by Claire Adams
We called a cab, and headed out to the campus costume party.
When we arrived, the place was packed. It was wall-to-wall people, and everyone was dressed up. It was actually a lot harder to find people I knew when they were donned in their finest costumes. There were plenty of zombies, what with the popularity of The Walking Dead. There were also a lot of superheroes and vampires. I saw some Duck Dynasty apparel, as well as fairies and angels. There were a few people whose costumes I couldn't guess, and I wondered if they chose the same type of original idea as Brenda had.
We continued to make our way through the crowds until I saw Jet. He wasn't hard to find at all. He was shirtless that October night, with an open robe and boxer shorts. It wasn't hard to guess that he was Rocky. He had a cut above his eye and some bruising on his face, and I couldn't tell whether it was makeup or not. Kyle was there as Batman, and a few of his other teammates surrounded him in various forms of costume.
He spotted me immediately and made a beeline for our little group.
“My God, Natalie, I almost didn't recognize you. That's a pretty hot getup.”
“What the hell? What do you mean you almost didn't recognize me?”
The girls started to giggle as an awkward look came over Jet's face. “No, that's not what I meant. You always look amazing, Natalie, you know that. But to be honest, I thought you would avoid costumes like this and go with something nerdier, like a famous painter.”
His eyes fell on Brenda, and he looked confused. “Are you a man, Brenda? Like a tourist with a camera?”
Julie was bent over, dying with laughter. She thought Jet was hilarious, but what seemed to be funnier for her were the holes he constantly dug himself into.
“Ahhh no, I'm Ansel Adams, the famous photographer. I apparently went for the nerdy costume.”
He looked like he had some regrets. “Ohh, right, I see. I had no idea what he looked like, that's all.” He turned to Julie, who was still busting a gut. “Thanks a lot, Julie. You're a big help. Nice costume, though; you plan on biting anyone tonight?”
“Oh we'll see; the night is young.”
“Well, I can introduce you to some of my friends if you like.”
She smiled. “Maybe, we'll see. Anyway, Natalie, we are going to grab a drink. We'll see you in a bit.”
I nodded. “So, Rocky, right?”
He smiled. “I'm glad you can recognize a legend. Yeah, of course. I'm not really big on dressing up for Halloween, but my buddies wanted to come, so I thought, what the hell.”
“Your face definitely matches the costume. I thought it was makeup at first, but clearly it isn't. So what happened? Did Katie do that to you?”
He laughed loudly. “No, she didn't. I had the conference semifinals the other day, and well, I got my ass whooped.”
“Oh, I'm sorry, Jet.”
“No, don't get me wrong. I won my belt, and I'm going to the finals, but I still took a really good beating.”
He moved his robe to the side, and I could see bruises all over his body. “I ended up breaking the guy’s rib; that's what finally ended the fight.”
“Wow, that's incredible. I didn't realize they let things go too far.”
“Well, I don't think they normally do, but the guy kept getting up. He was a monster, and had they not stopped the fight, he would have kept coming at me, broken bones and all.”
“Really?” My eyebrows rose; I had a hard time picturing it. “But you're okay?”
“Yeah, I had to go to the hospital and get stitches, but that was it. Noting major, but I have a lot of healing to do before the finals.”
She nodded. “I have those pictures, by the way, from the fight that I attended. They came out really well, and I got an A+ on the project.”
“Hey, good for you. Wow, teachers actually give out A pluses? Man, I thought it was just a myth.”
She giggled. “No, Jet. It just requires studying.”
“Yeah, I don't have time for sure things. Maybe now I will, though, since I will be resting a lot.”
“Well, next time you come for the drawing, I'll show you the pictures.”
“Cool.”
Brenda and Julie came back with drinks, and handed us each a glass of mystery punch. It looked like bad news right there, but thankfully, we girls had vowed to go home alone.
Jet waved over his buddies, and the girls quickly started mingling with them.
“Hey, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?”
There was a long pause before I answered. “Jet, I thought we agreed that we were just friends.”
“Oh, I definitely never agreed to that. But yes, you have mentioned it. The thing is, I wasn't asking you on a date.”
I looked at him, confused.
He explained. “I have to have dinner with my brother and father, and it's bound to be really awkward, so I was hoping you would come as a form of distraction to the whole thing.”
“Now, why is dinner with your family awkward?”
“It's a really long story, and not a very interesting one. Will you come?”
“Won't your family think it's odd that some random girl is coming?”
“You're not some random girl, and I already told them I was bringing you. It's fine.”
I laughed. “Were you that sure I was going to go?”
“No, of course not. I just wanted to make sure that they were okay with it. Please? You would really save my life on this one.”
I nodded. “Okay, I will go.”
“Thanks, Natalie. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”
The night went by perfectly, and I kept my drinking to a minimum. Although I mingled with a lot of very different people throughout the night, Jet stayed pretty much by my side for the entire evening. Julie seemed to find one of Jet's friends interesting enough to talk to, and they really seemed to get along great. Brenda, of course, already had her beau, who showed up in a Frankenstein costume.
The night ended well with awards being handed out for originality, scariest costume and sexiest. Everyone cheered as I won the award for sexiest costume of the night. I was completely stunned, but accepted it graciously.
I collected Brenda and Julie together, and we decided to catch a cab home. We could have walked, but when you’re drunk, walks like that seem extra-long. I said good-bye to Jet and the rest of them, and we headed home to warm beds, alone.
Chapter Eight
Jet
Getting ready for dinner with my family was an extremely painful task for me. I had zero interest in going to the dinner, and I feared it would be a disaster. I hoped, however, since Natalie would be there that everyone would be on their best behavior. My father might refrain from being a jerk if she was in the picture, instead of choosing to embarrass everyone.
My father always chose the best restaurants for these meetings, so I knew to wear dress pants and a button-up shirt and tie. I remembered to message Natalie to let her know to dress-up, and what time I would pick her up. I could have kissed the girl for going to dinner with me. There was a real good chance she would save my life that evening, and I was thrilled that she had agreed to go with me.
I drove to pick up Natalie, and I made sure to take my time. My nerves were all over the place, and I didn't want to get into an accident. The truth of the matter was that I didn't want to see my father at all, possibly ever again. I didn't like the kind of man that he was, and I feared that I was going to end up just like him.
As I drove down Natalie's block, I thought about how crushed my mother was when she found out about his affair. What was so shocking to everyone was that it had been going on for years. No one had a clue, and my mother, who genuinely had loved her husband, was devastated. My father had no interest in reconciling the marriage, and was the one who asked not for forgiveness, but for a divorce. It happened swiftly, with my mother winning a boatload of money from the guy, which I was grateful for, since she would be able to take care of herself, but it hadn't been what she wa
nted. I knew deep down had he been willing to, she would have forgiven his transgressions and stayed with him. That's what made me hate him the most―even after all that, my mother would have taken him back and stayed friends, and he had no interest in her. No interest in a woman with whom he had spent over 20 years. It sickened me, and every time I looked at my father, I saw what he did, and I didn't think there was any chance I would ever forgive him.
I couldn't believe my brother had, as he had seemed angrier than I had been when he found out. But he had always been really close with our dad, much closer than I ever was, so maybe that made all the difference in the world. In the end, he didn't want to lose our father from his life, and for me, I couldn’t have cared less.
I parked the car at the curb in front of her building. I sat there for a moment as I collected myself. I was starting to lose my temper, and I needed to cool down. I didn't want the dinner to start off on the wrong foot immediately, especially with Natalie there. She didn't deserve that. All I wanted was to survive the dinner, say that I went, and then never go to another one again. The idea that I was going to have to sit and have dinner with the woman who had an affair with my father just left my head spinning.
Opening the driver’s side door, I got out of the car and headed into Natalie's building. I headed up the stairs and knocked on her door. She answered it wearing a black cocktail dress and she looked ravishing. Eat your heart out, Craig. I wasn't sure if Craig was bringing his girlfriend, but either way, I would have the best looking date at dinner.
“Natalie, you look great. Great dress.”
“Thank you. You clean up very well yourself.”
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, of course.” She grabbed her clutch and jacket, and we headed out.
We walked down to the car in silence, as I was lost in my own thoughts. I opened up the passenger door, and made sure she got inside the car safely, and then closed it. I headed over to my own door and slid inside the car. As I was starting up the car Natalie asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I don't know. You seem a little off ... really quiet.”
“Sorry. No, I'm fine. Just have a few things on my mind, and to be honest, my dad isn't the easiest person to have dinner with these days. I've literally been avoiding it for months.”
“Oh ...” And there was the elephant in the room. She must have been wondering why I hadn't seen my dad in months, but I wasn't about to get into it before dinner. It would only upset me, and again, I didn't want to start dinner off on a bad vibe.
I parked in front of a nice Italian restaurant, and went to open the door for Natalie. She smiled up at me as she got out of the car. She really did look beautiful, and I was proud to be walking into the restaurant with her on my arm.
Everyone was already waiting for us when we were shown to our table by the maître d’. My brother had brought his girlfriend, and he had a look of surprise on his face when he saw Natalie. My father also had brought his girlfriend, and I felt my blood pressure rise. The girl looked not that much older than my brother and I. I knew she was older, but I felt like she had probably graduated from college before she got the job as his secretary, so if I had to guess, she may have been five to seven years older than I was.
My father stood up when we got to the table, and so did my brother.
“Dad ... Craig, this is my girlfriend, Natalie. Natalie, this is my Dad, his ... girlfriend, my brother, Craig, and his girlfriend, Ashley.”
Everyone said hello, and Natalie didn’t even blink an eye when I introduced her as my girlfriend, another thing I was grateful for.
“It's nice to meet you, Natalie. No one knew that Jet had a girlfriend.” He left that hanging in the air as we sat down.
My dad ordered a few bottles of wine for the table, and everyone started looking at their menus. I turned to Natalie, who smiled over at me. “Everything okay?” I asked.
“Of course. What are you thinking of getting to eat?”
“Probably the lobster ravioli. I love it; I always get it every time I come here.” I watched as she scanned the menu for my choice, and read it over.
“What about you?”
“I like the chicken dishes. The chicken and mushroom penne looks delicious, and I can get it with blush sauce.” She smiled happily at me, and I told her I thought it was a great choice.
The waiter came back with the wine and poured everyone a glass. We ordered our meals with salads, and settled in to wait.
I took a sip of my wine and thought things weren't going too badly. That was until my father started talking.
“You have quite a face on you to come to dinner with. Do you mind explaining to us why you look the way you do?”
Natalie looked startled, but I just laughed. “Well, Dad, had you attended my fight like Mom did.” I looked at his girlfriend when I said Mom. “You would know why I look the way I do.”
“I have attended those fights, son, but I have been busy lately. Not to mention if you can't seem to come to a simple dinner, I don't know why it's a big deal that I miss your little scraps.”
I bristled. “They aren't scraps dad, they’re sport. I think you know that.”
He looked up at me and looked me over again. I could tell that his girlfriend was starting to get very uncomfortable. “How is it that you manage to go to work looking like that?”
“Dad, I don't have a part-time job. I can barely manage my schoolwork with my training. I'm a professional MMA fighter; I get paid for the fights I do. That's how I make money. That’s on top of the sports scholarships I've attained, so I do pretty well for myself.”
Craig broke into the conversation. “You should have seen Jet, Dad. He took on this monster, and he did so well ... you would have been so proud.” He left that hanging in the air, and silence fell over the table. When the salads arrived, dinner conversation led to Craig and Ashley and what plans they had for the rest of the year. I was grateful that the limelight was off of me for the moment, as things had begun to get a little heated.
It wasn't long, however, before the conversation swung back my way. His new girlfriend had the nerve to speak in my direction.
“So, Jet, how long have you and Natalie been dating? We've never heard of her.”
I looked at Natalie, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I turned back to Joy and said, “Well, Joy, why would you have heard of her?”
She bushed a bright red, and I continued on, “Natalie and I have only been dating for a short time; maybe about a month.”
“What do you study at school, Natalie?” my father asked her.
She cleared her throat before answering. “I'm an art major, sir, I've had a few exhibits around town, and I plan on freelancing when I finish school.”
“Well, that sounds far more feasible than the career choice your boyfriend has made.”
“Dad ...” Craig said. “Can we just lay off the fighting for one meal?”
“There's nothing wrong with what I'm saying, Craig.” Craig looked away from his father and shook his head.
“I think it's preposterous to base your whole future career option on punching someone in the face. I supported it when you both decided to go into the sport as a hobby, but to choose it as a career is foolish. I'm just glad you chose to go a different career route than Jet did.”
“Why can't you just accept what I do, and leave it at that? There are plenty of dads out there who have sons who don't pick the career they want, and they support them anyway. Why can't you do the same?”
“Because I have already laid out a future for you, one you choose to ignore in order to run around in boxers all day. When you wake up broken and jobless one day, you are going to wish that you stayed within my company.”
“Dad!” Craig said.
But Father was on a roll, and he would not be silenced. The whole table looked shell shocked, and you could cut the tension in the room with a hatchet. But still, my dad carried on as i
f he had no idea that it was all going to end badly.
“Dad, I have zero interest in business, especially any business that you created. I don't want anything to do with your company. Craig can run it; you do have another son. You don't have to expect me to do it.”
Natalie tapped my leg under the table, attempting to calm me down. I took a deep breath and tried to do just that. I looked over at her, and she smiled nervously. I could tell she was alarmed by what was going on around her, and she probably felt helpless to stop it. I felt bad, and suddenly regretted bringing her, but I had thought her presence might prevent a scene like this, but apparently my dad didn’t care who was there to listen.
My dad’s voice caught my attention again and I turned to him. “I want you to be responsible for the decisions you make in your life and realize they impact others. This isn't about Craig and what you think Craig should do. This is about you’ and the fact that you are behaving like a child’ and it's about time you grow up and do something useful with your life.”
I practically shook with anger when I stood up at the table. I could hear both Natalie and Craig telling me to sit down, or calm down, or a combination of the two, but I didn't care. I leaned over the table, yelling in my father’s face, “How dare you tell me to be responsible when you have been parading your whore around as if you didn't cheat on my mother with her! How dare you bring her to dinner! I can barely stand being around you, never mind having to look across the table at a woman who helped ruin your marriage to Mom.” I heard Joy gasp, but I kept on going, well aware that the other patrons in the restaurant had turned to stare.
“You're a sorry excuse for a father, and if you think I would walk in your shoes for one minute, and take over a company that means nothing to me, then you're sadly mistaken. I suggest you get used to the joke of a career I've chosen, because I would rather die than come work for you.” I slammed a fist on the table, and stormed out of the restaurant.
I sat outside on a bench, willing my blood pressure to go down. I needed to cool my temper, because I had to go reclaim my date from a nightmare dinner. I couldn't go in there, however, the way I was feeling at that moment, or I would explode all over again. I wish I could go in immediately, though, because Natalie probably hated me just then more than she normally did. She was now stuck in there alone, not knowing anyone, trying to maintain an awkward conversation until I came back in.