This is a new story not related to my other "Crazy" submissions about Melissa, Kristen and the ongoing affair with her father. If you enjoy this one, I will consider writing a continuation, just please leave me a comment to let me know, thank you.
The Game and the Girl
The pulsating tune came blasting from somewhere within the contents of my purse. Abandoning my lips half coated in Revlon Crushed Velvet, my toe snagged the corner of the bed-frame in pursuit of my cell phone. Screaming in pain from my little toe, I went down on my knees and grabbed my foot with both hands. By my head, my phone still played one of my favorite pop songs that I had programmed to play when Zack was calling. Now suddenly it was the most annoying song in the world.
Leaving one hand to attend to my throbbing toe, I knocked the purse over with the other. Rifling through the coupons, sticks of gum and other various contents that cluttered the bag, I found my phone and flipped it open before it the voicemail would pick up.
"Hey," I said in a less than excited voice.
"What's wrong?" Zack asked, detecting my frustration in one word.
"I slammed my toe getting to the fucking phone! That's what's wrong!" I screamed at him without much thought.
"Ouch, that sucks, you OK?"
"How the hell do I know? It could be broken!" I yelled again.
"Oh man, does it hurt?" he asked.
"Does it hurt? Are you are friggen moron! It's killing me!!"
"Why are you yelling at me like it's my fault?" Zack asked innocently.
"Because I wouldn't have hurt it if you hadn't called!" I shot back immediately.
"Oh, forgive me, I didn't know I had to use telepathy now to contact you!" Zack said defensively. The pain in my toe, while still throbbing, was easing a bit now, and bending it with little pain told me that it wasn't broken. I realized I was probably taking my clumsiness out on him, and decided to change my attitude before I ruined our evening planned together.
"I'm sorry, it just really hurt that's all, I'll be fine," I said in a calmer tone. "I just hope I'm not limping in the heels I'm planning on wearing tonight."
"Well Jess, you're toe may not hurt you too much after-all then," he replied in an uneasy voice.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel, I have to work."
"What?? What do you mean you have to work? This is your night off!" my blood began to get hot once more.
"One of the guys called in sick, has the flu or something, they need me to cover, I can't get out of it," Zack said sounding not nearly as upset as I wanted him to sound.
"Well you GET OUT OF IT!" I screamed again.
"I CAN'T! I ALREADY TOLD YOU!!" he shouted back, raising his voice for the first time. Then calming himself a bit he added, "my sergeant is being an asshole, you want to call him and ask him for me?" he said sarcastically.
"You SUCK, you know that?" I shot at him upset.
"I'm sorry Jess, I'll make it up to you next week I swear."
"Whatever," I moped as I clipped the phone shut.
With my plans blown for the night I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling, drowned in disappointment. We had plans to go out to this new restaurant that opened downtown, and then maybe catch a movie. Now my night looked to be shot.
Quickly I thought of an alternative, and grabbed my cell phone again. In seconds I was listening to my friend Kellie's recorded voice telling me to leave a message. She was out with Eric already; I figured it was too late to catch her.
Over the next few minutes I tried dialing several girlfriends of mine, without any hope. I only got through to Brianna, but she was on her way to a wedding reception for a cousin of hers, and despite her disinterest in it, she was obligated to go.
Facing a night of total boredom, I stared at myself in the mirror above my dresser, and wiped off the lip cream that colored half my lips, then I went into the bathroom to wash my makeup off. Not bothering to change any longer, I went downstairs and found my father in the kitchen. He was busy filling bowls with chips and dips, and taking bottles of liquor out of one of the cabinets.
"Hey Daddy, what are you up to tonight?"
"Oh hey darling," he smiled, mildly surprised to see me in sweats and a t-shirt this late in the evening, "got a card game tonight. Aren't you going out with Zack?"
"He has to work," I pouted.
"Shot you down huh? I'm sorry honey. Why don't you call one of your friends?"
"Called all of them, they all have plans, so I guess I'm doing nothing tonight," I said with a look of despair. "You don't have to do nothing sweetie, do you know how to play cards?" he suggested.
"That's OK Daddy, I know how you and your friends like to play for money, and I don't know how to play well enough to be betting," I said with a sigh.
"You don't have to use your money Jess, I'll put it up for you if you like."
"That's OK Dad, I'll just put on a movie or something I guess."
My dad looked upset to see me in this predicament. Ever since my mother walked out on us 5 years ago, he knew his little girl was a busy bee. He knew how extremely popular I was in school, and how I was usually always out with either my friends, or my boyfriend Zack. It was like him to try to entertain me if he could.
I went into the living room and clicked on the tube, and began flipping through the channels. I finally settled on a re-run of Road Rules when my father came in from the kitchen.
"Hey Jess, I called my friend Will, and I think I may have a solution to your loneliness tonight," he said in a hopeful manner. "You remember Will right?"
"I'm not sure Daddy, I've met a lot of your friends," I said. My father had many buddies that worked with him in the firehouse. His friends were the nicest group of guys, and all rather handsome older men. Being firefighters made added to their sex appeal, even if most of them were married and in their 40's.
My father usually played cards while at the firehouse, but being on temporary leave due to a small injury he had sustained while on the job, many of his friends decided to move the game to his house for the time being.
My father attempted to describe his friend, but he could tell it wasn't clicking with my memory. "Well Willie's got a daughter about your age, she's got nothing to do tonight either, he was thinking of bringing her tonight, maybe you can watch a movie together or something?"
"Oh that's ok, he doesn't have to drag his daughter here on my behalf, " I said.
"He doesn't mind honey, and I think you two will hit it off, I've met her, nice girl," he added.