I gave him a squeeze, kissed his shoulder blade through his shirt, let him go and got him his Coke.
But when I turned away from the fridge, I saw he didn’t look quite so aggravated anymore.
And thus, I figured I’d appropriately handled my man.
So I smiled.
* * * * *
“And he was all, Combat Raptor is lame. So I was all, and Zombie Mayhem wasn’t? And he was all, Zombie Mayhem was the bomb. And I was all, there’s no such thing as zombies. And he was all, like men can turn into jets? And I was all, duh, Transformers…? And he was all, Transformers are robots.”
This was coming from Ethan who was, for some unknown reason, lying upside down on Gran’s couch, his feet over the back, his head dangling over the seat.
Amber was painting her nails in Gran’s armchair.
We’d just had dinner (and dessert) that I’d prepared, but for some reason, Conner was in the other armchair eating the chips and salsa Ethan told me I had to buy when we took Pearl on the excruciatingly long (I reminded myself she did walk with a walker) trip to the grocery store that afternoon.
And by the by, I was right. Ethan knew Pearl. They liked each other a great deal and our afternoon was quite enjoyable (sans the excruciatingly long trip at the grocery store, of course).
Conner not only had chips and salsa but also a textbook opened on his thigh to which he was paying scant attention.
As for me, I’d been planted in the couch between the upside down Ethan and the right side up Jake.
The pre-game show for Monday Night Football was on the television. This was because Jake had programmed my DVR (I didn’t even know I had one or, indeed, what one was) to “Tape Project Runway anytime it shows, even the reruns, so you can watch it whenever you want and Amber can come over and watch that shit with you.”
As this was acceptable to Amber and me, Monday Night Football it was.
Ethan kept rattling on as Jake slid an arm around me and tucked me close to his side.
I rested my head against his chest, pulled my legs up, tucked them into the seat beside me and studied the commentators.
When Ethan took a breath, I noted, “That tie the bald fellow is wearing is extremely unbecoming.”
“I know, right?” Amber agreed.
Jake’s arm gave me a squeeze as a soft chuckle escaped his mouth but I heard it come from there and from his chest and I felt it.
All three were very nice.
“Jesus,” Conner muttered.
Without disconnecting from Jake, quietly and cautiously I said to Conner, “You really shouldn’t take the Lord’s name in vain, honey.”
Conner grinned at me and replied, “You really shouldn’t talk trash about a Football Hall of Famer’s tie.”
“Is this a rule?” I queried.
“Absolutely, “Conner replied.
I rolled my eyes and when I rolled them back, he was still grinning at me.
“Whatever,” I muttered.
Then I burrowed closer, wrapped an arm around Jake’s stomach, he lifted his stocking feet to Gran’s coffee table, crossed his ankles and we watched Monday Night Football.
* * * * *
On my way to the gym the next morning, I approached The Shack which I was highly surprised was open at that early hour. But I’d seen the cover gone from the window as I drove by the wharf and remembered the excellent coffee there so I’d stopped.
The window was open, however beyond it was dark and cavernous, so I called a tentative, “Hello?”
“Josie, watcha need?” was called back.
I blinked at the empty window.
“Tom?” I called.
“Right here. You want coffee or coffee and omelets for you and Jake?’
Word most definitely got around.
“Just coffee, Tom,” I answered. “Two.”
“Comin’ right up,” the disembodied voice said just as my phone in my purse rang.
I took it out, looked at the display, took the call turning my back to the window and announced, “I’m uncertain I’m talking to you.”
“Josephine,” Amond said quietly.
“You knew he was coming,” I said huffily.
“Had no idea he’d can your ass,” Amond replied.
I said nothing.
“Henry’s in a bad way, girl,” he told me and I closed my eyes against the pain.
I opened them and shared, “I’ve met someone, Amond.”
It was his turn to say nothing.
So I did.
“I’m also quite angry with you. You could have no idea, of course, how things would play out. But I’ll tell you, it was unpleasant for all of us and perhaps wouldn’t have been that way if I’d known he was coming.”
“He wanted it to be a surprise,” Amond replied.
“Well it was that,” I returned.
I heard a sigh before, “I’ll talk to him. His new boy, Daniel, is okay but he’s not you and everyone’s freaking about Henry losing his muse. They think, without you, he’ll lose his touch.”
His muse?
Oh God, was I Henry’s muse?
My mind harked back and noted that he took an inordinate amount of pictures of me. In fact, on every shoot, he’d aim the camera at me at some point, even if I was simply sitting and talking on the phone.
I always thought he was being playful.
But now I knew he was not.
As beautiful as this was, as much of an honor as it was, all of this coming to me at a time when it was gone was too much to bear.
Therefore, I shook it off and said to Amond, “Don’t talk with him. A great deal has changed and I was going to speak with Henry and ask if I could slow down anyway. I like being here, in Gran’s house, life being less hectic, and as I mentioned, I met someone.”
To this he declared, “I’m there the minute this shoot is over.”
My hand tightened on the phone for I had the feeling that this meant Amond was coming to check Jake out. And there were very few people who could be a threat to Jake but Amond was one of them. He not only was also quite tall, large and fit, he was not someone you messed with. He further spoke his mind at all times. If he didn’t like Jake for me, he’d let me know it.
And Jake.
And Jake might not like this.
“Amond, that isn’t necessary,” I said quickly.
“Two weeks and you’re givin’ up Henry and your life for Maine and this guy, it absolutely is.”
“Amond—”
“Me showin’ up won’t be a surprise. I’ll let you know when to expect me and you got room in that house of yours, I’m in it.”