His eyes shot open. “Where’d that come from?”
“You mentioned it earlier. See, I do listen.” He stuck his tongue out at me. “I think you might have me pegged wrong. I’m not this dark, interesting person. I basically have no hobbies, and even fewer friends—which is why Ihaveto leave soon to get ready for Ling’s party; it’s already six, and I don’t want to miss it.”
“But you haven’t told me enough about yourself to even peg you. That whole Ouija board thing was just about your look. Anyway, I can drive you home and then to Ling’s, if you want? You probably shouldn’t drive anyway. And aren’t you starving? I’m starving. Let’s grab a quick bite.”
He was a fast talker, but not in a bad way. I loved that about him. I wanted to spend more time with him, but I didn’t do well eating around other people. “I don’t know...” I said.
“I know a burger place—”
“I don’t eat meat.”
“Are you a vegetarian?”
“No, I actually just don’t eat red meat,” I told him. My plan was not working. I needed to give in and just go with it or else I wasn’t going to have enough time to get ready for Ling’s party.
“Pizza?” he asked.
“Okay.”
On the way to the local pizza joint, San Filippo’s, he said, “So tell me about all your exes.”
I laughed. “That’s a short story. I’ve never really had a long-term boyfriend. I’ve just dated here and there. Anyway, like I told you, I’m not dating this year. It’s just too intense with dance and finals and everything.”
“You did mention that... like, five times. But here we are, Penny. Getting a drink and pizza... and now I’m gonna meet your parents in a few. I would call this a date.”
If I brought Gavin home to my parents, they would literally have me committed. He’d tattooed our phone number onto the palm of his hand! That would be enough to put them off, never mind his other random tattoos and the fact that he was basically sex on two legs. I guess my parents didn’t have to know that we met by sucking face blindfolded, though.
Once inside San Filippo’s, I ordered another beer and a slice of cheese pizza. I never ate like this, but I didn’t want to draw attention to myself by not eating. Gavin had a Coke. I guess he was committed to being my designated driver, but I didn’t want him to go to the party with me. Already, we had taken the day too far. Or at least I had let my imagination take it too far.
He was currently rambling on and on about something, but I wasn’t listening because I was fixated on the flexing muscles of his forearms. I imagined how they moved when he played the guitar... and did other things.
I remember havingtheconversation with my dad when I hit puberty. Naturally, my mom avoided the topic because she wanted me and Kiki to be her dollies forever. But my dad wouldn’t have his eldest daughter walking around with her head up her ass.
He sat me down and proceeded to drone on about periods and reproductive organs like he was giving a goddamn lecture at the university. It was all things I had learned in sex ed at school, but I appreciated the effort. It can’t be an easy conversation for a father to have with his daughter. But one thing I do remember vividly is that when the topic of sex came up, he stopped talking about chromosomes and things you’d expect from a biologist and started talking about responsibility, love, and keeping my guard up against the kind of relationships that can be exciting and explosive at first. He said those relationships always fizzle out too soon, and that’s why you have to use your brain when your body is sending you such loud messages. I understood exactly what he meant.
When I looked at Gavin, I knew he’d give me that explosive, mind-blowing kind of experience in the backseat of his old car. I knew he could light me up. He’d be professing his love for me by the end of the night, and then the next week he’d be onto the next, telling her how his palm tattoo was an impulse purchase.
“Penny? Are you listening? What’s going on? Where’d you go?”
“I’m listening, I’m listening.”
“So I moved back in with my dad in Fort Collins after leaving my mom in Hollywood. I saw enough of that place and enough of my mom for a good two years. She’s come out to visit twice since then, but she’s all swept up in her noncareer career... and booze.”
He was really pouring his heart out to me, but I was still thinking about Kimber. I actually liked him and didn’t want to be just a tattoo on his palm with a weird story behind it. Maybe I liked him too much already. Too much, too soon.Explosive.
“Gavin, we’re going to be friends,” I blurted out.
Jerking his head back, he squinted at me and then smiled. “Wearefriends, Penny. Best friends, remember? That’s why I’m telling you my whole life story.”
“No, I mean, for the first time in so long, I’m having fun. I’d like to keep it that way.” I loved dancing but “fun” wasn’t the word I’d used to describe the feeling of moving across the stage.
“Yeah, we can keep things fun,” he said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes. I’d have to dodge his advances for a while, but eventually he’d get that I didn’t want more than this.
I was officially buzzed and suddenly feeling anxious about overeating. Gavin reached over and grabbed my hand. “You’re a really beautiful girl and you have a perfect body. I hope no one has ever made you feel otherwise.”
He knows exactly what to say.
