Forever Pucked(4)

Sunny keeps checking her phone all through dinner, which isn't unusual.  She and Buck spend a lot of time messaging each other when he's away-and  when he's not. They're so in love. It's as sweet as it is surprising.  Buck used to be a huge manwhore. Like, epically slutty.

Sunny has done a great job of taming him. He's like a big, well-groomed, fun-loving yeti when it comes to her.

After we order, we settle in with our drinks. Only Lily and I have fun  ones, since Charlene is driving and Sunny isn't much for booze.

"How's the new job, Lily?" I ask.

Alex helped get Lily a job teaching skating to kids who are looking to  go pro for hockey when she decided to move to Chicago. She's an  incredible figure skater. She should have been an Olympic contender, but  money got in the way of her dream when she was a teenager. She doesn't  seem to let that hold her back, though.

"Amazing! I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the change, but I love it. I really appreciate Alex recommending me."

"Alex is just glad he could help." My fiancé is amazingly generous,  especially when it comes to family. While Lily isn't technically  related, she grew up with the Waters family, so she's like a second  sister to him. "I guess having unlimited access to Balls' balls doesn't  hurt either, right?"                       
       
           



       

"Oh my God, she stays there almost every night they're home," Sunny supplies.

Lily blushes and looks down. "He's great. I'm meeting his mom this weekend."

"Really? Already? That's crazy!" Charlene says.

Lily tucks her dark hair behind her ear and looks around the table, suddenly uncertain. "You think so?"

I kick Charlene, at least I think I do, but Sunny is the one who  flinches, so I flick Charlene in the side of the boob. "It's not crazy  at all. Not everyone has to wait a year before family intros."

"A year?" Lily's eyes go wide.

Lily looks like a porcelain doll. Except not creepy. Which is a very  important distinction. She's gorgeous and model thin, with almond-shaped  eyes the color of dark chocolate and an Uma Thurman haircut circa Pulp  Fiction. She and Randy have been officially dating for less than two  months. But they've been banging each other since last summer, so it's  not that unreasonable that she's meeting his mom.

Charlene cups her breast and shoots me an annoyed look. "We haven't been  dating a year. And my mom lives in New York, and Darren's parents live  in South Carolina. It's not like we can drop by for dinner."

I'd point out that Darren's parents have been in town on more than one  occasion and she still hasn't taken the opportunity to meet them, but  it's not my relationship, so I keep my mouth shut. For now.

"I think it's great that you're meeting Randy's mom. She'll love you!"  Sunny says, redirecting the conversation. She embodies her name,  radiating positivity and warmth all the time. She's also blond and  blue-eyed with endless legs and a stunning, innocent face.

Lily gulps her mojito. "I sure hope so."

"I introduced Miller to my parents the day after we met, and they loved  him right away. Well, mostly, until Alex told them why he was traded to  Chicago."

He was traded last year around this time after getting caught in a  public bathroom stall with his coach's niece. The door was open.

Sunny waves her hand in the air, then twirls a blond lock around her  finger. "But they love him again now, so that's all that matters."

Our dinner arrives, and I demo my burger and fries. I order another  drink to celebrate both my unfulfilled sexiversary with Alex and the  presentation I'll be making next week. I'm the only one drinking like  it's Friday night, but then Lily probably remembers her terrible  hangover from the last time we tied one on. And we all have to work  tomorrow.

I'm in no rush to go home, but everyone else's phone keeps going off. I  send Alex a text, but I don't get a reply. It's disappointing on such a  special day. Or a day that Alex has built up to be interpreted as such. I  assumed there was going to be some seriously epic loving based on the  ostentatiousness of this afternoon's gift alone. Unfortunately, his last  message was sent several hours ago saying they were still stuck, his  phone was dying, and he didn't think he was going to make it home  tonight.

Me and my beaver are sad.

Charlene suggests we go, and Sunny and Lily agree with more enthusiasm  than necessary, which I find odd. It's still snowing when we leave the  restaurant, so I can see Charlene's point about getting home. Even  though Sunny and Lily live two blocks away, they pile into the back of  her car so we can drive them, too. It probably takes as long as it would  to walk, but at least they don't have to deal with the freezing cold  and blustery snow.

Both of them are huddled into their jackets, texting away on their  phones and giving each other sly looks while I scan Alex's Facebook  profile for signs of life. He hasn't posted anything since this morning,  and that was a cheesy update about how much he loves me. It's sweet,  but it leaves me even more disappointed.

Charlene pulls up to the house, staying a safe distance from the curb so  there's enough room for the girls to open the door and not fall face  first into the two-foot snow bank.

"Isn't that Randy's truck?" I ask.

"Oh, uh, um, he left it here for the week so I could drive it instead of my car. The tires are way better," Lily replies.

"Wow. He lets you drive his truck already?" It took forever before Alex  let me drive his sports car. And then I dinged it and he took away my  privileges. Not even blow jobs seem to be able to bring them back.

Lily shrugs. "Is that weird?"

"Thanks for the ride, Charlene! See you girls soon!" Sunny gets out of the car and pulls Lily along with her.

"Bye, guys. Thanks, Char! See you soon." Lily waves and hurries across the street, hand in hand with Sunny.                       
       
           



       

I figure Charlene and I will go back to her house and hang out some more  since it's close. On occasion, I've been known to stay at her place  when Alex and Darren are away, because I don't always like to be in his  big, huge house by myself. I get all freaked out even though there's an  insane alarm system. But instead of taking a right, she goes left,  toward Alex's.

"We can go to your place. I'm sure I have a change of clothes," I suggest.

"I'm kind of tired. I won't be much fun." Charlene yawns, as if to prove her point.

I don't get why everyone is acting so weird tonight. Usually that's my job.

Charlene's phone buzzes, and then buzzes a few more times. She waits  until we're at a stoplight before she checks it. I do the same with  mine, but Alex hasn't messaged at all. It's really not like him. He's  always in contact. Maybe he can't find a charger for his phone.

I don't say much on the drive. When Charlene pulls in Alex's driveway,  the porchlight illuminates the door and the holiday wreath I have yet to  take down. The driveway's been cleared of snow, as well as the steps.  If it keeps snowing like this, the maintenance guys will have to circle  back and do it again.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in for a bit? We can watch TV or  something? Have a drink?" I'm already slightly buzzed; one more will  help put me to sleep, and possibly take my mind off my disappointment.

I may pretend not to like all the gifts and the excessive sexiversary  celebrations, but I've gotten used to them, just like I'm getting used  to money going into my account all the time.

"I shouldn't drink with the roads the way they are." Charlene gestures to the white fluff skimming the windshield.

"You could stay over."

"I don't have a change of clothes, and all your stuff is too small.  Except in the chest." She puts her car in park. "Want some help with  your beaver?"

"What?" At first I think she means my actual beaver, but then I realize  she's not propositioning me. "Oh. Right. No, I can get it."

"Okay." She gives me a bright smile, followed by a big yawn. "See you in the morning!"

I get that no one else is celebrating their sexiversary, but I feel like  I'm the only one who's really bummed the boys aren't going to be home  tonight.

Getting the beaver out of the trunk is harder than I expect. He's  crammed in there pretty good, and Charlene's trunk is small and  tight-almost exactly how Alex would describe my real beaver.

I tug until he comes free, close Char's trunk, and wave at her through  the rear window. She honks and takes off as I shift the beaver around so  I can see the stairs.

Coming home to an empty house is like spraining a wrist while watching  porn: frustrating and unsatisfying. Stupid fucking snowstorm.