AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Hey baby.’
‘Hey, Dad. I’m on Fifth Avenue. I was supposed to be meeting a friend but her mom had some kind of drama and she has to babysit her kid brother. Anyway, she’s going to be at least another hour and a half. Do you want to meet?’
I check the large clock on the boxing room wall. It’s almost four and my next client is booked at six thirty. ‘Ah, yeah, sure. Let me grab a quick shower. Where should I meet you?’
‘Mm, outside the Lindt store?’
‘Okay. I’ll be there in twenty.’
‘Cool. Oh, and Dad, don’t wear your sweatpants, okay?’
My next breath comes short and hard through my nose. ‘You know, five years ago, you thought I was cool.’
* * *
Fifth Avenue is as packed as ever, with people carrying shopping bags, women strutting in ludicrously priced heels, men in suits walking with cell phones and paying no attention to the people they’re bumping into. Tourists stop to unfold and read a map, completely failing to grasp the grid system.
I spot Cady walking out of Lindt. Her hair is still pink. Her skater dress is teamed with black lace-up boots today and her leather jacket is tied around her waist. I dodge the traffic and run across the road to meet her, coming up behind her as she’s about to put a dark chocolate Lindt ball into her mouth.
‘You shouldn’t eat too much of that stuff. It’s just a ball of saturated fat and refined sugar.’
She turns to face me and rolls her eyes exaggeratedly as she puts the whole ball into her mouth with a satisfied groan.
‘That’s disgusting,’ I tell her. She chuckles and covers her mouth as she bites down on the ball.
We set off walking without a plan. When her mouth is empty, she tells me, ‘I’ll give up chocolate if you give up beer.’
I narrow my eyes and pretend to mull that over. Then I grab her shoulder and turn her back toward Lindt. ‘Let’s get you another bag of those.’
She giggles and I swear, my life may not have panned out the way I would have liked, but if there’s one thing I am proud of, it’s this girl.
We window shop with take-out drinks. I get the lowdown on what’s hot and what’s not when you’re eighteen these days. I’m lucky enough to get to sit on a chair in Abercrombie & Fitch and wait for Cady to try things on. Two young men with pecs and tans give me peculiar looks. A couple of girls, younger than Cady, bat their eyelids at me.
‘Cady, are you done? I need to get out of here before I’m arrested.’
She comes swinging out from behind a red curtain, carrying two check shirts across her arm.
‘Do you want those?’ I ask.
‘Yes, but I have money.’
Those five words thrill me. She knows the value of money. That’s something I want her to know and I’m not sure many kids do these days. I take the shirts from her.
‘Since you didn’t ask, I’ll get these.’
When we’re paid up, we head back out onto the street, Cady swinging her bag as she walks. She seems to have become happier since we were last together and I decide not to bring up the older boyfriend or underage drinking again. Not this time. Something tells me my girl could just use some love today.
‘Ooh, could we pop into Barnes & Noble? Then I’m going to have to love and leave you because Meghan is on her way.’
‘Sure, kiddo. What are you doing with Meghan anyway?’ I hold open the door to Barnes & Noble for her to walk in ahead of me.
‘Just going to grab some food, and maybe a movie.’
I can live with that. Cady takes off ahead of me and I’m left alone, doing a double take when I catch a face I recognize pinned to a sign by the cashier’s desk.
Izzy Coulthard
Author ofBe Green. Be Clean.
