Page 54 of Burning for Alexander
He was sitting at the desk in their bedroom with the dim butwarm light of the bedside tables on and the usually neatly made bed a rumpled pile of sheets and blankets. In the background, I heard Dad shout, “Blue, dammit, this wet towel is disgusting! You’re a pig.”
Papa glanced over his shoulder. “Then based on what you did to me a little while ago, I’d say you’re playing fast and loose with bestiality. Get in here, Tristan. Our beloved youngest child is on the phone.”
“Gross,” I said. “Can you please save me from the sex talk?”
I saw Dad walk into the room, dressed in an old UC Davis T-shirt and pajama pants with border collies on them. Papa had given him those pajama pants the Christmas after my childhood dog, Piper, had died, and it had made the entire family sob. A few minutes later, when Papa had brought out the new puppy, Papa had sheepishly admitted his plan hadn’t been thought through very well.
Now, Lottie was curled up in the corner of their room on her cushy bed, only waiting for my parents to get into their bed before she’d inevitably jump up and wedge herself between them.
Dad leaned over Papa’s shoulder after dropping a casual kiss on his ear. “Hey, sweetheart. You’re a sight for sore eyes. How’s the restaurant? Ella says you’ve been slammed at work.”
I spent a little time catching them up on everything going on. They asked about Tavo, so I updated them on how well he was doing, too. Finally, I could tell Papa had something to say.
“Spit it out, Pop,” I urged.
“How’s your love life?”
Dad closed his eyes and sighed. “Blue, we talked about this.”
Papa waved his hand at Dad. “Hush. I’m talking to my son.”
Instead of being annoyed at Papa, Dad simply smiled and rolled his eyes before kissing the man again. On the cheek thistime. Papa reached up and caressed Dad’s face. “You’re trying to distract me.”
“Is it working?” Dad asked, turning to wink at me.
“Not yet. But maybe after I’ve finished my interrogation.” He patted Dad’s cheek and turned back to me. “Answer the question.”
Between the two of them, Papa was known for being the nosy one. The Marians were a nosy people. Well, to be fair, it was mostly my great-great-aunt, and then all of my aunts and uncles. I would think it was a generation-skipping trait if my sisters hadn’t been just like our great-great-aunt Tilly. Nosy as fuck.
“I hooked up with a guy tonight, as a matter of fact,” I admitted. “But it’s not serious. He’s not relationship material.”
Papa’s eyes widened comically.
Dad moved around to kneel next to him at the desk, and this time, it was Dad who said, “Tell us everything. Who’s the guy?”
“Is he hot?” Papa added with a mischievous grin. Dad elbowed him.
“He’s hot,” I admitted. “But grumpy sometimes. Also an asshole sometimes. But yeah. Hot.”
Dad narrowed his eyes. “Don’t date an asshole, Alex. You deserve better than that.”
Papa nodded but didn’t pile on.
“He’s not that kind of asshole. He’s more of a stickler for rules, that kind of thing.”
Papa gasped. “You slept with the fire chief!”
My face flooded with heat, which was probably answer enough. “I didn’tsleepwith him, Jesus.”
“He’s a hundred and fifty years old!” Papa said.
Dad shook his head. “Blue, take a breath and remember where you’re getting your information. Our oldest child takes after you.”
“What does that mean?” Papa asked.
“She’s a gasper,” Dad said, raising his eyebrows to make his point. “And prone to exaggeration.”
Papa gasped again. “He’s the chief of… of fire, or whatever. Those guys have to be over forty, if not fifty!”
