Page 35 of Third Time Lucky
ASHER
I’m sitting at a newly assembled Ikea desk in the restaurant’s office. My laptop is open before me, and I’ve been browsing endless options for a date idea in Portland for what seems like an eternity. Why do I feel like I have no idea how to plan a date?
‘I thought we were stocking shit today. What’re you doing in here?’ Aaron asks, stopping in the doorway and looking in curiously. ‘Studying for a test?’
‘I asked Lucy on a date – without you,’ I admit, shaking my head in exasperation. ‘And now I’ve not got a clue what to do.’
‘Do her,’ he says like a creep, nodding his head repeatedly.
‘I’m looking for romantic, not offensive.’
‘Oh, well then, duh, cook for her then do her.’
I shake my head. ‘Cooking’s no longer a novelty, considering I do it for her daily. I need something bigger.’
‘Bigger, huh? I guess that means sex really is out of the question.’
I roll my eyes. ‘You do realize that sex is only one aspect of a relationship, right? It’s not the main focus.’
He stares blankly as if I’m speaking in a foreign tongue.
‘If you say so, boss,’ he finally says with a chuckle, leaning against the door frame.
‘I want to romance this woman, Aaron, not do her in the back seat of my car.’
He mocks me under his breath, sounding nothing like me at all. ‘Fine, Mr Romantic, let’s brainstorm. How about a hot air balloon ride at sunset? Or a hike to a private waterfall for a picnic? Multnomah Falls!’
I shake my head. ‘It’s not a proposal; it’s a first date.’
‘You said big,’ he argues.
‘I meant, first date big, and I really like her but don’t want to go so big I’ll never top it. What else you got?’
Aaron’s eyes light up with an idea. ‘What about a pottery class? You could recreate that scene from Ghost ?’
‘ Ghost ? You spent too much time with Mom as a child.’
He nods enthusiastically. ‘Dude, the eighties were awesome and Swayze was a God.’
‘You never lived through the eighties,’ I remind him.
‘My God, you’re lame,’ he says with disappointment. ‘The best part of having Gen X parents was the eighties nostalgia they brought with them. Back when McDonald’s sold copies of Ghost in the nineties, Mom bought one on VHS. She’s still got it, and it is worn.’
‘Yes, I’m aware that our mother still watches VHS in twenty twenty-five. But it’s never been my decade. The only eighties movies I’ve seen are the ones you’ve forced me to watch,’ I admit.
‘Ugh,’ he groans. ‘You missed so much good shit. Wear your tightest pants, sit behind her, and help her with the pottery wheel. And don’t forget to channel your inner Swayze.’
‘Eh, no Swayze. In fact, if we can steer clear of anything requiring tight pants or the eighties, that’d be great.’
‘You’re so dull,’ he laments with a heavy sigh. ‘How about something adventurous like a nighttime kayaking tour on the Willamette River?’ he suggests eagerly. ‘You can see the city lights from a whole new perspective, and it’s pretty romantic if you ask me.’
‘ We did that once,’ I remind him. ‘At your insistence. Did I miss a big sign there?’
‘Actually, never mind. Scratch that thought – it’s definitely not romantic. More of a brother sport. Especially when one of us ends up drunkenly falling overboard.’ He taps his fingers against the door frame while contemplating.
For the record, the drunk man overboard was him.
I had to fish him out with an oar when he was too scared to get back in his boat because he felt something swim against his leg and was sure it was a shark (in a river).
I tied the two kayaks together while he sat uncomfortably close, shivering the whole way back to shore.
Nope, don’t want to relive that with a woman.
‘What about a wine and paint night?’ he suggests. ‘Girls love wine and crafty shit. Plus, you can unleash your artistic side – paint one another, naked – and share a laugh over each other’s masterpieces.’
‘Why’s everything gotta be naked with you?’
He shrugs. ‘Naked’s more fun.’
It wasn’t fun the time I walked into his apartment and found him nakedly attempting to unclog the toilet, but his suggestion sparks an idea.
‘Actually, remember the idea we had to graffiti one of the walls in the dining room?’
‘Yeah…’ Aaron says.
‘What would you think of me hiring someone who lets Lucy and me help as our date? Two birds, one stone, it’s crafty, and I have boxes of the best wine.’
‘Yeah, do it. But pay for the wine ’cause half that shit is mine. Then, bring her to the roof for a romantic picnic under the stars. I’m not done up there quite yet but close. You can tell me what else it needs.’
Aaron designed our rooftop as a private dining experience for small parties and couples. I’m completely out of the loop and don’t even go up unless he’s invited me. This part is entirely his baby. A romantic date night hot spot – maybe he does have that romantic bone.
Suddenly, a thought pops into his head. He raises a finger and points it in my direction.
‘I just remembered something. I recall Madi mentioning that they sometimes like to have dessert and cocktails for dinner.’
‘You listened when a woman spoke?’
‘Sometimes, I’m a gentleman,’ he rebukes.
‘A dessert rooftop picnic,’ I say with a nod. ‘Not a terrible idea, and she’s only seen me bake that one time with Audrina.’
‘Madi hasn’t seen me baked yet,’ he jokes. ‘Paint and bake – sounds like a hippie date. I’m gonna add that to my list.’
‘You’re almost good at this romance thing.’
‘You act like I’m just a pretty face,’ he says with a huff, crossing his arms defensively. ‘I didn’t choose to look like this,’ he adds as if it’s his cross to bear.
‘Don’t fret, love, you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever met,’ I say, only a hint of sarcasm in my tone.
‘And wait until you see the roof. I’ve got romance, you tool, it’s just all up there.’
‘I’ll find out soon enough. I owe you for coming up with this plan.’
‘You can pay me back with details afterward.’
‘Never happening,’ I declare, opening up a website for a locally well-known graffiti artist and shooting her an email.
A notification from my phone catches my attention as it buzzes on the almost empty desk beside me. I look over, smiling like a fool, when I see her name on the screen.
Lucy
Fire & Spice – a potential name for your restaurant?
‘Hey!’ I call to Aaron, standing from my chair to find him after he wandered off. ‘What do you think of Fire & Spice?’
‘Fire’s good. Spices are good. Why?’
‘For a restaurant name?’ I add.
He nods his head as he contemplates it. ‘Fire and Spice… it flows well, and there will be fire and spices.’ He claps me on the back. ‘I think you just named the place.’
Fire & Spice. I like it too. Simple but telling.
I type a text to her – Aaron doesn’t need to know I didn’t think of it myself.
Asher
You are a genius. We love it.
Lucy
Really?
Asher
Aaron’s dreaming up a mock window design now.
Lucy
Yay!
Asher
BTW – Friday Night, 8p.m., dress casual, I’ll pick you up – date night.
Lucy
!!! Can’t wait!
* * *
‘Now that we’ve sorted out all your issues,’ Aaron begins, ‘I wanted to run something by you.’ He jumps on the counter, facing the office with his hands tucked under his knees like a child. ‘You think I’m getting too serious with Madi? I mean, like you said recently, it’s been weeks.’
‘And you’re usually a “days” kind of guy…’
‘Precisely,’ he replies as if it’s something to be proud of.
‘How exactly are you getting too serious? I thought hooking up was how you two spent most of your time together?’
‘That’s the gist of it, but we also chat before and after, and sometimes on the phone.’
‘You two talk on the phone?’ I ask curiously.
Aaron is the only person in my generation who loves talking on the phone, like a teenage girl. He hates texts and refuses to check his emails, but if you answer, he’ll talk for hours.
He confirms with a nod. ‘Lately, she’s been my ten o’clock call. See, with me calling you at eleven that gives us one hour. Otherwise, I’d be tempted to talk all night.’
‘You’d stay up talking to her all night if you could? Seems like there’s a word for that… what is it?’
‘Phone calls?’
‘Love? You’re falling for her. Why not just admit that you want something more than just a casual fling with this girl? Instead of ending it like all the others.’
‘You’re wrong, man. This is intense and kind of heavy. Love ain’t heavy. Something is nagging the shit out of me right here,’ he gestures between his stomach and heart. ‘It’s encouraging me to focus on this one girl. That’s not usually how I roll, so I need your take on whether she’s worth it.’
‘That’s a loaded question I won’t be answering. She’s Lucy’s best friend. I don’t really know her, and you tend to gossip. Look, if you like her, focus on her. If she likes you, you won’t scare her away. What could it hurt?’
Like the child he sometimes is, he reaches down and rests his hand on his groin.
‘Before you speak as if it has a voice,’ I say, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration, ‘remember your brain is up here…’ I tap him on the forehead as I stand up, conflicted about how to help without enabling his antics.
‘Try using that one, and please don’t do anything dumb that makes Lucy reconsider what she feels for me. ’
‘No promises…’ he replies. ‘My mouth does what it wants,’ he adds as I walk into the dining room, torn between laughing and worrying, trying to distract myself by imagining how the wall would look painted.