Coaching the Nerd (Nerds Vs Jocks #2) - Eli Easton Page 0,66
disturbing, and I could tell my mother wasn’t a fan either. She remarked that there was a reason she preferred to work with a microscope. Bubba, however, was fascinated. He walked around the exhibits with my dad, talking about muscle groups and studying the action poses.
I wanted to hear their conversation, but I didn’t want to get that close to the desiccated tissue. Ugh. My mom and I commandeered a bench, and we chatted about my classes while Dad and Bubba wandered. I was relieved when we moved on to other parts of the museum but glad my dad seemed to be getting along with Bubba.
Bubba and I had fun in the flight simulator and spent a lot of time in the exhibit about genetics that featured baby chicks. My mom explained the exhibit to Bubba, describing how genes worked. I could tell he got a little lost, but at least she was making an effort.
As we strolled toward the submarine exhibit, Bubba and I were walking behind my parents. I took his hand, and he offered me a tentative smile.
“You had quite a conversation with my dad in Real Bodies. How’d that go?”
Bubba got a pleased smile. “Good, I think. Thank God for my anatomy and kinesiology classes.” His smile faded. “I tried to show him I’m not a total dummy. I don’t think your parents like me very much.”
“They don’t know you. You just met. They’re slow to change.” That wasn’t exactly true all the time, but it sure was today.
Bubba gave me a nod and tried to smile, but he looked a little worried. I wasn’t used to a worried Bubba, and it didn’t do my nerves any favors either. Suddenly, this weekend seemed much more portentous than I’d heretofore realized, and I didn’t understand why. I certainly didn’t like the feeling.
After the science museum, we had dinner at my dad’s favorite restaurant—Riva on Navy Pier. They had excellent seafood and a lake view. It was an impressive place, and as Bubba looked around, I thought it must be another new experience for him—like the theater in Madison.
“Well, young gentlemen, this is my treat tonight,” my dad said after we were seated.
“No, Sir,” Bubba put in. “It’s your birthday. We should treat you. I… I mean…” He glanced at me. “I’d be happy to treat you.”
My eyes widened. He didn’t have the money for dinner for four at Riva.
“Nonsense!” my dad said. “It’s my birthday, so I get to do what I want. You boys are both in college, so it’s my treat.”
Bubba didn’t argue further. In fact, he was quiet through dinner as my parents focused their questions on me. They asked about my classes, my housemates, and about Quiz Bowl, which I was no longer in. After the night before, with the interrogation of Bubba, I was glad to have their attention aimed in my direction. We got into a lengthy discussion of rabbit-breed mutations from a paper I recently did for a class. Bubba ate his food, his face carefully polite, but I could see his eyes glaze over with boredom. I knew we were leaving Bubba out of the conversation, but part of me reasoned it was better that than have my parents grill him again—or for him to unwittingly say something that would give them a bad impression. I didn’t care for my sake, but I wanted to spare him any further embarrassment.
I was so desperate for them to like Bubba the way I did. Well, not the way I did precisely, but for them to like him and find him a suitable boyfriend. My parents were important to me, and I wanted them to have a positive opinion. But while they were perfectly polite to Bubba, they were far from warm. Not that my parents were warm people, even with me, but they didn’t engage with him much at all.
Back home, we watched my dad’s favorite film, 8 ½ by Fellini, which also seemed to bore Bubba. And I couldn’t blame him there. It was a long film, and it was almost midnight by the time it ended. We said good night to my parents and went upstairs. We shared a kiss at the guest bedroom door.
“Thank you for putting up with today,” I told him in a low voice. “I know it was all probably tedious in the extreme for you, but it meant a lot to my dad. And I was happy to have you here.”