Chapter 28

With scant minutes to spare, we walked into the clubhouse. The hike back from the quarry had been subdued. We’d talked about a few things, but since none of us really wanted to mention Gina’s impending departure, our conversations were brief.

Dad and Chris were in the kitchen area when we came in. Dad looked at his watch and nodded in approval. I looked at my watch as well, 4:59. The girls grinned at me as we all caught our breath. I shrugged the pack off and stretched. I wasn’t tired so much as I was tired of carrying the pack. Before next summer, I wanted to get a pack with wider straps and an aluminum frame. I didn’t need anything made to climb Mount Everest, but I wanted something a little beefier than the daypack I currently had.

While the girls disposed of the remains of our lunch and cleaned up the food containers, I talked to Dad and Chris. Chris was wrapping baking potatoes in foil while Dad made chicken kabobs with cherry tomatoes, large mushrooms, green pepper pieces, and onion wedges.

“Did you have a good time, son?” Dad asked.

“Wouldn’t you have fun on a hike with two teenage girls?” Chris asked him before I could respond.

“I think two teenage girls would give me a heart attack,” Dad replied with a grin.

“But it’d be a fun way to go.”

“Oh,” Dad agreed, “I didn’t say it wouldn’t be. Besides, these days, heart attacks are survivable.”

That set them both to laughing. I rolled my eyes and turned to go, but Dad called me back.

“Sorry, son,” he said. “Your mom and the other women are down at Susan’s house. They gave us orders to have you all get cleaned up when you returned, then join them down there.”

“Okay,” I said. “Thanks.”

The girls and I decided to shower together in the clubhouse. We were all tired from the day’s activities and the hike home, so I was pretty sure that nothing untoward would happen. As it turned out, Elaine Raeford and her two children were in the shower, so we’d definitely have to be on our best behavior. She grinned as we approached.

“Hi,” she said cheerfully, effortlessly catching her son as he tried to dodge away from the soap. “Where’ve you guys been all day?” she asked. “I didn’t see you at the lake.”

“We hiked to a quarry several miles from here,” I said.

“Ah,” Elaine said. “That sounds like fun.”

“It is,” I said. “But it’s also kinda tiring.”

When both girls giggled, Elaine grinned and arched an eyebrow.

“Paul’s had a hard day,” Gina explained euphemistically.

“Gina!” Kendall chided, unsuccessfully trying to stifle her giggles.

“I’ll bet,” Elaine said sardonically.

When they stopped giggling, Gina and Kendall offered to help with the kids. Elaine was more than happy to accept. Gina helped with Linette while Kendall scooped Barry “Boo” into her arms and then doused him with water. He squealed in delight and seemed to relish the attention.

While the girls were occupied with the kids, Elaine silently held up two fingers, looked pointedly at Gina and Kendall, and then gazed at me inquisitively. When I blushed, she chuckled.

“My, my, my,” she said softly, but with a wide grin. “I remember what it was like to be young and full of energy.”

“Yeah,” Gina said, completely misinterpreting her words, “you gotta have a lot of energy to keep up with two kids.”

“That isn’t the half of it,” Elaine replied, smirking at me.

We finished our showers and turned off the water. Gina and Kendall wrapped themselves in towels and then started drying “their” children. Linette and Barry were comfortable with the girls, so Elaine was content to let them finish. With a teasing grin, she threw my towel to me and then picked up her own. As I dried off, she nonchalantly stepped close.

“Your parents are David and Beth?” she asked quietly.

“Um ... yeah. And Gina’s parents are Chris and Elizabeth.”

“Elizabeth’s Indian, right?”

“English,” I said with a nod. “But Gina’s grandparents are Indian, so yeah.”

“And Kendall?”

“Adam and Melissa Payton.”

“Ah, he’s the police officer, right?”

I nodded.

While we dried off, we made small talk with Elaine. She was a nurse and Dennis was a civil engineer. They lived in Augusta, Georgia, and had heard about the camp from friends (a couple whose names I didn’t recognize, also with young children). She said she and Dennis were happy it was a family camp, and they really liked it so far.

As we talked, I took the opportunity to surreptitiously check her out. The best word to describe her was “compact.” She was shorter than Gina, but just as curvy, although her curves were in proportion to her size. Her breasts were also smaller than Gina’s, with nipples that probably were originally pink, but had been turned golden by the sun. And while her hair was a sandy blonde, her eyebrows and pubic hair were dark.

The freckles across her nose and upper chest—combined with her elfin face and button nose—made her look younger than her twenty-seven years. But as I watched the confident way she spoke and moved, she actually seemed older. Even though she teased me as much as the girls did, I decided that I liked her. She just seemed cool.

When the kids were dry and had their hair combed, Elaine thanked the girls. I think Gina and Kendall had fun playing mommy, if only for twenty minutes. Dennis came in as Barry was politely thanking Kendall. The three-year-old turned and ran to his father, who picked him up and held him at arm’s length, then hugged him close. In rapid-fire sentences, Barry told his father all about their shower, Kendall, Gina, and what seemed like a dozen other things.

With a warm smile, Elaine took Linette’s hand and thanked us again for the help and company. Then we bid the family farewell. Barry and Linette shouted “bye” to the girls, who turned and waved as we walked toward the door. Once outside, both girls commented on how cute and well-behaved the kids were, and how nice Elaine was.

“I noticed you checking her out, too,” Kendall said to me.

I blinked innocently, but she and Gina weren’t buying it.

They teased me good-naturedly, joking about how I was planning to expand my “harem.”

“Okay. She’s cute,” I finally admitted. “Jeez. But I’m not looking for anyone else. You two are more than I can handle.”

“And don’t you forget it, buster,” Kendall said with a grin.

“Yeah,” Gina agreed.

The rest of the way to Susan’s house, the girls talked about the upcoming party and the reason for our celebration. It was obvious that it was a going-home party for the Coulters, but Gina’s dad also seemed to have an announcement to make. Gina admitted even she didn’t know what it was.

When we got to Susan’s house, it was a beehive of activity. Adam had appointed himself master of the grill, and had a huge, pyramid-like mound of charcoal going. Inside the house, Susan and our moms were busy preparing side dishes. Not surprisingly, Susan was wearing a pair of bikini bottoms. In the dining room, Kara and Stacy were setting the table and putting towels on all the chairs.

In the kitchen, I tried to move out of the way, but almost fell over two ice-filled tubs in one corner. One held Cokes and beers while the other held a dozen bottles of champagne. The girls started helping with the food, so I went back outside to see if Adam needed anything. He was wearing a Chattanooga PD apron and had a beer in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other.

“I’m fine here, son,” he said. “Although your daddy could probably use some help with the meat. Tell ‘em that the coals’ll be ready in about thirty minutes.”

“Roger wilco,” I said.

He smiled broadly and took a swig of beer as I jogged out of the courtyard.

In the clubhouse, Dad and Chris were mostly finished with their preparations. They had a tray of chicken kabobs, a tray of baking potatoes, and a huge foil-covered tray full of T-bone steaks (courtesy of Chris, who’d made a trip to the butcher while we were at the quarry). I hefted the largest tray, the steaks, and we all headed toward the door.

Drew, Erin, and Leah were just coming down the hill as we left the clubhouse, so we waited for them to catch up. Leah tried to wheedle the surprise out of her father, but he merely grinned and countered all of her specious arguments.

At Susan’s house, Adam greeted us heartily and lifted the foil to inspect the steaks with a professional eye. Then Drew handed a bag of applewood chips to his father, which immediately drew Chris’s interest. I cradled the platter of steaks in one hand and took the tray of potatoes from Chris with the other. Then Dad and I deposited the food in the kitchen.

“Is it okay if Drew has a beer?” Dad called to Adam through the open kitchen door.

“Sure,” came the reply.

Dad grabbed a beer for himself and Chris, and had me grab one for Drew and myself. Even though I didn’t really like the taste of the stuff, it felt grown-up to drink one with my Dad and the other men. When I handed Drew’s beer to him, he grinned at me. I could tell that he was thinking the same thing.

Around the grill, we talked about the steaks, the applewood—which Adam said would add flavor and fragrance to the meat—and the fire in general. Chris was evidently a connoisseur of a charcoal fire, so he and Adam had a lively discussion about temperatures, cooking times, wood chips, and more things than I can recall.

Finally, Chris and Adam pronounced the coals ready and then spread them out. Next, they put the wire grill in the slots over the coals. Then, we retrieved the meat from the kitchen and started placing kabobs over the red-hot coals. Drew and I were sent inside to find out how the women wanted their steaks cooked. Most of them either wanted chicken or well-done steaks, while all five of us men wanted rare or medium-rare steaks. We all grinned at each other and laughingly lamented that the women wanted grossly overcooked meat.

Kendall appeared about fifteen minutes later with fresh beers. She handed one to me with a shy grin. Her hand caressed mine and she grinned fondly as she did. When I turned back to the rest of the men, they all teased me, even Drew. At last, we added the largest cuts of meat to the grill, the ones we wanted cooked rare, and told the women to expect the meat soon.

Once we walked inside with the steaming steaks and kabobs, everyone started gathering in the kitchen. The women had prepared baked potatoes, a large salad, corn on the cob, squash casserole (courtesy of Kendall’s mom), glazed carrots, green beans, and fresh rolls. We also had a huge red velvet cake (also courtesy of Kendall’s mom) for dessert.

Since there were so many of us, we broke into two groups. Once all the main dishes of food had been moved into the dining room, Drew and I added a leaf to the kitchen table and retrieved two extra chairs from the garage. While Erin cleaned the chairs, Leah spread a tablecloth on the table and Gina and Kendall prepared to set the plates and silverware. In the dining room, the grown-ups had the more formal dishes and utensils.

Adam said a quick grace, taking time to thank both Susan for hosting the party and the Coulters for inviting them. While he did mention Jesus, he seemed to be more thankful for the good company, the good food, and the health and welfare of the gathered crowd. I hadn’t heard many dinner prayers before, but his seemed to be genuine and grateful.

With that, the kids headed into the kitchen and the grown-ups (including Kara and Stacy) sat down in the dining room. At the kitchen table, we had our own smaller set of serving plates or bowls, so we wouldn’t have to go back and forth to the dining room. Much to Drew’s chagrin, Kendall made sure to start passing dishes with me. I filled my plate and then passed to Gina on my left.

Dinner was fantastic. My steak was cool and pink on the inside, and seared to applewood-scented perfection on the outside. After the long hike, I was ravenous. I don’t know who ate more, Drew or me, but it was certainly too close to call. While Gina and Kendall lavished attention on me, Erin and Leah did the same for Drew. We were like kings at a banquet, and I’m sure he loved every bit of it as much as I did.

When I couldn’t eat another bite, I sat back and stifled a belch. Kendall grinned at me and rolled her eyes.

“Did you get enough?” she asked teasingly.

“Uh-huh. I gotta keep my strength up, you know,” I replied with a grin.

“Sure you do,” she said sardonically.

After that, we all chatted for a while, simply making small talk while our food settled. But I began to realize that I was in an awkward situation. With Drew at the table, I had to act like Kendall was my sole girlfriend, but I didn’t want to hurt Gina by doing so. I also realized that up until now, I’d gotten lucky. Since I’d mostly spent time with the men, neither Adam nor Melissa had begun to suspect about my relationship with Gina. Or so I hoped.

I didn’t really like the idea that we needed to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, but I was pragmatic enough to realize the necessity. Judging by Kendall’s descriptions of her parents, I don’t think they would approve of my having two girlfriends. While I pondered what to do and how to act, I felt Kendall’s hand reach for mine under the table. As if she knew what I was thinking, she squeezed it reassuringly.

Before I could do anything more than squeeze in reply, Kara and Stacy came trooping into the kitchen with mostly empty serving dishes. The group in the dining room was cleaning up the table, so Gina and Kendall followed suit. When I volunteered to help, Drew snorted derisively, but I ignored him. Gina patted me on the cheek fondly—and a little mockingly—and asked me to stay out of the way.

“Paul,” Dad called from the dining room. “Why don’t you and Drew bring the kitchen chairs in here.”

I figured Drew would scoff at the request, but he surprised me by immediately hopping to his feet and grabbing two chairs. I picked up two myself and followed him. While he fetched the remaining two chairs, I started moving the formal dining room chairs to make room for the additions.

With a small army of women and girls working in the kitchen, the leftovers were quickly packed away and the dishes were washed and dried. In the dining room, I helped Chris retrieve champagne flutes from one of Susan’s large china cabinets. She had service for sixteen, so we had one extra.

A few minutes later, the women returned with the cake and a stack of dessert plates and forks. At Chris’s direction, I grabbed three bottles of chilled champagne from the kitchen and wrapped them in towels. Once everyone was back in the dining room, we squeezed around the table and sat down. (I, of course, had managed to set three of the kitchen chairs together, and they just happened to have Gina’s, Kendall’s, and my towels in them. Imagine that!)

While Chris started unwrapping the foil coverings on the champagne bottles, he got everyone’s attention and started talking.

“You’re probably wondering why we asked you here tonight,” he began facetiously. When the chuckles died down, he continued. “Seriously, thank you all for coming, and thank you, Susan, for graciously letting us invade.”

“The barbarian hordes,” Elizabeth quipped with a grin, “with their great hunks of dead cow.”

“And thanks to Adam for grilling everything to perfection,” Chris continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “Thank you to my lovely wife, Elizabeth, and to Susan, Beth, and especially Melissa, maker of this fine soon-to-be-devoured cake. In short, thank you everyone for making this night so special, for all of us.”

He expertly popped the cork on the first bottle of champagne and kept it from bubbling over. Then he started filling glasses. Elizabeth passed new ones to him and helped distribute the filled ones as Chris continued speaking. He talked about how much his family enjoyed coming to camp, and how they always missed it when they had to return home. Midway through his monologue, he deftly opened a new bottle and continued pouring. Then he joked about the Fourth of July, volleyball games, Marco Polo games, shaving cream fights, water balloons, and more. Once we all had full glasses of champagne in front of us, he lifted his in toast.

“Thank you all, both long-time friends—” a nod to Susan and my parents, “—and new ones.” He raised his glass to Adam and Melissa. “I can’t think of a better group of people to spend time with. So I offer a toast.” Everyone raised their glasses. “May the best of your past be the worst of your future!”

“Hear, hear!” someone cried.

We all raised our glasses and drank. When everyone was paying attention again, Chris opened the third bottle of champagne and began pouring refills while he continued.

“Now, you’re all probably wondering what the real announcement is,” he said. “The end of the summer, at least for our family, is one of the reasons for this party, but it’s certainly not the only one. I’m sure you’re all wondering what’s up. Judging by how much my daughters have been trying to charm me lately, I know they certainly are.”

Everyone laughed good-naturedly as Kara, Gina, and Leah obligingly blushed.

“Well,” Chris said, “let me tell you about my life for the past several months.”

“Keep it short,” Dad said teasingly.

“And Rated PG,” Elizabeth added with a grin.

“Okay,” Chris said, unruffled. “Short and PG.” He slyly glanced at his groin and then looked up with a shameless grin. “I think I can manage that.”

Laughter erupted at his double entendre.

“Seriously, seriously,” he said as we quieted. “My life for the past several months ... A friend from college is a producer at a TV station in Washington, D.C. He called me about six months ago and told me about someone trying to start a new station, and asked was I interested. My friend told me who to call and said he’d already mentioned my name to the new station’s owner. So I dusted off my resume, got together a demo tape of some of my best pieces and awards, and sent them off in the mail. When I didn’t immediately hear back from the new station owner, I promptly forgot about it.”

Around the table, faces fell.

“But!” Chris exclaimed, “they hadn’t forgotten about me. In late April, they called me and we did a quick phone interview. I didn’t think I did that well, so I didn’t think much more about it. I didn’t even know what kind of station it was—network, independent, or public broadcast—so I wasn’t all that disappointed. But you can imagine my surprise when they phoned back in early May and said they wanted to fly me in for an interview. The station owner even wanted to meet my wife, so they sent us two tickets.”

Early May? I thought. Hold on a second...

“Well, we flew to Atlanta and met the station owner,” Chris continued. “I’m sure you’ve heard of him, he already owns a TV station, as well as a couple of sports teams.”

I had no clue who he was talking about, but I nodded as if I did.

“So I went to the interview with Ted, his senior executive producer, the general manager, and several other people. They told me about their new concept for a TV station, and it wasn’t at all what I expected. I had my doubts about whether or not their concept would work, and I started asking them questions. Needless to say, I thought I bombed,” Chris lamented.

“They watched my demo tape again and then asked some pretty direct questions about the documentaries and the reporters I’d directed. When they got into how I managed assistant producers and on-air reporters, they fired questions at me left and right. I did my best, but once again, I thought I tanked.”

Elizabeth glanced up at him fondly as he reached for her hand.

“I thanked them for the opportunity and left the interview thinking I’d never hear from them again. So you can imagine my further surprise when I got a call earlier this week. The station owner and his senior executive producer wanted to meet with me again. ‘How soon could I get there?’ they asked. ‘How soon did they want me there?’ I asked. They had a ticket waiting for me in Columbia that afternoon, so I flew to Atlanta.

“The third interview was a lot more informal, and I spent most of it with the senior executive producer. But toward the end of the day, Ted came into the conference room and sat down with us. I know it sounds like a cliché, but he literally made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“What was it?” Leah asked excitedly. “What are you gonna do?”

“Well, pumpkin,” Chris said slowly, “the station is still in the formative stages, so they don’t really know exactly what I’ll be doing. With my background, I’ll be an executive producer, probably for a group of shows, since there will most likely be several executive producers. But no matter what I’m responsible for, specifically, I’ll be in charge of a team of producers, assistant producers, engineers, reporters, cameramen, and more.”

“So you said yes, daddy?” Leah asked.

“Not at first,” he replied. “I said I’d need to talk it over with your mom. This guy Ted has a lot of money, and he’s putting together a pretty impressive team to launch the station. I’m proud that he wants me to be part of that, but it’d mean some big changes.”

“Are we gonna move?” Gina asked. “To Atlanta?” Under the table, her hand sought my own.

“Well, princess, your mom and I talked it over. It’d be a big step for me, and a big boost for my career. And, to tell the truth, the salary is ... well ... it’s very attractive. But it would also mean that we’d have to move, yes to Atlanta, and I’d end up putting in a lot more hours at work, interviewing talent and hiring my teams. That’s time I’d spend away from you all.”

“But it is a big boost for your career,” Kara said, to which Chris nodded. Then she continued. “But if we move, what about me? Will I have to move too?”

“Did you say yes?” Leah asked emphatically.

“Yes, pumpkin,” Chris answered. “Your mom and I talked it over before I flew back. We weighed the pros and cons, and we decided that it was the right move. So I met with Ted and the senior executive producer and accepted the position.” Then he turned to Kara. “And whether or not you move is really up to you.”

Leah and Gina were obviously excited, but Kara remained cool.

“Kara,” Elizabeth said, “you can stay in Charleston and we’ll get you an apartment, or you can move with us and go to school in Atlanta. Whichever you prefer.”

“You mean I don’t have to move?” she asked.

“Not if you don’t want to. If you stay, we’ll pay for your apartment and make sure you have a car. So you won’t have to give up your scholarships or leave any of your friends.”

Kara nodded and then smiled gratefully.

“Oh,” Gina said suddenly. “We’ll have to leave our friends, won’t we?”

“You’ll make new friends, princess,” Chris said.

“Besides,” Elizabeth added, “we talked to David and Beth and asked about neighborhoods and schools. Until we find a house, we’ll probably stay with them, so you and Leah will start school with Paul and Erin.”

“You mean Paul and I will be in the same school?” Gina asked excitedly, the loss of her friends in Charleston all but forgotten.

“Yes, and we’ll make sure we get a house in the same school district, so you don’t have to transfer mid-semester.”

“Cool,” Gina said.

Before the girls could fire any more questions at Chris and Elizabeth, Dad stood.

“Good news indeed. This calls for another toast. And you,” he said to Chris with mock severity, “have had the floor long enough.”

Chris grinned affably and sat down with a nod.

“When I first got a job with a major airline, it was a big step for us,” Dad said, nodding at Mom. “We were moving from a small city to a very large one. I was going from a comfortable job at a small company to a challenging job at a very large company. It was a big decision, but we’ve never regretted it.” He turned to Chris and Elizabeth. “I know this is a big change for you, but it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, or a nicer family. So...” He raised his glass and everyone followed suit. “Congratulations, Chris and Elizabeth, you’re gonna make it after all!”

“Cheers!” everyone cried and then drank.

After that, the questions flew fast and furious. Someone retrieved another trio of champagne bottles from the kitchen, and as Chris refilled glasses, he gamely answered questions.

The new TV station was an all-news format, which had something to do with cable TV. At the time, I had no idea what cable TV was, but from the way Chris talked about it, it was going to revolutionize the industry.

He would have a lot of work to do, since he was one of the core producers and managers hired to get the station off the ground. As soon as he got back to Charleston, he was going to give notice at his current station and then move to Atlanta two weeks later.

As soon as they returned to Charleston, Elizabeth, Kara, Gina, and Leah would start packing their house for the move. Kara wanted to stay at the College of Charleston, so they’d have to find her an apartment near campus and buy her a used car. And while all the packing was going on, Chris and Elizabeth would still have to house-hunt in our neighborhood and others nearby. Gina and Leah were a little upset that they’d have to leave their friends, but they were both excited about going to school with Erin and me.

Drew tried to suppress a glare when Gina excitedly hugged herself to my arm, but he didn’t succeed. I quickly glanced at Kendall’s parents, but if they realized why Gina was so happy—or that she was hanging on me—they certainly didn’t show it. They congratulated Chris on his new job and seemed genuinely happy.

After that, the champagne flowed freely as we cut the cake and talked more about the Coulters’ impending move. Gina absolutely loved the idea of living near me, and was as effusive as ever, which made Kendall nervous. I’m sure she was worried about her parents “finding out,” but she didn’t seem to realize that they were oblivious. I couldn’t tell if they were just turning a blind eye, or they really didn’t realize what was going on.

When Chris opened another brace of champagne bottles, we all extended our glasses. It was then that I realized why Adam and Melissa were so laid back. They, like nearly everyone else, had a good buzz going. I silently thanked whatever powers that be that they were too tipsy to notice the Gina-Kendall-me dynamic. Unfortunately, Drew was glaring daggers at me. When I got up to go to the bathroom, he followed me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked in the hallway, his expression surly.

“Drew, jeez,” I said. “Lay off the macho routine.”

“Listen,” he said heatedly, “I know what you’re up to with Kendall. And you think I don’t notice that Gina’s hanging all over you, too?”

“And how’s that your business?” I asked.

He leveled his finger at me and poked my chest. “It’s my business ‘cause I say it’s my business.” Then he leaned into me, his finger pressing against my sternum almost painfully.

“Back off, Drew.”

“No, you back off. My sister isn’t your toy. If you want someone to fuck, try that slut Gina.”

He’d had a lot more to drink than I had, so I guess he was a little drunk. And I guess he was a little upset, maybe even justifiably. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking about either of those things at the time. All I could think about was how much I wanted to punch him.

“Yeah, that’s right,” he sneered. “You didn’t think I knew what kind of slut Gina is.”

“You’re drunk, Drew,” I said coldly. “Give it a rest.”

“Pussy.”

“Yeah, whatever. Just get out of my way.” I tried to shove him back, but he weighed more than me and I wasn’t going to move him without more effort.

“Listen, wimp,” he said, “stick to your slut, Gina. ‘Cause if you come near Kendall again, I’ll kick your ass. And then I’ll tell—”

At that point, I’d had enough. I don’t really know what I did next, but I distinctly remember the flat crack as my open palm slapped his forearm. In hindsight, I think I pulled him into an arm-bar. Then I put all my weight on his upper arm, using it to lever him to the ground. He dropped to his knees first, but I bore him to the floor with my momentum. He landed on his chest with a thud and a whoosh.

In a flash, I pulled his arm into a chicken wing and used it to roll him onto his back. He had one arm solidly pinned beneath him and the other half-pinned by its awkward position. I put one of my knees in the middle of his chest, with all my weight behind it.

As he grunted in pain, I found myself staring down into two platter-sized, suddenly sober eyes, his belligerence deserting him. From start to finish, the “fight” (and I use that term very loosely) had probably taken only three seconds.

“You’ll tell who, Drew?” I spat, my blood pounding in my ears.

He tried to squirm loose, but I was firmly in control of the situation, although I was hardly in control of my emotions.

“You so much as open your mouth about me and Kendall,” I grated, my hand shooting out to seize his chin and force him to look at me, “and you’ll regret it. And if you call Gina a slut one ... more ... time ... so help me God I’ll hit you so fucking hard you’ll spend a week trying to find your teeth.” For emphasis, I tightened my grip on his jaw and he gasped in pain.