2000
Ginny spent the next day at Carter’s helping feed and care for Carter’s menagerie of animals. She should have been tired; they’d stayed up all night talking. But for some reason, she wasn’t. Her mind was racing with a million thoughts.
Tommy had called earlier, told her he was taking a week off from work to take care of Jason and hoped she wouldn’t be gone that long, that he missed her. She told him she was sorry she hadn’t thought about Jason. She had a stab of guilt but quickly reminded herself she subconsciously knew Tommy would somehow handle it. And, of course, he had. In typical Tommy fashion, he’d told her not to worry. He was taking care of it, but she needed to give him some time soon so they could talk. She promised she would.
Carter and Casey had offered to let Jason stay there with them, telling her she could go home and have as much time with Tommy as she needed. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to even see Tommy right now, let alone be under the same roof together. It was all still too raw.
Mimi was a different matter. She was fifteen and would definitely require an explanation. In spite of the fact that Mimi was spending most of her free time with her friends, she was an intelligent and observant teenager. She would notice that her mother was gone. Ginny would have to talk to Tommy about what to tell Mimi.
Ginny was grateful there was so much to do at Carter’s. Keeping busy was exactly what she needed. She spent the afternoon hauling food bags and brushing dogs, and was pleasantly sore by the time the afternoon wore away.
That evening, the three friends worked in companionable silence making shrimp stir-fry. They were exhausted so tonight’s agenda was simple. Dinner, clean up, and bed.
Casey’s voice broke the silence. “So, Gin, did Tommy ever tell you the details about your prom date?”
Ginny stopped cutting vegetables and looked over at Casey. “The prom date? You mean the prom date Grizz took me on?”
Carter and Casey glanced at each other, then at Ginny. She didn’t know.
“When they took you in for your emergency C-section with Mimi, we spent our time in the waiting room trying to keep Tommy’s mind off of you,” Carter chimed in. “They didn’t let him in there with you. He practically wore a hole in the carpet with all of his pacing. We just kept talking to him to try to distract him. I don’t remember how it came up. Maybe Sarah Jo said something. I mean, she was in on it.”
“I know Sarah Jo was in on it.” Ginny shrugged, starting to slice into an onion. “She helped Grizz set it up.”
“No, Ginny.” Casey took a breath. “It wasn’t Grizz who asked Sarah Jo to set it up.”
Ginny stopped what she was doing and turned around to look at her friends. With her back against the counter, she cocked her head. “Who had Sarah Jo set it up?”
In unison they both answered her: “Tommy.”
“Tommy and Sarah Jo told us everything in the hospital waiting room,” Carter told her.
“Yeah, it sounded like he planned it down to the last detail,” Casey added.
Ginny stared at her friends as they took turns filling in the details about her prom night.
**********
“So how did you convince Grizz to let you do this?” Sarah Jo asked Grunt as they sat across from each other at the restaurant.
“I just told him that it was an important part of every girl’s high school years and since Kit wouldn’t have that experience, maybe you and I could do something to make up for it.” Grunt shrugged. “Of course, I told him it was your idea. Besides, he trusts me now. I have a girlfriend.”
Sarah Jo took a sip of her water and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know you have a girlfriend.”
“No, really, it’s perfect. Between school and work, I rarely get to see Kit. Now that I’m living with Cindy, Grizz doesn’t seem to mind when I spend time with her.” He looked directly at Jo. “Let’s talk about more important things. You’re all set for tomorrow, right? You know what to do?”
“Of course I know what to do.” Jo stuck her tongue out at him. “Kit already said she’d go with me to pick out a dress. I’ll tell her I don’t want to try on gowns by myself and I’d feel better if she tried some on, too. She’ll do it. She’s a girly girl.”
“And?”
“And,” Sarah Jo rolled her eyes again, “when she tries on one that she really loves, I’ll make sure someone puts it away. I’ll tell them that you’ll be in to pay for it later.”
“Perfect.” Grunt folded his hands. “And?”
“And I’ll make sure she spends the actual prom day with me getting my makeup, nails and hair done. I’ll insist that I don’t feel right getting all gussied up for prom if she’s not. I’ll tell her I’m treating her as a thank you for spending the day with me.” Sarah Jo picked up her sandwich. “Now how about you? It’s less than a month away. Are you all set?”
“Everything’s a go. Martin never uses the house and it’s perfect.”
“What’s it like?”
“It’s right on the beach. He has a gazebo with stereo speakers and everything. Moe’s going to spend the day helping me set up.”
“You know, Grunt, I’m not really sure you should be doing this. You might be sending the wrong message. You might confuse her.”
“Jo, I’m doing what you suggested three years ago. I’m waiting. And don’t think it hasn’t been hell on me not seeing her as much as I’ve wanted to.” He clenched his jaw. “Grizz will screw up soon enough and I’ll be there, but in the meantime, it’s really important to me that she doesn’t miss out on certain things.”
“Like going to the prom,” Sarah Jo said quietly.
“Yeah, like going to the prom. She can’t go to a real prom. You know that. This is the only thing I could think of.”
Sarah Jo smiled at her childhood friend. “It’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
“So are you getting excited? It’s your senior year. It’ll be the last prom for you and Stephen.”
“Yeah, I’m excited, but worried.”
“What are you worried about?” Grunt signaled for the check.
“That new girl, April. I think Stephen might actually like her.”
**********
“It was Tommy?” Ginny asked. Slowly she walked to one of the kitchen chairs, sitting down heavily.
Carter took the one next to her, her voice quiet. “Yes, it was all Tommy’s doing. I can’t believe he never told you. He probably wouldn’t let Sarah Jo tell you either. You believed it was Grizz’s idea, and Tommy didn’t want to hurt you by telling you it wasn’t. Yes, Grizz allowed it, but he didn’t come up with it. Tommy did.”
Ginny remembered that night. She’d spent the entire day with Sarah Jo getting their makeup, hair, and nails done. She’d watched as her friend posed for pictures with Stephen and waved goodbye to them as they left in Stephen’s father’s fancy car. Fess had asked her to stay to help him with some bank statements or something. She couldn’t remember what she helped him with, but it didn’t matter. The whole thing had been a ruse.
After about thirty minutes, the phone had rung. It was Sarah Jo, frantic. Said she forgot her little purse with all her makeup. Would Kit mind driving it to her friend’s house on the beach? There was a pre-prom party there. Kit got the directions from her and headed that way.
She remembered being surprised when she arrived at the impressive house and saw one of Grizz’s motorcycles in the driveway. It was Grizz’s, wasn’t it? And where were all the cars? She thought there was supposed to be a party here.
She went to the front door and noticed a note taped to it. It said to come around the right side of the house. She let herself through an unlocked gate and made her way along the path. When she got to the back yard, she stopped short.
Before her eyes was a gigantic pool with a gazebo on the other side. The gazebo was decorated with white twinkling lights. As she approached, she could hear the ocean, and its salty aroma filled her nostrils. She heard Van Morrison singing “Into the Mystic” but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.
That’s when she saw him. Grizz.
He came out of the shadows and walked down the gazebo steps. He was wearing his usual outfit: Jeans, a T-shirt, and boots, his long hair held back in a ponytail. He had recently started growing a beard, something she wasn’t exactly sure she liked, but she had to admit that it suited him. She watched him approach, her heart beginning to pound in anticipation. What was going on?
He took her hand and led her back up the stairs. She noticed a coral-colored gown hanging from one of the low beams. She stared at it in amazement. Wasn’t that the gown she had tried on a few weeks ago when she was shopping with Sarah Jo? It wasn’t as elegant as the one Jo picked out—understated and very simple. Her high-heeled sandals rested on a bench next to the dress, along with a beautiful wrist corsage made of tiny white roses and baby’s breath.
She looked down at her fingernails and toes, smiling now as it all sank in. Sarah Jo had insisted on the color. Now she knew why. They matched her dress.
“Grizz?” She said, waiting for the explanation.
Grizz suddenly looked shy. “Thought you might like a romantic night with me on the beach. I know Jo has her dance tonight. I—I didn’t want you to feel left out.”
He didn’t look away from her as he took the dress down from the beam, handing it to her. “I would really love to see you in this, Kitten,” he murmured, pulling her into his arms.
They’d spent the night slow dancing, making love on the beach and just talking. The house belonged to a friend of his, Martin. She remembered fantasizing that it was their home. They even got to sleep there. It was one of the most romantic nights she’d ever had.
And now, she thought, looking at her friends incredulously, she was being told it was all Tommy’s idea?
Ginny bit her lip. “Tommy set up a romantic night on the beach for me and Grizz? Why would he do that?”
“Actually, Gin, he set it up for you and him,” Casey said softly. “To look like a pre-prom party. Tommy had been there all day, waiting for you. Grizz showed up fifteen minutes before you did. Told Tommy he thought you would be disappointed if he wasn’t there. He didn’t want to let you down or hurt you. He told Tommy that he would take over.” She took Ginny’s hand and gave her a gentle look. “He sent Tommy, Sarah Jo, and the few friends that were there back home.”
**********
Moe’s Diary, 1978
Dear Elizabeth,
I know it was a mean thing to do, but I couldn’t help it. I did it before I could stop myself. I was just so jealous.
I’m his friend. It seems like he’s forgotten about me. Unless he needs something. Like help setting up a romantic date for someone else. For her.
I want to hate her, but I don’t. She’s nice to me. And besides, she’s with Grizz. I never see her act like she wants to be with Grunt. But, still. I couldn’t stand the thought of him holding her while they danced. The dress was so pretty. I used to wear pretty things like that. You remember, don’t you, Elizabeth?
Grizz was okay with letting them have their dance. But I had to ruin it. I had to write him a note telling him Kit would really be hurt and disappointed if he wasn’t there.
He gives Kit whatever she wants. He couldn’t stand how the thought of him not being there could hurt her. He hates stuff like that, dancing and dressing up, but he would do it for her. They all seem to do everything for her. Kit, Kit, Kit.
Sometimes, I wish she would just leave. Go back to wherever Monster found her.