Page 13 of Soft
He laid the tickets on the counter, then faced me head-on. "I know you've got finals coming up, but I figured an extended weekend that goes into spring break might be good for you. Get away, focus. I already talked to your coach."
I rolled my eyes in an uncharacteristic move, but one I loved to rib him for. "You talked to Coach. Pops, I'm a grown man."
He waved his hand at me. "Grown,shmoan. You're my kid, and I want to take you away. The man said it was fine. Figures that you're pretty much done anyway. When I asked what he meant, he said,'I know he's going pro,'in that nasally voice of his. I didn’t confirm nor deny his claim, by the way. Your secret's still safe with me."
"My secret?" I scoffed. "There is no secret. Grizzly agreed to look over my stuff and let me know. It's been silent since I talked to him."
He stabbed a finger on top of the tickets. "And that, my son, is why we’re going down there. Man can't avoid you if you're face to face." He paused. "To put it mildly, I think you might have overwhelmed him. I wasn't there to listen, of course, but I know how you can be, especially when you're adamant about something. So maybe he needed a few minutes, a few days, heck, a week or two to calm down. Really think about it. Make sure you weren't pulling his chain."
"Okay, Pops, I get your point."
"Yes. My point exactly. So we're going to pack up and our flight leaves in three hours?"
He said it as if it were a question. Of course it wasn't. He knew what he was doing. He waited until the last minute so I couldn't argue. He bought the tickets in advance, which meant I didn't want to waste his money.
I rose from my stool. "Let me go pack a duffel. I imagine you have your bag in the car already."
He skipped over to the door and opened it, revealing a bag on the ground off to the side that I hadn't seen. "I've actually got it right here. Figured we could leave my car at the house and take yours to the airport. That way we don't have to worry about it being here."
He said "here" as if I lived in a bad neighborhood. I was in one of the most expensive places you could have near campus. The high price tag came with the benefit of added privacy. Technically it wasn't even on campus. But I digress.
Point is, the man acted as if someone was going to steal my car. Not a chance.
I put my hands on my hips and stared at my pops for a beat. I wouldn't be able to intimidate him. He was shorter than me—my mom had the tall genes—and strong-willed. He was definitely where I got the stubbornness from.
"You know, next time you could just ask instead of coordinating all of this behind my back."
"What's the fun in that?" he asked. "Now go along. We've got to get through security and everything. I don't want to be late."
I went to my room to pack up what I thought I’d need for several days in a warmer climate. I had no idea what we would be doing, but if I could get a chance to meet with Grizzly in person, then I was going to take my shot.
It was anyone’s guess what I’d say to him or how I’d react. The minute he popped up on the video feed, I’d wanted to bite my lip. He was precious, adorable. Sure, he had facial hair and was muscular to the point that his button-up shirt was nearly obscene on him. But he also looked as if he spoke and rainbows flew out. Like the sun came up in the sky when he stepped outside, just to be able to shine a spotlight on him.
I was mesmerized, and probably a bit forceful, like my pops said.
But hey, I was a firm believer in saying what you felt. My level of honesty was probably annoying to some. I had a feeling that Grizzly appreciated it, though, even if it might have made him a little uncomfortable. I’d have to work hard not to overwhelm him again.
Once I had everything packed, I turned off all the lights and pointed my pops towards the door. He grabbed the tickets, then strolled into the hallway. The man was so happy he had managed to pull all this off. We’d be getting a vacation, as well as working on my future.
While it wasn't still snowing here, the cold weather tended to weave in and out until summer hit full force. Even then, it was only a few short months before we were back to chilly temps where a jacket was more requirement than optional.
Getting through the airport was fairly easy. I only had to sign a few baseballs and take a few selfies. Pops always laughed, offering to take the photo because he didn't want anyone to get cropped out of their shot with his future famous baseball player son. He, more than anyone else, appreciated that others saw the potential in me.
When we landed in Bellport, I regretted wearing jeans. The humidity was thick, like syrup in the air surrounding us. Pops unbuttoned the short-sleeve shirt he had on to reveal a tank top underneath.
I stared at him, jaw slack. Who was this man? What was he doing in my pops’s body?
He didn't pay me any mind. We picked up our bags at the carousel before grabbing a rental car. We’d need it since we'd be staying so long.
Pops climbed into the passenger seat, leaving me to be the driver. I chuckled as I got behind the wheel. He was more than capable of driving himself. The man was just being a goof. Though he also tended to pull over when he saw somethinginteresting, which would be disastrous for us actually getting to the hotel in a reasonable amount of time.
Since I drove, we made it there in decent time. The view was wonderful along the way. I didn't think a city this size could be filled with such diversity. Between the mom-and-pop shops and the larger chain stores, it was as if someone had woven Bellport together to be attractive to anyone. People who wanted a slower life or people who still liked fast-paced things could find happiness.
Pops stretched out across his bed of our room, hands behind his head, eyes closed. "I love it here already. When can we move? Tell me you're going to sign a contract this afternoon. Let's make it happen, son."
I pushed his foot. "I can't just get a contract in a day. You're acting as if I have the upper hand here, as if I'm in control in some way."
He peeked one eye open. "You're not? Are you trying to tell me that after all these years of you being bossy, when you're this close to your dream, you're just going to let someone else make the decision?" He paused. "Besides, I know how interested you are in Grizzly for other reasons. Why not get a look at him in person? Maybe your crush will disappear."
