Thatfinally triggered something and detonated the bomb of excitement. Greysonlifted his eyes to mine, nodding adamantly. “Hell yeah!”
“Awesome,”I nodded thoughtfully. We were getting somewhere. “Top three favorite Foosongs.”
“Oh,crap,” Greyson muttered, hit with a nearly impossible question. “Uh … okay, Ithink I’d pick ‘My Hero,’ ‘Everlong,’ and ‘Gimme Stitches.’ What about you?”
“Acouple of classics and an unlikely pick.” I nodded, impressed. “Okay. I’d haveto agree on ‘Everlong.’ That song is … about as perfect as a song can get. I’mreally into ‘Aurora’ and ‘Arlandria’ too. ‘Stacked Actors’ is up there, butwe’re just doing three.”
Greysonbobbed his head with enthusiasm, practically bouncing in his seat. Thedifference from before was night and day, and I wondered when he’d last talkedabout something other than his issues.
“Okay,”I said. “Favorite—”
“Wait,”Tabby spoke up, leaning forward in her seat. “Why don’tIget toanswer?”
Foldingmy arms onto the table, I cocked my head. “Well, if you have three favorite Foosongs, then by all means, Ms. Clarke.”
Pursingher lips and looking to the small pendant light hanging just above the table,she drew in a deep breath before saying, “Hmm … well, itisa toughquestion, and it usually depends on my mood. But I’d say, on any given day,‘Have It All,’ ‘M.I.A.,’ and ‘February Stars’ would be my three all-timefavorites.Although, I will say, ‘Everlong’ is probably my favorite lovesong in the world.”
Well,shit. Miss Prim and Proper was a fan. Arealfan. Not just someone whoenjoyed a few of the singles, but someone who listened to the albums.
Isucked my teeth, nodding slowly. Taking in the piercings hugging her ears and allof that red hair. “Color me impressed, Tabby.”
“AuntTabs took me to see the Foo Fighters for my birthday a few years ago,” Greysonchimed in while I continued to assess her and all of her layers.
“Ohyeah?” I asked, glancing toward him. “Which show?”
“CitiField,” Tabby told me before cutting a small piece of chicken and popping itinto her mouth. “We stayed overnight in New York City. Grey had never been to aconcert before.”
I’dbeen to both. “Which night did you go to?”
“Both.”There was a bit of conceit in the way she said it, like she was bragging. “Wewere in the first few rows.”
Iknew what she was doing. She was showing off, showing me up, but her attemptswere snubbed by my curiosity and the growing excitement in my pants.
Nodding,my smirk never fading, I replied, “So was I.”
Greyson’sjaw nearly hit the table. “You were there?”
“Kid,don’t look too surprised. I have seen the Foo Fighters thirty-seven—”
“Forty-twofor me,” Tabby lifted a hand, and dammit if her smirk wasn’t playful.
***
Outsideof the restaurant, Tabby was pacing the sidewalk, talking to someone ofimportance on her cellphone. She kept holding a finger up to Greyson and me asher conversation continued.
“Isit always like this?” I grumbled through the side of my mouth.
Witha tired nod, Greyson groaned. “Mm-hmm.”
“Mrs.Worthington, I know you wanted to keep the sale of the house more local andcommunity-based, but I think we might have a little more luck if we went to theinternet,” Tabby prattled into the phone, waving her free hand this way andthat. “Yes, I know you don’t have a computer … I know; it’s outside ofyour—well, yes, of course I would oversee the whole thing.”
Thewoman didn’t know how to leave her work at the office. That much was abundantlyclear, and yet she wondered why the kid wouldn’t connect with her. I scoffed tomyself, shaking my head with irritated aggravation as she made another pass. Iwouldn’t call myself an expert with kids, but this was a no-brainer.
Atext chimed through on my phone and I slipped it from my pocket. I smiled atDevin’s name, missing my friend.
Devin:Hey bro, how did it go with the kid?
Me:Still going. Waiting for his aunt to stop bullshitting on her phone.
