„Your car is way too small; I`ll hurt my shoulder trying to get in. You`ll just drive my car.”
He says it like it`s no big deal, and I`m sure it`s not for him, but it most certainly is for me.
„Your car is huge, and I`m used to driving my Mini. What if I wreak it? Besides, I hate driving other people`s cars. It makes me nervous.”
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you frown number two.
„You`ll just have to be extra careful; I`m sure you`ll be fine. Let`s go. We`re going to be late.”
And just like that, he leaves the kitchen, and I`m forced to follow because, you know, it`s my job to follow him around.
When I get outside, he`s already getting into the passenger's seat of his huge ass car. I get into the driver`s seat, and I have to adjust the hell out of it because he`s so much taller than me. I start the ignition and say a little prayer that I don`t get us into an accident before finally backing out of his driveway.
„Why are you driving so slow? We`ll never get there at this rate.”
„I`m being careful, and I`m going to have to ask you not to stress me out. It`s not good for the baby.”
„Baby? What baby?”
„Me, I`m the baby, so shut up.”
I`m pretty sure he rolls his eyes at me, but I can`t be absolutely certain since I`m not looking at him.
„Come on, that old lady just passed us. She was eighty if she was a day.”
„That`s right, she`s old. She doesn't care if she dies; I do.”
„Please, for the love of God, drive faster. I`m not asking you to speed, just drive the legal limit.”
„You know, it`s not nice to pressure people. That`s a form of bullying, and you don`t want to be a bully, do you? Of course not, you`re a nice guy deep down inside. Really, really deep down inside.”
And that`s pretty much the way the whole drive to the doctor`s office goes. When we get there, he`s not a happy camper, but at least we`re both in one piece.
„That`s it; I`m hiring a driver. I can`t take this shit every day.”
„Nonsense, you`re just not used to riding in the passenger's seat. You`ll be fine after you get used to it. Why are you looking at me like that?”
„I`m just trying to figure out what I did wrong. I mean, it`s clear you`re some form of divine punishment for something terrible I must have done at some point.”
„You don`t mean that, you`re just nervous about starting your therapy. Don`t worry, you`ll be just fine. I`ll make you something extra yummy for dinner to make you feel better.”
Am I laying it on a little bit thick? Yes.
Am I enjoying myself? You bet your ass I am.
He shakes his head again, but I can`t help but notice he`s not frowning. I`m going to count that as a win.
Max
The first physiotherapy session wears me out, and by the time I`m back in the car, I just want to go home and rest for a bit.
Thankfully Sophie seems to realize I`m not in the mood for her crazy, and she`s quiet for the first time since we meet.
„I know you`re tired, but we need to stop by the grocery store. We need a few things.”
Oh well, the quiet was fun while it lasted.
„Fine, whatever.”
„You can wait in the car if you want. I`ll be real quick.”
„No, I need to get a few things too. Besides, I like to grocery shop.”
„You`re being sarcastic, right?”
„Nope. I like going to the supermarket; it relaxes me. I hate to go clothes shopping because I have to try on things, but groceries I like.”
„Huh, you don`t seem like a person who likes going to the supermarket, but I guess you should never judge a book by its cover. I mean, I should know.”
„Was that a barb at me?”
„No, it wasn`t a barb at anyone. I have a certain style that doesn't appeal to everyone, so most people write me off as someone who isn`t serious about life.”
„You are pretty quirky.”
„Aw, did you just call me pretty?”
„Yeah, I wonder why people don`t take you seriously.”
„Having pink hair and joking around doesn't make me less of an adult then you or anyone else. People are different, which is a good thing, so I try not to judge .”
„Everybody judges, it`s just what people do. When Hoggins told you about me, didn`t you judge, be honest.”
„No, I didn`t. What happened to you could easily happen to anyone, and it probably happens a lot more than you`d think. What makes you different is the fact that you saw something wasn`t right and took action, and that`s something you should be very proud of.”
It`s embarrassing how good her words make me feel, but for the first time since this whole thing happened, I feel not like a fuck-up. The only person I told about all of this, except Hoggins, the team doctor, the team owners, and my friend Simon is my sister, and I refused to get into detail with her because I felt ashamed, so I`ve been keeping everything bottled up inside.
„Thanks, I appreciate that.”
„You`re welcome. Now, are you ready to shop till you drop?”
„I was born ready.”
Chapter 4
Sophie
I have actually prettied myself up to cook dinner even though I know full well it`s a bad idea.
I blame all of this on Target.
We went grocery shopping together, and somewhere between aisle three and aisle five, I started getting a massive crush on my boss. Well, technically speaking, he isn`t my boss; we`re more like co-workers since the team owners arethe real bosses. Whatever.
He was fun to shop with even though I couldn`t say why. He just was, and I am in big trouble because right about the time we were checking out the laundry detergents, I started pretending like he was my boyfriend . God, how pathetic is that? If he only knew he`d be running for the hills.
We `re
