Pop: Chapter Fifteen

     "Sam, start getting a move on.  We'll be leaving in twenty."

    I hear him grumbling from behind his partially open bedroom door.  At least I can tell that he is getting ready.  More for Dad than for me.  We are going to have to tell him.  Tomorrow.  He needed to know by now.

    I place one final rack of clothes in the spare bedroom's closet.  After I finished reading Dad's original editorial, I decided to start moving my things upstairs in preparation for the contractors to finish the remodel.  I would have taken my things to the master suite, but I'm going to wait on that.  Addie still needs to finish decided on the furniture.  She's been looking online for a few weeks now, but it is taking her forever to make up her mind.  Sure, there would be enough room in the closet for both our things, but I think I wait until she brings her wardrobe in before I put my clothes up.  So, the spare bedroom it is.

    I'll have to get Sam to help me out with some of the bigger objects I'm keeping.  If he agrees to it.  Sure, he's tall, but he doesn't have that much upper body strength.  Especially when compared to me. I'll probably have to ask the movers taking away the exercise equipment and the old furniture from the apartments to help me instead.  Most of my old bedroom furniture will be taken too.  I might keep the bed and the matching bureau, but most of the rest were just picked up randomly.  No real sentimental value, although the extra storage might be useful for awhile. No.  I'm going to need to space later.  Might as well have them take it now.  At least someone else will get use of them.

    I go back downstairs to finish getting ready myself.  I take my old clothes off and throw them on the bed before slipping into my bathroom to freshen up a bit.  Moving a few clothes racks and boxes wasn't too hard, but I did get a little less presentable.  I take a look in the mirror.  Just a teeny bit of stubble.  Perfect. Nowhere near bad enough to warrant an extra shave.  A quick leak in the toilet and I'm back into my bedroom to my dress shirt and slacks back on from earlier.  After a spritz of cologne.  Hey, I like to smell good when I'm around Addie.  Okay, in general, but especially around her.

    I decide to wear the jacket.  It wasn't suitable for the signing, but this is a somewhat more formal occasion.  I forego a tie, though.  It just doesn't seem right for tonight.  I hesitate.  Maybe I should.  If Addie's father and brothers are wearing ties, I'm going to stand out in a negative way.  On the other hand, if Rick and the guys aren't wearing ties, and they might go that way, I'm going to make them feel bad by wearing one.

    In the end, I decide to take a tie with me and shove it into my jacket breast pocket with my phone.  I'll make a final decision after I see what everyone else is doing.  I just hope there is some consensus without me being the deciding vote.

    I grab my wallet and car fob.  They go into my pants pockets.  No.  Better put them in the jacket as well.  Don't want to ruin the lines of the slacks.  Too many bulges aren't fashionable, and I already have a fairly noticeable one.

    I take one last look in the mirror, combing my hair back with my fingers as I do.  I'm looking good.

    I hurry out of the bedroom and rush to the stairs to get Sam.

    "Five minutes, Sam.  Or I'm coming up there to get you."

    "I'm here," Sam says as he comes around the stairs.  He's wearing his white dress shirt and gray slacks.  No tie, but at eighteen, he can get away with it.  Barely. Because of his size, most of his dress clothes had to been specially tailored.  At least we can afford it.  Still, the top button of his shirt isn't buttoned, and I can just barely see some of his ankles as he goes down the steps.  Plain white socks with beige Oxfords.  How gauche.  Still, the pants cuffs should be hitting lower and that top shirt button used to fasten better.  How big is this kid getting?

    Maybe I'm just imagining it.  Worrying over nothing.

    "Time to go then."