They always ended up in a fight about tarragon vs. saffron and I was stuck in the middle and would have to decide if I’m Team Tarragon or Team Saffron. It could be exhausting.
“I haven’t seen the guy since high school. I don’t even know what he looks like.” The last time I’d seen him, he was as tall and thin as a beanpole and had braces. Not bad-looking; there was definitely potential, but he just wasn’t my type. I liked them more . . . redheaded . . .
“I thought you were friends on Facebook,” Dad finally chimed in. He always let Mom go first and then came in after with the cavalry. Time for evasive maneuvers.
“No, we aren’t. Listen, I’m kind of seeing someone.” They both stared at me, and I willed myself to pull this off. I didn’t have a backup plan. This was my one shot.
I gave myself a brief Braveheart-esque pep talk and then plunged ahead.
“Yeah, I went to the bar the other night with the girls and I met this guy there. His name is Blaine and we’ve been on a few dates. Everything is so new and that’s why I didn’t tell you.” I stopped firing and waited for the response. Mom and Dad shared one of those parent looks that you can never quite figure out and Mom dabbed her mouth with her napkin.
“I don’t see why Blaine would have any problem with you having lunch with an old friend. He’s not one of those possessive boys is he? Because I don’t want you dating someone like that.” Dad nodded his agreement.
I had to go easy, or else they’d smell my fear.
“He’s not possessive. I just . . . I don’t want to make it seem like I’m going out with a bunch of guys. Plus, have you asked if Fin is seeing anyone?” Ha! Bet they didn’t think about that.
My brief moment of victory was stomped on when Mom got up to go get the rest of the dishes for the main course of her fabulous pork chops, mashed potatoes and garlic green beans.
“For your information, Fin is not seeing anyone and I don’t think it would do any harm to have coffee with him. Just coffee, Rory.” Coffee. I was NOT “having coffee” with Fin the way I’d “had coffee” with Lucas.
“What’s so funny?” Dad got up to help her with the dishes and I started clearing the salad plates.
“Nothing.”
They both stared at me, and my defenses started crumbling. I was no match for them.
“Okay, okay. Coffee.” I waved my pitiful white flag and started treating the wounded. There were many causalities.
But then Mom was beaming and Dad was jolly and the rest of the dinner they were all glowy and happy and I’d get over it. This was what happened when you were an only child. Your parents teamed up against you.
Hopefully it would be just actual coffee with Fin and it would be boring and we would both agree never to do it again and then that would be it for at least five years.
This was the plan.
~*~*~
Of course, the plan only worked in my head because as soon as I walked in the door from my parents’ house, my phone rang with an unknown number. I went to my bedroom, passing a curious Sloane before I shut the door and put the phone to my ear.
“Hello?” I didn’t usually answer unknown numbers, but I figured this was probably Fin, and I was right.
“Hello, this is Fin Herald.” I almost dropped the phone. The Fin Herald I remembered did not sound like that. This guy had a deep voice. Puberty had been good to him.
“Hi, Fin, this is Rory. Wow, you didn’t waste any time.” Stupid words. Why must you come out of my mouth at the wrong time? Just because I think you, doesn’t mean I need to say you out loud.
He laughed.
“Yeah, my mother wasn’t going to let a day go by. Look, I’m really sorry about this. Not that I haven’t wondered what you’ve been up to, but I don’t want you to feel awkward about this.”
I sat down on my bed and slipped my shoes off. “So your parents ambushed you, too?”
“Something like that. They did all but strap me down in the chair and hold a gun to my head to call you and ask you to coffee. You seriously don’t have to say yes.” Huh. The guy I remembered was not this confident. Or funny.
“No, it’s fine. If we don’t do this, they’ll never get it out of their systems,” I said.
“Good point. So, um, what have you been up to since high school?”
Thus began the catch up. He loved his job and he got to travel a lot and I told him about mine and how much crap I got for having a vagina and being in the tech field and we laughed and it was like we’d been close for years. We never got along this well in high school.