“I need you to come to my dad’s place for dinner. He’s inviting his girlfriend and her daughter and it’s going to be really boring. I need you to keep me entertained.”
“Really, Chad? I doubt it could be that bad.”
“I don’t know. My dad is being all weird and secretive about it. He’s even cooking and wants me to help. He specifically told me to make sure I look presentable.”
“Wow, he asks too much of you,” Ted said sarcastically. “What do you know about this daughter?”
“Not a single thing. If I know my dad, I bet she’s some rich snob. Or she’ll be really nerdy and boring.”
“What if she’s hot?” Ted asked.
“What if she’s sixteen?” I countered. “Are you really thinking about getting with this mystery girl?”
“You’re the one who invited me.”
I paused. He was right. If I wanted him to come over and provide emotional support, I needed to make this sound more enticing.
“She could be our age,” I said. “And if my dad found his woman attractive, then there’s a chance her daughter is too.”
“I’m not thrilled with this offer,” he said, “but if there’s going to be good food, I’m in. What do we do if the daughter is hot?”
“What do you mean? I’m not going to do anyth
ing, you pervert. Are you asking if you can have dibs?”
“Maybe?”
I laughed. “If you like what you find, you can go for it. I’m staying out of this one.”
“Okay, cool,” he said. “Let me know what time dinner is, and I’ll come over in my Sunday best. Are you sure this is fine with your dad?”
“Yeah, it’s no problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When I got home, I flopped into my bed and pulled the sheets up over my head. My headache from the previous night’s antics throbbed as I tried to push all of my problems out of my mind. Between work, family drama, and girl problems, I was ready for a break. Unfortunately, my one big day off would be spent making small talk with strangers.
I suppose I should have been happier for my dad. He had gone through a lot in his life and deserved to have someone to keep him company. When my mom died, my older siblings were already out of the house and had lives of their own. So, as the youngest, I felt like it was my task to spend time with my dad. However, I wasn’t always the best at that. I felt the responsibility to behave myself in front of someone he cared about. Not only would it make him happy, but it would get me off the hook and make me feel less guilty when I chose to spend my free time alone.
Besides, I wasn’t an animal. It wouldn’t be that hard to look nice and act respectable for one afternoon. I was a sarcastic asshole with a love of beer and hot girls, but I could play the kind and caring medical professional. It would be boring, but I could do it. Then, I could find the nearest bar and chat up the poor, sad college students who couldn’t go home for the holidays. It could still be a very happy Christmas after all.
Chapter Five
Whitney
I woke up on Christmas morning with a knot in my stomach. My mom had some big surprise for me and told me to keep the day completely open. I hated surprises.
Christmas was usually a quiet affair. As an only child of divorced parents, I used to look forward to the mountains of presents I would receive from each family. Now that I was older and could buy everything I could want, it just wasn’t the same. My dad had remarried and moved with his family to Vermont, and I rarely saw him. We were never particularly close, so it didn’t break my heart to spend the rest of the holidays with my mom and her family instead.
As I got older, even these family gatherings changed. My cousins were all around my age, and I was the only one who wasn’t married yet. In terms of being an adult, I was way behind. Most of them had their own kids and didn’t come to our holiday parties anymore. So, more often than not these days, I spend the holidays with my mom and whoever else happens to be available on that day.
When I look back on the weeks leading up to Christmas, I could see that something was going on with her. At the time, I was too absorbed in my own work to realize that she was up to something. She didn’t take me to brunch on weekends as often, but I was so exhausted from working on-call shifts that I found it to be a relief. If I had paid attention, there would have been no surprise.
So, a little before noon, I put on a simple long-sleeved dress with patterned tights. I liked to make a good first impression on whomever we were meeting. In my sleep-deprived state, I really believed that my mom was taking me to one of her friends’ house to set me up with their child. She had been nagging me about not going out on dates, so it seemed like the only logical answer. Plus, it would be wise of her to trick me into a blind date on Christmas Day because there was no chance I’d willingly do something like that.
Once my hair was perfectly curled and my makeup was simple, yet sophisticated, I patiently waited in my living room for my mom to pick me up. Right on time, her black BMW pulled up into my driveway, and I greeted her with a hug.
“When are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked nervously. I twirled a strand of hair around my finger.
“Relax.” She laughed. “It’s going to be a nice afternoon.”
“How can I relax when I have no idea what you’re throwing me into? It’s not some attempt to set me up with someone, is it?”