“Hey, Willow.”
“Hey, Ike. What do I owe the honor of your call today?”
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Oh dear, Ike, what?” She smiled sitting back on her chair and tapping her pencil against the book that she was studying from.
“I was wondering if you would go with me to the Grammies.”
“What?” she asked trying not to laugh.
“If I could get you a ticket to New York would you go to the Grammies with me?”
“Like a date?” She queried, trying to see if Isaac was being serious or not.
“Yeah, kinda like a date.”
“Isaac….”
“Why are you so reluctant to say yes or no?” He asked.
“Well, you’re my friend. I never thought of dating you. Then there is the thought of what would I wear, of what would I do with my hair. There’s a lot to consider.”
“No, not really. Whatever you want to wear…wear. It doesn’t really matter. You’ve seen the show.”
“Ike,” she sighed. “I don’t have money like you do. I can’t just run out and buy a dress from the latest and greatest designers and have my hair professionally done.”
“Yes or no, Will.” Isaac said growing impatient and uncomfortable with the reminder of his financial status.
“When would I need to be there and how long would I have to stay?” She sighed beginning to relent.
“You would get here Saturday night, the Grammies are on Sunday and you would catch a flight out on Monday.” He said with a smile.
“Let me go ask my mom quick…hold on.” She put the phone down.
Isaac heard her foot falls leave the room and heard her scream ‘mom’.
“So is she going?” Taylor asked.
“I hope so.” Isaac said sitting down on the hotel bed.
“Does she think it’s a date?” Taylor asked pulling his hair back into a pony.
“Kinda.”
“Good heavens, Ike. When are you going to ask the girl to go on a real date. Plus what could be more of a date than going to the Grammies?” Taylor asked aloud.
“It means nothing to her. It’s just another awards ceremony. For some far off celebrities that she doesn’t know.”
“But…”
“Ike, you still there?”
Isaac heard Willow’s voice through the phone. “Yeah….” Ike pulled the mouthpiece away from his mouth. “Finish that thought later, Taylor.”
Taylor nodded.
“Well, my mom said it was okay and I don’t have anything going on at school Monday so I can go.”
“Good. I’ll send the tickets as soon as I can. I gotta go I’ve got to get to bed before I fall asleep standing up.”
“Okay, you sleep good. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Kay.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
She got on the plane that Saturday concerned that she had bought the wrong kind of dress, concerned that her shoes didn’t match and her hair tie didn’t go with the rest of the outfit. She let all of her fears and worries drop when she saw Isaac standing at the gate waiting for her. She ran to him.
“Hey stranger.”
“Hey yourself.”
“It’s been so long I’m beginning to forget what my best friend looks like.” She laughed.
“Shut up. I don’t change that much.”
“True, you’re still as ugly as the day you left Tulsa.”
“That’s it, bruise my ego, as if the stuff Taylor and Zac want me to do doesn’t bruise it enough.”
“Oh, and by the way, how is Zac?”
“He’s Zac, only more tired.”
“Awww… poor kid, between hormones and the hours that you guys keep his body should be a complete mess.”
“Who knows, it probably is. We just don’t have the time to ask him.” He laughed.
They began to walk back to the van that his family had rented for their stay in New York. Willow threw her bag in the bag and got into the passenger’s side.
“What kind of dress did you get?”
“One from Sears. I’ll be the only girl there that didn’t get an expensive one. My mom and I found a cool dress at Kmart but I told her that I didn’t want to be asked ‘so who made your dress’ and then have to respond ‘I got it at Kmart.’”
Isaac laughed and started the van. They got back to the hotel and she said a hello to each of the family members. She gave Zac an extra long hug.
“Hey, buddy.” She said and he hugged her tighter.
“Hey there, Will.”
“How have you been?”
“I’m tired and nervous.”
“’Bout the awards ceremony?”
“Yeah. I don’t really know how the public is handling the new Hanson. I’m hoping that it’s a good thing. I want a Grammy. We have worked so hard and I want recognition. I don’t want volumes of money I just want a little respect and recognition.”
“I don’t blame you, buddy. I hope you get it.” She said smiling.
The next afternoon everyone was getting ready to leave for the awards. Willow looked at herself. She realized that she wasn’t made for these types of things. She was just a simple Oklahoma girl. She wasn’t cut out for this kinda stuff. She had pulled her butt length, black hair up on the sides with her long bangs. She had put a light curl at the end of her hair. She hoped that she looked good enough.
Diana saw her first. She smiled. Willow looked beautiful and not too flashy.
Willow and her mother had chosen a conservative long sleeve, black, velvet dress that went a little below her knees. Her hair was fashioned just like a normal young lady. She was wearing flats and she was wearing the necklace that Isaac had given her for her last birthday.
“My Willow, you will be the prettiest girl there tonight.”
“Thanks Mrs. Hanson. I hope that I will fit in.”
Diana put a hand on her shoulder. “I hope you don’t. I like you Willow. I’ve met those girls who are stars. They aren’t as nice as you.”
Willow smiled. “Thank you.”
Isaac walked out in a nice outfit. Clearly for show and to hold up his rock star image but it also had a hint of Isaac to it. Black dress pants and a nice shinny black shirt.
“Wow, you look beautiful, Will.”
“Thank you. You look great yourself.”
Isaac smiled and extended his hand. “You ready?”
“I guess.” She took his out stretched hand and they joined Mr. Hanson and Taylor and Zac in the limo.
They began to stroll down the red carpet. Isaac held her hand as people stopped to interview him and his brothers. She kept her distance. She didn’t want to get into the limelight.
While she was stood there she held his hand and fiddled with the ring on his finger. She looked up when she heard someone trying to get her attention. She saw Joan Rivers.
“Hello, Darling. You must be here with this fine young gentleman.”
“Yes, I am.” She said sweetly.
“You look absolutely fabulous.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Who made it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“No, I got it at Sears.” After she said that she expected Joan to laugh at her.
Instead she smiled. “Well, you are definitely a beauty.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Why didn’t you pick a dress like Ms. Spears over there?” Joan asked pointing to Brittany.
Willow looked at her. She was wearing a strapless dress showing a lot of cleavage and her skirt went to her feet with a huge slit up both sides. Willow grew embarrassed for her.
“Well…” she began “I don’t have the heart to do that to my dad and brother… or Isaac’s family.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to hurt Brittany’s feelings if she sees this.”
“Don’t worry, honey.” Joan laughed.
Isaac held her hand tighter. “My daddy would be so embarrassed if I wore something like that. He hates it when I wear shorts that are too short. I can’t imagine what he’d say if I wore a dress that showed that much of my upper body. I know my brother would beat me then beat Isaac for looking at me and then he’d put his jacket on me.”
Joan looked at her stunned. “Well, that’s quite an answer.”
“C’mon.” Isaac whispered.
“It was nice talking to you.” Willow said.
“Nice talking to you too.”
Willow and Isaac left.
Isaac took her for a walk after the Grammies, a smile on his face.
“I’m so glad you guys won this year.”
“Me too.”
“Thanks for inviting me.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“Not a problem.”
“I like what you said to Joan today.”
“It was nothing but the truth.”
“It was something to me. I’m surrounded by girls all of the time that are flaunting their body it’s nice to be with someone who is secure in herself that doesn’t have to show off her body.”
Willow blushed.
Isaac smiled. He heard Taylor’s voice echoing in his mind. When are you going to ask her out Isaac? He truly didn’t know. He wanted to right now but he felt as if it were too soon. Someday Isaac, someday.
He reached out his hand and took hers and led her into the hotel.
