The drive home was nice. We had the windows down and the music turned up. I was finally grasping the words of some of the music Griffin liked, and he was always attentive to playing the ones I would mention liking for a particular reason.
“So, how about a speed round of questions? No deep personal stuff, I promise, just the basics,” Griffin asked, turning down the music.
“Sure, what do you want to know?” I asked, intrigued by whatever he wanted to ask me about.
“Favorite food?” he asked, starting off simple.
“Easy. Potatoes, any form but preferably mashed with cheese. What about you?” I replied.
“Pizza. I know, boring and completely obvious for a guy,” he said shaking his head. “Favorite movie?”
“The Notebook. I’m as sappy as it gets when it comes to that type of thing, like most women. You?”
“Well,” Griffin paused, “that gets into personal stuff, so don’t ask me about it if you haven’t seen it, but Life as a House. It’s amazing,” he said, looking over at me.
I shook my head, indicating I had never even heard of it, much less seen it.
“Okay, we can put that on our to-do list sometime. Next question, favorite place you’ve ever been? Like a spot that you just love,” he said, smiling, clearly enjoying this game.
“Wow, I’ve never really thought about that one. These are getting progressively harder,” I replied, not sure I had really been enough places to already know the answer to something like that. As I tried to think of something, anything, sadly the passenger seat of Griffin’s car was in my top ten. I knew I could never utter that out loud.
“You can get a pass on that if you’re not sure. We can come back to that one. Sorry, we can keep them easier. Favorite holiday?” he asked.
I shook my head. Griffin probably thought I just had a tough time deciding which one I preferred, when the truth of it was I had never even really liked holidays. They were a lonely reminder to me that I had no one to celebrate anything with. Grant forgot my birthday two years in a row, so even fake holidays were out. Oh great, here come the thoughts of ending up a cat lady with a dirty house and ugly cat sweaters. I shook my head again, clearing my thoughts, not sure how they were even leading me in such a dismal direction off of just one question. “That one is hard too, no one has ever asked me any of these. Is that weird?” I asked.
“Not weird, no. But I wonder why no one has, that is the kind of stuff I would love to know about you. To know you, if that makes sense. What do you love, Addie? Name five of your favorite things, random things. The first few things that come to mind, and then I’ll stop asking you questions,” Griffin said, looking at me with a sincere expression.
“Well, a random list… Let’s see. Sappy movies, eyelashes, the sound of rain on a window, a good poem, and people who appreciate the use of coasters. I’m sorry, too random on that last one? Is it weird that is one of the first things that popped in my mind?” I knew I should have stopped talking in that moment, but for some reason I just kept rambling. “I just think coasters are important. Grant, that’s the guy I ran away from before coming here, he didn’t get that and it always bothered me. Like, just use the damn coaster, right?” I shook my head and covered my mouth. “I don’t even know what I’m saying. I should stop.”
Griffin busted out with laughter. “You are an interesting girl, Adelaide,” he said with a smirk. “Can I ask you just one more question? Even if it’s a personal one? You can say no if you want.”
“Well I don’t think this conversation can get any worse for me given my rambling about coasters, so ask away,” I said laughing.
“What was the thing you loved most about Grant?” Griffin asked bluntly.
“I, uh, well, that’s an interesting question. I didn’t see that coming,” I said, pausing for a moment to think about it. I expected numerous thoughts to enter my mind, as if perhaps I could make a list of things I loved about the one person I used to be so closed to. Instead, all I felt was emptiness, and I could only think of one reason. “He promised me he wouldn’t leave me, I guess. That seemed good enough,” I said softly, feeling a little uncomfortable about this conversation. “The ironic thing about it is that he abandoned me before ever actually leaving, which somehow was so much worse. Can we talk about something else? What about you, what are five of your favorite random things?” I was eager to shift the conversation to Griffin.
“I could list a bunch of them, let’s see. Coffee, for sure. Watching sports on Sundays, that would make the list. Ooh, the sound of a lawn mower on a Saturday morning. I don’t know what it is about that sound but it’s so comforting to me, waking up to that noise. It’s like a way to be reassured that the world around you is okay. Like everything is completely normal. Does that make sense? I miss that sound a lot actually, now that I live downtown. But it used to be one of my favorite sounds to wake up to on a Saturday morning.”
I nodded my head, smiling at how well thought out of an answer that was.
“Also the part in every song where there is a perfect lyric, like it just speaks to you. You know how every song I make you listen to I always have to point out when it’s my favorite part? That exact part is one of those moments for me, one of those things I just absolutely love about music,” Griffin said smiling.
“That’s only four things,” I pointed out. “Name one more. Something random, like coasters. Like something specific to you that someone else may not think of.”
“Easy. One of my favorite things in life is that split second right before you kiss someone for the first time. That second right before it happens. ‘Arany masodik,’ that’s what my grandfather used to always say. I think it means ‘the golden second’ or something like that. He was Hungarian. He always told me growing up that it was one of the greatest things in life, that brief second right before a kiss happens. He told me that split second was more powerful than most other decisions we make. I always liked that about him,” Griffin said smiling.
I smiled too. I really enjoyed listening to Griffin talk about something most guys never said. He was unusual, emotive when he wanted to be, yet so carefree and laid back otherwise.
“He always told me that’s how I would know I found the right girl. Apparently when my grandfather was young, he dated my grandma for a bit and then went off to war. They lost touch for awhile after that and he dated other people in the meantime after returning home. When he ran into her again and they rekindled what they had, he said he always knew in that split second right before he would kiss her that she was the girl,” Griffin continued. “My grandma passed away from cancer a few years ago, and I still remember my grandpa talking about it, even then. He kissed her one last time about twenty minutes before she passed, and he said it was the same as kissing her when they were just seventeen.”
“Wow, that’s quite the story,” I responded, appreciating the sincerity with which Griffin spoke.
“I know. Crazy, isn’t it? Do you think that really happens anymore?” Griffin asked, glancing over at me with curious eyes.
“Not in my world,” I said shaking my head. “But I hope it does, somewhere.”
We finally pulled into my apartment complex, and I was sad our afternoon had come to an end.
“You’re still planning on meeting us out tonight, right?” I asked.
“Of course. I’m not sure what time I’ll be there, but I promise I’ll come out. I’m looking forward to it, Addie,” he said casually, staring right at me. After the discussion we just had, I couldn’t help but stare at his lips. I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind, opening up my car door and quickly exciting.
“Good, see you tonight,” I replied, gently closing the door.
Who would have thought anything even remotely Hungarian could sound so romantic? This guy was killing me. I decided I was actually glad to be going out with other people tonight. I needed something, anything, to take my mind off of these random conversations with Griffin.
Chapter 10<
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I showered and called Mallory to come over and dress me. I really needed to buy some new clothes with her guidance on one of our days off from the bakery. At first I felt bad for always borrowing her clothes, but she seemed to genuinely love using me as a fashion project, so she insisted.
“A red dress? Are you sure this isn’t too dressy? What kind of a place is this?” I asked Mallory, looking in the mirror.
“It’s perfect, Addie. You got some good sun today, so it really shows off your glow,” Mallory said, putting on a black dress. “The place we’re eating at is some kind of steakhouse I think. Johnny said it is amazing. There’s some new Irish pub around the corner, I think it’s called O’Donnell’s. He wants to go check it out after we eat, to see if it’s a decent place to hang. We’re getting too old for the bar scene, right? So maybe this pub will be a cooler version of that. I think Meg actually went there on a date a few weeks back and she said it was a pretty cool place, so Johnny has been wanting to go,” Mallory said, putting on another coat of mascara.
We arrived at the restaurant at seven-thirty and the place was a little upscale, so it felt good to be dressed up. Megan and Johnny were already there and Steve pulled into the parking lot the same time we did.
Johnny was right about the food. It was amazing, and we laughed and joked and had good conversation. I kept checking my phone in case Griffin called, but it stayed silent. Megan had mentioned something about him meeting us at the pub, but I still hoped he would make it earlier.
We left the restaurant around nine and walked a block to O’Donnell’s, a cute building covered in stone with large dark wood doors. The pub had an enormous bar area wrapped in stools, and a bunch of small tables throughout. There was a small stage area with some musical instruments. I imagined they used that for karaoke nights or open mic nights which seemed to be popular during the week. The crowd tonight, however, seemed light so I assumed it would be a quiet evening.
A few people I recognized from Johnny’s birthday party showed up, and I said casual hellos to everyone. Finally, my eyes locked on Griffin as he entered the pub. Looking more handsome than any man should at nine-thirty on a Wednesday night, Griffin made his way over to the bar where most of us had planted, although a few of the other acquaintances had taken seats at the tables. Griffin wore loose jeans and a white and grey striped button down shirt. As usual, he had the sleeves rolled up a bit on his forearms.
Megan gave Griffin a big hug and whispered something in his ear. I tried not to let it bother me. I liked Megan, I really did, but spending as much time as I had with Griffin the last few days made me feel a hint of jealousy despite their close friendship.
Finally, Griffin made his way to me at the bar. “You look really beautiful tonight Addie,” Griffin said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Are you ready?” he asked innocently.
“Ready for what?” I replied. I was confused, although I knew my answer to him would be yes anyway, but not just because it was dared of me.
“I promised you a concert, remember,” he said softly. He made his way over to the piano sitting on the small stage I had noticed earlier. A few more friends gathered in the pub and sat down at other tables. Griffin adjusted the microphone and sat down at the piano.
“I think most of you know me because Chris is a friend of mine,” Griffin said pointing to a large man pouring drinks behind the bar. “So he’s generously allowed me to perform tonight in his pub.” The group cheered. My cheeks felt hot. I felt surprised, proud, emotional, I wasn’t totally sure. Why didn’t he tell me about this earlier? How did most of the others seem to already know this was happening?
“But, due to some noise ordinances in the area,” Griffin continued, “I can only play five or six songs. But, I would like to point out,” he went on, motioning to Johnny and Steve at the bar, “that this counts as performing in public, so I’m off the hook after this,” he said, smiling.
He played a few piano notes and I couldn’t help but stare at him as his fingers moved effortlessly across the keys. His eyes closed and he sounded lost in the music. My body felt frozen, like I couldn’t will my limbs to move.
“I hate to be the one to say it,
But I’m about to give up on you
I know the time is never right
And if it’s love then it’s a fight
But I’m about to lose
And these words are overdue…”
His words were soft, but passionate. There were moments when I felt like I was blocking out the sound of the music because I couldn’t stop staring at his handsome face. Other moments his words penetrated through me, and I wondered how well I really knew Griffin. The room was mesmerized.
Griffin finished his first song and the room erupted. His eyes found mine in the crowd of people and my cheeks felt flush.
“He’s good, isn’t he?” Mallory said, locking her arm in mine. I nodded my head, still fixated on Griffin. He stood up from the piano and grabbed a guitar leaning against the wall. He began to play, and the room fell silent again.
“Takin’ turns pouring out our thoughts
Competing to show what we have learned
Always thinking you’re right, and that I’m mistaken
Thinking you can never get burned
But that’s just another lesson learned…”
Griffin continued to sing and I continued to feel flustered. He looked completely lost in what he was doing, and there was nowhere else I would have wanted to be. Each song lasted only a few minutes, and he moved on to the next one as if he had done all this before. Well, I guess he had, but still, it all just seemed so effortless as if this was a normal part of his day to day. His words just flowed out like poetry, and his guitar playing seemed so relaxed.
“I thought this shame would just sink
Somewhere down deep inside me
As if the world could not just see
It hanging out on my sleeve
Can’t we just pass around the blame?
Why does it have to end on my name?”
Griffin continued singing and all of his friends continued to give him their full attention. I looked at him entirely differently. I mean, he was already sexy, sure. But to watch him up on that small stage, more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him before, I was pretty convinced he was the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on. I suddenly felt nervous at the thought of spending time with him tomorrow. I had no idea what he thought of me. I wondered if he would be able to see through me, to see how flush and nervous he made me.
Griffin switched back to the piano for his final song, and softly sang an emotional slow piece. I wanted to believe he was singing to me, but his words were sad and I wondered why he wrote his songs the way he had. He usually seemed so carefree and fun, so I was surprised to hear such passionate music from him. Everything I’d heard him play while we were camping seemed so much more light and airy, although I guessed he was just screwing around then.
Griffin wrapped up his final song and every person in the room stood to their feet. My eyes felt moist, which I hoped no one noticed. Griffin stood up and took an exaggerated bow as all his friends clapped and whistled for his performance.
As Griffin approached, Steve wrapped an arm around Griffin’s neck and smacked his chest. “Damn, Griff, that was so good. For the second year in a row, you’re the first one to complete your dare and take your name out of the box. I’m impressed.”
Griffin shook his head nonchalantly, laughing it off. He walked towards me. Megan lunged at him and kissed his cheek, congratulating him on his ‘stellar’ show.
“So, Addie, not exactly John Denver,” Griffin said, winking at me. “But good enough for your first show?”
I blushed. I didn’t even know what to say to him anymore. “Griffin, that was, I mean, wow. Just amazing,” I stammered. A few other people I didn’t know came up to Griffin, patting him on the back and saying kind things.
“So, you guys want to stay here and drink for a bit, o
r should we head out somewhere else?” Johnny chimed in.
“I would love to stay, but I have a huge meeting at eight a.m. with my boss and a big client, so I’m going to head out,” Megan replied, giving half-hugs to everyone, saying goodnight.
“I’d better turn in too, I’m exhausted” Mallory said, grabbing her bag. “Unless you want to stay out for a bit Addie?” She turned towards me for an answer.
“Addie has an early morning tomorrow too,” Griffin spoke for me, winking. “I have a bit of a work crisis I have to take care of tomorrow afternoon, so I was hoping we could meet up early, if that works for you. Like eight-thirty? Is that too early for you?” he asked politely.
I looked at Mallory, wondering if she needed me at the shop tomorrow. I really hoped she didn’t. As if she read my mind, Mallory chimed in. “We don’t really have much to make until Friday, so I wasn’t planning on being at the shop at all tomorrow. I was going to visit my parents in Sacramento actually, so I don’t really need you until Friday morning if that works for you.”
“Sure, then eight-thirty Griffin. That sounds great,” I replied, shooting a sly smile at Mallory. “Are you going to give me a hint so I know what to wear?” I asked.
“Anything but those ugly rubber shoes,” Griffin responded with a smirk.
“Rubber shoes,” Steve piped in, “is that some weird kinky joke?”
Mallory laughed.
Griffin shook his head. “Goodnight, Adelaide,” he said, giving me a swift kiss on the cheek. “Not much of a first concert, I know. Someday I’ll take you to a real one, a big one.” His eyes lit up.
“That was really great, Griffin, you are so talented. I really enjoyed watching you play the piano, I had no idea you played any other instruments. That was really good,” I repeated, not sure what else to say without sounding overly mushy about the whole thing.
Steve walked Mallory and me out to her car. Sure enough as I opened the passenger door, there was a small black box with a white bow sitting on the seat.
Six Days: Book One in the SIX Series Page 11