Chapter 48
“Any big plans for the holiday weekend?”
Gen blushed but didn’t want to give anything away to her coworkers. “Um, no, not really. Just getting together with some friends,” she sighed, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
She was still keeping this relationship under wraps, figuring that it was probably best to keep quiet. She never liked breakroom gossip anyway. Besides, she hadn’t yet thought of a way to mention her boyfriend without sounding like she was bragging.
“Well, we’re going out to the lake house, if you’re interested. Should be a great time,” Gen’s well-meaning coworker suggested.
“Oh, I’ll have to pass. I just have so many things to do around the house that I think I’ll keep busy.” She offered her best attempt at sincerity. “Thanks for the offer though,” she smiled as she left the breakroom chatterers.
Gen sat back down at her desk and took a swallow of coffee. She sighed, thankful that it was finally Friday. She began reviewing some figures that her boss had given her to turn into another of her masterpiece reports, though her mind was anywhere but on her work. She lost herself in a daydream. Even though she’d come home to him for the last couple of days, it still had not ceased to amaze her that when she walked in the door, John was there waiting to give her a kiss. Last night he’d really impressed her by having dinner ready and candles burning on the table when she walked in. He was a great cook and for that she was grateful. She hated cooking. She wasn’t sure what had impressed her more, the excellent dinner or the fact that afterward the two of them just sat around watching TV like they’d known each other forever before they leisurely went off to bed. She’d quickly fallen asleep beside him, delighting in the fact that he loved her as much with her nightie as without it. There was a certain satisfaction in knowing that he was in her bed but neither of them felt compelled to do anything in it on that particular evening but sleep.
Her stomach growled. Glancing at the clock, she realized that between analyzing statistics and getting lost in her thoughts, she had wasted away the morning. It was close to lunchtime and she was really getting hungry. John had dropped her off at work today- something about needing her car because he was bored sitting around the house all day- so she picked up the phone and dialed Stacey. She figured her faithful lunch buddy could drive today.
“Stace,” she spoke up over the growing hubbub in the office. “I don’t have my car today. You wanna do lunch?”
“Sounds good to me.” She paused for a moment. “What’s all the noise down there?”
Gen glanced up toward the entrance to her department. A few people had gathered near someone’s desk and were chatting loudly and getting louder. “I dunno. Must be someone’s birthday or something.” She turned up the volume on the phone to be better able to hear. “So where do you want to go? Anything strike your fancy today?”
“Well, I was just thinking of pizza, or maybe a nice greasy hamburger. What’re your druthers?”
“Mmm… Pizza or hamburgers… Tough choice.” She pondered her options. “I wanna have, uh...” Gen suddenly gasped as a deep voice whispered in her ear, startling her.
“Tell her you’re gonna have me for lunch.”
A crimson blush colored her features as she giggled mischievously. “Uh, Stace..” she stammered before John took the phone from her hand.
“Stacey, she’s not available for lunch anymore.”
“John?” Stacey inquired, as if it could be anyone else.
“Yeah. Hi. Sorry to ruin your plans, y’know, but you’re gonna have to make due without her.”
She chuckled at his apology. “Hey, no problem. I suspect you come bearing a slightly more enticing offer than I do,” she hinted. “And, I’d better not see her back at her desk this afternoon, either.”
“Um, yeah, I got that covered. We’ll see you tonight though, Ok?”
“Wouldn’t miss it!” she chirped anxiously. “Now get her outta here!”
John took the reports from Gennie and tossed them casually on her desk, then grabbed her hand. “C’mon darlin’ I’m takin’ you away from all this,” he grinned and gave her a kiss.
It was then that she noticed that this was what all the hubbub was about. As he took her by the hand and led her out of the office, the dull hum of daily office life ceased and she felt her coworker’s gaping stares. She went red in the face and gave the gawkers an embarrassed smile as he walked her to the elevator. Looking at John, she realized that he acted as though he never even noticed. Was he so used to being the center of attention that he’d grown to expect it, even in situations like this? As they got in the elevator she thought for a moment about good naturedly teasing his pomposity, but when she looked in his eyes, she instantly decided against it. His was a world so full of this kind of ogling that he did all he could just to ignore it. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she should be happy that he ventured in to her world at all. He’d tried to hide in his Yankees cap, but it hadn’t worked very well.
As they stepped out of into the lobby and headed for the door, a cheerful voice called out, “I expect to be talking to you Gennie! And, I guess I don’t need to tell you to have a good weekend.” The receptionist gave her a conspiratorial wink and waved goodbye.
Once outside, John tossed her the keys and they got in the car.
“I’m really sorry if I embarrassed you back there,” he apologized as they pulled out of the lot. “I just didn’t think people would notice, y’know. I mean, we go other places here and I’m completely unrecognized.”
Gen laughed. “Hello! I work for a radio station that plays your music all the damn time! Believe me, sweetheart, they’re gonna recognize you.”
“But, I just didn’t think, y’know, without knowing that I was coming, I figured I’d get in under the radar.”
“Sorry, darlin’ they know who you are.” She gave him a playful punch in the arm. “It doesn’t help matters that there’s a big ol’ picture of you guys up by the broadcast studio. Everyone’s seen that one.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well I still didn’t think I was that obvious.” He sported a shy grin and had a pouty quality to his voice.
“Probably not, but you were talking to me. Hell, they all know where I was a few weeks ago. And,” she droned, shaking her head, “they thought I didn’t have a boyfriend. How hard is my life gonna suck on Tuesday?”
“Aw, Gen. At least you don’t have to worry about every little thing you do ending up on the Internet somewhere.” He took a deep breath and sighed. “If answering questions from the people who sit by you is your biggest problem, your life’s not so bad.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t know the people I work with. I know the questions they’re gonna ask.”
“Ok, great.” Her comment caused him to grimace. They came to a stop at a light. Gen’s stomach growled audibly, making John laugh. “You’re hungry, are ya? Whaddaya want?”
“Well, thanks to Stace…” she admitted bashfully, “now I want pizza. There’s a really good place down the road. Sound good?”
“Sure,” he shrugged.
They shared a pizza before heading back home so Gennie could change clothes. John decided that he wanted to see more of the city on this beautiful breezy late summer day. With the temperatures only in the 80’s it was unseasonably cool and they both thought they should enjoy the gorgeous weather while it lasted. Gen took him to a park not far from where she lived. They found a seat atop a picnic table and watched the ducks on the pond.
“I’ve always really liked it here. It’s so peaceful,” she sighed, stretching her arms out behind her and leaning back.
“It’s nice. You like the water, huh?” he asked. He stretched out on the table making himself comfortable as well.
“Yeah. It’s a great view. You should see it in the spring when everything is blooming. Trees, flowers, it’s all so pretty.”
John nodded, getting the mental picture of the park in all its reborn splendor.
“See that tree over there?” She pointed out a large tree just beyond the edge of the park. “That’s in my parents backyard. It gets the most beautiful flowers- like pink tulips- in March. It’s always so inspiring to see it bloom. It means that spring isn’t far away.”
He looked at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. “Your parents live right over there?”
“Yeah,” she shrugged.
“You’re so close!”
“I know,” she groaned.
“How come you never talk about them? You’d think you’d see them all the time.”
“I do see them all the time. And I don’t deliberately not talk about them.” She sighed. “But what girl wants to talk about her parents with her boyfriend?”
“But I figured you’d introduce me, at least. I’d like to meet your parents.”
Her eyebrows shot up and a look of disbelief overcame her. “You want to meet Chuck and Helen?”
He had to laugh at her expression, “Of course I do. You met my family already, y’know. I mean, I’m sorry I couldn’t share Joe and Edith with you, but…”
“When do you want to meet them?”
“I don’t care.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the car. “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”
He was somewhat taken aback. “Right now?”
“Yep. Helen’s home during the day. Chuck’ll be there soon.”
Her directness startled him. “Shouldn’t we call first?”
“Nah, mom keeps her house in pristine condition. She’ll be thrilled we dropped over.”
They pulled up in the long, shady driveway. “This is nice,” John commented looking around at the spacious lawn and colorful flower gardens. “They must like gardening.”
Gen chuckled. “You can tell?” she asked sarcastically. “Dad would be lost if you took away his garden tractor. It’s where he spends his weekends- keeping the lawn looking like a golf course. It doesn’t get much more Beaver Cleaver than this.”
“They do know about me, don’t they?”
A guilty smile washed over her face. “Sorta. They don’t know much about this whole thing… but they will.” As they walked up to the door, Gen glanced at his tattooed arms and legs. She rolled her eyes. “Oh, wait’ll they get a load of you.”
“Oh shit, you think I should…”
“Too late now,” she grinned as she walked in the front door of the split-level home. “Mom!” she called out.
“Gennie, honey, I’m down here in the laundry room!” Mrs. Redlin stepped away from doing the washing to greet her daughter. “Honey,” she puzzled as Gen walked down the stairs, “aren’t you supposed to be working today?” She looked up and noticed that Gennie wasn’t alone. “Oh! Hello, there. Who’s your friend?”
“Mom, there’s someone I want you to meet. This is, um, my… my boyfriend, John.”
She let out a noticeable gasp when Gennie used that word to describe this man. Subconsciously, her eyes darted from tattoo to tattoo; she couldn’t help it. But she smiled politely.
John noticed her mental cringe when she gave him the once-over. It was hardly the first time this had happened, but he still couldn’t say he’d gotten used to it. He gave her his most polite, respectful smile and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m John, John Rzeznik.”
She met his handshake. “It’s nice to meet you too, John. I’m Helen Redlin, Gennie’s mother.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course, you knew that,” she said a little nervously. She glanced over at Gennie who stood watching the scene unfold before her eyes and gave her an annoyed look. “I wish I could say I knew all about you, but Genevieve has kept her love life a secret, I see.”
Gennie blushed and met her mother’s annoyed expression. “Mom! I didn’t keep him a secret. I just haven’t talked to you much lately. I’ve been busy.”
She gave her a dismissive look. “Of course you have, dear.” Then turned her attention back to John. “So what do you do, John? Do you work with Gennie?”
“Well, um,” he bashfully looked down at his feet not knowing how much Gen wanted him to say. “I don’t really work with her exactly. I have a band.”
“Oh!” Mrs. Redlin fought to keep her disdain from showing on her face. “You’re a musician.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, that’s nice.” She brought her hands up beneath her chin as her fingers nervously fiddled with her wedding rings. “So do you have a day job?”
John exhibited his shy smile. “Well, no, actually. My music pays the bills these days, thankfully.” He looked over at Gen, pleading to be rescued from her mother’s interrogation.
“Mom, Johnny’s in the Goo Goo Dolls. That’s his band. You know, the one I was on tour with for MTV.”
John watched as Helen Redlin blushed that peculiar shade of red that he thought only Gennie could achieve. Observing her, he realized that Gen was a lot like her. Mrs. Redlin was tall, thin, still stylish for a woman her age, and she had the same serene blue eyes as Gennie.
“John, I am so sorry. I didn’t recognize you. I’m not exactly from the MTV generation, you know.” She smiled meekly for a moment. Then it hit her. “You’re dating our daughter?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other. “Yeah, actually, I am,” he looked up and smiled at Gennie.
“Well, have a seat.” She gestured toward the chairs in the family room. “Would you like something to drink? I was just gonna make some limeade.”
“Ooh, yum. My favorite!” Gen exclaimed like a little girl.
Just watching her behaving like a kid around her mother made him chuckle. “Yeah, limeade would be great.”
“I’ll be right back. Just make yourself at home and feel free to flip on the TV.”
John sat in one of the smartly upholstered chairs and picked up the remote. He turned to give Gen a nervous smile as her mother grabbed her arm and dragged her upstairs to the kitchen.
“Genevieve!” Mrs. Redlin shrieked quietly once they were in the kitchen, “Why didn’t you tell me you had a boyfriend? How long has this been going on?”
Gennie rolled her eyes. “Mom, it’s a new thing Ok? I wasn’t hiding him from you or anything.”
Mrs. Redlin reached for the mix from the freezer. “Gennie, sweetie, this is so sudden. Did you start seeing him on your travels with them?”
A groan escaped from Gen’s lungs. “Of course I did, mom.” She pulled a pitcher out of the cabinet. “He’s cute though, isn’t he?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Oh, Genevieve.” Her mother pursed her lips and had a troubled look on her face. “He has so many tattoos! He’s such a nice looking young man, why on earth would he do something like that?”
Gen affected a rebellious posture. “I like them!”
Mrs. Redlin gazed heavenward and shook her head. “Just make sure he’s wearing long sleeves if he ever meets your grandmother.”
Downstairs, in the family room, John sat watching something- he wasn’t sure what- on the History Channel. He could hear Gen’s hushed discussion with her mother. What he couldn’t hear was what they were saying, but he had a pretty good idea. No mother wanted her daughter to go out with a tattooed musician, no matter how successful he was. He sank deeper into the chair. Supersonic flight-that’s what the show was about. As he started to get into the documentary, the door to the garage slowly opened and a middle-aged man humming Clementine stepped part way in the door and started to inspect a loose piece of trim on the doorframe. John immediately jumped up from his chair making the man take notice of his presence. They faced each other uneasily.
“Hi. Uh… Can I help you?” the man asked, uncertain what to say.
“Are you Mr. Redlin?” John inquired shyly.
The man nodded suspiciously.
John smiled broadly and reached out to shake hands. “Hi! I’m John, John Rzeznik- Gennie’s boyfriend. Good to meet you, sir.”
The man had a look of surprise on his face. “Gennie’s boyfriend, huh?” He returned John’s friendly smile with one of his own. “Nice to meet you, John. Chuck Redlin.” He glanced around the room and noticed that John was by himself. “Where’d they go? Did they leave ya here by yourself?”
“No,” John laughed. “They’re in the kitchen making limeade.”
Mr. Redlin sat down and indicated for John to do the same. “What’re ya watchin’?”
“It’s about supersonic flight, Chuck Yeager, that kind of thing.”
“Ah…. The Glamorous Glennis.”
John laughed. “Yeah, exactly.”
“So John, tell me about yourself. What is it you do that lets you sit around watching TV on a Friday afternoon?”
John liked the guy, but he could tell he was in for more scrutiny. Man, he wanted a cigarette right now. This was making him nervous. He fidgeted with his fingers. “Well, uh, Mr. Redlin,”
“Chuck. Please call me Chuck.”
The bashful smile returned, “Chuck, I, uh, I have a band.”
“Do ya now?” He looked John over sizing him up. “I figured you did something like that, what with all the ink there.” Gennie’s dad pointed out the tattoos as if John had never seen them before. “Do you live here in town?”
“Well, no,” he admitted hesitantly. “I live in California right now, but my home’s in Buffalo, New York.”
“California? Must be some band you got there.”
John glanced self-consciously at his feet. “Yeah. Um, Gennie went on tour with us last month.”
“Oh, that was you? So you do Ok then,” Mr. Redlin smiled at him.
The man’s smile put him at ease. “Yeah. I do alright,” he laughed.
“I don’t know about you, John, but I’d love some limeade right now. I’ll be right back with a couple glasses.”
He climbed the stairs to the kitchen and found his wife and daughter pouring glasses of the tangy drink. He greeted Helen with a kiss, then turned to Gennie. “So, Gen-erator,” he teased, tousling her hair, “Datin’ a rock star, I see.”
Gen rolled her eyes; she did that a lot around her parents. She found his habit of making a play on her name annoying since she was a little kid, but she knew she could never change him. “Yeah Dad, I guess so.”
“You’re not gonna go get tattooed like that, are ya?”
“No Dad, I’m not.”
“Good girl.” He scratched his head and loosened his tie. “What’s with all the jewelry, anyway? The guy has earrings! Two of ‘em!”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” she retorted.
“No, I guess not. If that’s what he likes.” He grinned and gave Gen a playful poke in the arm. “If that’s what you like.”
“Chuck!” Mrs. Redlin admonished, “Don’t tease her like that. Of course she likes this boy.”
“Mom!” Gen whined, frustrated. “You talk about him like he’s 17… Like I’m 17! We’re not! He wanted to meet you so I brought him over. It wasn’t my idea. Now don’t embarrass him… or me!”
“Aw hell, Gen, he seems like a nice guy.” Her father slinked off to his room to change from his work clothes. “I don’t know about your mother, but I like ‘im,” he called from down the hall.