Brent
Friday night’s cold shower is Saturday’s sense of purpose with my trainer. Mike comments, “Whoa, my man, I know you want to train rigorously, but if you don’t slow down, you’re going to injure yourself.”
I rack the weights and pant, “You keep everyone’s secrets, right, Mike? I’ve never heard you gossip about your other clients, so you’re good hearing the real shit, right?”
Mike nods affably.
“Yeah. Is everything okay?”
“I’m seeing someone.”
He smiles and rolls his eyes.
“Why is that a secret?”
“There’s an age difference.”
He shrugs.
“As long as she’s legal, why would it matter?”
“Let’s just say this isn’t a small gap. She’s twenty-five, and I’m in my late forties.”
But Brent doesn’t blink an eye. “My dad was seventy when I was born, and my mom was thirty-five. He was literally double her age, so I’m the product of a May December relationship myself. But the most important thing is: are you happy? Do you like her? Or is it just a physical relationship?”
I shake my head.
“I like her. I like her a lot, in fact.”
He nods wisely.
“Then it doesn’t matter. Age is just a number, my man. If you have a thing for grannies, that’s cool. I wouldn’t judge you.”
I start laughing, “She’s two decades younger than me, not prepared to set foot in the grave!”
“Well, this morning you were checking out Mrs. Gunderson with her walker, so who knows?”
I snort.
“I’m wasn’t checking her out. She looked like she was going to drop her weights on her head.”
He grins broadly.
“Just saying.”
I grin too.
“Yeah, whatevs. But that’s not even the worst part. This woman is my kid’s best friend. I’ve literally known her since she was ten or eleven.”
Mike thinks for a moment.
“Yeah, that is a little weird,” he sucks air in through tight teeth. “But she’s twenty-five now, right? That’s old enough to make your own choices.”
I scowl, grunting again as I pump iron.
“Well, that’s why I’m working out so hard. I’m trying to keep up with a saucy little minx.”
“Congratulations,” my trainer laughs. Then he says, “Hopefully, your daughter won’t mind. Hell, she might even be happy about it.”
I hope to god he’s right because Harlow doesn’t have a leg to stand on, seeing that she’s now married to my best friend. But we finish the workout discussing other things, and soon, Mike forgets I ever brought the subject up.
Later that week, I’m in the office, working on something for a Monday presentation when my daughter calls. “Hey, Dad!”
I put her on speaker phone so I can keep working. “Hey Har, how are you?”
“I’m good, thanks. You?”
“Great, just toiling away.”
“You know it’s Saturday, right?”
I scrub my face with my hands and laugh. “Yeah, thanks for rubbing it in.”
“Well, that’s sort of why I’m calling. Hang on,” she scolds the kids in the background before I hear a door shut. “Okay, now I can chat. Dad, what’s going on?”
“What are you talking about?” My heart races and I pray that Harlow’s not about to ask about Jane. I know we’ll have to have this talk at some point, but not now. This is not a good time.
Thankfully, she interrupts my mental ramblings with one of her own. “I know you’ve been busy with work, but you have me worrying about you. It’s been two weeks since our last call and you usually call me a couple times a week. Is everything okay? Is everything okay at Kombuchaid? Something happen with Nana and Pops? What is going on?”
I smile, relieved.
“Yes, everything’s fine. You have nothing to stress about.”
“No, no, don’t do that,” she says firmly. “I don’t want to hear that sort of thing from you, not ever.”
“What do you mean?”
“You do that to Mom all the time, shutting her out whenever she asks about anything. There’s no need for that, Brent. I’m an adult now. If you have bad news, I can take it.”
I grin ruefully.
“First, Har, there is nothing wrong. Second, I don’t freeze out Catherine. Third, I raised such a good kid because you’re very caring.”
She chuckles. “Dad, I’m not a child anymore. And you can talk to me, you know that, right? I mean it. Whatever it is.”
This is getting a little tiresome. I haven’t called my daughter because I’ve been seeing Jane. Of course, I want to chat with Fannie and Freddie, my grandkids. But at the same time, I also want a life of my own as a vigorous adult male without being reminded that I’m a grandfather.
“Nothing’s wrong, Har. I have a lot of presentations to make, and we’re working on going international, so this is getting big fast. There are a ton of regulations to deal with, and that’s not Gray’s strong suit, so I’m handling this part of the deal. I’m sorry I haven’t kept up with our usual phone schedule, but I promise to do better. Forgive me?”
She laughs.
“There is nothing to forgive, Daddy. You’re my father. But keep in mind this isn’t only on your shoulders, okay? Gray can at least lend a hand. It’s kind of his job.”
I merely roll my eyes.
“How is he, anyway?”
My daughter goes into a rhapsody about her wonderful husband and my fabulous grandkids, and I try to block out some of it, at least. It makes me feel like a terrible person because who gets jealous of their own flesh and blood? Yet, I’d love to have children of my own again. Little children, growing round in Jane’s belly before she gives birth. She’d be a wonderful mommy, and the air stops in my throat. Am I really thinking these things?
But Harlow’s voice interrupts me again.
“So, do you want to do Sunday Supper at our house tomorrow?”
“Wish I could, but I have an investor meeting Monday in Boston, and I’m flying out tomorrow morning. Sorry, Har.”
She sighs.
“It’s fine. Make it up to me next Sunday?”
I try to delay. I think I have plans with Jane, and right now, the curvy girl gets precedence.
“We’ll see. I hate to go, baby girl, but I really need to concentrate on the presentation right now.”
“No worries, Dad. Talk later.”
“Bye, sweetie.” I hang up and wonder if I’m the worst father in the world. But industry waits for no one, and right now, I want to focus on the gorgeous girl who’s snuck into my heart.
“My man, I hate to ask you to wait, but that’s where we’re at on the merger. Until we get word from the board, we can’t move forward with more investments. Stay grounded in Denver. There’s no sense in coming to Boston now,” Simi says.
I’m disappointed, but a familiar scent wafts up my nose and my mouth waters. The announcements on the airport speakers drone on, so I have to plug my other ear to be able to finish the call. I tell Simi, “Hey, I’m just glad to get your call before I board the plane. No worries.”
“I’ll shoot you an email when I know more, Brent. Again, I’m terribly sorry about all of this.”
“Not a problem. Take care.” I hang up, walk toward the mouth-watering scent, and call Jane immediately.
“Hey, everything okay?” she sounds sleepy.
“Yeah, why do you sound weird?”
“It’s 9:42 on a Sunday morning, Brent.”
“Are you sick, honey? I just want to make sure.”
She giggles sleepily.
“No, I am sound asleep.”
I try to keep my chuckles to a minimum, “Wow. I’m sorry I woke you. I’ll go.”
“No, I’m awake. What’s going on?”
“Dreiser’s donuts.”
Her voice is suddenly much more awake, “You’re not teasing me, right?”
“I’m at the airport and it looks like they just got a fresh batch out of the fryer. What do you say to—”
“YES, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!”
I laugh. “I’m always ready to give a lady what she wants. I’ll be at your place soon.” With a smile, I make sure to load a dozen with a multitude of chocolate flavors, before heading to the parking lot. Maybe my business deal just went down the drain, but I don’t care anymore. The prospect of seeing my love blows away everything else, and now, I’ve got the perfect gift in hand.