Monday
After putting the final tweaks some things he’d set up for King on Friday, Nick gives Mr. Dean a call.
“Hey Nicko, what’s the word?”
“Well, howbout Monday?”
“Hey now you don’t have to swear,” Then starts laughing.
Nick chuckles.
“Alright, so Mr. Tuttle definitely sounds impressed and would like to see you when he stops by on Wednesday, does that work?”
“Oh we can make it work, what time’s good?”
“Actually…just a second…<muffled sounds>...OK, sorry Nick, well, he’s having lunch brought in at noon and we’d love to have you join if that sounds good.”
“Not gonna turn that down!”
“Well me neither, we’ve had a good bounce back this year so, yeah need I say more? Good stuff, so we’ll see you then and talk about it along the way.”
“Perfect, I appreciate all this.”
“Our pleasure, and you know how to find the shop?”
“I believe so, ridden the bike past there a time or two.”
“Oh, yeah of course. OH, did you happen to talk to Danni yet today? Her friend, the dark-haired girl showed up last night and ended up staying over, sounds like she needed to talk and I know you all have been concerned.”
“Wow, and no I hadn’t heard - can you have The Deej give me a ring when she has a chance?”
“Yes sir, will do that, well, won’t keep you so see you Wednesday at noon?”
“It’s a plan, thanks again Dean.”
Double wow. Chuck Tuttle and April Dawson in the same short conversation.
For today’s lunch he got a tired-looking Noreen to join their geekfest in the cafeteria . Sometimes he feels like he’s abandoning her but knows what he’ll get for expressing that, she just wants to know how it’s going and seems happy to live vicariously for the time being. Maybe these short encounters will offset any abandonment. It’ll have to.
The rest of the day has Nick consciously in anticipation of the phone ringing, almost like childhood Christmas angst. He hates to miss when she’s ready to talk, and almost hates to admit that fact to himself, let alone the subject matter. Getting just one side of a touchy situation is bad enough, he tried reaching out to Vance to no avail, and Vance’s phone has a dial pad so it works both ways. Knowing Deej it will be later than sooner so there’s less distraction on her end, and there’s a good chance she’ll push for reconciliation for the Dawson gang sooner than later.
At any rate Nick decides to blow some paycheck at the music store on that guitar stand and manages to get that deal on two tuners, second at cost, not bad. Maybe his stint in retail wasn’t just filler after all.
Back at the ranch he finds the parents out but nothing on the machine, no surprise. Tries out one of the tuners and cranks up the amp in the absence of any peanut gallery downstairs. At this volume it’s easy to find some crunch with minimal gain, this knockoff strat doesn’t do half bad, especially with a bit of reverb. The whammy bar is an interesting concept but it seems to mainly get in the way, so he unscrews the bar and stuffs it in the gig bag.
Eventually he hears life signs downstairs and finds they brought a pizza pie and says even he can have some. Times like this he’s glad there’s usually cans of some kind of clear pop in the fridge.
He goes over the plan to not report to the school Wednesday morning but might see if Deej can hang out before the meeting, then check in with Goody afterward to see if anything needs attention.
From there it’s a shower and some radio then borrows the VCR to roll some MST, once that’s on he’s almost relaxed when the phone rings and he can barely let the first ring complete.
Guess who.
“Hey, are we settled?”
“Just set up the VCR but stopping it. Sounds like you had quite a night.”
“Good news travels fast. Yeah I had Sam hide her keys and then the three of us had a very…don’t wanna say frank, but…”
“Candid?”
“Very good, oh yes, we dug pretty deep.”
“How is she?”
“At the moment she’s home, as in with her folks.”
“Willingly or hog tied?”
“No I followed her and helped break the ice.”
“Deej you are the best.”
Pause. “Thanks, Nick, I try.”
“Um, did you use any colorful language last night?”
“At times, yeah, and Sam was seriously a big help, she’s been through it.”
“Did her some good too.”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, I got tuners today.”
“Oh…OH, for guitar? Awww.”
“I played some tonight before pizza showed up.”
“I hear Sam play some, not as much, she’s really digging into school.”
“Maybe around the holidays we can play more, or if she needs a break.”
“Just ask and she’ll be there you know that.”
“How did I end up with so many kickass gals?”
“Yeah right, what do they see in you?”
“You mean to say we….”
She chuckles, “OK I was fishing and you hooked me.”
“Later.”
This gets a giggle.
“So you heard I get a free lunch Wednesday?”
“Yeah it should be from the barbecue place in town, I’m tempted to weasel my way in.”
“You’d make me nervous.”
“Oh stop it.”
“So did you get much sleep?”
“Eventually, Sam turned in then Apeface and I kinda shut the place down and slept in, it was fun.”
“Well good. And I’m afraid to ask, but are they….”
“What?”
“Are she and Vance still, like, speaking?”
“Well….”
“Okay, not trying to put you on the spot…”
“Let me put it this way. She was driving around and thought she saw you riding your bike -”
“I was, in a cap.”
“Yeah, and she almost went to your house but chickened out, she got upset and went for a drive, then came here.”
“Good.”
“She’s…funny…with guys, is the best I can say.”
“Well, she’d never really dated, right?”
“Yeah that’s kinda it. Howbout this, would you take her to dinner sometime, just as friends?”
“Sure, if she wants.”
“That will be good, she just has problems with, well, a lot of social things, so shy, and…”
“Passionate?”
Silence.
“I can sense it, you don’t have to acknowledge, but I get the sense she’s got a lot of emotions and doesn’t know what to do.”
“Umm…OK, that’s…valid, but you didn’t hear it from me.”
“Hear what?”
“Hmm, Swanson maybe there’s hope for you yet. Is this why I make you nervous?”
“I claim fifth amendment.”
“MMMM hmmm, thought so.”
“Anyway, are you done solving the world’s problems for the day?”
“Yeah, this girl’s done, not gonna shower till morning for the WOOhoo doctor.”
“Oh, fun, I’ve heard about those. Is it a female doctor at least?”
“I wish, but we’re in the boonies, remember? The only one splits time between here and, well, over past McDonnells.”
“Makes sense.”
“He’s supposed to be really good, and hopefully understanding, you know.”
“Here’s to understanding. Knowledge is power! But you sound fairly rested.”
“Yeah I am, relieved is a better word.”
“I bet."
"Hey did you find out about golf?”
“Well Dad is on board…Goody is busy, not sure we need four but that seems a good number. Does your dad ever swing clubs?”
“HA, there are reasons why the man runs so much. I’ve been tempted to try it but this wouldn’t be the time.”
“Yeah this is a bologna fest.”
He just hears a sigh.
“Wait, hang on a sec?”
“Sure.”
Nick runs downstairs to see by chance when Tim is coming back, turns out he has a weekend pass and is bringing a gal then back Monday, but they will stay in a hotel. Back at the phone,
“Well, my brother will be around - get this, with a female - I’ll try to get him to bring clubs and see if we can get a Sunday tee time, how’s that for service?”
“OK you just made up for that bologna comment, and a wee bit more…in FACT, ready to get nervous?”
“Utoh.”
“I’ve heard murmurs of the home group going to a marriage enrichment thing one of these weekends, which means they stay overnight.”
“Utoh.”
“And halloween is coming up, we, April had talked about a small party thing but maybe just pizza again in costumes, if you want.”
“You gonna be a cat?”
“Reeeeeowwwww…<lowers voice> I can think of a mouse I’d like to bat around some,” then the expected devious laughter that she tries to keep quiet.
“Honey.”
“What would you go as?”
“Hmmm…well Alan Whicker and Don Johnson are already checked off.”
“Howbout Hasselhoff? Mmmmm.”
“Knight Rider?”
“These days it’s Baywatch hon, can I find you some tight red trunks?” this time no attempt to stifle the laugh.
“Yeah…pass. Howbout Grandpa Simpson?”
“Are you serious?”
“We’ll have to work on it.”
“OH oh oh…Mr Spock?”
“Howbout Data?”
“Huh? from the new generation?”
“Yeap, TNG, the android.”
“Now that would be a good fit. I’ve only seen bits and pieces of those but I know some gals who watch it for the hunk with the beard.”
“Riker?”
“You’re tellin’ the story honey.”
“So I should grow a beard?”
“Um, CAN you grow a beard?”
“Better than you could.”
“Well, on my face anyway.”
“Been meaning to mention, nice…grooming.”
She giggles, “Yeah I felt like a rebel, started that years ago, figured I might as well while shaving the ol’ pins.”
“Mmm.”
“Down boy. Besides you seem rather trim down there.”
“We ended up with an old set of trimmers and I stashed ‘em under the sink up here.”
“Perfect crime.”
“We aim to please.”
“So…do I get to see you soon?”
“Well maybe when I’m not seeing April.”
“Actually, good point, she gets priority.”
“I’ll try to call her tomorrow.”
“Good boy.”
“Woof.”
“Mmmm hmm, I’ll have to teach you to roll over next.”
“I’ll roll you over.”
“Promises, promises. What about Wednesday night?”
“Well if Tuttle doesn’t steal my soul we might just be on.”
“Mmm, are you taking the afternoon off? You could just come get me.”
Nick pauses, “Did you mean for that to sound hot?”
He can hear stifled laughter.
“Mmmm hmmm.”
“Hon I’m just getting tired, but take it however you want.”
“Okay that was even hotter.”
“Alright, I think we better stop before…mmmm…yeah the bath tub is calling, umm,” then bursts into knowing laughter.
“Well take your time and get everything squeaky clean, there will be a test.”
She laughs harder, then finally squeaks out, “Fool the test is tomorrow,” then coughs a little.
“Alright, I’m sure we’ll talk tomorrow, hopefully your oil change isn’t too bad.”
“Bleh, part of being the sexier sex I guess.”
“I’ll leave it at that, night you.”
“Love you, night.”