Requested Surrender

by Riley Murphy

  Lacy swallowed the lump in her throat and took her hands from his. She slid her arms around his shoulders and whispered against his neck, “You aggravate the shit out of me sometimes too.”

  “Good to know.”

  She smiled with her lips pressed into his warm skin, and was going to tell him how happy she was when he shrugged his shoulder to get her attention. She almost leaned back until his next words registered.

  “You’re the first woman I’ve ever asked.”

  Now she squeezed him tighter. Wanting that to be true. Needing it to be true. But how could it be?

  Elaina…

  When her phone buzzed again he sighed, “I suppose that’s the girls again. Up you get.”

  Reluctantly she let go of him and stood. “David, I…” She wasn’t sure what she was going to say. The old Lacy would have jumped all over screaming, Yes. I’ll gladly give you my surrender, but the new woman inside her whispered, Wait. Think about all the things that haven’t been discussed. The one thing.

  Elaina.

  “I don’t want an answer now. There’s more we have to talk about before we get to your decision. I just wanted you to know how I’m feeling. Where I’m at in terms of our relationship after spending all this time together…and going through certain experiences with you.”

  David didn’t add particularly Thursday night’s. Because in one quiet and poignant conversation, he had all the answers to Lacy that had previously eluded him. What he’d put down to childish behavior on her part, was really nothing more than her being self-protecting. The way she never took responsibility, choosing to hedge or fib, worse how she tried to flirt her way out of the things, he now understood. If she readily accepted responsibility as a rule, she’d have to accept the ultimate responsibility. Causing her brother’s accident. And if she was used to manipulating her father to get him to pay attention to her, of course flirting would be the norm for her to get what she wanted or to get out of trouble. He got that. He hadn’t missed either, how quickly she reverted to the scattered and everything-rolls-off-my-back woman yesterday at the party. Racy-Lacy. He hated hearing that. But after thinking all this through last night before he fell asleep, he decided to focus on the positive. Lacy wasn’t a victim. She was a survivor like him.

  “Can we talk about it tonight?”

  He stood up and pulled her into his arms for a quick hug. “You bet.” He released her and asked, “What time will you be home from the show?”

  “Around one. I hope you don’t mind, but I told the girls we’d pick up some takeout and eat lunch in the gardens.”

  “Not at all. Are you sure you want to get takeout? I can ask Franny to put something together for you guys.”

  Lacy shook her head. “It’s Sunday. Besides, I think she’s going to take her grandson and Phil to the pet park today. I gave them directions.”

  David picked up the scrap of newspaper and folded it so the real crossword that he’d almost finished was one neat square. “Right. That reminds me. Andrew and I fixed up Phil’s room. He’s back here tonight. You want to see it?”

  “Jo.” Lacy held up her phone showing him the texts. “Both times. Wait, did you say room?”

  “It’s more a closet, but to him it will be a room.”

  “Get. Out. After how hard Phil worked to claim his masculinity you’re sticking him in a closet?”

  David grinned. “There’s chili pepper lights. They’re like a string of Christmas ones, only in vegetable form. I don’t know where Andrew found them, but I thought it was a nice touch given Phil speaks Spanish. I was the one who ordered the bed. Of course when I did, I thought Phil was a chick, so I had to give it to Franny to butch up a bit. I think she did a great job. Do you want to see it?”

  “Are you kidding me? Of course, I want to see it.”

  As he led her up the stairs he said, “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this—”

  “But you’re going to.”

  “Don’t interrupt. I want you to go straight to the movies and to the takeout place then come right back here. No veering off course today, okay?”

  “There go my plans to hook up with one of the ushers before lunch.”

  “Sarcasm. Not so cute.” He pulled her to a stop with him halfway to the end of the hall. Tipping up her chin, he lowered his tone and asked, “Do I need to spank you so you’ll remember? I know how you like the lingering feel of my attention on you.”

  Her pupils dilated and her cheeks filled with a pretty pink color. “I never should have told you that.”

  “I disagree. I want you to tell me everything.”

  David leaned down, only to brush his lips to hers, but she threw her arms around him and hung on tight. Remaining like that, until he chuckled and forcibly disengaged from her. “You continue doing that and you’ll miss your show.”

  Her phone buzzed again and she let out an exasperated breath. “Ugh. Okay. Jo’s got ants in her pants this morning. She’s worried if we don’t get there early enough it’ll be sold out.”

  “We’ll come on then. Let me show you Master Phil’s place and then you can go meet your friends.”

  David took her the rest of the way down the hall, past his room and the two other bedrooms until they got to the last door on the right. “It’s in here.”

  “Aw, you cut out a doggie door. Nice.”

  “Check this out.” He couldn’t wait to see her reaction as he flung open the door.

  She blinked. Not exactly what he was going for. “What do you think?”

  “It’s, ah…very lavish.”

  “Lavish? I thought it was urban ethnic.”

  “Is that what you were going for?” She looked at him. Was that pity in her eyes? “It looks like a Mexican whore house.”

  He tilted his head and examined the black and lime green tassels dangling from the large canopy. He really wished he’d ordered the square bed, it would have fit better in the room, but there was no changing that now. Franny had done the new upholstery to match the tassels, and he and Andrew had added the red throw pillows and lights to finish the place off.

  “That’s good, no? Phil’s like a teenager in dog’s years, isn’t he? He’ll appreciate the motif.”

  She looked around. “What was this? It’s bigger than a regular closet.”

  “It’s a nine-by-nine storage closet.”

  “Oh, well it’s roomy.” She leaned in and frowned. “Are those speakers?”

  “They are. I bought him some music to listen to.”

  She did a double take at him. “I’m not going to ask, but I do have to point out. Just because you built it, doesn’t mean he’ll stay in it.”

  David closed the door and followed her down the hall. “Where the hell else would he stay?”

  “In your room.”

  David laughed and shook his head because that wasn’t happening. “You think so?”

  “Sure, and I’m guessing he’ll be in your bed the first chance his little paws get to carry him there.”

  He wasn’t laughing now. Maybe he’d go to the pet store while Lacy was out and buy the guy some toys. He’d have to think about that.

  ***

  Lacy really wasn’t in the mood to see a show. The whole drive to the mall, all she could think of was David’s request.

  Buzz

  And if Jo didn’t knock it off with the messaging she was going to bop her one. No sooner had she pulled her car into a spot, after driving around the lot three times, her phone made noise. Not a buzz, it rang this time instead.

  She put the car into park and answered, “Yes, Jo.”

  “This isn’t Jo.”

  Instantly she got that sinking heart feeling. It always happened when her dad was abrupt with her. “Hi, Dad.”

  “You didn’t answer my texts. Why haven’t you gotten back to me?”

  She was just about to tell him she’d been driving when he went on.

  “It doesn’t matter. I want you to come by the house.”

  Lac
y leaned back in her seat and frowned as she looked up at the huge sign for the theater with the title of the show they were going to see just beneath it. “Now? But I was—”

  “Yes, now.”

  This was more than him just being brisk. He sounded upset, and when that came to her she sat up. “Is Mom okay?”

  “We’ll talk about that when you get here.” Then he hung up.

  Hopefully her mom was okay. She had to be, right? The only time she ever came down with a headache was when she was mad at one of them. She was never good with getting her anger out, that was her dad’s job. He was the one who got mad and held a grudge for days, weeks—she thought about her brother’s accident and added—a lifetime.

  Maybe this was about the clinic. He was the one who said he wanted to oversee the last of the project. Laurence had been right about that yesterday. She’d told everyone, including Jo and Colin, that she’d had enough with the details surrounding the place and what was needed for the grand opening. But the truth was her father had stepped in and pushed her out. What started as a partnership idea ended up with him making all the decisions. She should have known that was going to happen. You wanted it to be different this time. It was never different, she’d only been fooling herself. And trying to fool everyone else by pretending she didn’t care about the clinic. She cared about it, she just cared more about trying to make her father happy.

  He doesn’t sound happy now.

  “Dammit.”

  She put a call into Jo and explained that she had to go see her dad, but she’d meet them at 12:30 at the sandwich shop, before she pulled out of the parking lot.

  It didn’t take her long to get to her parents’ place, and when she let herself in she was surprised her mother didn’t greet her. Her mom was always the first one to the door, but not today.

  “Mom? Dad?”

  “Your mother’s not here. Come into my office, Lacy.”

  She recognized that tone of voice. She was in trouble. A common occurrence after a family get together. She should have used her out with David.

  “Sit down.”

  Her mouth went dry as she stared across the huge black desk. Hating how it made her feel like a little kid again. A huge knot of worry tightened in her stomach while her mind raced, wondering what she’d done this time. She kept telling herself that she wasn’t a child anymore. But when he curled his fingers over his palm to negligently examine his nails as he spoke, she suddenly wished she was one. A blissfully ignorant child whose behavior could be excused.

  “It seems we have another distasteful situation on our hands.” He uncurled his fingers and studied his palm for a lethally charged second before he looked at her. “Your boyfriend is an abuser and I won’t stand by and let you get taken advantage of again. I want you to stop seeing him.”

  Lacy’s first thought was that somehow he’d heard about David being in the lifestyle. That couldn’t be. “He most certainly is not. Why would you think such a thing?”

  “He is. He threatened Laurie, and why wouldn’t I think that? You haven’t picked the greatest men in your life. What about—”

  “Enough with that. It was one guy. One mistake. When are you going to let it go? Didn’t I pay you back all the money you had to put out covering that loss my first semester?”

  “It’s not about the money. It’s about your poor choices. You’ve made another one and you’re going to fix it.”

  Lacy swallowed the lump of anxiety that rose in her throat at her father’s stern tone. She fought the urge to simply shrug and say okay. This wasn’t okay. His steamrolling her…as usual. Ignoring his icy gaze she said, “David’s not a mistake. He’s not an abuser. Where’s Mom?”

  When her father came at her like this, her mother always acted like the water to dampen her father’s unreasonable blaze.

  “I don’t know where she is. She left yesterday after the party. After your David said unkind things to her. Things that upset her, which have upset me.”

  Lacy sat back and frowned. “What unkind things? What did he say to her?”

  She figured this was more about what David had done to Laurence. She recalled how pale her brother had gone when David whispered something in his ear. At the time she’d known it was more than what David had told her, but she hadn’t cared because Laurie deserved it. He was being his vicious self and looking at her dad now, she was given to think he came by that trait honestly.

  “He told your mother about the accident.”

  Lacy’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart beat steady but firm, as heat rose from the base of her throat to her cheeks. Guilty. She knew that word was written all over her face because she knew where this was going. “Wh-what about it?”

  “He told her you caused it, and there was only way he could have known that.”

  “He couldn’t have,” she whispered. Even as she tried to recall what she’d said on Thursday night. What she’d admitted.

  “Your mother knows everything. How I told you about it. She was so mad at me she left. I’m not sure she’s coming back. I hope she’ll forgive me.”

  Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought that was an odd thing for him to say. An ironic thing for him to want, as he wasn’t big on giving anyone in his life his forgiveness.

  “David didn’t—”

  “Didn’t what? Come into our home and create havoc? He did. He brought up things from our past that were better left buried. In my experience, people who instigate like that do so for one reason. They want the drama focused somewhere else. Anywhere but on themselves. What do you know about this guy? You trust him so much that you’d choose him over your family?”

  Lacy’s heart ached. Literally ached. These were the same questions her father had asked her before. When she stood her ground and defended her man who turned out to be a lying thief.

  “You don’t make good decisions. You trust the wrong men. You’re a pushover and men take advantage of the fact. He’s taking advantage of you somehow. I know it and you know it too.”

  No. David could be trusted. He was honest.

  Not about Elaina…

  “Are you going to answer me? Is he that important to you?”

  Lacy’s heart was breaking. The worry and fear. The guilt was rising, getting ready to strangle her. David always seemed so focused in on her problems. Never once did they discuss his. Why hadn’t he opened those letters? Why was he keeping them? Worse, why did it seem as if he were completely together.

  Focus the drama somewhere else…

  Was that what she was to him? A foil? The distracting drama he needed so he didn’t have to face the issues he had over Elaina?

  You knew this all along. Only you didn’t want to see it.

  “I…he’s not…no.” After that disjointed sentence fell out of her mouth she wanted to grab it back. That was the old Lacy who was ready to pretend she didn’t have a care. She cared. She cared a great deal. “If David threatened Laurie, it was only because Laurie was being rude to me.”

  “Your brother hasn’t had an easy life. He has to deal with things you can’t even imagine because…”

  Of you. He didn’t have to say it out loud, she’d heard the inference often enough when her dad and her had these “little talks,” it was imprinted on her brain.

  “In any case. I’m glad you’re not too attached to him. If you took his side of things, I’m sure your mother would leave me.”

  “What?”

  Her father stood and went to the window. With his back to her he said, “You’re going to have to give me your support with this. You’ll need to tell her that when you learned you caused the accident, it was no big deal.” He turned back to her. “It wasn’t, was it?”

  She wanted to scream, It was the only deal. The everything I always thought about until David, but then he went on.

  “You being with him would be a constant reminder to your mother. I don’t want that, so this time I’m going to have to insist you do as I’ve asked and break u
p with him. This time we don’t have the luxury of allowing your mistake to play out. Besides, you know how relationships go with you. Things always fall apart and when they do, you manage. If it’s going to end eventually anyways, best you end it now so we can get your mom to come home and put all this behind us.”

  Lacy nodded. Because there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that things with David would fall apart. Her dad was right about that. They always did and she always managed.

  ***

  David tried not to frown at the two women. “What do you mean by she’ll be here at 12:30? I thought the three of you were going to the show and then having lunch back here?”

  Colin put a hand to her back and said, “The movie was sold out—”

  “I fucking told them this was a crossover flick. Women and men want to see it, so we’d be fighting crowds. Did they believe me? No.”

  David looked from one to the other and scowled. “This still doesn’t explain why Lacy’s not here with you.”

  “Oh, she wasn’t going to go to the movie anyway. Her dad called and wanted to see her.”

  “Was it something urgent?”

  Jo shrugged. “I guess.”

  “I see.” He was a little perturbed that Lacy hadn’t let him know, but leaving to go handle family matters was far different than simply walking off for the afternoon. “What time did she say she’d meet you here?”

  “12:30. Where’s the kitchen around this place?” Jo asked, holding the bag of food up. “I should put this in the fridge.”

  David tossed the book he was reading onto the comfortable recliner he’d just vacated, and said, “I’ll show you and I’ll get you something to drink while you’re waiting.”

  As it turned out, Jo and Colin wound up taking their bag of food back to Colin’s to meet up with Ethan and Ted, because Lacy never made it back in time for lunch. It was nearly 3:00 before she walked through his door. And although he was glad to see she was all right, there was a small part of him that wanted to throttle her. Not one text. Not one call. Nothing.