“Tacos,” Nina said, laughing.
“Yeah, but what kind?” I asked.
“Good ones!” Maggie yelled.
“Welcome to Taco Bell, what can we make for you tonight?” the man asked from the speaker.
“Can I please have ten hard-shell tacos, please?” I asked.
“Ten? Wow,” Nina said.
“Bless you, Anna,” Maggie said, laughing, which in turn made Nina laugh.
I was given the total and pulled around to the window, making sure to get a receipt so I could be paid back tomorrow. I wasn’t the fairy tacomother, and I definitely wasn’t passing them out for free to all the drunk and needy women in town.
The two of them tore into the bag as I handed it over, each of them taking out a couple tacos and opening them up to eat on the drive home. I wasn’t drunk, not even buzzed, and I think I had that water to thank. It was probably the best part of the night, aside from the dancing, which I surprisingly liked.
They stumbled getting out of the car when we got home, which wasn’t a surprise, before we walked inside and turned on the lights.
“I need to get out of these clothes,” Nina said. “I can’t believe I shaved for nothing.”
“I’m going to eat your tacos,” Maggie said, laughing uncontrollably.
“You better not, bitch,” Nina said, stumbling up the stairs a little.
I kicked off my shoes and took off my coat before unlocking my phone and texting Bentley.
“We made it home. These girls are a nightmare, though really funny, when drunk,” I said.
“Thank you for letting me know you’re safe and sound. Are you free for lunch tomorrow? Want to meet me somewhere?” he asked.
“Yeah, just let me know when and where. I’ll be there,” I said.
We agreed on a café right off campus, a place that sold healthier lunch fare with nothing deep-fried or bad for you, at least according to their signs. I was excited to see him, as always, though especially when it was sudden like this and not all planned out.
“I have something to talk to you about. I hope you’ll be open to it,” he said.
“Uh, may I ask what it’s about?” I asked.
He replied telling me he’d just talk to me about it tomorrow, which admittedly made me a little nervous. It must not be that bad, like a breakup, if he wanted me to be open about it. Had he just said he had something to talk to me about, I’d be very nervous right now.
Nina came back down in her pajamas before grabbing two more tacos from the bag and sitting down on the couch with Maggie and me.
“Let’s turn something on,” she said, picking up the remote and turning on the TV.
“Something good,” Maggie said.
She put on some show on MTV, one I didn’t know about, as I watched a bunch of trashy twenty-somethings fight about who was dating Tony, whoever that was. I guess my life could be worse. I could be one of those people.
We spent the rest of the night just relaxing as the two of them ate their tacos, drank the water that I made them drink, and began to sober up a little, though not enough to not act like idiots. They fell asleep on the couch an hour later, leaving me to turn off the lights and go up to my room, where I happily shut the door and knew I’d have a night of peace and quiet without the two of them up here making noise.
I turned off my string lights, the room becoming dark once again, before I put my phone on the charger and pulled the covers up to my chin.
Please don’t let this lunch be something I’d never forget, in a bad way.
Chapter Nineteen
Bentley
“Your mother keeps bugging me about that damn wedding coming up. Do you have a date?” my father asked at the shop.
“Yes, I think so,” I said.
“You think so, or you know so?” he asked.
“Well, I asked her a while back, but I’m not sure she still wants to go. She said yes then, but I just want to make sure,” I said.
“Well, I’m telling her you do have somebody. She said yes already, so it’s final,” my dad said.
“I’m sure you’re right. I’m just nervous about it all,” I said.
“Nervous about a date to a wedding? Something wrong with you, son?” he asked, putting his hand to my forehead. “Nope, temperature feels right.”
“She’s just, I don’t know, special, I guess,” I said.
“You like this girl, don’t you?” he asked.
“Yeah, I do. A lot,” I said.
“Are you dating her?” he asked.
“Officially? Yes, we are. Hasn’t been all that long, but we are. I’d rather Mom not know right now. I feel like I should tell her—maybe I can introduce her at the wedding?” I asked.
“Yeah, I think that would be nice. I think she’d like that a lot. If you’re worrying about me blabbing, the secret is safe with me. I’m happy for you, Bentley. You deserve a lot of things in life, and a loving partner is one of them,” he said.
“Well, we aren’t at that love stage yet,” I said, laughing.
“Well, one day, I’m just saying that you deserve someone special. You’re a good kid who works hard and definitely takes after his old man in the looks department,” he said.
“Yeah, you think so?” I asked, smiling.
“Oh, I know so. We’re a spitting image of one another—at least when I was your age,” he said.
“I’m just worried about screwing it up, you know? I’m not too good at these long-term relationship things,” I said.
“Well, you got kind of fucked over in the last long one, and that wasn’t your fault,” he said.
“Yeah, I don’t need another Candice in my life. Luckily Anna isn’t anything like her,” I said.
“Your mother still kind of hopes you’ll get back with Candice,” he said.
“What? Why?” I asked.
“I think she just wants grandchildren, and she doesn’t think you’re with anybody, so she wants to go where she can get them,” he said.
“Even if I don’t like the mother or want to be with her?” I asked.
“Hey, I’ve been with that woman thirty years and I’m still trying to figure her ass out. She’s never made much sense when she didn’t want to, so don’t expect her to start making any now, especially when it’s about her getting grandchildren from one of you,” he said.
“I guess I’m the oldest, so it makes sense she’d want me to give them to her first,” I said.
“You’ll get there, to the marriage and grandchildren, that is. I know you will. You have no rush from me, so remember that. I’m not the crazy-for-kids one,” he said, laughing.
“Great talk, Dad. I better get going. I’m meeting Anna for lunch,” I said.
“Have fun, say hi for me,” he said, going back to work.
•••
Anna was already sitting in her car when I pulled up next to her, catching her attention, as she flashed me a big smile and got out of her car.
“Hey, you,” she said, locking her car and walking over to me as I got out.
“Hey yourself,” I said, locking mine and kissing her.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked.
“That antsy, huh? Let’s order and sit down first, and then we’ll talk,” I said, grabbing her hand and holding it as we walked to the door.
I opened the door for her, letting an older woman out, before going inside and seeing the menu board, which had vegetables that I wasn’t even aware existed. I ordered a turkey and cranberry Thanksgiving-style sandwich with sweet potato wedges and a mango iced tea, while Anna got some kind of Thai-style chicken salad and a raspberry iced tea. I paid and grabbed our number before we found a two-seater table near the window and sat down across from one another.
“So?” she asked, looking at me.
“Well, I know I already asked you before, but I’m not sure if things have changed. We haven’t really talked about it since, and maybe you forgot or made other plans or something. But, my cousin’s wedding is coming up soon, in a few weeks I think, and I wanted to know if you were still down for coming,” I said.
I watched her face as it went from nervous to one of huge relief as she grabbed my hands from across the table and held them.
“Of course I still want to go with you. Is that what this was all about?” she asked.
“Well, yeah, it is. I wanted to be sure,” I said.
“Why didn’t you just bring it up over text?” she asked.
“I thought I should do it in person. It’s a big deal, my family will be there,” I said.
“Well, I’d still love to go and meet them and dance with you and just have a great, memorable time. I think it will be a lot of fun,” she said.
“That’s a huge relief,” I said, wiping my forehead.
A woman brought us our drinks and food before taking the number. The thick carved turkey hung out of my sandwich and cranberry sauce and stuffing dripped onto the plate.
“Man, that thing is huge,” she said.
“Not the first time you’ve looked at me and said that,” I said.
“Bentley! Not here!” she said, looking around to see if anybody heard.
I winked, taking a bite of a wedge at the same time, as she rolled her eyes and mixed the dressing around in her bowl. I loved how funny and sweet we were with each other, never failing to make the other person smile, laugh, or even feel embarrassed at times. Maybe this wedding would even change things for us. I know they can do crazy things for people, and maybe getting a little more serious with her was in the cards. She was special, and even though we’d only been officially dating for a couple weeks, I already knew that I wanted to be with her for a while. I couldn’t see a reason not to.