“I said I’m coming with my girlfriend,” he said into the phone with fake confidence. “On Sunday, for lunch.”
“Wow, really?” His mother’s excitement was palpable. “What’s her name?”
“Laura…” the name slid off his lips before he could even think. “Laura Gray.”
“Wow, what a beautiful name. I can’t wait to meet her!” his mother exclaimed.
“Yeah, me too,” Trevor muttered under his breath, feeling guilty for deceiving his mother. “I can’t wait for you to meet her, mom.”
“Mom,” he called out slowly when he realized what he just did. “I will call you after I freshen up. I have to use the bathroom now.”
“It’s okay, darling.” Mrs. Daniels said sweetly. “Call me back later. I want to hear all about her before we meet on Sunday.”
Trevor said goodbye and ended the call, feeling a sense of dread wash over him.
“What the fuck!” He muttered loudly and dropped his laptop bag on the dining table which he had turned into a work table. He eats his meals in the kitchen or on the couch in front of the TV. He only used the dining table whenever he was entertaining guests. “I have messed up big time.”
He walked into the kitchen and dropped the Chinese takeout he bought on his way home on the kitchen table.
“What am I going to do?” He knew he had to find a lady to take along for his aunt’s birthday lunch by all means. A cold sweat had dampened the back of his cotton shirt. He pulled out a chair and sat down with a thud.
He just couldn’t explain how he blurted out that he now had a girlfriend and her name was Laura. Instead of telling his mom as he usually does, that he didn’t need any woman to enjoy his time with family members.
He opened his contacts list and started scrolling through it. No name leaped out to him for the purpose. Work has taken up an enormous chunk of his time and he’d socialized less over the last three years.
“What about Laura Gray?” Something at the back of his mind asked him. “That was the name you told your mom, right?”
“Right.” he stood up with a groan. “So, how in the world would I ask her?” He asked himself loudly. He shrugged. “I will deal with that later. Today is Wednesday. I have three more days to sort this out.” Trevor thought to himself as he headed for the shower.
The warm water cascading over his tired muscles felt like pure bliss. He let out a content sigh as he washed off the stresses of the day. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, he put on his comfiest pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
He then returned to the kitchen to grab his food. As he settled onto his couch, he couldn’t help but smile at the delicious smell wafting from the bag. Trevor eagerly dug into his food, savoring every bite. As he watched the replay of the last super bowl he missed.
He lost interest in the super bowl immediately after he finished his food. His mind went to Laura’s folder in his messenger bag. He went to pick it after he stacked the dishwasher with the plates he just used.
Trevor lost interest in it after reading two paragraphs. He stood up, deciding to do his laundry. The fresh scent of detergent, the repetition of clothes folding, and the warmth of the dryer were always therapeutic for him. It always made him forget his worries.
But this night, no feeling of calmness washed over him as he folded his clothes. As he placed the last of his neatly folded shirt in the drawer, Trevor groaned with frustration again. He picked his car key off the mantle and went to his car outside. He needed to talk to someone. Though it was getting late, he knew the right person to talk to.
Trevor pulled into his older brother Ted’s driveway nineteen minutes later and killed the car engine. He was just getting out of the car when Ted’s boys, Flynn and Jason burst out of the front door, screaming uncle Travis! Uncle Travis!”
“Hey boys!”
They ran to him, and he gave each one of them a manly hug.
His brother, Ted, was already waiting in the doorway. The brothers greeted themselves with their usual shoulder- bump and the boys settled back in front of their video game to continue what they were doing before.
“How was your day?” Ted asked, looking into his baby brother’s face. “You looked stressed.”
“I am stressed.” He slumped back against the seat, letting out a puff of air. “Didn’t mommy call you?”
“She did, but I missed her call. I was hoping to call her back tomorrow.” He narrowed his eyes on Travis. “Did anything happen?”
“No, no,” he shifted forward in his seat. “I am in a deep shit, man.” He stuttered.
“What happened?”
Trevor told his brother what he said to their mom about bringing his girlfriend to their aunt’s birthday lunch.
“Interesting,” Ted let out a deep, throaty laugh. “Of course you are in deep shit. Why did you lie to her?”
“Honesty, I don’t know.”
Ted turned to his sons. “Boys, it’s time to go to bed. It’s after nine already.”
The boys grumbled and got up, anyway. Trevor went them upstairs with them to tuck them in. Ted used the opportunity to clean up the kitchen. His wife, Nichole, a broadcaster, was on the night shift at the radio station tonight.
By the time Trevor came back downstairs, Ted had finished the dishes and returned everything he used to cook back to the right places.
“I don’t know what to do,” Trevor said exasperatedly. He pushed out a chair and sat at the kitchen table.
“Why did you call the name Laura to mom?” Ted dropped the kitchen napkin he just used to wipe his hands on the counter. He opened the fridge and brought out two beers. “Do you like her already?”
“I don’t know,” he lied, opening his beer Ted put in front of him.
“Then tell her,” Ted said as a matter of fact. “It’s as simple as that.”
“That’s the problem.” He set his beer bottle on the table. “How do I tell her I want her to be my fake girlfriend?”
“Not to worry, baby brother,” he placed a hand on his lap with a cocky grin on his face. “It’s still Wednesday, you still have time to think it through.”