When I called Melvin from my car phone and told him that there wasn’t going to be an interview, he wasn’t too concerned, he didn’t have room for it anyway. Go figure. I wasn’t too upset about the whole thing, but I decided if I ever saw Evan Johanson again, it would be too soon.
I showered when I got home, hoping that Shannon couldn’t tell what had happened. She knew, though, it was the best friend sixth sense. Oh she didn’t automatically know all the dirty details, that didn’t matter, she had scare tactics.
“What are you doing home so early?” she asked when she saw me exit the bathroom and head for the kitchen.
“My interview was canceled.” I said briefly, I took some Ben and Jerry’s out of the freezer then sat at the kitchen table in my robe eating it out of the container.
“What happened?” Shannon using her keen observation skills picked up on my mood.
“Nothing.” I said evasively. “The guy wasn’t there when I called for the interview.”
“U-huh. Which guy was that?” wheedle wheedle wheedle. She could pick up on anything.
“No one important.” I took another bite of ice cream. Shannon got a spoon out the one of the drawers and took a scoop of ice cream for herself.
“Good ice cream. It was Evan wasn’t it.” I felt suddenly trapped. “Noooo, why would you say that?” she couldn’t have known.
“Cause there is mud on your car, and a message on the answering machine.” I took another angry bite of ice cream. I wouldn’t have noticed, I was too intent on taking a shower.
“And what did this message say?” I was now angry again, and no amount of chocolate ice cream was going to help. I gave the container to Shannon.
“He said something along the lines of if you wanted a re-match you could call him. He would just be at his parents’ house, nursing the shiner you gave him.”
“Good,” I said satisfied at what my angry had produced. Shannon arched one slim eye brow at me. “Oh for Pete’s sake I am not going to call him. I have a date with Greg tonight, and Evan Johanson can go to the devil. And you can erase that message. I’M NOT GOING TO CALL HIM.”
I stumbled out of the kitchen and to my room to get dressed. I pulled out a pair of faded jeans, I wasn’t going to wear a damn skirt again, that’s was for sure, all they did was get me into trouble. I shrugged into a t-shirt then found one of my worn ratty sweaters from high school. If Greg didn’t like it he could go to hell too. I swept my auburn tresses up into a short pony tail on top of my head, and didn’t put any make up on. I went into the living room carrying an old pair of Dr. Martin’s that had seen better days. Shannon looked up some what amused at my appearance. “I thought you had retired that sweater?”
“Nope,” I pouted. I saw where Shannon had wrote down Evan’s number and I crumbled the piece of paper in my hand. She only smiled, “That’s okay, I memorized it.” and she rattled the 7 digits off.
“I hate you.” I told her, she only stuck her tongue out.The door bell rang, it was Greg, Shannon let him in while I struggled to get into my boots. It was useless of course. I hadn’t worn them for years, and after being carted across continents they were just done. Frustrated I threw one in the general direction of my bedroom. I missed and it hit the wall. “You will have to excuse Randy,” I heard Shannon say, “She is going through a sort of crisis.” Shannon knew very well why I was in such a mood and she wasn’t helping by saying it under Greg’s nose. She ducked as I flung the other boot at her. I stalked to my bedroom to retrieve my sneakers. Of course Greg had to follow me.
“Are you all right Randy?” he sounded just a tad concerned, he looked at my clothes and frowned. I always dressed impeccably around him. I guess I was trying to impress him. I just didn’t feel like it right now.
“Just super!” I looked under my bed for my running shoes. I had used them that morning but now they seemed to have disappeared, just like every last bit of common sense in my head. Greg pulled me up my waist, and turned me around to face him.
***
I got into the passenger side of Greg’s jeep after the movie. Greg had seemed preoccupied all evening and I felt guilty about my feelings for him, so I let him sulk. Finally, as he put the Jeep into drive I couldn’t take it anymore. ‘What’s the matter with you Greg?”
“What’s the matter with you?”He fired back.
“I’m not the one who had 2 whole words to say tonight, so you better tell me what’s up your ass, before I put something there.”
“Me, I didn’t throw a boot and almost hit my best friend in the head, or were you aiming at me?”
“Trust me Greg, if I were aiming at you I would have hit you.” I said gruffly he wasn’t the only one with perfect aim. “And you aren’t pissed because I almost knocked Shannon senseless.” Now wouldn’t be the time to bring up Evan, but I was playing fast and loose, “You have been in a snit since yesterday, when you had that argument with Evan.”
“So.” I could see him physically tense up.
“What were you and good old Evan talking about?” I pressured, pushing my luck.
“Nothing that concerns you.” It wasn’t what he said, but the way he said it that clued me into how really mad he was. “What did you two talk about last night at dinner?” His voice rose an octave higher as if questioning my honesty.
“Nothing important.” Greg wouldn’t have found out about my encounter with Evan this afternoon, and comparing it to the reaction that he had on me going out with Evan the night before, it wouldn’t be pretty if he did know.“Is that what you are pissed about?”
“Not entirely.” His voice suddenly became very dark and sinister, I almost didn’t recognize it. It made me very uncomfortable just sitting beside him. Fortunately my house came into view and Greg brought the jeep to a stop. He turned toward me as if he had something further to say. I unbuckled my seat belt, waiting for his diatribe. It never came. He grabbed me by the forearms and pulled me across the distance mashing his mouth over mine in a brutal kiss. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, this was something he was doing to punish me. I instantly pushed away from him and he released me as if he had done nothing. Stunned, I slide out of the jeep without saying a single word. I was shaking when I opened the door. Shannon took one look at me and I burst into tears.