The Look Of Love

Chapter 44: Contrasts

The day after Christmas, brought friends not gifts. Both Bobby and Mary decided to spend the day with their respective friends. One is going to shine a light in his friend's darkness and have real talk. The other is going to have fun, junk food, and girl talk. The contrast could not be more different.

Bobby started his afternoon by calling the guys and inviting them over, to his house. Normally they would hang out in the game room. With his grandmother still there, the pool house called his name instead. They all agreed to come over. 

This is great, considering they had issues to talk over. He grabbed bags of chips, dips, Christmas cookies, German chocolate cake (Tommy's favorite), and soda. Absolutely no beer allowed. If they're anything like he was, and he knows they are, then they've all had enough booze to last weeks. Supplies all gathered, he turned on the TV and waited.

Over at Mary's house, all of the girls arrived to their home away from home... the guest cottage. Each girl brought something different: bath bombs for feet baths, pedicure bowls, all kinds of nail polishes, facial masks, and snacks. 

Gemma started the conversation. "I'm so glad Bobby is having the guys over today. They all need it." She dropped a bath bomb filled with glitter into a foot bath. Heads nodded, around the room, in agreement. 

The girl time officially began with music from the Go-Go's. While waiting for the foot baths to be ready, they danced around and sang with hairbrushes. It's fun to just be silly and ridiculous with your best friends!

While things were off to dancing start at Mary's, Bobby's friends slowly arrived one by one. As he examined each of them, Bobby decided a more pathetic group would be hard to find anywhere. They all looked down and out, unshaven and messy. How depressing! 

Tommy's sweet tooth noticed the chocolate cake. "I love your mom man! This is my favorite," he said. He cut a huge slice (by huge it filled the whole plate).

"She actually made it for you. She knows it's your favorite. So you can have the whole thing, if you want," responded Bobby. He noticed Tommy perked up considerably after he said that. He wasn't sure if it's a good thing or not, since Tommy stress eats sweets.

Jimmy went to cut a piece of the cake too, but Tommy told him he would cut it himself. Jimmy gave him a side eye. Tommy did cut the cake. He cut a tiny, itty-bitty sliver and handed it to his friend. Jimmy was not amused.

Bobby began their conversation by saying "Let's go ahead and address the gorilla in the room." Everyone turned and said "Hello" to Dutch, even Bobby. They all laughed.

Glaring at them, Dutch sneered "Assholes!" Then he couldn't help it, he laughed too. "God I missed you guys!" he stated and grabbed a bag of chips.

With chocolate all around his mouth, Tommy agreed. He remarked, "The tournament sucked for all of us. Sensei sucks, the results suck, (he looked at Bobby) you being made to get disqualified sucked, (he looked at Johnny) that out-of-nowhere crane kick really sucked. It all sucks! But what really sucked the most is Bobby going AWOL and the rest of us not talking. That sucked big!"

A whimpering sound was heard. They turned their heads and saw Johnny trying to hold in his tears. Finally the tears poured out like water from a faucet. Seeing the toughest one of them all cry, made their eyes start leaking tears too. 

Meanwhile, at the guest cottage, the girls were in the middle of pedicures. Each foot bath had a different kind of bath bomb. Gwen chose the foot bath with the "love potion" one. "So if I stick my feet in here, is it going to bring to me love or what?" she asked. With a long suffering sigh, she continued. "I want love. Unlike Mary, love for me is hard to find."