Page 71 of Goode Vibrations
She went red. “Let’s just say next time, I’ll have to remember to make the hole deeper.”
I chortled. “Yeah, well, that’s how you learn. My first time taking the long drop out in the wops, there wasn’t a long drop and I didn’t know you had to dig a hole.”
She cackled. “Long drop?”
“Outhouse, but I’m using it as a polite euphemism for taking a shit.”
She shook her head and covered her ears with her hands and closed her eyes. “YUCK! Can we reserve alittlebit of mystery, please?”
I set out the camp stove and a carton of eggs, put on a pan of scrambled eggs and some bacon. Except for the fact that it was well past noon, it was a nice pleasant morning. We ate and I made coffee and we didn’t talk about anything heavy.
I was about to suggest we head out when her phone rang from somewhere deep in her bag. By the time she found it and dug it out, the caller had given up.
“My sister,” she said, by way of explanation to me. “I’m gonna call her back.”
I shrugged. “All right. I’ve got no plans.”
She just laughed, and called her sister. It rang a couple times and then was answered.
“Hi, Lex.” She listened. “Actually, I’m sure Mom told you already, but I’m not in New York anymore. Uh, Wisconsin, I think.” Another minute or so of listening. “Lex, girl, I love you, but you suck at small talk. What do you want?”
A pause.
“You are motherfucking shitting me.” She tugged on her braid. “Lex—Alexandra, don’t bullshit me. You?Youare getting married.” Another pause as she listened. “After that video, I figured you guys were pretty serious, but gettingmarried?”
Pause, listening.
“Wow. Okay. You really love this guy, huh? Not just because he’s a hot, famous superstar?” A laugh. “Okay, okay. You do. You love this dude. I never would have thought it, but okay. As long as he makes you happy. So, big question is when is the wedding?” She coughed in surprise. “You’re fucking kidding me. Less than two weeks? What the hell is the rush? Okay, okay, whatever, your business. Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m like halfway there.” She glanced at me. Meaningful, but I couldn’t fathom the look. “I, um…no, I’m not exactly alone. I mean, we’re still sort of…figuring things out, you could say. Lex, don’t, okay?” A pause. “Is he coming to Alaska with me? Like, for the wedding?”
Ah, that was the meaning. I grinned at her. “Yes, I am.”
She didn’t grin. It was a deep, serious look. “You can’t make a big deal out of it, Lex, but yes, he’s coming to Alaska with me.” Another stretch of her listening. “All of us together again, at last. It’ll be fun. Okay, yeah, I gotta go too. Okay, love you, Lex. And congratulations. See you soon. Bye.” She hung up the phone and set it aside.
I moved to sit beside her in the open sliding doorway. “What’s up?”
“My sister Lexie is getting married to Myles North. In Ketchikan, in two weeks.” She huffed, wiped her face. “So my leisurely time frame just got shortened. I can’t believe it—my sister is getting married. Intwoweeks. I didn’t even realize they were that serious.”
“What else? Something is bugging you.”
“Not bugging, just…” Her eyes lifted to mine. “You and me. This. It’s not even new yet, and now you’re coming to Alaska with me, to meet my whole family? Including all four of my sisters’ boyfriends whom I’ve never met, and my mother’s new boyfriend whom I’ve also never met. I just…are you sure?”
I felt…uncomfortable, I had to admit. “I…I think two weeks to get from Wisconsin to Alaska is plenty of time. We’ll take it slow and we’ll figure things out on the way.” I took her hand. “Because yes, Poppy, I’m sure. I don’t know what the hell this is or what we’re doing, I just know I’m going wherever you’re going, and if that’s to meet your whole family, great. You’re amazing, so I’m sure your family will be, too.”
She shook her head. “They’re all in serious relationships.” A shrug. “Well, except Torie. From what I can tell, at least, but no one’s ever sure what’s going with her.”
“So?”
She held my gaze. “Errol…”
“No expectations, Poppy. No pressure. We figure it out, one step at a time. Whatever it is, whatever it looks like. We’re just two people who like to be together. You get me, I get you. That’s all it is.”
She shook her head, but not in disagreement, I didn’t think. A long silence, and then she looked at me again. “I had a thought, just now. Not sure how you’re gonna feel about it.”
“Okay. Hit me with it.”
“Have you ever had a relationship with a girl that wasn’t based on sex?”
I outright laughed at that. “Yeah…nah.”