~~~
After a night of sharing sodium-soaked Chinese food with Dex and watching old seasons of The Simpsons together in semi-awkwardness, I felt bloated and gross the next day. I took Fat Rabbit for a walk and brought my phone along, knowing I had an important phone call to get out of the way.
I really didn’t want to talk to my parents. Call me scared and selfish and I won’t argue with you. The thought of having to face that mess terrified me but there was no way around it. I could procrastinate all I wanted, but the longer I left it, the more damaging it would be. For them, and probably for me.
I walked around the neighborhood several times as I made that call, past the pink elephant car wash and the duck buses, around brick apartment buildings and tourists heading to the Space Needle, even though the view would be stunted on this low clouded day. Fat Rabbit was looking seriously annoyed and dragging his lazy butt behind but the exercise would do him good and I was too anxious to care.
I talked to my dad first. Most of the conversation revolved around him yelling at me, while I tried to get a word in edgewise. The rest of it was a full-on guilt trip. I can’t say I didn’t understand where he was coming from. I know it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to my family for me to just leave so abruptly, especially when I was in such a mentally fragile state. And maybe they were right, too, to be concerned about me.
But I’d gone too far to turn back now. Earlier I had told Jimmy that Dex and I would do the “Sasquatch Special.” A new contract was faxed over to which we both signed, and it included the new pay raise. It was barely enough to survive on but it was a lot more than it was before. Even though I made sure the contract was on a show-by-show basis, so I wouldn’t get roped into something I’d regret, I was still committed. And it felt good. My head and heart were all over the place and that one sense of stability is what I needed to keep going and not turn back.
Talking to Ada was the hardest. She called me back after I hung up with my parents and she sounded almost weepy over the phone. She missed me and dealing with my parents alone was harder than she thought.
“Can you hear my thoughts?” I asked her, looking into the warm interior of Top Pot Doughnuts and debating a sweet treat.
“No,” she said. “Nothing. You’re probably too far away. What were you thinking about?”
“Donuts,” I told her.
“You’re probably not passionate enough about donuts,” she said.
“Well I used to be.”
“Can Dex hear you?” she asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Maybe it’s just a family thing.”
“Yeah. Though I thought Maximus heard me that one time. Speaking of the douchecanoe, has he been around?”
She sighed. “Of course. Like, just this morning. But good news is that dad is like totally bored of him or something so he just told him to go.”
“Good.” Maximus now seemed like the ultimate meddler.
“So you’re going back to the Experiment in Terror show now? Seriously, are you sure that’s a wise idea?” I could hear the disapproval across the line.
I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see it. “You sound just like Dex.”
“Why? He doesn’t want you to do it?”
“No, not really. He agreed now, but originally he told Jimmy that I wouldn’t be a part of it. It didn’t matter though, Jimmy wanted me and we both managed to convince Dex.”
“Are you sure you convinced Dex? Maybe this was his backward way of convincing you.”
I paused, my stomach heavy. “No, I don’t think so. He was pretty determined to not let me do it. I think I believe him. He’s pretty worried about me.”
“Well I’m glad someone there is. It’s hard to worry all the way down here.”
“You’re three hours away, Ada,” I told her. “And I’ll be back soon. I need to get the rest of my stuff and my bike. We’re heading to BC to film in a couple of days, so I might come down in like a week or so.”
“Here’s hoping they’ve calmed down by then. They’re being so spazzy and so unfair.”
“That sounds like mom and dad.”
“Well, stay in touch, all righty?” she pleaded. “And if all else fails, use the shining.”
I giggled. “Yes, and I will expect you to show up with an axe and a snowmobile.”
Pause. “What’s that from?”
“The…Shining. Haven’t you…oh nevermind. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I hung up the phone and decided to skip the doughnut. But while I got closer the apartment, I ducked into the convenience store across the street. They didn’t have donuts but they did have a sign that said “Fresh Beer” and a cute sandy-haired guy behind the counter who was filling large jugs from the tap for “to go” beer.
“Need some beer?” the cute guy asked. He looked to be maybe around 25-years old, of average height and nice build, very cute smile and a funny Battlestar Gallactica t-shirt.
I smiled shyly, glad I put some effort into my appearance that morning and looked at the clock on the wall. “It’s after noon, is that allowed?”
He grinned and grabbed a jug. “You seem like a girl who makes her own rules, so sure why not. What will it be?”
I picked an amber ale, even though I really hadn’t planned on drinking half a liter of beer before my gynecologist appointment. Oh well, it felt good to be out and meeting the neighbors.
“I haven’t seen you around before,” he said as he pulled back on the tap, keeping his eyes on me yet somehow not spilling a drop.
“I just moved to the city,” I told him, fidgeting with my plaid scarf.
“Where did you move from?”
“Portland.”
“Well, welcome to Seattle.” He put down the jug and wiped his hand on a dishtowel. He held it out for me with a big, dimple-inducing smile. “I’m Paul.”
I shook his hand. “Perry.”
“Pretty name for a pretty girl,” he said, and cranked a cap on the beer bottle. “Hope you enjoy the beer. If you do, come back here and let me know. I could take you to the brewery where they make these puppies.”
“Speaking of puppies,” a voice called out from behind us.
I whirled around to see Dex had strolled in the store. My palms immediately felt sweaty.