By this time, I had gotten control of my laughter…barely.
“What the hell are you doin’, walkin’ around with that shit in your bag?” he repeated his earlier question.
“I got two different kinds, and I forgot that the other one was in there. I didn’t want to be numb while we did it, okay? I wanted to feel you.”
He sat down next to me. “I can’t taste anything. I feel like I just got back from the dentist.”
I couldn’t help it. I busted out laughing again.
“Come on, freak. Let’s go, so I can make an ass of myself in front of your da.”
“He’s going to love you. Just relax,” I told him, fighting my twitching facial muscles. I stood and hoisted my bag across my shoulder and chest. “Just be yourself but without the cussing. He hates it when we cuss.”
“Ah, fuck. I’m in trouble then.”
“Yeah, probably.”
Over the last six years, my father and I had developed a very close relationship. It had been rough after Mom passed away, but we’d made it through, and our bond had strengthened for it. After his initial shock of losing the love of his life, he’d realized that all he had left of her was me.
Once we had been able to talk about everything that had gone on with Mom, how she was the one who had pushed him away, the world had opened up between us, and we’d helped each other move forward. When we hit rough patches, we would depend on each other to talk the other through it. He hadn’t let me down once.
I knew he wouldn’t let me down now. For me to be in a serious relationship meant I’d truly let someone into my life, something that wasn’t easy for me to do. My father would keep that in mind and would see Phil for the amazing, wonderful, adorable man he was.
As long as Phil kept his foul mouth to a minimum.
Shorty’s Bayou BBQ was one of Da’s favorite places. Tucked away in some heavy mangrove and brush, it squatted right next to an actual backwater that flooded in the rainy months. The water level would be low this time of year, but in the summer, we used to love throwing spareribs over the patio railing into the water, hoping to bait some of the gators into showing themselves. In fact, a few of those reptiles got enormous and would park their chunky butts there all summer long. Rangers would sometimes get a call to kill them if they became too big of a threat. The alligators might mistake an innocent child for a sparerib, and that would be horrific.
Open to the elements, the seating consisted of long benches and picnic tables on a covered patio. Old rickety ceiling fans constantly circulated hot swamp air around, scented with the aromas of charred beef, pork, and fries. The kitchen was closed off from the seating area to the right with a half wall kept open to make sure the cooks wouldn’t die from the heat and fumes of the charcoal grill drums.
The whole ride, Phil kept his hand on my thigh. Even through my denim, I could tell his hand was damp, and I got a twisted sense of satisfaction, knowing something in the world made Phil fucking Deveraux’s palms sweat. The damp hand slipped from my thigh when we pulled off the highway and took the narrow dirt road to the restaurant.
Phil had grown extremely quiet.
“You all right?” I asked him.
He looked a little pale, too, now that I took a good look at him.
He nodded, swallowing hard.
“If I tell you that, if he really ends up hating you, it won’t be a deal-breaker for me, will that make you feel better?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not a deal-breaker, babe, and he’s not going to hate you.”
“Okay.”
We pulled into the parking lot, and Phil parked the Black Beauty in a spot that was well shaded, so we wouldn’t cook when we got back in. Da’s blue Chevy pickup truck was there, and I spotted the redheaded Scotsman sitting on the front porch, waiting for us. Sans sunglasses, I saw him eyeing the truck with great interest. Phil stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel with the intent of squeezing the shape out of it.
“Phil?”
“It’s cool. Just tryin’ not to puke.”
“How’s your face? Got feeling in it yet?”
His lips twitched. “It’s better. I still can’t taste anythin’.”
“Well, once you start eating, I’m sure it’ll go back to