“You’re smiling,” Judy grins, “what do you think of that?”
I stare at the dish of fun-size chocolates on the coffee table. What do I think about it? After another moment, I raise my head, cheeks aching from smiling so wide.
“He’s batshit.”
●●●
“Is this—” Valerie peers at the black and white sonogram stuck to the refrigerator door, “are you pregnant?” she whispers in surprise.
I give a nod and hand her a sparkling water from the fridge, “Yeah, five months.” Depending on what I’m wearing, some people notice and some people don’t.
“God…” she groans with a laugh, “as if I don’t feel bad enough already.”
Sodapop, my cat, slinks out from under the dining table and rubs against Valerie’s leg. She glances down with a start, then relaxes and crouches down to run her fingers over his shiny black fur.
“Stop,” I roll my eyes, “everything turned out fine. I mean, except that you had to drive me all the way back here to the middle of nowhere, but everything else is totally manageable.”
It didn’t take as long as I thought it would for a tow truck to show up and haul my 4Runner to the nearest dealership. However, after waiting another hour for a diagnosis, the technician said I need a new bumper, but—shocker—they don’t have it in stock. The downside of living in a small town…
But I like Valerie, and in addition to being kind enough to cart me around all afternoon, she’s pretty fun to hang out with when she’s not admonishing herself for rear-ending a pregnant up-and-coming author in the parking lot of the local Starbucks.
A smile creeps across her face, “Boy or girl?”
I return the coy smile, “Girl.” I always enjoy when people ask because there’s no wrong answer and then I enjoy hearing everyone’s inevitable story about adorable plump babies and little hellion toddlers.
As soon as I say it, I hear a heavy click across the living room and see the heavy oak door swing open.
“Is this your boyfriend?” Valerie murmurs to me as he emerges from behind the door and I hear his heavy footsteps start across the living room.
I nod as he swings the door shut and strolls over to the island.
“Hey,” he unclips his green carabiner from his belt loop and sets his keys and phone on the granite countertop before leaning down and giving me a kiss.
As soon as he notices an extra person at the counter, he turns to Valerie and, without a word, slowly runs his fierce gaze up and down her figure as he commits her appearance to memory. Valerie looks up at him apprehensively with a tight-lipped smile. I laugh under my breath, remembering that not everyone is used to his overwhelming presence and, in kind, he doesn’t overflow with enthusiastic affability—at least not right away.
I motion to her, breaking the silence, “This is Valerie, she’s the one who gave me a ride home. Valerie, this is—”
“It’s nice to meet you!” she pipes up with a nervous smile and extends her hand, “I feel so terrible about what happened. I told Brett that I can take her back to get her car tomorrow once it’s fixed,” she continues, as though she feels the need to both justify her presence and, at the same time, not make any sudden movements, “but she told me you’re a car guy? My dad used to build engines for Honda, and then he started working independently for different racing companies.”
His eyes light up with intrigue, “Did he?” he asks, turning to me with a mischievous smile as he shakes her hand. “Is that what brought you here?”
“No,” Valerie shakes her head, “I went to school out here and just stuck around. Now I work for the hospital…”
I study her with fascination while she talks to him. She looks both enamored and unsettled, but seems to relax the more she speaks. He’s tall and can be very intimidating, I suppose. And then there are his eyes, always alert and looking like they’re burning holes straight through to your soul.
“…and since my dad retired early, he likes to get out hunting whenever he can,” Valerie explains as she gazes out the window at the dense woods across the yard.
“Oh,” he pivots his body toward me, “that reminds me, change of plans—we’re going hunting this week instead of next week.”
“The fucking hunting…” I murmur to Valerie.
“I keep telling you to come out with us,” he says wistfully as he gulps back a glass of water, “you live among some of the best whitetail hunting in the country.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you took care of that buck who’s been tearing down my garden fence and destroying the cherry trees.”
“I’ll get him,” he muses, “eventually. He’s good at hiding, but he’ll make a mistake, and then—” he points to the stone mantle with a smirk, “he’ll pay.”
I turn to Valerie, “You’re not a hunter, too, are you?”
Valerie lets out a chuckle, “No,” she shakes her head vehemently, “definitely not me.”
“Obviously, me either. My only experience with hunting was this one time I was shot with a paintball gun,” I mock, which makes him nearly spit out his water.
I glance back at Valerie, her discomfort showing for a split second before she quickly conceals it with a smile.
I turn to him and reach for his glass of water, “How long will you be gone?”
“Probably four days, like last time,” he shrugs, “I’ll work a half day tomorrow and we’ll get out there mid-afternoon.” Then he grabs the hem of his shirt and tugs it loose from his waistband, “I’m going to go change. Are you OK with T-bones for dinner? You’re not going to puke if you smell grilled meat or some shit, right?”
“No,” I sigh, pressing my lips together, “I’m not going to puke if I smell grilled meat or some shit.”
“Hey,” he turns over his shoulder to Valerie as he heads across the living room, “it was nice meeting you. And thanks again for helping Brett out with the car situation.”
“No problem!” she waves after him, “Nice meeting you too!”
I slowly lean over her shoulder as she watches him go. “Don’t let his eyes fool you,” I whisper in her ear, making her startle.
“W-what?” she turns to me, eyes wide.
