24. Colt
24
colt
Colt: But there is no merit to vanilla ice cream. It’s the base of everything but why would you want to just have vanilla?
I tap out a message to her while I shift in the golden leather barstool, and it makes a squeak that could be mistaken for something else.
Texting her is my newest habit. I’ve given up all the endless social media scrolling one tends to do in a day and filled that time with texting Maggie. My friend Maggie. I almost choke on those words in my mind. I’ll never see her totally as a friend, but it’s better than nothing.
I rub my hands over the dark walnut bar of the decade old Bostonia Public house that’s supposed to feel nostalgic but is modern. There’s no storied rhetoric lurking here with ghosts of Sam Adams. Every corner of this city has a claim to history and sometimes it’s nice not to be constantly reminded of the founding fathers. Or politics in general. To be somewhere that new history or moment could be made instead of revisiting old ones.
I flip my phone in my hand thinking of response, as I wait for the non-birthday party to begin. Dax isn’t meeting us tonight for his fifth annual surprise party. His brother thinks that eventually Dax will like surprises. He will not. But the surprise was on us because he’s out of town. He’s headed to the woods to finish his novel and get over the one girl he can’t stop thinking about. The man of few words feels the need to write down quite a few about her. The rest of us will happily gather, drink and fill our souls full.
Maggie: Because we dated for two months and one day in Vegas.
Colt: That wasn’t a date in Vegas.
Maggie: There was food and chatting.
Colt: Drunken noodles with an ex and no sex.
Maggie: A date has to have sex?
Colt: The promise of a kiss, let’s say and we can’t have that so, therefore it was late night dinner, not a date.
Maggie: So we’ve never really had one. We were too busy watching gardens and you know…
Colt: Oh, I know.
Maggie: Sorry. That was on me. Back to the rules. Repeat them please.
Colt: The rules keep getting longer.
I sip my beer, put my phone down on the bar and let a grin break over my face. I’m going to tell her about Italy, or that I’m toying with the idea tonight. We haven’t graduated to phone calls; we’re both terrified. We’re treading into intimate territory if we speak, but we’re already there. Albeit friendly, but we are getting closer with each text. The past two months have been amazing. She’s more charming than I remember, and I am fucking hopelessly gone for her with zero idea what to do at this point. She’s the touchstone for me and the one that sets all things right. I don’t know how she does it after all this time, but I am and always have been in her orbit. I was just on the far end of it for so long. Like a giant oval, but I feel as if I’m turning the outer corners and heading back towards the sun.
Maggie: Things keep popping up that need a rule.
Colt: Okay. No referencing sex. No details about our daily lives. No politics (which is absurd because why would I want to talk about that), no specifics. No telling our friends we’re talking. No relationship talk. No spouse talk. No flirting–but Meerkat you can’t stop that even if you tried.
Maggie: I don’t flirt. Vanilla is a perfectly acceptable favorite for ice cream because I can put whatever I want on it. Your cherry thing would taste terrible with say orange syrup on it.
Colt: Cherries and oranges would taste delicious. Keep it coming, Vanilla.
Maggie: I do not need another nickname. Okay. Mint.
Colt: Delicious. I’ll Make this cherry, mint mojito for you some time.
I freeze after I send it. We never, ever reference seeing each other or talking on the phone. I assume another rule will be put in place. I clutch my phone and panic.
Colt: I mean I’ll send you the recipe.
Colt: Was a figure of speech not an invitation. Are you still there?
Shit. I look up and Hayden wanders into the Public house. I rise and hug my expatriate friend from Paris. Law has a minute opening in his schedule and Tony should be here in a second. Robbie has a game and will miss out but it’s good to be with them.
“Colton, my man.” Hayden pulls me into a hug.
“That’s what? Twice you jumped the pond in the last couple of months.” He was here for Gemma’s funeral and now to see Dax. But I have a suspicion it’s to check on me. I’m oddly fine. Or am I? I don’t know how to feel about anything these days, but I do know I live for my texts.
He holds me tight and it’s a little longer than expected. “Dude, did you miss me that much?”
“You’re in mourning.”
I look at him, “No, I’m in avoidance of mourning according to my therapist. Also, she said that I don’t have to mourn her, just the life.”
“Wise woman. But I do take umbrage.”
“With what?”
“That wasn’t a life.” He gestures and then says, “Can I get whatever he’s drinking?” Then he winks at the waitress who I’m sure will walk on air all night because of it. He gets even more notice now that he’s married. He claps my back as my phone lights up. I casually grab it, so he doesn’t see it.
“Just checking on the girls.” He nods at my phone, and it’s her. I need Hayden away from me to answer and hide that I just got a freaking text from Maggie. I say, “They can’t seat us until we’re all here.” It’s a lie and a pet peeve of Hayden’s so I light the fire.
“Yeah, right? Cuz our table’s not sitting in the back all by itself.” He rolls his eyes and heads to the hostess stand while I quickly change her name to MK for Meerkat in my contacts and scan her text.
MK: It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it because that would be in violation of what’s happening here. I need advice.
Shit. Tony and Mak are here. I can’t tell her I’m with them because that is another of her dumb ass rules.
Colt: Meerkat–I’m at a dinner with people.
MK: So formal. I need advice.
Colt: Emergency? Because --- shit. Hold on.
“Good knight!” Tony yells as he and Mak approach. I open my arms to him. This is the first time since the funeral I’ve seen any of them. They’ve been incredibly busy, and I’ve been, well, adjusting. I’m not sure if it happened naturally or they all gave me space.
“Boston’s prodigal son returns. How long are you here?”
Mak kisses me on the cheek as I hug her. “I leave after this dinner. Medicine waits for no one. But Tony will be here for like two weeks.” Mak never gets to come to these kinds of things because of her insanely busy med school schedule.
I grin. “Ah, time with the parents.”
“And hopefully my asshole brother–who — what the fuck is that about?” I know exactly what Dax is up to in the woods but it’s not for everyone just yet.
“Needed a break is all he said.”
Hayden brings up the rear with the hostess, Law behind him.
“Gentleman.”
“Am I the only chick at this thing?” The Brothers all nod. Mak’s the most equipped to roll with just the men, so it should be fun watching her bust all our balls tonight.
“Can I call you a chick?” Law pulls her in for a hug. “Seems like something I’d get smacked for.” And she smacks Law on his arm anyway, and he rubs it as if it actually hurt.
We follow him to our table. I set my phone to vibrate, and it’s seconds before it goes off in my pants pocket. Damn, that was a terrible idea. Because now Maggie is vibrating my crotch. I fish it out and put it in my shirt pocket.
It lights up every ten seconds for like a minute.
Mak sits across from me and says, “Who the hell is blowing up your phone? All your friends are here. Dax is in the woods, and Robbie’s literally coaching.” I can’t say Claire no one would believe me.
“Daisy’s teacher has some ideas about how she can catch up.” I sip my water and glance toward Law.
“I’ll be right back.” I duck out of the room and answer.
Colt: Real quick. I really am at dinner with people.
Maggie: You quit your job. I think I want to start a new one.
Colt: Mags. I think you know what’s best. Can I hit you back later? It looks weird that I’m gone.
Maggie: Why? Your people don’t get texts. Who are these fancy people?
Fuck. Maggie asked a question I shouldn’t answer, and I won’t even tell her that there’s almost a rule violation happening. I scan the walls and find a flyer pinned to a board.
Colt: It’s the Society for Library Sciences volunteer committee.
Maggie: What?
Colt: Those are the people.
Maggie: Someday you’ll explain this. That’s not a real thing you’d be involved in, is it?
Colt: Un Jour.
I give her a thumbs-up and shove my phone in my shirt pocket. I reenter the room and quickly shift everyone’s attention to Law. “Hey, man. How does the new season look?”
Law sneers at Makenzie and she asks, “Who were you with last night?”
Tony laughs and I nod. “Seriously, dude. I’m interested.”
“She was 22, and I don’t know her name. But I’m sure she tagged me in something.”
“Why are you never with older women? Do you not do them as well?” Hayden asks.
“My dick has no bias. But they’re complicated.” Law puts his hands up to stop Mak from attacking him.
“Let me explain.”
Mak cocks her head and then leers at him. “A woman’s baggage is not complicated.”
Law gets stern. “First off, Doc, no one has more baggage than me. I mean maybe Robbie and Hayden. But come on, that’s not it. I’d happily morph into a luggage cart and haul that shit around for the right woman. This is what I meant–shoes, outfit, hair, schedule. Bat Betty’s toss their shoes off, rip their clothes off then fall asleep right after. Older women usually have expensive shit they’ve earned and treasured. I have to unstrap or unbuckle shoes and then place them safely out of the way. I have to make sure the bag is on a shelf away from liquids. I have to delicately remove intricate shit on skirts or dresses. And then there’s the sleep routine, make up removal or simply finding the right lip balm to go to bed. And if I want to date them, and often I do, their schedules are full because they’re successful. So, I get to schedule a random lunch three weeks later. So, I reiterate, complicated. I’m fucking hot for older women, and their life doesn’t bother me just their lifestyle.”
Tony applauds as he pulls his wife back down to her seat.
She nods her approval and then slams her hands on the table. “We should do shots. You and me.” Tony sits back, nodding his head.
I say, “Sure. Sure. This is an excellent idea.” I look at the two of them and toss a twenty on the table. “My money is on Makenzie to out drink Law. As long as I don’t have to participate.”
Hayden tosses his money in and a round of shots are ordered.
And I get what Law is saying. I sit back in my chair and think. Even though I’m the worst at dating and have only done it like four times, I get the complicated part. Gemma was so attached to her stuff or the way she did things that it was hard to build things together or have impulsive moments. It wasn’t the kids, it was the way she built a life without me. I was an intrusion. Even though we were married and lived in the same house, we were strangers. And if Law met a woman who had a similar situation, I get it. It’s hard to break in.
My phone buzzes, and I feel terrible. I’m not allowed to tell Mak it’s her best friend. It’s so weird for Mags to be a part of this group but not. I won’t say a thing.
Sloane rolls over and shoves my phone in my face. “Daddy. Something’s happening.” I’m still groggy from the shots. I didn’t get hammered because I’m a single parent, and we’re not allowed to do that unless they’re both at sleepovers or something. But I did drink too much. I’m tired, and Sloane had a nightmare so she’s in my bed.
“Daddy. Your phone is going crazy.”
I panic and hope Maggie is alright. Strange that my first thoughts are still of her.
I look down and see I’ve missed calls from a strange number and a bunch of texts claiming it’s Dax.
I sit up, scrolling quickly assessing what’s wrong and my fingers fly over the keyboard. At first, I think it is a joke. Then I’m corrected and it’s serious. Sloane flips on the lights.
“What happening?”
“Oh, honey. Don’t wake your sister just yet. But your Uncle Dax is apparently trapped in a cabin somewhere in Maine in this horrible freak spring snowstorm.”
I text him how to build a fire.
“Sloane, grab your phone. Hurry, please.” She runs out of the room. She’s only eight so she doesn’t even carry it around with her much. I only think she has one because her sister does.
She runs back in, and I hand her mine.
“If Uncle Dax texts anything else, read it aloud to me. I’m calling your grandfather.”
“That’s bad if you’re getting the US government involved.”
I look at her. “I know, right?”
She’s clutching my phone as I dial hers. It picks up and I blurt out, “Mom.”
“What’s wrong, Colton?” It’s a middle of the night thing. Her first instinct is something’s wrong. This time she’s right.
“We’re all fine. It’s Dax. I need Dad’s help to locate him. He’s in the Noreaster in Maine in a collapsed cabin. There are two people and–”
Sloane says, “TWO?! Who is this second person with my Uncle Dax?” I wave her off.
“He’s in the state park in Rugged, Maine,” I say to my mother.
“Oh, dear. Let me wake him up. Don’t worry. We’ll get to him.”
“Son.” His voice is gravely, but I can still hear the power thrumming through him. I know this isn’t his first emergency at an odd hour and there’s no international impact, but I can’t lose Dax.
“Sir. Rugged Maine. There’s a bad storm, and Dax Ladd is trapped in a cottage and there’s a woman, a ranger. They’re both injured but nothing dire.”
“Uncle Tony is calling,” Sloane says in a panic.
“Pick it up, Sloane, and tell him I’m on the phone with PopPop.”
“I will see what I can do. I’ll call Bob and get on this. Do you have any more information?”
“I do not, but Tony is on the line with Sloane. If you wait a moment, I can figure it out.” I take my phone. “Tony, what do we know?”
“Apparently, you have all the information. What the fuck is happening? Mom, Dad, and I are headed to Maine now. The rangers alerted Dad that Dax is there. If we can, we’ll bring them back to Boston Central hospital. Mak left, and I have to drive. Can you keep trying to call her? We have to fucking drive there in this storm. No planes or helicopters can take off right now. The local police called us after he called in the emergency.”
“Shit. Okay. I’m on the phone with the Colonel and texting your brother.”
“He’s texting mom and told her not to text back because of some bullshit battery that’s going to die. No chit chat.”
“Yeah, I feel the need to gossip in this situation. Fuck off, Tony. Look, I was telling him how to build a fire.”
“Jesus. What the fuck is he doing out there? Shit.”
“The Colonel is taking care of it on his end. I’ll let you know what happens. Fuck. I’m here man.”
“Yeah and thank god for the VP and the Department of the Interior. Who knew money couldn’t help in this type of situation?”
Tony hangs up, and I text Dax and tell him to get off the satellite phone. Then I relay pertinent information to my father.
“Dad.”
“Yes.” I never call him that. It’s always, sir or Colonel, but it came out.
“He has a satellite phone with no way to charge it, and he’s not sure how much battery is left. Dad, please send everyone and everything you can.” My voice cracks a bit.
“I’m on it. I’ll report back. And son.”
“Yes?”
“Whether you believe me or not, I love you, and I love that boy too. I’ll get him.”
“Our problems have never been about whether you love me or not. I know that you do, Dad. Please hurry.”
“Sit tight.”
I text Dax that we’re all up in it and to stay safe and warm. The Brothers chain is alight with information. Tony is updating everyone and I’m adding what I know. Hayden’s on his way over to my house with Lizzie in tow, who had just arrived from Paris. I’ll have to tell him who Dax is trapped with. Hayden will be doubly worried since he cares for her like a sister.
Claire and Robbie are going to come up as soon as possible. Law can’t be found right now. I’m sure he’s balls deep in someone.
I’m walking around my bedroom when I look at Sloane and she says, “Now, about this girl with Uncle Dax.”
I laugh.