“Long enough to see your smooth moves, Daddy Dear,” I say as we all break out into laughter.
“It’s good to have you here early. Your job, as usual, is to keep your mother out of my kitchen,” he says, taking my mom by the hand and pulling her into his arms and planting a kiss on her giggling lips. I swear, if I ever find a man like my dad, I will definitely marry him. Though in my short life experience, I know they are hard to find.
So far, Thanksgiving dinner has had no surprises. Altogether, there are twenty-five of us—cousins, aunts, uncles and the grandparents all gathered at several tables placed throughout downstairs. As usual, Dad’s dinner is amazing, though he only cooks on Turkey Day and Christmas. I’m sitting at the kiddie table with Mike, Bridget, and several other young ones. Being the good cousin that I am, I’m keeping them entertained, even my one-year-old cousin Sally. She has hair like mine, poor kid, and the cutest dimples you’ve ever seen. She’s wearing more of her dinner than ingesting it, but she’s happy and that’s all that matters.
After most of the house guests leaves, those that remain sit around talking about the day and the gossip we may have missed while sitting at separate tables. The grandmothers had been on their best behavior, which isn’t saying much, but was a relief to my mom.
We’re watching a Christmas movie when the doorbell rings and Mom says, “It’s for you, Dora.”
Everyone looks at me and I jump up, nervous because Mom would have told me if it was Julie. My palms start sweating as I reach the front door and dread sits heavy in my stomach at who might be on the other side.
“Dora, it’s a little cold to keep them waiting,” Mom’s voice prompts me to grab the door handle and open it. It’s the roommates, sans smiles…normal for Liam, but for the other two, not so much. They all look like someone just died.
“Hey, guys. Happy Thanksgiving.” My greeting sounds so lame.
“Hello, Dora. May we speak with you?” Colin’s proper statement and his adorable English accent send my stomach and heart into their crazy antics again.
“Sure, come on in.” I open the door wide and turn to see my whole family staring at us. Bridget grabs her phone and her fingers move so fast it’s mesmerizing.
“We’re going into the family room, okay?” I say, not waiting for an answer but leading the way to the back of the house. The family room has a door so I can be sure that we won’t be disturbed.
The guys eye the leather couch and they all plop down and wait for me to sit in an overstuffed recliner opposite them. Gawd, they’re so beautiful. Such a shame. It’s times like this I wish I wasn’t an average person in an average body.
“Dora, we want to apologize for disrupting your place of business yesterday.” Colin’s proper English makes me weak in the knees—and yes, a stomach and heart flip happens, as well. The memory of his kiss makes me blush. “Sometimes we don’t think things through before we do them. We made you uncomfortable, and we realize we caused you undue stress. Can you forgive us?”
“What he said,” Drew quipped, and he sends me a slight smile. “Look, Dora, our lives are crazy, and most of the time, not in a good way. You might think it’s all glamorous, but it’s not. No, don’t roll your eyes. We’re surrounded by phony people who smile in our faces and talk behind our backs. When we met you, you were—”
“A breath of fresh air,” Colin interrupts. “You’re so grounded and we work in a shark pool. If we make one mistake, there is always someone else to take our place. So you are like a—” Colin stops as if trying to find the right words.
“Ray of sunshine,” Liam says in a monotone voice, sans smile. I can’t help myself. I start laughing. “Ray of sunshine” from Mister Warmth himself. They all look startled and then join in. Even Liam chuckles—yeah, he actually has the ability to laugh.
“Thanks, guys,” I say, wiping tears from my eyes. My side hurts, but I feel they’re telling me the truth.
“No, thank you, Dora. That night at Papa’s was the best night we have had in … well, in a long time. We want you to give us a chance to show you that we are fun, good guys who just want to hang out with a wonderful, normal girl.” Drew says.
“Okay, stop there. It’s getting a little deep now. And if you think I’m normal, I may have to remind you of Sunday’s dinner. Yeah, normal.” I roll my eyes and more laughter erupts from all.
My mom opens the door and peers in at us with a huge smile. “Would anyone like anything to drink?”
“Yes,” I say. “We’ll get you guys a beer or something, and then if you want to spend time with a normal family, you can stay and watch a movie with us.”
Three heads nod vigorously. Oh, boy … I’m totally going to pick a really good chick flick.
“Bye, guys. I’ll be home tomorrow,” I say as they all get into Drew’s car.
Home. After tonight, it just might feel like home.
“Dora, I need to speak with you for a moment in private,” my mom’s voice drifts from the kitchen. She’s frowning when I enter, and I know it’s serious. “I just talked to Henry and he’s being very evasive, which isn’t like him. Normally, I can’t shut him up. It has to do with you, but of course the pain in the butt won’t tell me.”
“Mom, do you think you should talk about a spirit like that?”
“Yes, when it’s warranted. He tells me you’re to help Liam and Drew and do it soon. He won’t tell me why. He said you will know. I hate this ‘I can’t read for my family’ crap. It’s just not fair.”
“I think it’s great you can’t read us. Just think how our lives would be, knowing our mom can see everything about us. Don’t worry. It’s probably not that bad. Henry loves to be a drama queen, right?”
“I hope that’s all it is, sweetie. Really, I do.”
As I’m lying in bed in my old room in my parents’ house, I’m wondering what I could possibly help Liam and Drew with and why Colin isn’t involved. Just thinking his name is enough for me to feel warm all over. I’m usually levelheaded. Even my last boyfriend, aka The Jackass, never had me feeling this way. In the beginning, we had some chemistry. We’d have to, right? Or maybe I was tired of doing school and work and needed a little extracurricular activity in my life. The sex wasn’t too bad, and yet it wasn’t all that great either. I wasn’t a virgin. I lost that to Mark Stephens the night of homecoming my senior year. Yeah, that was memorable…not. But when I see Colin or hear his voice, I melt in my nether regions.
Stop it, Dora. Don’t go there. Concentrate on Liam and Drew’s so-called problem. Colin is out of my league—way out of my league—so just block those thoughts.
I know, I know. I talk to myself, but who doesn’t? Now, when I start answering my own questions out loud, then I know I have a problem.
My eyes are getting heavy and I snuggle underneath the warm down comforter, planning to dream about anything but my roommates … yeah right, like that’s being realistic.
She forgave us. How can she not see how beautiful she is? I couldn’t take my eyes off her, and I have no idea what movie we watched. I finally told the others of my feelings, and they told me if I hurt her, I’ll regret it. They assume she’ll want to go out with me, but I’m not so sure. I think she still feels we’re these carefree, jet-setting guys who don’t really feel. Boy, is she wrong. God, I sound like a woman. Now to get up the nerve to approach her. Maybe I’ll wait until her exams are over. Yeah, if I can wait that long. Those lips are calling me again …