Page 47 of Mr. Green

“That’s not funny, Lana.” My mom puts her hands on her hips.

“Don’t upset your mother with that kind of talk, Lana,” my dad pipes in. He always takes her side.

“Don’t ask questions if you don’t want answers.” I throw some attitude their way.

“I asked who your new beau was.” My mom points the spatula at me. “Not any of this weird business of you being single. That’s ridiculous.”

“Mom, have you seen the way I look?” I’m in glasses, leggings, and an oversized shirt with my hair in a messy bun. I’m surprised I have this many black shirts and pants at this point.

“You’re beautiful when you want to be, Lana. You’ve been hiding yourself since that stupid ex of yours. I never liked him.”

She loved him. She called him her son-in-law to be. He was always polite around my parents and knew exactly what to say to accommodate their future hopes and dreams of us together. Thinking about it is making me clench my hands together in fists. It’s one thing to play me, but in a way he played my parents too.

“Josh, who are you dating?” I ask to get the attentionoff of me.

It works. Josh tells us about a girl he met. She sounds like a troublemaker to me, but what do I care. He’ll have a new flavor of the week soon enough. Unlike me, Josh doesn’t have the pressure to find a woman to marry right now. It’s always some “whenever you’re ready” bullshit.

Once they’ve asked, they drop the subject. At least I don’t have to worry about it anymore this trip. I can just hang out and be myself.

~

Dinner passes quickly with no more questions of who I’ll be procreating with, thank goodness. I head up to my room and call Grant. I feel a lot more myself after being here for a few hours. Even though my family drives me crazy, they somehow ground me.

Grant answers after the second ring. “Hi, Sunshine. Did you get back from your safari?”

“My...safari?” I furrow my brow.

“Yes. The one where you look out for a lion trying to pounce on you.”

“Are you on something?”

He responds with laughing. Lots of laughing. This guy is too freaking happy all the time.

“You’re cute. I’m the lion in this scenario, by the way.” He winks with a predatory smile. “Where are you? It doesn’t look like your place.”

Just at that moment, my brother barges in. “Lana? Are you talking to a guy?” He grabs my phone from me. Then he comes face to face with his old friend, Grant.

“Grant? Grant Green?” Josh stares at Grant with wide, angry eyes. “What the fuck are you talking to my sister for? I told you to stay away from her.”

He told Grant to stay away from me? Why?

“Listen Josh, I ran into her at a party and things took off from there. Actually, I think I still have some convincing to do. That last asshole she dated did a number.That’swhoyou should be mad at. I figured we’re all adults now.”

“What the fuck, Grant! I haven’t heard from you in years and now you’re trying to date my little sister. This is fucked up!”

“I didn’t want you to find out like this. I meant to talk to you sooner. I assure you, I’m in it for the long haul.”

“Sooner?” Josh’s eyes are so wide they may fall out of his head. He looks from me to Grant over and over looking for answers. “How long have you been seeing each other?”

“Not long enough,” Grant answers.

“Goddammit, Grant!”

My mom hears him shouting. “Joshua! Language!”

“My bad, Mom,” he shouts out the door. He closes said door while he mumbles some more curse words. Then he turns his face back to Grant. “Listen you bag of sweaty dicks,” he points at the phone, “stay the fuck away from my sister.”

“Excuse me Josh-u-a,” I but in. “I can make decisions for myself, thank you very much. This is none of your business!”