“Big plans this weekend?” Tony asked.
“I’m going to a wedding for my cousin. Bringing my girl along,” I said.
“First time meeting the family?” he asked.
“You know it,” I said.
“Damn, always a stressful night, that’s for sure. I remember bringing my wife home to meet my parents. My mom acted like I brought home Hitler or something. Now they’re best friends with each other on speed dial, but mothers can be aggressive and defensive at first. You might be a grown man, but she still sees that little boy she raised and nurtured standing there, and she wants to make sure you get the best,” he said.
“Well, after the last one I don’t think there’s much of a competition,” I said.
“You hear from Candice ever?” he asked.
“She contacted me, I don’t know, maybe a month or more ago. Hard to keep track of this stuff, especially when I didn’t want her to in the first place,” I said.
“What’d she want?” he asked.
“To meet or get together or something. She thinks she made a mistake,” I said.
“Well, she did,” he said, laughing.
“Yeah, but in a way it wasn’t. It hurt like a bitch, that’s for sure, but I’m sort of glad she did it. I have Anna now, and she’s wonderful,” I said.
“That’s a good name, Anna. Stick with her and I think you’ll be fine,” he said.
He glided the clippers up to my side hairline, where my shaved area met the long, greasy length.
“Don’t worry, you’re fine,” he said, reassuring me like he did every other time I came in here.
“I trust you,” I said.
“So no length taken off? Not even a quarter inch?” he asked.
“Nah, I like where it’s at right now,” I said.
“Fair enough. I’ll clean up your neck and then we’ll do the shave,” he said.
He slathered some warm shaving cream on the back of my neck and behind my ears before putting a fresh, sterile straight blade into his razor and cleaning me up. He did it the old-school way, something you can’t find many places anymore, but it was by far the best experience. He wiped up the back of my neck and splashed some alcohol around where he shaved to close up the pores and I felt it sting just a little bit for a second or two.
“Okay, onto that shave,” he said, and I set the back of my head onto the cushion.
He got a new razor out, changing the blade before sharpening it against an old leather strap. He mixed the shaving cream, taking out his soft brush as he lathered it onto my face and down my neck. The shaving cream was warm, though not hot, and I felt almost like a kid in a bubble bath trying to make a beard.
He started work, taking short little strokes, as I heard the crinkling sound of my facial hair being shaved off. It was a strange feeling, a little funny, though it didn’t tickle or hurt at all. More like something you just needed to experience sometime in your life.
I was soon all cleaned up, and he splashed some woodsy aftershave on that he made himself in-house, and turned me around to see my new, yet same, look.
“I look good,” I said, leaning in close to see his work.
“You always look good after you see me,” he said.
“And what about before?” I asked, jokingly.
“Eh, you look better after. Maybe I’m partial, though,” he said, laughing.
I paid the tab, thirty bucks, which I thought was pretty cheap for a master barber who could do miracles, before I shook his hand like always and headed out to my baby, my car, and fired her up.
I drove down the street to the dry cleaners and picked up my suit and tie, both of them pressed and looking absolutely perfect with no wrinkles, before I hung them in my car and hoped that they wouldn’t fall and get ruined. The last thing I needed was a perfect haircut and shave with a wrinkly or dirty suit. I had a reputation, after all.
Anna was coming over tonight, I think for a date night and sleepover, which I was more than thrilled for. Sleeping with someone, but especially her, usually made sleeping better overall. I liked the idea of waking up with someone there, usually me holding her, as we snuggled all morning and then got breakfast. I think she was making me a little more sappy than I was before, but somehow I was okay with that.
I ran a few more errands, nothing special, and went home, having the day off work, before I hung up my suit and unloaded a few groceries for tonight. I think we were doing take-out, but it never hurt to have food in the house, especially when I was having Anna over. I wasn’t the type of guy to have just beer and a single cheese stick in his fridge.
As I sat down on the couch, putting my feet up and cracking open a beer, I looked at the clock, seeing I had a few hours until she got here. It couldn’t come fast enough.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Anna
“All ready for tomorrow?” Nina asked, poking her head in my room as I finished packing.
“Yeah, I think so. Can’t think of anything else I need to do or bring,” I said.
“Still nervous?” she asked.
“Yeah, it comes and goes, but I think I’ll stay nervous until I actually get it over with. I have hope, though,” I said.
“That’s good. Let me know if you need anything from me, or if you need me to come rescue you,” she said with a laugh.
I zipped up my overnight bag and picked it up off my bed before picking up my dress, which was safe inside a plastic garment bag, and walked down the stairs to get my shoes on. I’d packed a pair of heels, shorter ones, that would make sure I could get around and dance without too many blisters.
“Have fun,” Maggie said from the dining room table.
“I’ll try. I’ll text you guys if anything happens, or doesn’t happen,” I said before opening the door and walking out.
I hung my dress on the little hook in the back seat and tossed in my bag before texting Bentley from the front seat that I was leaving now to come over. He replied quickly, telling me to drive safe, before saying he was hanging out and waiting.
Not too much later, I pulled onto the side of his street, letting a car pass by me as the headlights illuminated my side mirror. It passed, and I got out to get my things from the car before walking up his driveway to his door. He opened it before I could even knock.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said as I walked inside and kicked off my shoes.
He took my bag and dress, quickly taking them upstairs and coming back down.
“You hung up the dress?” I asked.
“Of course. It’s safe,” he said.
“Good. I can’t risk it being wrinkled,” I said.
“You’d still look beautiful in it,” he said.
“Yeah, but this is a big moment, you know?” I asked.
“Yeah, I know. I’m just as nervous,” he said.
“Nervous they won’t like me?” I asked, as if I almost had a hint of doubt about it all.
“No, not that. I just know how my family can be, and I don’t want you to get scared away. They can be, well, a little much, if you know what I mean,” he said.
“Well, I’ll put on my best face and hopefully things go well. I’m confident,” I said.
“Good, then I am too,” he said, leaning in and kissing me.
We kissed a couple times, about three quick pecks, before looking into each other’s eyes and smiling. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in tight, and I felt his warmth envelop me. I was suddenly calmed down, as if he were the human Xanax, before he let go and we walked into the kitchen.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Yeah, I could eat. Have anything good?” I asked.
“I have a cheese and cracker tray. Think it has some grapes or other fruit as well. We could crack open a bottle of wine and snack on that?” he asked.
“That sounds really good, actually. I love cheese,” I said.
I pulled the tray out of the fridge and snuck a slice of cheese as he uncorked the wine and poured us two glasses before putting it back in the fridge.
“Want to cuddle up and watch something?” he asked.
“Yes, please,” I said, grabbing the tray before we walked out into the living room.
Pressing a button, he lit his gas fireplace and came back to me, where our refreshments were sitting on the coffee table in front of us. He turned on the television, a random movie on cable playing, as we didn’t bother to search for anything else.
“Mm, this is good,” I said, taking a bite of cheese as I was cuddled up to him.
“These crackers are really good, too,” he said, as he took a bite of Colby jack with a cracker.
I took a sip of wine, feeling it go down smoothly, the flavors complementing the cheese and crackers perfectly. I sat back, nuzzling into him, as I took a deep breath in and exhaled it slowly, his woodsy scent tickling my nostrils and making me rub my nose a little.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
“It hasn’t even been that long,” I said.
“Yeah, but every second away from you is a second too long,” he said.
“How did I get so lucky?” I asked, looking at him.
“I ask myself that question every time I see you,” he said lovingly.
I leaned in, my hand on his jaw line, as I kissed him slowly, tasting the wine on his breath as I sucked on his lower lip and nibbled it just slightly. He must’ve liked it, as his hand went onto my thigh, causing it to open just a little, as if I were inviting him inside to play. Maybe that’s because I was, and I wasn’t being shy about it.