Show Me What I'm Looking For

“Ali, wake up right now! It’s almost noon, people are going to start arriving. I’m going crazy out here! Hurry up and go take your shower and get ready so you could help me cook after!” My mom announced, barging into my room as she opened the curtains that revealed a bright new day. I buried my head into my pillows, begging for a couple of extra minutes, but my mom wasn’t going to budge. So, I sat up on my bed and opened my eyes just enough so that I would see looked at the clock-radio next to my bed. 11:47. My eyes shot open and I ran to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready. I decided to straighten my hair and to wear a black empire-waisted dress with black peep toe heels. Once I finished showering and getting dressed, I worked on my hair, tied it up with a clip and put a coat of volumizing mascara onto my lashes; the bigger the lashes, the better.

By the time I got to the kitchen, looking presentable, people had already arrived and my mom was busy socializing with my father’s business associates. She signaled to me to come over to where she was standing. I guess she wanted to show off “her biggest accomplishment” to daddy’s buddies. I rolled my eyes and walked over to where she and my father were standing with a couple of other people I had never seen.

“Honey, I would like you to meet your father’s business associates. That’s Miss. Crawford, your father’s secretary and this here, is Mr. Collins, your father’s partner.” I shook both of their hands with a fake smile across my face. I really didn’t care about either of them and since when did my mom call me honey? Miss. Crawford looked about my age and had the physique of one of those Hooters girls. I guess in the corporate world she was regarded too as one of those slutty secretaries. My mom started bragging about how good in school I was and how I never got in trouble. Thank God the principal didn’t call her, or her idea of the “perfect daughter” would have been shattered. After a while of going around meeting everyone, I decided to go back up to my room and wait for John to arrive. I took off my shoes and put my hair up as well as my bathrobe since I was cold. After a good 20 minutes of talking to Anny on my Macbook, there was a knock on my door.

“Go away mom, I’ll be right down; just let me get dressed,” I shouted across the closed white door.

“Since I’m not your mom, can I come in without you saying anything?” A huge smiled spread onto my face as I laid the laptop back on my bed. I then nearly flew to the door to unlock it and pulled it open. John was standing there with a beautiful smile on his face, leaning against the door frame. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a long sleeve black sweater; under dressed, as usual.

“Hey baby, these are for you,” he said, handing be a bouquet of white daisies, my favorites.

“Thanks you,” I responded as I took them into the bathroom and put them in a vase with water. John followed close behind.

“New word? Thanks you?” he said, thinking he was very funny correcting me.

“Shut up… I thought you didn’t hear,” I admitted, slapping him in the stomach as he wrapped me in a bear hug. I turned around to face him as he wrapped his arms around my neck, pulling me up to his lips.

“Alright enough, hands up where I can see them,” my father said as we pull away, laughing in embarrassment and awkwardness. There were few things worse than getting caught by your dad.

“Sorry sir,” John explained.

“Of course you are. Both of you downstairs right now and don’t make me catch you in these public displays of affection anymore,” he said as he walked back down the steps. We both nodded and did the same. Just because he didn’t want to catch us, didn’t mean we couldn’t, I thought to myself as John pulled out my chair for me. He took the seat beside me as everyone slowly started showing up at the table.

“Where did everyone go?” I asked my mom as she and Mrs. O’Callaghan started putting food on the table.

“They left sweetie, it’s just the six of us,” she responded disappearing back into the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, everyone was at the table as my father carved the turkey for us. I took my share as everyone else did too and we began eating.

“Shouldn’t we say what we’re thankful for? Do you really do that or is it just in the movies?” I asked. John giggled. I’m glad I could he found my Canadian-ness amusing. No one answered my question though, so we went on with the eating. It was silent for a while; just the sound of the cutlery hitting my mother’s finest china seemed to pierce it.

“So, John, what are you thinking of getting into in college?” my father asked, trying to start a conversation.

“Well sir, I’m not really thinking about that right now. Hopefully, we will get signed and be working on our album or touring,” he responded, drinking a sip of water. I knew exactly where this conversation was heading; not going to college for my dad was the equivalent of murdering someone.

“Really? Not even one single semester?” The whole table had their eyes turned towards them.

“Honestly sir, it would just be a waste of time. I would probably be failing most classes and trying to figure out a way to get into music.”

“And your parents are fine with this?”

“Okay dad, it’s really none of your business,” I said, trying to calm things.

“No actually, we don’t mind,” Mrs. O’Callaghan responded, “it’s his dream and we will support him. Plus, school will always be there if he doesn’t make it.”

“Well that’s up to you guys I guess. I’m just glad our Ali is in school and is going to college as planned. Right sweetie?” My mom asked. I looked down at my plate and pretended not to here.

“This turkey is delicious mom, it’s perfectly—”

“Ali, answer the question.”

“Well mom… I’m not quite sure about the whole college thing yet. I kind of wanted to go on tour and yea…” I looked up to see her face and if her eyes could kill… Well, I would be six feet under.

“Let’s not discuss this now please, it’s Thanksgiving,” I suggested. The rest of the meal was quiet. My mother, boiling with rage at my last answer, my dad, starring out into space probably wondering why I would even be with a boy like this and John’s parents, awkward as ever. John and I were the only ones talking for most of the time; he made me feel like I was alone in a crowded room.

As soon as we had finished, the dads went to watch the football game, the moms went to clean up and sit around the table, probably talking about us and John and I went to my room. The rest of the afternoon consisted of movie watching, sleeping and well… private displays of affection. As I woke up from one of the many naps that afternoon, I noticed I was using John as a human pillow.

“Hello,” I said when I could finally manage to speak. Turkey just does something to you.

“Good afternoon,” he responded as he doodled something on a piece of paper. I looked over at the TV and noticed that ‘Freaky Friday’ was playing in the background.

“Man… your cool watching my 8th grade chick flicks,” I teased as he made a face.

“Shut up… I wasn’t really watching. I was writing a song actually, but just because of that you aren’t going to hear it,” he said with that breathtaking crooked smile, pulling me closer.

“Please?” I said giving him a kiss.

“Later, it’s not finished yet,” he responded as he pushed play again. Let’s just say that neither of us caught the rest of the movie.

“John we’re leaving, come downstairs and say bye,” was what awoke us again. He yelled out that he was coming as he put his shoes back on and I made my hair look decent.

“What were you two doing?” my dad asked as we walked down the stairs, holding hands.

“Nothing, watching a movie,” I responded as John laughed in the background. My dad knew all too well that I was probably lying.

“Next time the door stays opened. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal clear, alright thank you for coming,” I said as John’s parents said bye to mine and I walked them outside to their car.

“Mr. and Mrs. O’Callaghan, I’m really sorry about how my parents acted at the table, they just have their own ideas about things,” I explained to them as John put his arm around my shoulder and gave his mom a look that could translate as ‘Get in the car please, I want to be alone with her.’

“It’s alright sweetie. It wasn’t as bad as you think it was. You’ll come over soon right?” She responded and I nodded. They then went to sit in the car, leaving us alone.

“So your parents think you deserve better than me right?”

“Of course not.”

“Oh Ali, come on. They think I’m going to be a hobo that washes windshields on street corners,” he said, rolling his eyes and facing away from me. I pulled on his arm so he was facing me again and he was obviously bummed out.
“Listen to me, you are amazing. I wouldn’t care if you were a hobo or a garbage man or anything. You’re you and that’s more than enough. Alright? My parents don’t know you like I do and I’m going to talk to them. So don’t be mad, okay?” I said, flashing him my sad baby face.

“Stop… you know that that does to me,” he replied, pulling me in and kissing my forehead. “You know what I’m most thankful for baby?”

“And what might that be Sir John?”

“I’m most thankful for you,” he said starring deep into my eyes. I got on my tippy-toes and met his lips with mine, wrapping my arms around his neck as he put something in my hand. The car honk broke us apart and he had to leave.

“What’s this?” I asked unfolding the paper.

“The song I was writing earlier, I’ll sing it to you on the phone tomorrow. Bye baby, call me first thing in the morning,” he said giving me a quick peck on the cheek. He then ran to the car and I waved goodbye to them as they pulled out of the driveway and went home. I think I loved this boy.