I don’t know how old he is, but I think he’s around my age. And I don’t know what he does.”
“Don’t know! Laynie! You can’t go on a date with a strange man! Honey … what are you thinking?”
Aggravation is lost to full-on anger. “I’m thinking that this is the first guy in a long time that doesn’t treat me like a fucking cripple! I’m thinking that he’s a good person! I’m thinking that my own mother should know me well enough to trust my judgment. And I’m thinking that I need to get off of this phone before I say something I’m going to regret.”
“Laynie Marie! Don’t you take that t –“
“Goodbye, Mom.”
I disconnect the call and flop down onto the couch. God! She is so infuriating! Before my accident, my mom and I were close. My whole family was close. I don’t know if it was losing Garrett or me losing my sight that’s made her into the neurotic “momster” that she is, but I can’t take it anymore.
I’ve put up with it for nine years now, and she’ll be lucky to survive it until ten. I don’t know how my dad puts up with her. I guess it’s because he spends most of his time in the garage just to get away from her special brand of crazy. I moved to Ottawa to get away from her myself. I needed to escape. I wanted to go to Toronto, but Daniel lives here, and it was a compromise I agreed to avoid giving her an early stroke. Plus, I love my brother. I like having the opportunity to spend time with him without my mother hovering like a low-flying helicopter.
After texting my brother to let him know I’m not coming with him tonight, I decide I need an escape. Remembering the new book I’m set to review, I decide to spend the morning listening to it and lose myself in the world of hot bikers and their bitches. Reading has always been an escape for me and with audio books becoming more and more popular, it has made my life so much easier.
I make myself a cup of coffee, put on my earphones and curl up under my favorite blanket, letting my newest book boyfriend sweep me off my feet.
TRAVIS IS LATE. HE was supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago, and I’m beginning to think he’s not coming. Disappointment causes my heart to feel heavy. I’d spent the entire day nursing my hangover, cleaning my apartment, and cooking this meal. I’d worked hard on it. I wanted to make it perfect for him as my way of thanking the cranky son-of-a-bitch for all of his help. Now, looking back, I don’t even know why I’d invited him. He barely speaks, and when he does it’s more like a growl. He’d turned down my invitation at first, and I hadn’t pushed so why the hell had he accepted if he wasn’t even going to have the decency to show up?
Shaking my head, I drain my first of many glasses of wine and wander to the counter so I can wrap the baked dish in foil. Might as well put it in the fridge and use it for the next few nights. Good thing I love manicotti. I empty the last of one bottle of wine into my glass and am just trying to decide whether the three bottles I have left is enough or if I need to walk to the liquor store when the door buzzer sounds.
My belly erupts in a storm of flutters and my heart pounds with excitement. He did come . Hurrying over to the buzzer, only stubbing my toe once on the way, I press the bottom button and make an effort to sound uninterested. “Hello?”
The thirty seconds it takes for him to answer feels like a year. “It’s Travis.” My excitement fades a little. He doesn’t sound happy to be here at all.
I press the button to let him in, not responding. Turning from the wall-mounted buzzer, I quickly pinch my cheeks and rearrange my breasts. “All right, Dex. How do I look?”
Dex doesn’t answer, but he does come and stand beside me while we wait for the knock on the door. When it comes, I call out,
“Don’t know! Laynie! You can’t go on a date with a strange man! Honey … what are you thinking?”
Aggravation is lost to full-on anger. “I’m thinking that this is the first guy in a long time that doesn’t treat me like a fucking cripple! I’m thinking that he’s a good person! I’m thinking that my own mother should know me well enough to trust my judgment. And I’m thinking that I need to get off of this phone before I say something I’m going to regret.”
“Laynie Marie! Don’t you take that t –“
“Goodbye, Mom.”
I disconnect the call and flop down onto the couch. God! She is so infuriating! Before my accident, my mom and I were close. My whole family was close. I don’t know if it was losing Garrett or me losing my sight that’s made her into the neurotic “momster” that she is, but I can’t take it anymore.
I’ve put up with it for nine years now, and she’ll be lucky to survive it until ten. I don’t know how my dad puts up with her. I guess it’s because he spends most of his time in the garage just to get away from her special brand of crazy. I moved to Ottawa to get away from her myself. I needed to escape. I wanted to go to Toronto, but Daniel lives here, and it was a compromise I agreed to avoid giving her an early stroke. Plus, I love my brother. I like having the opportunity to spend time with him without my mother hovering like a low-flying helicopter.
After texting my brother to let him know I’m not coming with him tonight, I decide I need an escape. Remembering the new book I’m set to review, I decide to spend the morning listening to it and lose myself in the world of hot bikers and their bitches. Reading has always been an escape for me and with audio books becoming more and more popular, it has made my life so much easier.
I make myself a cup of coffee, put on my earphones and curl up under my favorite blanket, letting my newest book boyfriend sweep me off my feet.
TRAVIS IS LATE. HE was supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago, and I’m beginning to think he’s not coming. Disappointment causes my heart to feel heavy. I’d spent the entire day nursing my hangover, cleaning my apartment, and cooking this meal. I’d worked hard on it. I wanted to make it perfect for him as my way of thanking the cranky son-of-a-bitch for all of his help. Now, looking back, I don’t even know why I’d invited him. He barely speaks, and when he does it’s more like a growl. He’d turned down my invitation at first, and I hadn’t pushed so why the hell had he accepted if he wasn’t even going to have the decency to show up?
Shaking my head, I drain my first of many glasses of wine and wander to the counter so I can wrap the baked dish in foil. Might as well put it in the fridge and use it for the next few nights. Good thing I love manicotti. I empty the last of one bottle of wine into my glass and am just trying to decide whether the three bottles I have left is enough or if I need to walk to the liquor store when the door buzzer sounds.
My belly erupts in a storm of flutters and my heart pounds with excitement. He did come . Hurrying over to the buzzer, only stubbing my toe once on the way, I press the bottom button and make an effort to sound uninterested. “Hello?”
The thirty seconds it takes for him to answer feels like a year. “It’s Travis.” My excitement fades a little. He doesn’t sound happy to be here at all.
I press the button to let him in, not responding. Turning from the wall-mounted buzzer, I quickly pinch my cheeks and rearrange my breasts. “All right, Dex. How do I look?”
Dex doesn’t answer, but he does come and stand beside me while we wait for the knock on the door. When it comes, I call out,
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