“Talk to Dad, and he’ll set it up. If you want to sit down and talk about the different camps, we can do just that,” David offered.
“Thanks,” Phil said and then changed the topic. “I called Uncle John yesterday.”
David and Greg looked at each other.
“I was upset with you guys bullying me,” Phil said.
Greg started to say something, but David cut him off.
“Your feelings are valid,” he said with a straight face.
Phil flipped him off. It was a family joke that their uncle tended to fall into psychologist mode, which had him saying stuff like that. David’s favorite Uncle John line was ‘How does that make you feel?’
“What did he say?” Greg asked.
“That you’re both dicks.”
“And...” David prodded.
“That I should remind you that we haven’t been brothers all our lives. I was an only child for 14 years, and I moved to be near you because everything I saw made me look up to you,” Phil said to David.
Greg looked somewhat put-out, so David took the opportunity.
“I’m Grandma’s favorite,” he reminded his older brother.
Phil caught on to how it had come out as a slam against Greg.
“I wanted to meet you, too.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Greg assured him. “We do get on each other pretty hard, but we’ve been doing it to each other all our lives, and I can see that we shouldn’t really pick on you.”
“I agree,” David conceded, “but you’re our brother and part of the family. With that comes some abuse. What you have to remember, like Greg said, is that we’ve been busting each other’s chops for as long as I can remember.”
“Uncle John explained that. But he told me to tell you that just because it has been how you two have always done it, that doesn’t mean you have to with me,” Phil said.
David’s first thought was to call him a pussy but stopped himself. He had to remember that Phil didn’t know that they really did care for him. Phil hadn’t been around while that bond had grown between his older siblings.
David remembered his grandfather talking about today’s kids. Granddad Davey grew up old-school where they said stuff like ‘spare the rod and spoil the child.’ He’d complained that society was raising a generation of kids who felt entitled and special, that they all received participation ribbons instead of declaring winners.
David knew his grandfather would roll over in his grave if he had to deal with ‘political correctness,’ trigger words, and the like. The world was changing, and what David and Greg had done was wrong.
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better,” David said, which floored his older brother.
It surprised Phil, too.
“I look at it this way. Would I want my kids to treat each other that way? While I want to prepare them for the world, I don’t want them to feel bullied. Especially by one of their brothers or their sister,” David shared.
“Thanks, but I don’t want you to feel like you can’t joke around with me,” Phil said.
“Let’s make a deal,” Greg said to add his take. “If you ever feel like we’re ganging up on you or being bullies, talk to us. If we don’t know, we can’t help you.”
“That was basically what Uncle John said,” Phil admitted.
They finished breakfast. David felt they’d worked things out with their younger brother. He held Greg back so he could do the same with him.
“What did you really think about all that?” Greg asked once they were alone.
“His feelings are valid,” David joked and then got serious. “We have to remember that he moved to go to Lincoln High solely to get to know us. Dad and I both left, and you’re about to pack up and move, too. If he feels like we’re jerks and about to abandon him, he’ll soon be out of our lives and won’t want anything to do with us.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Greg said. “I want to make more of an effort to spend time with him before we move.”
“You’re moving if Joey gets the job at USC?”
“I think so.”
“May I ask what yesterday was all about? I’m feeling a bit guilty about what almost happened,” David said. “Actually, I’m feeling a lot guilty.”
“Don’t. If that’s on anyone, it’s me. Joey gave me ample opportunity to shut it down, and I didn’t.”
“Lexi shared that you all were considering swapping. Are you guys into that now?” David asked.
“Don’t tell me that you’re considering it?” Greg shot back.
“Hell, no. I just was checking to see what’s up. Are you guys opening up your relationship?” David asked.
“As far as I know, that was supposed to be a onetime deal.”
“How do you plan to ever be able to satisfy her now that she’s seen my ... ya know?” David asked with a straight face.
“Phil’s right; you are a bully,” Greg grumped.
“We’re good?”
“We are,” Greg agreed.
“Since we’re talking, what’s up with you and Lexi?” Greg asked.
“Honestly, I think she wants more than I can or want to give her right now. My life has finally calmed down to as normal as it can be, and I want to enjoy college and everything it offers.”
“Would it bother you if Lexi dated someone?” Greg asked.
David knew what he was digging at, and he didn’t need to think about it.
“I’d miss hooking up with her, but she’s way more valuable to me as my PA. I think she put together a great vacation, and I don’t have time to plan stuff like that. You can see how it’d get complicated in a hurry if we were to try to take our relationship to something other than hooking up. If it ever imploded—which with my track record, it would—my world would be turned upside down,” David shared.
“I hope that hooking up with her isn’t a chore,” Greg said, taking his turn to give his brother shit.
“Oh, hell, no. You know as well as I do that if you’re with someone for a while, you learn how to make it better for each other. All I’ll say is that Lexi is more than just the best PA I’ve ever had,” David said with a wink.
Greg nodded to let him know that he understood.
Developmental Editors: XofDallas and Bud Ugly
Line / Copy Editors: Bud Ugly, TheMikeBomb, Zom, and Old Rotorhead
Continuity Editor: Rusty
Last One Through: Bud Ugly
Chapter 53
Tami
David had asked Lexi to arrange a spa day because Cassidy had never been to one. Tami joined all the other girls and David on the bus to the spa. She’d been curious about how the bus always seemed to show up when they were ready to go to the slopes. That was until she spotted David giving the driver yet another large tip.
That also explained why the bus took them to the spa when it wasn’t on the regular route. The spa resort was located just north of Whistler Village in a gorgeous setting next to Lost Lake, encircled by spruce and cedar forest. From the spa, the view of the Whistler Blackcomb valley was spectacular.
Tami would have bet that the whole staff was waiting when they walked in. To this point, David’s celebrity had only been a minor irritation. He had been approached at the various venues and had taken a few selfies and given a few autographs. This, however, was on a whole other level. They had a photographer waiting and wanted to get David to take a picture with everyone.
Tami sometimes forgot what her friend had become. It amazed her when people began to fall all over themselves to get his attention, when to her, he was just David, the adventurous dork she’d grown up with.