Page 41 of Pin-up Girl

A puff of air escaped the refrigerator when Dee slammed the door, and it drifted shut ineffectively. The scowl she gave me spoke volumes about what she thought of my idea.

Clint didn’t look any more impressed than his daughter.

“Half veggie.” I kept talking anyway. Every single veggie they have.”

“Mushrooms are gross.” Dee’s voice was hard.

Aubrey grabbed the pizza place’s menu from where it was stuck to the fridge with a magnet. “No mushrooms. Extra cheese.”

“No.” That shut Dee down instantly.

The inspiration just kept coming. “Do you think Aubrey’s pretty?” I asked.

Clint raised his eyebrows and Aubrey furrowed hers.

“Yes.” Dee answered without hesitation.

Called it. “Aubrey’s not worried about extra cheese.”

One corner of Clint’s mouth tugged up.

“And I’m way older than you,” Aubrey said.

What did that have to do with anything?

“Okay, fine.” Dee sounded put out. It didn’t matter, because she yielded.

Aubrey pulled her toward the living room. “Come on. Let Brodie order, and we’ll watch Howl’s Moving Castle.”

“Yay.” Dee’s hesitation had evaporated.

Clint hung back, while I dialed the number on the flier. Go figure—I still remembered it, and it hadn’t changed.

“Don’t do that again.” Clint’s voice was quiet but cold.

Wow. Okay. It was probably a fair request on his part, and I shrugged.

“And thank you.” His tone softened.

“Diet cola,” Dee shouted from the living room.

Clint shook his head. “No diet cola. Sugar is fine.”

I placed the order, with Clint filling in any answers I didn’t have, and we joined the ladies in the living room.

We watched the movie, and when the food arrived we ate in the living room. Dee knew all of the lines in the movie, and she wanted to be Howl. She made Aubrey say Sophie’s lines, “because you’re just like her.”

Aubrey didn’t look surprised by the request. In fact, this all looked normal and natural to them.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done something like this; sat around watching movies with friends, with there not being an additional expectation. Sex or negotiation or a company meeting.

The casual nature of it all was an unsettling combination of calming and anxiety inducing.

When the movie was over, Clint sent Dee to bed. She gave him and Aubrey hugs, and waved to me. “Next time you have to be Calcifer.”

“Why me? Why not your dad?” I asked.

“He doesn’t do it right.”

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