Muster Every Ounce of Confidence
Step Nine: Learning to Express Opinions
Tony
Benji and Eliza come in laughing. "I can't believe you told him that!"
"Well, what else would I have said? If I lied to him he would have kept asking."
"But you were harsh."
"It wasn't that bad."
"I quote: 'I don't dance with bug-eyed frog lookin people with buck teeth and glasses."
"So."
"You weren't done!"
"He didn't leave me alone!"
"'I'd kiss the ass of a cow and lick the hairiest nut sac before I spent more than 5 minutes with your midget hands within 2 feet of me.' Eliza! You were a total butthole!"
"I got my point across." Benji starts laughing again as they fall onto the couch.
"Eliza, did you really say that?"
"Well, yeah. But the guy deserved it."
"What did he do?" She tries to articulate but eventually just shudders. "That gross lookin?"
"Yea. Ew, just thinkin about it makes my skin crawl." Benji cracks up. "I'm going to bed before I'm forced to relive other unpleasant events. Night daddy, night guys."
"Night dearheart."
"Night Liza!" I watch her go upstairs.
My daughter and my bestfriend....
Eliza
I change my clothes and crawl in bed. Cash joins me after I get comfortable. "So....Why did you pick me dearest? You have Benji and there are other people in this house. So why me?" I stroke Cash as I ask this. The vibe I get from him is equivalent to a shrug. "Great answer."
"Liza?"
"Yes?"
"May I come in?"
"Yes." Joel steps into my room. He seems nervous so I wait quietly for him to say what he need to say.
"Uh....um.....well.....Eliza does Benji talk to you about stuff? You know like you and Paul do?"
"Yes. Just FYI I promised him I would never say anything to anyone unless he said otherwise."
"I know, and I wouldn't ask you to tell. It's just weird. He and Marre. There's no hard feelings, like they never really loved each other. I feel like a crap brother now; it was so obvious and I didn't see it! I guess I knew, deep down, that he didn't love her. I just saw us finally living our dreams to the fullest. Oh and I know he doesn't like Hil, "I flinch, "but he puts up with her for my sake. You know, it should say something when your brother AND dog don't like your girlfriend. He actually tried to bite her once. Cash took to you though. I mean look at the two of you. He's always by your side. Are you in love with my brother?"
"Huh? What?! NO!"
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Why does everyone think I'm in love with him? We are friends, close friends. You give a guy a hand job and suddenly you're in love!" I clamp my hand over my mouth.
"What?!"
"Good night." I reach over to turn off the light, but Joel grabs my hand.
"What did you say?"
"You're holding the hand I used." he drops it immediately. "Joel, you can't say ANYTHING, even to Benji. But we were dancing," he gives me a pointed look, "okay grinding and it created an issue for him. So we found a table and I offered to uh....lend him a hand?" I smile hopefully.
Benji and Eliza come in laughing. "I can't believe you told him that!"
"Well, what else would I have said? If I lied to him he would have kept asking."
"But you were harsh."
"It wasn't that bad."
"I quote: 'I don't dance with bug-eyed frog lookin people with buck teeth and glasses."
"So."
"You weren't done!"
"He didn't leave me alone!"
"'I'd kiss the ass of a cow and lick the hairiest nut sac before I spent more than 5 minutes with your midget hands within 2 feet of me.' Eliza! You were a total butthole!"
"I got my point across." Benji starts laughing again as they fall onto the couch.
"Eliza, did you really say that?"
"Well, yeah. But the guy deserved it."
"What did he do?" She tries to articulate but eventually just shudders. "That gross lookin?"
"Yea. Ew, just thinkin about it makes my skin crawl." Benji cracks up. "I'm going to bed before I'm forced to relive other unpleasant events. Night daddy, night guys."
"Night dearheart."
"Night Liza!" I watch her go upstairs.
My daughter and my bestfriend....
Eliza
I change my clothes and crawl in bed. Cash joins me after I get comfortable. "So....Why did you pick me dearest? You have Benji and there are other people in this house. So why me?" I stroke Cash as I ask this. The vibe I get from him is equivalent to a shrug. "Great answer."
"Liza?"
"Yes?"
"May I come in?"
"Yes." Joel steps into my room. He seems nervous so I wait quietly for him to say what he need to say.
"Uh....um.....well.....Eliza does Benji talk to you about stuff? You know like you and Paul do?"
"Yes. Just FYI I promised him I would never say anything to anyone unless he said otherwise."
"I know, and I wouldn't ask you to tell. It's just weird. He and Marre. There's no hard feelings, like they never really loved each other. I feel like a crap brother now; it was so obvious and I didn't see it! I guess I knew, deep down, that he didn't love her. I just saw us finally living our dreams to the fullest. Oh and I know he doesn't like Hil, "I flinch, "but he puts up with her for my sake. You know, it should say something when your brother AND dog don't like your girlfriend. He actually tried to bite her once. Cash took to you though. I mean look at the two of you. He's always by your side. Are you in love with my brother?"
"Huh? What?! NO!"
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Why does everyone think I'm in love with him? We are friends, close friends. You give a guy a hand job and suddenly you're in love!" I clamp my hand over my mouth.
"What?!"
"Good night." I reach over to turn off the light, but Joel grabs my hand.
"What did you say?"
"You're holding the hand I used." he drops it immediately. "Joel, you can't say ANYTHING, even to Benji. But we were dancing," he gives me a pointed look, "okay grinding and it created an issue for him. So we found a table and I offered to uh....lend him a hand?" I smile hopefully.