Who cares? They love each other and they are happy together. I’m obviously not a virgin but neither one of you care. Why do I get away with it because I’m a boy, but if Livia has sex she’s a whore? It’s totally sexist.”
Livia smiled at me.
“Mom, I’ve had over a hundred sexual partners.”
She turned white in the face.
“You heard me. I’ve never been in a serious relationship because I love sex too much.” Maybe I drank too much wine…
Scotty tried not to laugh.
“So, don’t be so hard on Livia.” I patted Scotty’s shoulder. “I know he plans to marry her anyway. So just let it go.”
Both of my parents were speechless. Livia kept her eyes glued to her plate, but a smirk was on her lips. Scotty held his fork in his hand but he didn’t touch his food. I had successfully made the night even more uncomfortable.
Whoops.
After dinner was finished, we grabbed our stuff and headed to the door. We usually watched a movie together, but it was pretty clear that everyone was too awkward to pretend like everything was peachy.
With a quick wave, Livia and Scotty walked out and headed to his truck.
When I tried to dash out the door, my mom grabbed my arm. “Wait a second.”
Damn…
I turned to her, trying to hide my annoyance.
“Is what you said true…?” She cringed while she said it, begging me to say otherwise.
“I’m almost thirty and I’ve never been in a serious relationship. What did you think?” I hated to be a smartass but it was my natural response.
“But…a hundred girls?” My mom looked like she might vomit.
I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. “It was an exaggeration.” Actually, it was an underestimation. But I wouldn’t tell her that.
She gripped her chest and sighed in relief.
“But you need to back off Livia. She’s a grown woman that makes her own decisions. Don’t give her crap for living with Scotty. He’s a good guy. I promise.”
She took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. “I know…she’s just my baby, you know?”
“I get that. But she’s an adult. It’s unfair of you to treat me differently just because I’m a boy.”
My mom didn’t have an argument against that. “Can I ask you something?”
Oh no. I successfully diverted the unwanted attention away from my sister, but now I was taking the heat. “I guess…”
“Why haven’t you settled down?” The plea was in her eyes. “You’re such a good-looking boy, and you’re too smart for your own good. Women must want you on a daily basis.”
They did.
There was no question of that.
“Why are you still alone?”
I didn’t want to break my mom’s heart and tell her I’d be a terminal bachelor. It really shouldn’t matter because it was my life, but I wanted to please her. “I just haven’t found the right girl yet. I’m picky.” I was picky about the size of their waist and their chest.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “You’ll find her eventually. She’s out there.”
“I’m sure she is.” Not.
She was in a better mood. “I’ll see you at the art show, honey.”
“Okay.” I hugged her goodbye. “It means a lot to Livia that you’re going.”
“I know.”
I rubbed her back gently before I walked out the door. “Good night.”
“Night.”
On the drive home, I made a call.
“Hey.” She said it in a bored voice, pretending she didn’t care.
“You want to come over?”
“And do what?” Shelly was playing hard to get.
“What do you think?” I snapped.
“You can’t just call me and expect me to come over at the last minute.”
“Fine. Have fun with your vibrator. Bye.” I was about to press end before she changed her mind.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” The self-loathing was heavy in her voice.
I loved girls with low self-esteem. “See you soon.” I hung up and drove home. When I parked into my spot, I spotted Shelly’s bug a few rows away. Man, she really wanted to get nailed. She must have flown here.
I got out of my car then spotted Alaska by the mailbox. She was pulling ads and junk mail out. It was ten o’clock at night. She really thought now was the best time to check the mail? “Are you a vampire?” I demanded when I walked up to her.
“What?” She stopped what she was doing and glared at me.
“You’re always out at night—by yourself. Knock it off.”
She slammed the door to her mailbox. “What I do is none of your business.”
“Just go inside. You can’t check it in the morning?”
She glared at me. “You’re really annoying.”
“Like you aren’t,” I hissed.
“Then why do you care? Get off my case, Ashley.”
My eyes widened. “Say that again and I’ll—”
“What?” She mocked me. “Go tryout for the softball team? Play with your Barbies?” She smirked when she saw the fire in my eyes.
“What kind of name is Alaska? Your parents have a thing for Sarah Palin?”
“Did your parents wish you were a girl?”
Man, I wanted to slap her sometimes. “Fine. Get mugged or raped. Like I give a damn.”
“I don’t want you to give a damn,” she snapped back.
“Um…Ash?” Shelly stood a few feet behind me.
I looked over my shoulder, annoyed. “What?”
“Are we going to do this or what?” The attitude was in her voice.
Alaska gave me a look of pure loathing. “Go have fun with your fuck buddy.” She locked the mailbox then stormed to her apartment.
I watched her go, making sure she got inside without any problems.
Shelly kept watching me. “What was that about…?”
I saw the light in Alaska’s living room turn on. Her silhouette moved behind the curtain. I could still see her curves as she walked across the room, still sorting through the mail. I finally turned back to Shelly. “Nothing. Just my annoying neighbor.”
“For being annoying, you sure seem to care about her.”
Now I glared at her. “How about we don’t talk until we’re done?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and started to brood. “God, you’re such a dick.”
“But as long as I make you come what does it matter?” I walked into my apartment then led her inside. Once the door was shut, I threw Shelly on the bed and released all the frustration I felt. Alaska drove me crazy. I hated her, loathed her, but I couldn’t get her out of my mind. She was everywhere, in my thoughts and in my fantasies. Without meaning to, Shelly changed and morphed into a different version of Alaska. It was low, even for me, but I couldn’t shake it. I fucked her, coming inside her and wishing she were someone else.
The next morning, I got ready for school. I didn’t have a rotation at the hospital, so I got to wear jeans and a light jacket. It was nice not preparing for a twelve-hour shift. I finished my coffee while I looked over my notes. I had an exam in anatomy today. It seemed like I had an exam everyday. My brain was stuffed with so much information that it leaked out in bits and pieces.
I left my mug on the counter then walked out, my bag over one shoulder. Anytime I stepped outside, I subconsciously hoped I’d run into Alaska. It made no sense. I had no chance with her, and every time we spoke, we argued. But I was still drawn to her.
I reached my car then heard the loud sound of an engine turning over. I glanced over and saw Alaska in front of her truck, the hood popped open with grease on her hands. She was digging inside, trying to fix whatever the problem was.
“Seriously?” she spat at the truck. “Today you do this to me? Of all days?” She gripped the sides of the engine then stared down, trying to solve the puzzle. “Dang, I’m going to be late.”
I should just drive away. I had an exam that I couldn’t miss, and that was more important than helping her with her car. I would lose a week rotation at the hospital as a consequence. And I needed all the experience I could get.
But I couldn’t leave her.
I sighed then walked to her. “What’s it doing?”
She flinched when she realized I was next to her. “Geez, you scared the crap out of me.”
“But when I come out of nowhere at night, you don’t blink an eye?” I couldn’t hide my annoyance. She was ignorant to the world around her, particularly danger. I wished she would look after herself better. The last thing I wanted was for something to happen to her…like what happened to my sister.
She clenched her jaw and didn’t look at me. “I’m not in the mood for your bullshit.”
“Neither am I.” I reached inside then opened her oil tank.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you,” I snapped. I took out the oil drum and realized it was empty. “When was the last time you changed your oil?”
“I don’t know…what does it matter?”
Girls… “Because you’re completely out of it. Driving a car without oil is like running a marathon without water. It could kill you.”
“Are you sure that’s what it is?”
“Absolutely.” I closed the cap then looked at her truck. It was old, ancient. “You should just scrap this piece of junk and get a reliable car.”
“No.”
“No? This thing has to be thirty years old.”
“And they don’t make them like this anymore.”
Arguing with her was giving me a headache. “Whatever. I’m just trying to help.”
“Well, I don’t need your help.”
“I think you do.” I closed her hood then wiped my hands on my jeans. “Can your parents come get you to get oil?”
She looked uncomfortable. “Uh, no.”
“How about your sister?”
“She’s in class.” She stared at her truck while she thought. “I have a photo shoot and I’m going to be late. I really need the money for rent.” She sighed. “Why does stuff like this always happen to me?” It seemed like she was talking to herself more than she was talking to me.
I knew I was going to regret this. “Take my car to work and I’ll take care of your truck.”
She looked at me like I just pulled a snake out of my throat. “What?”
“Take my car, do your thing, and I’ll get your truck the right oil. She’ll be back to normal by the time you return.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
Yes. Somewhere very important. “No.”
For the first tim
e, she gave me a soft look. “Why are you helping me?”
“Because despite what you think, I can be a gentleman.”
She didn’t have a response to that.
I pulled out my keys and handed them to her. “Now hurry.”
“You’re going to let me drive your expensive car?”
“It’s just a car.”
She held the keys in her hand then shifted her weight back and forth.
“It’s fine, really.”
She got her supplies out of the passenger door then came back to me. “Thanks…”
“Yeah.”
She stared at me awkwardly, like she wanted to say something else. “I guess I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Yeah.”
She walked to my car then got inside. A moment later, she drove away.
I called the one person who would come to my aid without blinking an eye.
She answered immediately. “It’s way too early to be drinking, Ash.”
I smirked. “What are you doing right now?”
“Having breakfast with the man I’m living with but not married to.”
I laughed at her jab toward my parents. “I need a favor.”
“What’s up?”
“I need you to pick me up and take me to get oil.”
“You ran out of oil?” she asked incredulously. “If you’re going to drive a hundred-thousand dollar car you should take care of it.”
“It’s not for me, brat. I’m helping a friend.” I felt awkward saying the word ‘friend’.
“I’ll be there in a second.”
“Thanks.” I hung up and waited for my sister to arrive.
She pulled up in front of the building and I got inside. “Don’t you have an exam today?”
She actually listened to me? “Yeah.”
“And you’re missing it?”
“My friend needed help.”
She studied me for a moment. “You’re the most selfish person I know. Who would you sacrifice an exam for besides me?”
I hated being put on the spot. “Just drive.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
We headed to the auto parts store and I got the bottle I needed. I paid for it then we headed back. Once we were back at the apartment, I popped the hood open and added the oil.
Livia studied the old truck. “You’re ditching an exam to help a guy?”
“It’s for a girl. She had to get to work.”
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