Page 16 of The Keeper
She folds down the corner of the page and lays the book on the coffee table, then wraps her arms around me. We just stay there quietly for a moment. I know she knows something is coming. I can’t remember the last time I did this.
“So,” she starts, breaking the silence, “that good huh?”
I let out a noise that sounds like a terrifying cross between an awkward laugh and an uncomfortable groan. I let my eyes fixate on the TV, which is on mute and set to ESPN.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
“Well, my dear, it’s about time someone knocked you on your ass,” she says with a little giggle. “God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”
“I’ve never felt like this,” I respond. “I swear, Charlie. I can’t even describe to you what this day felt like. We just laughed and talked and…god,he’s just so great. I just really like him. No, I don’t just like him. Ilikehim, like him.”
She pushes on my face until my head tilts up and I’m looking at her.
“Youlikehim, like him? Jesus, RJ. How old are you?” Then she pushes me off her and I land unceremoniously with a thump on the floor.
And our tender moment is over.
Charlie hops up and stands on the couch.
“Mack and RJ sitting in a tree,” she starts.
“Charlie, come on!”
“K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
“Quit it!” I bark, remaining in a lump on the ground, tossing my arm over my eyes so I can’t see her mocking me.
“First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage.”
“Alright, you’ve had your fun.” I stand and shoot her a scathing look intended to wither her into the ground. She just laughs. Apparently I need to work on my scathing face. “I’m going to study for my psych test.”
“Would you rather study, or do something more productive like stalk your new love toy online?”
“That’syourM.O., Charlie, not mine.” I pause. “And I don’t even know Mack’s last name. I couldn’t stalk him even if I was some creeper like you.”
“You don’t know his last name?” she says, her face contorting with confusion. “What if he’s like, an escaped convict? Or a rapist? Or a Republican?”
I roll my eyes. “Glad to know you think all of those belong in the same sentence.”
“But seriously, how do you not know his last name?”
“It never came up,” I say with a shrug.
She sits back down on the couch.
“How old is he?”
“Uhm, he’s like early twenties. I think.”
“Where does he work?”
“We didn’t get to that.”
“RJ!”
“What!?”
She crosses her arms and hits me with a concerned look that I consider to be completely unnecessary.
