Eight years his senior, Vincent’s physique far surpassed that of his younger brother. Regular visits to the gym complimented his appearance. He had always tried to encourage Sean to join him, but Sean was too busy chasing skirts.
“I can’t believe you did that, Vinnie. Why’d you let her in? You knew Jackie was here.” Reaching for the remote control, Sean flopped onto their ugly mahogany sofa. He wasn’t as annoyed with Olivia being upset as he was with the fact that Vincent’s stupidity had caused it.
“Look, she was waiting for me outside, and I let her come up. I’m getting tired of always ending up in the middle of your games. You need to make up your mind, Sean. Seriously.”
Crossing over to the far end of the apartment, Vincent pulled open the vertical blinds. “I wonder what it’s like outside today,” he murmured, as he slid open the glass doors and stepped out onto the porch. “Another gloomy day. The sky’s full of gray clouds. That means more rain. When are we gonna get the sun to stay around for more than a minute at a time?”
Sean surfed to ESPN2 and found two suited men discussing nothing that interested him at all. Leaving the television on, he joined Vincent on the porch. “I don’t know how to make up my mind, Vinnie,” he said, running his hand over his stomach.
Vincent looked over at him. “Sean, grow the fuck up. It’s time you plucked your head out of the sand and realized there’s a time when a man should stop playing with young girls’ emotions.” He paused, and then added, “But until you do grow up, keep me out of it. That means no more using me as an excuse for having Jackie over, you understand?”
“Yeah, I understand,” replied Sean, not really understanding why Vincent was being so hard on him. His own brother!
Vincent turned and headed for the kitchen. “Hey, I’m heading out. Don’t forget to take that foot powder to Mom—it’s on the table in the bag.” He motioned toward the dining area. “I went by there last night, and her toes look like they’re getting worse.” He grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and made for the front door.
Sean moved over to the table. He pulled the Tinactin powder from an Eckerd Drugs plastic bag. “Is this stuff any good? Will it help?”
“Well, I asked around, and most people say that’s the best you can get over the counter.”
“All right,” said Sean, replacing the powder. “I’ll have Jackie take it over there.”
“Whatever,” said Vincent, rolling his eyes. Just before he closed the door, he said, “Sean, leave Olivia alone. That poor girl’s had enough of you.” Then he was gone.
Sean returned to the bedroom and changed. It was time to go see Olivia. He didn’t plan to heed his brother’s advice. He couldn’t leave Olivia alone. She was a sweet girl—not to mention way out of his league—and he liked her a lot. What’s wrong with that idiot, he thought. I’d never tell him to drop somebody he cared about.
Dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, Sean left a note about the powder for a still sleeping Jacquelyn—who was draining mouth water all over his pillow.
It was time to go to work. That’s what it is, after all, he thought, climbing into his old, beat-up Skylark. Work.
•
A soft, consistent pounding on the bedroom door awakened Olivia early Saturday morning. She raised her head and glanced at the marble wall clock. It was only eight-thirty. The knocking was followed by her sister’s unusually low voice calling her name. Why doesn’t she just use the telephone? Olivia wondered.
“Liv, wake up and let me in,” Valerie stage-whispered, not wanting to rouse her mother at the end of the hall. She knocked again. “Liv…”
A puffy-faced Olivia pulled the double doors open. “Why didn’t you just call me? At least I wouldn’t have had to get up.” She padded back to her cozy bed.
Still in pajamas, Valerie rushed into the room, hastily closed the doors and flipped the lock. “I wanted to see you. What happened with Sean this time?” It was common knowledge that he was one of the only people who made Olivia behave so strangely. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing, because I know something happened.”
Rolling over, Olivia squeezed a fluffy pillow to her chest. “Val, he’s still seeing that bitch. Can you believe it?”
Valerie fell onto the bed. “Yes. I can believe it.” She hesitated. “Liv, don’t you think it’s time? Huh? I mean, don’t you think it’s just time to drop him already and move on?”
“What? This from one of his most faithful defenders?”
“Yeah, but, even I can see that isn’t working out.”
“I guess, but…” Olivia paused. “Valerie, you know how much I love Sean. Do you think if someone had told me that things would turn out this way, I’d have gotten so involved with him? No. Never in a million years. But unfortunately, no one told me, so I did get involved—way too involved.”
“So how did you find out this time?”
“You mean besides the fact that Vincent practically spelled it out for me? I went over there, and she was locked up in the room with him. He wouldn’t even come out and speak to me after I banged on the door and screamed at him. Can you believe that? I’m still wondering if I imagined the whole thing.”
“Damn—that is bad.” After a pause, Valerie tried to comfort her. “Look, Liv, you’ll get over Sean. What does Grandma Rhoda say? ‘There are plenty of other fish in the streets, right?” Valerie giggled at their maternal grandmother’s fudged cliché.
“Yeah, I guess,” said Olivia, not really caring to find another fish.
“Anyway,” said Valerie, changing the subject. “Mom wants to talk to us about Daddy quitting his job in Orlando.”
“Yeah, he told me that he was gonna be home more often now, that he was going back to his old schedule.” Olivia couldn’t shake the sudden wave of emptiness that enveloped her. All it took was the subject of her father. “So, what does Mom want to talk to us about?”
“I’m not really that sure…She says she wants to know how we feel about it. And just to let you know—since she’ll probably blab to you, anyway—we kinda got into an argument.”
“What did you say to her?” asked Olivia, turning to face Valerie.
“Nothing. I just kind of…sort of hinted that she probably wouldn’t be too happy to have Daddy home.” She saw the disapproval on Olivia’s face and rushed on, “And even you should know that it’s true, Olivia.”
Olivia propped herself on her elbows. “Oh, Valerie, don’t tell me you still think Ma’s seeing some other man. Give it a rest already!”
“Stop acting like you don’t see it, Liv!” Valerie raised her hand and counted off on her fingers. “Does she ever go out at night by herself when Daddy’s home? No. Does she sneak into the house early in the morning when Daddy’s home? No. Is she panicking now that Daddy’s changing his schedule? Yes. I rest my case,” she said smugly.
“Well, I don’t think so. But even if she is, so what? Daddy’s never home, anyway.”
“Well, I asked Debbie to follow her later. It’s about time we found out where she runs off to at night.”
“You told Debbie to what? Follow her?” Olivia sat up in the bed. “Okay, Val, that’s just a bit much. You’re taking this too far.” Olivia threw up her hands. “You’re only seventeen. Why are you so concerned with this? What are you gonna do if she is seeing somebody? Steal him?”
“Oh, come on. Doesn’t it upset you just a little to know that Mom’s running around on Daddy?”
“Look, it’s none of our business what they do. And how do you know your precious Daddy isn’t doing the same thing to Mom?”
Valerie frowned. “I never thought about that. I can’t picture him with another woman.” Shaking her head emphatically, she added, “Daddy wouldn’t do that! He loves Mom too much. You know that.”
“The only thing I know about Daddy is that he’s more of a mystery to us than Mom is. We hardly even know him anymore.”
Valerie reached over and shoved her on the shoulder. “You always say that! Daddy i
s not a mystery. Why do you think like that?”
“Well, just the way you have a hunch that Mom’s having an affair, I have a hunch that Dad’s a mystery…Fair enough? Let’s just forget it.” Olivia lay back against the pillows and closed her eyes. What was Sean doing right now? And why wasn’t he calling nonstop? Her eyes stung with fresh tears.
He was still with her.
“Well, I know that tone. I see this conversation is over—at least for now. Getting you to listen to me anymore is about as likely as getting a signed confession from Mom.” Valerie sighed and joined Olivia under the covers. Within a few minutes, she was back to sleep.
Olivia lay there, studying the popcorn on the ceiling. The tears slid from her eyes. Her heart muscles ached again. He was still with her. Sean…locked up in that room with her…
Did he whisper the same words of love to Jackie? Did they have sex the same way?
Oh, Olivia, don’t do this to yourself. Stop it now…
•
“Cream cheese, milk, bread, orange juice…” Tracy scribbled the items on a note pad as she intently watched a man lift at least thirty hideous-looking snakes with his bare hands. It was amazing that he still managed to speak animatedly into the camera.
Still in her airy nightgown, she had trotted downstairs with an armful of dirty whites to do laundry. The cleaning service came in twice a week to make the house spotless, but Tracy had never been comfortable with the idea of a stranger doing her laundry. For her, it was too personal.
She had tossed the whites into the washing machine and returned to the kitchen to watch Animal Planet on the built-in television set. It was one of her favorite cable stations. Not that she cared for animals—she had never wanted pets—but the documentaries had always been intriguing.
Now, as she wrote the grocery list, it was twenty past ten; much later than she would’ve liked. She was usually up by eight on Saturdays, but this morning she had slept in. After her bizarre conversation with Reginald the night before, Tracy lay awake, thinking about the odd tone she’d heard in his voice. He just hadn’t sounded like himself, and if she knew anything about Reginald, it meant something was wrong.
Oh, Lord, she thought. The last thing she needed was another surprise from Reggie. Her life was complex enough, what with Frank and his apparent disinterest in a real relationship. Tracy shuddered at the thought of what everyone would say when she and Reginald separated. And what’s worse? She’d be leaving him for his oldest—and closest—friend.
Leaving the barstool, she went over to the refrigerator to scout for more necessities. But as thoughts of a divorce intensified, Tracy found she could not actually comprehend a life without Reginald. They had been together for so long. Reggie was an essential part of her. He was her husband. He was her friend. He was everything…
Until Orlando, she thought with full heart.
Just as she closed the fridge, Tracy spotted Olivia walking toward the foyer. “Good morning, sleepy head,” she called out. Olivia was still in her pajamas, complete with tangled hair. Tracy smiled, adding, “I’m certain you aren’t going anywhere dressed like that.”
“Yeah, right, Mom,” she chuckled. “I was just opening the blinds. It’s too dark down here.” She joined Tracy in the kitchen. “It looks like we’re gonna get more rain.”
Tracy took one look at Olivia’s puffy face and said, “Okay, what’s happened with the infamous Sean this time?” She slipped back onto the barstool.
Olivia fell silent. Padding over to their walk-in pantry, she set about seeking food for her starving stomach. She had awakened not only to find Valerie still sound asleep beside her, but also to the sound of a growling tummy. Finding nothing in the pantry that she wanted, she closed the door and went to the refrigerator, deciding on bacon and eggs.
“There’s nothing there, honey. I’m doing the list now,” said Tracy. “Now, tell me what happened.” She reached up and turned down the animated chatter of the animal hunter.
Olivia took the stool next to her mother, and a fresh pool of tears filled her eyes. “Mommy…oh, Mom…” She laid her head on Tracy’s shoulder. “Jackie. He’s still seeing Jackie.” She paused, wiping her tears. “I went over there last night, and they were locked up in his room together. He didn’t even open the door after I screamed and pounded on it for bloody murder. And what’s worse, his brother, Vincent, basically told me straight out that Jackie never actually left the picture.” She sniffled and blew her already sore and tender nose in a napkin. “He said the whole family knew that Jackie was the only girl Sean’s ever really loved.” She sobbed.
Her mother let her weep, remaining silent for several minutes. Finally, she quietly said, “I think I know where this is headed, but I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it.” She placed a soft kiss on Olivia’s forehead. “Hon, you’ve got to get smarter about Sean. It’s obvious that he cares a great deal about you, and that he’s a fun guy to have around. But what’s that doing for you, Liv? At the end of the day, you’re left with this broken heart.” She laid her cheek on Olivia’s head. “Has it been worth it? Is it worth it to continue holding out hope for this relationship?”
“Mom—”
“Hold on, wait a minute,” Tracy cut her off. “It’s also painfully obvious that he’s still tremendously wrapped up with Jacquelyn. I mean, if his own brother is tipping you off…” She fell silent, shook her head. “I’m not telling you it’s gonna be easy, but just think about the facts and make a solid decision, because, honey, I hate seeing you in so much pain.”
Tracy chose her next words carefully. “In light of all this, what do you want to do about the baby, Liv?”
“Oh, Mom, what can I do?” she sobbed. “That’s what’s really eating me raw!”
Tracy raised her shoulder, forcing her daughter to look at her. “Have an abortion, Olivia,” she said simply.
Olivia closed her eyes. Then she really bawled.
She had known two weeks ago, the very day she missed her period, that she was pregnant. She went to the doctor’s office only to confirm it. The first—and only—person she had told was her mother. She had wanted to share the news with Sean, but at the perfect time and place. She had yet to find either. “When can I get it done? Daddy’s supposed to be home this week, and I don’t want him to know anything, Mom. You understand?”
“I understand,” said Tracy, smoothing her hair. “You know I won’t tell your father if you prefer he didn’t know. I’m just so relieved that you’re making this decision.” They hugged, and Tracy held her tight. “The last thing you need to do now is ruin your beautiful youth by becoming a single mother at such a young age. It would break our hearts to see that happen to you.” After a pause, she added, “Thank God I never had to raise you two alone, without a father. I can’t imagine what being a single mother would’ve been like for me—I certainly don’t want that for you or Valerie.”
“Well, you know, you practically have been a single mother for all the time we’ve seen Daddy in the last ten years. But look at what happened. I think it’s so weird. We leaned on you, and you leaned on Uncle Frank.” Olivia chuckled through the tears.
“Shhh,” Tracy put a finger over her lips and quickly glanced toward the doorway. “Watch it…Don’t say that too loud, Olivia. Your sister’s got big ears, you know. Is she up yet?”
“No. I left her in my room, fast asleep. She woke me up so early this morning…Which reminds me…” She sat straight up, touching her mother’s arm. “Mom, you’ve got to be careful. Valerie’s getting ridiculous—”
“Tell me about it! Can you believe she flat out insinuated that I didn’t want your father to make his schedule change?”
“Uh-huh, she told me that. But listen to me. She told Debbie to follow you later on to see where you run off to every night when Daddy’s in Orlando.”
“She what?” Tracy practically shrieked. “Told Debbie to follow me? Oh, my God.” She covered her mouth. Seconds passed. Finally, she said, “Yo
u know what this means? If she’s filling Deborah’s head with her nonsense, what’s to stop Debbie from telling her mother? Maybe now Reggie’s entire family suspects I’m seeing another man…Oh, my God!” she said in a sudden panic. “Damn it.”
“So what are you gonna do? Besides, it’s not nonsense, Mom. She just doesn’t know who to put at the end of the equals sign, but Valerie’s got the equation down to a T.”
Tracy rubbed the side of her head. “I feel helpless,” she murmured, more to herself than to Olivia. “My hands are tied. How can I scold Valerie in a situation like this when I’m up to my elbows in wrongdoing? What in the world can I possibly say to her without feeling like a hypocrite the size of Mount Rushmore?” It was impossible.
Tracy closed her eyes and shook her head. “Oh, Olivia, make sure you never get yourself into a situation like this. I’ll tell you now from experience, it’s completely avoidable. Damn! I should have seen this coming. No wonder she’s become so cheeky.” Tracy rose from the stool and reached for the kitchen telephone.
“What are you gonna do? Who are you calling?”
“I’m gonna call Deborah and give her a piece of my mind. She’s old enough to know better. She should’ve called me the instant Valerie came to her with such an outrageous proposition.”
“Wait, wait, wait…” Olivia reached for the phone and put it back in the handset. “If you do that, Valerie will know that I told you and she’ll hit the roof— she’d never tell me anything again. Can’t you just wait till Debbie’s following you? Catch her on the road? Then you can take it from there.”
Nodding her head, Tracy replied, “Yeah…yeah, you’re right. That’s a better idea. And I’ll also be giving Thelma a call to set the record straight, because I’m betting that Debbie’s already spread the news to her mother. I couldn’t imagine her sitting on something like this.”
THE GREAT PRETENDER Page 10