You're My Little Secret, chapter 12
June 7th, 2005
I broke away from Ian's steamy kisses as his cell phone vibrated from his hip, and since I was currently straddling his hips it startled me a little.
"You're considerate turning it to vibrate for me." I teased as he blushed and unhooked the phone from his belt and tossed it into the backseat of his car. He pulled me back against him for a kiss, I giggled as I felt the seat start to recline backwards until we were practically laying in the backseat.
"I can't believe you took me parking." I teased, as I sat up a little to take off my jacket.
He grinned. "I didn't want to take you back to my apartment." He said shrugging, as he ran his hands over my hips.
"Understandable." I muttered. "But we could have gone back to my place."
"We always go back to your place." He mumbled against my neck as I placed my hands on either side of his head.
"I'm getting a cramp in my leg." I complained, trying to shift more comfortably as he chuckled from under me.
"Want to get in the backseat?" he offered
"Sweety, you have a small car... and this girl needs room to roll around." I joked, as he moved the seat back up without warning causing my nose to smack into his forehead.
"Fuck." I muttered in pain, holding my head as little black dots swirled in front of my eyes.
"Ava, fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't know the seat came up that fast." He said apologetically, as he steadied me in his lap and rubbed his forehead.
I giggled. "S'okay. How about we call it a night, Ian? I have to get up for work in the morning anyway." I said, climbing off of him and settling into the passenger seat.
He nodded. "Yeah, ok. I would hate to cause you any more bodily harm." He joked lightly as he turned the car back on and let the windows defog. He flipped the radio on just as "Holiday" was starting.
"I fucking hate this song." He muttered, sitting forward and turning the radio station. "I don't really like Green Day in general."
I couldn't help it... I laughed... for maybe ten minutes. Ian sat completely confused, staring at me as I carried through with my laughing fit. When I was done he shook his head and smiled. "Will you be doing that often? Orrr... "
I giggled. "Sorry, I'm just amused that you don't like Green Day."
He looked confused. "So that merits a laughing fit?"
I laughed a little again and decided this would be an appropriate time to confess a certain secret of mine that I have been waiting for a good time to share. "I have to tell you something, Ian... I'm, uh, I'm sort of related to the lead singer of Green Day."
He looked at me like I had three heads, kind of the same way my close friends from college looked at me the first time I shared this with them. I knew it was shocking for most people, and I didn't really make a habit of spreading this kind of information around.
"No, really I'm not bullshitting you." I said when he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking as though he wanted to kick me out of his car. "My sister married Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day almost 11 years ago. I'm not crazy, I promise."
He kind of cocked his head to the side. "Wow, I wasn't expecting something like that to come out of your mouth." He admitted. "That's kind of weird."
I nodded. "I know. I'm sorry to spring this on you but I mean, I don't exactly share this with just anyone. I figured since we've been hanging out for awhile and probably will continue to I would explain to you why I jet off to weird locations sometimes... and it's why I'm kind of a private person."
He continued to stare at me like he wanted me to say 'just kidding', but I just kind of shrugged and tapped my fingers against my knees, letting him having his moment to adjust.
"Sorry for saying I didn't like them." He muttered a few minutes later, running his hands through his hair sheepishly.
I giggled. "That's alright, there is no law requiring you to be a fan. I just thought you might like to know that this is a big part of my life. I'm very close to my sister; therefore I'm very involved with the band, which is cool, the guys are great." I said looking over at him as he struggled to wrap his brain around it.
"That's so weird." He said chuckling a little.
I nodded. "I know."
He looked up at me a few moments later and smirked. "Too bad your brother-in-law isn't Chris Carrabba."
I started giggling, it seemed like he had recovered from the blow just fine. "I would love it if I was somehow related to Dashboard Confessional, but alas I'm not. Although I could probably get you really good tickets to their concert or something." I offered, his eyes widening a little. "Billie Joe probably knows them somehow or another."
"Really?" He said, impressed all of a sudden with the idea of Green Day.
I nodded. "You're such a Dashboard nerd." I teased as he leaned over and kissed me.
"I am. And I'm sorry for reacting so poorly, it just sort of surprised me you know." He said. "And I, uh, guess this means the girl I dated last year was lying... she probably wasn't having the lead singer's love child?"
I leaned my head back against my seat and laughed. "Ahhh, no. But I guess I understand now where your dislike for them stemmed."
As I lay in bed that night I felt a little better that I had gotten everything out in the open... sans the details about Tre and me. I would share that with him later on, I didn't want to scare the shit out of him all in one setting. Plus, I wasn't really sure how to explain our bizarre and currently suspended relationship.
I rolled over and glanced at the clock, it was 2:10am. I knew the group was in Budapest so that meant it was a little after 8 in the morning there. I hadn't really talked to Adrienne in a couple days, with her getting the boys ready to leave for two months and getting last minute things done before their flights. I had promised to stop in every once in awhile and check on the house, get their mail and such. Both Ollie and I always made sure that we kept an eye on their place.
I felt a little guilty as I thought about the last couple of times I saw Adrienne. Without meaning to I had kind of distanced myself from her and from the kids; I just really felt like I needed some time to figure out what I wanted, and that meant taking a break from the unavoidable chaos that seemed to follow my sister around.
Plus I felt like I needed to take advantage of the long overdue and much needed break from Tre. When we woke up the morning after our asinine conversation I was hung over and miserable and he was quiet and withdrawn. It didn't exactly make for a comfortable and enthusiastic morning chat. I think we were both in agreeance that some time away to think and to clear our minds was in order... before we drove each other officially crazy.
But I found myself still missing him three weeks later. Sometimes I would be sitting at work and I would absent mindedly flip through the contacts in my cell phone, pausing on his name and entertaining the idea of calling to tell him about a funny t-shirt I saw or about something stupid I did that I knew only he would appreciate. In general I just missed our friendship, and the fact that I knew he would always be there if I needed him... something I used to take for granted.
Since I got back I had been spending quite a bit of time with Ian, which I enjoyed. Ian is amazingly smart and considerate, but we hadn't slept together yet and I was starting to think I had built a mental block somewhere in my mind that prevented other men from getting in. I think I knew that sleeping with Ian would seal the deal; Tre and I would be officially over. And I don't think I was ready for that realization yet.
I was sitting at work two days later, reading a report on a new patient when all of a sudden a dozen red roses were placed in front of my face, obstructing my view. I glanced up in surprise to see Ian leaning over my desk with a big smile on his face.
"I brought you flowers... because it's Thursday."
I sat frozen in my seat for at least two seconds before I stood up and threw my arms around his neck, inhaling his familiar Irish Spring scent.
"Thank you." I mumbled, taking the roses from him and cradling them in my arms. "Ian, they're gorgeous." I gushed, feeling my face burn a bright red from the surprise visit.
"You're welcome. I hope it's not a problem that I barged in like this. Will your boss care?" he asked glancing around at the other women in the office who were flashing him appreciative smiles. I knew I would be hearing a dozen easily swayed women saying 'hang on to him' when he left.
"No, not at all. Our office coordinator doesn't come in very often during the summer." I answered, still shocked that he was standing in front of me.
"Can I take you to lunch then?" he asked, checking his watch. "I can have you back in a half hour."
I stood staring at him for a moment wondered why I even needed to wonder if him and I would work out in the end.
I nodded. "Yeah, that's great." I said grabbing my purse from under my desk. "Uhh ladies, I'll be back in a half hour." I said. I received several shooing motions and a few 'take your times' as I grinned and grabbed Ian's hand.
After we grabbed a few sandwiches from a café we sat outside a coffee shop on campus laughing and sneaking kisses here and there. It was a beautiful day outside and it was nice to spend at least some of it sitting and talking with him.
"Thanks for coming in to take me to lunch." I said as we walked back to my building, hand in hand.
"No problem. I, uh, I actually wanted to ask you something." He said, turning to look at me.
"Ok." I said, waiting patiently as stared down at our intertwined hands, his foot tapping against the pavement in an odd manner.
"Would you like to have dinner with my mom and me tonight?" he asked, glancing up from under his eyelashes.
My eyebrows rose in surprise and he quickly looked away, embarrassed.
"Nevermind, I was just thinking since she was in town... "
"No, I would love to go." I said, interrupting him. "What time?"
He smiled. "Really? You wanna go?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I want to meet the lady who raised you so damn well." I said leaning forward to kiss him. "Call me later with details, ok?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I will."
"K, bye." I said kissing him one more time before pulling open the double doors and heading inside, glancing back once to wave and smile as he stood in the sunlight squinting and smiling after me.
As I predicated the ladies, who ranged from young to old, pounced on me as soon as I walked in, asking me questions and complaining that I never mentioned someone special before. I answered questions and giggled a little until we settled down and got back to work. I felt a little nervous at the prospect of meeting someone so important to Ian; I hoped that she liked me.
Ian picked me up at 7:30 and told me that I looked beautiful in my simple black skirt and top, calming my nerves just slightly as he kissed my cheek and led me out to the car where his mother sat in the front seat. And that's when the date from HELL began. His mother was rather unfriendly to me in general, but annoyingly enough she was over the top sweet to the waitress and ridiculously kind to her only son. I wasn't sure if she just didn't like spending what time she had with him in the presence of another woman, but she made it her mission to make me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome the entire meal as Ian sat across from me shooting me apologetic looks and trying to shush the unshushable older woman.
"So Ava, Ian tells me you're from Minneapolis, is that correct?" Claire, Satan's nemesis asked as she burned holes through my head from across the table.
I nodded politely. "Yes, my parents still live there actually."
She continued to stare me down until the next question in our fun game of 20 Questions came about. "How did you come about moving to California? And what was your major in college?"
"Mom, can't we just have a nice dinner? We don't need to interrogate Ava." Ian grumbled from his mother's side, but she hushed him and turned back to me.
I gave Ian a reassuring look. "It's fine I don't mind questions. When I graduated college I moved to Paris for two years to work as an intern with a team of medical anthropologists, and I also studied French while I was there. And then I received a full ride to Berkeley where I majored in anthropology and minored in French." I replied as she huffed. "I think anthropology is a waste. You could have been studying something useful like mathematics or psychology. Or ancient literature and philosophy like my Ian, here." She said proudly, reaching over to cup his chin in her hand as his face turned a bright shade of red. "Mother." He warned through clenched teeth. "Stop asking so many questions."
Claire looked over at me with an innocent expression. "She said she didn't mind questions, I thought we were having a nice chat." She replied, warmly.
A nice chat? Yeah, I would have had more fun ripping my toenails off one by one.
I grabbed for my drink and took a long sip through my straw, I figured that was the only way I was not going to mutter something about overprotective, anal parents. Ian and Claire chatted for a bit, which was a nice break from the interrogation I was being put through earlier in the meal. Our dinners arrived and I was hoping for quiet and polite dinner conversation... not so much.
"So, Ava, what are you intentions for my son?" Claire asked suddenly.
Ian's fork made a loud clatter against his plate as he dropped it. "MOTHER." He said once again through clenched teeth. "Jesus Christ, leave her ALONE."
"Ian Michael Jones. Don't you dare use the Lord's name in vain." She scolded before turning her eyes on me. "Did you teach my child this kind of talk?" She said accusingly. "He's never spoken like this before."
CHILD? I'm sorry, last time I knew he could wipe his own ass.
I bit my lip as Ian covered his face with his hands in mortification and muttered a few more forms of the Lord's name.
And before I could even answer she continued her assault. "So Ian tells me you're 25. Don't you think that's a little old to still be hanging around college?"
I sat politely trying desperately to think of something that wasn't sarcastic or rude... even though the bitch deserved it.
"Well, with taking those two years to intern in Paris it set me behind a little, but I wouldn't take that experience back for anything." I answered, hoping that she wouldn't twist my words around or maneuver them against me.
"I see." She simply said, which seemed to make me more nervous.
And then she kind of let me in on why she was trying to drive me away, however twisted that may be.
"Look, my Ian here has a lot riding on his last year of college and he doesn't need anyone distracting him from his studies, especially not some older woman like you." She said distastefully.
"CHECK! WE NEED OUR CHECK!" Ian yelled suddenly, causing the whole restaurant to turn and stare. "For the love of GOD hurry."
I couldn't believe the NERVED of this woman. "I'll keep that in mind." I muttered as our waitress came hurrying over with bill and a confused look on her face.
Ian practically threw his credit card at her. "Here, thanks!" He said when she glanced between his mother and I who seemed to be having a staring contest and back at him who looked like he might pass out at any moment from anxiety. I think she understood enough to hurry away quickly and return with his slip to sign.
I was just glad when we finally reached my apartment. I practically ran into my building, but not before his mother rolled down the window just a crack to say our goodbyes.
"Nice to have met you." I said smiling a little as she glared out at me.
"Likewise...and remember to heed my warning." She muttered before rolling up her window and turning away from it. I turned to Ian who looked like he could have melted into the ground out of embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, Ava." He said for about the tenth time as I fished my keys out of my purse.
"It's alright." I responded coolly. "Next time just you and I will go out, huh? That seems to work better."
I tried to joke but he looked hurt. "I don't know why she acted like that." He muttered, digging his hands in his pockets and frowning. "She's a very sweet lady." Sweet isn't exactly the word I would use.
I shrugged. "It's normal for mothers to want to protect their youngest child."
He nodded at my explanation as looked desperately at me. "This doesn't mean... " he trailed off.
I shook my head. "We can still see each other. I just think you should spend some time with your mom while she's in town and we'll go from there." I replied, managing a small smile as he kissed my cheek and promised to call.
Once inside my apartment I headed for the freezer and pulled out my best Vodka. I poured a large amount in a glass and added a little coke just so the liquor wouldn't be lonely. Kicking off my shoes I plopped down on the couch as I began channel surfing. I settled on cartoons as I tried to shake off the icky feeling that was surrounding me.
Suddenly Ian wasn't looking so appealing anymore.
June 25th, 2005
I was packing for my upcoming trip and much needed vacation when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, are you ready to go?" Ian asked from the other end, his voice sounding a little strained. He wasn't very excited that I was leaving for two weeks especially during such a rocky time in our new relationship.
"Almost. Can you give me another half hour before you leave your place?" I asked.
"Yeah, no problem. I'll see you in about an hour, Ava." He responded and then hung up. I thought it was sweet of him to offer to take me to the airport so I wouldn't have to leave my car there.
Ever since the awkward debacle with his mom I felt a little resentment towards him. And I knew he felt it too because he tried to make it up to me with dinners and movies; and every time we saw each other it just got more awkward as he tried to make it up to me and I tried to move past it. The progress in our relationship just seemed to die, which kind of pissed me off in itself because that's what the old bat wanted.
It didn't help that things at work had suddenly become increasingly busy as I was assigned to come up with a new and innovative slogan for our fundraiser in the fall. I was actually looking forward to getting caught up in some of the drama and chaos on the road... something I felt quite different about a month ago when I had gotten back.
Somehow over the past two weeks Tre and I's drama had been pushed to the back of my mind, and I found myself just generally missing everyone, especially my sister and my nephews whom I was used to seeing every other day or so.
An hour later Ian was helping me pull my suitcases from his trunk as I mentally went over the list of things I would need in my head.
He shoved his hands in his pockets when he had shut the trunk and he looked uncertain of what to say. "Uh, well have fun." He said awkwardly.
I smiled and leaned over to hug him. "Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it." I replied as he kissed my cheek. "You have everything?" he asked, glancing at my two suitcases and my carry-on.
I nodded. "I hope so." I said, a little saddened that we had been reduced to making small talk.
"Well, I should go." I said, pointing inside. "I have to check in and what not."
He nodded. "Call me when you get back." He said, managing a small smile.
"I will, take care Ian." I said before throwing my carry-on over my shoulder and turning to walk through the sliding doors.
After checking in my luggage I sat in the lounge waiting for my boarding call and reading a magazine, thinking about how my life had changed since last year. Adrienne and Billie Joe were going through a hellacious separation that left everyone a little jaded and a little unsure of where their relationship was heading. It was also around this same time last year that I packed up my stuff and headed to New York City for the summer with Jack. I found myself thinking about him the other day when I came across a CD that used to belong to him and it somehow ended up getting mixed in with my stuff. I wondered what would have happened and where I would be in my life if I would have sucked it up and just stayed with him. I very easily could have conformed to his way of life, but I was raised to be stronger and to think more aggressively than that. And besides if I never would have broken up with Jack I never would have been summoned for that long weekend over Halloween to be cheered up.
But I know somewhere in the back of my mind that even if Tre and I hadn't slept together then it would have happened anyway. Some people are just meant to collide in one way or another, and I was looking forward to seeing where we stood and if we really could stick to just being friends. Somehow I had my doubts.
I broke away from Ian's steamy kisses as his cell phone vibrated from his hip, and since I was currently straddling his hips it startled me a little.
"You're considerate turning it to vibrate for me." I teased as he blushed and unhooked the phone from his belt and tossed it into the backseat of his car. He pulled me back against him for a kiss, I giggled as I felt the seat start to recline backwards until we were practically laying in the backseat.
"I can't believe you took me parking." I teased, as I sat up a little to take off my jacket.
He grinned. "I didn't want to take you back to my apartment." He said shrugging, as he ran his hands over my hips.
"Understandable." I muttered. "But we could have gone back to my place."
"We always go back to your place." He mumbled against my neck as I placed my hands on either side of his head.
"I'm getting a cramp in my leg." I complained, trying to shift more comfortably as he chuckled from under me.
"Want to get in the backseat?" he offered
"Sweety, you have a small car... and this girl needs room to roll around." I joked, as he moved the seat back up without warning causing my nose to smack into his forehead.
"Fuck." I muttered in pain, holding my head as little black dots swirled in front of my eyes.
"Ava, fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't know the seat came up that fast." He said apologetically, as he steadied me in his lap and rubbed his forehead.
I giggled. "S'okay. How about we call it a night, Ian? I have to get up for work in the morning anyway." I said, climbing off of him and settling into the passenger seat.
He nodded. "Yeah, ok. I would hate to cause you any more bodily harm." He joked lightly as he turned the car back on and let the windows defog. He flipped the radio on just as "Holiday" was starting.
"I fucking hate this song." He muttered, sitting forward and turning the radio station. "I don't really like Green Day in general."
I couldn't help it... I laughed... for maybe ten minutes. Ian sat completely confused, staring at me as I carried through with my laughing fit. When I was done he shook his head and smiled. "Will you be doing that often? Orrr... "
I giggled. "Sorry, I'm just amused that you don't like Green Day."
He looked confused. "So that merits a laughing fit?"
I laughed a little again and decided this would be an appropriate time to confess a certain secret of mine that I have been waiting for a good time to share. "I have to tell you something, Ian... I'm, uh, I'm sort of related to the lead singer of Green Day."
He looked at me like I had three heads, kind of the same way my close friends from college looked at me the first time I shared this with them. I knew it was shocking for most people, and I didn't really make a habit of spreading this kind of information around.
"No, really I'm not bullshitting you." I said when he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking as though he wanted to kick me out of his car. "My sister married Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day almost 11 years ago. I'm not crazy, I promise."
He kind of cocked his head to the side. "Wow, I wasn't expecting something like that to come out of your mouth." He admitted. "That's kind of weird."
I nodded. "I know. I'm sorry to spring this on you but I mean, I don't exactly share this with just anyone. I figured since we've been hanging out for awhile and probably will continue to I would explain to you why I jet off to weird locations sometimes... and it's why I'm kind of a private person."
He continued to stare at me like he wanted me to say 'just kidding', but I just kind of shrugged and tapped my fingers against my knees, letting him having his moment to adjust.
"Sorry for saying I didn't like them." He muttered a few minutes later, running his hands through his hair sheepishly.
I giggled. "That's alright, there is no law requiring you to be a fan. I just thought you might like to know that this is a big part of my life. I'm very close to my sister; therefore I'm very involved with the band, which is cool, the guys are great." I said looking over at him as he struggled to wrap his brain around it.
"That's so weird." He said chuckling a little.
I nodded. "I know."
He looked up at me a few moments later and smirked. "Too bad your brother-in-law isn't Chris Carrabba."
I started giggling, it seemed like he had recovered from the blow just fine. "I would love it if I was somehow related to Dashboard Confessional, but alas I'm not. Although I could probably get you really good tickets to their concert or something." I offered, his eyes widening a little. "Billie Joe probably knows them somehow or another."
"Really?" He said, impressed all of a sudden with the idea of Green Day.
I nodded. "You're such a Dashboard nerd." I teased as he leaned over and kissed me.
"I am. And I'm sorry for reacting so poorly, it just sort of surprised me you know." He said. "And I, uh, guess this means the girl I dated last year was lying... she probably wasn't having the lead singer's love child?"
I leaned my head back against my seat and laughed. "Ahhh, no. But I guess I understand now where your dislike for them stemmed."
As I lay in bed that night I felt a little better that I had gotten everything out in the open... sans the details about Tre and me. I would share that with him later on, I didn't want to scare the shit out of him all in one setting. Plus, I wasn't really sure how to explain our bizarre and currently suspended relationship.
I rolled over and glanced at the clock, it was 2:10am. I knew the group was in Budapest so that meant it was a little after 8 in the morning there. I hadn't really talked to Adrienne in a couple days, with her getting the boys ready to leave for two months and getting last minute things done before their flights. I had promised to stop in every once in awhile and check on the house, get their mail and such. Both Ollie and I always made sure that we kept an eye on their place.
I felt a little guilty as I thought about the last couple of times I saw Adrienne. Without meaning to I had kind of distanced myself from her and from the kids; I just really felt like I needed some time to figure out what I wanted, and that meant taking a break from the unavoidable chaos that seemed to follow my sister around.
Plus I felt like I needed to take advantage of the long overdue and much needed break from Tre. When we woke up the morning after our asinine conversation I was hung over and miserable and he was quiet and withdrawn. It didn't exactly make for a comfortable and enthusiastic morning chat. I think we were both in agreeance that some time away to think and to clear our minds was in order... before we drove each other officially crazy.
But I found myself still missing him three weeks later. Sometimes I would be sitting at work and I would absent mindedly flip through the contacts in my cell phone, pausing on his name and entertaining the idea of calling to tell him about a funny t-shirt I saw or about something stupid I did that I knew only he would appreciate. In general I just missed our friendship, and the fact that I knew he would always be there if I needed him... something I used to take for granted.
Since I got back I had been spending quite a bit of time with Ian, which I enjoyed. Ian is amazingly smart and considerate, but we hadn't slept together yet and I was starting to think I had built a mental block somewhere in my mind that prevented other men from getting in. I think I knew that sleeping with Ian would seal the deal; Tre and I would be officially over. And I don't think I was ready for that realization yet.
I was sitting at work two days later, reading a report on a new patient when all of a sudden a dozen red roses were placed in front of my face, obstructing my view. I glanced up in surprise to see Ian leaning over my desk with a big smile on his face.
"I brought you flowers... because it's Thursday."
I sat frozen in my seat for at least two seconds before I stood up and threw my arms around his neck, inhaling his familiar Irish Spring scent.
"Thank you." I mumbled, taking the roses from him and cradling them in my arms. "Ian, they're gorgeous." I gushed, feeling my face burn a bright red from the surprise visit.
"You're welcome. I hope it's not a problem that I barged in like this. Will your boss care?" he asked glancing around at the other women in the office who were flashing him appreciative smiles. I knew I would be hearing a dozen easily swayed women saying 'hang on to him' when he left.
"No, not at all. Our office coordinator doesn't come in very often during the summer." I answered, still shocked that he was standing in front of me.
"Can I take you to lunch then?" he asked, checking his watch. "I can have you back in a half hour."
I stood staring at him for a moment wondered why I even needed to wonder if him and I would work out in the end.
I nodded. "Yeah, that's great." I said grabbing my purse from under my desk. "Uhh ladies, I'll be back in a half hour." I said. I received several shooing motions and a few 'take your times' as I grinned and grabbed Ian's hand.
After we grabbed a few sandwiches from a café we sat outside a coffee shop on campus laughing and sneaking kisses here and there. It was a beautiful day outside and it was nice to spend at least some of it sitting and talking with him.
"Thanks for coming in to take me to lunch." I said as we walked back to my building, hand in hand.
"No problem. I, uh, I actually wanted to ask you something." He said, turning to look at me.
"Ok." I said, waiting patiently as stared down at our intertwined hands, his foot tapping against the pavement in an odd manner.
"Would you like to have dinner with my mom and me tonight?" he asked, glancing up from under his eyelashes.
My eyebrows rose in surprise and he quickly looked away, embarrassed.
"Nevermind, I was just thinking since she was in town... "
"No, I would love to go." I said, interrupting him. "What time?"
He smiled. "Really? You wanna go?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I want to meet the lady who raised you so damn well." I said leaning forward to kiss him. "Call me later with details, ok?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I will."
"K, bye." I said kissing him one more time before pulling open the double doors and heading inside, glancing back once to wave and smile as he stood in the sunlight squinting and smiling after me.
As I predicated the ladies, who ranged from young to old, pounced on me as soon as I walked in, asking me questions and complaining that I never mentioned someone special before. I answered questions and giggled a little until we settled down and got back to work. I felt a little nervous at the prospect of meeting someone so important to Ian; I hoped that she liked me.
Ian picked me up at 7:30 and told me that I looked beautiful in my simple black skirt and top, calming my nerves just slightly as he kissed my cheek and led me out to the car where his mother sat in the front seat. And that's when the date from HELL began. His mother was rather unfriendly to me in general, but annoyingly enough she was over the top sweet to the waitress and ridiculously kind to her only son. I wasn't sure if she just didn't like spending what time she had with him in the presence of another woman, but she made it her mission to make me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome the entire meal as Ian sat across from me shooting me apologetic looks and trying to shush the unshushable older woman.
"So Ava, Ian tells me you're from Minneapolis, is that correct?" Claire, Satan's nemesis asked as she burned holes through my head from across the table.
I nodded politely. "Yes, my parents still live there actually."
She continued to stare me down until the next question in our fun game of 20 Questions came about. "How did you come about moving to California? And what was your major in college?"
"Mom, can't we just have a nice dinner? We don't need to interrogate Ava." Ian grumbled from his mother's side, but she hushed him and turned back to me.
I gave Ian a reassuring look. "It's fine I don't mind questions. When I graduated college I moved to Paris for two years to work as an intern with a team of medical anthropologists, and I also studied French while I was there. And then I received a full ride to Berkeley where I majored in anthropology and minored in French." I replied as she huffed. "I think anthropology is a waste. You could have been studying something useful like mathematics or psychology. Or ancient literature and philosophy like my Ian, here." She said proudly, reaching over to cup his chin in her hand as his face turned a bright shade of red. "Mother." He warned through clenched teeth. "Stop asking so many questions."
Claire looked over at me with an innocent expression. "She said she didn't mind questions, I thought we were having a nice chat." She replied, warmly.
A nice chat? Yeah, I would have had more fun ripping my toenails off one by one.
I grabbed for my drink and took a long sip through my straw, I figured that was the only way I was not going to mutter something about overprotective, anal parents. Ian and Claire chatted for a bit, which was a nice break from the interrogation I was being put through earlier in the meal. Our dinners arrived and I was hoping for quiet and polite dinner conversation... not so much.
"So, Ava, what are you intentions for my son?" Claire asked suddenly.
Ian's fork made a loud clatter against his plate as he dropped it. "MOTHER." He said once again through clenched teeth. "Jesus Christ, leave her ALONE."
"Ian Michael Jones. Don't you dare use the Lord's name in vain." She scolded before turning her eyes on me. "Did you teach my child this kind of talk?" She said accusingly. "He's never spoken like this before."
CHILD? I'm sorry, last time I knew he could wipe his own ass.
I bit my lip as Ian covered his face with his hands in mortification and muttered a few more forms of the Lord's name.
And before I could even answer she continued her assault. "So Ian tells me you're 25. Don't you think that's a little old to still be hanging around college?"
I sat politely trying desperately to think of something that wasn't sarcastic or rude... even though the bitch deserved it.
"Well, with taking those two years to intern in Paris it set me behind a little, but I wouldn't take that experience back for anything." I answered, hoping that she wouldn't twist my words around or maneuver them against me.
"I see." She simply said, which seemed to make me more nervous.
And then she kind of let me in on why she was trying to drive me away, however twisted that may be.
"Look, my Ian here has a lot riding on his last year of college and he doesn't need anyone distracting him from his studies, especially not some older woman like you." She said distastefully.
"CHECK! WE NEED OUR CHECK!" Ian yelled suddenly, causing the whole restaurant to turn and stare. "For the love of GOD hurry."
I couldn't believe the NERVED of this woman. "I'll keep that in mind." I muttered as our waitress came hurrying over with bill and a confused look on her face.
Ian practically threw his credit card at her. "Here, thanks!" He said when she glanced between his mother and I who seemed to be having a staring contest and back at him who looked like he might pass out at any moment from anxiety. I think she understood enough to hurry away quickly and return with his slip to sign.
I was just glad when we finally reached my apartment. I practically ran into my building, but not before his mother rolled down the window just a crack to say our goodbyes.
"Nice to have met you." I said smiling a little as she glared out at me.
"Likewise...and remember to heed my warning." She muttered before rolling up her window and turning away from it. I turned to Ian who looked like he could have melted into the ground out of embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, Ava." He said for about the tenth time as I fished my keys out of my purse.
"It's alright." I responded coolly. "Next time just you and I will go out, huh? That seems to work better."
I tried to joke but he looked hurt. "I don't know why she acted like that." He muttered, digging his hands in his pockets and frowning. "She's a very sweet lady." Sweet isn't exactly the word I would use.
I shrugged. "It's normal for mothers to want to protect their youngest child."
He nodded at my explanation as looked desperately at me. "This doesn't mean... " he trailed off.
I shook my head. "We can still see each other. I just think you should spend some time with your mom while she's in town and we'll go from there." I replied, managing a small smile as he kissed my cheek and promised to call.
Once inside my apartment I headed for the freezer and pulled out my best Vodka. I poured a large amount in a glass and added a little coke just so the liquor wouldn't be lonely. Kicking off my shoes I plopped down on the couch as I began channel surfing. I settled on cartoons as I tried to shake off the icky feeling that was surrounding me.
Suddenly Ian wasn't looking so appealing anymore.
June 25th, 2005
I was packing for my upcoming trip and much needed vacation when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, are you ready to go?" Ian asked from the other end, his voice sounding a little strained. He wasn't very excited that I was leaving for two weeks especially during such a rocky time in our new relationship.
"Almost. Can you give me another half hour before you leave your place?" I asked.
"Yeah, no problem. I'll see you in about an hour, Ava." He responded and then hung up. I thought it was sweet of him to offer to take me to the airport so I wouldn't have to leave my car there.
Ever since the awkward debacle with his mom I felt a little resentment towards him. And I knew he felt it too because he tried to make it up to me with dinners and movies; and every time we saw each other it just got more awkward as he tried to make it up to me and I tried to move past it. The progress in our relationship just seemed to die, which kind of pissed me off in itself because that's what the old bat wanted.
It didn't help that things at work had suddenly become increasingly busy as I was assigned to come up with a new and innovative slogan for our fundraiser in the fall. I was actually looking forward to getting caught up in some of the drama and chaos on the road... something I felt quite different about a month ago when I had gotten back.
Somehow over the past two weeks Tre and I's drama had been pushed to the back of my mind, and I found myself just generally missing everyone, especially my sister and my nephews whom I was used to seeing every other day or so.
An hour later Ian was helping me pull my suitcases from his trunk as I mentally went over the list of things I would need in my head.
He shoved his hands in his pockets when he had shut the trunk and he looked uncertain of what to say. "Uh, well have fun." He said awkwardly.
I smiled and leaned over to hug him. "Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it." I replied as he kissed my cheek. "You have everything?" he asked, glancing at my two suitcases and my carry-on.
I nodded. "I hope so." I said, a little saddened that we had been reduced to making small talk.
"Well, I should go." I said, pointing inside. "I have to check in and what not."
He nodded. "Call me when you get back." He said, managing a small smile.
"I will, take care Ian." I said before throwing my carry-on over my shoulder and turning to walk through the sliding doors.
After checking in my luggage I sat in the lounge waiting for my boarding call and reading a magazine, thinking about how my life had changed since last year. Adrienne and Billie Joe were going through a hellacious separation that left everyone a little jaded and a little unsure of where their relationship was heading. It was also around this same time last year that I packed up my stuff and headed to New York City for the summer with Jack. I found myself thinking about him the other day when I came across a CD that used to belong to him and it somehow ended up getting mixed in with my stuff. I wondered what would have happened and where I would be in my life if I would have sucked it up and just stayed with him. I very easily could have conformed to his way of life, but I was raised to be stronger and to think more aggressively than that. And besides if I never would have broken up with Jack I never would have been summoned for that long weekend over Halloween to be cheered up.
But I know somewhere in the back of my mind that even if Tre and I hadn't slept together then it would have happened anyway. Some people are just meant to collide in one way or another, and I was looking forward to seeing where we stood and if we really could stick to just being friends. Somehow I had my doubts.
