Page 175 of The Holy Grail
After shaking hands, and a, “Nice to meet you, sir,” from both Malcom and Evan, Richard shut them both down.
“Don’t call me ‘sir’. It makes me feel old, and my knees make me feel old enough as it is,” he said, then popped the trunk of his car so everyone’s suitcases could be loaded. “Call me Richard, since that’s my name and I respond to it pretty well. Or, you can call me ‘Rich’, and I’ll try and respond to that, although I don’t like it as much. However,do notcall me ‘Dick’ under any circumstances, because I really hate that, not only because it doesn’t even make sense as a nickname for Richard, but also because no one in their right mind wants to be called ‘Dick’.”
Evan chuckled, as did Jules.
“What’s so funny?” Richard asked.
“That’s Evan’s nickname,” Jules told her dad.
He frowned at Evan. “Your nickname is ‘Dick’?”
“Yes.”
“Why? That makes even less sense.”
“It’s a long story,” Evan said. “My friend, David, gave it to me—”
“Sounds like a short story,” Richard interrupted, only to quickly add, “And David doesn’t sound like much of a friend.”
“He’s a great friend, actually, and I sort of earned it.”
Jules turned to her dad. “David thought Evan wasbeinga dick, so …”
Evan was a little surprised at Jules’ candor with her father—not to mention her language—but Evan probably shouldn’t have been. Nor should he have been surprised when Richard’s own candor turned Evan’s way.
“Were you being a dick?” Richard wanted to know.
“Sort of,” Evan answered. “But it was all in good fun.”
“Hmm. Was it worth it, in the end?”
“Sometimes.” Evan shrugged. “Sometimes not.”
The ride to the Shaw home was less than thirty minutes. However, it seemed longer for Evan and Malcom, who were relegated to the backseat, and found themselves on the receiving end of piercing glances from Richard in the rearview mirror, which he’d tilted so he could see both men.
Jules and her dad did most of the talking, primarily about her current workload, but they also discussed the stock market a little bit, which Evan and Malcom found surprising. When Richard seemed satisfied his daughter’s financial investments were sound, he turned his attention to the backseat.
“Do you two do any investing?” Richard asked.
“I do,” Malcom answered. “Not as much as Jules, apparently, but I have some decent stocks in my Roth IRA and a 401k through the law firm I work at.”
“I don’t.” Evan met Richard’s steely gaze in the rearview mirror. “I’m not really in a position to be playing the stock market yet. Eventually, maybe.”
“It’s probably difficult on a bartender’s salary,” Richard said, and while his tone was neutral, it still felt like a bit of a poke. “But investing in yourself is important, even if it’s a small one.”
“He’s not just a bartender, Dad,” Jules told him. She then explained how Evan shared ownership of Three Amigos with his siblings, and how she’d worked to help the bar become more profitable, as well as a much better working environment for Evan.
By the time they arrived at the modest ranch home, which was situated on three acres of land, Evan was feeling like an absolute loser. He couldn’t help but wonder if Richard was thinking the same thing, and that Evan wasn’t good enough for his daughter.
Upon meeting Edie, though, his spirits rose, as Jules’ mother was warm and affectionate, and gave hugs like they were going to be declared illegal the next day. When she pulled back from Evan, she touched his face and said, “I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you. Even though I’ve only known about you for six days,” she added with a pointed look back at her daughter.
Jules’ response was to simply say, “Mom.”
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, as well,” Evan told Edie.
She then gave Malcom equal treatment, who, even though he appreciated the warmth, was still feeling a little shy in the presence of Jules’ parents. “Thank you for, uh, inviting us to visit,” he said diplomatically, even though it hadn’t really been an ‘invitation’.
Jules showed Evan and Malcom to the guest bedroom they’d be sleeping in, which turned out to be her childhood room. They were a little disappointed it looked like an actual guest room.
