Sublime Wreckage

by Charlene Zapata

  "So tomorrow you're going to your Grandfather's?"

  "Yes. Just for one night. I should be back sometime Sunday late afternoon. He doesn't like to drive at night anymore."

  "He is getting up there. What do you even do when you visit him? I always thought he was boring." She thinks any man that doesn't give all their attention to her is boring.

  "We talk. I like hearing all his old stories about flying. It's interesting. He's led such a full life. Traveled the world, flown across oceans and fought in wars."

  "Ok Maggie. Don't get carried away. I don't need to hear all the details. If that's what floats your boat more power to you."

  Just then the waiter returns to refill our drinks. She gets distracted talking to him which lets me eat in peace. He probably thinks he will get a bigger tip if he plays along. She either doesn't get that or doesn't care. She loves attention any way she can get it. After dinner we head home. I'm surprised when we walk in the door because I see a birthday cake sitting on the kitchen table with a card.

  "What's this?"

  "Just something from your mother. Go ahead and open the card."

  I walk over to the table, pick up the card and tear it open. It's a picture of some hunky guy with no shirt on. How appropriate. I open the card to find a fifty dollar bill inside.

  "Thanks mom. This is great."

  "Sorry I can't afford more. But these bills don't pay themselves. Now let's have some cake."

  I pull down two plates and grab a knife from the drawer. When I cut into the cake I see pink. It's strawberry. Great. I have to hide the disappointment because I hate strawberry. My favorite is chocolate. She knows that too. Strawberry is her favorite. She does this every damn time. Why can't she just do something nice for once without being selfish? I get a small piece with a huge glass of milk to try and wash it down. After we have our dessert we put in a movie and relax. Sometimes it's not so bad hanging out with her. When she acts somewhat normal.

  It's just after midnight when I head to bed. My grandpa will be here early tomorrow morning so I need to get some sleep. I pull my phone out of my pocket to check for any messages. I put it on silent while I was with my mother. No need to piss her off tonight. I see a text from Vince.

  Hope you had a nice dinner with your mom. Happy Birthday again. Have a safe trip. Miss you already.

  I reply back.

  Thanks. For everything. You made my day special. I will call you tomorrow. Miss you too.

  I can't wait to see my Grandpa but it also means no time with Vince this weekend. It's a weird combination of feelings. I love spending time with my Grandpa and wouldn't trade that for anything. But I also want to be with Vince. Maybe I should introduce them. I think my Grandpa would like him. I fall asleep thinking about the two most important men in my life.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I wake up in the morning feeling so refreshed. I slept so good last night. I know I had an amazing dream but I can't seem to remember it for the life of me. I get up and take my shower using all the hot water before getting out. As I'm getting ready I take a good look at myself in the mirror. I don't look or feel any different. My face is the same as it was yesterday. I guess I'm technically an adult now. That makes me smile. One step closer to freedom.

  I get dressed and pack my bag. I decide to wait on the front porch for my Grandpa so we don't wake my mother. He pulls up in his Cadillac right at 9:00. He is always punctual. He gets out of the car to open my door for me. He is always the gentlemen.

  "Happy Birthday Maggie. How was your day yesterday?"

  "Hi Grandpa. It was good. Mom took me out to dinner and got me a cake."

  "That's all?"

  "Pretty much." I climb into the passenger seat with my small duffle bag. My grandpa closes the door then walks around to his side. After he gets in we talk briefly before we settle into our routine. We just sit in a comfortable silence watching the scenery pass by. We finally pull up to our favorite place for lunch after the two hour drive. Once we are seated he asks about school.

  "It's great. I've been getting mostly A's. I did get a B on my last chemistry test but I'm working with a tutor. I don't know if I will end up with anything higher than that. I hate chemistry and calculus. But I have a tutor for that too who is really good. I think I could pull off an A with his help."

  "That's great Maggie. I don't understand why you don't like calculus. It's a piece of cake."

  "Maybe for you because you love math but not for me. I really struggle. That's why I have to think hard about what career path I want to take. Nothing that involves math." He just laughs at my response.

  "Have you given anymore thought to which college you want to attend?"

  "I have. I met with my counselor and she said it's a good idea to pick the top five schools I'm interested in and apply to all of them. I have really good grades and some extracurricular activities so she said my chances of getting in are pretty good. I took my SAT's at the end of summer and did pretty well. I'm still considering Bowling Green, OSU, and University of Cincinnati but I might also apply to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the University of Pennsylvania. But they are both more expensive because I would be paying out of state fees the first year."

  "Don't worry about that. There is enough money in the trust account for you to attend those schools all four years and pay all your living expenses."

  "I can't thank you enough Grandpa. I really don't know what I would do without you."

  "Don't thank me. I didn't do anything. This was all your father. Smart man. Planning ahead for your future. So why those schools?"

  "Well in state would be the cheapest route. I know you said money isn't an issue but it doesn't mean I should be careless with it either. I like the University of Michigan because they have a good marketing program. I've been helping a friend of mine work on some marketing techniques and I found out that I really enjoy doing it."

  "That's great Maggie. Your dad would be very proud. Although I don't know how he would feel about you going to Michigan. They are our rivals." He gives me a small scowl before grinning just a little. He really loves to tease me.

  "I know Grandpa. But they have a good program. I do need to ask for a favor. All of the schools have application fees and I don't have the money for it."

  "Maggie, anything you need for school just ask. I will write you a check. Just tell me how much you need."

  "Thanks Grandpa." We talk some more about school and the benefits of the different campuses. We almost bring in the dinner crowd. I didn't realize we had stayed that long talking. We finally get up to leave and head to his house. I'm lost in my own little world as we pull into the driveway. I almost missed the car sitting in front of the garage. That's odd. I wonder who's here. I look over at my Grandpa who has the biggest grin on his face.

  "What?"

  "Come on. I want to show you something." I get out of his car and follow him to the car sitting on the other side of the driveway. "So what do you think?"

  "Of what? The car? It's nice. Whose is it?"

  "Happy Birthday Maggie. It's about time you had your own car."

  "What? This is for me?" I can't believe it. He bought me a car! A freaking car! That man is awesome. I start jumping up and down screaming my head off. I have never been so excited in my entire life.

  "I'm glad you like it. It's not brand new but it's a safe, reliable Honda Civic. It gets great gas mileage. I will pay the insurance and just so you know, I put it in your name. I wanted to wait until you turned 18 so your mother couldn't take it from you. It's all yours."

  "OMG! I can't believe it. I finally have a car! Now I can come visit you whenever I want. I love it Grandpa. Thank you so much!" I walk over to him and give him a great big hug. He doesn't pull away from me which is surprising. He usually doesn't do well with affection but today he just hugs me right back.

  "Now get out of here. You don't need to spend the rest of the weekend with your boring old Grandpa."

  "No way. I'm
not leaving. I want to spend time with you."

  "Maggie, you are the best granddaughter a guy could ask for. But I know you can't wait to drive your new car and show it off to all your friends. So go. I won't tell your mother that you left. I know how she can be. Go be a kid for once. You study so much you deserve a break. And besides, you can visit me anytime you want now."

  I reluctantly step away from him considering how much fun it would be to drive all the way back to Milford in my very own car! I can do whatever I want! Blast the radio with the windows down, well maybe with the windows up considering it's about 40 degrees out right now. But the point is that if I wanted to do that I could. I make up my mind to go ahead and have some fun. I do deserve it.

  I grab my small duffle bag from the front seat of his car and give him another big hug before getting into my black Civic with tan interior. It's perfect. You can't even tell it's used. Once I start the car I notice it only has about 15,000 miles. It can't be more than a year or two old. It's practically brand new. To top it all off he even gave me a gas card. I think he knows that my mom doesn't let me keep my paycheck. He is always slipping me money when I come to visit. God, I love that man.

  I put it in reverse after buckling up and checking all my mirrors. I'm kind of nervous. My grandpa stands in the driveway waving excitingly as I pull onto the street. For the first hour all I can think about is how cool my car is. I love everything about it. The dashboard, the seats, the sound system. I car dance all the way until I pull up to his house. I thought about seeing Amanda first but she would just want to drive around all night. Right now, I just want him. Vincent.

  I knock on the door while bouncing in place. I can't contain my excitement. Tommy opens the door a bit surprised to see me. Vince probably told him I was gone for the weekend.

  "Hey. What are you doing here?"

  "Where's Vince?" Then I hear his voice. Have I mentioned how much I love that voice?

  "Maggie? What are you doing here?" I see Vince step out of the kitchen with a slice of pizza in his hand. I push past Tommy, walk right up to Vince and take a bite of his slice.

  "That's good. Can I have a piece?" Vincent starts laughing. Then I hear Tommy laughing behind me.

  "She sure does like to eat. So whose nice ride is that?" Tommy points out the front door to my awesome car.

  "Mine! My Grandpa got me a car for my birthday!!! Can you believe it? And he let me leave so I could spend the rest of my birthday weekend with my friends!"

  "What? No way! That's so awesome Maggie. I'm really happy for you. You deserve it. Let's go take a look. Then you can drive me around for a change." I grab a slice of pizza on my way out the door.

  "Vincent, I love it. Isn't it cute?"

  "Um. Sure. That's not exactly the word I would use but yes. It fits you very well. And it's a very smart choice. Very safe and economical. Your grandpa is one smart guy." I'm beaming from ear to ear. Now I know for sure they would get along. We finish our pizza and hop in the car to go for a ride. Tommy gets in the back which is hysterical because his knees are in his face. He is just so damn tall and this isn't a big car. He finally gets situated into a comfortable position after several attempts.

  "Hey, let's go pick up Amanda. I haven't seen her in a while." I'm kind of surprised to hear Tommy say this. I didn't realize he liked her.

  "I haven't told her anything yet." I turn my head slightly to look at Vincent out of the corner of my eye. I'm feeling a little bit guilty for not calling her. But he has become my first choice for everything. He just squeezes my hand gently letting me know he understands.

  "I can send her a text and tell her we are on our way." Since when does Tommy have her number? Is there something going on between them that she doesn't want me to know about?

  "Ok. But don't tell her about the car. I want it to be a surprise. She is going to flip out."

  Ten minutes later we pull up to Amanda's house. She comes running out screaming her head off wearing a pair of jeans and her favorite beat-up sweatshirt. It doesn't seem like she's trying to impress anyone.

  "OMG! Where did you get this?"

  "My Grandpa bought it for me!"

  "Woo hoo! We have a car!!! I can't wait to drive it! You are going to let me drive it aren't you?"

  "Of course best bud of mine. What's mine is yours. Just be careful."

  Vincent gives me a look that screams anxiety. I just nod that it's fine. She isn't a bad driver. Not really. Well, I don't think she will wreck my car. Not on purpose anyway.

  "Ok buddy. You are sooo getting in the backseat. I'm riding shotgun! That's your punishment for making me second on Maggie's list." She gives Vince a look that means business. He doesn't argue. He just gets out and climbs in the back with Tommy. It's comical really. They are both such big guys crammed into a small space with each other. When Amanda and I get a good look at them we start laughing so hard we literally can't breathe.

  We drive around until Amanda has to be home for curfew. I really want to stay at Vince's tonight. He hasn't exactly asked me but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't say no. I don't have to say a single word to Amanda. She gets it. She doesn't ask me to stay with her. We drive back to Vincent's house listening to music. Once we pull into the drive Tommy gets out and heads inside. Vince gets out too but I hesitate.

  "Are you coming?" He opens my door with a huge smile on his face. Like I said before, we don't need words to convey what we want. Why does it feel like it's been forever since I was here when it was just the other night? We head inside and straight back to his bedroom. I throw my bag down by the door and go over to his desk. He has a few new drawings that I start to look over.

  "What do you think? I took some of your suggestions and made some color prints for my customers. I figure once we get closer to Spring I can pitch my ideas."

  "I think that's a great idea. It gives us plenty of time to put together all of the marketing packets." Vince comes up behind me wrapping his arms around my waist and putting his chin on my shoulder.

  "What did I ever do to deserve you? You are incredible. You amaze me every single day. I'm so glad you wanted to come here first tonight." He starts nibbling on my ear. I tilt my head to the side to give him better access. He takes my queue giving me kisses up and down my neck. When I can't take it anymore, I drop the papers then turn to face him.

  "I think you're pretty great too." Then I kiss those gorgeous, full lips of his until my breathing becomes erratic. I can't think straight when we get this close. I can feel every muscle in his body wrapped around me like a glove. My whole body is humming from his touch. He gently starts stroking my hair with one hand while the other remains on my back. Our kissing has slowed down. The urgency has passed. Sometimes we get so worked up it's like a frenzy of sensations. But we always find a way to bring it back to a calm, sweet embrace. Vince kisses my hair them pulls me to the bed.

  "Do you want me to sleep on the couch? I don't mind. I want you to be comfortable."

  "No. I want to sleep in here, with you. But I want to be clear. I'm not ready to have sex. That's a big step and we haven't been going out very long. I just like being near you. Does that make sense?"

  "Magnolia, I care for you so much. I would never expect anything more than what you are willing to give me. Sex is a big deal and should be between two people that are fully committed to one another. We have all the time in the world. I don't want to take that step with you until we are both ready. We have so much more to learn about each other."

  "I'm so glad you understand." I get my bag and head to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I feel so comfortable here. And I'm beyond thrilled that this time I can fully enjoy sleeping with Vince. After I finish up he takes his turn in the bathroom. I climb into his bed wearing an old pair of sweat pants and a tank top. When he walks back into the room in just his boxers I think drool actually comes out of my mouth. He has such an unbelievable body. His muscles are so defined but not overdone. The color of his skin is perfect. It's light brown like he has a ye
ar round tan. It looks good with his dark hair and eyes. He totally catches me checking him out.

  "I know you like what you see but you can close your mouth now."

  "I was just yawning. I got bored waiting for you. You take forever to get ready for bed. Worse than a girl." He gives a small chuckle as he climbs into bed next to me. I reach over and turn off the lamp on his nightstand then curl up next to him with my head on his chest.

  "I'm so glad you are here with me Maggie. You make me feel at ease. It's nice. I've never felt this with anyone else before. Is it crazy to be dating your best friend?"

  "I don't think so. I think it's perfect." That's the last thing I remember before I fall asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next morning we decide to go out to breakfast. And by morning I mean around 11 o'clock. I slept so good last night. When I woke up I had turned to my side and Vince was spooning me. It felt so good to have him pressed up against me, holding me tenderly. I can't believe he slept in with me. He is usually such a morning person.

  I texted Amanda and told her to get her butt up because we were going out to breakfast. Of course Tommy came along too. I didn't even have to get out of the car when we picked Amanda up because she was waiting excitedly by the curb.

  "This is so cool. I still can't believe you have a car. We can do whatever we want now."

  Vince was in the front seat and gave her a look that said he wasn't moving. She noticed Tommy sitting in the back and happily got in. I didn't have time last night to ask her what was going on between them so I have to get her alone at the restaurant. We head to the only place in town still serving breakfast. Once we get our table I drag Amanda to the bathroom.

  "So what in the world is going on with you and Tommy?"

  "What do you mean?" She looks at me with her big doe eyes trying to appear all innocent.

  "Cut the shit Amanda. I know you too well. That look doesn't work on me. Remember? Now spill." I give her my no-nonsense glare while I wait for her response.

  "Fine. We like each other. We've been talking on the phone and texting a little. We didn't want to say anything because if things didn't work out we know it would make things awkward for you and Vince. We aren't dating or anything. Just getting to know each other. I told him that I liked how you and Vince were friends first and that maybe we could try that for now."