I should have known that Tony and Dad would hit it off. They both possessed a certain charisma that drew strangers in and made people feel as if they’d known them for years. Tony was a little self-deprecating about his waffling between majors and still being in school after almost five years, but my father waved it off as a search for himself.
“You seem like one of those fellas who are blessed with a variety of interests and a variety of talents. That can make it hard for you to ground yourself. In fact, you remind me of myself when I was your age.”
“Really?” Tony asked, his eyes wide, and I covered my mouth with my napkin at the hero-worship-act I felt he was putting on.
“Seriously,” my father said, looking at me carefully. “There’s a lot of pressure on a man to, first of all, sow his wild oats while he’s young, but then hurry up and figure out his life so that he can settle down and pass on his legacy to his progeny. In the meantime, you have to figure out how you’re going to support said progeny and make a name for yourself in the business world.”
“Oh, and there’s absolutely no pressure on women these days,” I said. “No pressure to, first of all, remain virginal, thereby making it harder for you to sow your wild oats as a man, then find a husband, settle down, and start popping out progenies. No pressure at all.” If sarcasm was a fluid, we’d be drowning in it. “And if a woman puts herself and her career before having children, well, she must be a cold-hearted bitch or a dyke, right?”
“You sound like you should have been a Women’s Studies major instead of English,” Tony said with a sly smile.
I looked at my father and locked my gaze onto his. “I would have loved that. But we had an agreement, and that wasn’t one of my options.”
My father put his fork down and waved his napkin. “White flag, here. Come on, let’s not spend our time arguing over silliness.” He turned to Tony. “I appreciate your passion in this quest to enlighten and educate on the benefits of medical marijuana. Why don’t you take some classes with me next semester?”
“I’d love to!” Tony said excitedly. “Maybe you could help me with a little project I’ve been wanting to begin.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to open my own dispensary.”
My father nodded in approval. “Will you grow your own?”
“I toyed with the idea.”
“Talk to your advisor, Tony. We need to get you back into biology. You can learn all about plants and crossbreeding and DNA as well as the human body. Then, with your business knowledge too, you could open one primo dispensary that grows and sells your own strand. Think of all the people you’d be helping.”
“That would be a dream come true, sir,” Tony said.
I wasn’t sure who was more enamored with whom at the moment, and I began to wave my hand slightly to remind them of my existence.
“Hi, guys. Over here. Remember me? Or am I just a pretty little fixture at the table.”
“Sorry, only child,” Tony said, his smile softening the barb. “This is just so exciting.”
“Tony, I think you and I could turn this state—nay this country’s mind around when it comes to medical marijuana. You have the personality and the drive. We need to get you the right knowledge.”
“I cannot believe that was your dad!” Tony said for the millionth time. “He is so cool!”
I shrugged. “Try living with him,” I said, then more forgivingly, “I guess everyone has things about their parents they find annoying.”
He looked at me with a sideways glance. “What the hell could you find annoying about a dad as liberal as he is?”
“Well, you answered your question there, for one thing,” I said. “There are times I would like for him to be… I don’t know, more structured. Kids need boundaries; I never really had that many. It was always, ‘We have confidence in your ability to make your own decision and then handle the consequences,’ when I asked about things. And it’s not exactly easy to grow up with kids calling your dad “The Pot Doctor”. Sometimes, I wondered if they were friends with me at all or if they were just trying to get over to my house thinking that my dad would sit around and smoke joints with them all the time.”
“Did he?” Tony asked.
“Of course not!”
“Then he’s not that liberal.”
I laughed in spite of myself. “No, I guess not. It’s kinda strange. He still has some very old-school notions, most likely instilled by my grandfather. No TV, home schooling, stuff like that. He’s a conservative Jewish rabbi.”
“Wow, this family tree just gets more and more interesting,” Tony said, and then was interrupted by his phone. He looked at the screen and turned to me. “Gotta take this,” he said, and began to walk away while I sat on a nearby bench.
“You promised me a Friday delivery, man,” I heard him say. “I have clients waiting on this shit.” There was an edge to his voice. “No, no, I’m not threatening at all. Did you hear a threat, ‘cuz I didn’t utter a damn threat. If I had, you wouldn’t be asking me. You’d know it. So how soon can you get the stuff to me?”
There was a pause and I watched him run his fingers through his hair. “I can’t fucking believe this!” he said into the phone. “Yeah, I’m sorry about your little scare with the law, but that’s your problem. And, how many tips have I given you about avoiding these scenarios? If you had better security in place, you wouldn’t end up in this situation, would you? I swear, it’s getting harder and harder to deal with you guys. You’re really just a bunch of amateurs. I can’t believe you came so highly recommended!”
Another pause ensued, and Tony picked up his ranting again. “Look. You promise someone delivery on goods, you make sure it happens. This is bad business. I’m about to go somewhere else, and what if their merchandise is better? You know what that does to your business? That’s right, closes you down. What have I told you about quality?” He pauses and paces, listening to whatever explanation is being given. “Exactly—keep your quality high and stop cutting corners, and you keep your customer base.”
I tried not to listen, but I had to admit I was impressed at the strong business side of Tony I was seeing. Maybe my dad was right: this passion and tenacity he possessed could really do some good in the business world as well as the world of medical marijuana. Suddenly, I couldn’t think of much more besides rolling around in bed with him. I was thinking about third base, practically feeling his breath between my legs when he rejoined me on the bench, slinging himself down beside me.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“It will be,” he replied, his jaw clenched. “Sometimes, I can’t believe how idiotic people can be. You don’t have to be a business major to understand a simple, straight-forward, good business model.”
“True,” I said and began to draw spirals and squiggly lines on his leg seductively—at least I hoped. “I was thinking…” I began.
Tony looked at me and smiled. “I think I’m going to like where this thinking is going.” He winked at me.
“So, why don’t we get going?” I asked.
“My room or yours?”
“Yours, of course,” I said and he popped up off the bench and pulled me with him in a flash. My body collided with his, and I could tell he was already aroused at the thought of the next few hours.
“Why don’t you call your roommate and tell her you’ll be sleeping elsewhere tonight?” he suggested. “You know, so she doesn’t get worried.”
I hesitated, biting my lip. Tony put his finger on the part of my lower lip that wasn’t held in by my teeth. “We’ll only go as far as you want,” he said. “I just want to feel you beside me… all night. I want to wake up with you in the morning.”
My heart was beating wildly, and I was already wet with desire. I wanted exactly the same thing, but I didn’t want to seem easy.
“Tony!” a voice called, saving me from making a decision in the moment.
We both turned towards the voice, and Tony smiled a greeting.
“What’s up, man?” the guy greeted. He was wearing a “Toreros Football” t-shirt.
“Not a lot,” Tony responded. “How ya been?”
“Good. Good. I was wondering…” he shot me a look. “Hi,” he said to me shyly.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m Janice.”
“She’s cool,” Tony explained, and the guy offered his hand to me.
“Lars,” he introduced himself. Then he turned to Tony. “Was wondering if you could get me some of what you got for Bernstein?”
Tony face drew back in a grimace. “Funny you should ask,” he began. “I just got off the phone with my distributor. He had a little mishap. He’s all out.”
“Shit, that stuff was first-class,” Lars said.
“Yeah. Too bad the suppliers aren’t,” Tony mumbled. He looked at Lars. “Look, give me your number. I’m trying to work something else out. I can’t guarantee it’s gonna be quite as good a deal, but I’ll do my best.”
They pulled out their phones and swapped numbers.
“Hey, man. I appreciate it. Everyone always says, ‘Go to Tony. He’ll get you what you need for the best deal’.” He turned and looked at me. “By the way, there’s a party at Delta House tomorrow night. Invitation only. How about I put you two on the list?”
I realized I was beginning to enjoy the notoriety that came with being attached to Tony, and I was meeting more and more people every time I was with him.
“Sure,” I answered, knowing I needed to get out more.
“If we’re not otherwise indisposed,” Tony said and pulled me to him in a long kiss—right in front of Lars.
Lars laughed. “I get it, man.” Then he made eye contact with Tony. “She’s a cutie.”
Tony looked at me as he said, “She sure is. And smart and sexy and…” he turned to Lars. “Nice to meet you, Lars, but I need to get this little cutie home.”
A part of me wanted to reach out and push him away, tell him not to treat me like some toy he couldn’t wait to play with, tell him not to talk so suggestively about me, especially right in front of my face. But I couldn’t do it. I actually found myself liking it, enjoying feeling like the object of someone’s desire, and I was feeling my own desire for him, too.
“See you around. Janice, I’ll be looking for you tomorrow night,” he smiled.
“See you there,” I said, and stumbled after Tony who was pulling me after him. I had so many questions, was curious as to what kind of merchandise Lars was needing. They seemed to speak in riddles I didn’t understand.
Just as I was about to form the question, Tony turned and pushed me against a tree. The bark at my back and him at my front took my breath. He held my wrists and lifted them over my head, before leaning down for a kiss so intense it curled my toes.
“I can’t wait for the day I can slip inside you,” he murmured against my lips before stepping away and pulling me behind him.