WHO: Jess and Doug WHAT: A visit to her parents on the 4th WHEN: The 4th of July WHERE: On the road. WARNINGS: brief mentions of parental deaths STATUS: Closed and Complete
Jess knew that she was lucky in having parents that were totally fine with her bringing people they’d never met to their holiday parties. She’d told them she was bringing a friend, and of course her dog, but nothing more about Doug. That was just her pattern with introducing new people to her parents - that way they could ask whatever they wanted to know and her friends could decide what they were comfortable with her parents knowing. She finished getting her stuff together and took one last look around to make sure she had everything before putting Whit in his carrier and going to sit on the porch while she waited for her friend, checking her emails on her phone. She sighed when she got to one from her coworker trying to butt into how she was handling one of the authors assigned to her.
A polite, but firm (translation - get the hell out of my assignments) response to assure them she had it under control typed up quickly and then sent before she saw someone approaching and she grinned as she stood up. “I swear that is the only work related thing you will see me doing today. You ready to go?”
***
Doug smiled at her as he waited, checking a few things on his phone. His latest thing, a phone designed on specs from back home, which was 7” and held more apps than he had ever seen. Very cool.
He smiled as he nodded to her.
“I’m ready.” He had a duffel bag with a change of clothing, just in case, a fully charged laptop, a spare battery, two image inducers, a spare costume and a mask, and a few other nick nacks.
“Whenever you are, oh groovy one.”
***
“I could get used to being called that,” she told him, bending down to pick up Whit’s carrier, trying not to jostle the small dog too much. “People keep telling me I should get one of those purse type carriers for him but I just think he’d be miserable in it. Plus he might get squirmy and I’m not too fond of squirmy dog right against my chest.” She was walking to the car as she talked, turning Whit’s carrier so that he was sideways as she put him in the back seat and fastened the seat belt over it to keep him secure.
“Doug this is Whit. Whit this is my friend Doug. He’s not going to hurt you or do anything to you. I promise,” she said sticking one finger through the holes in the door to stroke his cheek softly with the side of it. “I told you - he’s a little shy around new people but he’s not hostile. If he was - I’d have hired a dogsitter for the day. Leo I can leave home with clean litter and full food and water dishes and he’s fine for the day. This little guy requires more attention.” She turned around to look at Doug.
“I’ll pop the trunk if you want to put your bag in there and I was thinking that I’d drive on the way up there if you want to drive on the way back? I’ve got GPS so you don’t have to worry about getting lost.”
***
“Hello, Whit.” Doug, without realizing it, slipped into dog, mid-sentence. “How are you, boy?”
He smiled as he watched her secure the doggy in the car.
He nodded to Jess. “That sounds perfect, both those things, really.” He waved a hand and lifted his bag, then move dot secure it in the back once she had it open, before backing up. “OKay, ready.” He smirked.
“Ready to be stuck with me in the car?”
***
Jess gave Doug a surprised look when his language changed while talking to Whit but she didn’t say anything, just watching for a minute. She could see Whit warming up to Doug quickly, maybe even choosing to sit in his lap. Which she wouldn’t mind at all - the more people her dog felt comfortable with the happier she was. Whit deserved all the love he could get as far as she was concerned.
She laughed at his question, shaking her head. “Depends. Are you one of those guys that insists on being in charge of the radio?”
***
Doug blinked. “Why would I be? That would be silly.” He shook his head. “I’m afraid you’ll find I’m not like many other guys at all.”
In most ways, really. Raised by a mother who was the stronger and louder of the two, and surrounded at a young age by a sister and girl scouts for years, he had developed slightly differently.
“THe radio is all yours.”
***
“Why are you afraid of that?” Jess asked him, tilting her head curiously as she looked at him before going around to the driver’s side and climbing in. She waited for him to climb in and buckle up before starting the ignition.
“Actually, and this is incredibly nerdy I know, I don’t listen to the radio when I’m driving. I have books on CD. The car is about the only time I have to pick the books that I’m going to enjoy. If I’m reading something - most of the time it’s probably for work.”
***
“I dunno. Just one of those sayings.” He nodded, and slid into the car. “Most people like… more normal kinds of people. I’m more… odd.” He canted his head and grinned.
“Whatcha got to listen to, then?” He was curious. “I do love stories.”
***
Jess grinned back at him. “Well I’m not most people. I like odd people more than so called normal ones. If you look at normal people - they’ve got something going on and are trying to hide it sometimes. I like people that are a little offbeat. They just feel more genuine to me.”
“I was getting ready to start ‘The Long Walk’ by Stephen King but I also have....a James Patterson one in the car somewhere.”
***
Doug grinned at her and smiled. “You are amazing.” he smiled as he settled, buckling in. “Start up Mister King, and play on, oh groovy one. I look forward to it.”
He tapped her lightly.
He was looking forward to this fun day and to spending time with her.
***
Jess shrugged one shoulder as she put the cd in the player. “Alright. 45 minutes until my parents house and the insanity that comes from having all three of them in one place if my dad was able to make it back from his run in time.” That was the main drawback with her biodad’s job as a truck driver - they never really knew whether he would be back in time for a holiday or not.
“Whit might need us to shelter him from Amycus’ kids. They’re used to a much larger puppy because of their dad. I’ve seen pictures of this dog. He’s massive. Pretty sure the twins can ride on his back if they wanted to.”
***
“Wow. That will be interesting.” He grinned at her. It sounded wild, and a bit intimidating, but fun, too.
“Hm. Well, if nothing else, Whit can ride on me.” he nodded, winking at her. Why not?
***
“Mom will love you. My stepdad - he’s gonna ask what you know about grilling. Daddy - well I don’t know if he’ll be there but he’s harmless. He’ll probably spend the entire night glaring at Amycus. And trying to steal Whit to sit with him.” She said, paying attention to the road but glancing at Doug as she drove.
She laughed at his comment about Whit riding on him. “You hear that Whit? You have your own personal carrier today while we’re at the cook-out. Lucky.”
***
“I will be my best at your mom, and be truthful in that I know a lot about grilling but am not nearly an expert, and can ask Whit to sit with your Dad to distract him from glaring.” He grinned at her then glanced back at the carrier with Whit in it.
Doug’s grin rose up on one side of his mouth. “I’ll be your personal carrier too, if you want.” He paused, then facepalmed as his face went red.
***
“Honestly? That is the best approach with them. Honesty and manners. And if Regulus’ boyfriend can’t handle dad glares? He is going to have to learn how. Daddy looks at him like a son so…” Jess let her voice trail off for a minute. “He’s just going to have to get used to it. Although he’ll love it, and probably you, forever if you can convince Whit to sit with him. I try to get him to be more social with people but I don’t want to force him. He’s got reasons for being so shy. I don’t know what they are but I know he’s got them.”
She blushed as she heard Doug’s comment and turned her head to look at him briefly when the car came to a stop. “Let’s see how today goes before we discuss that any further.”
***
“Yeah? Cool! I don’t think I know any other way to be.” He grinned at her. “I’m glad. And i’l do my best.” He liked talking to Jess, and hanging around with her, and this was fun.
Of course, when she said that, his blush turned violent, and he stared, mouth gaping. “I didn’t-- I accidentally--- “ a pause.
“Really?” Because while he had not meant to imply that, he now… wow. “Right, after the day.”:
He settled into silence for a minute, cheeks hot.
“What do, or did, your folks do for a living?” Subject change!
***
Jess blushed at Doug’s response and nodded her head. “We’ll talk about it later.” She said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
“Mom’s always been a stay at home mom since she married my stepdad. Before that she worked as a receptionist. Dad - my stepdad - is a police officer. He keeps talking about retiring soon but I’m pretty sure they’re going to have to shove him out the door because it’s never happening. Daddy is a truck driver so he’s not around a lot but when he is we make the most of it.”
***
“Yes. I would like that.” He was still blushing but plunged into the new topic. “Sounds like a busy family, but a mostly happy one. “ He smiled to her.
“Reminds me of you. “
***
Jess was glad to change topic from what both of them had said, talking about her family was a much safer topic than his word slip. She just had to not let her mind slip back to it. “We are mostly happy. A little loud and confusing at times when everybody’s around but happy.”
She blushed a little at his comment about it reminding him of her. “Well - I try to be somebody my parents would be proud of. And if I stay busy than I can’t get bored right?”
“What about your family? Since I told you about mine it seems fair.”
***
Doug smiled. “Makes sense. I was raised by two very Jewish Jews, very traditional in their worship, but also open to me exploring other things, as long as i honored them by attending when they asked me to.” He smiled softly, eyes distant.
“They traveled a lot, taking me all over the world, and showing me things i have never dreamed of, and I loved the ocean, it turned out, and running and swimming and doing things to push myself. They encouraged me, even as they did their own thing.” He closed his eyes.
“I try to remember them the way i last saw them, smiling, happy, proud, and honorable to the end. They went down in a rescue boat trying to help victims of a storm get to safety and medical aid, almost two years ago now. But they live on, for me, in everything I do, and everything I try to do.”
He smiled over at her. “I think they would have liked you, and you them. “
He nodded.
***
Jess reached out with one hand to squeeze Doug’s hand gently when he told her about what happened to his parents, leaving her hand there after. “They sound like good people. A lot like you I think.” She kept her hand on his as she got ready to make the last turn to her parent’s. “Are you ready for this?” She asked turning into the driveway.
***
He squeezed her hand in turn, and nodded. “I am. I’m looking forward to meeting your parents.” He grinned, and tipped his imaginary hat. “Let’s go have some holiday fun.”