Window Seats
On June 15th
Vincent’s birthday was on June 15th. We had planned a party to celebrate his 28th birthday—more like I planned while he supplied a guest list. A guest list which was full of his friends and family, some of my friends had managed to get on that list.
Adding onto my dislike of parties was a huge worry--his father. It would be the first time meeting I would meet his dad and being drunk and sloppy was not my idea of giving anyone a good impression.
Vincent repeatedly tried to convince me his dad wouldn't make a judgments based off of him meeting me at a party and that he would most likely adore me. I was not convinced and told him I wasn't going to drink the whole night and I was going to do a lot to stay away from all our close friends.
Which proved to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. By the time his father came around I had already drunk two glasses of wine—Vincent’s friends had the habit of toasting at every small occasion. A close friend came to the party they cheered, Vincent gave me a kiss on the cheek they cheered, someone said a joke that produced at least one laugh they drunk some more. They were a lively bunch.
It had been obvious when Vincent's father made it to the party. Everyone started cheering and yelling Vince, the first thing his dad asked for was for a glass of scotch and Levi was more than happy to, as he called it, get his favorite uncle properly pissed until he couldn't walk straight. Vincent laughed and went to hug his father and joined him in a drink.
Vincent's dad was stocky and tall, his dark eyes were lined with wrinkles whenever he smiled. He had a loud and lively laugh that filled the living room and made his presence known. Everyone flocked to him and listened to the wild storied of his youth and of Vincent as a child.
My cheeks burned red as Vincent introduced me to his dad. His hand on my lower back as he nudged me towards his dad who was in the middle of retelling a story of Vincent crying over some dolls in a toy store.
"You always have to bring that up," Vincent laughed and punched his dad on the arm and then hugged him. The typical greeting he had with any other male.
His dad also had the same smile which was comforting as he asked who I was.
"Annabel Lee," I answered timidly, holding to Vincent's hand so tightly I was sure I would break some fingers.
"So this is the famous Annabel Lee" he smiled and placed me in a tight hug, my feet floating above the wooden floors, "Vincent and all his cousins haven't stopped talking about you."
I blushed even brighter.
"Thank you sir" I smiled.
"None of that sir stuff now," he smiled warmly, "now tell me, what are your intentions with my son?" he asked seriously.
I gulped nervously and furrowed my brow; it was such an odd thing to ask. I had only ever heard girl's fathers ask questions like that, yet here was Vincent's father patiently waiting for an answered.
"None...?" I answered confused.
At that he let out a loud guffaw and slapped Vincent's shoulder. "The poor girl wants nothing to do with you Vin, she's just stringing you along."
"Shut it," he laughed at his father, "you've made her nervous." He kissed my cheek which was burning the brightest shade of red it ever had.
"You've made her blush more than I ever have," he laughed loudly, the same laugh as his father.
“I’m just kidding, I should be asking Vincent that. Enjoy yourself tonight girlie, and get Vincent extremely drunk and make him buy you jewelry.”
I laughed loudly as winked and came in for another tight hug.
"Now if you both excuse me, I'm going to let Levi try and get me drunk along with him."
"I'm going to do it this year Edwards!" Levi yelled excitedly as he poured two shots of what I'm guessing was the tequila Vincent had brought for his son.
Roy, Allison, Jane, Tom were all sitting with Jay who was telling animated stories of his trips to America to visit Vincent when they were younger. Apparently Vincent was quite fond of more girlish toys when he was smaller and none of the cousins would let that go, it didn't help when his dad would interject and add more fuel to the fire.
While Levi was obviously drunk and beyond that, Vincent was nowhere near drunk. Liver of steel and years of practice he had explained to me as he asked all about my life and of course how Vincent and I had met. To which he scolded Vincent and his stalker-ish tendencies as he called them.
Vincent just laughed and talked to more and more people throughout the night. The number bodies in his father's house became smaller and smaller until it was just his cousins—who were apparently going to spend the night there since driving or walking anywhere in their current state of drunkenness was out of the question.
"Are you spending the night here Belle?" Jay asked as Levi wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at both Vincent and I.
I scrunched my nose, I had never thought of spending the night with Vincent and even less in his father's house. That would have made me look extremely trashy to his father and I was already feeling embarrassed being around the lively man who seemed to have no filter in his speech.
"Nope" I emphasized the 'p' and stood up from the wooden floors, "I should actually start heading home. Do you guys need anything?" I asked, gathering my coat and bag.
"No birthday sex for Vinnie then?" Levi giggled from his place in the black couch.
I rolled my eyes at Levi's comment, I had gotten used to his bluntness and tendency to connect everything back to sex. "It's not his birthday anymore is it?"
He laughed loudly and slapped Vincent's back, "day after birthday sex" he wiggled his eyebrows once more.
Vincent just rolled his eyes, "I'll take you home Annabel" he smiled as he stood up.
I shook my head, "There's no need to. It's probably a fifteen minute walk. I'll be fine, enjoy yourself here instead of walking out in the cold."
He shook his head and placed a cigarette in his mouth, "What kind of boyfriend, person actually, would I be if I let a girl walk alone at this time of night?"
"A bad one!" Jay yelled.
"Exactly," he said as we walked out of his father's house and began walking in silence. I led the way since Vincent, although he had been here almost a year still didn't know his way around, he said he relied on Levi driving and leading him around most of the time.
“Thanks for planning all that, it went great,” he said he grabbed my hand in his.
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself” I answered.
“Not to mention my dad absolutely adored you, although I could say something different about your sentiments towards him.”
“Thank God,” I mumbled and laughed. “I liked him, he’s just really blunt and straightforward, he reminded me of Levi a bit. Plus, I’m horrible when I meet new people and even worse when I’ve had something to drink.”
“I think Levi tries to act like him,” he commented, “that he is, but don’t worry you’ll get used to it after a while. You were fine, although at some moments I thought you were going to piss your pants” he laughed loudly.
“Thanks for being comforting,” I rolled my eyes and we tried to walk quietly up my rickety stairs.
“I’m glad you had a pleasant birthday” I said as we stood in front of my ridiculously bright blue door.
“I’m glad you put up with everyone there, especially a drunk Levi,” he said as he rubbed his fingers on my hips through the fabric of my blouse.
I shook my head, “it was nice.” I smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Do you want to come in?” I asked, feeling a bit like being straightforward, and even more brave.
“You’re inviting me in,” he grinned, “to your place,” he placed his hand on the doorknob, “late at night?” he placed his lips over mine and pulled me towards his body. “This could only mean one thing Annabel.”
“Oh shut it,” I smiled as I closed the obnoxiously bright door behind me and we fell into silence.
No words spoken the rest of the night as we laid in the darkness on my tiny bed. His arm wrapped around my shoulders and my head placed on his chest. Fingers drawing lazy circles on my arm as our breaths mingled and our legs tangled with one another’s.
The night Vincent turned twenty eight and my heart thumped in my chest, I knew things were different.
Adding onto my dislike of parties was a huge worry--his father. It would be the first time meeting I would meet his dad and being drunk and sloppy was not my idea of giving anyone a good impression.
Vincent repeatedly tried to convince me his dad wouldn't make a judgments based off of him meeting me at a party and that he would most likely adore me. I was not convinced and told him I wasn't going to drink the whole night and I was going to do a lot to stay away from all our close friends.
Which proved to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. By the time his father came around I had already drunk two glasses of wine—Vincent’s friends had the habit of toasting at every small occasion. A close friend came to the party they cheered, Vincent gave me a kiss on the cheek they cheered, someone said a joke that produced at least one laugh they drunk some more. They were a lively bunch.
It had been obvious when Vincent's father made it to the party. Everyone started cheering and yelling Vince, the first thing his dad asked for was for a glass of scotch and Levi was more than happy to, as he called it, get his favorite uncle properly pissed until he couldn't walk straight. Vincent laughed and went to hug his father and joined him in a drink.
Vincent's dad was stocky and tall, his dark eyes were lined with wrinkles whenever he smiled. He had a loud and lively laugh that filled the living room and made his presence known. Everyone flocked to him and listened to the wild storied of his youth and of Vincent as a child.
My cheeks burned red as Vincent introduced me to his dad. His hand on my lower back as he nudged me towards his dad who was in the middle of retelling a story of Vincent crying over some dolls in a toy store.
"You always have to bring that up," Vincent laughed and punched his dad on the arm and then hugged him. The typical greeting he had with any other male.
His dad also had the same smile which was comforting as he asked who I was.
"Annabel Lee," I answered timidly, holding to Vincent's hand so tightly I was sure I would break some fingers.
"So this is the famous Annabel Lee" he smiled and placed me in a tight hug, my feet floating above the wooden floors, "Vincent and all his cousins haven't stopped talking about you."
I blushed even brighter.
"Thank you sir" I smiled.
"None of that sir stuff now," he smiled warmly, "now tell me, what are your intentions with my son?" he asked seriously.
I gulped nervously and furrowed my brow; it was such an odd thing to ask. I had only ever heard girl's fathers ask questions like that, yet here was Vincent's father patiently waiting for an answered.
"None...?" I answered confused.
At that he let out a loud guffaw and slapped Vincent's shoulder. "The poor girl wants nothing to do with you Vin, she's just stringing you along."
"Shut it," he laughed at his father, "you've made her nervous." He kissed my cheek which was burning the brightest shade of red it ever had.
"You've made her blush more than I ever have," he laughed loudly, the same laugh as his father.
“I’m just kidding, I should be asking Vincent that. Enjoy yourself tonight girlie, and get Vincent extremely drunk and make him buy you jewelry.”
I laughed loudly as winked and came in for another tight hug.
"Now if you both excuse me, I'm going to let Levi try and get me drunk along with him."
"I'm going to do it this year Edwards!" Levi yelled excitedly as he poured two shots of what I'm guessing was the tequila Vincent had brought for his son.
Roy, Allison, Jane, Tom were all sitting with Jay who was telling animated stories of his trips to America to visit Vincent when they were younger. Apparently Vincent was quite fond of more girlish toys when he was smaller and none of the cousins would let that go, it didn't help when his dad would interject and add more fuel to the fire.
While Levi was obviously drunk and beyond that, Vincent was nowhere near drunk. Liver of steel and years of practice he had explained to me as he asked all about my life and of course how Vincent and I had met. To which he scolded Vincent and his stalker-ish tendencies as he called them.
Vincent just laughed and talked to more and more people throughout the night. The number bodies in his father's house became smaller and smaller until it was just his cousins—who were apparently going to spend the night there since driving or walking anywhere in their current state of drunkenness was out of the question.
"Are you spending the night here Belle?" Jay asked as Levi wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at both Vincent and I.
I scrunched my nose, I had never thought of spending the night with Vincent and even less in his father's house. That would have made me look extremely trashy to his father and I was already feeling embarrassed being around the lively man who seemed to have no filter in his speech.
"Nope" I emphasized the 'p' and stood up from the wooden floors, "I should actually start heading home. Do you guys need anything?" I asked, gathering my coat and bag.
"No birthday sex for Vinnie then?" Levi giggled from his place in the black couch.
I rolled my eyes at Levi's comment, I had gotten used to his bluntness and tendency to connect everything back to sex. "It's not his birthday anymore is it?"
He laughed loudly and slapped Vincent's back, "day after birthday sex" he wiggled his eyebrows once more.
Vincent just rolled his eyes, "I'll take you home Annabel" he smiled as he stood up.
I shook my head, "There's no need to. It's probably a fifteen minute walk. I'll be fine, enjoy yourself here instead of walking out in the cold."
He shook his head and placed a cigarette in his mouth, "What kind of boyfriend, person actually, would I be if I let a girl walk alone at this time of night?"
"A bad one!" Jay yelled.
"Exactly," he said as we walked out of his father's house and began walking in silence. I led the way since Vincent, although he had been here almost a year still didn't know his way around, he said he relied on Levi driving and leading him around most of the time.
“Thanks for planning all that, it went great,” he said he grabbed my hand in his.
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself” I answered.
“Not to mention my dad absolutely adored you, although I could say something different about your sentiments towards him.”
“Thank God,” I mumbled and laughed. “I liked him, he’s just really blunt and straightforward, he reminded me of Levi a bit. Plus, I’m horrible when I meet new people and even worse when I’ve had something to drink.”
“I think Levi tries to act like him,” he commented, “that he is, but don’t worry you’ll get used to it after a while. You were fine, although at some moments I thought you were going to piss your pants” he laughed loudly.
“Thanks for being comforting,” I rolled my eyes and we tried to walk quietly up my rickety stairs.
“I’m glad you had a pleasant birthday” I said as we stood in front of my ridiculously bright blue door.
“I’m glad you put up with everyone there, especially a drunk Levi,” he said as he rubbed his fingers on my hips through the fabric of my blouse.
I shook my head, “it was nice.” I smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Do you want to come in?” I asked, feeling a bit like being straightforward, and even more brave.
“You’re inviting me in,” he grinned, “to your place,” he placed his hand on the doorknob, “late at night?” he placed his lips over mine and pulled me towards his body. “This could only mean one thing Annabel.”
“Oh shut it,” I smiled as I closed the obnoxiously bright door behind me and we fell into silence.
No words spoken the rest of the night as we laid in the darkness on my tiny bed. His arm wrapped around my shoulders and my head placed on his chest. Fingers drawing lazy circles on my arm as our breaths mingled and our legs tangled with one another’s.
The night Vincent turned twenty eight and my heart thumped in my chest, I knew things were different.