“Do you think she would mind if we crashed your skip day? I would guess there are a few people from school here who would like to see you.”
“I don’t see why not. As long as you don’t invite Alan or Mike,” I quickly added.
“What’s a ‘non-date date’?”
“Cassidy finds herself single, and her dad won’t let her go out with me. She complained that she didn’t want to stay home, so I suggested she be my security while I went out for dinner. Sort of a loophole to appease her dad,” I explained.
“If it’s not a date, maybe you should take me, and Cassidy can watch us,” Tami suggested.
I barked out a laugh.
“I’ll let you suggest that one to her. If it works out, let me know. Cassidy says I’m supposed to take her somewhere nice.”
“I wanted to go to Monical’s,” Tami shared.
I hadn’t been there in a long time. That didn’t sound all that bad to me.
“Cassidy has her mind made up. I sort of told on her, and she didn’t take it very well. I’m still walking on eggshells right now.”
“Your mom told me. I’ll let you have your big non-date date tonight, but I get you tomorrow. Consider it like when we were glued at the hip 24/7 a couple of summers ago,” Tami said.
We’d gone through a rough patch when I’d imagined we were more than we were. Tami would always be important to me, but I’d figured out she wasn’t the main person in my life anymore. We’d grown up as best friends, and I’d simply assumed that would always be the case. Now several weeks passed between us talking to each other.
Reflecting on our relationship made me realize that when I graduated, it would be the same with most of my current friends. People I saw every day would be off living their own lives, just as I would. My grand plan for all my friends to go to college with me at the same school had fallen apart. I was down to just Tim and Wolf going to Oklahoma with me.
It was sad to think we would walk away and not see each other until a class reunion in ten or more years.
Then again, it was exciting. I had the bonus of filming all over the world after I left high school. I viewed it as a grand adventure. Chubby Feldman had sent me the tentative shoot locations. They included London, Barcelona, Hong Kong, and northern India, which was supposed to be gorgeous. Then, for my Star Academy films, we’d be going to New Zealand and Australia.
In a way, it resembled what some folks called a ‘gap year,’ a chance to get away from school, have fun, and explore. And to figure out what you wanted to be when you grew up. After that, I would come back and start college.
“I’m not sure how much fun cleaning a house will be,” I warned Tami.
“Is it supposed to be just you and Tracy?” Tami asked.
That made me stop and think. Did Tracy want to spend time alone with me? She had been complaining I never saw her. To be honest, this was a prime example. Tracy was probably my best friend, and I had gotten busy and not spent time with her.
In any case, I was sure Tracy wouldn’t begrudge Tami if she horned in on our time together.
“Maybe, but Tracy would love to have you there. She hasn’t seen you in a while, either.”
“Then I’ll spend time with my mom tonight and be at your place first thing in the morning,” Tami said.
I looked forward to it.
◊◊◊
Downtown, a small restaurant had opened called the Green Door Bistro. They advertised fine dry-aged steaks cut in-house. Cassidy and I both agreed we could go for a nice steak. It wasn’t a large place. They’d taken over an old barbershop and the shoe store next door and had room for about ten tables.
I found it amusing that they’d paired white tablecloths with mason jars made into candles. I thought it was an excellent way to show a touch of whimsy that demonstrated they didn’t take themselves too seriously. Our server wore a lovely white buttoned-up blouse paired with a tasteful black skirt and cowboy boots. I started to think I might have found my new favorite place to eat.
The menu expounded on how they locally sourced only the finest ingredients. It mimicked the spiel you would read on a snooty menu in Malibu. Their rib-eye steaks were hand-cut and aged to perfection and served with taters. They would get a glowing review from me just for that.
The steak was every bit as good as the one I’d eaten in Houston. You could cut it with a butter knife. They also had fresh-baked sourdough rolls that were to die for. And the taters … they did a twice-baked variety that made all other potatoes seem like a crime.
Then they served dessert. It simply came with the meal, and you didn’t get a choice. I took a minute to remember the best dessert I’d ever had. I literally closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair so my mind could flip through all the fantastic dishes I’d eaten. When Tracy and I had done the episodes of Dessert First, we’d come across a few. I’d also had some stellar choices on my travels.
None of them compared to what they brought us at the Green Door Bistro. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a cranberry curd bar with a walnut shortbread crust. They’d sprinkled the top lightly with powdered sugar and garnished it with a candied lemon peel curled up in the center.
The irony was that if I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have ordered it. I’m generally not a big cranberry fan. I eat them once a year at Thanksgiving. When I thought of cranberries, I envisioned that jelly-like stuff you added to your plate simply because it was what you always do at that time of year. I discovered that I didn’t know how good they actually were.
“Damn, David. If I’d known that going on a date with you meant food like this, I would have knocked Brook off a long time ago,” Cassidy said.
She had a dreamy look as she savored another small bite of her dessert.
“Am I forgiven for telling my mom on you?” I asked.
“Don’t ruin this moment for me.”
“You know you love me,” I teased. “Just say it. David is forgiven.”
“This is nice and all, but you did tell on me,” Cassidy pondered.
“What if I took you parking?” I suggested and waggled my eyebrows.
“How’s that supposed to help me? It seems to me it would be a little one-sided.”
I looked at her in mock horror.
“You poor thing. You just haven’t been dating the right guys. Have you forgotten our Caribbean vacation? All the women I date always beg for more.”
“Oh, dear God! Do you hear yourself?” Cassidy asked.
Her dismissive attitude confused me. After all, I knew Cassidy wanted me. I was offering to make her dreams come true.
“Young man, if she won’t go, I will,” an older lady sitting next to us with her husband offered.
Cassidy and I broke out into laughter.
“Take her … please,” her husband added.
I took a closer look and smiled at the wife. Cassidy threw her napkin at me and signaled for the server to bring the check.
Once we were in the car on the way home, Cassidy snuggled up next to me.
“Thank you for tonight. I had a good time.”
“So did I.”
“And David?”
“Yes.”
“You’re forgiven.”
Was there ever any doubt? Now, where should we go parking?
◊◊◊
Chapter 17 – Panic Button Saturday April 8
My hound was funny sometimes. Usually, when I came back from my run, I’d let him into the house to get his morning loving from my parents. Duke must have missed me because today he decided he would rather go to my apartment. But then he was a bad dog because when I came out of my shower, I found him spread out on my bed.
“What am I supposed to do with you?” I asked Duke.
His tail thumped against the mattress in response. I got on the bed with him so I could rub his chest and ears.
I heard my mom and Tami come out of the house. Before my run, I’d opened my window because the forecast said it would get up to the mid-70s today, and I wanted to air the place out. I decided I would eavesdrop while I gave Duke the attention he craved.