Bad Enough for You (Currently Editing)

Get Ready to Wake Up Covered in Glitter and Beer

It might have been the way he looked, so casual and homey that I felt as if the dad I was so close too was back. Or it might have been the way that he was looking at me, as if he was worried that I would break at any second. Whatever the cause, nothing kept me from running towards him, flinging my arms around him as tears of frustration and sadness rolled down my cheeks.

The fatherly embrace I received hinted at the chance that maybe things were slowly beginning to fix themselves between us. We stood there for at least five minutes, me pressing my face against his sweatshirt and crying over a boy who had broken my heart and a boy I was sure was about to break my heart. Wrapped in his arms, I felt a little better, knowing that he was there. Of course, it wasn’t my father I was supposed to go crying to about boys unless he was the type of man who would threaten them with shotguns upon their first meeting, but it wasn’t as if my mother could even pretend to care about anything besides the destruction she was causing at this point.

After a while, he managed to coax me downstairs to the kitchen. Making me sit at the counter, he bustled about the kitchen, mixing us vanilla iced lattes with the rest of the coffee in the pot, he looked at me like he used to. It was as if he was beginning to realize that despite the fact that I was growing up, I was still the same little girl he had always known. When he had joined me, pushing the tall Starbucks cup across the counter towards me, he said, “Want to talk about it this time?”

“I don’t think you want to listen to all of my boy problems.” I laughed weakly.

“Well, I don’t necessarily want to hear about boys breaking my little girl’s heart.” He told me. “But, I think I need to take some time to listen to you. I hadn’t realized before that I was never really listening to you. I only cared when what you were saying concerned me. I’m sorry for not being there for you like I’m supposed to, Adrienne.”

I dropped my eyes from his, stirring my coffee with the straw. I felt something at his words, knowing that he had finally realized that he wasn’t the only one who had opinions and hopes. Maybe we hadn’t breeched any true fault of his quite yet, but if he was going to take the time to listen, I wasn’t going to waste it.

I gave my father a very censored version of the events of the past few weeks. I excluded some of the things I had been dealing with, like sleeping with Eli and my mother’s plan to ruin my closest friends’ relationship. However, I told him how frustrated I was with Blaine, how I didn’t understand how he could lie to me.

My father was no relationship expert and I knew from the moment I opened my mouth that he wasn’t the person I should be seeking advice from. As I talked, I realized that it didn’t matter what he had to say about it. The only thing that mattered was that he listened, which I realized was far more important to me than anything else could be.

Conversation slowly shifted gears when the discomfort that my father felt became more than apparent. Knowing that he had taken the time to listen to me, I waited patiently when he told me that he had to get something from his office.

I figured that it had something to do with my future and the company, but I knew that I had no choice but to listen to him. I sipped my coffee as I waited, looking about the room and feeling better now that I had gotten the things that had been bothering me off of my chest.

When my father came back into the room, an ivory colored envelope in his hands, I wasn’t sure what to think. Resuming his position across the island from me, he hesitated, playing with the envelope in his hands. “Now, I know that you aren’t exactly interested in the business, but I just want to let you know that you aren’t the backup plan. I’m not trying to force this on you because I don’t think that you couldn’t make a good life with a degree in French literature. I know that no matter what you decide to do with your life, you’ll make it. I just want to give you a safety net. So, will you think about this?”

I took the envelope from his hands, eyebrows furrowing as I slipped a finger beneath the flap and peeled it apart. Looking down at it, I pulled out a piece of thick paper, fancy calligraphy written on it. I slowly read it and found that while I had always hated dinners with my father’s second in command, I knew that this was different.

Maybe he was manipulating me, telling me sweet words to dictate the outcome of my decision. Maybe he had planned this perfectly, opting to pretend to listen to me instead of arguing so that when he asked me to do something for him, I couldn’t say no.

Nowadays, I was suspicious of anyone who looked my way. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do about this sudden cynical outlook I had towards people, but I needed to find a way to cope with the fact that I felt as if I couldn’t tell anyone anything anymore.

I was just about to shake my head, give in to what my father had just pretty much manipulated me into doing when his phone beeped. He frowned, pulling it out of his pocket before shaking his head at me and leaving the room, pressing the phone to his ear.

While he took his call, I left the invitation on the table, but picked up my coffee. I walked through the archway and into the hall. I was getting ready to round the banister when a figure outside the front door caught my eye. I paused, tilting my head to watch as the person continued to bounce in place, chewing on his lip. Every few seconds, he’d turn his head as if he was ready to run before looking back to the door.

Through the large window alongside the door, we made eye contact. Quickly crossing the foyer, I looked over my shoulder, making sure that my father wasn’t around. When the coast was clear, I twisted the knob and pulled the door open, shoving my head outside.

“Milo?” I asked slowly.

“Hey, Ads.” He grinned weakly.

“I don’t want to be rude.” I told him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I know.” He shook his head. “We need to do this now, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if your mother demands one of us to be kidnapped.”

Leaning against the doorframe, I thought this over quickly. “You know, that would not surprise me at all. You sure you’re ready for this? I mean, this is going to change everything for everyone.”

“Adrienne, I can’t do this anymore.” Milo’s voice cracked. “Please help me.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “Get ready to wake up covered in glitter and beer.”