Adrien pulled me up onto the couch, wrapping his arms around me. I rested my face against his shoulder. I was surprised by what he said next. “September, I’m sorry.”
I pulled away a little to make eye-contact. “For what?”
“That you had to go through all this. You’ve suffered so much. If there was a way I could make this all go away, I would. If I could take the pain away, I would,” he said, his face tightening.
I laughed. “It’s not your fault. And anyway, I’m okay now. I’ll always miss her…but I’m okay now. I wish I could take your pain away,” I said, gazing into his lovely eyes.
His lips turned up slightly before brushing my neck. “First kiss?”
“Zach Larson, second grade.”
“First real kiss?”
“Hmmm. Mart Beesley, tenth grade.”
“Your favorite...thing about me?” He tightened his grip around me.
“Okay, this will take a minute,” I said, pretending to concentrate.
He laughed. “Don’t strain yourself.”
After teasing him long enough, I finally said, “I love that you’re a writer. A good one, too. I love how generous and thoughtful you are. I love your laugh. I love that you’ve made it this far after all you’ve been through, that you’ve chosen not to give up.” I paused before adding, “And I love the way you look at me.”
Adrien pressed his mouth against my temple. “Thank you. We should definitely play this game every day. Um…First impression of me?”
“I thought you were intriguing. Very moody. And incredibly good looking,” I said, feeling my cheeks burn a little.
“You think I’m incredibly good looking, huh? Tell me more about that,” he said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
“Don’t even get me started. Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are? First of all, your eyes are amazing. Then there’s your jaw. And I’ve always had a thing for your hands.”
“My hands?” He laughed, clearly amused.
“Your hands make me crazy,” I confessed. “I noticed them the first day we met.”
“You’re an odd duck. Want to know my favorite parts of you?” I nodded. “Your big brown eyes, your soft, full lips and your…” His eyes trailed down my body, “And your…ears.”
I smacked him playfully in the arm. “You and I both know it’s not my ears.”
He threw me a sexy grin.
Mary, with a plate full of steaming scrambled eggs and chocolate Pop-Tarts in one hand and her giant mug of coffee in the other, plopped down on the couch. She turned to Adrien and me and said, “Did you know that more people are killed by toaster ovens than by roller coasters?”
***
“You look amazing,” Adrien said, eyeing me up and down. “Your ex-boyfriend’s going to be having some serious second thoughts tonight.”
“I hope so. Not that I’d want him back. You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said, smiling at his olive green sweater. He’d left earlier to shower and change. His hair was neatly combed for once. He handed me a cheerful bouquet of yellow daisies.
“For me? Thank you. You’re too good to me,” I said, wondering why he was spoiling me so much today. John had never given me neck rubs or flowers.
“Don’t say that,” he said, his eyes sad for a moment.
“You treated me like a queen today,” I argued.
“I’ve put you through a lot these past two weeks,” he said, taking my hand and squeezing it. “For which I can’t say I’m sorry enough. Ready to blow this joint?”
I took a deep breath, feeling a nervous energy mounting inside me. I hoped tonight would go smoothly, seeing John and April together, introducing Adrien—my boyfriend—to my family. And I hoped the big secret Adrien would reveal to me later tonight wouldn’t destroy us. I shuddered when I recalled the tortured look on his face when he predicted I would leave him. I shook my head, pushing the image away. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Inside his car, which had a faint scent of oil and sandalwood, the questions continued. “Dream vacation?”
“Backpacking Europe.”
“That’s something I’ve wanted to do, too,” he turned to me and smiled. I wondered if he was thinking what I was thinking: there was so much we could do together now that he was sticking around. We could cross off everything on both of our bucket lists. “Favorite candy?”
“Reese’s Pieces.”
“Mmmm. You’re making me hungry.” His expression changed. “Do you think there’s life after death? Do you think you’ll ever see her again?”
I knew right away who he was speaking of. “I hope so. I never believed in heaven, in an afterlife, until Abby died. But now I want to at least have a flicker of hope that I’ll see her again.”
“Tell me more about your family. Starting with your dad.”
I laughed. “As I mentioned before, we’re not a very close family. So my dad…What do you want to know?”
He glanced over his shoulder before changing lanes. “Anything. Something random.”
“Okay, my dad. Let’s see…He likes to clip articles out of the paper. He does it every day. Sort of drove me crazy growing up. That scissors cutting noise and the serious, stern look he’d have on his face. I have no idea what he does with the clippings, or whether he ever rereads them. It drives my mom nuts, too. He used to take April and me to baseball games. Always was a Mets fan. He’d buy us huge, buttery pretzels.”
Adrien tapped his horn at someone who cut him off. “And your mom?”
“She’s always been a neat-freak. She irons everything—the sheets and her jeans included.” I laughed. “I mean, who irons jeans? Ironically, she loves to play in the dirt. She’s a gardening fanatic. My dad loves it. He’s never had to hire a landscaper and my parents have always had the best looking yard in the neighborhood.”
“What about your sister?” he said, sneaking glances at me while still managing to drive carefully. I wondered if he always drove this cautiously, or if he was driving like a grandma for my benefit. After all, I did tell him earlier cars made me nervous since the accident. He stuck to the speed limit religiously now, I noted, probably for that reason.
“April is a younger version of my mom, minus the garden worshiping. She’s daddy’s little girl. She and my mother are too much alike. They sort of butt heads. She’s hoping to get into law school—and knowing her, she will. She’s always been everything I wanted to be and then some. Smarter, prettier, more popular. Well, that’s how I felt growing up. Now I kinda like who I am.”
“I’ve noticed that about you.”
I was surprised. “Noticed what?”
“Your sense of self-worth. Few girls your age have it. It’s sexy. And yet you have this vulnerability that drives me crazy. I think the combination of the two—the confidence and vulnerability—is what I love most about you.”
“Wow.” It was all I could say. I’d never heard anyone say anything like that to me before.
He chuckled. “I can’t wait to meet the fool that gave you up.”
“John?” I said, amused by Adrien’s goofy grin.
“Any man would have to be an idiot to let you go,” he said, his hand brushing my knee. “But lucky for me, he did.”
We said nothing for a few minutes, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. I felt relaxed and safe with him which was interesting considering I’d known him for such a short time. I’ve always thought it said something about a relationship: when two people could enjoy each other’s company in silence without filling the gaps in conversation with talk about the weather.
Feeling serene, I took comfort in the familiar scent of Adrien’s car as I watched the yellow light of street lamps flicker on his arms and face. The rhythm was hypnotizing. He turned to me and smiled that smile which did crazy things to me. In that moment I forgot all my worries. Everything was perfect. I closed my eyes, absorbing the magic that enveloped us.
30
“Everyone, I want you to meet my boy
friend, Adrien,” I said as we entered the front room, which smelled of potpourri and furniture polish. Mom had redecorated since I’d last been there. Large watercolor paintings of tulips and pansies hung above white leather couches. As usual, the place was immaculate. Even the magazines and coffee table books were neatly stacked. We could hear classical music playing from another room. The second the word “boyfriend” escaped my mouth, which I admit I enjoyed saying maybe more than I should have, my family, who had all stood to greet us, was in silent awe. Finally my grandma giggled in delight. My parents seemed pleasantly surprised. A huge smile crept onto my mother’s face, while my father nodded approvingly. My sister gawked at Adrien in admiration, her mouth hanging open like a hungry pelican. (Where was my camera when I needed it?) Other than the goofy expression, she looked flawless as usual, like a celebrity who just walked out of hair and makeup.
“He’s cute,” she whispered in my direction. “You have a…September, you really have a…?”
“Boyfriend,” John finished for her, looking kind of hurt the second the shock wore off. The way he eyed Adrien and me, you’d think we were the ones cheating. I had to stifle a petty grin when sheer jealousy molded his face. The moment was priceless and almost worth the pain he caused dumping me, betraying me. John looked especially handsome tonight, all dressed up in nice slacks and an expensive sweater, but I hardly noticed now that Adrien stood next to me.
“Well he seems like a fine young man,” my grandma said, licking her lips, eyeing him like a gourmet dessert. I groaned. Grandma was being…Grandma. She’d recently cut her hair. Her steel gray curls were tight against her head now. Her makeup was too bright as usual. She wore florescent blue eye shadow and had fuchsia splotches on her prominent cheekbones.
“Adrien, this is my dad, Ed,” I said, gesturing to the serious man who stood perfectly straight. They shook hands. Dad wore his usual stern expression now: tight, searching eyes, mouth a thin straight line across his face.
“My mother, Sue.” Mom’s eyes crinkled warmly. She wore an expensive gold suit and pearl earrings, her hair in an elegant bun above the right ear. She seemed too happy to have Adrien here, probably already imagining what our babies would look like. I couldn’t resist rolling my eyes when she wasn’t looking.
“April,” I continued.
“Hi Adrien,” April said in a flirtatious manner. I shot her a warning glance. She smiled guiltily. She stole a boy from me once and I would never let it happen again—even if it meant moving to Saudi Arabia and taking Adrien with me.
“Hello, April,” Adrien said politely, holding back an amused grin.
“And this is John and my grandmother.”
Adrien said, “Nice to meet you, I’ve heard so much about you all. And congratulations on twenty-five years of marriage,” he added, turning to my parents.
“Thank you. And what a pleasant surprise,” Mom said and I knew she was sincere. She was probably relieved I’d finally moved on from John. Maybe her daughters could finally get along.
“We’re glad you’re here, Adam,” Dad said.
“Adrien,” April corrected, her eyes still fastened on my date. John cleared his throat when he noticed, throwing her a hurt look, waking April from her spell.
After Mom informed us dinner was ready, we all took a seat at the long cherry wood table in the dining room. It had also been redecorated, adopting all the latest House Beautiful trends. The new color scheme, “dusty gold”, “brick red” and “swimming pool aqua”, (these were the actual names of the paint colors—Mom had called me up awhile ago asking for color combination advice) gave the room a more modern feel. A massive variety of food crowded the long table: Chipotle grilled filets with mango salsa, gazpacho soup, San Francisco-style sour dough bread, spinach quiche, asparagus and three different salads. Mom always got carried away in every endeavor—she was a perfectionist.
“So what do you do?” Dad asked Adrien. “Are you a student?”
“The food smells great,” Adrien said. Mom mouthed a thank you before he continued. “I’m a writer.” Good answer, I thought, relieved. My snobby parents would be less than impressed if they knew Adrien sold used cars. Used to sell cars.
“Oh? What do you write?” Dad asked, unfolding his cloth napkin and laying it in his lap.
“Novels and short stories. Fiction.”
“Would I recognize any of them?” Dad inquired, reaching for the asparagus.
Adrien smiled timidly. “Probably not,” he said, buttering his slice of bread. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping he wouldn’t confess he hadn’t yet been published. That would not go over too well in my family. Respect was won with success. Financial stability and a good name in the community mattered more than friendship and true happiness.
“Where did the two of you meet?” Mom asked, sipping wine from a crystal glass.
We answered at once. I said, “Anderson Art and Frame.” Adrien said, “Tim’s Coffee.”
Blushing now, I cleared my throat. “Adrien was a customer at Anderson Art and Frame.
That’s when we first saw each other. We formally introduced ourselves at Tim’s Coffee.”
“How long have you been dating?” John asked, watching my face so intently, it made me squirm like a worm in my seat.
“Two weeks,” Adrien answered before I could. The red in my cheeks intensified.
“That’s not very long,” April said between bites of salad, looking skeptical.
Adrien squeezed my hand under the table before saying, “We feel like we’ve known each other forever. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with September. She’s amazing.”
April scowled, nearly dropping her fork, drawing everyone’s attention to herself when the metal clanked against the ceramic plate. John frowned as he played with pomegranate seeds on his plate.
As I savored the gazpacho soup, I realized I couldn’t feel happier. This was turning out so much better than I’d ever hoped. For weeks I’d dreaded this night. The smug looks I imagined on John and April’s faces, not to mention the twenty questions Mom would’ve asked to make sure I was doing okay. Now I was the one feeling smug. I couldn’t help myself.
But then, much to my horror, dad turned to Adrien and asked, “What are your intentions with my daughter?”
“Dad,” I protested, mortified. John chuckled, probably remembering the time he was the one being asked the question. Adrien cleared his throat, shifting in his chair. My father had a way of making April’s and my dates uncomfortable. But boys who proclaimed openly their love for Ed’s daughters would meet a more severe interrogation.
“Like I mentioned, I love September. We haven’t known each other for long, but I want to spend as much time with her as she’ll allow me to. I’m here for as long as she wants me.”
“That’s so romantic,” my mother said, clasping her hands together. She looked intently at Adrien, then me, then back at Adrien. The way she was studying at us—like we were protozoa under a microscope—kind of gave me the creeps.
Adrien turned to me, smiling. “I think your mom is visualizing future grandchildren,” he whispered into my ear.
I mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
“Not a big deal,” he whispered back, squeezing my hand again. Then he turned to my mother. “Do you mind if I use the bathroom?”
“No, of course not. It’s down that hall, second room on the right.”
“Thank you,” he said, standing up, wiping the corners of his mouth before leaving the table. Everyone watched him leave before attacking me with questions.
“What does his father do?”
“Does he go to school?”
“Are you in love with him, Tem-Tem?”
Flustered, I sat my spoon down and said, “Slow down. One question at a time.”
Just as my father opened his mouth to repeat his question, the doorbell rang, making me jump in my seat.
“Who could that be?” Mom asked, getting up before my dad could. She discreetly checked her hair
and makeup in the mirror in the front room before answering the door. Everyone sat in silence, straining to hear the mysterious voice in the other room.
When Chris entered the room, I almost fell out of my chair. A hundred questions surfaced at once, beginning with: What is he doing here? It only took about five seconds for me to figure it out and then, Oh no, oh no, oh no! What have I done?
Chris, who looked unusually sharp in a dark gray suit, his ponytail slicked back neatly,
smiled hugely, like a kid bringing home a 4.0 report card. If I wasn’t gawking at him, I probably wouldn’t have caught the subtle wink he threw at me.
“Who’s this?” My father whispered to my mother. She shrugged, taking her seat.
“Chris?” I said. What are you…?”
“Hello, everyone. I’m Chris, September’s boyfriend,” he said, resting his hands on my shoulders. “It’s nice to finally meet all of you.” I squeezed my eyes shut—mortified.
I turned around in my seat and whispered, “Chris, I have to—”
“What’s going on?” April and Grandma asked simultaneously.
“Nice to meet you, Chris,” my father said politely, his usually tight mouth slack, an eyebrow raised.
Chris took Adrien’s spot at the table and pressed his lips to my ear, whispering, “I broke up with Megan. I hope I’m not too late.”
What he did next probably startled me more than anyone. With rough hands, he cupped my face and before I could protest, covered my mouth with his. He kissed me ardently, surprising me with his passion, stealing my breath away. Months of frustration and unexpressed desire were manifested in the kiss. For a short moment, I forgot where and who I was and kissed him back.
My father cleared his throat and the spell was broken and Chris finally pulled away.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” April said, toying with her diamond necklace, laughing nervously. I couldn’t help but glance at John, whose face froze in astonishment.
I wasn’t prepared for what I saw next. Adrien standing in the entryway—shock, hurt and anger scribbled all over his face.
Pictures of You Page 20