“And why you volunteered me to stay there,” she realized, putting it together – and he shrugged.
“It helps her, you… and me.”
Heidi nodded, realizing that he was speaking the truth even as painful as it was. His grandmother needed help and it was getting to be a little too much for him to do alone – which is why he’d invited her to stay there. He was providing in the hopes that she would get along well with his grandmother… and stay.
Not for himself.
Not because he was really interested…
But for Mimi’s care – and Mimi had asked her to stay as well, offering her the moon and stars during their hushed conversation that left her completely boggled.
“So,” she hesitated and then looked at him again, “this isn’t a date – at all. You are wanting me to remain here for awhile to help out with your grandmother… and that’s it, isn’t it?”
“I thought you didn’t want this to be a date,” he said slowly in a careful measured voice. “If that’s not the case, just say the word.”
“I’m not going to tell you that this should be a date,” she sputtered, indignant. “That’s not how dating works. A guy asks the woman out –and newsflash– the woman doesn’t have to ever ask whether it is or isn’t a date.”
He hesitated and she continued, needling him and craving the last word in this conversation. “And this is definitely not a date. I’m so tired of the stupid mind games and the ‘will he’ or ‘won’t he’ crap that men play. We’ve been tiptoeing around this for hours now and I thought we had this hashed out already…”
“We did.”
“And?”
“It’s not a date,” he said quietly and held up his hand for the check. Was it her imagination or did he have a greenish-pale tint to his tanned skin. He looked like he could be sick at any moment – and she certainly felt that way hearing his words.
“Fine,” she said weakly, looking away.
This was probably the best – and worst – date (that wasn’t a date) that she’d ever been on. One moment she felt like she was on a pedestal and the next, an F-5 tornado had literally bowled her over and dumped her like a piece of offal in the trash… several states away.
Which had her rethinking the entire conversation with Mimi again.
Twenty minutes later,after an unpleasant an uncomfortable silent ride back to Mimi’s house, Heidi avoided looking at Jack the entire time. No, she stared straight ahead and replayed that hushed conversation with Mimi in her head… thinking.
“Why don’t you stay here…”
“Because ‘here’ doesn’t have Wi-Fi signal.”
“There’s more to life than what’s on your cell phone.”
“I know that.”
“Then why did you leave home?”
“It’s personal.”
“Where are you going?”
“That’s personal too.”
“You know what that sounds like?” Mimi asked, squinting. “Denial.”
“I’m not denying anything.”
“And I’m not stupid,” Mimi chuckled, giving her a quick squeeze despite her gnarled hands. The woman smelled like baby powder and for a moment, her mind flashed wondering what it was like to grow up here with her for a doting grandparent. Jack never mentioned his parents, so Heidi assumed the worst and never brought it up to him or Mimi. “I’m betting you are looking for a new place, a fresh start, and you’ve been traveling for a bit… so I’m also willing to gamble that you’re running out of money soon.”
Heidi just drew back and stared at the woman, stunned. It was true – all of it. She wanted a place that felt like home, where she felt she could settle down and make a name for herself, but traveling was expensive. Hotels sucked up quite a bit of her savings, fuel was pricey, she had bills on autopay, and yes… her funds were dwindling. She couldn’t afford a a bunch of repairs on her car, which is why she bit off Jack’s head in the very beginning. A part of her was mentally freaking out because she couldn’t get a signal, which meant she couldn’t check her account and was hoping to do so privately while in town… and Jack - was Jack.
Something broken internally, like a dam on the verge of washing out a valley mentally in her head – and Mimi immediately shushed her, smiling softly and gently in only the way a grandmother could. Understanding, compassion, acknowledgment, wisdom, and recognition were nearly glowing in those weathered eyes that had seen so much over the years.
