Justin grabbed the receiver.
“Yeah,” he answered. “We’re fine, just ready to get out of here.” I wished I could hear the voice on the other end. With all my nervous energy, I almost ripped the phone from his hand.
“Oh, come on. You can’t be serious,” he replied, looking deflated. “Can you at least contact Rob Froch on the fifty-second floor and let him know we’re in here? He’s expecting us.” His words immediately took the wind from my sails also.I slid back down against the elevator wall, waiting for the inevitable bad news.
“It may be a couple hours at least before they can get someone here to fix it,” Justin complained as he hung up the receiver.
8.
November 2010
Meeting Justin’s family was as awkward as I thought it would be. His mother was pleasant during the introductions, but judging by the surprised look on her face, my visit was as unexpected for her as it was for me. I kept a smile plastered to my face as we exchanged pleasantries, while I plotted Justin’s demise the entire time in my mind. Things became more comfortable after his brother and sister joined us, and I watched how they interacted together. He teased his little sister, Hollie, mercifully, but she ate it up. It became glaringly obvious Justin was her hero. His younger brother, Travis, instantly drew me in with his intuitiveness and tender but humorous insight. During dinner he regaled us with stories that I’m sure Justinwould rather have remained family secrets. My stomach ached from laughing so hard. It turned out Justin’s mother was a teacher, which made for smooth conversation also. We talked about my majoring in education and how things had changed in public schools during her twenty-five years of teaching. Things had gone so well at that point that I was in the process of silently patting myself on the back, when of course the inevitable happened, and I dropped a stack of dishes as I was helping clear the table. Justin, Travis, and Hollie had all responded by applauding at me standing among the pile of broken dishes. Suddenly, Justin’s demise became an option again.
“I’m really sorry about the dishes,” I apologized for the hundredth time as Trish, Justin’s mom, walked us to the front door.
“Honey, it’s really no big deal. They were a gift from my former in-laws, so you actually did me a favor,” she said, patting me on the back.
I returned her smile, even though I felt like a complete heel.
“Come back and break dishes soon,” Hollie teased from the couch, where she was reading a book.
I grimaced at her words as everyone else laughed at my expense.
“Are you ready, or was there something else you’d like to drop?” Justin joked before opening the door and guiding me out.
“I should kill you for that,” I complained as we made our way back to his jeep.
“Who are you trying to kid? I saw the way you were smiling. You enjoyed yourself. Admit it,” Justin chided me as he openedthe door to the jeep. He and Travis had reinstalled the roof and doors after dinner. His mom had chastised him about trying to freeze me out. I tried to reassure her it wasn’t all that bad, but she’d played the mother card and gave the guys no choice in the matter. The nighttime drop in temperature made me silently thankful for her insight. I would have frozen my butt off.
“Fine. It wasn’t as bad as getting the skin on my face melted off,” I declared, buckling my seat belt. “Though I could have done without the dish disaster.”
“Well, I would hope not.”
“They were cool,” I admitted, trying to keep things in perspective.
“They thought you were ‘cool’ too,” he said dryly, seeing through my nonchalant façade.
“So, you don’t live on campus?” I asked as he cranked the engine.
“No. I moved back home when my dad decided to make an example out of Travis. He moved out and I moved in.”
“What do you mean ‘make an example out of Travis’?” I couldn’t picture anyone
“Yeah,” he answered. “We’re fine, just ready to get out of here.” I wished I could hear the voice on the other end. With all my nervous energy, I almost ripped the phone from his hand.
“Oh, come on. You can’t be serious,” he replied, looking deflated. “Can you at least contact Rob Froch on the fifty-second floor and let him know we’re in here? He’s expecting us.” His words immediately took the wind from my sails also.I slid back down against the elevator wall, waiting for the inevitable bad news.
“It may be a couple hours at least before they can get someone here to fix it,” Justin complained as he hung up the receiver.
8.
November 2010
Meeting Justin’s family was as awkward as I thought it would be. His mother was pleasant during the introductions, but judging by the surprised look on her face, my visit was as unexpected for her as it was for me. I kept a smile plastered to my face as we exchanged pleasantries, while I plotted Justin’s demise the entire time in my mind. Things became more comfortable after his brother and sister joined us, and I watched how they interacted together. He teased his little sister, Hollie, mercifully, but she ate it up. It became glaringly obvious Justin was her hero. His younger brother, Travis, instantly drew me in with his intuitiveness and tender but humorous insight. During dinner he regaled us with stories that I’m sure Justinwould rather have remained family secrets. My stomach ached from laughing so hard. It turned out Justin’s mother was a teacher, which made for smooth conversation also. We talked about my majoring in education and how things had changed in public schools during her twenty-five years of teaching. Things had gone so well at that point that I was in the process of silently patting myself on the back, when of course the inevitable happened, and I dropped a stack of dishes as I was helping clear the table. Justin, Travis, and Hollie had all responded by applauding at me standing among the pile of broken dishes. Suddenly, Justin’s demise became an option again.
“I’m really sorry about the dishes,” I apologized for the hundredth time as Trish, Justin’s mom, walked us to the front door.
“Honey, it’s really no big deal. They were a gift from my former in-laws, so you actually did me a favor,” she said, patting me on the back.
I returned her smile, even though I felt like a complete heel.
“Come back and break dishes soon,” Hollie teased from the couch, where she was reading a book.
I grimaced at her words as everyone else laughed at my expense.
“Are you ready, or was there something else you’d like to drop?” Justin joked before opening the door and guiding me out.
“I should kill you for that,” I complained as we made our way back to his jeep.
“Who are you trying to kid? I saw the way you were smiling. You enjoyed yourself. Admit it,” Justin chided me as he openedthe door to the jeep. He and Travis had reinstalled the roof and doors after dinner. His mom had chastised him about trying to freeze me out. I tried to reassure her it wasn’t all that bad, but she’d played the mother card and gave the guys no choice in the matter. The nighttime drop in temperature made me silently thankful for her insight. I would have frozen my butt off.
“Fine. It wasn’t as bad as getting the skin on my face melted off,” I declared, buckling my seat belt. “Though I could have done without the dish disaster.”
“Well, I would hope not.”
“They were cool,” I admitted, trying to keep things in perspective.
“They thought you were ‘cool’ too,” he said dryly, seeing through my nonchalant façade.
“So, you don’t live on campus?” I asked as he cranked the engine.
“No. I moved back home when my dad decided to make an example out of Travis. He moved out and I moved in.”
“What do you mean ‘make an example out of Travis’?” I couldn’t picture anyone
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