Read Online Unplugged (A Portrait of a Rock Star) by J. P. Grider - Free Book Online
Authors: J. P. Grider
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it now? What was she trying to say?
“I didn’t mean you’d be over your wife, Tagg. I miss Crystal too. I just thought, maybe you would have been able to move on a little.” My wife. Crystal. Nobody gets it. It was never about Crystal. Not really. But, maybe that’s why Mara’s squeeze wasn’t as tight. Maybe Mara thought it was about Crystal too. This new piece of information had suddenly brightened my mood. Because, if Mara was affected by the thought of my missing Crystal, then maybe Mara’s feelings toward me were similar to what mine were towards her. Hmmm.
“Dad, Ronnie, let me think about this. I can’t just suddenly change my course without thinking about it.” All I wanted to do was be with Mara. I had to get them out of my house, because I needed to talk to her. I needed to tell her what my despair had been all about.
Chapter Seven
Ronnie jumped up and gave me a big hug. “At least it wasn’t a no man, I can live with that. But, Tagg,” Ronnie took a moment, I guess afraid of not making me angry again. “Don’t take too long in making your decision. We’re really itchin’ to play.” Then he patted my back, shook my hand and walked out the door.
Dad, on the other hand, began to make himself comfortable in my home. He helped himself to one of my beers and searched my cupboards for potato chips. “Taggart,” he stuck his head around the corner from the kitchen to look at me in the living room. “Where are the chips? I can’t find them.”
“I don’t have any.”
Dad called again from the kitchen, “Okay, what about the cookies?” I heard cabinets slamming, the refrigerator door opening then closing. “Where is all your goddamn food?”
“Well, Dad, I’ve been trying to cut back a little, so there isn’t much.” I waited for his reaction. Silence. Then I heard footsteps slowly making their way around the bend from the kitchen.
He stood there with his hand on his chin, as if he were The Thinker statue. “I thought you looked different when I first saw you. You did drop a lot of weight. You look good, Taggart. What’s gotten into you?”
Mara’s gotten into me. She’s actually given me some zest for life again. “Well, I’ve been working out.” I turned to look at Mara who was now leaning against the arm of the couch. “Mara has been training me.”
Dad’s eyes were about to fly out of his head. “You’re being trained by a girl?”
I still had my eyes set on Mara, who was now rolling her eyes. I turned back to my dad, “Dad! What the hell?”
He was laughing. He was using that deep, guttural, Auggie Holland laugh that the world was so familiar with. He was so cocksure of himself; it made me mad. “I find it humorous that my son needs to be trained by a girl.”
“Dad, shut the hell up. You haven’t come around in a couple of months and when you do, you just can’t help putting me down. Nothing changes with you, does it?”
Dad just continued laughing. He plunked down on the recliner and guzzled his beer. I wished he would just leave. “Hey, Dad, don’t you have somewhere to be?”
He raised his eyes towards me but not his head. Instead he chose to look at Mara. “So what’s your deal, sweetie? I know you’re my son’s personal trainer, but are you his girlfriend, too?”
“No, Mr. Holland, but I am his friend.” Mara turned and gave her sweet smile to me. I couldn’t help but get all warm inside.
“Yeah… and I’m the Pope.” Dad got out of the recliner and came towards me with an extended hand. “Look, Taggart, I’m sorry I can be so gruff. You know how I am, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about you. I love you, boy, and I’m happy that you seem to be doing better. You look good. And, I’m glad you shaved that nest that was growing on your face. You got a nice face, son. A pretty one, just like your mother.” Dad saw that
“I didn’t mean you’d be over your wife, Tagg. I miss Crystal too. I just thought, maybe you would have been able to move on a little.” My wife. Crystal. Nobody gets it. It was never about Crystal. Not really. But, maybe that’s why Mara’s squeeze wasn’t as tight. Maybe Mara thought it was about Crystal too. This new piece of information had suddenly brightened my mood. Because, if Mara was affected by the thought of my missing Crystal, then maybe Mara’s feelings toward me were similar to what mine were towards her. Hmmm.
“Dad, Ronnie, let me think about this. I can’t just suddenly change my course without thinking about it.” All I wanted to do was be with Mara. I had to get them out of my house, because I needed to talk to her. I needed to tell her what my despair had been all about.
Chapter Seven
Ronnie jumped up and gave me a big hug. “At least it wasn’t a no man, I can live with that. But, Tagg,” Ronnie took a moment, I guess afraid of not making me angry again. “Don’t take too long in making your decision. We’re really itchin’ to play.” Then he patted my back, shook my hand and walked out the door.
Dad, on the other hand, began to make himself comfortable in my home. He helped himself to one of my beers and searched my cupboards for potato chips. “Taggart,” he stuck his head around the corner from the kitchen to look at me in the living room. “Where are the chips? I can’t find them.”
“I don’t have any.”
Dad called again from the kitchen, “Okay, what about the cookies?” I heard cabinets slamming, the refrigerator door opening then closing. “Where is all your goddamn food?”
“Well, Dad, I’ve been trying to cut back a little, so there isn’t much.” I waited for his reaction. Silence. Then I heard footsteps slowly making their way around the bend from the kitchen.
He stood there with his hand on his chin, as if he were The Thinker statue. “I thought you looked different when I first saw you. You did drop a lot of weight. You look good, Taggart. What’s gotten into you?”
Mara’s gotten into me. She’s actually given me some zest for life again. “Well, I’ve been working out.” I turned to look at Mara who was now leaning against the arm of the couch. “Mara has been training me.”
Dad’s eyes were about to fly out of his head. “You’re being trained by a girl?”
I still had my eyes set on Mara, who was now rolling her eyes. I turned back to my dad, “Dad! What the hell?”
He was laughing. He was using that deep, guttural, Auggie Holland laugh that the world was so familiar with. He was so cocksure of himself; it made me mad. “I find it humorous that my son needs to be trained by a girl.”
“Dad, shut the hell up. You haven’t come around in a couple of months and when you do, you just can’t help putting me down. Nothing changes with you, does it?”
Dad just continued laughing. He plunked down on the recliner and guzzled his beer. I wished he would just leave. “Hey, Dad, don’t you have somewhere to be?”
He raised his eyes towards me but not his head. Instead he chose to look at Mara. “So what’s your deal, sweetie? I know you’re my son’s personal trainer, but are you his girlfriend, too?”
“No, Mr. Holland, but I am his friend.” Mara turned and gave her sweet smile to me. I couldn’t help but get all warm inside.
“Yeah… and I’m the Pope.” Dad got out of the recliner and came towards me with an extended hand. “Look, Taggart, I’m sorry I can be so gruff. You know how I am, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about you. I love you, boy, and I’m happy that you seem to be doing better. You look good. And, I’m glad you shaved that nest that was growing on your face. You got a nice face, son. A pretty one, just like your mother.” Dad saw that
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