“Not a chance. We live vicariously through you. Talk soon, love you.” She hung up. I really had a wonderful, accepting family. Even if they didn’t know all my preferences but still understood how important it was for me to have a Daddy.
Some things were better kept between you and your partner even if you love your parents as much as I do.
Tonight was gonna be like the night before school started. All your new clothes, shoes and backpack to show off, seeing the friends you missed all summer long. Granted, I didn’t have anyfriends on this trip, but making new ones wasn’t a problem for me. I’m a people person, well, more of a people pleaser. At times my mom always said it was to my own detriment.
Back to the whole night before school deal, there was no way I was sleeping tonight. Far too excited and jam packed with adrenaline. It was like covering the story of my career, only this time it was me hoping to seal the deal with Daddy and get my forever dream.
I had signed both of us up for almost every event from the costume contest to game night on the train and everything in between. There was even a car set up as just a dance club, and I loved to get lost in the beat. Whoever organized this event really went all out. The tickets weren’t cheap, but they were inclusive, except for alcohol. You had two tickets for drinks per night per person, after that you had to pay for any extras. Not being much of a drinker myself, that wasn’t an issue for me.
Gah, I was so ridiculously hyped up. My little was screaming to play and run around. Maybe that was just what this wound-up boy should do to unwind enough for a quick nap. A couple of hours’ sleep would be better than nothing.
With my favorite cartoon playing in the background, I pulled out my ponies and their two-story castle. “Princess Rosemary,” the naughty girl was in time out last weekend for kicking Chardonnay. “No kicking. That’s not nice, even if this is your castle.”
Chardonnay wasn’t having any of it. Rosemary lost her trust. She stayed on the front lawn grazing, far away from Princess Attitude. Sometimes I just didn’t know what to do with these silly fillies. He-he, I cracked myself up.
We played until my eyes grew tired and I’m happy to report that playtime was incident free. No pony went into time-out or had to be spoken too. With a quick kiss each, I tucket my girlsand their castle away, took my clothes from the dryer and put them in the suitcase.
I scanned my checklist, marking off the last few items. If I didn’t make such thorough lists for everything, I’d obsess over forgetting something. Wide awake again and knowing my boss was in bed and wouldn’t give me a mental hand slapping, I checked work emails and tied up a few loose ends. By then, I was finally tired enough to doze off for a bit.
“Time to go! Time to go!” I sang while I got ready, shaking my hips and dancing away. Excited wasn’t a strong enough word for how, well, excited I was. My luggage was next to the front door while I ran around, double checking everything was unplugged and the doors and windows were locked. With five minutes to spare, I hauled myself, and far too many bags for one week, out to the curb to wait for the driver.
The driver was kind enough to help me put it all in the trunk, and it nearly didn’t fit, which was scary. My tiny tush may work to close an overpacked case, but I don’t think the same would happen for a car trunk.
Even the L.A. traffic today couldn’t ruin my mood. I was on my way to meet Daddy. I remembered to pack a couple bedtime stories for him to read to me too. We were gonna play and eat and meet new people and see new places. I’d squeal if I wasn’t worried I’d scare the driver.
After he dropped me off curbside, I rolled my cases inside, excitedly scanning the terminal for Daddy. Could he already be on the train? New to all this, I wasn’t sure how it worked exactly.Did we check in and get escorted straight on board? Guess I’ll check in and see.
“Good morning, how can I help you?” the lady at the window asked as I stepped up.
I slid my ID beneath the glass window. “Checking in for the Pride Road Trip Train, please.” She typed away and printed out my ticket. “Do you know if Jarvis Styles has checked in?”
Back to the typing, it was taking forever. It took her a few minutes to respond and when she did I swear my heart fell.
“No sir, I don’t see that he has. Your train is here, feel free to board. Signage is overhead to the rear of the building. You’re on platform seven. Enjoy your trip.”
Well, my glass was still half full. Daddy will be here. He’s probably just stuck in traffic. I headed outside, located our platform and made my way over.
“Hello sir, ticket please?” The porter said as I approached and handed him my ticket. “Excellent. Car seven, cabin twenty. Right this way.” He took my bags and I followed him to it. Was I supposed to wait on the platform for Daddy? Shoot, I don’t wanna get in trouble.
“Can I wait outside for my partner?” I asked.
“You can, but I can assure you once they arrive I’ll bring them straight to your cabin.”
“I’d um, I’d rather wait outside please.” He nodded, sat my luggage inside the cabin, and I followed him back out and took a seat on a nearby bench.
People watching had always been a fun past time for me. Many great stories I wrote while in college started this way. But today it wasn’t as much fun. Watching all the happy travelers as they boarded, my head darted toward the door every time it opened. Only none of them were Daddy.
“Sir, last call for boarding. I’m afraid if your friend isn’t here he’ll have to meet us at the next stop.”
I checked my phone for the millionth time and fired off one last text only it didn’t go through.
Daddy wasn’t coming, was he?
Chapter Two
Stone
Open guitar case with money in it
