Page 54 of In The Game

“You can have a small bowl while I make dinner, but you have to promise to eat some real food afterward.”

“I will!”

I throw out one last chance to turn this thing around. “If you don’t want him to come, you can tell me, Arthur.”

“No, I want him to have dinner with us. It will be like a party.”

“A three-person party?” I ask, looking in the rearview mirror again.

“Yeah! We can get balloons!”

“I don’t think we have any balloons.”

“We do! They’re in the birthday box!”

Stupid birthday box.

“Okay,oneballoon. But that’s it. The rest we need to save for your birthday party.”

“A red one!”

TWENTY-THREE

This night is bringing on more anxiety than I anticipated. My pacing is going to wear a hole in the floor. And I’m not the only one. Arthur keeps bouncing off the walls with this idea we’re having aparty. I’d rather spend an entire Saturday at Chuck E. Cheese’s child rat casino than have this “party.”

“Arthur, be careful with that balloon or it might pop before Barrett gets here.”

He slows his running, but barely.

I look around at the house and check that it’s clean and picked up. It is, except for whatever toys Arthur’s taken out since we got home. Our house is a lot smaller than what Barrett is used to, but it’s a nice size for the two of us. I bought it for the backyard anyway. It butts up to a large park with a nice walking path that leads to a playground. It’s convenient and saves me having to buy a swing set.

I’m chopping up the cabbage for coleslaw when Arthur announces, in the loudest volume ever, that a black truck is in the driveway.

“The giant is here! And holy fart feathers—he has presents! I told you it was a party!”

“Don’t say fart feathers!” I call from the kitchen.

I can’t have him bringing presents and setting this standard that Arthur’s going to receive gifts every time he comes around. Okay, fine, I’m getting ahead of myself. Who knows if he will even want to have future visits after tonight. This dinner is a trial run.

“Let’s call him by his name, Arthur. His name is Barrett. Not ‘the giant,’ okay? He might not like that.”

Arthur throws the front door open. “Barrett! We’re having a party!”

He laughs on the other side of the door, and I try to suppress the butterflies.

“Awesome! Can I come?” His, well,giantfeet thud over the threshold and I wash my hands.

“Yeah! Are those presents for me?”

I wipe my hands on a towel as I walk out of the kitchen. “Arthur, let’s be polite and not ask for gifts.” Barrett’s smile is radiant.Why did I think this would be okay?

“Hi, Barrett.”

Crouching at Arthur’s level, he hands over the bags to him. “Yeah, buddy, these are for you.” He looks up at me again. “I hope that’s okay.”

My cheeks burn for no reason. None. Certainly not from how handsome he is.

“Kind of wish you would have cleared them with me first.” I have no idea what’s in those bags, it could be anything.

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