“It is. So do you want to tell me what’s going on, it’s a bit early for a drink, even for you. And you aren’t moving. No obsessive preparations like usual.”
“I’m not sure we should have brunch with my parents?” she said.
“Nod” he sounded like her father “I’m perfectly fine with not going as long as you tell me why.” Vincent knew there was something more than could be seen on the surface. His usual playful manner was not showing. He wondered what could make a simple meal into something so dreadful for her.
“They’re not nice people” she began. “My father tries but is dry and well business like. My mother is a doctor and only her work matters. She criticizes everything. We don’t get along too well.” Tears began welling up in her eyes, still hiding her ashen face behind her dark hair.
“So why did you agree to go?”
“I don’t know.” Nadrea didn’t know, she had dreaded the brunch meeting since she agreed to it, the tears now gently rolling down her face their salty taste tracing the sides of her lips before soaking into her hair that was touching her chin. “I’m just going to cancel.”
“That’s fine or I could just wear something hideous.”
Nadrea looked at Vincent like he had lost his mind. “What do you mean?”
“So what does your mother hate the most?” Vincent asked his tone sincere.
“Me or my friends or my life or anything else that gets in the way of her work.”
Vincent felt the sorrow and pain in her words, she really did believe what she had just said, that she was little more than an inconvenience in her parent’s life, she had always been it was her role.
Vincent took a deep breath “If you’re worried they won’t like me, fuck’em. If you think they’ll hurt my feelings, they can’t because I really don’t care what they think. A lot of people I know don’t like me so why would I care if people I don’t know don’t like me. Maybe I could go as a gay fashion designer, would that piss her off?”
“Everything pisses her off” Nadrea said the tears slowing.
“Perfect I’ll go as the most annoying thing I know how to be, myself. I won’t even have to act.”
Nadrea smiled a little smile
“Is she a control freak?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Perfect let’s change the reservation and prepay the check. She’ll have lost complete control.” Vincent went from being concerned to wicked it was his plan to be the biggest dick he knew how if the situation called for it.
“Now go get ready, I want make sure we’re seated before they get there so we get to pick our seats.”
Nadrea finally moved. “Can I have some Vodka for this?”
“No, now go get ready. And take your juice with you.”
As Nadrea walked into the bedroom heading for the shower she turned back to Vincent, “Are you sure you’re ok with this?”
Vincent laughed his first laugh of the day. “Do you really think your parents are going to be the first people to dislike me. You really do worry too much.”
Nadrea still weighted down with her concerns added “You don’t know them.”
“Not yet, but looking forward to it. Where are we going by the way?”
“Smith & Wolinsky’s”
“Ok, go get ready” Vincent said with a smile.
“Stop being so bossy! I don’t like it.”
Vincent laughed at her as he walked up and kissed her. “I’ve watched you for two days now, it takes you forever, if we’re going to be early you had really better get started.” Nadrea turned and wondered into the bathroom, the shower was cranked up to full force and searing hot. Nadrea adjusted the temperature and stood motionless under the relentless pounding of the water, her skin warmed with its touch, her legs were tired from Saturday’s shopping and her feet still had a deep distant ache in them, a slave to fashion style always took place over substance.
Sunday in the City
The restaurant buzzed in a reserved sort of way the energy of life and wealth and ego was so palpable that you could feel it in the air, it smelled like old money and pompous ass mixing with bacon and flowers. Nadrea and Vincent were early and she was still tense, she couldn’t help it as the horror of her relationship with her parents and the years of strain had taken its toll on her ability to see time with them as much just like time spent with other friends and loved ones as normal. Nadrea just couldn’t bring herself to accept that time spent with one’s parents is just something that occurs in every stage of life, nothing heinous or hateful, ill intentioned or contrived but simply as time together to enjoy another’s company.
As the waiter approached Vincent spoke up. “She’ll have mineral water and juice.” Vincent ordered before he could ask.
“I can order for myself” Nadrea chimed in, the waiter oblivious to the situation politely ask her. “Ok, what kind of juice would you like?”
The question was both standard and innocent.
“Orange,” she muttered in a disgruntled reply, time seemingly dragging on in a torturous monotony, she simply wished that they’d arrive so the entire thing could be substantially closer to ending. Nadrea was unaccustomed to being on time and the scheduled time to arrive had come and past, she sat in her chair sullen and withdrawn. Vincent simply studied those around him and their pretentious actions and self important words. After fifteen minutes Daddy came bounding across the room. “Nod” he called out. Vincent stood out of courtesy and was introduced. At first glance Daddy seemed harmless, gay maybe based on the physique and the hair cut but harmless. The concept of him being gay was quickly dispelled Vincent realizing that her father was only about as gay a he was. Nadrea no sooner finished hugging her dad when the inevitable question was ask. “Where’s mother?” she still held out hope that she wasn’t coming.
Daddy simply replied “Ronald is bringing her.”
Vincent just sat back and watched as the pair tried to converse.
“How was your weekend?” Daddy asked breaking the long silence.
“Nice, I went to an event on Friday with Vincent and spent all of yesterday with Stella.”
Daddy had fond memories of Stella, he like that despite everything else around her she had always been her own person, unencumbered and seemingly happy. Now came the socially odd time for him, should he ask for more, inquire about details, as Daddy tried to decide Vincent spoke up bridging the pause in the conversation.
“I loved her!” he said emphatically. “What a breath of fresh air, artists are often either totally wondering outside the ball park way past left field or the are so pretentious and stuck up they’re completely fucking unbearable.”
Daddy laughed and somehow both he and Nadrea were for the first time able to relax and just sit and talk, sure a lot of it was about Stella, Vincent occasionally interjecting or adding in stories about his friend Deb. The pleasantries continued until Mother entered in a controlled huff, following a staff member with a disgusted looked on her face. “Nadrea,” she said as she passed looking at Vincent “and you must be her friend.” Vincent instantly didn’t like her, her demeaning tone and arrogance. He considered just standing up and leaving but instead decided to answer “No Ma’am.” Knowing almost certainly that referring to her as ma’am would most likely instantly piss her off even more. Nadrea worried what was about to come out of his mouth. “I’m just some vagrant that she picked up so she wouldn’t be here sitting alone while she was waiting for you.” Mother who didn’t want to be there any more than Nadrea shot back, “I see and you’re too important to be kept waiting?” Mother was certain that this would put the arrogant prick in front of her back into his place, perhaps Nadrea had failed to tell him what she did. Her blood was beginning to boil. “I was with my patients, and what was your name again?”
His eyes met her “I didn’t tell you, but it’s Vincent Ma’am”
Realizing that he wasn’t backing down easily she bitterly stated with fake white bread pleasantness “ Nice to meet you, Vinc
ent.”
He responded by placing his arms on her shoulders and kissing each cheek and then the left one a second time just for good measure. Mother became visibly distraught.
As mother took her seat she barked “Have you ordered yet?”
Vincent still not liking her, “No, I thought we established that we were waiting for YOU.”
Daddy smirked secretly inside of his head, he was enjoying watching someone not care about what his wife thought for a change. Nadrea again looked on in horror hoping Vincent would just shut up and let them get through the meal.
Vincent continued “ I don’t like to be kept waiting but would never be so rude as to order before an expected guest arrived, a cocktail perhaps even a round of appetizers but never a salad or entrée.” His tone was polite but pressing.
Nadrea had never seen anyone deal with her mother quite like he was, most just kowtowed to her, before running back into the shadows. Suddenly the idea of being there with her mother became bearable, for once mother wasn’t focusing her wrath and her disappointment at Nadrea.
“I thought we established I was with my patients.” Her words directed at Vincent who could have cared less, he was not at all inclined to give an inch let alone back down he pressed further.
“Yes, you did say that, were there unexpected problems?”
Mother just glared at him, he continued. “No? No problems. How was traffic?”
She just stared at him indignant that he dared to question her about her actions, refusing to speak she Physically turned away from him, an intended insult. “That’s exactly what I thought.” Vincent added mocking her earlier tone, becoming the fake assed positive person that his profession required continuing on “So that means one of two things, we are not important enough for you to be here on time for or your time management skills fucking suck. Which is it?”
Daddy couldn’t help himself as an audible giggle escaped from his normally cautious lips
Mother finally responded “And what is it that you do that that makes your time so important, an artist? Actor? Or a well dressed sanitation engineer.”
Nadrea watched not able to look away as the conflict escalated Vincent and Mother had yet to sit back down since he had greeted her with a kiss, she thought that she had finally put the bastard in his place.
Vincent pulled out her chair in a gentlemanly gesture “ I invest in companies.”
Daddy’s ears perked up, dialing in closely to what Vincent was about to say, a fellow business man, a finance type he thought perhaps all hope for Nadrea was not lost. Perhaps she finally met a decent human being and actually liked them, even if it was only a little.
Vincent continued “The companies I invest in are primarily in technology, some pure data the occasional bio tech and there is one that is working on next generation surgical equipment but it won’t be much use to you since they are trying to cure something slightly more substantial than undersized and sagging breasts.” His direct, seemingly honest and slight spiteful twist at the end caused another chuckle from Daddy, which quickly met with Mother’s disapproving glare.
Her nostrils flared like Nadrea’s when she wasn’t getting her way. “No wine yet Nadrea? Or did you have them slip Vodka into the juice for you?” Mother knew her daughters propensity to indulge in too many drinks, she never once thought that she at least in part might have anything to do with why.
Vincent was unrelenting “No wonder she didn’t want to show up today. Is your bedside manner this deplorable?”
Mother stood “I’m leaving!”
Vincent not caring, “OK, have fun.”
She looked at Daddy, “I said I was leaving.”
Daddy sat there pausing, analyzing the situation like a financial transaction, the very second she stood Mother expected him to leap from his chair and follow her out. Instead Daddy replied with, “Vincent has a good point. I’ve been sitting in restaurants waiting for you for years and years.” He had never spoke up before, and for the first time it dawned on Nadrea that maybe Daddy didn’t like the way mother treated him either. As she began to step away from the table he added, “Fine we can discuss it later. Now sit down Carroll.” She sat down and it was the most fun Nadrea could ever remember having at meal with her parents, Daddy turned it into a get to know each other session, and small talk when the inevitable question came up of “how did you meet.” He expected that it was it would be through work or perhaps a charity event. Vincent was mostly honest in his reply. “Nadrea picked me up in a restaurant.” Nadrea thinking to herself “thank God he didn’t say bar.” Vincent continued on “To be more specific in the hallway of a restaurant.” The table all nodded in understanding and Vincent felt the need to add “and it went about as well as when I met Carroll today.” Turns out for all the things Vincent wasn’t he was at least the same direct person no matter who was around him. After the meal was finished they left the table like animals boarding Noah’s Ark, two by two.
DC Bound
Organized to a fault Vincent had arranged to have driver pick up their luggage before collecting them at the restaurant. Soon they found themselves at Penn Station, making their way through the tourists and locals alike to find their train. Not much was said on the ride home, Vincent read and reread the Sunday sports section, before moving on to the latest pro football articles in a stack of magazines he had picked up, he bitched incessantly about the intermittent access of the days scores on his cell phone before finally resigning himself to listening to music. Vincent for some inexplicable reason was feeling somewhat festive and even through the holiday season was still a few months away he listened to “Oi to the World” the punk rock Christmas album by the Vandals Nothing substantial happened they were just sitting there watching nothing in particular as the world rushed by outside the window.
As they pulled into the station Nadrea gathered her brief case, Vincent his oversized rolling garment bag in one hand and back pack in the other. Nadrea took it from him and slung over her shoulder. As they stepped off the train she placed her hand in his and he closed his fingers around her slowly, the pair walked down the platform through the grand and beautifully marbled halls. The pair meandered out to the cab stand where she finally and reluctantly let go of his hand only as Vincent closed the cab’s door.
It Had Been Years Reprised
Donna waited nervously in the lobby of the Washington Hilton, the lobby littered with tourists, politico’s and conventioneers most likely attending a national summit on the importance of some revolutionary widget that going to make it possible to send their oldest to the local state university rather than the community college, if they would only believe.
She wondered would they recognize each other, sure they had exchanged pictures in email and seen each other’s facebook photos but was the image of the other in their youth so ingrained in who they were looking for that they might blend one image into another. Meanwhile 15 floors above Paul’s family readied themselves for a busy day in the nation’s capitol, a day filled with monuments and lectures, buses and taxis. A behind the scenes tour at the Kennedy center for his oldest daughter was the first stop of the day. She was after all a budding young thespian, assuming that her teen years didn’t turn her into a boy crazy imbecile and ruin her other ambitions and dreams for a life of boring mediocrity, an existence that is living but not a life.
Finally as the family headed for the elevator Donna was well on her way to participating the Husker’s favorite hobby, drinking coffee. Sitting among the suits and uniforms, intertwined with running shoe clad tourists who were blatantly American based on their girth and footwear choice, Donna fidgeting with her coffee in an overstuffed chair that matched many of the ego’s surrounding her. Paul’s brood stepped off the elevator, he was lagging behind his bickering children and a few steps behind his wife who was loaded down with the day’s supplies. She was obviously not of a gypsy’s decent since her load resembled that of a pack mule rather than a nomad.
Paul recognized her f
rom across the room, Donna was staring off into the distance, finally spotting him as he had moved halfway across the lobby toward her. He kissed his wife, quickly reviewing the plans they had to meet back up later in the day. His approach toward Donna was as undaunted as it had been in his youth, his movements confident and unwavering, life had not worn away his resolve, at least not visibly on the surface and in his posture. Donna at first took particular notice of his wife, she was fit but still somehow very maternal looking. She quickly concluded the she was pretty in a Midwestern house wife kind of way. Donna imagined her in her team sweatshirt watching the local sports team play, cheering on little so & so or their friends.
Soon the awkward moment approached. How to greet each other, considering the years that had passed what would be appropriate? Donna worried, she had after all found him, and he in return had responded. They had gotten to know each other again through the occasional call and a litany of emails. She couldn’t shake the image of them in their youth. The one that was most common that she just couldn’t shake was of her as a teenager lying naked on a wooden picnic table in a musty old stone pavilion tucked away in the back corner of an obscure lush green state park.
All the thoughts that rushed through her head about his intentions and expectations eclipsed her other fears. Why were they meeting each other? What really was the purpose? All those other things would have to wait since Paul was now standing three feet away. As Donna stood he extended his hand, a formal completely appropriate and acceptable gesture. Donna stepped in and hugged him. She squeezed him tighter and tighter as his release resolved from odd and uncomfortable to familiar and warm. A touch that felt like time hadn’t moved. The embrace while of innocent intention brought back intense memories, the familiar touch of a lover’s arms.
It Had Been Years Page 29