Page 31 of The Other Guy

Conversation moves to a discussion about my remodel and new recipes he’s trying out at his restaurant Balance.

Our burgers come and we dig in.

“Well, well, well. Eating junk food again, Jack?”

I turn at the sound of Sierra’s voice and can’t stop the smile that takes over my face as she pushes me over and slides in next to me in the booth.

“Dad, Sierra. Sierra, this is my dad, James.”

Sierra reaches over the table and shakes my dad’s hand. “Nice to meet you,” they exchange. After she pulls her hand back she turns to me with wide eyes and not so quietly whispers incredulously, “This is your dad?!” I lean back in my seat and take a deep breath. I’m used to this reaction when people meet him. According to my mother, he looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ rather than small town Michigan. And based on the way women of all ages stare at him, I assume there is some truth to it.

“In the flesh. And how do you know my son?”

“Wow. Good genes,” Sierra murmurs.

I don’t explain that I don’t carry any of his genes in my blood.

She steals one of my fries without asking then takes a sip of my Coke. Dad watches on in amusement when I tell her, “Help yourself.”

“Thanks. So what are you two up to? Just having lunch?”

“Dad came to the gym this morning because he missed me so much he couldn’t stand it any longer.”

“Aww.”

“I’m sweet like that.” Dad grins like a dork.

“All right. Enough of that. What are you doing here?”

She points to my food and reaches out to take a bite of my burger. The one I’m holding in my hand. “Eating, duh,” she mumbles around a mouthful of food. My food.

“I like this one,” Dad says, continuing to eat.

Sierra looks at me with a wide smile, practically preening as she shimmies in her seat and I roll my eyes, scoffing.

“Great,” I mumble. “So… what are you really doing here? Besides eating my food?”

“Well, I did come here to eat. It was just a bonus that I found you.”

“Missed me already, huh? Admit it, you followed me.”

It’s her turn to scoff.

I grin and shove my plate closer to her so she can continue to munch away on my fries. She doesn’t shy away for a second.

“So, Sierra. Tell me about yourself,” my dad requests gently.

She pauses with a fry suspended in the air and her mouth hanging open. “Well, I live about an hour from here but have been visiting my uncle Kyle for a week.”

“And what is it you do when you’re not visiting your uncle?”

I sit quietly, wanting to know as well. Sierra and I haven’t talked much about her and I’m curious.

She blushes and pulls a face, wrinkling her little nose that says she’s delaying saying anything more. “You’ll think it’s dumb.”

“Try me,” Dad says, not hiding his amusement.

“I make things and sell them online.”

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