again in seven weeks?
***
John and I were hunkered down in the same corner booth we sat in the first time I came in and saw Easton. Today I was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, complete with aviator sunglasses and a Seattle Mariners ball cap, to disguise myself a little bit. Thankfully, we didn’t see any photographers on the way over here. I wondered if East was working today. I should have asked him earlier, but didn’t even think about it.
“So who’s this guy we’re meeting?” John asked while browsing the menu.
I shrugged. “Just some guy I met.”
“Anyone important?”
“Depends on who you’re talking to, I guess. Everyone’s important to somebody.”
“You sound so wise right now,” he joked.
“Oh, I am. It just took you longer than normal to realize it.” I raised an eyebrow and turned around, hoping to see Brad and Karen.
“You’re full of jokes today, kid.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. Hearing the bell ring on the front door, I turned back a second time and waved to Brad and his daughter. “That’s his daughter. Don’t scare her.”
John chuckled. “I’m not a monster.”
“Just be good.”
“I’m not a dog, either.”
I didn’t have anything witty to say, so I stuck my tongue out at him again, instead.
“Hey, Aisley.”
“Hey, Brad.” I smiled at them, taking off the hat and glasses. “And this must be Karen.”
“Hi.” She smiled shyly and hid behind her dad’s leg.
I stood up, offering them the booth and scooting in beside John.
“Your dad’s been telling me all about you, Karen,” I said.
“He has?” Her eyes bugged out of her head and she looked over at her dad in awe.
“Yep.” I smiled.
“Who’s he?” Karen pointed to John.
“Don’t mind John.” I winked. “He’s just my chaperone.”
“Like on a field trip?”
“Not quite. See Aisley is so popular that sometimes people get too close, and John, here, keeps them from hurting her,” Brad explained.
“Oh. So more like a superhero,” Karen decided. John grinned. Who would have thought that big, burly, boxer John would have such a soft spot for kids? We studied the menu for a few minutes, each deciding what we wanted.
Even though I didn’t want it, I chose a cheeseburger and French fries.
“What can we get started for you?” My head snapped up, hearing his voice.
“Aisley,” Easton said, shocked.
“Hey.”
East looked between us, and gave me a weird look before letting a smile settle on his face.
“Sorry, I’m being rude. Easton, I think you remember Brad from the other night? Meet Brad’s daughter, Karen. Karen, this is my good friend, Easton.”
She stuck her hand out politely, waiting for him to shake it. Easton gave the girl a big lopsided grin, taking her tiny hand in his. “It’s very nice to meet you, Karen. Any friend of Aisley’s, is a friend of mine.”
“She’s so cool, huh?” Karen beamed.
I smiled to Brad, and he mouthed ‘thank you’ back.
“Yeah,” Easton replied. “She’s pretty cool.”
After ordering, and getting our food, we talked mostly about Karen and how she was in the second grade—starting in the Fall—and how this boy, Jimmy Tersely, always teased her on the playground last year. And how she hoped he would be nicer next year.
That reminded me of when East and I were second graders. He was relentless, always chasing Becks and me around the playground. That whole year I had a love-hate relationship with him. Some days he was the sweetest little kid on the planet. Other days, he was the biggest bully I knew.
“So what’s it like on TV?” Karen asked, sipping on her chocolate milk.
I giggled. “It’s pretty fun. I love to sing.”
“Me, too. I want to be just like you when I grow up.”
“That’s sweet. I’ll bet you have a beautiful voice.”
Karen blushed. “Yeah, well, Jimmy says I sound like a frog.”
“I’ll bet Jimmy is just jealous.” I winked.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
When we
***
John and I were hunkered down in the same corner booth we sat in the first time I came in and saw Easton. Today I was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, complete with aviator sunglasses and a Seattle Mariners ball cap, to disguise myself a little bit. Thankfully, we didn’t see any photographers on the way over here. I wondered if East was working today. I should have asked him earlier, but didn’t even think about it.
“So who’s this guy we’re meeting?” John asked while browsing the menu.
I shrugged. “Just some guy I met.”
“Anyone important?”
“Depends on who you’re talking to, I guess. Everyone’s important to somebody.”
“You sound so wise right now,” he joked.
“Oh, I am. It just took you longer than normal to realize it.” I raised an eyebrow and turned around, hoping to see Brad and Karen.
“You’re full of jokes today, kid.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. Hearing the bell ring on the front door, I turned back a second time and waved to Brad and his daughter. “That’s his daughter. Don’t scare her.”
John chuckled. “I’m not a monster.”
“Just be good.”
“I’m not a dog, either.”
I didn’t have anything witty to say, so I stuck my tongue out at him again, instead.
“Hey, Aisley.”
“Hey, Brad.” I smiled at them, taking off the hat and glasses. “And this must be Karen.”
“Hi.” She smiled shyly and hid behind her dad’s leg.
I stood up, offering them the booth and scooting in beside John.
“Your dad’s been telling me all about you, Karen,” I said.
“He has?” Her eyes bugged out of her head and she looked over at her dad in awe.
“Yep.” I smiled.
“Who’s he?” Karen pointed to John.
“Don’t mind John.” I winked. “He’s just my chaperone.”
“Like on a field trip?”
“Not quite. See Aisley is so popular that sometimes people get too close, and John, here, keeps them from hurting her,” Brad explained.
“Oh. So more like a superhero,” Karen decided. John grinned. Who would have thought that big, burly, boxer John would have such a soft spot for kids? We studied the menu for a few minutes, each deciding what we wanted.
Even though I didn’t want it, I chose a cheeseburger and French fries.
“What can we get started for you?” My head snapped up, hearing his voice.
“Aisley,” Easton said, shocked.
“Hey.”
East looked between us, and gave me a weird look before letting a smile settle on his face.
“Sorry, I’m being rude. Easton, I think you remember Brad from the other night? Meet Brad’s daughter, Karen. Karen, this is my good friend, Easton.”
She stuck her hand out politely, waiting for him to shake it. Easton gave the girl a big lopsided grin, taking her tiny hand in his. “It’s very nice to meet you, Karen. Any friend of Aisley’s, is a friend of mine.”
“She’s so cool, huh?” Karen beamed.
I smiled to Brad, and he mouthed ‘thank you’ back.
“Yeah,” Easton replied. “She’s pretty cool.”
After ordering, and getting our food, we talked mostly about Karen and how she was in the second grade—starting in the Fall—and how this boy, Jimmy Tersely, always teased her on the playground last year. And how she hoped he would be nicer next year.
That reminded me of when East and I were second graders. He was relentless, always chasing Becks and me around the playground. That whole year I had a love-hate relationship with him. Some days he was the sweetest little kid on the planet. Other days, he was the biggest bully I knew.
“So what’s it like on TV?” Karen asked, sipping on her chocolate milk.
I giggled. “It’s pretty fun. I love to sing.”
“Me, too. I want to be just like you when I grow up.”
“That’s sweet. I’ll bet you have a beautiful voice.”
Karen blushed. “Yeah, well, Jimmy says I sound like a frog.”
“I’ll bet Jimmy is just jealous.” I winked.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
When we
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