Howie and I brought clothes with us to the venue and after the show we showered there and went out to a club. Colleen was with us and was sitting next to me,
“So, have you seen our show before?”
“Well what did you think of the show?” I guess I put her in an awkward position, I mean what was she going to say to me, that it sucked?
“Overall I think it was pretty good but…I don’t know, it was good.” The “but” got the best of me and I had to know what it was for,
“No, say it. But what?” She shook her head, she didn’t want to but I was persistent,
“I’m not going to get upset. If I didn’t want your honest opinion I wouldn’t have asked.” She played with her fingers and nodded,
“Ok, just the phone thing with you and that girl. Other than that it was cool.” I could understand that. We wanted to be respected but we did remember that some of the cheese contributed to our success. I smiled at her and put my hand on her thigh,
“That’s cool, I agree with you.” Her relief was evident in her smile and I hoped she was no longer uncomfortable,
“Tell me something about yourself. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Where are you from?” She seemed to like the swing of the conversation,
“Well, I have a little brother. He’s not really little, he’s twenty and he’s in the Air Force.” I wonder what their parents are like, both the kids seemed to have good heads on their shoulders,
“What does your brother do?” She smiled,
“He repairs the fighter jets.” That seemed like one of the coolest jobs in the world. Sometimes I think about other jobs and wish that I wasn’t an entertainer. To be a firefighter, work in the FBI, be in the military; all those exciting jobs where you truly were making a difference made me envious of those who did them for a living.
“What do your parents do?” She shook her head,
“It’s just my dad. Our mother walked out on us when I was five, I’ve never seen her since.” Once again I find myself thanking God for my mother and father. Like I said before, they might not be the best examples of parents but they were all I had and compared to others they were pretty damn good. No matter what people said, my parents didn’t go out of their way to be less than stellar parents, it wasn’t part of some big devious plan to screw up their kids; they did the best they knew how. They love my siblings and me and that was something I never questioned.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head,
“Don’t be, I’m not. I figure if that’s something she could do then she wasn’t a good mom and we were better off without her. Everything happens for a reason. I stopped wanting to be the Huxtables at twelve.” She and I think alike when it comes to family. I bet she gets tired of people feeling sorry for her, wishing she had better or even different parents for her and her brother’s sake, just like they do for me, and I hate that shit.
“So where is your brother and your dad?” I looked over and saw Howie looking out the window; this was something he couldn’t understand,
“My brother is stationed in Turkey and my dad works in a garage back home in Vermont.” I smiled,
“Vermont, people actually live there? Anytime I think of Vermont, I mean it isn’t often, I think of cabins, resorts and inns.” She smiled,
“You’re like most people but it was hardly glamorous for us.” I didn’t want her to think of her struggling past, I remember those rough days of eating the same cheap meals over and over again and I don’t want to think about them tonight, I just want to have a good time,
“Tonight is going to be great because I want to have a good time so no more thinking about the past, we’re going to just have a great night. Deal?” She nodded and smiled,
“Deal.”
“I’ll just have a Sprite.” I frowned and shook my head at the waiter,
“No she won’t. In fact let me get the most expensive thing you got.” The waiter smiled,
“Cristal?” I nodded,
“Send over a bottle.” She smiled and winked at Colleen,
“You’ve got a keeper.” She walked off and I smiled over at Colleen,
“See? I’m a keeper.” She nodded,
“I heard.” I started playing with her fingers and leaned into her,
“So when do you finish school?” She watched my fingers intertwine with hers as she answered,
“Two more years.” I don’t know what I was doing but I felt so close to her, it felt so right,
“Cool, so there will be someone I can visit and hang out with when I come to Boston. I come here a few times a year.” I know she didn't know what to say, I didn’t know what I was saying but it was all coming out of my mouth before I could think,
“Well, I’ll be here.” I looked around VIP and I didn’t see Howie anywhere, he was probably out on the dance floor surrounded by girls or sitting somewhere in a corner, surrounded by a bunch of girls. The waitress came back with the champagne and poured our first glass,
“Anything else I can get you?” I shook my head,
“That’s all for now thanks.” I pointed at her glass,
“You ever had this before?” She shook her head,
“No.” I nodded,
“Go ahead and try it.” I watched her and I could tell right away that she wasn’t that into it,
“How is it?” She smiled slightly,
“It’s ok.” I laughed,
“You don’t like it do you?” She shook her head quickly,
“No, no it’s fine. Hey, I always wanted to live like P. Diddy.” I laughed,
“Me too.” I took the glass from her hand after she took another sip,
“You don’t have to drink it.” She shook her head,
“I’m sure that cost a lot.” Most girls I’m around never think about money at all,
“I can handle it.” I knew why she did, she was accustomed to sacrificing and not letting things go to waste, I had to grow up the same way. The more she talked the more I liked her.
I sat down next to her on the couch once we were alone in my room,
“You’re very pretty.” She looked down at her lap and I began to play with her hair,
“Thank you.” I leaned in and she backed away quickly,
“Nick, I’m not like that. I can’t sleep with you if that’s what you want.” Yes, it was what I wanted and part of me didn't want it. I can’t explain it, she’s a pretty girl and I would love to have sex with her right now but at the same time she’s like someone I’ve known forever. Maybe it was the childhood she experienced but I felt comfortable around her.
Chapter 40
Stranger Than Fiction
Stories
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