The More Boys I Meet
Eleven
“Hm. I wonder where everyone is,” I pretended to sound worried when I walked inside. “Oh well. Means I get a nice, peaceful night alone, watching the baseball highlights.”
I flipped on the lights and there was nothing. I looked around and shrugged at the air. “Sweet, I guess that does mean I get a peaceful night alone watching the baseball highlights. This shit never happens.”
I poured myself a glass of red wine and settled down to watch the tail end of the Cubs Brewers game.
I picked up my phone twenty minutes later and saw I had ten new messages and five missed calls. And my phone was on silent. I deleted the phone messages and glanced at the messages. Where was I? At home. Duh.
I was pouring myself a second glass of red wine when yet again I was blindfolded and slung over someone’s shoulder. I sniffed their shoulder. “Seabs, what are you doing in my house,” it was more of a statement than question.
“Hush you. I am not Seabs,” Seabs said in a deeper tone. Yeah, as if that would throw me off.
“Where are we going?”
“Be quiet.”
“Are we there yet?”
“Be quiet.”
“How much longer?”
“Jesus, be quiet!”
I sighed. “Couldn’t we drive?”
“Shut up Ellie.”
“Ha! So you are Brent Seabrook!”
He sighed and I dropped down to my feet. “I’m done with you,” he said taking the blindfold off.
“SURPRISE!” everyone shouted and I blinked away the darkness.
I was in a bar.
“Oh my gosh!” I pretended to be surprised. “I am so surprised!”
Pat came over, hugging me. “Thanks for pretending and happy birthday.”
“Thanks Pattycake.”
“So did we kind of surprise you?” he asked.
“Well I thought it was going to be back at the house so yeah, you threw me for a curve ball.”
“Good!” he looked genuinely excited.
“Okay, enough talk,” Viktor stepped between us, handing me a shot. “Drink up sweetheart.”
“Viktor Stalberg!” I pretended to be astonished. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
His wicked smile said everything he wasn’t going to say.
“Darling, you’re going to lose,” I clinked glasses with him and drank up.
After an hour or so I mingled my way through the guys and over to a bar stool and watched everyone get drunk.
“Are you even tipsy?” Marcus asked, sliding next to me.
I smiled. “Yeah, but not drunk. I tend to not get drunk. Or rather, I don’t allow it.”
“Smart,” he said, ordering a soda.
“It’s kind of funny to watch them all be idiots, yeah?” I asked, leaning back against the bar, watching the guys.
“It’s funny now. Not when you’re trying to get them all home,” he sighed.
“Ah that’s right. Designated driver. At least Pat and I can walk home,” I offered him one piece of good news.
He laughed. “That’s two off my list I have to worry about.”
A couple of hours later, I helped Marcus pile everyone back into his car and he drove them all home. “Remember,” he said to me before he left. “Call me when you get home so I know I don’t have to send a search party out, okay?”
I nodded. “Mhm. Call you. Got it. Have fun!” I called as he drove away and Pat and I started our descent back to our house.
~~~~~
Something kept ringing in my ear. What the hell was ringing in my ear? God dammit it was my freaking phone that kept ringing in my ear.
“What?” I answered.
“You forgot to call me,” the voice on the other line did not sound pleased with me.
“Oh. . . . I think I forgot somewhere in between the bottle of whiskey Pat and I shared on the way home, Pat throwing up in the neighbor’s bushes, and the tree conversation we had. My bad.”
He sighed. “Are you home at least?”
I looked around. “It looks like my room. Smells like my room. I must be in my room.”
“Okay, good.”
I smiled, already starting to drift off again. “Thanks for checking up on me.”
He paused for a moment as if unsure what to say to that compliment. “No problem. Happy birthday Ellie. I hope you had a good day.”
“I did. I really had a great time today. Thank you for taking me to the zoo and going with me three times to see the tigers.”
He laughed. “I like the tigers.”
“Me too,” I yawned. “Good night Marcus Kruger.”
“Good night Ellie,” he said and the sound of Marcus’s voice drifted me back off to dream land.
I flipped on the lights and there was nothing. I looked around and shrugged at the air. “Sweet, I guess that does mean I get a peaceful night alone watching the baseball highlights. This shit never happens.”
I poured myself a glass of red wine and settled down to watch the tail end of the Cubs Brewers game.
I picked up my phone twenty minutes later and saw I had ten new messages and five missed calls. And my phone was on silent. I deleted the phone messages and glanced at the messages. Where was I? At home. Duh.
I was pouring myself a second glass of red wine when yet again I was blindfolded and slung over someone’s shoulder. I sniffed their shoulder. “Seabs, what are you doing in my house,” it was more of a statement than question.
“Hush you. I am not Seabs,” Seabs said in a deeper tone. Yeah, as if that would throw me off.
“Where are we going?”
“Be quiet.”
“Are we there yet?”
“Be quiet.”
“How much longer?”
“Jesus, be quiet!”
I sighed. “Couldn’t we drive?”
“Shut up Ellie.”
“Ha! So you are Brent Seabrook!”
He sighed and I dropped down to my feet. “I’m done with you,” he said taking the blindfold off.
“SURPRISE!” everyone shouted and I blinked away the darkness.
I was in a bar.
“Oh my gosh!” I pretended to be surprised. “I am so surprised!”
Pat came over, hugging me. “Thanks for pretending and happy birthday.”
“Thanks Pattycake.”
“So did we kind of surprise you?” he asked.
“Well I thought it was going to be back at the house so yeah, you threw me for a curve ball.”
“Good!” he looked genuinely excited.
“Okay, enough talk,” Viktor stepped between us, handing me a shot. “Drink up sweetheart.”
“Viktor Stalberg!” I pretended to be astonished. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”
His wicked smile said everything he wasn’t going to say.
“Darling, you’re going to lose,” I clinked glasses with him and drank up.
After an hour or so I mingled my way through the guys and over to a bar stool and watched everyone get drunk.
“Are you even tipsy?” Marcus asked, sliding next to me.
I smiled. “Yeah, but not drunk. I tend to not get drunk. Or rather, I don’t allow it.”
“Smart,” he said, ordering a soda.
“It’s kind of funny to watch them all be idiots, yeah?” I asked, leaning back against the bar, watching the guys.
“It’s funny now. Not when you’re trying to get them all home,” he sighed.
“Ah that’s right. Designated driver. At least Pat and I can walk home,” I offered him one piece of good news.
He laughed. “That’s two off my list I have to worry about.”
A couple of hours later, I helped Marcus pile everyone back into his car and he drove them all home. “Remember,” he said to me before he left. “Call me when you get home so I know I don’t have to send a search party out, okay?”
I nodded. “Mhm. Call you. Got it. Have fun!” I called as he drove away and Pat and I started our descent back to our house.
~~~~~
Something kept ringing in my ear. What the hell was ringing in my ear? God dammit it was my freaking phone that kept ringing in my ear.
“What?” I answered.
“You forgot to call me,” the voice on the other line did not sound pleased with me.
“Oh. . . . I think I forgot somewhere in between the bottle of whiskey Pat and I shared on the way home, Pat throwing up in the neighbor’s bushes, and the tree conversation we had. My bad.”
He sighed. “Are you home at least?”
I looked around. “It looks like my room. Smells like my room. I must be in my room.”
“Okay, good.”
I smiled, already starting to drift off again. “Thanks for checking up on me.”
He paused for a moment as if unsure what to say to that compliment. “No problem. Happy birthday Ellie. I hope you had a good day.”
“I did. I really had a great time today. Thank you for taking me to the zoo and going with me three times to see the tigers.”
He laughed. “I like the tigers.”
“Me too,” I yawned. “Good night Marcus Kruger.”
“Good night Ellie,” he said and the sound of Marcus’s voice drifted me back off to dream land.