"I don't like his girlfriend," Callie muttered to Abel when they were a couple of feet ahead of the couple.
Abel looked at her. "Darling, neither do I and Chris doesn't either." He sent her the famous Walker wink. "He just doesn't know it yet."
Callie laughed, loving Abel even more.
Chapter Eight
Abel, looking comfortable and stylish wearing tight white leather jeans, a white shirt and a black and white Gatsby golfer hat, led them inside the crowded amusement park building and Callie's eyes went wide at the sight of the bright lights and noises coming from the arcade machines and rowdy kids. The last time she'd been to any amusement park was years ago when she was twelve before her real father, Simon Picket, died.
Every summer he would take time from his busy schedule and make time to take her and her sisters to Disney World. When he died, he had taken all their joy with him. Well, had taken her joy. Her sisters and mother seemed just fine as soon as Richard came into the picture just a year after her father's death. Sometimes she felt that she was the only one who still missed and loved her father.
"This way, this way," Abel said, zigzagging them through little kids. They finally reached the back where the party rooms were located and Callie heaved a sigh of relief because she could feel little eyes staring at her. Kids were just too open with their curiosity.
"In here." Abel opened a door and let them in where a big tall black woman with bald head greeted then. It took Callie seconds to realize that this was no woman. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet one of my fabulous hairdressers, Mizz Ivory."
"Hello!" Mizz Ivory's high pitch voice made Callie wince but she smiled at the flamboyant "Mizz" Ivory. From head to toe, Ivory wore pink from her sparkling stiletto shoes, tight leather pants and corset like tank top covered by a small dark pink jacket. She had large purple hoop earrings dangling from either side of her ears and purple glittering eyeshadow and lipstick.
"Oh my god!" Mizz Ivory clapped her hands together, which Callie noted had beautifully long purple painted nails. "You were right, Abel! They do make an adorable couple!"
Brenda blushed pretty and flipped her long black hair back before she offered a bright smile to Mizz Ivory. "Hello Ivory," she held out her hand, "I'm-"
"Aren't you just the most adorable thing!?" Mizz Ivory cried, going straight to Callie who stood on the left of Chris. Mizz Ivory pinched Callie's cheeks. "I could just gobble you up!"
Callie's eyes widened. What was up with gay people and her cheeks!?
Mizz Ivory released Callie's cheeks and looked at Chris. They were about the same height and it was almost comical to see them eye each other. "Chris!" Mizz Ivory hugged Chris, who patted her back awkwardly and said "Hey, Ivory."
Mizz Ivory stepped back and smiled at Callie and Chris. "Chris! You didn't tell me that you had such an adorable partner."
Callie's jaw drop. What!? Ivory thought they she and...and Chris were a...a couple? From behind Ivory, Callie spotted the tiny amused smile on Abel's lips and instantly knew that Mizz Ivory was just pulling their leg and messing with them. Abel was probably behind the whole thing. The wink Abel sent towards her confirmed her suspicion and she had to keep herself from giggling at her friend's mischievousness.
"You're mistaken," Chris said, sending his brother a look that told them all that he knew what was up. "My girlfriend is Brenda." He grasped Brenda's small shoulder and firmly planted her in front of Mizz Ivory.
"Oh." Mizz Ivory blinked at Brenda. "Well, aren't you a cute little thing." Ivory bent down and patted Brenda's hand. "Poor dear look like she's starving. Don't you feed her, Chris? Abel! We need to order our dinner and fast!"
Callie chortled and quickly schooled her features when Chris sent a glare her way. She gave him her most innocent wide eyed "What did I do?" look.
"I already sent for someone to take our order, dear," Abel told Ivory. "Now come on everyone, let's sit down and talk. Ivory, those stilettos look fabulous on you."
Mizz Ivory proudly took tiny steps back towards the long brown table, her stilettos clicking against the marble floor as her hips swung back and forth. "I know right? It's pinching the hell out of my poor toes but eh, that's the price of beauty."
Callie somehow ended up sitting between Ivory and Abel while Chris and Brenda took a seat opposite from them. She looked around the party room, taking in the pink and white walls with 'Golf World' written all over them with colorful letters.
"I hope you don't mind that I invited Ivory, Chris," Abel was telling his brother, "I couldn't leave the poor dear alone. She's been going through stuff."
"My boyfriend broke up with me," Ivory sighed sadly. "Left me for this skinny Mexican chick that looks like one of those tiny dogs with big bulging eyes. What do they call them? Chihuahuas? Those poor things look like they're always starving."
And for some reason all eyes landed on Brenda, whose own eyes widened at being stared at. Callie turned her head away to hide her smile. Brenda's tanned skin paled and she stood up. "Excuse me...I, I need to use the ladies room." Chris stood to escort her but she was already rushing out the door and closing it firmly behind her.
Chris's jaw tightened as he turned right back around to glare at the trio staring at him with wide innocent eyes. "Okay, what the hell was that all about?"
Callie averted her eyes from his angry blue ones, pretending to admire the painting of a large pink golf ball on the wall. She felt Ivory shifting uneasily to her right and Abel shrugging to her left.
"What?" Abel blinked innocently at his little brother. "What do we do?"
"You know what the hell you've done." Chris scowled at them. "Why are you all being so mean to Brenda?"
"Hah!" Abel waved a hand. "She's just overly sensitive, that's all."
"I don't even know the woman," Mizz Ivory defended his-herself. "I was just talking about Chihuahuas."
Callie peeked from the corner of her eyes to see Chris's expression and she winced when his stormy blue eyes landed on her. "W-what? I didn't do anything."
"When I come back with her," Chris said, stressing every word, "you all better be on your best behavior. Got it?"
Abel gave him a sarcastic salute. "Aye, aye, Captain!"
Chris growled before turning and stalking off after his girlfriend. Callie shamelessly admired how good he looked in those snug blue jeans and how it perfectly sculpted his bottom.
"Uh oh," Ivory said, "ooooh, we've done it now. We've gone and pissed off a white man."
"You guys are so bad," Callie giggled. "But now I feel bad. Maybe we were too mean to Brenda."
Abel rolled his eyes. "I say if she can't take the heat-"
"Then get out the motherfucking kitchen," Mizz Ivory finished. "Holla!"
Callie grinned at her two comedians. "I'm so glad that you two decided to come. I would have been so alone here. Chris said that I wouldn't be the third wheel but I knew he was just being nice."
"Well I don't like that Brenda," Abel said. "She's too..."
"Superficial?" Ivory offered.
"Yes, that."
It was nice to know that she wasn't the only one who had felt that way about Chris's girlfriend but still...maybe they were being too mean. "Maybe we should do as Chris suggested and lay off of her. I mean...we barely know her and you never know...she may be nice."
Ivory snorted. "Whatever you say, dear."
"Forget about Brenda," Abel took Callie's hand. "How are things going with you and my brother?"
"Fine I guess. He's making me work out and teaching me to eat healthy."
"No sparks?"
Callie laughed at that. "Sparks? Abel, he still thinks I'm a man, a gay man."
Ivory peered at her. "Honey, you don't look like a man. Maybe a bit boyish because well...look at what you're wearing! Such a fashion disaster."
Callie looked down at her black jeans that was a size too big and her blue polo shirt. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"Cal," Abel made her look at him, "did you b
uy those clothes before or after Chris mistook you for a man?"
"Um...before?"
"See!" Ivory pointed a purple painted nail at her. "With that haircut and your manly clothes, no wonder Chris mistook you for a man. If Abel and I didn't have such good eyes, we would have probably mistaken you for one too. Honey, you need to dress better."
Callie slumped her shoulder. They didn't need to tell her what she already knew. "But it's hard to find girl stuff my size."
"Order them online," Ivory suggested.
Callie shrugged. "It's too late now. Chris already see me as a guy."
"Tell him the truth," Abel said.
Callie shook her head. "I'm still scared...I'm not ready to tell him the truth."
"You poor, poor thing." Ivory patted her head. "You've really dug yourself in a deep hole, hmm?"
Callie nodded solemnly. "Yup."
"What I'm wondering," Abel began, "is what my brother will think when you start losing all that weight and you start looking more and more like a girl."
Callie froze. Damn! She hadn't thought of that! Before she could ask them what she should do, the door opened and Chris stepped in followed by Brenda.
"Sorry about that," Brenda smiled at them, "I just needed some fresh air."
"I thought you went to the ladies room," Abel said and Callie nudged his leg when Chris sent them a dark glare.
"Well." Mizz Ivory stood. "Since our server is taking his time coming here, why don't we go to the back and play some golf? Hmm? Anyone?"
"Okay." Callie shot up. "Sounds good." Anything to break the thick tension in the room.
Ten minutes later they were in the back of the amusement park building playing miniature golf under the night sky. Each player had their own colored golf ball and club. Callie watched Chris step up behind Brenda to help guide her. The couple laughed when Brenda still missed the hole but Chris rewarded her with a kiss on the forehead.
"Cal," Chris called, "your turn, buddy."
Callie dragged her feet towards them and stopped beside Chris. "Okay. I'm here."
"Go ahead," Chris encouraged her with a smile, suddenly in a good mood again. "Don't miss."
"Good luck," Brenda smirked at her and smiled up at Chris.
Bitch, Callie thought darkly, placing her ball on the T. Chris and Brenda stepped back as she positioned her body to hit the ball with her club. The other woman really got under her skin. It seemed like every time Callie was around, Brenda had to be too touchy touchy with Chris as if she was gloating about the fact that Chris was her man.
She probably thinks I'm gay. Callie's brows furrowed in concentration as she stared at the ball, imaging it to be Brenda's head. Why did Brenda seem jealous of her relationship with Chris? It should be Callie who should be jealous, which she was. Brenda had everything she didn't. The looks, the killer body, the hot guy.
Callie resisted the urge to smack the golf ball with the club and gently tapped it instead. The red ball rolled and rolled until it passed the others balls and went in the hole.
"Good job, Cal!" Chris praised behind her, clapping his hands.
Callie laughed. "Yay!" She raised the club up and shook it excitedly. "Did you see that, Chris?" She swung around "did you-" the club slipped off her shaking hand from above her head and hit Brenda right on the face with it. "Oh my god!"
"Brenda!" Chris cried and caught his girlfriend. Brenda moaned, rubbing her red forehead where the thick end of the club hit her.
"I'm so sorry!" Callie looked at Brenda, horrified. My bad luck strikes again!
"Oh my." Abel and Ivory stepped next to Callie. "She alright, Chris?"
"I'm fine," Brenda said, still rubbing her forehead. "Chris, I think I wanna go home now."
"But we barely started playing," Ivory protested. "And we haven't eaten yet."
"You sure you wanna go home, babe?" Chris asked Brenda. "If you just wanna sit down-"
"I want to go home." Brenda glared at him. "Now."
Chris sighed. "Alright. I'll take you home." He looked at his brother. "Can you take Cal home for me? I'll stay with Brenda."
"Sure," Abel nodded. Callie's shoulders drooped, watching Chris guide Brenda out the gate. He hadn't even looked her way.
"I've done it again," she moaned.
"There, there," Abel patted her shoulder. "Look at it this way, she probably did something to deserve it. So you probably did someone a favor, dear."
Callie moaned again and hung her head. Not even Mizz Ivory's cooing and hugs made her feel any better. Right now, Brenda was probably telling Chris to stay the hell away from her.
***
That same night around midnight, Callie's doorbell buzzed.
Wearing her favorite purple pajamas that her sisters said made her look like Barney, Callie dragged herself out of bed and made her way to the front door. Who could it be a this hour? Couldn't the world leave her alone to mope and watch a marathon of Twilight?
"Who is it?" Callie called and opened the door.
"Hey." Chris smiled unsurely at her, hands stuffed in his jeans pocket. "Mind if I come in?"
"S-sure." Callie quickly stepped aside to let him enter her apartment. She tried to flatten her bed head when his back was still turned and stopped when he faced her.
"Sorry about barging in at this hour."
Callie shook her head, closing the door and locking it. "N-no. I don't mind. I wasn't asleep or anything." Gah! Why was she suddenly so nervous? It wasn't like this was the first time Chris has been in her apartment at this hour. They've often stayed up all night to watch and make fun of movies.
"Um," she walked up to him. "Is something wrong? I thought you were with Brenda."
Chris sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was...but we got into a fight."
"About?"
Chris shrugged. "Stuff."
Callie wasn't buying it. "It was about me, wasn't it? Chris, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit her with that golf club."
Chris chuckled. "I know you didn't."
"She's pissed at me, isn't she? Probably never wanna see me again." Good, Callie thought. I don't wanna see her either.
"It's not that, she thought..." Chris trailed off, his brows furrowing.
"Thought what?"
"She wanted me to end my friendship with you."
I knew it. "And what did you say?"
"I told her that she was being dramatic."
"And what did she say?"
Chris frowned. "She thinks that...never mind, forget it. It's stupid."
Callie stared at him. "What did she think, Chris?"
Chris looked down and lifted his eyes, looking at her from beneath thick lashes. "She thinks you like me and that's why my brother and his friend were being mean to her."
"Huh." Callie bit her bottom lip nervously. Well damn. "A-and what do you think?"
"I think she's being paranoid."
"Will you stop being my friend?"
Chris gave her a dry look. "Would I be here if I didn't want to be friends with you anymore?"
Callie laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah, you're right."
"Do you still have some beer in your fridge?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Plenty." She only bought those things for Chris and never touch them.
"Good." Chris walked towards her kitchen. "Cause I'm going to get completely smashed."
Thirty minutes and ten beer bottles later, Chris was laying on her bed and laughing hysterically at Edward Cullen's face on the T.V screen. "Man," he laughed, "what a pussy!"
He's so drunk, Callie thought, delighted at the sight of him on her bed. She was sitting up, back pressed against the headboard while Chris was on his back beside her. From her position, she could admire his delicious body quite nicely with his large frame dominating half her bed.
"I can't believe girls go crazy for him," Chris said, shaking his head. He took another swig of his tenth Budweiser.
"Leave Edward alone," Callie defended her fantasy man, "he's sweet and noble."<
br />
"My ass," Chris snorted. "Look how weak and puny he looks compared to that Jacob guy."
"Jacob's good too. But Edward is just a little bit more sensitive. Girl's are into that."
"Girls." Chris rolled his eyes. "What do they know? They spend so much time fantasizing about fake men and trying to form us real men into their ideal image. Screw that."
"I think you're fine the way you are, Chris," she told him honestly, daring to wear her heart on her sleeve. "You're great. Any girl would be lucky to have you."
Chris paused from taking another drink and looked up at her. "Ya think so?"
Callie nodded, drawing her knees against her. "Yeah."
"Well thanks, man." Chris patted her feet. "You're great too."
Callie stared at him, wishing that she could be that lucky girl. In her heart, she knew she could be the perfect girl for him but at the same time didn't feel worthy of him. Not the way she was right now. Maybe when she lost all this extra pounds...
"Brenda wants me to meet her parents," Chris admitted suddenly.
Callie blinked, surprised. "Oh? Um...do you want to?"
Chris shrugged, turning on his side to face her. "I don't know, man. Brenda's perfect and all but I don't know if I'm ready to meet her folks. Next she'll be waiting for an engagement ring."
"Then don't meet them."
"She already told them that I would."
Why that conniving bitch, Callie thought darkly. Trying to trap Chris into marriage, huh? Well we'll see about that!
"She thinks that it's time for me to settle down," Chris sighed. "Maybe she's right. I'm not getting any younger."
"You're only twenty-four, Chris."
"My parents are pressuring me too. Guess since Abel's a lost cause for them, I'm the only one who could provide them with grandchildren."
"You're not a baby making machine!" Callie cried with outrage, though she secretly pictured little blue eyed children with Chris's dimples.
"I should have just stayed in the military." Chris dropped back down on his back and stared at the ceiling. "No one would be bugging me to get married there."
Callie stared at him, completely surprised. "I didn't know that you were in the military." Why had he never mentioned that before?
Big Fat Liar 2 (Big Fat Liar #2) Page 2