The Rage and Love, Story of my Life, chapter 19
I could practically sense the gleam from Billie Joe's grin. I tilted my head, slightly leaning more towards the direction of the conversation.
'Hey, is it my fault I inherited being curious and nosy?'
"You really like her, huh?" Billie said, still smiling like a fool.
Joey sheepishly answered, "Yeah. So how did you ask Mom out?"
"Well, uh...do you remember the story of how she and I met?"
Joey silently nodded, "At one of your shows right? There was like... 10 people."
"Right. Well, I asked for her phone number and I called her the following day, asking if she was busy. I told her I'd come pick her up and I took her out on our first date together," said Billie, smiling at the fond memory and thinking of how different things have become since then.
"So...I should call her?"
"Well you could if you want."
Joey sighed nervously, "Well what should I say?"
"I dunno, man. You could just say 'Hey Sammy, you think maybe we can go out sometime?' "
Joey nodded, as if soaking in all of the words Billie was saying into his mind, "Okay. Thanks, Dad."
"No problem, dude. Go get her, tiger," Billie said, winking at Joey.
"Dad...don't...ever say that again."
Billie chuckled, "Alright, I'm sorry."
I heard feet running up the stairs, which clued me that their conversation was over. I shifted my legs off the couch, as Billie came walking into the room.
"So how did the little chat go?" I asked, averting my eyes away from the TV screen and towards Billie Joe.
"Just peachy. Joey's gonna ask Sam out."
"Aw," I cooed. "That's adorable."
"Yeah. I think she's gonna say yes."
"Oh really...why do you think that?"
"Because he came to ME for advice. The Mack Daddy of all dating and relationships."
I laughed out loud. "Yeah...okay, Billie... just keep telling yourself that."
Billie stuck his tongue out at me, then pulled me onto his lap.
"Billie, not now. The kids are upstairs."
"What? I just wanted to hold you. Not everything is about sex, y'know?"
I rolled my eyes. "Billie, shut up. You couldn't even convince yourself."
He smiled then rested his head in the crook of my neck, leaving kisses, here and there. We heard feet padding down the stairs and saw our youngest bundle of joy walk into the living room. He plopped down on the couch next to us.
"I'm bored." Jakob whined.
"Don't you have homework to do?" Billie asked, looking over at Jakob.
"Dad, its the summer." he replied, rolling his eyes.
"Oh... "
I chuckled. "Why don't you and Daddy go play football outside?"
Jakob's eyes lit up. "Really? Can we? Come on, Daddy!"
"Uh... yea.. sure." Billie responded, setting me aside, off his lap. He got up and was dragged by his arm by Jakob out of the room, but not before glaring at me.
I got up and decided to make some lemonade, considering the boys would probably like some after playing outside in the hot Californian sun. I turned off the TV and headed straight for the kitchen. I was in the middle of preparing the beverage when I heard Joey run into the room, apparently out of breath.
"Where... is... Dad?" He asked, exasperated.
"Outside playing with Jake. Why is everything okay?"
Joey nodded and headed off towards the sliding door leading to the backyard. I saw him frantically run up to his father and tell him something, talking animatedly. I figure by the grin that spread across Billie's face, it was something good.
'Samantha probably said yes.' I thought to myself.
I poured some sugar into the pitcher and begun stirring it. I heard the sliding door slide open and saw Billie, hunched forward, apparently trying to catch his breath. I smiled at the sight of his disheveled clothing and hair.
"You okay?" I finally asked.
Billie seemed to finally catch his breath and nodded. "Those kids... have.. so much fucking energy, it's amazing. They're like the fucking energizer bunny on speed."
I laughed at his metaphor, while pouring 4 glasses of fresh, ice cold, lemonade.
"So what was Joey so excited about telling you?"
"Oh yeah, I knew there was a reason why I came back in. She said yes."
I smiled, "Of course. He had a great teacher."
Billie Joe grinned. "By the way, you owe me."
"What? How do I owe you? I just complimented you like... 3 seconds ago."
"For disagreeing with my Mack Daddy status earlier. But don't worry, I'll think of a suitable compensation."
I rolled my eyes. "Here, take these to your kids." I said, handing him 2 glasses of lemonade.
"Where's mine?" Billie whined.
"I'm holding it, you idiot. Now go give those to them."
Billie did as he was told and returned inside the house moments later. He gratefully took his lemonade from me and began swallowing the cool beverage.
"Mmm.... Thanks, babe. This is really good."
"No problem."
We both turned our heads up as we heard the sliding door slide open again. Joey walked into the kitchen.
"Mom, is it okay if Sam comes over today?"
"Sure."
"Okay, thanks. Her mom said she could drop her off."
"Uh... how about you go with your father to go pick her up?"
Joey gave a confused look. "Why does it matter?"
I glanced over at Billie, giving him a panicked look. "Uh... it doesn't sweetie. I was just trying to make it easier for Miss Bi-"
"Ava. Miss Ava," Billie cut in.
"Uh...okay," said Joey.
Joey walked out of the kitchen, running up the stairs to his bedroom. I leaned against the counter, lost in thought.
"Adie, you okay?" Billie slowly asked.
"Billie... I think Sam and Joey going out is gonna be a problem."
"Baby, you can't do that to Joey just because you don't like Ava."
"I know, I know. But I can't fucking stand her."
Billie walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Adie, you're just going to have to get over it. That's not fair to Joey to make him stop seeing Sam. Okay?"
Not wanting to further the conversation, I just silently nodded. But I knew that there was no way in hell I'd be able to tolerate her. This was definitely going to be a problem.
'Hey, is it my fault I inherited being curious and nosy?'
"You really like her, huh?" Billie said, still smiling like a fool.
Joey sheepishly answered, "Yeah. So how did you ask Mom out?"
"Well, uh...do you remember the story of how she and I met?"
Joey silently nodded, "At one of your shows right? There was like... 10 people."
"Right. Well, I asked for her phone number and I called her the following day, asking if she was busy. I told her I'd come pick her up and I took her out on our first date together," said Billie, smiling at the fond memory and thinking of how different things have become since then.
"So...I should call her?"
"Well you could if you want."
Joey sighed nervously, "Well what should I say?"
"I dunno, man. You could just say 'Hey Sammy, you think maybe we can go out sometime?' "
Joey nodded, as if soaking in all of the words Billie was saying into his mind, "Okay. Thanks, Dad."
"No problem, dude. Go get her, tiger," Billie said, winking at Joey.
"Dad...don't...ever say that again."
Billie chuckled, "Alright, I'm sorry."
I heard feet running up the stairs, which clued me that their conversation was over. I shifted my legs off the couch, as Billie came walking into the room.
"So how did the little chat go?" I asked, averting my eyes away from the TV screen and towards Billie Joe.
"Just peachy. Joey's gonna ask Sam out."
"Aw," I cooed. "That's adorable."
"Yeah. I think she's gonna say yes."
"Oh really...why do you think that?"
"Because he came to ME for advice. The Mack Daddy of all dating and relationships."
I laughed out loud. "Yeah...okay, Billie... just keep telling yourself that."
Billie stuck his tongue out at me, then pulled me onto his lap.
"Billie, not now. The kids are upstairs."
"What? I just wanted to hold you. Not everything is about sex, y'know?"
I rolled my eyes. "Billie, shut up. You couldn't even convince yourself."
He smiled then rested his head in the crook of my neck, leaving kisses, here and there. We heard feet padding down the stairs and saw our youngest bundle of joy walk into the living room. He plopped down on the couch next to us.
"I'm bored." Jakob whined.
"Don't you have homework to do?" Billie asked, looking over at Jakob.
"Dad, its the summer." he replied, rolling his eyes.
"Oh... "
I chuckled. "Why don't you and Daddy go play football outside?"
Jakob's eyes lit up. "Really? Can we? Come on, Daddy!"
"Uh... yea.. sure." Billie responded, setting me aside, off his lap. He got up and was dragged by his arm by Jakob out of the room, but not before glaring at me.
I got up and decided to make some lemonade, considering the boys would probably like some after playing outside in the hot Californian sun. I turned off the TV and headed straight for the kitchen. I was in the middle of preparing the beverage when I heard Joey run into the room, apparently out of breath.
"Where... is... Dad?" He asked, exasperated.
"Outside playing with Jake. Why is everything okay?"
Joey nodded and headed off towards the sliding door leading to the backyard. I saw him frantically run up to his father and tell him something, talking animatedly. I figure by the grin that spread across Billie's face, it was something good.
'Samantha probably said yes.' I thought to myself.
I poured some sugar into the pitcher and begun stirring it. I heard the sliding door slide open and saw Billie, hunched forward, apparently trying to catch his breath. I smiled at the sight of his disheveled clothing and hair.
"You okay?" I finally asked.
Billie seemed to finally catch his breath and nodded. "Those kids... have.. so much fucking energy, it's amazing. They're like the fucking energizer bunny on speed."
I laughed at his metaphor, while pouring 4 glasses of fresh, ice cold, lemonade.
"So what was Joey so excited about telling you?"
"Oh yeah, I knew there was a reason why I came back in. She said yes."
I smiled, "Of course. He had a great teacher."
Billie Joe grinned. "By the way, you owe me."
"What? How do I owe you? I just complimented you like... 3 seconds ago."
"For disagreeing with my Mack Daddy status earlier. But don't worry, I'll think of a suitable compensation."
I rolled my eyes. "Here, take these to your kids." I said, handing him 2 glasses of lemonade.
"Where's mine?" Billie whined.
"I'm holding it, you idiot. Now go give those to them."
Billie did as he was told and returned inside the house moments later. He gratefully took his lemonade from me and began swallowing the cool beverage.
"Mmm.... Thanks, babe. This is really good."
"No problem."
We both turned our heads up as we heard the sliding door slide open again. Joey walked into the kitchen.
"Mom, is it okay if Sam comes over today?"
"Sure."
"Okay, thanks. Her mom said she could drop her off."
"Uh... how about you go with your father to go pick her up?"
Joey gave a confused look. "Why does it matter?"
I glanced over at Billie, giving him a panicked look. "Uh... it doesn't sweetie. I was just trying to make it easier for Miss Bi-"
"Ava. Miss Ava," Billie cut in.
"Uh...okay," said Joey.
Joey walked out of the kitchen, running up the stairs to his bedroom. I leaned against the counter, lost in thought.
"Adie, you okay?" Billie slowly asked.
"Billie... I think Sam and Joey going out is gonna be a problem."
"Baby, you can't do that to Joey just because you don't like Ava."
"I know, I know. But I can't fucking stand her."
Billie walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Adie, you're just going to have to get over it. That's not fair to Joey to make him stop seeing Sam. Okay?"
Not wanting to further the conversation, I just silently nodded. But I knew that there was no way in hell I'd be able to tolerate her. This was definitely going to be a problem.
