AllFreeNovel
Share Us
4 Perfect
Rob
“Is she back yet?”
Papou chuckles from his spot in the doorway of Evie’s room. “Diana texted me. You have twenty minutes.”
Oh, shit. That’s not nearly enough time.
“Grab the lights!” I’m already positioning Evie’s desk chair against the wall as I gesture wildly to the boxes scattered all over the bed.
Alex picks them up, then starts pulling the strands out too quickly, probably tangling them all to hell.
Papou didn’t seem to mind much when I asked if I could hang lights all over the room, but now he’s showing a different side as I have to forcefully pry the hammer from his grip.
“I’ll patch all the holes later,” I promise him. The last thing I need is to be on this man’s bad side. He has too much influence over my girlfriend’s life for me not to kiss his ass every chance I get.
I must be doing an okay job of that because he pitches in to help unravel the strands of lights, feeding me more line as I move the chair along the edge of the room. He and Alex take over connecting the individual strands as I hammer away, the steady rhythm not matching the erratic beat of my heart.
Some of Evie’s things get knocked off her dressers in my haste. God, this woman has so much stuff. Her proclivity for collecting every tiny memento over the years borders on hoarding. I guess I can’t complain too much though, since half the things are from me.
The end result looks less than desirable. The three of us stand in the middle of the room, eyeing the effect of the Christmas lights zigzagging the walls in a seemingly random pattern.
“This looks like shit, bro.” Alex doesn’t even laugh. He sounds genuinely concerned.
My heart continues hammering away, though I’m clutching the idle tool in my hand.
“Let us see the intended result.” Papou flips the light switch, bathing Evie’s bedroom in darkness. Except for the soft, yellow glow of thousands of tiny lights that paint the walls with a starry effect.
Mission accomplished.
My satisfaction is short-lived. Papou’s phone dings, so he fishes it out of his pocket to read the incoming text.
“They are five minutes away, according to Tini.”
I spin in a helpless circle. Time’s up. Game over. With witnesses still present, I can’t lay out the rest of this Promposal, which seems incomplete without the full presentation. The cream carpet takes a beating as I pace, waiting on the inevitable decline. This was a stupid play. I blame Mike with his ideas of meaning and intent.
Alex shakes his head, a weird sort of grimace on his face. “I’d like to tell you good luck before I bail, but hell. This is such a lost cause, nothing I say matters.”
“Thanks a lot, dickhead.” Too late, I remember this isn’t a private conversation. “Sorry, Papou.”
He only smiles in response. The lack of even a warning only adds to my anxiety. I fouled up on multiple grounds, and I know it.
YiaYia’s probably waiting in the hallway with a shotgun, as it is. And she hasn’t even seen the most damning evidence.
Papou grips Alex’s shoulder. A little too roughly if the slight wince Alex releases is anything to go by. “Come, young Alex. We have rendered all the help we can. It is time for Robert to face the music alone.”
Yes, go. Please get out, so I can try to salvage this Promposal in as little time as possible.“Why are you even here? I didn’t ask for any help.”
Mentally, I kick myself for not specifically addressing that question to Alex. Luckily, Papou doesn’t seem to take any offense. His expression remains neutral. For his part, Alex throws his head back in laughter that ricochets through my pounding skull. “You did such a great job on my Promposal, I wanted to see what you had up your sleeve for Evie with my own eyes. Who knew you’d nail it for me, but blow it for yourself?”
I don’t get a chance to defend myself. Papou does it for me.
“I would not count this one out yet.” He nods to my overly full duffel bags on the floor. “Sometimes, the best gifts in life are those given with the most meaning and the least sparkle.”
Sweat trickles down my back as Evie’s grandfather stares at me with understanding in his eyes. He can’t possibly know my plans. The old man has no idea what’s in my bag, waiting to be unleashed in this room in, oh…I’m guessing only two minutes.
“Get out,” I croak. “I have to finish this before she gets here.”
My shoulders bunch as I await Greek hellfire and brimstone, but instead, Papou only forces Alex out the door.
I don’t have time to question all the weird dynamics of what just happened because I have a job to do. I’ll think about it later.
Much, much later.
Just as soon as I’m done promising the moon to the girl of my dreams.
