Live-In Position

by V. S. Tice

  “That would be amazing.” Victoria was grinning ear to ear.

  “Victoria, I think that’s a bit much for a birthday party. Don’t you?”

  “Nonsense, my granddaughter only gets to be eight once.” Ilene smiled proudly. “I’ve never planned a child’s birthday party like this before. It’s quite fun.”

  I sighed and fought the urge to bury my head in hands.

  “Now, where should we get the cake? There is this amazing place, I believe it is called Harlow Cakes or something like that. A carnival inspired cake would probably be nothing for them.”

  The extensive planning went on for another thirty minutes before I excused myself to make dinner. Ilene had decided to stay and eat with us. I pulled out the ingredients for chicken parmesan.

  “That smells heavenly.” Ilene’s voice made me look up from the stove. “We should really get you a cook so you won’t have to do this all the time.”

  “I really don’t mind cooking.”

  “Oh, my dear, with the schedule you will have to keep, you will want a cook.”

  “Schedule?” What the heck was she talking about?

  “Victoria told me about your book. I’m sure you’ll be traveling.” I shrugged a little and then gave a small nod. “Then of course you’ll have your social engagements – lunches, brunches, the doctor’s wives charity organization, PTA functions, and such. Have you thought about a nanny for Victoria?”

  “A what?” I choked.

  “You don’t plan to still do everything you do now and keep up with everything else, do you? You simply won’t have the time. Not with being a published author and the wife of a prominent surgeon.”

  Ilene suddenly made me think of things I hadn’t. Would I really have to give up so much to have what I desired most? Was it what I desired most? Could I have Collin and Victoria, be the published author I have worked so hard to be, and fit into this role of wife? Suddenly, I didn’t know if I could and it scared me.

  Worry plagued my mind throughout dinner. When Ilene left for the night, her words swirled around my mind. Collin eyed me curiously a couple of times but didn’t say anything until I stepped into our room for the night.

  “Is something the matter?” I turned away from my bathroom destination. Collin sat on the other side of the room with his laptop in front of him on the coffee table.

  “No,” I spoke a little too fast. His eyebrow rose.

  “Did my mother do or say something?” He began to walk toward me.

  I shook my head. “No, I mean, not really.”

  “Not really?”

  “She just, well, she mentioned some things I hadn’t really thought about and I… I just…it scares me.”

  He moved quicker and touched my face. “What scares you?”

  “I don’t know if I can do it,” I blurted out.

  Anger began to distort his handsome face. “What did she say to you?” he demanded.

  “Calm down. That didn’t come out the way I meant it to.” I tried to move away, but he pulled me back to him.

  “Tell me, Sophia.” His voice was stern. I told him everything she said.

  “You’re not expected to do anything you don’t want to do,” he reassured me.

  “That’s not it. I mean, will things change so much once we’re married? Do I really have to give up my dream and my time with Victoria and you? I don’t know if I can be the social wife you need, and it would crush me to hire someone to replace me in Victoria’s life.”

  His arms enveloped me in a tight embrace.

  “I don’t need, desire, or wish for a social wife. I want you. You’re all I have ever needed.” He pulled back and kissed my forehead.

  “But you deserve to have—”

  “What I want and need?” he finished for me. I nodded and dropped my eyes. “That is you, only you. You have to know that.”

  A tear slipped over my cheek. He wiped it away.

  “There will be no nanny, unless you want or need there to be one.” I looked up to his face. His eyes were serious and sure, more sure than I felt at the moment.

  “You want to publish your book and your hard work deserves it. We’ll work it out. Even if I don’t wish for you to leave on a book tour, I’ll work to support it.”

  My lips crashed to his. His words meant so much, his reassurance meant more, and the feel of his hands and lips on my body only confirmed what he just said. The kiss grew into something more and ended with us on the floor.

  THE SOUND OF ringing pulled me from such a deep sleep I wanted to grab Collin’s cell phone and throw it against the wall. I shifted from his chest as he answered his phone. His arm pulled me back tightly.

  “Hello?” he half croaked, half whispered. For a moment I wondered if the other person could hear him. “Grace? Why are you calling at this hour?” His entire body tensed.

  I leaned up onto my elbows and glanced at the bedside clock – almost midnight. I frowned and looked back to Collin. His right hand was over his face while he held the phone to his ear with his left.

  “I understand, but this couldn’t have waited until tomorrow? It’s quite late.” There was a long pause and Collin cleared his throat, his eyes shifting to me with an odd expression.

  Without knowing why, my heart began to pound in my chest. A million things raced through my head. Collin’s dismissing tenor pulled me back from my irrational panic.

  “I will talk to you tomorrow at a decent hour.” He slammed his phone onto the nightstand.

  I rolled to face away from him, still trying to get my irrational thoughts under control. Why was I jealous of this woman? He loves me, of that I’m sure.

  “Everything okay?” The tremble in my voice was evident to my ears.

  He kissed the back of my neck. “Everything’s fine.”

  I sighed. He was going to make me ask and I was going to sound like the nagging girlfriend…well, fiancé. Ugh.

  “What did she want?”

  “She wanted to talk about Victoria’s birthday.”

  “At midnight?” My voice rose without my permission.

  It was silent for a moment, and with each passing minute I waited for cricket sounds to fill the room.

  “I don’t know what she was thinking, other than wanting to create a problem. Her excuse was the pretense of wanting to be present for her birthday.” He snuggled into my body. “There isn’t a problem, is there?” Worry laced his words.

  I shrugged. “I don’t have one, but she will if she continues to call at this hour.”

  The pressure of his mouth on my shoulder made me turn my head to the side. The hand on my stomach slid up to my face and pulled it toward his. He kissed me.

  “You have nothing to worry about. She won’t call again, and her calling changes nothing between us.” He kissed me again.

  Sleep would take another hour to find me, giving me too much time to assume the things Grace could have said to him over the phone. She was up to no good and I knew it. I could only hope Collin truly was over her. I prayed I was strong enough to make it through all of this and come out the same person.

  Chapter Thirty

  -THREE

  THREE DAYS BEFORE Victoria’s birthday party, I was ready to pull out every strand of hair on my head. Ilene was constantly at the house going on and on about the party, and as the plans started settling into place, she shifted the conversation to wedding planning. I still wasn’t sure what her angle was, trying to be so involved with me, but I was staying on guard, just in case.

  Grace had not called back at such a late hour, but she definitely called Collin frequently. When she would call, I found myself pausing whatever I was doing and trying to listen in, even if I could only hear one side. It was pathetic. I had never been the insecure, jealous type, but somehow that was exactly who I had become. At least when it came to her. She was starting to unnerve me, and that irritated me.

  Today we were finally getting Victoria’s cast removed. She was full of happy energy in the back se
at when I pulled into the hospital parking lot. Collin was away on another trip, but he had arranged for her doctor to meet us at the hospital.

  We walked the familiar sterile corridors until we reached the registration desk. The nurse took Victoria’s name and asked us to take a seat in the waiting area. We only sat for about ten minutes before her name was called. It took twenty minutes to complete the removal, cleansing, and checkup. Then we were on our way back to the car.

  “It feels so much better to have that off,” Victoria sang. I smiled down at her and took her hand, swinging our arms as we walked down the corridor. “Can you believe how stinky that thing was?” She wrinkled up her nose.

  When the elevator doors slid open, my eyes landed on two familiar figures. They were leaning into each other with serious expressions and speaking with hushed voices. It was obvious by Dominic’s tensed shoulders they were having a disagreement. Grace’s hard expression only confirmed it.

  How the hell did those two know each other and what would they have to argue about?

  As soon as I thought it, Dominic sighed loudly and glanced around the lobby. His eyes landed on me and widened as he straightened his posture. Mumbling something to Grace, he walked away in the opposite direction. Her wide eyes found me next and filled with panic.

  “Grace,” I nodded as we walked by.

  Her mouth opened, but she couldn’t speak. Victoria squeezed in close to my side. We escaped to the car.

  What was that about? Something is up with that skankapotamus, but what? Should I say something to Collin? No, I don’t need any more reason for him to be involved with her.

  We pulled up to the house and a relieved sigh escaped my mouth. Ilene’s car was not in the driveway for a change. Allison’s car was there, but she usually avoided me when we were both around and that did not bother me in the least bit.

  As soon as we entered the house, Victoria ran off yelling that she wanted to go watch some television.

  “I’ll bring up some popcorn and we can watch together.”

  “Uh,” Victoria's brow furrowed, “that’s okay. I’m not really hungry.” Standing midway up the staircase, she fidgeted with her dress. It was suspicious. What is she up to?

  “What’s going on?” Tilting my head, I folded my arms over my chest.

  “N-nothing,” she stammered. “I just want some alone time.”

  She darted up the stairs before I could further inquire. Her room door shut loudly.

  “What the heck?” I debated if I should follow. Victoria had never given me a reason to think she was up to no good, so I decided to let her have her space. She was getting older; personal time is important to a young girl. Fighting my urge to climb the stairs after her, I walked to the kitchen.

  Looking for a snack in the refrigerator, I heard a sound. My ears perked up, trying to locate where it was coming from. I checked the laundry room – it was empty. Walking through the door at the other end of the kitchen, I stopped in my tracks.

  Sitting at the end of the dining room table was Allison, a wine glass, and a half empty bottle of red wine. Her shoulders were shaking lightly, her head lowered into her hands. I opened my mouth but then closed it. Again I tried to speak but didn’t know what to say.

  “Al—?” her head snapped up with a frightening glare. “Are you alright?”

  She snorted. “I’m just peachy,” she snapped.

  “Oh-kay,” I turned to leave.

  “I hear you’re getting married in May?” Her voice was full of acid. I slowly looked back to her.

  “Yes.” I kept it short.

  She snorted again. “Great.” Her sarcasm was heavy. “Well, here’s to your future marriage and the end of mine.” She raised her wine glass and drained it. The glass clanged when she forcefully set it down on the table. For a moment, I thought it would break in her hand.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice a whisper.

  “Yeah, me too. I’m officially a single mother today. The divorce was finalized this morning,” she snapped and poured herself another glass of wine. I opened my mouth, but her next statement halted all words and train of thought. “To add insult to injury, I also found out I’m pregnant.” She brought the glass to her lips.

  I stood there with wide eyes. I had no idea what to say. Turns out I didn’t need to worry about responding because she continued to rant.

  “Of course I would get pregnant this easy now,” she growled. “After five miscarriages, injections, thousands and thousands of dollars, and the end of my marriage, now my body chooses to work the way it should have years ago.” Drinking the last of the wine in her glass, she reached for the bottle again.

  “You shouldn’t be drinking,” I blurted out. She glared at me.

  “I shouldn’t be pregnant either, but I am.” Her eyes stayed on me as she poured more wine.

  “You’re pregnant?”

  Both Allison and I snapped our heads toward the dining room entrance. Ilene stood with disbelief on her face.

  “Whose child is it?” she quipped. “Have you been cheating on John?”

  Allison’s shocked expression morphed to rage.

  “Cheating on John?” she screamed and threw the bottle against the wall. “You’re concerned about that cheating bastard? So what if I did cheat on him? Who is he to be angry over it?”

  “Allison, I can’t believe you have sunk so low as to sleep around on your husband—” Ilene didn’t have a chance to finish. Allison charged across the room and slapped her across the face. Moving quickly, I grabbed Allison’s shoulders and managed to place myself between them. Allison unleashed her anger.

  “How dare you?” she screamed. “I didn’t cheat on Jonathan! It’s his child!”

  “Wh-what?” Ilene sniffed, cradling her bruised cheek.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered and went back to her wine glass.

  The dripping wine on the wall caught my attention. That was going to stain. Why the hell am I thinking about that?

  “Does he know?” Ilene blurted.

  Was this woman stupid? Why is she still asking questions? By now she should be out the door, running from Allison.

  “Of course not,” Allison snapped. “Why should I tell him? He would just prompt me to take him back and work on our marriage,” she sneered.

  I walked over and took the wine glass from Allison. Enough was enough, and I simply could not allow her to drink anymore.

  “You should go lie down for a bit.” I began to walk away.

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” she shouted. “You are nothing to me, even if my brother is fucking you.”

  That was it. I had had enough. The drama was just too much.

  I spun back around and threw the wine glass in the same spot the bottle smashed. Allison flinched and Ilene screamed.

  “Allison,” I pointed at her, “the world does not revolve around you, and I will not be your punching bag today. Either go lie down and sleep off the wine or go upstairs and leave me the hell alone. I don’t care what you do. Once you’ve calmed down and had some time to think about things, you can begin making arrangements to move the hell out of this house.”

  Everything had built up and was now flooding through the collapsed dam of my mouth.

  “And Ilene, leave Allison to herself. She doesn’t want your attention or help, so just let her be. I suggest you let her go if she is going to continue to behave like a spoiled little brat!” The words were for Ilene, but I directed my eyes toward Allison who was staring at me with a shocked expression.

  “Now, I’m going to my room and don’t want to hear from either of you for the rest of the day.”

  My hand slapped the two-way door by the back stairs. I went to my room and collapsed onto the bed. Tears were stinging my eyes and slipping over my cheeks. Thank God Collin will return from his business trip tomorrow. I cried out my frustration and insecurities until I fell asleep, dinner forgotten.

  The room was barely lit when I woke. Stretching out
the cramping in my body, I groaned and sat up. With a deep cleansing breath, I left the solace of the bedroom.

  Reaching the kitchen, I looked at the time – five in the evening. As I was leaning into the fridge again, two hands grasped my hips and pulled me back. I gasped in surprise. My heart pounded against my chest as Collin’s lips pressed against my neck.

  “You scared me,” I breathed out. His arms encased my waist.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled against my skin.

  “I thought you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow?” I turned in his arms. He pressed his mouth to mine.

  “Nope.” He grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

  “What are you up to?” I narrowed my eyes on him.

  “Come with me, no questions.” He grabbed my hand into his and pulled me from the kitchen.

  “What is going—?”

  He cut me off. “I said no questions.” A firm tug pulled me into the living room.

  “Happy Birthday!” Victoria, Miranda, Benji, my father, and Carla shouted. My eyes widened as I processed the balloons, streamers, and guests.

  “Wh-what are you all doing here?” I stepped to my father and hugged him before moving on to Carla.

  “We received a call from your fiancé a few days ago.” Miranda hugged me.

  I turned to Collin. “You planned all of this?”

  “I told you it would not go unnoticed this year.” He half-smiled.

  He was so amazing. I wanted to pull him away from the crowd and thoroughly thank him.

  “Thank you.” I kissed his cheek instead, planning his special thank you later.

  I FELT BETTER in the following days. The night of my birthday party had been rejuvenating. Somehow my patience returned, even when it came to Ilene showing up unannounced and badgering me about wedding plans. She never brought up my mini breakdown and confrontation with Allison, for which I was thankful.