Thin Line- Charlie Dalton Love Story

Chapter 15: Christmas Eve Eve Dinner

"What?" Dalton shouted, I slapped my free hand over his mouth before my dad could hear him over the phone.

As I listened to the voice of my father babbling on about his set of instructions before dinner, I realized maybe this wasn't such a bad thing. Of course I had no plans of ever marrying Dalton, and these dinners are not a set thing. But It was time I put this bet to rest. Doing this will probably move me past the awkward after-sex phase and into a more intimate phase with Dalton. Once He words out his love for me, then I'll be free from ever paying attention to him and that $300 will be mine. Then Becky will be off my neck about me 'loving Charlie'.

I removed my hand from Charlie's mouth immediately after he started licking it. LICKING IT? What a pig. I returned to listening to my father, after wiping my hand over the poster board on my right.

"Yeah, alright I got everything. Don't eat. Don't breathe. Mourn Jesus' death I got it!" I said into the phone in a bored tone. " Buh-bye now."

I took a risk and hung up the phone. While I was catching my breath and sanity, Becky was patting my back to comfort me. Dalton was raining me with questions about what I meant by dinner with my parents. His shouts echoed in the empty hall, when suddenly the phone rang once more.

I picked it up and the ominous ringing had come to a halt. It was my father. AGAIN.

"You will never hang up on me like that again. I always hang up on you. Do you understand me?" He sounded extremely pissed off that I was actually scared for a bit. I held my breath to keep myself from screaming again.

Goosebumps ran through my body, as I forced an answer out of myself, "Yes. I apologize, sir."

Dad paused for a bit to see if I would oblige of his order, then he hung up the phone himself. After I put the phone back onto its cradle, I exhaled out loud. I had to lean against the wall and shut my eyes, because I couldn't feel my legs. I dreaded the thought that I would have to pay for that later. I yearn for the day I have a normal father. You know one that tells bad jokes and makes you hot cocoa when you're studying. Is that too much to ask for?

Once I had pulled myself together, I said to Becky, "Alright, let's go eat. I'm starving."

I swung my arm around Becky's shoulder, who was a couple centimeters shorter than me, and we walked towards the stairs. Halfway down the stairs and a confused and angry looking Charlie caught up to us.

He swung me around by my shoulder, my hand was now lifted off of Becky's shoulder, and said, "What the hell was all that?"

"Oh yeah. We're having dinner tomorrow evening at my house." I said sluggishly.

It seemed like Charlie was still confused so I kindly elaborate.

"With your parents and my parents. It's a suit making operation, and I am not talking about clothes." I said winking.

"What?" was the only word he managed to voice.

"Tomorrow is the 23rd." I said in a tone of explaining to a toddler that 2 plus 2 is 4.

"I know what day it is tomorrow." Dalton snapped. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Use your fucking head, Dalton, I didn't have a choice! You of all people know what my father is like." I said slightly dramatically. After seeing Dalton's slightly apologetic expression, I continued on with a more calm voice "I expect you'll be getting a call from your parents with the details soon. Bye bye."

Becky continued walking down the stairs and I followed shortly after smirking and winking at Dalton's confused looking face. He looked like a kid who had just been told that Santa wasn't real. This was great.