Page 84 of Three Not-So-Little Words
“Okay, maybe you have a point. But how exactly do you suggest I get the kid not to hate me?”
“Ronnie, you’ve always been the cool, fun aunt with Eve. I think you just do the same thing with this kid.”
“I know nothing about little boys,” I say.
“Lucky for you, boys are easier than girls. Just treat the kid like a person. An actual person.”
“Hey, that’s the same advice Dylan gave me.”
She points her finger at me. “He got it fromme.”
I just laugh.
She goes on. “My point is that you’re fun. Just be that way around the kid, and you’ll be fine.”
I’m glad she seems to have all the confidence that I lack.
What the hell am I doing?
I’m standing outside of Drew’s front door with a couple of pizza boxes in hand, deciding if I want to knock or not. I decided to show up with some food, but now that I’m here, I’m realizing how stupid it sounds.
What if they’ve already eaten dinner?
What if Colton doesn’t like pizza or is allergic to gluten or something?
What if I say something dumb, and the kid hates me?
I can’t believe I’m worrying about this shit. I miss a few days ago when I was worrying about when I was next going to get laid.
Speaking of which, whenarewe going to have sex again?
Pull yourself together, Ronnie. You don’t freak out about shit like this.
You are Veronica fucking Lawson. You’re a badass bitch. You’ve got this.
With that, I knock on the door.
It takes a minute, but Drew eventually opens the door. He’s kind of sweaty and a little out of breath.
The moment he sees me, his face lights up with a big grin. “I’m starting to really love opening this door. When I do, I see a beautiful woman.”
I give a nervous smile. “I brought over some pizza.”
“Whoa! Thank you. Come on in.” He steps out of the way, and I walk inside.
“You okay?” I ask. “Usually, the only time I see you this sweaty is when you’re fucking the sh—” I stop when Colton comes walking into the room.
“Hey, bud,” Drew says. “Do you remember Ronnie? She was here the other day.”
He nods.
They both turn to look at me, and I realize I should probably say something. “Uh, I wasn’t sure if you guys had eaten, but I brought over pizza and breadsticks.”
The boy’s face lights up, and Drew says, “Breadsticks are Colton’s favorite.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat because these breadsticks are stuffed with cheese.”
He beams with excitement.
