Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Mike
Two days had passed since I saw Ren, and I was starting to get antsy. This was foreign to me, and I didn’t know what to do about it. The overwhelming desire to see her was unexpected. When I got up for work, I made up my mind to text her, if for no other reason than to hear from her.
This was bad. So, so bad. What has this woman done to me?
It was Thursday, so getting to talk to her tonight before game night the next evening would be best. Then I was going to see if she was willing to meet Grammy on Saturday.
Especially since my grandmother hadn’t stopped calling and texting me about it.
Taking a bite of stir-fry leftovers I’d brought to work for my lunch, I gathered my courage.
Me: Hey, hey, there. What’s going on?
Then I erased it. I sounded like a commercial announcer with fake teeth. Oddly specific, man.
Flicking my head from side to side like a boxer warming up, I rubbed my hands together and tried again.
Me: Hi Ren. Mike here. I was wondering if you were free to talk.
Eh. Better but not great.
I’d decided to tell her who I was in case she hadn’t saved my name in her phone yet.
In my head, I sounded like those smooth-talking radio personalities right before announcing the love song someone had requested. Hopefully, she liked that kind of thing.
When there was no answer fifteen minutes later, I figured she must be busy. Scrolling through social media to pass the time, I kept eating and laughing at reels of toddlers misbehaving. I accidentally hit the share button and had to scramble to erase it.
“Almost did a Grammy share,” I murmured, setting the phone down as if it could explode at any moment.
Twenty minutes later, as I was picking up my food container to throw away, my phone buzzed. My heart raced just seeing her name pop up.
Renata: Ciao Mike. I knew it was you. I’m free anytime this afternoon. What time works for you?
She’d saved me in her phone!
“Yes.” I hissed, fist pumping the air like a high schooler.
“Italian just got even more alluring. Need to learn some words to impress her. Okay, calm down, big boy, and answer the text,” I scolded myself, taking a deep breath and using my hands, palms down, to chill out and blow out a long hissing sound.
“What are you doing?”
I dropped the phone, then tried to grab it dramatically, praying I hadn’t just sent her that reel with the cats that were afraid of cucumbers I was laughing at right before she texted.
Looking up at my co-worker Joseph, I said, “Need something?” My tone was too stern for how I usually spoke. “Sorry, what can I do for you?”
“Ah, sorry to bother you. Just wondering when you’d be done with the research data from Scripps,” he said, still keeping his distance.
Everyone at work was used to the guy who always smiled and had a joke to tell. The one everyone wanted to go to lunch with or play pool with.
“Not yet. Give me an hour?” I asked, making sure my voice was kinder.
“Yeah, sure. Thanks, Mike.” He loped out of my office like I had kicked his dog. I blew out a long breath and rubbed my head.
This was just what I expected whenever I let my guard down.
Keep the pretenses up, Mike. Don’t show them any other side except the one they like.
Shaking my head, trying to dislodge that inner voice, I realized I hadn’t answered Ren.
Me: That works. I get off about 5. Call you on my way home.
All she gave me was a thumbs up, and even that bolstered my mood. At least it was something.
Concerned about talking through this fake-dating thing with Ren while I was driving, I decided to wait to call her until I got home. Of course, traffic on I-8 was worse than ever.
“Come on, come on,” I whispered, trying to get around a van filled with surfers.
The frantic wave I gave them as I finally passed was meant to signal them to move faster.
But they thought it was an enthusiastic gesture and hung out the windows, waving back and yelling things about my rad truck, their long, wet hair blowing in the wind like they didn’t have a care in the world.
As frustrated as I was, I had to laugh. As an avid surfer, I understood the endorphin high they were on from being in the water.
I laughed even harder when I thought about how much Niko hated it when I used surfing terms like "rad" and "gnarly".
Honestly, once I knew it irritated him, I only did it more.
Hailing them with a final two-finger salute, I raced the rest of the way home.
“5:15, ugh,” I grunted, flying through the door and running straight to the back door to let Max out.
I knew if I did that, I’d bypass his sloppy greeting until I made this call.
“Love you, buddy,” I called to him as he eyed me suspiciously, but happily raced out to chase the squirrel.
He was getting old and slowing down, but he still had a little bit of crazy left in him.
Taking in a long inhale and plopping down on the couch, I pressed her contact info. It rang and rang, and just as I was about to hang up, she answered.
“Hey, sorry, I was in Vicky’s backyard painting with MJ,” Ren answered, a little out of breath.
“No worries, do you want to call me later? Hate to interrupt. That girl is so talented, I’m sure she’s got a masterpiece going.”
Please don’t hang up. Please don’t hang up.
“No, no. I’ve been waiting to hear from you. We have a lot to talk about,” she said, with something that sounded like a giggle.
More than excited that she was eager to talk, I smiled widely. “Yes, I guess we do. How’s your visit going?” I was partly stalling to keep her on the phone and partly afraid of the impending conversation.
I heard her footsteps walking away from the background noise I couldn’t make out, followed by the creaking of a door, and it closing.
“Sorry, had to go somewhere quiet. It’s been good.
Taking it slow and acclimating to the time change mostly.
Vicky and I have spent as much time together as she can manage.
We have a few things we’re working on, but just enjoying hanging out this week.
Oh, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow night and meeting everyone. ”
“I can’t wait to see you. I mean, can’t wait to beat you at whatever game we’re playing. You’ve been warned that I’m competitive,” I said, shaking my head at my slip.
She chuckled deeply, and my skin broke out in goosebumps.
Over a chuckle? Seriously, you’re going to have to calm down. Maybe it was an Italian chuckle? That’s stupid, dude.
“Mike? Still there?”
I sat up straight as if that would help me concentrate somehow. Like how I’d have to turn the music down when I was concentrating on driving somewhere new. Weird, but true.
“Sorry, my mind wandered for a minute. What was that?”
Ren laughed again. “I said I can’t wait to see if I’ve finally met my match.”
“W-well, we will see tomorrow night. Anyway, I thought we should talk before then. About the…thing.”
“The fake girlfriend thing?” she asked, humor coloring her voice. “Yeah, I think we should.”
“Before I embarrass myself anymore, first let me ask if you’re still up for doing this, Ren. I totally understand if you’re not. Honestly, I’ve been waiting for Vicky to call me and yell at me in Italian.” I stood and walked around, too nervous to sit any longer.
“Wanna know a secret? She’s making you sweat it out,” she whispered.
Why does that sound so attractive? It’s got to be the Italian.
“I would expect nothing less. She’s quiet-ish most of the time, but I think she’s hiding a firecracker under all that sweetness.”
“You have no idea.” Her words made me even more nervous about game night. “And to answer your question, yes, I’m still willing to do this for you. Vicky and I went over all the pros and cons. The biggest thing was making sure your grandmother doesn’t get hurt.”
I stopped pacing, my breath caught in my throat.
“That’s, ah, very kind of you to have her well-being in mind.
Means a lot to me. And this is why I know it will be fine.
Grammy will love the idea that I’m looking, or should I say, exploring the idea of finding someone.
Meeting a woman like you will give her hope that I can do that.
” My throat tightened, making it hard to finish. “Even after. You know.”
Ren was quiet, so I pulled the phone away from my face to be sure the call was still connected. She spoke just as I confirmed it was. “That’s so thoughtful of you to want to give her that peace. You, Mike Walker, are a very good man and incredibly sweet.”
“Ah, that’s very kind of you to say.” I cleared my throat, hoping to clear the emotions I was feeling. Those words had been said to me by a dozen women, but it was always just in flirting. They never took the time to get to know me past that. Ren saying it felt different.
“So, what’s the plan? And what details do we need to work out?”
“Well, I already explained what I told her about meeting you on the video call,” I said sheepishly. Basically just that we talk whenever we have time with the time zone thing and that you’re here on a long vacation to hang out with Vicky and, well, to see me.”
She was quiet for a few moments. “Ah, won’t she think it’s a bit serious if I came all the way here to meet you in person?”
“No. Maybe. But the vacation and seeing Vicky will tame that down, I hope.”
“Okay then. When should we go together to meet her?” she asked. It calmed my nervous heart to hear her sound not only calm, but willing. There was no hesitation in her voice.
“I see her almost every Saturday. I know Vicky probably has plans for you, so we can work around that. Sorry to ask for it to happen so soon, but it’s been days since I told her about you, and she’s broken her previous record for how many times she could call or text in a day,” I answered, hoping I didn’t sound desperate.