Page 44 of If the Stars Align
I’m thrilled for my mom, but this is still a lot to process. Me, introducing a boyfriend to her for the first time. Her, introducing a boyfriend to me. There’s a definiteGilmore Girlsvibe at the table. What’s more, I told my mom about Asher afterwe’d been dating for two months, and she waitedhalf a yearto tell me about Luis. But I guess I’m not surprised. She probably wanted to make sure he was in this for the long haul. After all, the last man she loved left when she got pregnant. I can’t blame her for having trust issues. Still, she could have at least given me a heads up that she was bringing a date to dinner…especially since she knew Asher was coming.I’musually the one keeping my relationships a secret. Now I know how Mia must feel.
Hmph.
I order a martini to take the edge off. But once the conversation starts flowing, the dynamic feels pretty natural. It helps that Luis and Asher are both so wonderful. I learn that Luis moved to Cleveland for work three years ago, after his late wife passed away from breast cancer. He has two grown daughters, one of whom is pre-med at Stanford, and the other, a fashion photographer in New York. “They love to make me travel,” he jokes, pointing his fingers in opposite directions.
Asher tells my mom and Luis about growing up in a military family, and all the times he had to move and start at new schools. He talks about his plans to pursue a masters in social work, and his dream of opening a counseling center for veterans and their families.
“I’m really looking forward to that time in my life,” he says with a smile. “Feeling settled in my career, owning my own home, having a family. I know I shouldn’t take my youth for granted, but I moved around so much as a kid that I’ve always yearned for that kind of stability.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch my mom beaming at me.
When Asher’s younger brothers walk through the door, they’re already drinking. It’s 4:00 p.m. on a Friday, and they barrel into his apartment with duffel bags, ready for a weekend of partying. Eli, a sophomore at ASU, is carrying a case of beer in one hand and a flask in the other. Isaac, a senior in high school, is chugging a forty wrapped in a brown paper bag. Three hours later, we’ve polished off three large pizzas, and Eli’s insisting that we check out a karaoke place his friend at ASU recommended, so we pile into a cab.
The bar is dark and lit entirely in electric blues and purples that remind me of the inside of a lava lamp. Since there are only four of us, the host combines us with a group of coworkers from a nearby dental office. They’re mostly middle-aged. It’s a random pairing but, within minutes of being shown to our karaoke room, Eli has already made introductions, memorized everyone’s names, and somehow convinced the practice owner, Dr. Lee, to buy us all a round of shots. The waitress doesn’t askto see IDs.
The shots are clear and taste like fire. Seventeen-year-old Isaac, who’s a hair shorter than Asher and could easily pass for a senior in college, gets an extra one because Mary, a reserved dental hygienist and grandmother of two, doesn’t want hers. She needs to be “fresh” for bible study in the morning. Asher gives Isaac a disapproving look, but Isaac only shrugs.
“Let’s get this party started!” Eli exclaims, grabbing the mic and appointing himself emcee of the evening’s festivities. “Who’s up first, any takers?”
Asher and I, both self-proclaimed introverts, have no interest in performing, so we sit back and watch while drinking beers. Catherine, the dental practice receptionist, volunteers to kick things off with an offbeat attempt at her favorite Celine Dion song. Dr. Lee follows with a Justin Timberlake number, and it turns out that he has an amazing andveryunexpected falsetto. Asher and I are laughing harder than we ever have together. There are tears streaming down my face, and I almost drop my beer bottle, which makes us laugh even harder. Asher takes off his glasses and wipes his eyes.
Not to be outdone, Eli performs next and does an incredible impersonation of Eminem. The ladies in the room go wild. They’re cheering almost as loudly as Isaac. But then, Mary grabs hold of that microphone. Quiet, unassuming Mary takes hold of that microphone and sings Tina Turner’s version of “Proud Mary,” and she absolutelykillsit. Everyone is on their feet, clapping and screaming. Asher and I look on in shock, our jaws dropped, huge grins on our faces.
We’re sure no one can top Mary’s performance so, afterward, Asher and I leave the private room and sit at the bar, which is mostly empty. To be honest, I’m relieved to have a break from “M.C. Eli.” He’s a little too handsome. A little too charming. I’m also buzzed and want another beer. Asher orders me one, and a Maker’s Mark for himself. As we sit and sip, he has his hand on my thigh, and he whispers in my ear that I look gorgeous, and he can’t wait to take me home. I steal a sip of his whiskey and wink at him. “I can’t wait either,” I say.
It’s true. I enjoy being in Asher’s bed. To be quite honest, he’s very skilled in that department.
It’s still not the same as it was with Dex, though.
Sex with Oliver Dexter was a transcendental experience. Completely and utterly mind-blowing. Because the connection we had was special. I knew it then. I know it even more so now. I wonder if I’ll ever feel that way again.
Don’t go there, Sunny.
I must be getting drunk.
Asher and I lose track of time, drinking and kissing at the bar. When we get back to the karaoke room, Eli and Isaac are nowhere to be found. “I’m going to check the bathroom,” Asher says with a furrowed brow. I follow him.
While I’m waiting outside the men’s room, I hear angry voices but can’t make out what they’re saying because of the electronic dance music blaring over the speakers. Eli comes out first and, when he sees me, he smiles. I’m about to ask him if everything is okay when he puts his hand on my waist.
“Thanks for letting us stay with you guys this weekend,” he says,leaning into me so I can hear him. “My brother’s a lucky man.”
Then he steps back enough for me to see his gaze travel from my eyes to my lips and back again. His hand is still on my waist, and he’s so close that I can feel his breath on me, and his chest against mine.
And the worst part is—I don’t mind.
When the bathroom door swings open again, I step back with a start. Eli casually turns to lean against the wall. Asher doesn’t notice either one of us at first. Isaac is hanging off his shoulder like a wet noodle, his eyes half-open, a dopey smile on his face, and Asher is busy just trying to keep him upright.
“We have to get him home,” Asher tells us. “Help me out, man,” he instructs Eli.
We walk outside—well, three of us walk, and one of us attempts to. Asher tries to hail a taxi. “Dude, we can’t put him in a cab like this, he’s gonna puke,” Eli keeps saying. “We have to get him some food.” After minutes of back and forth on the subject, Asher finally concedes and we stop at a corner store, where he buys Isaac a Coke and some chips. We walk to a nearby park so Isaac can sit and eat.
It’s almost two o’clock in the morning now, and Asher and I are fading. Eli and Isaac are having a ball. They’re on the swings, singing Nickelback songs at the top of their lungs. Asher turns to me with an exhausted smile. “I’m sorry about them. Thanks for being a good sport.”
“Anytime,” I say, giving him a peck on the lips.
That’s when we hear tires screeching behind us, and when we turn around, we see flashing lights. A police car just pulled over,and two officers are getting out.
“Everybody out of the park,” the older of the two officers yells. He’s so close to me, his voice so ear-splitting, that I nearly jump out of my skin. The younger cop says nothing.
