Jealousy Best Served Devious (Clash Of Cliches Book 1)

Chapter 21- Game Night

Chapter Twenty-One- Game Night.

As soon as dad received his long awaited riding lawnmower from Home Depot (ordered online after he went to the actual store and tried their entire stock out personally because he's weird like that), he decided that he was going to have a big barbeque the upcoming weekend. Yeah, I don't know how the two situations correlated either, but dad's impulsivity knew no bounds, and who was I to turn down a chance to eat barbequed chicken, hotdogs, burgers, steak, corn on the cob, potato salad, mac and cheese, collard greens… Dad didn't play any games when he hosted barbeques, and for once, mom was content to let him cook. He even had a custom made apron and chef hat which he donned before reporting for barbequing duties.

He's so extra.

"Invite your friends," he said expansively, as I was getting ready to head to Janessa's place for game night a few days after the condom debacle. "And tell Tyler I have a new riding lawnmower if he wants to help me mow the lawn after."

I paused in the act of slipping on my sandals to glance up at dad as he sat on the couch, flicking through a Sears catalogue.

Mom has got to intercept junk mail quicker.

I asked, "Dad, did Tyler ever tell you he was a lawnmower aficionado?"

Actually, has anyone? I don't think so!

"We talked about mowers and gardening tools for half an hour," dad shrugged, picking up a pen and circling something in the catalogue. I hoped against hope that it was a new waffle maker.

And if not, that catalogue is going in the trash when I come home.

Pulling the straps tight around my ankle, I ventured, "Maybe he was just being nice?"

I mean, who (apart from dad and Hank Hill from King of the Hill, but they're unique individuals. And one is fictional) actually enjoys gardening and talking about gardening supplies?

"There are some things you cannot fake, Kay-Bear," dad said, going into lecture mode as he wagged a finger at me. "Talking about gardening- that's one of them." I rolled my eyes to the ceiling as he continued. Mom would beg to differ. "For instance, I know you love me, but your eyes glaze over whenever I talk about weed whackers." He smirked at me. "See, they're glazing over now!"

"That's because I find the subject extraordinarily boring!" I protested, leaping to my feet so fast I almost got lightheaded. "Maybe Tyler has a better poker face than me!" Scoffing, dad returned his attention to the Sears magazine. "Anyone does, because you don't even have a poker face." He glanced up at me and tipped me a wink. "You should work on that, sweetie."

*****

As if she had been listening in on my conversation with dad (and knowing her, I wouldn't even be surprised), Shelley caught up with me as I was on my way to Janessa's, saying, "What's with you?" as she linked her arm in mine. "The stank face, I mean."

"Nothing, I was just debating with my dad," I muttered, refusing to tell her that I was practicing my poker face to shock dad when I got home.

I'll show him. I'll show everyone!

We fell into step as Shelley teasingly asked me, "Oh, he didn't get you more condoms?" with an audible smile in her voice.

"Somebody should tell Brandon that loose lips sink ships!" I growled, my hands clenching into involuntary fists.

He chose the snitch life, for real.

Shaking her long dark hair back, Shelley complacently said, "Brandon didn't tell me anything." She shot me a sly side eye that I wasn't supposed to notice but I did. Oh, I did. "Your boyfriend did." My cheeks heated up as she said this, and despite myself, a feeling of happiness washed through me. Because Shelley called Tyler my boyfriend? I need Oprah to talk some sense into me! "Are you blushing?" Shelley hooted with laughter as we turned down Janessa's pine tree lined street. Her family lived in a huge house by the water and their back yard opened onto the beach. "Why are you blushing?"