Gracie
I sit up in my room in a penthouse in the middle of Chicago. I have my reading glasses on as I skim through the part of a book I've already read a hundred times. Many more books were spread across my bed, but this is the one I was looking for.
I hear a knock on my door and I see my mother appear. She lets herself in and moves some books over so she could sit next to me.
"Why have you been confided to your room so much lately" she wonders.
"I'm just reading" I shrug.
"You've read all of the these books at least five times" she insists.
"Can't I just be isolated" I question.
"Yeah. But I know that's not it" she insists.
I let out a long sigh as I push my book to the side. I turn to her as she waits for me to answer her question.
"Do you remember Jonathan" I ask her and she smiles.
"Yes. Isn't that the hockey player you met over the weekend" she asks.
"Yeah, him" I smile. "He wants to take me on a date but I don't think daddy will be happy about that" I explain and she nods.
"You're right, he won't" she admits.
"But that's not fair. He doesn't even know him" I defend.
"I know but sweetie, neither do you" she defends.
"And how will I get to know him if I can't date?
I don't like the guys daddy picks out. I don't want something I know, something so predictable. I want someone who isn't friends with my dad, who isn't trying to impress anyone and has a mind of his own. And I know Jonathan has that" I insist.
"You really like him, huh" she asks as she wraps her arm around me. She starts to rub my arm and I let out a sigh.
"I do. And not just because I love hockey or the Blackhawks. But because he understood me, he wants to understand me better. And I want to understand him too.
How can daddy say no to him just because he plays hockey" I ask.
"Because he loves you and he doesn't want you to get hurt" she claims.
"What hurts is that he thinks I would ever want to be with any of his friends kids. They are actually terrible" I insist and my mom laughs.
"I know sweetie. But those boys will always be around and would do a lot of things to make you happy" she insists.
"I'm not like that momma. I don't want to wait for a guy to make me happy. I don't want my husband to have a office job forcing me to wait around all day for him to get home. I don't want to sit around and make dinner and talk to people about stocks and the economy" I defend.
"Well what do you want" she asks.
"I want to walk around town and eat something I can buy off the side of the street. I want to be spontaneous and not have everything planned out to the t for once. I don't want things handed to me, I want to earn it and feel good that I did. And I want to go on a date with a guy who might not be good for me" I say.
"Your dad has got his hands full I see" she teases.
"I'm 21 mom, this was going to come sooner rather than later" I assure her.
"Well I think you need to talk to him instead of hiding in your room" she insists.
"Can't I just date him without him knowing" I ask.
"Sure. Then what happens when he finds out" she asks.
"I don't know" I admit.
"At least try to work with him" she begs.
"Fine... I'll talk to him" I sigh. What could possibly go wrong?
I go downstairs and find my dad sitting at his desk in the little office area by the living room. I walk over to the desk and sit myself up there. He peers over his glasses and smiles when he sees me sitting there.
"Hi sweetie" he says and I smile back.
"Hey daddy" I reply.
"What can I get for you" he questions as he returns to reading whatever it is he was reading before.
"You love me, right" I ask.
"Of course" he assures me.
"Then I was hoping that I could go on a date" I say.
"Do I know the boy" he asks.
"Kind of" I shrug.
"Okay, then who is it" he wonders.
"It's Jonathan" I say biting my lip.
"Jonathan... which Jonathan? Birch, Samuels, Ryan" he lists off.
"It's Toews daddy" I say and he stops. He sets his pen down and looks up at me.
"You want to go on a date with Jonathan Toews" he asks and I nod. He lets out a harsh sigh as he runs his fingers through his hair. "I don't know sweetie. He's not going to be good for you" he claims and I let out a sharp breath.
"And how do you know that" I ask.
"I know things" he claims.
"I really like him Dad. Just one date, please" I beg.
"I don't want you to get hurt" he argues.
"It hurts that you don't trust me enough to go out with someone you don't know" I say.
"That's not it" he sighs. I know that's not it but he will never tell me what it really is. He turns to me and I give him my best puppy dog eyes and stick out my bottom lip. "Why do you want to go out with him? You're better than this" he claims.
"Because I like him too. I want to get to know him, learn about somebody who isn't like every other guy I've ever dated" I explain.
"I've set up such a great life for you if you would just give it a chance" he claims.
"That's your life daddy, not mine" I say.
"I just want what is best for you" he claims.
"Then let me learn. Let me make mistakes and spread my wings. Please" I beg.
"Fine... one date. But as soon as I hear something I don't like in ending it" he claims as he smushed his pointer finger down on the desk so I know he means it.
"Oh thank you daddy" I cheer. I kiss his cheek before running out of his office. I run up to my rom and jump onto my bed. I grab my phone and see Jonathan had already tried to call me. I quickly call him back and he answers fast.
"Hey Jonny" I answer.
"Hey Gracie. Sorry if I'm bothering you" he says.
"No no, you're fine. I was just downstairs and I left my phone behind" I explain.
"Ah" he says and the line falls silent. I wasn't really sure what to say. We've been texting and talking on the phone the past few days but nothing more than a friendly conversation.
"So I just talked to my dad" I say.
"Oh yeah? How did that go" he asks.
"He said we could go on a date" I say.
"And..." he trails off.
"And what" I challenge.
"I know there's more to it than that" he claims.
"Don't worry about it" I insist.
"If your dad doesn't like me that's something I kind of need to know" he insists.
"It's not that he doesn't like you. He doesn't like change, he doesn't like people who don't think and act like him" I say.
"No offense, but that sounds terrible" he admits and I laugh.
"I know, but I love him anyway" I insist.
"Okay. So where do you want to go on a date at" he wonders.
"Nothing fancy. No dresses or suits or anything like that. I want to do something fun" I smile.
"Okay. How about we go do some put put and go kart racing. Then there's this awesome pizza bar the guys always hit up, we can go there" he explains.
"That sounds amazing" I admit.
"Alright. Well shoot me your address and I'll pick you up at four tomorrow" he says.
"Okay, I'll see you then" I reply.
"See you then."