Stranger Things Have Happened, I Know

Ch 7 & 8

I was so distracted on the ride home. Did these past four days just happen? I kept getting hit with flashes of this weekend: Dave wiping beer off my collar bone. Dave and I wrapped in a blanket. Dave in his towel. Dave pressing up against me in the elevator. Dave inside of me. I shivered.

I kept checking my phone to see if he had sent a text or call. But it stayed quiet. When I got home, I threw my stuff in the laundry and hung up my top that had been dry cleaned, keeping the plastic on. I did a few chores around the house and called into work to let them know everything was going to be OK with my grandfather and that I expected to be back to work on Monday. I made an appointment at the spa for a mani/pedi. I made small talk while I got my nails done, but I felt removed from everyone around me. They had no idea what the past few days had been like for me. The things I'd done and seen. I felt like a stranger in the world that had been so familiar to me. On my way home, I stopped at the mall and did a little shopping, unwilling to go home to my empty house. I got home around 8pm and flopped on the couch. It promised to be another long night and I wasn't exactly tired.

I pulled out my laptop and powered it up. I Googled "Dave Grohl" and immediately pictures and links appeared on my screen. I scrolled through pictures of him, my heart pounding. Dave with the band, young Dave in Nirvana, long stringy hair, Dave on magazine covers, Dave on the red carpet. Dave with his ex-wife, Jordyn, hand on her pregnant belly, Dave with his daughter Violet. I realized I had been holding my breath. I exhaled and switched tactics. I followed a link to Dave's Wikipedia page. I felt funny, like I was snooping in places I shouldn't be. I read up on Dave for the next hour. I learned a lot. I learned that he had built a multi-million dollar empire with the Foo Fighters, that he and the band had 100% creative control over every aspect and that he was considered the nicest guy in rock. That was a good thing, I

thought. Just then my phone started to buzzed. I looked at the screen. It was Dave! I slammed my laptop shut, as though he might know what I was doing. I took a few deep breaths and answered, trying not to sound as thrilled as I felt.

'Hello," I said.

"Hey girl," Dave said, excitedly. "You're still awake?"

"Yeah, I don't sleep remember."

"Right. So what are you up to?" He asked. I glanced at my laptop, feeling guilty.

"Nothing, just watching some TV”, I lied. “You?"

"We are just waiting to board, our flight got delayed," he said, sounding irritated.

"Oh man, that sucks,"

"Tell me about it. Listen," he said, "I wanted to thank you again for such a great weekend. You are the coolest girl I have met in a while."

"Thank you Dave. It was the best weekend of my life," I said, meaning it.

"I will try to call you while we are over there, but it's going to be crazy..."

"Hey, don't even worry about it," I said, dismissively.