practically made a science of it, only to have her father call him on it now?
“ Don’t worry, she can’t tell.” Thank God. “But I can.” Oh, shit .
Was it polite to burn rubber out of an old man ’s hospital room? “Listen, Mr. J, I think you’ve got it—”
“ I’m telling you, Jimmy, Sally’s the type of girl you just have to take charge with.”
Oh. Okay. So, was this better or worse? And how was he supposed to respond? And did Mr. J. really know “ Sally ”? She would eat alive any man who tried to control her.
“ Um, yeah, I know, but….”
Mr. Jukuri took his hand from Petey ’s arm and waved it with more strength than he’d have guessed the old man had.
“ See what I mean? ‘Um, yeah.’ That’s not the type of thing that’s going to get her. She needs somebody just as strong as she is, someone who will peel off that armor she’s built around herself.” He pointed a bony finger at Petey. “I’m telling you, Jimmy, Sally is not the type of girl you steal kisses from.”
Petey knew that.
“She’s the type of girl you take kisses from.”
Petey didn ’t know that .
But he wouldn ’t mind finding out.
Six
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
~ Carl Gustav Jung
Lizzie stood in the doorway to Alison ’s bedroom and laughed at Petey, who had just been tucked into bed by his mother like he was a toddler. “Oh, God, I didn’t think Alison even owned pink sheets. I’m pretty sure she bought them just to mess with you.”
He had no doubt of that.
His mother and Lizzie had picked him up from the hospital and brought him to Alison’s cottage, where they found the door unlocked, flowers on the kitchen table and a note stating she wanted Petey to take her room because of the television in there.
She ’d put a PS on the note that had cracked his mom and Lizzie up—”Stay out of my panty drawer, perv.”
It made sense for him to stay in her room. It was closer to the kitchen and the bathroom, and there was the television bonus. But a flicker of…something…went through him at the thought of spending time in her bed. Until he quickly realized she ’d moved her personal things down the hall to the other bedroom.
And that she ’d frillied up the room she’d stuck him in. It had to be on purpose. He could so not see her with pink sheets and pink comforter and pink…well shit, just about everything.
Lizzie ’s dropped-jaw look at the bed and her subsequent chuckles had confirmed it. “My God, when did she even have the time to do this? It’s good, though, she needed a good laugh.”
“ Yeah, except you’re the one laughing, as will be anybody who comes to visit and sees me in this Barbie Dream House.”
Lizzie hooted with laughter. “Oh, she laughed, all right. You just know she was busting a gut standing in line at Shopko with these in her cart.”
He couldn ’t help smiling at the thought of that. Yeah. Okay. She got him on that one.
His mother came back into the room, stifling a grin as she looked at her bruising hockey-player son surrounded by pink shams.
It was a sham, all right.
“ I put the casserole in the oven on timer, so it’ll go off by itself when it’s done, in case you’re sleeping. It’ll be fine until you’re ready or Alison gets home.”
“ Thanks, Mom. You know you didn’t have to do that.”
She came over and sat on the edge of the bed. Petey was propped up against the headboard on top of the comforter—no way was he going to crawl into the pile of Pepto Bismol until he had to. His mother pulled a throw (pink) from the foot of the bed and draped it across his legs to his waist. He saw her eyes fill with sadness as the throw covered the brace on his leg. At least he was able to wear track pants and have the brace fit over them.
“It’s the least I can do, bring some meals over for you. And Alison. It kills me that you can’t be at the house.”
“ Dad and I would be at each other’s throats within
“ Don’t worry, she can’t tell.” Thank God. “But I can.” Oh, shit .
Was it polite to burn rubber out of an old man ’s hospital room? “Listen, Mr. J, I think you’ve got it—”
“ I’m telling you, Jimmy, Sally’s the type of girl you just have to take charge with.”
Oh. Okay. So, was this better or worse? And how was he supposed to respond? And did Mr. J. really know “ Sally ”? She would eat alive any man who tried to control her.
“ Um, yeah, I know, but….”
Mr. Jukuri took his hand from Petey ’s arm and waved it with more strength than he’d have guessed the old man had.
“ See what I mean? ‘Um, yeah.’ That’s not the type of thing that’s going to get her. She needs somebody just as strong as she is, someone who will peel off that armor she’s built around herself.” He pointed a bony finger at Petey. “I’m telling you, Jimmy, Sally is not the type of girl you steal kisses from.”
Petey knew that.
“She’s the type of girl you take kisses from.”
Petey didn ’t know that .
But he wouldn ’t mind finding out.
Six
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
~ Carl Gustav Jung
Lizzie stood in the doorway to Alison ’s bedroom and laughed at Petey, who had just been tucked into bed by his mother like he was a toddler. “Oh, God, I didn’t think Alison even owned pink sheets. I’m pretty sure she bought them just to mess with you.”
He had no doubt of that.
His mother and Lizzie had picked him up from the hospital and brought him to Alison’s cottage, where they found the door unlocked, flowers on the kitchen table and a note stating she wanted Petey to take her room because of the television in there.
She ’d put a PS on the note that had cracked his mom and Lizzie up—”Stay out of my panty drawer, perv.”
It made sense for him to stay in her room. It was closer to the kitchen and the bathroom, and there was the television bonus. But a flicker of…something…went through him at the thought of spending time in her bed. Until he quickly realized she ’d moved her personal things down the hall to the other bedroom.
And that she ’d frillied up the room she’d stuck him in. It had to be on purpose. He could so not see her with pink sheets and pink comforter and pink…well shit, just about everything.
Lizzie ’s dropped-jaw look at the bed and her subsequent chuckles had confirmed it. “My God, when did she even have the time to do this? It’s good, though, she needed a good laugh.”
“ Yeah, except you’re the one laughing, as will be anybody who comes to visit and sees me in this Barbie Dream House.”
Lizzie hooted with laughter. “Oh, she laughed, all right. You just know she was busting a gut standing in line at Shopko with these in her cart.”
He couldn ’t help smiling at the thought of that. Yeah. Okay. She got him on that one.
His mother came back into the room, stifling a grin as she looked at her bruising hockey-player son surrounded by pink shams.
It was a sham, all right.
“ I put the casserole in the oven on timer, so it’ll go off by itself when it’s done, in case you’re sleeping. It’ll be fine until you’re ready or Alison gets home.”
“ Thanks, Mom. You know you didn’t have to do that.”
She came over and sat on the edge of the bed. Petey was propped up against the headboard on top of the comforter—no way was he going to crawl into the pile of Pepto Bismol until he had to. His mother pulled a throw (pink) from the foot of the bed and draped it across his legs to his waist. He saw her eyes fill with sadness as the throw covered the brace on his leg. At least he was able to wear track pants and have the brace fit over them.
“It’s the least I can do, bring some meals over for you. And Alison. It kills me that you can’t be at the house.”
“ Dad and I would be at each other’s throats within
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