Love Under Quarantine

“Son…” He has that warning in his voice I have zero desire to hear.

“Just think about it, Dad. Okay? Talk to Curt, yeah?” I put a call to my baby brother on my radar for sometime today too. Get myself an ally. Curt would be happy to get Dad out of that back-breaking work in the cannery, but he may not take too kindly to his brother buying him a bar.

Hmm. What if I told them I needed the investment and they were going to own a third of it since they’d be the ones running it? Might make it sound more palatable. I’ll talk to Sadie about it. Get her thoughts.

“I’ll think about it,” he says begrudgingly. “If you tell me what the hell is going on with all these media outlets claiming my boy is doing drugs.”

I can’t look my dad in the eyes. Even though I didn’t do it, I still feel a ton of guilt my father even has to hear this crap.

“Polly’s on it. We released my statement on the image along with the blood, urine, and hair test results that cleared me of doing anything wrong.”

“Then why on God’s green Earth are they saying you may lose your job on the Marauders? If you’re cleared, you’re cleared. End of. What does the coach have to say about all of this?”

“There’s more than the jacked-up pictures, Dad. More you don’t know about.”

I glance at my father and note how his face changes from frustrated to concerned in a few beats. “Like what?”

“Coach had my locker searched after the party pics came out and found steroids.” I toss in the ingredients to my smoothie and hit blend.

While I’m blending, I watch his entire face turn beet red. I hit stop and pull the pitcher off and pour my drink, afraid for the first time at how my father is going to respond.

“’Roids!” His voice is filled to the brim with rage. “Blasphemy! Who’s got it out for you? No way in hell my boy would cheat the system and shoot poison up his veins to get a better record. That’s not the son your mamma and I raised. Nut uh. No way. No how. You’ve got a bad seed on that team, son.”

I close my eyes and set my arms against the countertop to hold myself up. The relief of hearing my dad refusing to even entertain the thought that I was juicing lifts a huge weight from my body and psyche. Tears hit the back of my eyes and a lump of emotion lodges in my throat.

“Thank you, Dad,” I mutter.

“For what? Knowing my son isn’t a cheater? Never would have crossed my mind. You’re all about the game. It’s the only woman you’ve ever claimed.”

I grin wide, the worry and fear of moments before dissipating with my father’s acceptance, belief, and mentioning a woman.

“Speaking of women, I’m actually seeing someone.” I smile and suck back a nice portion of my drink. Shit, even the strawberry flavor of the smoothie now reminds me of my girl.

The realization hits me flat in the solar plexus. This is the first time I’ve ever thought of a woman as being mine. And I like it. A lot.

“Really? That’s good news. Very good news. Means one day I might not die an old man with no grandbabies to call my own.”

“Dad, you’re fifty-two years old.”

“And? I want little mini-Sparks running around when I’m young enough to chase ’em!” He smiles and winks.

“Man, I miss you. How’s Curt?”

“Fine, fine. Tell me more about this woman you’re seeing. And better yet, how in the world are you seeing her right now with the state being on lockdown?”

“You’re never gonna believe this, but she lives in the apartment next door. We met on the balcony. Got to talking. Went to the grocery store together. Talk on the phone. Watch movies at the same time from our separate apartments. We even make one another meals and leave them by each other’s doors.”

“Shee-it. Sounds to me like you’re courting her, son. That has to be a first for you.”

I smile and rub at my chin. “You know what, you’re right. We haven’t so much as touched, but I swear I’m closer to her than any other woman in the whole world. It’s like she gets me on a different level. And when she talks, she’s so funny. The woman makes me laugh until my gut hurts. And Dad, she’s fuckin’ gorgeous.”

“Oh? Make an old man happy and give me the details. Need something to talk about to the guys in the breakroom.”

“Oh, man. Shoulder-length blonde hair. Looks thick and soft too. Big blue eyes I want to stare into for hours. A cupid’s bow-shaped mouth that I can’t wait to kiss.” I smile thinking about her features, having memorized them. “My Sadie has these high rounded cheek bones that always seem to be a little pink and two small dimples just along the side of her mouth.” I look off into the distance at the blank wall and let the vision of her fill my mind. “She’s something else, Dad. And her body…” I whistle and grin. “Out of this world. Curves for days.”