Chapter 10
Before taking her leave of Julian, Petula took a big step.
She agreed to exchange phone numbers. It was huge for her, as no one but Statler, his crew, and her office had her contact info.
But the move felt right, and seeing Julian’s beaming smile once it was done, went a long way toward settling down any butterflies she might have had.
When he walked her to her car and opened the door again like a gentleman, he promised to call her Monday night so they could set up another time to get together.
That prospect actually had her excited.
Who knew, even a week ago, that she’d be making such strides in her personal life?
Once on the road and driving home, Petula understood it was time to make things right with Statler’s situation.
After his terse reaction and his devastating comment the previous night, he hadn’t said another word, but had stormed off.
Petula hadn’t seen him for the rest of the evening.
When she’d left this morning, he was still nowhere to be seen, although she knew he was still on the property because his vehicle hadn’t left its spot.
He was obviously ghosting her on purpose, and that wouldn’t do.
She and Statler never fought, if that’s what this incident could be called. They always sat down if they had differences, hashed things out, and emerged from whatever was bugging them, closer than before.
But she’d been a blind idiot; never, in all these years until recently, recognizing the sacrifices Stat had been making for her.
It wasn’t hard to see, now that her eyes had been opened with her interest in Julian.
Stat had been completely without a dating life for all the years they’d lived together.
Down deep, he had to resent Petula for that.
Did it hurt that she’d been so blind and Statler had taken the hit?
Of course.
Was she going to face the facts and take things seriously now?
That was a no-brainer.
Statler deserved to live a full life, regardless of her lingering, fucked-up fears.
And if she was willing to step up to some sort of relationship with Julian—which, if she were honest, she was still nervous to attempt—then Statler should get off his unrelenting, brotherly-protection-detail, and attempt to find his own happiness.
Pulling into her driveway, she noted that his truck was still here. That was good. But first things first. She needed to use the facilities, because she was currently doing what her brother fondly called “the pee-pee dance”.
She’d relieve herself, then search Statler out.
Or not.
As she walked into living room, he was sitting on the couch, clearly waiting for her.
“I’m sorry I was a dick,” he began right away.
“You weren’t, but save that thought.” Petula held up a stop-sign hand. “I need to purge all the coffee I’ve had this morning, then we can talk.”
Stat gave her a lopsided grin, then nodded as she quickly disappeared down the hall to the bathroom.
Coming back to join him on the couch, Petula already felt so much better. First, because she’d emptied her bladder, and second? Statler had made the initial move to clear the air.
Still, that didn’t mean he got to speak before her.
Petula launched right in.
“I’ve clearly been a blind, selfish jerk,” she began. “I’ve been so caught up in my own problems that I haven’t been paying enough attention to you.”
“Not true.” Statler shook his head. “You do everything for me, Pet. You feed me almost every night. You keep this place spotless. And you do my freaking laundry several times a week, because if you didn’t, everything I owned would be pink.”
She couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped from her lips, and of course that’s what Statler had been after.
He looked more confident as he continued.
“You treat the crew like they’re extended family, and you’ve become an ear for everyone’s problems.” He ran a hand over his face, then turned his gaze down to the floor.
“What I’m trying to say, Pet, is that just because I don’t date, that doesn’t mean my life is shit.
I have everything I could want. A sister I love, six really great people I get to work with and whom I trust with my life, a great house, and absolutely no money worries. Who am I to complain about anything?”
Petula got all that, but she still wasn’t about to let him brush this off like it was nothing.
“Female companionship, Stat,” she stated definitively.
“You need a woman who loves you, or at least puts up with your grumpy ass,” she quipped, then got serious again.
“A good looking, physically active guy your age shouldn’t be without a partner.
You need someone in your life you can share everything with. ”
“I share with you,” he rebutted a bit petulantly.
“Sex, Statler?” She trilled the question, not used to saying the word.
“Sex?” she posited again, more firmly the second time. Petula shook her head. “Clearly, we don’t share everything, dummy.” She reverted to childhood name calling, attempting to mitigate the crassness of the “S” word in her head.
“Duh,” he answered in kind, understanding what it cost her to say it, yet still rolling his eyes. “Not to beleaguer the point, but I can take care of some things, myself.”
A few years ago, that would have caused a spiral. Now, however…
“TMI,” Petula chanted, covering her ears. “La-la-la-la…” Even though the impact of those words no longer had the power to make her panic, she knew she’d turned beet red simply because of the implications.
“Well, you’re the one who brought it up,” Statler gruffed, and when she looked at him, the tips of his ears were crimson, too.
Yup. Family trait.
“You’re right,” she agreed. She had opened this can of worms, and she was going to continue.
“And from now on, I’m going to bring it up a lot. A man your age shouldn’t be celibate. I expect, from here on in, for you to start perusing the local pool of single women, get on some dating apps, or do what it takes these days to find someone nice.”
Whatever that is.
She’d certainly lucked out that she’d run into Julian on her route, and that he’d taken initiative on getting to know her, because she never would have gone for it.
Petula was obviously no expert on these matters, but a sudden thought popped into her head.
“I know what you can do. You can enlist the help of your guys,” she said excitedly.
“We both realize that Pipes is a serial-dater. He has to have some good pointers on how to hook up.” Petula thought for a minute, and latched onto another something that had never occurred to her before.
“What about…Blue?” she asked, tentatively.
“What about her?” Statler’s head lifted and he looked puzzled. “You mean, does she date? Uh…I guess so? I’ve never really pried.”
“No,” Petula answered carefully. “I mean…what about Blue as a girlfriend? The two of you get along great, and you already know everything about each other.”
Statler looked appalled. “Ewww. How can you even…? Damn, Petti. Don’t even go there. Dating Blue would be like dating you.”
“Okay. Okay. Sorry.”
There was no argument there. Stat was definitely telling the truth. He’d always seen Blue as one of the guys.
“Besides,” the corner of Statler’s mouth twitched upward. “I think Diz has a thing for her.”
“Dizzy?” Petula couldn’t keep the astonishment out of her voice. “Irreverent Diz? With Blue?”
The man was a perpetual joker, king of the one-liners, and purveyor of the worst “dad jokes” she’d ever heard. She could not see him with the mostly serious, facts-always-matter, Blue.
“Yeah. I’ve been catching those vibes lately, but don’t let on. I’m pretty sure everyone on the crew suspects. Except Blue who’s plainly clueless. And knowing Dizzy, he wants to keep it that way for the good of their working relationship.”
“Damn. You guys.” Petula shook her head.
“What are you all doing? Purposely sabotaging your love lives?” She wanted to pull out her hair.
Why hadn’t she intervened in this before?
Was it because a slumbering part of her had been awakened by Julian?
Was it because she was beginning to understand just how exciting a potential partner could be?
Or maybe…
Wait. Had the majority of the crew been keeping her in the dark about their love lives on purpose because of her rocky past?
“This… This reticence to talk love-lives has nothing to do with me, right?” Petula needed clarification.
Statler shifted a little in his seat. “The, uh, guys actually don’t speak about dating around you because they think it might make you uncomfortable.
” He quickly clarified. “Except for Pipes, who tends to boast. But his narratives are usually dished out in such an over-the-top way, you’ve been able to see the humor in them, which is the point.
“The other guys’ liaisons, though, when they have them, are…quick and sparse, and never get mentioned.”
“And you?” Petula asked.
“Me? I’m not afraid to date because you might get triggered. I feel like you’ve gotten beyond that,” Statler assured her immediately. “My lack of…relationships is more due to—”
“Misguided chivalry,” Petula supplied snarkily, interrupting. “You’ve gamed it all out. You don’t want to fall for someone, then have to leave me behind if you decide to get married and have a family.”
Statler slumped back against the couch cushions.
“Fine. You’ve got me. But that’s just normal, brotherly concern,” he amended, “and my shit to worry about.”
There was a lot to unravel here. “First,” Petula laid out, “let’s deal with your crew. Will you tell them that I’m pissed? That I want them to date, then fill me in about it?”
“I will, but understand. The lack of actual significant others in their lives is less about you, and more about our current work schedule,” Stat assured her.
“You know how much we’re gone. Like with this factory job that I’m ninety-nine percent sure we’re getting, now.
We’ll be away for months, with only weekend visits back to the area.
What serious partner is going to put up with that schedule? ”
He had a point. Sort of. And since Petula was no expert on love affairs, she’d have to give him that.
“Fine. But that doesn’t mean you all need to be monks, Pipes notwithstanding.”
Yeah, she’d long ago figured out that Pipes hadn’t received his nickname simply because he was a plumber.
“I’ll let them all know what you’ve decreed,” Stat said with a snort.
“Not good enough,” Petula argued. Now that she had her foot in this, she wasn’t letting up on the gas. “What you’ll do is lead by example. Your crew has always aspired to being little mini-yous, anyway.”
Statler laughed. “Monkey see, monkey do, huh?”
“Exactly.”
“Okay. Fine. I promise I’ll start looking around.”
Petula groaned.
“This isn’t like buying a car, Stat,” she chastised. “You have to put some effort into it.” She tapped her lip. “How about…I arrange something with Julius so we can go out to some clubs with a few of his siblings and their wives. Maybe it’ll help you break into the scene.”
His skills would certainly be rusty, and he could probably use some help.
“Clubbing with Julian, huh?” Statler got a mischievous spark in his eyes. “I think that might be something you’re looking forward to, not me.”
Petula huffed. “Maybe it will help both of us. You’ve always been vested in making me feel comfortable, so what if I told you I was up for going out in public like that, but that I’d feel more at ease if you were part of the group.”
“Then I wouldn’t hesitate,” he told her sincerely before letting out a huge sigh. “Fine. Next time you talk to Julian…”
“Monday night after work,” she supplied.
“…tell him to set it up.”
“Great,” Petula rejoindered. “Now what do you say we do something fun today? It’s sunny out, and really warm for the end of March. The ice has broken up. We could…go fishing,” she suggested.
Statler brightened immediately. “You’re right. We could.” He got a sly look on his face. “Do you want to invite your new boyfriend?”
Did she?
It only took Petula a second to make up her mind.
“Nope. Not today. Today is siblings only.”
She owed her brother that much, and besides, she kind of wanted to keep Julian to herself a little while longer. Already, she could tell that the man’s sisters-in-law were involved with his stratagem to date her, and once the floodgates were opened, she and Julian would become everyone’s business.
That could wait.
“Okay,” Stat agreed easily, not pushing her any harder. “Let me get our gear out of the shed and blow off the winter cobwebs, then I’ll meet you at the truck.”
“Take your time,” Petula told him, getting up from the couch. “I’m going to make us some sandwiches.”
“Sounds like a plan,” he answered cheerily, also arising.
Petula was relieved that whatever tension had been between her and Stat, had evaporated.
She pranced off to put lunch together.
Half an hour later they were emerging from their truck just a short jaunt from their favorite fishing hole. Blessedly they were all by themselves.
There were any number of popular spots nearby where the anglers seemingly outnumbered the available fish, but she and Stat had stumbled across this fairly remote end of the pond a few years back, and it tended to be pretty much ignored.
Their good fortune.
Another plus? The bank where they stood to fish was gently sloped. So, on the off chance Petula did stumble into the water, god forbid, there was no way she’d get in any deeper than her toes before Statler came to her aid.
It had taken some time to trust that she’d be okay, but there was something to be said for habituation, which Statler had worked on, patiently.
Therapy was good, too.
Yup. She still saw a woman in Bangor once every couple months now.
Petula couldn’t wait to talk to her about Julian.
She and Stat were removing their poles and tackle from the truck when Petula heard a vehicle just around the bend; tires crunching in the winter detritus that hadn’t yet been cleared from the dirt road.
Just as she was getting ready for the disappointment of company, the person must have changed their mind, because the noise receded back in the direction from which it had come.
She and Statler grinned at each other.
They walked toward the pond, in full agreement that fishing when there weren’t any chatty weekend warriors around, was so much better.