I'll Supply The Rain - Chapter Five
“You’re awfully dressed up.” I commented as I opened my front door on Friday night to see Nina in a tunic dress, cable knit tights and boots. Frank spun in circles around her feet, his tail wagging furiously for her attention.
“How’s my Frankie! Come see your Auntie Nina!” She exclaimed, ignoring me and walking across the living room to sit on the couch. He immediately jumped on her lap and stretched out excitedly, exposing his chunky belly for a massage.
“You didn’t answer me. What’s with the outfit?” I repeated, looking down at my lackluster ensemble of jeans, a ratty Death Cab for Cutie sweatshirt and my partially untied Chuck Taylors. “Since when did our Friday nights go all formal? “
Nina shot me an exasperated look. “Last time I checked, my outfit definitely wouldn’t be considered black tie.”
“Yes, but it’s a stark contrast to how we usually dress.” I replied, motioning to my clothes.
“I just figured we should go some place nice for dinner. You know, change the pace a bit.” Nina explained with a shrug as she leaned her face down to kiss Frank’s nose.
I bit my lip in thought. “I guess that sounds alright. What place were you thinking? Do you still want to go to the movie afterwards?” I questioned, kicking my shoes off and turning towards my bedroom to change.
“Let’s just play it by ear Luce. We don’t always have to plan every last detail do we?” Nina chided as she followed me, plopping down on my bed before getting bulldozed by Frank.
“I don’t always have to plan every last detail.” I replied as I swung open the doors of my closet. If Nina had a response to my overt attempt at denial, it was muffled by the sound of Frank’s excited snorts. I surveyed my outfit choices quickly before pulling out a long crème colored open stitch sweater, a matching tank top, and my skinny jeans. I turned around to face Nina and she nodded in approval at my outfit.
“I would just like to know our general plans for the evening so I make sure I bring enough money. Innocent enough, right?” I questioned as I sat on my bedroom floor to pull on my brown riding boots.
I watched Nina smile knowingly at me. “Sure, but if I answer that question then you’ll need to know what the menu looks like and what rating it has in the Zagats guide. Then you’ll call the restaurant and ask what the wait is, then debate over whether we should make a reservation. Inevitably, you’ll end up spending an hour wondering if we’ll be gone too long and whether you should get Frank a babysitter for the night.”
I opened my mouth to argue with her but quickly realized that she had basically vocalized the thoughts I’d been having since she suggested a change in dinner plans. “I can’t help if I’m a responsible Pug parent.” I responded weakly, thinking of all the times I’ve driven Frank thirty miles south to my parent’s house in a doggie car seat with a diaper bag filled with his favorite toys, blanket, and treats; all because I planned to be away from home longer than four hours.
“I think Frank will forgive you if you stay out just a bit longer than usual. I’m fairly certain he wants you to have a life just as much as I do.” Nina joked as she shook Frank’s stubby paws at me.
“You’d think that but you don’t see the looks I get from this guy when I try to leave the house.” I defended, grabbing Frank from Nina’s lap and lifting him above my head playfully. He snorted loudly as I hugged him to my shoulder.
Nina stared at me expectantly with a smile. “So what do you think Luce? With one-way London tickets comes great responsibility. You may just have to give this thing called spontaneity a try.” She joked as I placed Frank back down on the bed.
I smirked at her before gazing at my reflection in the floor length mirror. I pulled on the ends of my long curly hair in thought. My hair has always had an ongoing identity crisis with itself; twenty seven years spent sprouting from my head and still believing it were fashioned to a psychotic circus clown or a leather clad 80s rocker. In any case, my mop of curls rarely recognized that they in fact belonged to a fairly accomplished hairdresser. I often left my house looking like I had spent hours styling my hair with static ridden mittens. Surprisingly though, my curls had chosen to be relatively soft today. I considered this as good a sign as any to go ahead with Nina’s non-plan.
I held up my hands in surrender and sighed. “Fine, fine. You know what, I won’t ask another detail.” Squeals of excitement rose from Nina as she clapped elatedly and stood up to grab her coat. I finished getting ready and secured Frank in his room before Nina hauled me off into her car and onto the busy highway.
A half an hour later, Nina’s enthusiasm was still fueling her cheerful mood as she animatedly chatted about the perm she performed today on one of our eldest clients. “I swear Luce, when we’re in the old folks home and you find me holding a bottle of Nice and Easy Permanent, pull it violently away from my tiny frail hands and tell the doctors that it’s time to pull the plug. You know what; I’ll even make it a clause in our new contract when you sign the salon over to me.” She joked dramatically as she made her third attempt to Parallel Park in a crowded section of downtown.
“I just don’t understand why every bar in this ridiculously overpopulated city doesn’t have valet!” She shouted in annoyance, her jovial mood disappearing with every squeal of her tires.
I laughed quietly to myself as I jerked back and forth with the motion of Nina’s choppy braking. Two more failed attempts later and she had finally maneuvered into a spot. I peered curiously out of the car window at our surroundings. Nina had driven us to a busy area of the city lit with old fashioned street lamps and twinkling Christmas lights. Colorful strings of amber and winter white were wrapped loosely around the trees that lined the sidewalks. Next to Nina’s car, pale light spilled out from inside the store window of an art gallery that was nestled cozily beside a busy coffee shop and an empty consignment store. I had yet to see a restaurant but decided to squelch any need to question Nina about our final destination.
“So you’re really not going to ask me where we’re going?” Nina asked as she noticed my inquisitive gaze. I quickly opened my car door and braced myself for the awaiting chill.
“Nope. I told you. You won’t hear one question out of me. As long as there’s food involved, I’m all for it.” I assured her as I tucked my chin into my scarf.
“Glad to hear it.” She replied as she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth against the biting wind.
We walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence, listening to the noise of traffic and passing conversations. I had fallen into pace with Nina’s steps when she suddenly stopped in front of a large red door surrounded by rich stained wood walls and giant bow windows. Large potted plants cascaded down from the overhang, trickling down like moss onto the awning. I looked up at the deep red color of the canopy and in Old English calligraphy read the words “Westminster Pub.”
Realization came barreling towards me like a renegade baseball spiraling wildly towards an on looking crowd, landing comically against the head of an unassuming female whose sole purpose of going to the game was only to have a Fenway Frank.
“Oh no. No way. Spontaneity my ass! I should have known you were up to something!” I shouted in a whisper, pulling on the rouched sleeve of her puffer coat and leading her away from the door of the pub. I tucked the fur lined hood of my jacket over my head, looking around neurotically for any signs of a dark haired musician, one who I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to push out of my mind since his haircut the night before.
“Come on Luce! Lark practically begged me and my brother to get you to come here tonight. He really likes you!” Nina whispered to me as she forcefully stopped me in my tracks just feet away from the pub. I pursed my lips in a scowl. The dust that covered the day’s proverbial signs of treachery were swept clean and now shown brightly in my mind. Nina strolled into the salon this morning without a question, or even a casual mention of the haircut I did for Lark! She never leaves any encounter I have with a male unacknowledged without needing to know every inane detail like the flecks of his eyes or the inflections of his voice. I scolded myself for being so wrapped up in my own Lark infested thoughts all day that I didn’t even notice that she was clearly hiding something from me.
“I don’t care if he likes me. I’m not interested in dating anyone. In case you’ve forgotten - I’ve reached my quota for dating related heartbreak for the next…well…ever. And besides, I’m leaving remember?” I argued.
“You’re leaving in three months. That leaves plenty of time for you to date, even if it’s just to get you back out there. I know you’re terrified Luce but Lark is a really nice and solid guy. You know I wouldn’t have done this unless I had your best interest in mind, right?” She pleaded as her hazel eyes searched mine.
“That remains to be seen.” I whispered through my chattering teeth while staring at the noisy pub.
“We’ll just go in and eat some dinner. You know, watch him sing, have a drink and hang out for a bit. It’s not a date and no one expects you to leap on stage and make out with him.” She joked, yanking on my hand encouragingly.
I swallowed down the swell of nervousness brewing in my stomach. “He really begged you guys to get me to come here?” I questioned, my cheeks flushing with a mixture flattery and the bitter winds that whipped around us.
“How else would I have known about this? You obviously never planned on telling me. I hope you realize that only shows me that you were just as taken with him as he was with you.” Shards of hair flew around her face, attaching to the pale pink lip gloss that lined her mouth. She impatiently swatted her hair away from her face and looked back towards the bar. “Listen Luce, it’s freezing out here and I’m going inside. Considering that I’m your only ride out of here, I suggest you follow me.” She replied with a wink as she trudged forward into the bar, the red door swinging closed behind her.