QUEENIE BABY: On Assignment (18 page)

I sang a couple of slow songs to change things up a bit and was happy to see Dan and Sheila making out on the dance floor. Looks like disaster had been averted there. I glanced at my set list, the end was approaching. I jumped into my original,
The Rum Song
, and the dance floor filled up again. A few people were singing along. I looked up at Mark to see if he remembered the song. He was still at the bar. He was talking to a dark-haired man; they both had similar builds. The dark-haired man laughed and looked up from his beer.
 

Time seemed to stand still. I stumbled over the words.
 

The man waved to me. It was Rick.

C
HAPTER
F
IFTEEN

I DON’T KNOW how I finished my set, but I did. I quickly thanked the audience and unplugged my guitar. With growing dread, I made my way over to the bar. Mark’s face was a mask. Rick jumped off his stool and rushed over to me. He grabbed me around the waist, saying, “You’re amazing! You could have knocked me over with a feather when I walked in and saw you up there.” He was beaming with pride. I think I had found a new fan. I was thrilled by his reaction despite the complete and utter awkwardness of the moment.

“What are you doing here, Rick?” I asked.

“Trying to make up for being such an ass,” he said. “I thought if I came out to see you in action, I might be able to understand where you were coming from.”

I glanced over at Mark. Rick’s back was to him. Mark could hear every word without Rick seeing him. “You should have let me know you were coming,” I began.

He waved that away. “It would have just made you more upset. Besides,” he said with genuine excitement, “I finally get why you’re so into singing. You’ve got major talent. You have to pursue this. You were right—I did talk you into majoring in economics and I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine where you would be right now if you had studied music. I’m sorry, Diana.”

I saw Mark drop his head in his hands and glance out from between his fingers at me. He shook his head and made the gun to head sign with his fingers. “Rick, I appreciate you telling me this. Truly. But I’m so jazzed up after singing all night that I can’t even think right now. I need a drink,” I said dropping down on the bar stool.
 

“Of course,” he said. “The bartender’s busy. I’ll go down to the other end and get his attention.”

I could have had Woody’s attention in two-seconds flat, but I welcomed the opportunity to set things right with Mark. Staring straight ahead, I said out of the side of my mouth, “I am so sorry! I had no idea he would show up.”

I could feel Mark looking at me. “Are you talking to me, lady?”

“Stop that!” I hissed. “You know I’m talking to you.”

“What do you expect me to say?” he said with exasperation. “I’m sitting here watching a woman that I’m really starting to get into give an amazing performance and the next thing I know this guy sits down and says, ‘That’s my girl up there’. I’m assuming he’s hickey guy, correct?”

I glanced over at Rick still trying to get Woody’s attention. “Yes,” I admitted. “But I’m not his girl.”

Mark gave me a ‘yeah, right’ look, saying, “I didn’t think it would be a good time for me to tell him about our date tomorrow. He looks like he could get a little testy given the right motivation.”

“He’d be crushed,” I said, “but I doubt he would throw a punch at you.”

“Not a risk I’m interested in taking tonight. I’ve already been plucked in the head by an elf,” Mark said wryly. I sat there gloomily wondering why this was happening. As I watched Rick making his way back over with my drink, Mark said, “You know I should rescind my date offer.”

I looked over at him quickly.
 

“Here you are,” Rick said. “An extra dry martini. I told the bartender you liked Appletinis, but he insisted you would want this.”

I looked up at the bar. Woody gave me a sympathetic nod. I raised my glass to him and downed the drink.
 

“Whoa, slow down,” Rick cautioned. “Not that I would mind carrying you home tonight.” He laughed. I saw Mark pretend to bang his head on the bar.

“Well,” said Mark standing, “it was good talking to you Rick. I need to head home.” He shook Rick’s hand. “That was quite a performance, Diana,” he said and shook my hand too.

What to do! I wanted to jump up and run after him. But no way that would work with Rick here. I reached in my purse and quickly typed out a message to Mark:

Me: I’m so sorry!
 

Mark’s reply came back quickly.
 

Mark: Me too. You two will make beautiful kids together.

Me: No! That’s not what I want.

Mark: What do you want?

Me: To go on a date with you tomorrow.

No answer.
 

“Who you talking to?” Rick asked, leaning over my shoulder.
 

“My friend, Carol,” I lied smoothly. “She hurt her back at work.”

He took a sip of beer. “Too bad,” he said. “You ready to get packed up?” he asked.

I nodded. “Sure.”

“Great,” he said, “I’ll be your roadie.”
 

I coiled the mike wires while Rick loaded my guitar and a couple heavier pieces of equipment into my car. My phone rang. My sister. Calling at midnight. I don’t think so. Probably had a fight with Dan. I ignored the call.
 

Rick came in looking alarmed. He held out his phone. “It’s your sister. She said your Granddaddy was in an accident and is in critical condition at the hospital.” I grabbed the phone out of his hand.

“Jesus, Diana, just ignore my call why don’t you,” she began sarcastically.
 

“Shut up, Ashley. How’s Granddaddy?” I asked.

“Not good,” she sobbed. “He’s in surgery right now. Collapsed lung. Broken hip. You need to get here right now.”

“Okay. We’re leaving now.” I turned to Rick. My hands were shaking as I handed him back the phone. “Can you drive me to the Dover Hospital?”

He put his arm around me. “Of course. Do you want to leave your car here? What about your dog?” he asked, always the practical one.

Carol would be the only one I trusted with Max, but what to do with my car? No way I could leave all my equipment in it on the street and I didn’t want to take the time to unload at my place. I glanced at my phone. Should I? I hesitated and then called Mark’s number.

“I’m still thinkin’ about the date,” he said abruptly.

“I need help,” I said. I told him about Granddaddy. “I need you to get my car, take it back to my place and unload it. Oh, and I need you to take care of Max too.” I winced a little at the Max part. That may have been pushing it, but I didn’t want to have a dog with me at the hospital. It was going to be enough of a zoo with my whole family there.
 

“Wow,” he said. “You sure know how to treat a guy. I take it you’re heading back with Rick?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“Oh, what the hell,” he said. “Go take care of your crazy Granddaddy and I’ll take care of things here.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” I gushed. “You are a life-saver. I’ll leave my keys with Woody.”

“Ready?” Rick asked after I finished explaining things to Woody.
 

“Yes,” I suddenly felt worried. What if we didn’t make it in time. Granddaddy was too old and frail for surgery.
 

Rick read my thoughts. “Don’t get upset. Your Granddaddy is too mean to die.”

I laughed. “You’re right. He’s probably out of surgery and pinching the nurses through their scrubs already.”

*****

Halfway to Dover, I received a message from my sister saying Granddaddy had made it through surgery fine. I relaxed just knowing that he’d made it that far. I shared the good news with Rick and he gave my hand a squeeze. I glanced over at him. A week ago I could never have dreamed I would be sitting beside him right now. Never. My mom’s words rang in my ears. He was “our people” and he accepted my crazy family without question. Of course, he had more than enough cuckoos in his own family tree.
 

We arrived at the hospital a few minutes before two in the morning. The alcohol had worn off and left me with a headache. Rick dropped me off at the Emergency entrance and went to park the car. I was much happier facing my family alone. I didn’t want the added drama of showing up on Rick’s arm.

I could hear them before I could see them. My mom’s shrill voice cut through the chatter of the others. “Uncle Grover stop pacing! You’re getting on my last nerve.”

Then my stepfather, Dave, always the calm, dignified one. “Brandy, dear, don’t yell in the middle of the hospital,” he scolded.

“Shut up, Dave!” she shouted turning on him. “Granddaddy could be dying right this second and these sonofabitches won’t let us in to see him.”

Anne’s sobbing reached epic proportions at my mom’s words.

I rounded the corner and they rushed at me. “Oh, thank God,” my mom cried.

“Where’s Rick?” Ashley asked.
 

“Hi Mom,” I said giving her a hug. “Parking the car,” I answered Ashley. “Any news on Granddaddy?”

My Dad came over to give me a hug. “They’re going to let us in two at a time to see him soon.”

Rick came up behind and received a warm welcome from my family. Even in these distressing circumstances, they were still punching the Rick ticket. “What happened?” I asked, taking off my coat. Uncle Grover fell into my arms and sobbed dramatically, “It’s all my fault!” I stared over his shoulder at The Parents.

“He challenged Granddaddy to a game of chicken,” my Dad said.
 

Uncle Grover sniffed loudly. “I challenged him to a duel,” he said formally. “However, we couldn’t find any weapons so we decided to use lawn tractors.”

“What?” I cried incredulously. The Parents nodded in unison.
 

“Hacker would have had you too if you hadn’t cheated and hit him with your cane!” Aunt Pearl yelled, moving towards us as quickly as her walker would take her.
 

“I didn’t hit him with my cane,” Uncle Grover insisted. “I was merely defending myself when he tried to push me off.”

“Granddaddy was hurt this bad in a lawn mower accident?” I asked.
 

“No,” my Dad said between clenched teeth, “he fell off the lawnmower after Grover hit him and then hit his head. Instead of calling for help Uncle Grover stole a car, threw Granddaddy in the backseat, and got into a three-car accident out on Route 13 on his way to the hospital.”

I shook my head in disbelief. Rick said, “Man, you can’t make shit like that up.”

“That’s what the police said,” my Dad said wryly.
 

“I didn’t steal a car,” Uncle Grover insisted. “I commandeered the vehicle in an emergency situation.”

“How did he get Granddaddy into the backseat?” I had to ask.

Aunt Pearl raised her hand. “I grabbed his legs and Grover grabbed his arms. My legs might be done for,” she said proudly, “but I still got my upper body strength.” She curled her arm and pulled back her jacket to show us her muscles. All I saw was a lot of loose skin.

“Impressive,” said Rick. I gave him an elbow to the gut. The last thing The Grands needed was encouragement.

A doctor came into the room and said that Granddaddy was in stable condition. Everything looked good, but he was going to need extensive rehab on his hip. “Thank God, we put them all at The Meadows,” Anne said. “They have an entire wing for rehab.”

“If they let him back into The Meadows,” my Dad reminded her. “He stole their lawn mowers and then Uncle Grover stole one of the security cars.”

“Security car?” Rick said with a whistle. “Did it have the red flashing lights?” he asked. Uncle Grover nodded. “Cool,” Rick said. I gave him another elbow.
 

“Ow,” he said, “stop doing that. Granddaddy’s out of danger now. You’ve got to see the funny side of this.”

The Parents gave him a collective evil eye. I think he lost a couple of cool points with that comment. Anne and my Dad went in to see Granddaddy first. “Only a few minutes each,” the doctor warned.

Rick and I sat down in a chair. “After you see your Granddaddy, how about getting some sleep at my place?” he asked. “Completely platonic,” he added.

Now staying at Rick’s sounded so much better than sleeping on Ashley’s crud-encrusted couch, but I’m not sure I could live with myself if something ‘accidentally’ happened at Rick’s. “I’ll go home with Ashley,” I said.

Ashley jumped in. “No, you won’t. Dan’s sleeping on the couch now. I can’t take his snoring anymore.”

“Thanks Ash,” I said, “so sisterly of you.”

“Seriously, Diana,” Rick said earnestly. “Just come to my place. We’ll get some sleep, have some breakfast, and then we’ll come by here to check on Granddaddy before I take you back home.”

I sighed. If this was some cosmic joke, I wasn’t laughing. Anne and my Dad came out. “He wants to see his Queenie Baby,” Dad said.

“Why don’t you and Ashley go in next?” my stepmother suggested.

Granddaddy was covered to his neck in white sheets. Monitors and wires ran under the sheets. His ratty gray beard was draped over the top of the covers. He looked like Rip Van Winkle. “There’s my girls,” he said in a weak voice.
 

“How are you feeling, Granddaddy?” Ashley asked, softly patting his hand.

“Don’t act like I’m dead, girl,” he growled.
 

“Do you remember what happened?” I asked.

“Yep. That fool Grover like to killed me,” he grunted. Then he gave a little smile. “But I guess this makes us even steven. Hah!”

Great logic. You gave his dog to the SPCA. He almost kills you in a car accident. Sounds even to me. “Let’s not worry about all that right now,” I said instead.
 

Granddaddy got riled up. “I want that old coot to come in here and say we’re even steven!” The monitors started to beep and blare. A nurse popped her head.
 

“Don’t get so upset,” Ashley warned him.

“I’ll go get Uncle Grover,” I said. Good grief!