Chapter 2
410 Words
Chapter 2
Elsie crept out of my bedroom, tiptoeing to the couch. “Sure you don’t mind keeping her here for the night?” It was eleven P.M. and my sister had just returned from her date. She sat next to me now, turning her cup of ginger tea in her hands. “Your futon is so uncomfortable. You won’t sleep well.”
“It’s late. Fay has school tomorrow. Don’t wanna wake her up.” I knocked my cup on Elsie’s. “So, come on, I’m dying here. How did it go?” I was ready to deliver the pep talk I’d prepared in case the date had been rotten. She’d had many of those. As a matter of fact, so had I. We’d laugh about it, her and I. Called it the Waterhouse curse. Nice people always finish last, we liked to tell each other. Maybe that was true. Doing the right thing sure didn’t seem to pay off these days.
“Allan, there wasn’t one awkward moment during the whole night. It was like magic. He told me I was beautiful seven times throughout the evening. Seven. I counted them.”
I sipped my tea. “I see…rundown time.”
“Go for it.”
I set my cup down and faced her. “Smoker?”
“No.”
“Criminal record?”
“Can’t be a teacher if you have one.”
“Car?”
“Not electric, but hybrid.”
“Bad breath?”
“He was chewing mint gum when I showed up.”
“Cologne?”
“Not sure, but it might be Adventure by Davidoff.”
“Hmm, one of my favorites. Apartment or house?”
“Condo.”
“Cleanliness of the premises? On a scale of one to ten.”
“Nine.” She bit her lip. “Okay, five, but the bathroom was spotless.”
“We now come to the final question.”
“Hit me.”
“He’s beautiful, athletic, childless, smells great, owns a hybrid car and a condo. And he doesn’t smoke.” I c****d a brow. “Sounds gay to me.”
“I knew you’d say that. No, Allan, he’s straight. Look, women know about these things. Trust me, he’s straight. But his brother, on the other hand, is gay. And check this out. His name is Dali. Like the painter. Their mom is quite the character, Dayton says. He and his siblings all have unique kind of names.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, I saw a picture of Dali. He’s like Gael Garcia’s spitting image. You know, the guy from Mal Education. That movie you loved.”
“The brother.”
“Yes, and he’s single.”
“The gay brother who looks like Gael Garcia and whose name is Dali.”
“I know it sounds a little out there.”
“A little?”
She stared at me from over the brim of her cup. “Can you imagine how cool that would be? You and me, dating brothers?”
I grimaced, blinking the very thought away. “No, thank you.”
“I’m seeing him again tomorrow.”
“What about Fay?”
“It’s okay. We’re just having lunch. She’ll be in school.”
“You won’t rush into this?”
“What do you take me for?”
She was right. She’d never put her needs in front of her daughter’s. Ever. “I’ve just never seen you like this, that’s all.”
“Well, you haven’t seen him. Believe me, when you do, then you’ll understand.”
- Writer
