Our lunch was relaxed and comfortable, when the server brought our pizza, I went into mom mode, grabbing the plates and sliding a slice with vegetables onto it for him before serving myself. When I handed it to him, our eyes locked and I stilled, plate frozen in the air between us.
“I’m sorry. I’m just so used to being the one that serves.”
“It’s okay, my mother still does it, and I’m thirty-six.”
“You are?”
“Wow. Don’t go planning my funeral yet. Thirty-six isn’t that old.”
“No. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. I just hadn’t thought about it. Maybe because I forget that I’m twenty-six, I feel older than I am.”
“Sometimes life experiences make us grow up, just don’t let them make you grow old. You need to have some fun, get out every now and then.”
“Easier said than done.” Well, for me anyway. He didn’t have a kid that he was responsible for.
He laughed and shook his head as he took the plate from me. “You would be surprised by how easy it is when you have the right people around you.”
I didn’t comment back, but thankfully, the air between us stayed casual as we ate. When we were done, he again refused to let me pay, and we headed back to the office, only to find Ariel and Sophie in George’s office.
“Hey, Pops. Soph, Ariel.” Damon’s love for everyone radiated as he walked over and placed a kiss on top of each woman’s head. “What are you two doing here?”
“Hi, everyone.” I waved. “I’ll be in my office.”
“Well, that’s why we’re here. We’re actually here to talk to Katy.” Sophie stood and walked toward me, Ariel following behind. “We wanted to invite you out tonight. We get together once a month for a girls’ night out, and we’d love it if you joined us.”
The invitation sounded genuine, but I still shook my head. “I’d love to, thank you for the offer, but I can’t. I’m sorry.” I slid one foot back to begin my escape. “But it was nice seeing you two. Bee and I will see you this weekend, I’m sure.”
“Wait.” It must be a family thing because Sophie’s hand struck out and wrapped around mine before I could make my getaway. “Please? If you’re worried about Bee, Harlow has been asking for a play date with her, so I figured the girls could all play while we went out. Those two will have Carter dressed up and sitting down for a tea party. It’s worth going out just to put him through it.”
I reminded myself to stop and think before throwing a fit. They weren’t trying to be overwhelming; they were just being welcoming. Bee had been asking to play with Harlow, and Damon had said that I should go out. The thought of it, the thought of doing something for myself . . . just because, was like a snowflake in a desert. Foreign and strange and maybe a bit welcomed. She’d be with Carter. Bee knew Carter. She liked Harlow. Bee had spent time with Harlow while Carter watched them at the community center. Carter genuinely cared about Bee, he’d protect her regardless, they had this bond and more than once Bee had told me about him cloud watching with her. He was also the only cop I actually trusted. Taking a deep breath, I did something that I’d never imagined doing.
“Okay.”
“Yay.” Ariel clapped. “We’ll pick you up just before seven.”
“I’d like to drive. You know, just in case. For emergency. I’ve never left Bee except at the community center or school.”
“The three of us will be together in Sophie’s car. Believe me, if there were an emergency, we’d leave with you. We wouldn’t let you handle it alone.” Sophie’s kind eyes sparkled the same rich chocolate as Damon’s.
Sophie and Ariel left, and I got back to work. Their words slowly slipping into my mind throughout my afternoon, not alone.
“Hey, you have a minute?”
I leaned back in my chair and stretched, taking in the way Damon’s body filled out his jeans and his pale blue button-up shirt. At some point, he’d rolled the sleeves, which gave him a casual but still powerful look. “Sure.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and get Bee so you can get ready and go out with the girls? If you don’t mind, I’ll come by and entertain her while you get ready.”
I smiled and gave him a slow nod, too shocked by these people to answer with words. I thought about the fact that it seemed I’d gotten more than a job—I’d gained friends, and it stunned me into silence. That was something I couldn’t remember ever truly having. When I was around these people, around Damon, a four-letter word danced in my head and my heart: hope. Could I trust someone not to hurt me?
On my way out, I called the school to let them know Bee was parent pickup, and they assured me that she would be there waiting.
Turning my blinker on, I scooted over into the parent pickup lane and waited my turn as car after car was filled with a child or two.
I jumped when a horn honked. Glancing forward, I saw that the car in front of me had pulled forward and then I turned to my rearview. Fucking soccer mom Suzy and her best friend Tits Magee were in the car behind mine, laughing about something.
I glared. Five feet, she really thought five feet was going to make that big of a difference. I wasn’t getting out of my car this time. No, I was going to piss her off instead—her and her perfectly coiffed bottle-blonde hair. I bet if I pulled it out, she’d have brown roots. At least I didn’t have to dye my hair.
As the car in front of me scooted up, I found satisfaction in keeping a small distance between us and just when I saw the stuck-up bitch put her car in park, I’d inch forward. It was entertaining, and I decided to do it every time that woman was behind me. I felt relaxed and vindicated as I saw the woman in the Porsche Cayenne get pissed as I continued my game. Finally, I made it to the front of the line, and Bee ran up to the car with some snotty ass brat right behind her. She said something, and I saw the hurt cross my girl’s face.
“Hey, Bee bug, what was that about?”
She rolled her eyes. “That was Tawney.”
I watched the mean girl get into the Porsche Cayenne, of course. Somehow it seemed fitting.
“Is her mom driving the vehicle behind us?”
“Yep. That’s Miss Manday.” Bee turned around and got her seatbelt fastened.
“Manday? You mean Mandy?”
“No. Manday. Like Monday.” Bee twisted the air vents to face her.
Oh, like Man-Day, since the black widow probably devoured them, or some other creature that ate the souls of hapless, unsuspecting people, a man a day. “What was she saying to you?”
“Mom.”
It wasn’t so much that she said my name as it was how she said it that had me looking over to her. On her face, all I could see was that her little eight-year-old world was crumbling. I didn’t always stand up for myself, but I sure as hell would fight for my kid. Her one word was a plea, and I totally understood it. She was begging me to let it go.
“Hey, kid, you know that you’re the peanut butter to my jelly, right?” That got me an eye roll. “You know how you feel when you get something amazing?”
“Like my Kindle?”
“Exactly, just like when the Santas gave you your Kindle. You were so excited that you told everyone, you even told strangers that you’d gotten a Kindle.” Bee laughed at the memory.
“Well, there are kids who act just as crazy, but for the opposite reason. They are used to getting everything they want. So, when they don’t get something, instead of getting excited like you did, they get mean. They still share their feelings with everyone, even strangers or people who had nothing to do with it, but it comes out as meanness.”
“But she has so much. She needs to be happy with what she has.” Bee’s eyes were brimming with tears.
“Sweet cheeks, truer words have never been spoken.”
When Bee and I arrived home—shit, this wasn’t home, this was Tristan’s house—I saw Damon’s truck over at his house, which gave me pause. Why did his brother need a house-sitter when anyone could stop by and check in on the house?
“Hey, Bee bug.”
An odd feeling crept over me when he called her that, that’s what I called her. It wasn’t jealousy. I didn’t mind. It was just weird because I couldn’t remember using her nickname in front of him. I needed to pay more attention to what I said and when. Comfort. Comfort was the beginning of all ruination. You get comfortable and things slip. You get comfortable and let your guard down. You get comfortable and then people can dangle something from a string in front of you.
“I’m doing some work over at my house. Bee’s welcome to come help while you get ready.”
“Thanks, but she needs to take a bath and get a few things together. She’s going over to Harlow’s. Maybe another time.” I took Bee’s backpack from her and headed toward the house. “Come on, Bee, let’s go.”
Chapter 14
Katy
At seven, I walked into Sixes with Sophie and Ariel. I couldn’t believe that just two weeks ago I’d called about a job, and now here I was going out for a girls’ night out.
The soft, hazy glow from the lights made Sixes feel more like a dive-bar than it actually was. I’d never been in here before, but I had driven by hundreds of times. They supposedly had great food, just weren’t exactly kid-friendly.
“Less than a week of school left, are you happy?” Sophie asked me.
“Dreading it. Bee signed up to sing a song for the school’s talent show. I have to find her an outfit and make sure she knows the words to a song.”
“Can she sing?” Sophie asked.
“She has a sweet voice, and I’m not just saying that because I’m her mother. But it’s more than that. There is this bitchy mom trying to tell Bee that she needs to do something else.”
“Why would a mom do that?” Ariel asked as we took our seats at the table.
I paused in my explanation for a second to say hello to Stella and meet the other ladies Leo, Everly, Piper, and Vivian. Knowing there was no way I would remember everyone, I had tried those mnemonic games, but somehow singing Leo, Leo bo-beo, banana-fana-fo-feo didn’t seem like the most adult thing to do. So, I continued my story instead. “Because her daughter is singing as well and she just wants to save Bee the heartache of not winning.” I rolled my eyes. “The daughter is just as bad—future mean girl material all the way.”
“What night is it?” Stella asked as she pulled out her phone.
“It’s Thursday, the last day of school, why?”
“I’m off that night. I’ll come.”
“Ohh. Carter and I will come too. I’m sure Harlow would love to see her. I know that it would mean the world to Christine if Bee invited her.”
My heart raced, this is exactly what Bee wanted, people to see her and support her. How could I give my kid a cheering squad and not set her up for disappointment at the same time?
“I have a brilliant idea.” We all froze to stare at Sophie. Something about her words excited and scared me at the same time.
“Ariel.”
“Yes?”
“Get your phone out and put it on speakerphone. I think this is a job for Ringo.”
The women around the table burst out laughing as Ariel happily grabbed her phone and placed it on the center of the table.
“Wait, who’s Ringo?”
Ariel held her finger up to her lips to silence me as her phone rang.
“What’s up, bitch?” A high-pitched male’s voice came through the phone.
“Obviously not you since you answered the phone,” Ariel retorted.
“Oh snap.”
“We need you,” Ariel stated.
“Of course you do, honey, that’s what they all say.” Ringo was quick with the comeback.
Leaning close to Sophie, I asked, “He, by chance, wouldn’t be a drag queen, would he? If so, I can’t wait to tell Bee. She is a huge fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
That was my and Bee’s one indulgence. We’d spent hours upon hours on YouTube watching the episodes and interviews.
“Aren’t we all a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race?” Ringo asked.
Oh shit, he’d heard me. I felt my cheeks heat at being caught.
“And no, I’m not a drag queen. I’m the motherfucking empress of all drag queens, bitch.” The girls let out a loud laugh, and I turned to see people staring at us.
“All hail the empress!” I said in way of apology.
“Right on. Now, who’s this Bee that you’re talking about and when does she want to meet ole Ringo?”
“Well, that’s actually why I’m calling.” Ariel began explaining about Bee’s recital and that she was an eight-year-old, up-and-coming diva and all about the mother from hell intimidating Bee.
“Bring it on. We’ll take the mother and her daughter down. When do we start?” Ringo asked.
“So you’ll do it? You’ll help our Bee?” Ariel asked all excitedly.
Their Bee? She was theirs. No. She was my Bee. But these people? They wanted to give her the thing I couldn’t—extra love. And truthfully, I wanted Bee to have tons of love. I just didn’t want all of the heartbreak that usually came with it. Or the strings, let’s not forget the strings.
As Ariel and Ringo discussed times and locations for practice, I made notes on my phone.
“I will bring the bling and some sheet music. Just you wait, that wanna be, Texas cheerleading mom won’t know what hit her. Ciao.”
“Ciao,” everyone replied, and Ariel pressed end call.
“Ummm. What was that? Or rather, who was that?”
“That was Ringo. He’s a Whitney impersonator and does a fabulous job, and on Sundays, he sings at Banana’s,” Leo explained.
“The breakfast place where the drag queens dress up in choir robes and sing old gospel songs?”
“That’d be the place.” The girl with strawberry blonde hair . . . Everly, I think—crap, no she was Piper. Yup, she was Piper.
“This means he’ll be at the house tomorrow? I can’t, I’m staying at Tristan’s.” Plus, if I needed to get food, that would eat into my savings.
“Don’t worry. We’ll have it at mine; that way, my girls can play while Bee does her thing. And Christine always makes food for everyone, so I’ll just have her bring it down.” Sophie waved my worries off as if they were no big deal, I guess that was a perk to having a close, large family.
Let’s look on Pinterest to see what we can find for a costume for Bee.” Ariel pulled her phone back out and started searching.
“I hate that site. Why spend eighty dollars on craft supplies to make what I could get from Walmart for ten dollars. Makes perfect sense.” I looked up and met the eyes of several of the women. Leo, Everly, and Piper started clapping.
“Thank you. That’s what we’ve been trying to tell them forever,” Everly said. “They also forget that time is money.”
“Every time I’m told to make Bee something for a class party or a friggin’ Halloween costume, I try to use that site, but I can’t get over the fact that Pinterest is a conspiracy.”
“How’s that?” the woman that owned Sixes asked. What was her name? Valerie? Vivica? Shit, I’d met too many people tonight.
But my explanation was interrupted by our server. “Okay, I have some food for you ladies and some drinks.” She dropped a stack of appetizer plates in the center of the table and then started to unload basket after basket of food. Sophia passed me a plate and gestured for me to help myself, so I grabbed a few hot wings and some fries. “Anything else, Vivian?” the server asked the owner. Vivian. That was her name. I knew it started with a V.
“Now, what were you saying about a conspiracy?” Leo asked.
“Oh, yeah. Pinterest. You know a bunch of men created that website and are making most of that shit up. They are probably taking bets. ‘My wife asked me to help clean the windows this weekend but there’s a game on.’” I let out a few male grunting sounds. “‘Oh, no worries, Fred, I
’ll just post an organic formula for window cleaner. Let’s see . . . ummm . . . vinegar, lemon juice, and water. She’ll be dying to try it out and will have the windows cleaned before you even get home.’ And then they’ll bet each other a case of beer whether it works or not.” The girls were all cracking up laughing, so I continued. “‘Hey, my wife has stopped cooking, can you help me? Surrree, no problem. I’ll just add some new recipes and add words like easy, simple, no prep. She’ll believe it and try it, and you’ll have dinner.’ See what I mean? Conspiracy.”
I scanned the table, and the women had tears running down their cheeks and were pointing at each other, trying to pass blame to the guilty party.
The server had brought shots to the table for everyone. I hadn’t had a drink since I found out I was pregnant with Bee. It was a frivolous waste of money, and I had to be alert for my girl. Stella slid a shot to each person.
“No, thank you.” I declined gracefully.
“Kayson and Ian are picking us up if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ariel assured me.
“I have Bee. I’m just afraid, what if she gets sick and needs me. I need to be alert.”
“I get it. Just one? Or do you want us to order you a virgin?” Sophie asked.
I waved the waitress over and ordered cranberry juice and ginger ale. It was my and Bee’s pretend drink on New Year’s.
“So, what about this mom and her daughter? Why does she have it out for Bee?” Sophie sipped her white wine.
“Not sure, but the mother is equally as vile. She’s always doing petty shit to me in the school pickup and drop-off line.”
Stella let out a cackle, and I turned to see what had happened.
“Ughhh.”
“Uh oh.”
“Oh no,” were called out from around the table. “What?” I searched for what was wrong.
“When Stella makes that sound, it isn’t good,” Sophie warned me.
“Vivian, can we use your computer?” Stella asked as she picked up her purse and drink.
“Of course.” Vivian slowly scooted her chair back, showing a little apprehension.
Impact (Iron Orchids Book 3) Page 9