Abe: Four in Hand

by Mj Fields

  “It’s going to be very difficult to tell them about that, that—”

  “I know,” he kissed my hand.

  “And I really hope they like you.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  I decided not to tell my parents I was coming home; I didn’t want to worry them. They would find it odd if I just dropped in mid-week and of course they would be suspicious of why their normally predictable daughter was being not so predictable.

  I was always pushed to step outside of my comfort zone as a child and continuously as a young adult. I was the girl who didn’t complain about my parents because there was nothing to complain about. They were great, constantly supportive, and encouraging. I rarely spent nights at friend’s homes as everyone always wanted to come to mine. There was always laughter, music, an adult with a tender heart and caring words when anyone was going through rough times and needed to get good advice or just needed an ear.

  As we neared my home, I looked over at Abe who was tapping his thumb nervously on the steering wheel and looking over at me every so often.

  “You’re making me more anxious,” I sort of joked.

  “I apologize.”

  “You’re nervous?”

  “A bit, yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I hope they like me.”

  “Do parents normally like you?”

  “I haven’t met very many.”

  “How many is very many?”

  “Well my best friend’s mother loves me, but she has to, she’s kind of been a surrogate. My parents like me,” he winked.

  “That’s always a good thing.”

  “It is.” He smiled as we passed the Welcome to Thomasville sign.

  “How about girls you’ve dated?”

  “One girl’s parents, and they liked me enough I guess.”

  We remained quiet for a while.

  “Abe?”

  “Nikki?”

  “Thank you.”

  “For?”

  “You’ve been wonderful.”

  We pulled into the driveway and Abe smiled, “This is it?”

  “Yep.”

  “Are they home?”

  “I see Mom’s car. Dad’s isn’t here.”

  He drove up the driveway smiling. “Holy shit, Nikki, this is beautiful.”

  “What did you expect?”

  “Not this. Something nice, but this is insane.”

  “It’s home.”

  He looked at me expressionless for a moment, then leaned towards me and kissed me, “You ready to do this?”

  “I suppose.”

  Rhett’s Place

  Abe

  What a beautiful property. The long driveway was lined with trees and Spanish moss was hanging down like a canopy over the driveway. A spectacular vision. After parking, I stepped out of the rental and looked at the Southern plantation home. It had been beautifully cared for, so I wouldn’t even dare guess the home’s age. I felt like I stepped into a scene from Gone with the Wind. I walked around to the front of the car to get the door for my girl.

  When she stepped out, she inhaled the fragrant air. I looked around and noticed all the trees that were covered in flowers.

  “The Dogwood trees. I love the smell.”

  I inhaled and smiled, “Smells a lot like you.”

  “You think?”

  “I do.”

  “Sugarplum, is that you?” I looked up at a woman on the porch smiling from ear to ear and waving.

  “Who else would it be, Gran?” Nikki was just about jumping out of her skin, so I let go of her. She ran up the driveway, onto the porch and hugged her Grandmother.

  I was relieved that she seemed happy and not stressed like she was from the moment we got off the plane. The plane. Hot as fuck. I am officially a member of the mile high club. She is fucking perfect, and I am officially pussy whipped.

  I grabbed our bags from the back of the rental and we started for the porch.

  She stopped hugging her Grandma, looked at me and smiled.

  “Gran, this is Abe O’Donnell. Abe, this is my Gran, Ivy.”

  I walked up the stairs and set the bags down, “I see where Nikki gets her stunning looks.”

  Ivy looked me over with a smile, but her eyes said something else. “Abe, you are very kind.” She turned her attention back to her granddaughter. “What brings you home, and with a friend, Nikki?”

  “Maybe I just missed y’all.”

  That was the first time I had heard her say y’all, and I liked it. Sweet, beautiful, southern accent was hot on Nikki, almost as hot as I was on her.

  “Mmm hmm,” her Grandmother shook her head back and forth. “I’ll get the truth out of you with sweet tea and corn bread.”

  “Can we wait until Dad’s home?”

  “He’s here, sugar. Car’s in the shop.”

  I couldn’t tell if Nikki was relieved, disappointed, or terrified. There was no stopping the truth now. I took her hand in mine and offered her the most supportive smile I could.

  “Boyfriend, huh?”

  “Guilty,” I smiled and nodded.

  “You ready for the inquisition?” Ivy sighed as she opened the screen door, not waiting for my response.

  “Sure thing.” I pulled Nikki in under my arm and kissed the top of her head. “I got you.”

  Nikki tensed up. “Gonna be an interesting night, sugar plum.” Ivy disappeared into the expansive home.

  We followed her inside where it was just as traditional as it was on the outside. She and Nikki removed their shoes and I followed suit. I heard laughter from beyond the wall to the left. I hope it helped ease her angst knowing that they are in a good mood.

  Despite it, I felt myself tense. I don’t know the players, haven’t even read their bios like I would have before meeting potential business associates or employees. Nope. Meeting the parents was a little out of my comfort zone.

  We entered the family room where her parents sat watching old family videos of a birthday party. Nikki must have been about ten. Her hair was in little poufy pom pom pigtails on the side, and she wore a birthday girl tiara. She was absolutely beautiful, even then, as she sang with her friends. I was almost certain three of the five of them were the same girls I’d met in Ft. Lauderdale.

  “Mom, Dad, I’m home.”

  Both her parents jumped up when they heard her. They came around the sofa to embrace her. It seemed as if they didn’t even notice me. It was damn cool. You could feel and see the love these people shared for one another. I remember when things were like that in my family. Nothing better.

  “What are you doing home?” her mother asked, looking in my direction.

  Her mother was drop-dead gorgeous. Her skin was darker than Nikki’s and she wasn’t quite as tall, but she had the same round deep-set eyes. Her cheeks too, high cheek bones with round cheeks. And her lips were full, the lower one a bit more full, just like Nikki’s.

  “Mom, Dad this is Abe O’Donnell, my boyfriend.” She said it quietly as if she was asking permission, which didn’t feel all that good to me.

  Her father was tall and lean. Not thin, but not big either. He looked like a bicyclist. He had blonde thinning hair and pale blue eyes.

  “Oh?” her mom seemed shocked.

  I stepped forward, extended my hand, and smiled, “Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Bassett.”

  She stared at me and shook my hand.

  “Hello, Mr. Bassett, you have a truly beautiful home.” I extended my hand to him as well.

  “Thank you, Abe?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I glanced quickly over at Nikki, who looked amused.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing at all,” she giggled.

  “Did you drive all the way here without letting us know you were on the road?”

  Okay, that didn’t feel good either. “We flew and I can assure you she was in good hands.”

  Her grandmother giggled an
d everyone looked at her. “Lord knows they look capable.”

  “How? Did you have enough money?”

  “Mom, Dad, we need to talk.”

  They both immediately looked at me, and what comes out of me, Abe O’Donnell CFO of a billion dollar company’s mouth? “She’s not pregnant.”

  Nikki gasped, her parents’ mouths dropped open, and her grandmother started laughing.

  “Fuck,” came out of my mouth instead of staying in my head. I sounded like Carly. I shit you not, I have no idea what had come over me, but I was fucking this up hardcore. I looked at a mortified Nikki, “Sorry.”

  “Nikolette, we need to talk,” her father glared at her.

  “I apologize.”

  “Abe, it’s okay. Mom, Dad, please just sit down.”

  Her parents sure as fuck didn’t wanna sit, but when they did, I sat with my head down avoiding eye contact at all costs. Nikki sat on the sofa next to me and I took her hand. She was turning pink. I wasn’t gonna ride bitch here and I wasn’t gonna have her keep thinking she did something wrong.

  “I got this,” I whispered and kissed her hand.

  I looked up at two sets of extremely annoyed eyes and one slightly amused set. “Nikki has been through a pretty rough couple of days. She wanted to let you know because it may come out, and we wouldn’t want you to be caught off guard.”

  “Nikolette, you can tell us anything, you know that,” her father was peacocking, and I knew how he felt. He had been her protector at one point, but there was a new kid in town, me.

  “For a few weeks,” I interrupted, “The electricity in her apartment would randomly go out. I had someone look into it because her landlord wasn’t handling the problem, and—”

  “You did?” Nikki asked.

  “I told you I take care of what is mine.”

  “Nikolette, a minute please.” Her mother stood.

  “As I was saying. I had someone look into it, and we suspected it was being tampered with. Nikki’s landlord had taught her how to flip the switch on the breaker box, thinking something was shorting it out. Last night while I was at her place…” I stopped and looked into her eyes, “You good?”

  And she just blurted out, “There may be a sex tape that will surface that stars me.”

  Holy fuck! She did not just say that.

  “What she means—” I began.

  “Nikolette! As your mother and I have both said, we would like a minute alone with you.”

  “We do this together,” I insisted.

  “This is none of your—” Her father interrupted.

  “She is my concern.”

  “Abe, you don’t—” Nikki began.

  “How long have you known this man, Nikolette? This isn’t like you, not at all.”

  “I met him in Florida.”

  Her mom’s jaw dropped, “The creepy neighbor?”

  Now I was shocked. I looked at her trying to get a read on whether or not they were talking about me. Sure as fuck they were. Redirect, O’Donnell, you can table that shit for when you’re alone with her.

  “Her neighbor, in Jersey,” I felt I needed to clarify, “Drilled a fucking hole in her goddamned wall. She didn’t do a damn thing wrong.”

  “I think it’s time for you to leave,” her father stepped towards me.

  “That’s fine, when you calm down and realize your daughter was a victim here, then you give us a call.” I stood and pulled her hand to help her up, but she didn’t move. “Nikki?”

  “Just let me talk to them for a minute, alone.”

  “I told you I would take care of this.”

  “Nikolette, now,” her parents exited the room and she let go of my hand. It was like a punch to the gut.

  “Nikki, we just leapt a mile you’re about to set us right back to square one.”

  “They’re my parents, Abe,” she closed her eyes.

  “That’s fine. I’m out.”

  I didn’t look back. I just walked out past her parents and then out the door.

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

  I walked to the rental and realized I’d left my bag in the house. I turned and her grandmother was standing there with it in her hand.

  “You seem like a nice man.”

  “Not sure if I would agree with you. I think as far as first impressions go, I just royally—messed up.”

  “Nikolette is very close to her family.” She reached out and handed me the bag.

  “I respect that, admire it actually.”

  “So you should understand that she needs them right now and they need to make sure she’s alright too.”

  “I made sure she was alright. I made damn sure she was alright.” I looked up into disapproving eyes, “I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect.”

  “I’m sure you didn’t. Nikolette is a very special young lady.”

  “I am well aware of that.”

  “I know you are. You need to give her time, they were here first.”

  Even though she was right, it didn’t change how I felt.

  “Two days, Abe.” Her smile was gentler now. “Give her two days.”

  I looked past her hoping to see Nikki coming out the door with her bag, ready to go back to the shore. But when she didn’t, I turned and walked away because if I didn’t, I was gonna go fucking crazy.

  I sat in the rental and sent her a text.

  Abe: I’ll get a room in town, message me when you’re ready, I’ll pick you up.

  Less than a minute later, I got a response:

  Nikki: I need a couple days. Go back. We’ll talk later.

  “Fuck!” I yelled and looked up to the porch where her grandma was standing shaking her head back and forth.

  ***

  Two days I sat at my desk pissed that I had still heard nothing from her. It was noon, I was done returning emails and going over Dom’s proposals for the takeover. I decided to head over and see Mom, it had been awhile, then hop over to Pop’s and toss back a few before the big game.

  I sent a message telling Jase to make sure everyone was at the field by five so we could toss around a few balls. Seemed fitting since I felt like my balls had been tossed, beaten with a Louisville slugger, and driven over by a fucking Mack truck. I’d taken Nikki home to face her parents and she basically told me to go fuck myself.

  I hopped on my bike, threw on my helmet, and headed to my place to change clothes and rides.

  I pulled up in front of the rehab center feeling the same way as I always did, sick to my stomach and like I was walking into her funeral. She had stopped recognizing me a year after the diagnosis, she had stopped looking at me like she knew she loved me six months later.

  She was propped up in her chair when I arrived to put fresh flowers in the vase on her bedside table.

  “Hey, Mom,” I bent down and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful. It’s Abe, your son.”

  I sat in the chair next to her and took her hand. It was balled into a fist and harder to open than it had been before. A sick part of me always wondered if one day I would end up breaking a damn finger when I pried her hands open. And then I wondered if she’d even feel it if I did.

  Her hair was completely white now and she looked hollow. Her eyes didn’t sparkle anymore, hell, they weren’t even blue. They were grey and black. I hated seeing her like this. Every time I left, I swore it would be the last time I would do this to me or to her. I wondered if she was trapped inside, down deep inside trying to fight her way back. I wondered if when I was saying goodbye to my Mom, not this shell of a woman whose hand I held now, was crying inside and if it hurt her like it did me.

  “It’s a beautiful sunny day outside. I wish I could take you to the boardwalk to feed those damn birds you love so much. We wouldn’t tell Dad. He’d of course be annoyed, tell us someday they were gonna shit on our heads, and we’d never feed them again.” I pulled my chair in front of her so that she was staring at me and not the wall. “So I met a girl, her name is Nikki. I like her, but she’s trouble. Not tr
ouble like Jase and the boys, but trouble as in she’d break my heart if I gave it to her. She’s a knockout, Mom. I would have loved you to meet her, but well, I’m not even sure I’ll see her again. I’ve changed a lot, Mom. I need things to go just so, you know what I mean? My house, which I would love you to see but of course you won’t because I’m not even sure you’re in there anymore, is beautiful. An old warehouse that I help refurbish. I really wish I could get some advice here. Mom, would you just wake up for a few minutes? I need you to tell me what the hell I’m doing wrong. Please just wake up. Wake up, Mom. No? You know, it’s your fault I’m the way I am. You made everything perfect, right down to ironing my damn boxers. You did everything he asked and acted like it was what you wanted.”

  I don’t know what I expected her to say or do. Squeeze my fucking hand or anything to let me know she’d heard me, that she was still there. But why the fuck would she? I was being a fucking prick. I sat forward and rubbed her hand on my cheek then kissed it.

  “Sorry, Mom. I really am. I just miss you, that’s all.”

  I grabbed a book off her nightstand, the one I had given her a month ago. I suppose I should read some more, because if she was still in there, she’d want me to read to her like she read to me every night for ten fucking years.

  “The Four Loves,” I laughed when I read the title, four, “by C.S Lewis. Chapter three.”

  After reading four chapters, I set the book down and gave her a kiss, “Love you, Mom. I promise I’ll be back soon.”

  I drove out of the rehab parking lot feeling even shittier than I did when I first got there. I had an hour before I needed to meet the guys. I drove over to the Pub and parked. I grabbed my phone and saw a new email from The Shore.

  Subject: Interview

  On behalf of The Shore, I would like to personally thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to allow Miss Bassett to conduct this interview. We have just received it, and per our agreement, I will personally review it before sending it for your approval.

  Bogart Humph, Editor, The Shore

  I read it three times after thumbing through my email trying to see where she had sent it to me first like we had agreed upon. She hadn’t.