If I were being perfectly honest, it wasn’t just the sex. I appreciated talking to someone about things and people that really mattered to me. Maybe this was stolen time and maybe it wouldn’t last, but damn, it felt pretty damn nice not to feel so alone.
Johnny
Monopoly. Hmm.
Damn, I had a big fucking mouth sometimes. The last time I’d played, I was Penny’s age. I was invited to stay for dinner at a friend’s house on a Friday, which turned out to be their weekly family game night. And that week it was Monopoly. They couldn’t believe I’d never played. They went out of their way to include me and patiently explained the rules. I don’t think I won, but I had fun. In retrospect, I think they enjoyed teaching a newbie and having fresh blood to spice up their routine. Me? I enjoyed the novelty of being part of a family unit…if only for a few hours. In fact, I’d liked it so much I told them they could invite me over whenever they needed another player.
The next week, we played Clue. The week after…Life. They talked about teaching us how to play Risk the following Friday, but my invite never came.
I didn’t hold it against my friend. Honestly, I’d expected it. He’d begun to distance himself from me, which probably had something to do with my mom picking me up from school drunk off her ass and wearing a bikini. No doubt his parents had heard the story and told him to steer clear of little Johnny in case her brand of self-destruction was contagious.
So there you have it. I really didn’t know shit about Monopoly. I knew less about hanging out with families and kids.
The only other kid I spent any time with was Charlie’s little brother, Oliver, who used to come by Gray and Justin’s house to hang out with the band after school before we opened Scratch Records. We called him our band mascot and took turns teaching him chords or showing off our skateboarding or diving skills on our breaks. I liked kids, though. They were easier than adults by far.
So why was I nervous to spend a couple of hours with Parker and Penny?
Oh yeah, I had a crush on their dad.
“Oh, my gosh, you’re here! I’m so excited!” Penny pulled me by the wrist into the foyer. “Dad made tacos. Hurry. Are you hungry? I’m hungry. He made rice and beans too, but they’re a little spicy. Do you like spicy food?”
Sean smiled warmly in greeting, casting an amused glance between his daughter and me before closing the door and following us into the great room. Parker looked up from his perch at the island. I thought I saw a glimmer of childlike joy, but he quickly tamped it down and gave me a noncommittal half smile instead. I held up my hand for a high five, sliding into the stool next to his.
“How’s it goin’, Parker?” I asked after I assured Penny that I was excited, hungry, and loved spicy food.
“G-good. D-did you bring your guitar?”
“Yeah, I left it by the front door.” I grabbed a tortilla chip from the bowl on the island, then cast my gaze toward Sean and Penny busily cutting limes and avocado. I lowered my voice for his ears only. “Hey, just so you know, Monopoly was my idea.”
And that part was true. We needed a ruse for this night to make sense, so I suggested a mini concert. Parker could show his dad what he’d learned and to make it worth my while, Sean would invite me over for dinner. I didn’t know how Monopoly made sense, and I had a feeling Parker wondered the same thing.
“Why do you want to play so bad?” he asked, cocking his head curiously.
“I don’t, but I didn’t want to put you on the spot with the concert thing. It’s less pressure when you know you’re not the only form of entertainment.”
Parker gave a bored shrug. “It’s not really a c-concert.”
“Call it whatever you want. It’s a dinner with friends too.”
“You mean with m-my dad?”
“No, dufus. I mean you.” I shoved his arm playfully and gave myself a mental fist bump when his reluctant smile turned into a real one. “Did you practice?”
“Yeah, a little.”
“Well, try not to suck,” I teased. “I’ve got a reputation to think about.”
Parker chuckled at my over-the-top brow waggle, then seemed to visibly relax. I didn’t know if my good-natured teasing put him at ease or if he noticed that I was a bit nervous too. Misery loves company, right?
This was a new one for me. I wondered how many kids realized how fucked up adults were. I had seventeen years on this kid, but I still had plenty of awkward moments, and I occasionally wrestled with feeling like I didn’t belong, didn’t fit in, or doubted my worth.