“It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt,” I said raising a single eyebrow.
“Relax, Marin. It’s fine.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Rachel asked, trying to lean in between us.
Telly and I smiled. “Nothing.”
The guys returned to the table with beers, wine, and cocktails. I was thankful we were on a group date that didn’t require much talk. Instead, we sipped our drinks and listened as they played one familiar song after the other. The more we drank, the more we sang along, and within an hour we were all shout-singing and playing air piano, which I never knew existed until then.
James leaned in. “I can’t believe how much fun this is!”
“I know.” And I actually meant it. With the mask of booze and loud music it was easy to play the part. I took a big gulp of my margarita and heard an intro to a classic song that filled me with excitement. Telly and I turned to each other with huge grins.
“I love this song,” James said.
“Me too!” I shouted.
“You wanna dance?”
“Yeah.”
James grabbed my hand, and we rushed over to the bar where there was just enough room for us to snag a spot. We swayed to the music, singing to each other. I didn’t know if it was the song or the drinks, but in that moment with James, I was able to let all of the stress, the cheating, the lying, and the pretending go. I felt free as a bird as he spun me around on the dance floor. In the blur of the song and the dance, I saw Telly, Will, David, and Rachel out on the dance floor with us.
For the first time in a long time, I was truly enjoying myself. I slowly looked at the faces of those I shared the moment with and noticed there was one important face missing. Holly. We hadn’t spoken in so long, and I was starting to forget what it was like having her around all the time. I missed her and felt guilty that I hadn’t thought of her much since she’d been gone. Back at our table, I sat beside Rachel.
“Have you heard from Holly?” I asked.
“Not since that email she sent everyone a few weeks ago.”
“I wish she was here now,” I said, feeling a little tear surfacing.
“Me too.” Rachel pouted her lip trying to sympathize with me. I forced a smile and she returned it.
“I need another drink,” I shouted. James kissed my face and headed to the bar.
Within another hour, I had consumed three more drinks. I was lit to say the least. David and Rachel were near the bar, dancing to the piano version of a 90s hip-hop song, Telly was in the ladies room, and James was getting another beer for himself. It was good ‘ole Will and me. Throughout the night, I tried to ignore his presence or at least my preconceived notions about his presence. But I was drunk and feeling ballsy.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I shouted at him over the music.
“What?” He cupped his ear.
“What do you think you’re doing? With Telly?” I shouted louder. He twisted his expression.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I know all about your history together, how you’ve mistreated her in the past. Probably cheated on her a few times. I’m not gonna sit back and watch you hurt her again.”
“It’s not my intention to hurt her.”
“Save it, Will. You might be fooling her, but you’re not fooling me.” I sat back in my chair, arms crossed. Will leaned over, but I wouldn’t look at his face.
“I know we don’t know each other very well, but believe it or not, I care a lot about her.” I rolled my eyes.
“How can she ever trust you?” I yelled, then Telly appeared to my right.
“What’s going on?” she asked, looking really concerned.
“Nothing,” Will said as he sat back in his seat.
“Not nothing!” I shouted and stood up. Everyone returned to our table just in time for the show.
“He’s a liar, Telly. Can’t you see that?” I blurted out while a diminishing sober voice inside of me screamed shut up, SHUT UP! “They’re all liars, every single one of them.” Not only had I lost my inhibition, but I had lost control. There I was making a scene in front of everyone and I couldn’t stop it.
“Why can’t you tell her the truth?” I said to Will. He glanced around at everyone with a disbelieving expression as if to say I was being ridiculous.
“Marin, what’s going on?” James asked.
Telly grabbed hold of me, and pulled me away from the table, toward the bathroom. She ordered me to sit on the counter while she put cool, wet paper towels on my neck and blotted my forehead with them.
“Shit, Marin. I know you don’t like Will, but you have to pull yourself together,” she said.
My stomach churned, and I hopped off the counter and ran into the stall. There was no time to shut the door before I started yakking into the toilet. Telly came in after me and held my hair away from my face.
“Oh, God.” She grimaced.
When I was finished, Telly helped me back to the sink where I washed my hands and splashed cold water on my face. My head felt a little clearer, but my heart filled with regret. Why had I said those things to Will in front of everyone? When did the night turn sour?
“I’m sorry Tell. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You weren’t.”
“I can’t go back out there. I’m so embarrassed.”
She gave me an undeserved, reassuring smile, “You don’t have to. I’ll take you home.”
Telly snuck me out of the bar and left me with the valet while she went in to tell everyone that I had too much to drink and needed to rest. She told Will I was sorry about what I’d said and told James I’d call him later. We took a cab back to my apartment. She helped me inside and into bed. It was the most maternal Telly had ever been, and I appreciated her so much more. When I was settled in my sheets, she lay next to me.
“How could I be so stupid? I almost blew my cover back there.” I hid my face with my hands.
“Yeah, you did.”
“I’m beginning to think I’m not cut out for this.”
“Sure you are. It’s just a matter of whether you still want to keep going.”
“Yeah.” I buried my cheek into my pillow and gave a long sigh. I thought of Will and why his presence pissed me off so much.
“Why are you seeing Will again?” I asked, staring into Telly’s brown eyes, hoping for a real answer.
She shrugged. “He makes me feel good.” I raised an eyebrow. “I know you think I’m making a mistake, but I’ve learned that he is the way he is. And now I’m enjoying him for that. I have no expectations from whatever it is that we’re doing. No matter how many times we push each other away, we always come back for more.”
“So, you’re saying you’re some kind of emotional masochist?”
She laughed. “No, I’m saying that’s Will and me.” She rolled on her back and gazed up at the ceiling. “It sounds crazy, but I think we’re the love of each other’s lives.”
Will, the love of Telly’s life? It seemed hard to believe, but she had a point. The two of them were like magnets. All they needed was a little push before they were stuck together again. I guess it was a pattern she was used to and perhaps even expected. Maybe in her mind two things were certain with Will; they would always break up and always get back together. I thought about Chad and couldn’t imagine being back with him again.
“You know what I think?” I asked.
Telly perked up. “What?”
“Chad really wasn’t the love of my life. Don’t get me wrong. I loved him very much, but I think it’s good that we didn’t get married. Like a blessing in disguise.”
Telly looked at me very seriously and tapped her index finger on her mouth.
“I think that’s what you psychologists call closure.” The corners of my mouth turned up while she tried to keep a straight face, but it only took a moment before we ended the night with a good laugh.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Bombs B
ursting In Air
An early morning phone call woke me from a deep drunken sleep. I felt a slight twinge in the middle of my forehead. When I opened my eyes, the morning light set that twinge on fire. That wasn’t the worst of it. That early morning call was my mother.
“Hello?” I answered in a fog.
“Marin, it’s Ma. Are you sick?” she asked.
“No, I’m still sleeping.”
“Sleeping? Marin, you’re not getting any younger. You shouldn’t waste your time sleeping in. I’ve already had breakfast, read the paper, and done the gardening this morning.”
“That’s great,” I said with a yawn.
“I heard you have a new boyfriend,” she said. My eyes shot open. How did she know? “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Who told you?” I tried to think fast. I didn’t say anything to Michael when I saw him. Did she hire a PI to follow me around? Nope, it was . . .
“Mrs. Jensen,” she said. Figures. Rachel must’ve told her mom about James and her mom, Mrs. Jensen, told my mom. “Mrs. Jensen says he’s David’s friend from college and that he’s a nice young man.”
“Well, it’s very new. I’m not quite ready to introduce him or anything.”
“Why not? I think it’s wonderful and so soon after your break up. I guess you’re not a complete time waster.” Of course, she only cared about marrying me off. “I want you and that new boyfriend to come spend the Fourth of July with us at your brother’s.” The fourth was two days away, and I wasn’t too keen on spending my extra day off with my brother again. Surely, he wasn’t either.
“I don’t know, Mom. Did Michael say it was okay?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t he?” She wasn’t patient enough for my attempted answer and continued. “I don’t want any excuses. I haven’t seen you in months. I want to know you’re all right. The barbeque starts at one. I’ll see you there.”
“But—”
“No buts, just be there.” She hung up before I could argue.
My head pained as I sat up. I wished that the call had never happened and that I was blissfully still asleep. I needed to get out of taking James to visit my family, but how? Could I just skip it? No, if I did I would soon regret it. It was just an afternoon after all. How bad could it be?
After an Independence Day brunch, James and I packed some wine and cheesecake in a cooler and headed up to my brother’s house. He seemed a little anxious, but more than willing to spend the holiday with my family. It was a quality that most looked for in a mate. A quality I didn’t care for, especially in this case.
“Is there anything I should know before I meet everyone? Any pointers?” James asked.
“Let’s see,” I said, trying to think. “My dad’s name is Robert, but address him as Dr. Johns first. If he really likes you he’ll ask you to call him Robert. He doesn’t say much, but bring up golf or the history channel and you’ll get him talking. My mom is Mei Li, she’s from Beijing and still has a heavy accent, so listen carefully. She’s sharp as a tack but takes very kindly to flattery.” James nodded attentively as he drove.
“Michael is quiet like my dad. He’s always in his head. His wife Jennifer is very friendly. She stays home with the kids and paints portraits on the side occasionally. She’s very talented.”
“Okay, Dr. Johns senior and junior are quiet, Mei Li likes flattery, and Jennifer’s a painter. Got it,” he said.
“Don’t forget the kids,” I said.
“Oh, right, and they are?”
“Miles and Jillian. They’re great kids. Miles is five and he’s very active, loves sports. Jillian is seven. She’s a little genius. A talented pianist too.”
“Really? At seven?” He sounded impressed.
“Yep.” I smiled, excited to see the kids again. They were the only two members of the family that I adored.
“Do you think they’ll like me?” James asked with worry.
The truth was I wasn’t sure if they would like him. They were never crazy about Chad or any boyfriend for that matter. It didn’t matter if they liked him or not, but I wanted the day to go smoothly. So I lied. “Of course, they’ll love you.”
It was about one o’clock when we pulled up the long driveway of my brother’s traditional Victorian home that sat beautifully on a half acre lot. Like a photograph, the picturesque setting remained unchanged and steadfast in its perfection. I envied it. Not that I didn’t love my apartment back in the city, but Michael had created what looked like a perfect life. Perfect house, perfect wife, perfect children, perfect job, all the beautiful perfections I would dream about, but never achieve.
“Are you ready?” I asked. James grabbed the wine and cheesecake.
“I think so.” He smiled nervously, and I felt the same.
I rang the doorbell.
Miles and Jillian burst through the entrance. “Aunt Marin!” they screamed. Miles wrapped his arms around my waist, and I held him tight. He looked up and smiled.
“Where have you been, Aunt Marin? We missed you.”
Staring into his little brown eyes, I had forgotten how much I loved those two.
“I missed you too.” Jillian waited patiently for her greeting.
“Come here, Jillie.” She gave me my second biggest hug of the day.
“I learned a new song on the piano, Aunt Marin. Can I play it for you?” she said in her soft sweet voice.
“Of course, I can’t wait.”
“Who’s this?” Miles demanded bluntly, standing in front of James with his hands on his hips. James let out a little laugh and knelt so he was eye level with Miles.
“I’m James. I’m a friend of your Aunt Marin.” James stuck out his hand and Miles shook it.
“I’m Miles.”
We walked into the oversized foyer and headed back toward the kitchen where Jennifer was preparing a vegetable tray.
“Marin!” She ran over and greeted me with yet another big hug. “It’s been too long. How are you?”
“I’m well. How are you?”
“Great, keeping busy with the kids, you know.” She looked to James.
“Jennifer this is James, James this is my sister-in-law.” The two shook hands.
“You have a lovely home,” James said. Jennifer thanked him and sent me an obvious wink of approval.
“Where is everyone?’ I asked.
“They’re out back. Why don’t you all go out? I’m right behind you.”
The kids led us to the deck, which backed up to a large backyard with lots of trees, a perfect place for two children to explore.
“There she is!” my mom shouted as she walked up steadily to greet me. We embraced and she pulled me away to give me a once over to see if I had gotten too fat or too skinny.
“You look pretty good considering,” she said.
“Mom!”
My dad approached looking a little older than I remembered. “How are you, Marin?” he asked with a smile.
“Good.” I sounded apprehensive. “I want you all to meet James.”
By this time my brother made his way over. They all gave James a once and twice over, but they didn’t seem to have the weary reaction that I’d expected. Instead, they greeted James politely. Michael offered James a cold beer, which he kindly accepted. The five of us sat at the patio table watching the kids play in the yard.
“So, James, how did you meet Marin?” my dad asked, prompting the conversation.
“Funny story actually.” He grinned and positioned his body to tell a long tale.
“Oh, no,” I said and buried my face in my hands.
“Wait. I want to hear the story,” Jennifer said as she appeared with the veggie tray and other snacks. She sat next to Michael eager to listen.
“So, I was walking home from an appointment in the city when all of the sudden I hear this awkward yelp.”
“It was not a yelp,” I said, annoyed.
“Oh, yes. It was a yelp.” James chuckled. “I see this woman face down on the ground with h
er purse spilled all over the sidewalk.”
“It was Marin?” my dad asked. James nodded.
“Did you forget Marin’s a klutz, Dad?” Michael’s comment made my cheeks flush.
“That’s true,” my mom said.
“I ran over to see if she was okay, and she was except for a small scrape on her knee. So, I helped her over to a bench. I carry a first aid kit when I work, so I was able to patch up her knee right there.”
I watched James tell the story with enthusiasm and purpose as if he had rehearsed it. He really seemed to enjoy it.
“She looked so embarrassed, but through the flushed cheeks I saw a familiar face. I realized that she was at David and Rachel’s wedding. She recognized me too, and we’ve been together ever since.” James relaxed in his chair and gazed at me as if his eyes wanted to say something.
Jennifer and my mom ahhed at the story, commenting on how cute it was and that finally my clumsiness resulted in something good. I pretended to enjoy the story as much, but I really wanted to roll my eyes and gag. James rubbed his fingers over my bad knee.
“Your knee’s been much better,” he said quietly referring to my long-term injury.
“Yeah,” I said. “I just hope I’ll be ready for the race in November.”
“You will.” James assured me with a smile.
“What race?” my mom asked.
“The US Half Marathon for St. Judes, Mom,” Michael answered.
“How’d you remember that?” I asked Michael.
“You’ve run that race for years.” I raised my eyebrows in suspicion. He continued, “What? You think I don’t pay attention to your interests.”
I threw my hands up to surrender.
We continued the friendly conversation for another twenty minutes before Michael and my dad started the grill. So far, the afternoon was going well. No condescending looks or comments. My best guess, they wanted to take it easy since I had just been jilted or they didn’t want to be rude to James. That would be a first.
Miles ran up to Michael with his bat and baseball. “Dad, can you play ball with me?”
“In a little bit, Miles. I have to get the food started so we can eat soon.” Miles put his head down and went back to the middle of the yard.
The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories Page 215