sure I should either, but the picture was obviously older and who knows where life had taken him since. So, I continued getting ready for my date, trying hard to not think about the redness of his eyes or the contents of that bag.
But as I did my makeup, Mer finally said, “I don’t think you should go out with him.”
“Oh, come on,” I groaned, shoving my eyeshadow palette back in my vanity drawer.
“He probably took one look at you and thought, oh, this is a girl I can steal money from to buy my drugs.”
“You don’t know that,” I fired back, glaring angrily in her direction. “It’s an old picture.”
“Yeah, drugs do that to people. They make you look older,” Willa muttered.
“Will you guys stop? You have no idea. Maybe it was a one-time thing. Maybe he wasn’t even doing it, maybe it was his brother’s.”
“You’re making excuses for a guy you don’t even know,” Mer pointed out, crossing her arms. “I mean, Andrea, he looks like a junkie, now that I think of it.”
I gawked at my sisters, allowing my anger to disguise the concern I also felt. “Wow. Real nice,” I snapped, shoving my feet into the black stilettos Willa had brought. “I have to go. Thanks for the clothes.”
I left in a huff, with my anger toward my mean sisters fueling my drive to the train station. But once aboard and seated, I couldn’t help wondering if they were right. I didn’t know him or what he did in his spare time. I realized I didn’t know what type of person he was, and yet I was on a train to go see him.
“What an idiot I am,” I muttered to the spirit of an old man sitting beside me. “And this is exactly why I stick with ghosts and not live men.”
***
“Damn.”
It was the first word Vinnie uttered as I approached him at the bar. He removed himself from the stool he sat on, extending a hand toward me and helping me onto the seat beside his. He was so smooth, so chivalrous, I almost forgot about the picture my sisters had found.
“Purple is my favorite color,” he said.
I glanced down at the shimmering top. “Really?”
“It is now.”
I groaned, rolling my eyes back up to his. “Wow. Smooth operator.”
He grinned, sliding back onto his stool and grabbing one of two glasses of soda. “Sorry, I took the liberty of ordering you a Coke. But if you wanna drink something else, that’s cool.”
“Nah, Coke is fine,” I said, taking the glass from him. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, sure.” He nodded and grabbed a basket of sauce-covered wings. “Here, eat.”
The bartender, a burly, huge lumberjack of a man, let out a gruff laugh. “Dude, it’s like you don’t even wanna try.” He extended a hand toward me. “Hey, I’m Goose.”
“Andrea,” I replied with a smile.
“He’s a little rough around the edges but I swear he’s a good guy,” Goose replied. “Don’t let him—”
The bar filled with a distinct guitar intro and he groaned. “Fuck, hold on a second.” Goose turned his head and shouted into the bar, “For the love of all that is holy, play another goddamn song!”
Vinnie snorted, lifting his glass to his lips. “Dude. Give it up and embrace the ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’”
“Never,” the bartender muttered begrudgingly before eyeing me again. “Anyway, don’t let this guy fool you with his bullshit. He’s a teddy bear.”
“Okay, I won’t,” I replied, smiling warmly and deciding to push the picture to the back of my memory.
***
Vinnie, I learned, had the appetite of a garbage disposal, but after four rounds of wings, he finally leaned back in his stool, with his hands over his stomach, and blew out a heavy breath.
“Holy shit,” he groaned, closing his eyes. “Why did you let me eat so much?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the pained expression on his face. “I wasn’t aware I was calling the shots here.”
Opening his eyes, he glared at me. “Andy, listen to me right now and listen to me good. When it comes to food, I will keep going unless someone steps in and cuts me off. So, if you’re ever like, whoa, this dude’s gonna explode if he keeps eating, I want you to say, Vinnie, I’m pulling the plug on this binge-fest. You got me?”
My heart hammered wildly in my chest because, oh, I liked him.
I liked him a lot.
“I got you.”
“Good.” He nodded his approval, then called Goose over for a fifth refill, and I gawked.