"Where are you two going together?" Mike demanded Friday morning, as Aubrie drank her juice.
"I don't have any idea."
"Well, get an idea."
"Why? It's surprise. I like surprises."
"Well, I don't. I want to have some clue here."
She smiled and patted his cheek, then handed him his orange juice. "I think the entire point is that you don't know. We'd just as soon you don't show up with another entourage to keep an eye on me."
"I don't—"
"Oh, but you do. Your track record in keeping your nose out of my business isn't stellar."
"You're my little sister."
"Who is all grown-up now?"
"What's this all about?" Gramps said in the doorway. It was obvious he'd come back from his morning walk. The man woke up way too early.
"Aubrie has a date tonight."
"My, we're getting popular these days. I hope you're not going on this one in the blond getup."
She poured Gramps his juice, then took it to him and kissed his cheek. "Nope, I'm all me tonight."
"Good." He gulped down about half the glass at once, then said. "So why the yelling in here?"
"We weren't yelling."
"Yes, you were."
Aubrie pointed to Mike. "He's driving me nuts."
"And life goes on." Gramps said.
Mike pointed at Aubrie. "She's going out tonight and she won't say where."
"So? What business is it of yours?" He turned to Aubrie. "Where are you going tonight?"
"You just said it was none of your business!"
"I said it wasn't his business. But I'm your grandfather."
If she didn't go crazy in this household, it would be a miracle. Or maybe she'd already gone crazy in this household and she was too crazy to realize it.
"I don't know where we're going and even if I did, I wouldn't tell either of you. I'll have my cell phone and if there's an emergency, something like Mike finally getting a life—"
"Hey!"
"—just give me a call and I'll crack open the champagne." With that she slammed down her juice glass in the sink and sailed out of the kitchen, nose raised high.
She stomped to her bedroom and looked through the closet. The problem was, she had no idea what they were doing, so figuring out how to dress was a dilemma. She liked surprises with the best of them, but she sure didn't want to show up in an evening gown to go to a honky-tonk, and she didn't want wear jeans to a five-star restaurant. She was beginning to resent surprises.
Gramps came to her bedroom and knocked on the partially open door. "Come on in."
He'd refreshed his juice and just stood silent for a while. Finally he said. "I'm not trying to interfere. But we like this guy right?"
"We do. We think. This is just new Gramps."
"But you're going to some undisclosed location."
"I told you, I'll have my cell phone."
"Can you maybe call just to tell us where you are when you get there?"
She sighed. "Gramps, I love you dearly, but I'm twenty-eight years old. I can take care of myself"
He held up a hand. "Of course you can. And you deserve your privacy. You're just my baby, Aubrie."
She instantly teared up and quickly waved her hand in front of her eyes. "I know."
"I love you, little girl."
"I love you too, Gramps."
"Well, that's about it." He turned to go and then turned back. "You know, there's one thing I heard on the Sandra show."
She resisted the urge to roll eyes. "What's that?"
"Always stick a clean toothbrush in your purse. Just in case."
She gaped at him for a moment. "Well, thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
"Aubrie?"
"Yes?"
"If you intentionally don't plan to come home tonight, please call. Just so I know to turn off the porch light."
She smiled and choked up all at once. "I promise."
John called her midafternoon."Are you ready for tonight?"
She wanted him to define "tonight", but figured asking was probably not very tactful. "I'm game if you're game." She said, holding her hand to her chest to keep it from bursting.
"Should I pick you up, or are you still scared to let me know where you live? After all, I've pretty much guessed why you didn't want me to know before now."
"Do you want to go through the grilling from my family?"
"Umm, I can if you want me to."
"How about if I come to your house and we can leave from there?"
"That sounds good." He said, his tone obviously relieved. "Seven?"
"I can be there, but John, I have no idea what to wear."
"Come completely casual. Shorts or jeans, whatever's comfortable."
"That sounds wonderful. I'll see you then."
"I can't wait."
She smiled as she hung up the phone.
Aubrie made the mistake of arriving ten minutes early at John's house.
"He had a meeting that ran late. He's in the shower. He'll be out in sec." Jamie said." Can I get you anything?"
"No, thanks, although something smells really good."
"I hope so." Jamie said which was sort of a strange response. "Come on in and sit down."
"Do you have a birthday gig coming up?" Aubrie asked.
"Six in five days." Jamie said with a sigh. "Tomorrow's a clown them. Between you and me, I hate those. Perfectly good pies being thrown in people's faces for a few laughs."
"I never liked pie-in-the-face gags."
"I never liked clowns."
Aubrie had about a zillion questions she'd love to ask Jamie, both about herself and John, but she was too afraid of being rude.
"So are you going to use and abuse my brother tonight?" Jamie asked, apparently not nearly so worried.
"Umm, do you want me to?"
"Hell, yes!"
"Then I'll do my best."
"I want him crawling home whimpering."
Aubrie laughed. "I'm not certain I'm capable of that, but you know, I'd hate to disappoint you."
"Just work on it."
Before she could respond John came sprinting out of his bedroom, combing his wet hair with his hands. "I'm so sorry."
"Not a problem. Jamie was just giving me some very sage advice."
John glared at his sister.
"Stop glaring at me." His sister said.
"Your advice sucks." John said.
"And your technique needs work."
Aubrie felt like she was watching a tennis match.
"What's Aubrie wearing?"
John looked at her and smiled. "A black denim miniskirt and a paisley kind of short-sleeved button-down thing."
Jamie nodded while Aubrie's skin went hot. "Sounds pretty."
"It is."
"Okay, I approve. Go away."
"I'll call you, okay?" John said.
"Only if you're not going to be home. I don't want to have to leave the porch light on for no reason."
Aubrie couldn't help it; she burst out laughing.
"What?"
"We have got to introduce Jamie to my grandfather. They'd become best friends in minutes."
Aubrie had been worried all week that John would try to wine and dine her in some ridiculously expensive, romantic restaurant. So when he'd told her to dress casually, she'd actually felt a huge sense of relief. He'd be taking her to some off-the-beaten-path diner or something. She'd never in a million years expected this.
"You want to time the windmill just right." He advised. "Otherwise the golf ball is going to fly right back at you."
They were Putt-Putt golfing at a place outside of Leesburg. She nodded at him, trying to keep a straight face.
"Thanks for the advice." She teed up the ball, took a couple of looks, then swung. It sailed smoothly through the device and dropped like a stone into the hole.
He stared at the green, at her, and then at the green again. "You've done this before."
"Every Friday night with my gramps."
"You tricked me."
"You never asked."
"Okay, this is war."
She laughed and the feeling of happiness and contentment was almost like a drug. She'd have never believed a man like John would choose Putt-Putt as a prelude to a romantic night. But what a perfect choice.
She flung her putter over her shoulder. "Care to make a few friendly wagers?"
"I might." He said. He set up and looked. And looked. And looked. Then shot. The ball flew back at him and almost took him out in a place she most definitely didn't want injured.
"About those wages." She said.
"Not one chance in hell."
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