Sister Dear

by Hannah Mary McKinnon

  He looked at Lewis, pulled a face and put his hands up like a boxer, weaving his upper body around. “Whoa. Nobody told me a fridge was joining the party.” His hollow laugh echoed around the room. When the rest of us only half joined in, he coughed. “What do you do, then, Lewis? Careerwise, I mean. We’ve got the girlfriend department covered.”

  I caught Victoria and Charlotte looking at each other, rolling their eyes.

  “I own a gym,” Lewis said.

  “Figures. I’m in risk management.” Malcolm popped an olive in his mouth, continuing to talk as he ground it with his teeth. “Never enjoyed the gym, all the dudes grunting and sweating put me off. Now, golf, there’s a civilized sport. Give me a Friday afternoon with eighteen holes, and I’m all yours. Do you play? The best course I’ve seen—”

  “Sorry to interrupt, Malcolm.” Victoria slid her arms around Lewis’s and my shoulders, leaning in between us. “I need to talk to these two about dinner.” She steered us to the back of the kitchen, saying, “I forgot to ask about allergies, so let’s go over what I’ve made and...” She threw a glance toward Malcolm, who redirected his monologue at Hugh and Charlotte, their eyes no doubt already glazing over.

  “Sorry about him,” she said. “He can be a bit much at times. His attitude is hit-or-miss depending on his insecurity levels. But never mind that. I’m so glad you two are here. It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Lewis.”

  “Thanks for extending the invitation at such short notice,” he said.

  Victoria laughed again, tilted her head back as she patted his arm. “Oh, you’re welcome. You’re already in my good books for impressing Malcolm. Anyway—” she turned to me, her smile growing “—give me the details. Where did you meet? How long ago? Tell me everything.”

  “Uh, well, we’re neighbors,” I said, and Victoria raised an eyebrow.

  “Sounds...convenient,” she said.

  “We first met at the mailboxes,” Lewis added. “I kept hanging around the hallways, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. It took me a while to work up the courage to ask her out.”

  “Really?” Victoria and I said in unison and I thought I caught the slightest hint of something judgmental in her tone, but decided I was projecting.

  Lewis chuckled. “Yes. Trust me, Malcolm’s got me all wrong. I’m a big cuddly bear. Eleanor’s the intimidating one.”

  “Me?” I said.

  “Oh, he’s right,” Victoria said. “When we first met, I felt like an idiot.”

  “No, you didn’t,” I said. “Did you?”

  “Yes, because you’re so knowledgeable,” she said. “You were designing logos and talking about WordPress and Java, which, incidentally, I thought meant coffee, and all I could do was nod so you wouldn’t figure out I didn’t have a clue.”

  “What? But that’s exactly how I felt. You’re so glamorous and beautiful, and I look like something the cat dragged in after a ten-mile trek backward through the woods.”

  Victoria clicked her tongue and patted my arm. “No, you don’t, but isn’t it funny how we can get so caught up in wishing for what another person has?” She smiled at me again before turning to Lewis. “Did I hear you say you own a gym?”

  “Yes,” he said. “It’s called Audaz.”

  “Spanish for bold. How fantastic. Actually I’ve been thinking about switching. My place doesn’t do it for me anymore, you know? I’ve hit a major rut. Same routine, different day.”

  “You should check us out,” Lewis said. “It’s not your average place, though, we do lots of high-intensity circuit training, with tire flipping and such. It’s not your standard cardio mill.”

  “Ooooh.” Victoria’s eyebrows shot up. “Sounds way more fun than what I’m doing.”

  “Have a few sessions on the house if you’d like to give us a try,” Lewis said.

  It made sense for him to offer. He already knew how well connected Victoria and Hugh were. If she enjoyed the gym, it could mean access to a large—and wealthy—client base, but still... I tensed as I imagined her working out with him, her lithe limbs bending and stretching under his watchful eye.

  “I’ll come with you,” I said quickly. “I’d love to give working out a try.”

  “Will you?” Lewis beamed, turning to me. “That’s not what you said in bed.”

  “In bed?” Victoria said. “You are a dark horse, Eleanor.”

  “Yeah, well—” I turned to Lewis, doing my best to ignore my glowing ears and Victoria’s stare boring into the side of my head “—I should make more of an effort. Walking to the coffee shop twice a week isn’t cutting it.”

  Lewis rubbed his hands together. “This’ll be fun. In the meantime, may I use your bathroom, Victoria?”

  “Of course. Third door on the left,” she said, grabbing my hand as soon as he disappeared down the hallway. “Please tell me he’s Sun Temperature Guy. I can’t take it if there’s someone more attractive walking around Portland. My head will explode.”

  I grinned, blushing again. “Yes, it’s him.”

  “And he’s your neighbor? God, lucky you. And when did you—” she waggled her eyebrows “—get together?”

  “The day we went to the spa and I got my hair done.”

  “What? That was two weeks ago. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, covering my mouth to stifle a giggle. “And I don’t know what came over me, either, but when he stopped by that night—”

  “He fell under the spell of your gorgeous curls?” Victoria grinned.

  “Something like that.”

  “I want way more details—”

  Relief flooded me as the doorbell rang. I’d never been one to share stories about my sex life. It was too exhibitionist, and I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone imagining what we’d been up to. Victoria squeezed my arm and excused herself as Lewis returned.

  “This is a bit bizarre,” he whispered as she went to answer the door. “And I still wish you’d told me, and them. But you’re right, Victoria’s great. She seems lovely.”

  “What about him?” I said quietly. We looked over to where Hugh sat next to Charlotte. Malcolm towered over them, talking about cost accounting and EBITDA, his hands waving around for emphasis, his voice slightly raised as if he wished he had more of an audience.

  “You mean his ability to bore the pants off everyone?” Lewis said.

  “Hugh, not Malcolm,” I said with a laugh.

  Lewis shrugged. “He seems all right. Haven’t had much time to form an opinion.”

  I was about to reply when we heard people in the hallway. Footsteps coming our way, voices, one of them—a man’s—sending ice down my spine. I knew that voice. Recognized it in an instant.

  Stan Gallinger. My father.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  I GLANCED AROUND THE KITCHEN, wondered if I could disappear into the bathroom or the pantry until he’d left. A thought hit me—what if they’d come for dinner? Victoria hadn’t mentioned it, but why would she, and what if they stayed the entire evening? So many times I’d played out this scenario in my mind—where Stan found out I’d secretly befriended his daughter—but now the prospect of it happening made me want to throw up. If Stan told Victoria who I was, here, now, I’d lose her friendship. I’d probably never see her again.

  I wanted to make my excuses and run, but doing so meant walking past him, and I didn’t think my feet would carry me that far without stumbling. And so I stood, unable to move, waiting for Stan to see me, bracing myself for his reaction, hoping he’d long forgotten who I was, that I even existed. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize me with the different hair and wearing makeup. My heart pounded, my palms damp.

  “Your mom said Malcolm and Charlotte were here and suggested we stop by,” Stan said as he walked in behind Madeleine, both of them smartly dressed and wearing long black coats. “I hope
we’re not interrupting anything.”

  “Of course not,” Victoria said, and I could barely breathe. “I’m so glad to see you both. How was your trip? Did you have a good time?”

  “Incredible.” Madeleine sighed, her face perfection, and still, I didn’t move. “We’re quite tired, so we won’t stay long. We’ll say a quick hello to Charlotte and Malcolm, then... Oh—” her smile broadened when she saw Lewis “—I didn’t know you had more guests. Hello.” Madeleine peered around him to get a better glimpse of me, hiding. She held out her hand, shook Lewis’s, then mine, and I hoped she wouldn’t feel the tremble of my sweaty fingers. “I’m Madeleine, Victoria’s mom. This is my husband, Stan.”

  “Mom, Dad,” Victoria said, “this is Eleanor and her boyfriend, Lewis. Lewis owns a gym and—” she reached over and patted my arm “—Eleanor’s designing my new website.”

  “And she saved my bacon at the brewery, too,” Hugh said as he walked over, giving his in-laws a hug each. “Don’t forget that part. She’s a frigging whiz kid.”

  I managed to look at Stan—his blue-eyed stare digging straight into my skin—but was unable to form a single word in my mouth, not even a quiet “Hello.” I wanted to shrivel up and float to the ground like an insignificant speck of dust. If he continued looking at me so intensely, maybe I’d spontaneously combust and get my wish.

  “You hired someone?” Stan’s gaze didn’t waver, his tone cool. If he recognized me, he deserved every single Best Actor award in the history of the Oscars. “Well, this is a surprise.”

  “I’d told Dad I’d speak to some of his connections while he was away,” Victoria said. “But I didn’t need to. You contacted me before I got the chance. It was fate.”

  Stan’s Adam’s apple bobbed and I wondered what he was thinking, how he felt, seeing his illegitimate daughter, knowing I could open my mouth and drop him into an industrial-size vat of stinking, rancid family shit. The thought made my spine grow an inch, and my resolve harden. In comparison, I’d done nothing wrong. Nothing. I wasn’t the one who should be scared.

  “Definitely fate,” I said, matching his stare, unblinking, until he looked away.

  “Did you know each other from before?” Madeleine said to Victoria. “School, maybe?”

  “Yeah, now that you mention it, you do look kind of familiar, Eleanor,” Charlotte called over from her perch on the sofa.

  “N-no,” I said, my heart thumping as I tried not to look at Lewis. “We’d never met.”

  “Well, in any case I’m glad to hear you’re helping my daughter,” Madeleine said, giving me another smile before walking over to Charlotte. “How are the girls and how’s the ankle?”

  “The girls are cheeky monkeys,” Charlotte replied. “In a week or two I can get rid of this stupid boot and get back to chasing them properly. I can’t wait to feel normal and not have to ask Malcolm to—”

  “Yeah, so am I,” he said, talking over her. “All the women in my house think I’m their man-slave or something.”

  Madeleine and Victoria exchanged a look. Had they told Charlotte he was cheating? If so, she was an incredible actor, too. And if not, what were they waiting for? Maybe the right time—when she got rid of the boot and could smack him over the head with it.

  “Got a minute to talk about the lease?” Stan said to Victoria.

  “Sure.” Victoria wiped her hands on a kitchen cloth and set it on the counter. “The food won’t be ready for another ten. Let’s go to the office. Help yourself to drinks and snacks, guys,” she called over. “Back in a minute.”

  As I exhaled slowly to get my heart back under control, Lewis leaned in. “I’m guessing he’s your dad? Do you want to go home? I could say I’m not well and we could slip out.”

  Shaking my head, I said, “No, but I need the bathroom.”

  The long hallway had three large doors on either side, and one at the back, which I assumed was the master bedroom. I hadn’t been in this part of Victoria and Hugh’s apartment, hadn’t had an opportunity to dig around or snoop through her things, but now I no longer wanted to invade my sister’s privacy that way. Instead I crept past the sleek white chest of drawers with a vase of sweet-smelling purple lilies on top, ignored the framed prints and other art hanging on the walls and edged my way closer to the only door from which soft light and voices spilled.

  “...yes, I understand I was away,” Stan was saying. “But my question is why her?”

  “Look at the designs,” Victoria said. “And her prices were reasonable—”

  “You know very well the other companies would’ve matched her fees, and what’s more, they came recommended.”

  “Sure, they may have charged the same,” she said, “but Eleanor... She gets me, Dad. She knew exactly the kind of look I wanted without me being able to express it clearly. It’s as if she’s a psychic, or we’re twins, or something.”

  I stifled a grin as I imagined the look on his face, one he’d no doubt tried to hide. Did I feel sorry for him? Not really. After all, he’d brought this upon himself. He hadn’t wanted me three decades ago, had rejected me again when offered another chance. His shitty deeds were catching up to him. Apparently his past was biting him in his rich ass.

  “Okay, but why invite her to dinner?” Stan said. “You know my rule about contractors.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Keep them at arm’s length or they’ll start taking advantage, I know.” Her voice sounded jaded, bordering on petulant, making me smirk. I wasn’t sure how our parents regressed us to teenagers at times. My mother could have the same effect on me, too.

  Stan sighed. “Correct, so why did you—”

  “Because I love hanging out with her, Dad. She’s a great person.”

  “You mean you’ve hung out with her before? What for?”

  “What do you mean, what for? You don’t even know her.”

  “I know enough to tell you haven’t had the same upbringing—”

  “Upbringing? God, you’re such a snob, Dad,” Victoria said, and I almost punched the air. “First of all, no, she may not be from a super wealthy family, but so what? Neither were you.”

  “I’m not—”

  “Second, she’s smart. She runs her own business, as you do, and as I’m going to.” She drew a breath, during which time I thought I might hear Stan fall to the floor from heart failure. “And third,” Victoria continued, “although I don’t have to justify who I’m friends with or give you any reason other than I like her, Hugh thinks she’s great, too.”

  “And she’s working there, as well?” Stan voice sounded as if he’d got a giant fluff ball stuck in his throat.

  “Yup. His website guy quit without notice. Thankfully Eleanor stepped in.”

  “That’s not a good idea—”

  “What is it with you today, Dad? You haven’t tried to meddle in who I’m friends with since middle school, and it didn’t work back then, either, remember? I love you, but please stop. Eleanor contacting me has been fantastic, and—”

  “How did she contact you, exactly?”

  “Sent me a LinkedIn message, offering her services.” Victoria’s voice sounded triumphant. “Her timing was perfect.”

  “I bet it was.”

  “You should trust me,” she snapped. “Look, I’ve got to get the food out of the oven.”

  I darted down the hallway and back to the living room, where I joined Charlotte, Lewis and Hugh, who were in the middle of a conversation about Lewis’s time in the army. Hugh filled my glass and Lewis put his arm around me, and I leaned against him as I observed the room.

  Madeleine and Malcolm stood at the far end of the kitchen. She was whispering in his ear, his face paler than the white stone countertop. He nodded, his jaw tight, and she arched an eyebrow, giving him a steely glare. No need to guess what they were talking about.

  When Victoria and Stan walked in, a
fake-happy expression slid over Stan’s face but not before he’d directed a look of absolute fury my way. I’d long stopped wondering if he’d recognized me, but although my nerves had subsided, I still speculated what he’d do about it.

  “We should go, Madeleine,” he said curtly.

  “Déjà?” she said. “We’ve barely arrived. Hugh offered to make me a martini—”

  “I have to unpack and go over a few things,” Stan said. “Let’s leave these guys to it.”

  “Oh, well, all right, then,” Madeleine said. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Eleanor, and you, Lewis. Hope to see you again. Take care, Charlotte, won’t you? Kiss those beautiful girls for me. And, Malcolm?”

  “Yes,” he said, swallowing hard, his eyes shifting left and right like a trapped animal’s.

  She gave him a cool look. “Don’t forget what I said about looking after your wife.”

  Malcolm looked as if he might empty his bowels right there in the living room, and when I looked at Victoria, I almost blanched, too. The venom-filled hatred she directed his way made me promise myself two things: I’d never get on her bad side, and I’d somehow sort out the lies I’d created between us, before it was too late.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  “HOW DO YOU FEEL about coming upstairs?” Lewis asked when we got back to our building. He raised my hand to his lips and kissed my fingertips. “Would that be okay?”

  “Yes, very much okay,” I said. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be right there.”

  “It’s a date.” He gently pulled me toward him, pressed his lips to mine. When we broke apart and I stepped inside my apartment, I closed the front door and rested the back of my head against it, listening to his footsteps disappearing upstairs and thinking about the last few hours.

  Despite the shock of seeing Stan and Madeleine, I’d had a fantastic evening, the rest of my nerves dissipating soon after they’d left, helped, no doubt, by two more glasses of wine. Victoria might have called her food simple, but it was delicious—juicy meatloaf served with perfectly cooked, buttered, al dente pasta and a crunchy green salad she’d dressed with a lemon and caper vinaigrette. Hugh had stopped at Jake’s Cakes on his way home and picked up melt-in-your-mouth cannoli, all of us groaning with joyful indulgence when we took our first bites, despite our initial protests of not being able to eat more food. The best part was that for the first time in years, I ate without guilt, the snide little berating voice holding its tongue all night.