Page 55 of The Roadie
There weren’t any side conversations at the table. Basically everyone listened as Mr. Abelman asked Brett a series of personal questions about his life. By the end of the meal, Brett felt raw and on display.
“Don’t sweat it,” Jimmy said, slinging an arm around Brett’s shoulder when they retreated to the parlor for after-dinner drinks. “He’s just protective of his daughters.”
Brett watched Kira talking with her father at the mantel, which was a good 30 feet across the room. He hadn’t been prepared for the onslaught of questions and was a little curt, at times. “Did he drill you like that when you started dating Audra?”
Jimmy pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head while genuine laughter fell from his mouth. “You got off easy, man. He basically told me to stay the hell away from his daughter or he’d rip my head off. He may have even threatened Immortal Angel’s record contract. I’m not sure.”
“Really?” It surprised Brett, because Jimmy was a great guy. A good husband and an even better father. He wondered what Jimmy did in order for Mr. Abelman to be so opposed to the idea of Jimmy dating his daughter, or if maybe Jimmy was exaggerating. “He was that against it?”
“He hated my guts, man. I wasn’t always a devoted husband and father.” Jimmy displayed a lascivious smile and waggled his eyebrows. “I was a ladies’ man. I partied hard and lived life in the fast lane.” He put his hand to his chest and bowed his head modestly. “But all that changed once I got my lady. She made a one-woman man outta me. And my kid turned me into something that shocked the shit out of everyone, including me.”
“What’s that?”
“A responsible adult.” Jimmy wrapped his arm around Brett’s shoulder in a brotherly gesture. “You’re starting out miles ahead of me. He’s got a great poker face, so it’s hard to tell what’s going on in his head. But I’ll tell you this. He speaks his mind. If he didn’t like you, we’d all know it. Relax. He likes you, man.”
Mason joined them, his black dress shirt now wrinkled and stained with a dollop of potato soup. “Don’t worry about Granpa Ron. I put in a good word.”
Brett smiled at the kid. “You did?”
“Yep. I told him how you made pancakes for us on the bus and how you make Aunt Kira laugh and smile all the time. He liked that.”
This kid’s got skills, that’s for sure.“Thanks, dude. Appreciate it. Us guys gotta stick together.”
Kira headed toward them, finished with the conversation with her father. She was smiling, and there was a sparkle in her eyes.
“Everything OK?” he asked.
“Perfect.” She nodded, happily. “He said that he respected your honest answers to his questions. That’s a good thing. You didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear. It showed that you have integrity. And he loves that you take care of your brother. My father values family above all things.”
Relieved, the tension disappeared from Brett’s shoulders. “What else did he say?”
She looped her arm through his tightly. “He said he approves.”
