Everything was fine. Yes, her mom bought her the car. Yes, it was awesome. School was fine, too, at the community college. She was taking courses while she decided what she wanted to do next.
I thought this was strange. Melissa’s mom was definitely not likely to be happy about her settling for the community college. And red Mustangs were not her speed, either.
Anyway, it went like that. Small talk. Lots of checking her smartphone, flashing her manicure at me. By the end of dinner, I could see that Melissa was thoroughly bored.
Undaunted, I pressed on.
“Heard from Chad?” I asked casually.
Her aqua blue contacts under her extensions skidded away from my gaze.
“You haven’t heard?” her voice was full of irony. “He’s in Hawaii.”
“Hawaii?” I repeated, in wonder.
“Yep, home of all truly deadbeat dads,” she said, deadpan.
“And the personal trainer?”
“Gone with the wind,” she shrugged.
“How did you hear?” I wanted to know.
“Facebook,” she shrugged. “Friend of a friend.”
The interview looked to be at an end, but I was desperate to make some contact.
“Melissa, are you dating?” It sounded so stupid, I couldn’t believe I said it.
To my surprise, she was forthright.
“Oh yeah,” she said, looking pleased with herself.
“Anyone special?” Again I could not believe how awful I sounded.
At that, she laughed, outright.
“They’re as special as they want to be,” she smiled unctuously.
This confused me.
“I’m playing the field right now,” she told me in a practiced tone. “I’m too young to settle down. What about you?”
I wasn’t expecting that.
“Well, uh,” I started, wrong-footed. How do you tell an 18 year old that your Catholic boyfriend won’t sleep with you?
"How do you tell an 18 year old that your Catholic boyfriend won’t sleep with you?"
REGINA | 61