Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 3

Kelly. I appreciate not having dinner alone."
    "You are very welcome, JJ." My mom didn't even pause in rearranging place settings to kick me under the table when I didn't greet him. I winced, but refused to be a part of her bizarre social experiment. I was going to just be a silent adult. Totally and completely mature about it all. But my mother would never be swayed by that. She cast her gauntlet at my feet with a direct question. "Nate. You remember JJ, don't you?"
    I glared at her, but JJ answered before I could. "We saw each other today outside the hardware store. He was telling me he just finished college."
    How dare the bastard make it sound like I was having some sort of conversation with him! My mother began to look fully satisfied with herself. "Did you? That's good to hear."
    "I thought you went into the Army to terrorize innocent civilians?" I asked with a bite, more at my mom than at JJ. But I was fine with gnawing on him, as well.
    My mom glared, but JJ answered with an affable nod. I can't tell you how annoying it was to describe him as affable. "I did. Served and then got out. It wasn't for me."
    "Attacking people and making them fearful wasn't for you? Are you sure you were being used to the best of your ability?"
    "Nate, knock it off," my mom snapped.
    JJ looked at me and he had a sort of sad smile on his face. "The Army does a lot of humanitarian services, you know."
    "Oh. Then, yeah, ok. I can see you not fitting in at all." I smirked at my glass, but it was a little pasted on. The sad smile had gotten to me. It had seemed very human, and I wasn't used to that from JJ. It threw me off kilter. Luckily for me, our food arrived and everyone was busy sorting what dish went where after our table switching.
    Once we were settled and eating, JJ looked at me. I ignored him for a second, and just as I was about to demand to know what he was looking at, he smiled and asked, "So, what did you do in college?"
    I swallowed my tofu. "I learned."
    "Nate has a degree in environmental engineering," my dad said with a big proud grin. "Still can't tell a nut from a bolt, but has a degree in engineering."
    "I can tell a nut from a bolt," I said in exasperation. "And it's not that kind of engineering, anyway."
    "What kind is it?" JJ asked.
    He seemed genuinely interested. That was… disconcerting. I took a drink and answered. "I work to make sure that the environment is protected whenever people want to use the land, water, or air. I engineer ways in which people and the environment are mutually served and benefitted."
    JJ grinned. "Awesome. That is something you probably excel at. You were always such a strong guy and willing to work hard to do what you thought was best. I can really see you being a top professional in no time."
    What? I looked into my rice and felt my guts wibble in confusion. Was that a jibe? I went through every word and couldn't find the insult. When did he… know me? How would he know what I was always like? He barely looked at me, too busy being a punk and terror to everyone in his general vicinity.
    "Isn't that right?" my dad asked, rhetorically. He seemed pleased as punch with JJ. "Nate is going to knock some heads and do some good in this world."
    Now I was just completely adrift. I couldn't keep my bearings. Being angry and offended at JJ's presence was what I was supposed to be doing, but I couldn't keep the negative emotions if my dad and JJ were hosing me with good vibes.
    "Are you staying in town for a while?" JJ asked. He was half-way through his Sweet and Sour Pork. I wanted to be pissed at him for eating meat, but my own parents were chowing down on flesh. Instead I took another bite of my Mapo Tofu.
    "Yes. I am," I answered, defiantly.
    He smiled. "Good."
    Was that a threat?
    "Nate was just saying that he was going to try applying to our own city," my mom said. Nice of her to join in on the mess she had made of our dinner.
    My dad got JJ talking about himself and I learned that he had been trained as a mechanic in the Army and that now he was working for the dealership. The same one where McKaley, the super salesperson, did her thing. JJ had plans on moving up in the ranks and was already one of the top mechanics. He wanted to be in management and then to strike out and create his own business.
    "Your mom would be really proud of you," my dad said, gripping JJ's shoulder briefly.
    "Thanks," JJ answered.
    "Why isn't she proud now?" I asked. Seemed a bit nasty of the woman to