Free Nerds on Fire by D.R. Grady

I’ll call her
now.”
    “ Thanks, Daddy.”
    He affectionately kissed her forehead
as he dug out his phone to call his mother.
    When she answered, one of her first
questions was to inquire about Chrissy.
    “ We’re no longer
together.”
    “ Really? When did this
happen?” There was a wealth of curiosity in her voice, so he
indulged her.
    “ I realized what she was,
especially after my daughters informed me she’s not right for me,”
his mother made an agreeing sound, “and I saw some things I didn’t
like. So I ended the relationship just a few minutes
ago.”
    “ Congratulations on your
good sense.”
    He smiled. “That’s almost verbatim
what Trixi told me.”
    “ Have you told Katy
yet?”
    “ No, but I will
soon.”
    “ Make certain my other girl
comes along Friday. I expect Friday supper is why you’re calling.
To say you’re coming?”
    “ It is. Trixi and I plan to
be there. I’ll call Katy now and see what her schedule is
like.”
    “ Thank you, love. And I’m
so happy you’re not with that woman any longer.”
    When he rang off he found Trixi in the
kitchen. “Your Gran is as relieved as you that I ended things with
Chrissy.”
    Her silvery-blue eyes contemplated
him, as though she was taking his measure. “How do you feel about
it?”
    “ Me? I am so relieved I
could hang from the chandelier.”
    She nodded. “You had a lucky
escape.”
    “ I’ll say.” He glanced at
his phone again. “I need to call Katy.”
    “ Ask her if she wants to
come to supper again.”
    He nodded as he tucked the ringing
phone to his ear.
    “ Hello, Dad.”
    “ Hi, baby. Gran called and
she wants all of us to come to supper Friday night.”
    “ Friday night, okay. I’ll
have to ask Leo if we have anything planned.”
    “ Leo knows if you’re doing
something Friday night but you don’t?” He kept his tone
light.
    “ He might have made plans,
so I’ll need to ask him. I think it should be fine.”
    “ Are you planning to bring
him along?”
    There was silence on the other end of
the line. “I don’t think so,” she finally ventured. “Is he
invited?”
    “ Definitely. I’m guessing
Gran, Miriam, and Johnny will all want to meet him.”
    “ Uncle Johnny probably
knows him. Or at least knows of him.”
    When she didn’t elaborate, he said,
“Trixi said you’re invited to supper.”
    “ Did she already start
it?”
    Trixi slid something into the range.
“Yes, it’s in the oven.”
    “ I think we’re just getting
pizza.”
    “ We?”
    “ Leo is coming and I think
he’s bringing Mark but I’m not certain.” He heard her cleaning up
the place. “Hey, did you break it off with the gold digger
yet?”
    “ Yes, before I came home
from work.”
    “ Yay! Congratulations on your narrow escape.”
    He sighed. “Thank you.
Trixi, your Gran, and you have all stated the same thing. I’m not
calling my sister tonight since my mother and daughters have finally clued me in on
how they feel.”
    “ We wanted to make certain
you were happy or not before we chimed in.”
    “ I’m feeling relieved at
the moment.”
    “ Good.” He heard the
doorbell ring, and then a man’s voice, so he assumed her company
had arrived. “I’ll let you go, sweetheart.”
    “ Okay, Dad. Love
you.”
    “ Love you, too.” He hung
up.
    “ I take it she’s not
coming?” Trixi padded to the sink.
    “ No, Leo and maybe Mark,
whoever that is, arrived. We were invited over for pizza
though.”
    “ Mark is Leo’s brother and
the neurosurgeon she’s working with.” She frowned. “I already put
dinner in.”
    “ That’s what I told
her.”
    Trixi turned on the water, then the
garbage disposal. “It would have been fun to go over
there.”
    “ Maybe we can host a pizza
party at some point.”
    She perked up. “We’ll plan on
it.”
    He wandered into his office. There was
a pile of paperwork waiting there he wanted to finish before
tomorrow. He probably had half an hour to make inroads on it, so he
set