Page 24 of Sweeter Than Fiction
“No,” I lie once again.
I know nothing sexual will happen with Don. I’m not dumb. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t wonder what he’d be like—especially when I’ve heard the noises the women he fucks make. He makes a gal curious.
Once again, I’m not going to say any of this to Jenson.
“Man, I would climb that man and show him a good time,” he says as though getting lost in the fantasy playing out his head.
When he snaps out of it, a sudden realization hits him. “You’re hanging out with him tonight, aren’t you? That’s why you can’t hang out with me!”
My silence gives him the only response he needs.
“You little dawg, you!” He exclaims.
“Are you mad?” I ask.
Pulling me in for a hug, he replies, “On the contrary. I’ve never been more proud.”
Chapter Ten
Don
“Look, I know we aren’t very far into this whole thing, but I’m calling it now. Dean is Rory’s worst boyfriend.” I shove another handful of popcorn in my mouth.
Abby waves her hands in the air. “You haven’t even met the other ones.”
“Well, you’ve seen the show. What do you think?”
She nods. “Dean is still the worst.”
“I knew it!”
“But this is still pretty minor. Just wait. He gets so much worse.”
“It gets worse than telling Rory he’s into the whole 1950’s housewife thing?” I ask.
“Surprisingly, yes.” She chugs half of the wine in her glass. “Man, popcorn makes you thirsty. So, you don’t want a woman who will cook and clean for you?”
“You mean a maid?” I joke.
“You’d be surprised how many men want that.”
I tell her. “That’s just not for me. I get that it works for some couples, but that’s not what I want.”
She looks at me, waiting for me to continue.
“I grew up with a single mom who worked two jobs. My dad was nowhere to be found, so my mom did it all. She cooked and cleaned. She drove us around everywhere and helped us with homework. I always wondered what it would be like to have two parents who would share the responsibilities. No matter who I eventually end up with, I’ll make sure she never has to carry that much of the burden.”
“That’s a good outlook to have, I guess.” She pauses a moment. “So, you didn’t know your dad, huh?”
“Nope. He was around when my sister, Jill, was a baby. But I came on the scene when she was about two. He skipped town not too long after that. Haven’t seen or heard from him since. I suppose two kids was just too much for him.”
“Did you ever think about trying to find him?” She asks.
“My mom was willing to answer anything I wanted to know. When I was a kid, I would occasionally get curious. But I finally realized that he wanted nothing to do with any of us. Why should I give a shit about him?”
Abby picks at her fingernails as she talks. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s missing out on getting to know a great guy.”
Hearing her say that makes me smile. You know, I have been on countless dates since I’ve been in New York. Never has one of those women asked me about my family. I appreciate the fact that Abby seems to actually want to get to know me. The feeling is mutual.
