by C. M. Boers
“Oh.”
“Ready?” he asked.
“I think so.”
I followed him through the front door, where the sounds of loud, spooky music met us. There were people everywhere. Fog hung at our feet, and cauldrons emanated more.
“Jack!” His mother seemed to come out of nowhere.
“Hi, Mom,” he said, leaning down to hug her.
“Look at you guys.” She cocked her head to the side. “Cutest couple costumes I’ve seen yet. Hello again, Melanie, I’m so glad you could come.” She leaned in and gave me a quick squeeze. “Make yourself at home.” She winked and was off again.
A man in a monkey suit, literally, walked by with glasses of champagne. Jack snagged two of them and handed one off to me. He pushed out his elbow, inviting me to grab on, and off we went.
Jack knew everyone, which wasn’t surprising, but the way he interacted with them all showed just how in tune he was with everyone around him. Like he kept up with all their lives, yet I had no idea he had so many in his circle.
By the tenth person he introduced me to—whose name I couldn’t remember, even as soon as he’d said it—I excused myself to the bathroom, leading me to a whole new predicament. Finding it.
Getting around all the people was harder than I thought it would be with this huge dress, and I didn’t even want to think about going once I got there, but nevertheless, my bladder was calling.
As I rounded the corner, Bianca did too.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, stopping just before I stepped on her perfect red heels.
“Melanie.”
“Hi.” I fidgeted with my dress sleeves. “You look great.”
And she did. The bright red devil’s costume, which essentially was a floor-length, tight-fitting red dress, and devil horns screamed Bianca with every fiber. Sexy in all the ways I wouldn’t even begin to try to be, without even trying.
“You look . . . endearing,” she said. “Where’s my brother? I assume you’re matching?”
“He’s in there.” I pointed. “We are matching. Jack picked them out.”
“He did?”
I nodded.
A smirk rose on her face. “How very romantic of him. I didn’t think that was in his blood. Guess that’s where you come in.” She winked. “I’m going to go find him.”
“Okay . . .” I said, but she was already well on her way. I went back to my mission: Finding the bathroom. Then I saw the line. Where there was a line at a party, there was sure to be a bathroom at the front of it. And of course, it was right in the walkway where my dress got in the way of everyone walking by. Tugging, pulling, and smashing it down only got it so small.
A girl, who didn’t look much older than me, dressed in a fringed flapper costume, stood in front of me and took notice of my struggle. She giggled to herself. I looked up to her, meeting her eyes. Though I couldn’t be certain what my face might have said, I must not have looked happy.
“Oh, I’m sorry. That gown is gorgeous . . . but what a pain in the neck.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “It sure is, I hadn’t had an issue until now. I can’t even imagine how I’m going to . . .” I blushed. “Well, I guess that’s probably too much information.”
She leaned over, the smile never leaving her face. “If you can manage it, the trick is to hold up the whole dress and face the toilet. Less touches the grossness that way.” She leaned away again.
My eyebrows raised. Why hadn’t I even thought of that? My hopes began to soar. She was the first person at this party I didn’t feel out of place talking to.
She held out her hand. “I’m Jaime.”
“Melanie.”
“This your first time at one of the Bridges’ parties?”
“Yeah, that obvious?”
“Only because I’ve never seen you before. How do you know them?” she asked.
Another person walked by, and I pulled my dress again, trying to keep it out of the way. “Uh . . . I’m Jack’s girlfriend.”
I glanced up to see her mouth hanging open.
“What?” I asked, quickly worried something was wrong with my dress.
“No. Nothing. I’m sorry. I just . . . wow.”
I stopped fidgeting with my dress and looked up. The confusion must have been written all over my face, so she continued.
“I’m sorry.” She paused. “I grew up with Jack and Bianca. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I think this is the first time Jack has ever brought a date to one of these. I mean, except for me.”
She dated Jack? I knew he dated very little, but that was all I knew. We both seemed to prefer to leave the past behind us. I guess mine was more so because I didn’t know much about it, so I chose not to bring it up. But now that I stared at this beautiful woman standing in front of me, a woman I just admitted not knowing how to pee with this dress to—geez, why had I done that?—I wanted to know more.
“Oh, don’t worry, it was such a long time ago. We were teenagers. We learned fairly quickly we’re so much better as friends.”
What did one say to that? Preferably something. Anything. But still, I stood there with a dumbfounded look on my face.
The bathroom door opened, and Jaime turned away to step inside. Thank God.
I took the moment to dab the sweat from my forehead and take a few deep breaths so when the door opened, I’d be ready to face her. Even if only for the second before I went inside.
Light flooded out a couple minutes later, and she held the door for me, smiling just the way she had when I first laid eyes on her. She wasn’t holding anything against me, so why was I acting so weird?
“Thanks.” I stepped inside and shut the door.
Well, that wasn’t all I should have said, but I could think of nothing more. So much for having someone to chat with.
I pulled my dress back through the door and looked up to find Jack standing nearby, talking to none other than Jaime.
I felt a twinge of jealousy as she laughed at something he’d said, pressing her hand onto his forearm, lingering longer than it should have for a friend, until his eyes fell on me. His face lit up, and he stepped around her to take my hand.
“Have you met my girlfriend, Melanie?” he asked Jaime.
“I did, while we were waiting for the restroom. I’m afraid I might have scared her a bit. I let it slip we dated ages ago.”
He chuckled. “Back when the idea of a boyfriend or girlfriend alone would make you feel better about yourself.”
She laughed. “Exactly.”
Jack put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a small squeeze against his warm body.
“How long have you two been together?” Jaime asked.
“A couple of weeks?” Jack turned to me, questioning.
I shrugged.
Jaime’s eyebrows raised. “That is hardly any time at all.” Her eyes flashed between me and him. “What changed about you being so dead set against anyone coming to meet your family?”
“Everything.” Jack smiled at me. “If you’ll excuse us, Jaime, there’s someone else I’d like to introduce Melanie to.” He gave her a quick hug and kiss on her cheek, then grabbed my hand, pulling me along behind him.
He walked me to the back yard and turned, only walking just enough to be out of sight. He gently pushed my back against the wall and leaned down to kiss me. The stone wall was cold against my back and bare shoulders, but his lips were enough to send a fire coursing through my body, making me forget all about it. He didn’t hold back, like he’d been waiting for this very moment for weeks. When he pulled away, we were both breathless. He rested his forehead on my shoulder while he caught his breath.
“What was that for?” I whispered.
He pressed his forehead against mine. “I’ve been dying to do that since I saw you earlier. Someone stopped me.” He made a thinking face. “You’ve met almost everyone, so I figured it didn’t matter much if your lips were a little less . . . colored.”
He gave me a quick pec
k and pulled me away from the wall, guiding me to the railing overlooking the back yard. If you could even call it that. It was so enormous, I wasn’t sure if there was a different name for it. The grass stretched out behind the massive mansion, though of course, there were also flowers lining the walkways, and a pool probably the size of my whole house, if you laid it all out on one single level. All of it was lit up in just the right way, and I knew it had probably taken a meticulous amount of work to get it just the way it was. Perfect.
“This place is really something,” I said.
“I guess you could say that.”
“You don’t think so?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved growing up here. There was so much to explore in the back yard, but it’s just too much. Too flashy. I’d much prefer my place. It’s still fairly big and still has the element of exploration in my back yard, but I don’t look like I’m trying to show the neighborhood how many zeros are in my bank account.”
I nodded. I completely got what he was saying. It was the very thing I wondered about my parents. Why they felt the need to have a fancy house and fancy cars. Though, theirs was nowhere near this. This was an entirely different story. And from this view, my parents looked very normal.
We stood there for a moment, staring down at it all. Jaime still nagged at the back of my mind. Did she gallop around through the grass with him when they were kids? Probably. And then they dated. Why hadn’t it worked out? I hated that I’d never asked him about his past. I’d always been too fearful of the questions that would bring up about me, so I’d avoided it. I couldn’t do that anymore.
“So . . . Jaime.”
Jack chuckled. “I knew we were going to have to go there.”
“We don’t have to.” Who was I kidding? If I didn’t go there, the idea of him and her together would drive me crazy.
Jack’s mom leaned out the back door, calling out to Jack. “You need to get back in here.” She smiled at me, the ever-friendly hostess.
“Coming.”
The door snapped closed, and Jack sighed. “I’m sorry. Can we talk about this later?”
I nodded. This party couldn’t be over soon enough.
“Let’s go dance,” Jack whispered as we walked inside.
“But doesn’t your mom want you to talk to people?”
“She won’t care as long as I’m visible. Besides, the only person I want to talk to is you.”
He took my hand and led me to the middle of the great room and pulled me in. The music had slowed. A spooky sounding orchestra, something I never thought I’d like so much, gave us a nice melancholy beat to hold each other tight.
I breathed in his spiced citrus scent and laid my head on his shoulder. My eyes fluttered closed. Only he and I were in this moment, and I reveled in it. His hands stroked my back, sending waves of warmth cascading down my body.
When the song ended, another faster one started. Jack pulled away and spun me, showing me moves I didn’t know he had. I giggled as I stumbled to keep up with him. Our moves rarely fit with the music, but it didn’t take away from the fun.
James, Jack’s dad, stepped next to Jack and cleared his throat. “May I cut in?”
“Of course.” Jack bowed to me and stepped away.
James placed his hand at my waist and took my hand, very proper. “Are you enjoying yourself tonight?”
“I am. Thank you for having me.”
“No need to thank us. We were thrilled when Jack said you’d make it.”
“I don’t think many expected me here,” I said, noticing still eyes trained on me.
“You’re right about that. He doesn’t bring girls home.”
“Never?” I asked before I could stop myself. His dad was probably the worst person I could have asked that.
“Well, there was one.”
“Jaime, right?”
“Jaime? Oh, no, no. Sheesh, I’d forgotten those two even had a thing. This was after Jaime. I think she was the one who ruined bringing home girls for him. Money-hungry little thing. I could tell from the moment I saw her. You get pretty good at that by the time you’re my age.” He chuckled. “It’s just too bad it took him a little longer. Really tore him up.”
My stomach knotted, and then almost as immediately, I felt anger. How could someone do that to him? Cozy up to him just because he had money? It all made sense—the hidden identity, not bringing anyone to meet his family, working all the time. This girl had really done a number on him, and I hated her for it.
“Don’t worry. I think you are exactly what he needs. You don’t have a gold-digging bone in your body.”
“How are you so sure?” I asked.
He tapped his temple, with a smirk very similar to Jack’s. “I just know.”
I eyed Jack chatting away, and I felt lucky to be there with him.
By the end of the night, my feet were killing me, and my stomach was so full of appetizers that my dress had tightened even more. If I even tried to sit down, I was sure it might split down the seam.
Only a few people remained when Jack said he was ready to go.
“Shouldn’t we stay to help clean up?” Though, as I looked around, there wasn’t a single discarded dish or cup.
“My mother hires staff for that,” he whispered.
“Oh.”
“Let’s go say goodbye.”
It was another fifteen minutes before we were able to peel ourselves away from those who were talking to his mom and dad. I didn’t catch their names, but the woman eyed me around her husband in a very odd way. Maybe she too was just curious about the girl who had managed to get Jack to bring her to a family event. I was too tired to even care if it was something else. It didn’t help that my mind was still preoccupied. Jaime’s hand on Jack’s arm kept coming forward. How often had it been there? Was she always that way, or was Jack different to her? And this other mystery woman who had broken him. Did I even dare ask about her? Did I even have a right when he knew nothing of my past?
Jack placed his hand on my lower back, bringing me back to reality. “It was so good to see you again, Ann, Bryant.” He nodded his head to each. “We should go, I have to get the princess home before she turns into a pumpkin!”
Everyone chuckled at his joke. I smiled and nodded to each of them, then turned to his parents. “Thank you for having me, Mrs. Bridges.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, I thought we’d been through this. Call me Ruth.”
“Ruth.” I smiled.
She pulled me in for a hug, and Jack’s dad winked as Jack guided me to the door.
It felt like a relief to be in the comfort of his car. I’d been under a microscope all night with how many people eyed me on Jack’s arm. And now that we were alone, I could hear all about Jaime and the mystery girl. Even if I didn’t like what I heard, I wanted to know it all. Though, without seeming too eager, I didn’t know how to bring it up.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“Yeah, your mom really does go all-out. Everyone kept staring though.”
“Sorry about that. I know most of them were just curious about this gorgeous girl.” He tapped the back of my hand he held.
“Psh, I’m sure that’s exactly what they were thinking.” I rolled my eyes.
“Well, it’s what I was thinking.”
My stomach flopped, much like it often did when he complimented me.
“I really love this costume.” I fanned out the fabric in my lap. “Except when I have to go to the bathroom.”
He laughed. “I’m not even going to ask.”
“Actually, Jaime gave me a tip that helped a lot.”
“That was nice of her.”
“Uh huh.” I waited, hopeful he would catch where I was headed without me having to spell it out for him. But either he wasn’t enthused about talking about her, or he truly didn’t get it.
The silence dragged on, it seemed like eons, but it’d only been two minutes. I could finally take n
o more. “So, about Jaime . . .” I let her name hang there, a question in itself.
“Oh yeah, we got interrupted.” He paused as he changed lanes. “Jaime’s family has always been close to ours, going back to my grandparents. So, even from birth, we were playmates. We went through a phase when I was, like, sixteen or seventeen, where we dated for, like, six months. Took us that long to figure out that we didn’t belong together. She’s always been more like a sister to me.” He shuddered. “I still don’t know what we were thinking for even that long.”
“So, there’s no feelings?” I asked.
“Heck no.” His hand found mine amongst the thick material in my lap. “The only person I have feelings for is you.” He pulled my hand to his mouth, resting his lips on my skin.
“Okay.” I still wasn’t convinced there was none from her end, but I decided to drop it.
The car fell silent as I contemplated how to bring up the other woman I couldn’t stop thinking about. I stole a glance at Jack, his broad jaw set as he focused on the road ahead.
“Your dad told me about the girl who made you question bringing anyone to meet them.” I hoped my casual tone would make things lighter.
“What? Why would he bring that up?” He was immediately on edge.
I winced. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“He had no right to do that!” His voice was sharp in a way I’d never heard it before. He released my hand and gripped the wheel with both hands.
I tried not to let it bother me, but it did. “I’m sorry.” My voice barely above a whisper.
I could see his head turn in my direction, then he pulled the car over to the side of the road. Not a single streetlight could be seen, but I could just make out his face in the glow from the gauges on the dashboard. His anger was there in his clenched jaw, but with it, a softness was spreading across his features.
He reached back across the space between us and took my hand. “Annabelle was almost my fiancée.” He closed his eyes, as if just the thought of the memory caused him pain. “Thankfully, I found out the truth about her before I proposed, or I may have never known her true intentions. You see, she let it slip to her best friend that she couldn’t wait to do all these things on my dime and even had the nerve to call me what’s-his-face to her. What she didn’t realize was that best friend was Jaime’s cousin.”