Misty Blue

by Dyanne Davis

  “‘Misty Blue.’ Now dance with me,” Damien said softly. “Listen to the words, Mia. This is us. This is how you make me feel.”

  * * *

  Mia was fighting the jitters that had claimed her in the last few days. Everywhere she went, everyone she talked to thought they should warn her about Damien. She’d stopped going to the club altogether because she realized the women hit on Damien partly because they wanted to, partly to rile her up. Even when the women didn’t choose to confront her face to face, they made nasty insulting remarks they knew she could hear. She was tired of hearing them, tired of the doubt that kept trying to rear its ugly head.

  Seeing less of Damien had two side effects, one good, one bad. On the one hand, she had accomplished a lot. With less than a week left until she was married, she was glad they’d taken a day for themselves. She pulled up that memory whenever she felt overwhelmed.

  On the other hand, Mia had not seen her brother as much as she would have liked. If she didn’t know better she would think he was avoiding her. But why would he? she thought. Still, Mia realized that she missed him. The quick calls and short visits weren’t nearly enough but that would be remedied soon. Keefe and Ashleigh were taking her out for her birthday.

  Not seeing the people that meant the most to her, especially Damien, was the downside to her being so busy. She had not seen nearly as much of Damien as she’d wanted and she missed the reassurance of having his arms around her. In his arms she never doubted.

  She looked at the clock. Damien would be there in a few minutes. When the knock came at her door, she was ready. She opened the door with a huge grin, ready to fall into his arms and kiss him.

  “About time,” her mother said as the door opened. Mia stared in shock. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

  “I talked to Tanisha a couple of days ago. She happened to mention that it was your birthday. Silly me, I’d forgotten. Anyway, you never called me back. Your cousin reminded me you were getting married in a few days, so I figured you’d either forgotten to call me or the message got lost on my machine. I was going to meet a friend in Windsor, so I thought, ‘Hey why not stop in and see my baby girl, stay with her a few days and see her get married all in one shot?’ Are you surprised?”

  “Yeah, I guess I am. Lucky for me that my birthday and wedding came at a time when you were on your way to Canada. At least that way you didn’t have to go to any trouble.”

  Mia saw her mother’s mouth form a look of surprise. Mia didn’t blame her. She had surprised herself when she heard the words come out of her mouth. She refused to meet her mother’s gaze. Having said it, she didn’t want to change it. In rapid succession the words from her last conversation with her mother came back and try as hard as she could, there was no shoving the memory away.

  Mia heard voices on the stairwell and stood for a nanosecond gawking at Keefe and Ashleigh. She managed to say, “Look who’s here,” as she moved aside to allow everyone to enter.

  “Are you okay?” Keefe whispered to her as he entered.

  Oh how badly she wanted to tell him that nothing was wrong, but his mended fence with their mother was fragile at best. Nevertheless, she gazed directly into her brother’s eyes and whispered, “No, I’m not okay. I don’t want her here.” Then she calmly closed her door, aware there was a crack in her facade, microscopic but there.

  The look on Keefe’s face told the story. He was surprised. Mia had never behaved as she was doing now. She was always the one who welcomed their mother with open arms. This time Mia couldn’t even fake it. So she didn’t try.

  Another knock sounded on the door and Ashleigh, who was standing there, looked toward Mia for permission, then pulled it open. Mia could tell from the look on Damien’s face he’d been prepared to kiss her and had pulled back on realizing that it was Ashleigh.

  “Hey,” he said when he entered the room. Then he stopped and stared.

  “Hello. You two must be Ashleigh and Damien. It seems the cat has my childrens’ tongues. Otherwise I’m sure they would not be so deliberately rude as to not introduce their mother.”

  Mia blinked, stuttered and looked toward her brother. This was stupid and yes, rude. Though she was trying hard to make the proper introductions, she couldn’t get her mouth to work and was grateful when Damien stuck out his hand. Icy fingers of dread touched the core of her soul as she watched her mother’s reaction to Damien. Her mother gave him a long appraising look and she held on to his hand, not letting it go.

  “My, my, my, you are handsome, aren’t you? Mia didn’t lie. And your voice. It makes me melt.”

  Mia’s face burned with embarrassment and she glanced once again over at Keefe, not saying a word.

  Bless Ashleigh, Mia thought, as Ashleigh stuck her hand out for her mother to shake, forcing her to release Damien’s. But Mia couldn’t help noticing that even though she’d released his hand, her eyes followed him like a hungry cat. Either Damien didn’t notice or it didn’t bother him, for he came toward Mia and kissed her as though nothing odd had happened.

  Her mother shoved a box at her. “Here, Mia, I brought a birthday gift for you.”

  “Thanks,” Mia said softly, taking the box and opening it. “Peanut brittle,” she announced, unable to stop herself from once again searching out her brother. His gaze met hers and Mia swallowed the lump of sudden pain.

  “Peanut brittle?” Damien asked as he looked at the box in Mia’s hand. “Aren’t you allergic?” he questioned as he took the box. “Do you mind if I have some?” he ripped into the box before Mia could answer.

  “He’s right. Mia’s allergic to peanuts, Mom,” Keefe said. “Ashleigh, Damien, meet Lillian Black, the woman who brings her daughter a gift that could kill her.”

  And that was everyone’s introduction to their mother.

  Mia groaned inwardly, wishing for a moment that she’d handled things differently. She should force herself to smile, to pretend. But she couldn’t. She was rooted to the spot, her skin tingling with awareness. Her mother was there to cause problems. She knew that as surely as she knew she’d allow it to happen. She remembered Damien’s words from the week before: Some people create the drama. Mia wouldn’t deny she’d started the ball rolling with her remarks to her mother.

  “Kill her? How would I know that?” their mother said airily. “You can’t expect me to remember everything, now can you?”

  It was as though Mia were watching a play. She felt the increasing tension. She shouldn’t have told her brother that she didn’t want her mother there, but it was true. She didn’t. She watched Damien whom she’d never seen eat candy, munching on the peanut brittle. She saw him smiling at her mother and a sense of betrayal tugged at her frayed nerves as she remembered bits of the last conversation she’d had with her mother. The first woman that comes along. Oh God, she didn’t want to have those thoughts. She touched Damien’s arm, needing to look into his eyes, to see—

  “This hits the spot,” Damien said. “I wanted something sweet.” He looked toward Mia. “Something edible, some candy. This was perfect.”

  Mia smiled. Damien’s words were just what she needed, his jokes and innuendos, his look when his eyes settled on her. She saw her mother staring and she stared back, determined that her mother wouldn’t get to her. She had nothing to fear. Her mother’s vile remarks meant nothing. Damien still wanted her.

  There was an intense building up of electrical energy. The room practically sizzled with awareness. In slow motion Mia observed the players and tensed, waiting for the fall-out. She saw the anger in her brother’s eyes and knew he would have his say.

  “Damien, I can’t believe you would think peanut brittle is a perfect gift for Mia. Yeah, if she was trying to kill Mia it was perfect.”

  Keefe sputtered and all eyes turned in his direction. He was protecting Mia, the same as he’d done her entire life. Mia couldn’t deny that she’d known any negative comments she made about her mother would cause Keefe to rush to her defense, to save her.
He always had.

  “Keefe, why the hostility? I thought last time I was here we buried the hatchet.” Lillian turned toward Keefe and smiled. “I thought you had forgiven me?”

  “I never said that. I said I would try and I have.” He shook his head. “How could any mother not know or care what her daughter is allergic to? Oh forget it, you would never understand.”

  “Good. It’s best forgotten. It’s not as though she ate the candy. Come on, big deal. She’s a grown woman. If she ate something that she knew she was allergic to, that would be her fault, not mine. Now enough talk on that. The two of you are making me feel unwelcome. Mia, you haven’t given me a hug. Is something wrong?”

  Mia blinked three times in rapid succession, not wanting to turn what was a little thing into something big. She had always hugged her mother but this visit felt different. Something had changed. Mia glanced once at Keefe but still couldn’t move.

  “I have a cold,” she lied. “I don’t want you to catch it.”

  “You didn’t seem to mind having Damien catch it. I noticed when he kissed you you didn’t move away.”

  “I gave it to her,” Damien answered.

  Damien stepped alongside Mia and rested his arm around her waist. Mia could have given him another kiss just for that. It was up to her to diffuse the situation. She wouldn’t force Damien into the role of peacemaker for her family. From the look of things he had enough problems of his own on that front. She searched her mind for something that would pull her mother out of the room. Maybe not seeing her, Keefe would declare a cease fire.

  “Do you want to see my gown since you’re here?” Mia said at last, finding a topic and changing the subject. She headed for the bedroom without waiting for an answer. Instead of the tension lessening, however, Mia felt it increase. This was an important moment in her life. She should be thrilled to have her mother surprise her on her birthday, to be there for her wedding. But she wasn’t thrilled; she was angry with her mother for being there. And she was angry with herself for caring. She was trembling and underneath she felt an unwarranted anger and couldn’t quite place it. Her face felt hot and flushed as she opened the closet door.

  “Here it is,” she said, lifting the heavy bag from the closet.

  “Is this the gown that Ashleigh made?”

  “Yes,” Mia answered. “Do you want me to try it on?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary.”

  Her mother smiled oddly, her expression sending chills skittering down Mia’s torso.

  “Is there something wrong, Mia? You’re acting kind of funny, more like your brother. What’s up? You’re not happy to see me?”

  For a moment Mia toyed with answering that question truthfully, for she wasn’t happy to see her mother. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. If you thought I was getting married weeks ago, why didn’t you show up then? Why now?”

  She watched while her mother’s smile changed into a scowl and her voice lost the sweetness.

  “You’re getting more and more like your brother every day. Nothing I do for the two of you has ever been enough. Look at my thoughtfulness in bringing you a gift. Are you grateful? Nooo, and what does your brother do? He attacks me. Sometimes I wonder why I try so hard with the two of you. I’m here now, be happy with that.”

  Then she turned on her heel and marched out of the room, leaving Mia to stare after here.

  “Be happy,” Mia muttered to herself. For what? Exactly what am I supposed to be happy about? That you didn’t care enough to find out exactly when I was getting married or that it was convenient for you to stop by now because you probably need a place to stay?

  Mia caught sight of her own face in the mirror and recognized the bitterness in her eyes, for it was in her heart. She shook her head, trying to let go of the feelings, but they persisted and she couldn’t deal with them at the moment. She had Damien, Keefe and Ashleigh waiting for her to take her out to celebrate her birthday. Well, happy birthday to me.

  Mia stepped back into the room in time to witness her mother pressing her body into Damien, backing him into a corner. If Lillian weren’t her mother, she’d be tempted to snatch her bald. As for Damien, she wanted to smack the silly grin off his face. Why didn’t he move away? It was as though her mother had sensed her presence and had orchestrated her little performance for Mia’s benefit. That thought was confirmed when her mother turned to her and smirked.

  “Mia, I can’t believe you’re going to wear the gown that Ashleigh was going to wear to marry the man that Ashleigh was going to marry.”

  She burst into laughter at the same moment embarrassment flamed Mia’s cheeks. This was payback for what had happened in the bedroom. She should have known not to cross her mother.

  “Mia looks stunning in that gown. It was made for her,” Damien interjected, moving away from her mother at last and returning to Mia’s side.

  “It was made for Ashleigh,” her mother cut him off, “to marry you.”

  “The gown belongs to Mia,” Ashleigh volunteered. “Damien’s right. She looks gorgeous in it.”

  Though she was looking down, Mia could see her mother turn and focus on Ashleigh.

  “So what? Mia is a gorgeous girl. She would look beautiful in rags. She’s my daughter. But the gown wasn’t made for her. It was made for you.” She turned toward Mia. “And if I were you, Mia, there is no way I would wear it. It’s bad luck, pure and simple.”

  “That’s nonsense,” Keefe snarled. “It’s only a gown. No luck is tied in with it. Mia’s wearing it. It was bought and paid for and she loves it. She’s going to wear it.”

  “You’re still worried about money, aren’t you, Keefe? You bought the gown I suppose?”

  When no one answered she continued. “Mia, who do you think Damien’s going to see coming down the aisle to meet him, you or Ashleigh? Or will he be able to tell the difference?” She smiled sweetly again. “I’m only thinking of you, sweetie. I don’t mean to offend anyone.”

  They all watched as she turned on her heel and strutted over to Damien, her hips undulating to some unheard music. She was acting like a seductress and it was obvious she didn’t care that they were all watching her vulgar display of sexuality. Mia knew that what her mother was doing was meant either as a reminder of her warning or as a direct challenge.

  Daring a glance at Damien, Mia saw that he was staring at her mother, and her heart fell. Of course he would find her mother attractive. She was beautiful. And the one thing her mother had always been good at was turning the heads of men. But Damien was her man. Mia wished she could take back what she’d said and done to her mother since her arrival so she would stop. She wished now she had hugged her. Maybe then she wouldn’t have to witness her mother making a play for Damien. Now she had to stand there and pretend with everyone else in the room that it was a joke.

  Mia turned slightly to look at her brother. His scowl spoke for him. With a grunt of disgust, Keefe left the room. With what she knew was a sick smile on her face, Mia glanced at Ashleigh, who gave her a pitying look. Mia blinked, pretending to herself as well as Ashleigh that nothing was wrong. But as she watched her mother grinning up into Damien’s face, her own skin burned with shame.

  “I’ll bet you’re still a dog, aren’t you, Damien?” her mother drawled as she glued herself to him.

  “I used to be before Mia,” Damien answered, “but not anymore.” He pushed her away gently but firmly, then pulled Mia into his arms. “There’s only one woman for me,” he said, hoping Lillian would get the message.

  “I still think there’s a bit of a dog in you. It would just take the right woman to bring it out. And frankly, I don’t think Mia’s that woman.”

  “Would that woman be you, Mom?”

  All eyes turned toward Keefe. None of them had heard him reentering the room.

  “Keefe, I was only teasing with him.”

  “I know teasing and I know you. You were flirting with the man Mia’s going to marry.” He glared at her, then t
urned to Mia. “Mia, he’s your fiancé. What do you think?”

  What do I think? Mia cringed inwardly. I think I want to die. To think that only a few seconds before she’d wanted an intervention, but not this. She stumbled to speak. It wasn’t that she didn’t agree with Keefe because she did. And it wasn’t as though she weren’t used to him rushing in to save the day, to save her. She’d always encouraged it. But with everyone looking at her, she felt like an incompetent child.

  “I think we’d better get going,” she answered her brother. “This is my birthday and I’m ready to celebrate.”

  “We’re taking Mia and Damien out for Mia’s birthday, Mom. We’ll see you when we get back,” Keefe said, heading for the door.

  “You’re crazy if you think I’m staying here while the four of you go out on the town,” Lillian countered.

  “We have reservations. It’s too late to change it all now.” Keefe answered.

  “That’s bull,” she retorted. “I’m not staying here. I’m going with you. If you made reservations at some fancy, smancy place, that’s not my fault. Either call and change the reservation to five, or pick some place else, because I’m going.”

  They all watched as she stormed to the door and stood as sentinel. If anyone had lit a match at that moment no doubt the room would have gone up in flames.

  * * *

  Damien looked at Mia, then Keefe. He’d felt the undeniable tension from the moment he came into the apartment. Had Mia not told him about the relationship her brother had with their mother, he would have been confused but it made sense.

  And regardless how pompous he thought Keefe was, he was right about one thing: Lillian had definitely not been playing. He’d seen the hunger in her eyes and knew that her come-on was serious. He’d been taken aback and had waited as long as he dared for Mia to handle her mother as he’d handled his father. When he’d seen that wasn’t going to happen, he’d been forced to push the woman away. If he hadn’t, Damien wondered how far she would have gone. It was obvious that she didn’t care that Mia had witnessed her actions. But it wasn’t up to him to chastise Mia’s mother. That was Mia’s job.