Twisted Proposal

by M. V. Miles

  To my surprise, he ignored her and focused on me, like his father had done. At least he knew how to be respectful.

  “Nice to formally meet you, Addison.” He extended his hand. I thought about not taking it but smiled and shook it. Lexus gave me a dirty look. Now I knew how to get her back.

  “Likewise, I’m sure,” I responded. Unimpressed, I returned to studying the backyard.

  “If you like this yard, then you would love mine,” Jackson noted, as he slid next to me.

  “You sure know how to take stalking to the next level,” I replied, not looking at him.

  Before Jackson could respond, Stuart announced: “Time to eat.” I straightened up, coming eye to eye with Jackson. There was something that made me uneasy about him. It was as if he was peering into my soul or something. He moved aside so I could pass.

  I took a seat next to Zach and placed a linen napkin in my lap.

  Mr. Van Buren passed me a dinner roll. “I don’t know if your father told you, but I knew your mother and her sister as well.”

  “Who didn’t?” Petra snickered, before I could respond. I narrowed my eyes at her but returned to Mr. Van Buren. He was, after all, addressing me.

  “They were an interesting pair. Your mother’s Elizabeth?” he asked.

  I carefully split the roll and dabbed some butter on it before saying, “Elizabeth wasn’t my mother. Eve was.” Take that, Petra. Stuart shot daggers at me, but I pretended not to notice as Petra’s smile faded.

  “Eve? Who’s that?” Petra questioned, gawking at Stuart.

  So he hadn’t told her. Perfect. That’ll teach you to mess with me.

  “Elizabeth’s identical twin.” I sipped my water. All eyes were suddenly on me.

  “Oh yes, I remember that,” Petra said quickly.

  It was obvious that no one bothered to fill in our guest about my being here and that lit a fire within me. I wasn’t afraid of anyone anymore. These people were nothing to me.

  A model--thin woman sat down next to Jackson’s father and looped her arm though his. She had perfectly smooth olive skin, and her dark brunette hair framed her chiseled cheekbones. Her light grey eyes took me in with interest. “Sorry I’m late, everyone. The shoot ran late.”

  “It’s no problem, honey, we were just getting started,” Mr. Van Buren said and planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “Nice of you to join us on such short notice,” Petra gushed.

  “It’s no problem at all. Especially when Remmy told me that one of your daughters was interested in modeling.” She planted her eyes on me.

  For a moment, I was confused. Surely she meant Lexus, who was so vain anyway, but she kept staring at me, studying me like a bug under a microscope. Modeling? Me? She had to be kidding, right?

  “The dress looks fabulous on you….” Her words tapered off as she realized she didn't know my name.

  “Addison. Her name’s Addison,” Stuart answered for me.

  “Okay. Well, Addison, if you don’t mind, will you stand and spin for me?” she asked.

  I felt my face grow warm. Did I really have to do this? How humiliating. For a second, no one said anything. That’s why there was no tag. It was made especially for me. I glared at Stuart, who avoided my stare, but caught Lexus wrinkling her nose.

  “Oh excuse me. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Morgan DeFrio, hyphen Van Buren, of course. Come on now, let me see,” she urged.

  “Okay.” I stood and rotated in a tight circle.

  “It’s perfect. Do you like it?” Morgan's voice bubbled with energy. It seemed unnatural, but it worked for her.

  “Yes,” I replied. I mean what else could I say? I hated it?

  “You can sit now, dear. What do you like about it?” she said, ignoring everyone at the table. She wanted an honest answer, and I was going to give her one.

  “I’m not keen on the color, cut or the fact that it’s strapless. But I like the way it feels on me. It’s not too tight and I like that. Um…and I know this is going to sound stupid, but I like when I twirl around that it floats up.”

  Lexus laughed. I pretended not to hear. “It’s nice," I added “Did you …did you make it or design it?”

  “I’m a designer; I leave the hard stuff for other people.” She placed her napkin in her lap. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll have to snap a picture before we leave.”

  “So, Addison, how do you like California so far?” Jackson asked.

  “I don’t. I miss Illinois,” I replied.

  “I have to ask, why are you here then?” He shifted his gaze to his father.

  “She’s been living with her mother and decided on a whim she wanted a change,” Stuart interjected before I could answer. Why was he lying?

  “Children are like that,” Mr. Van Buren said, peering at me, his curiosity aroused.

  My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t a child. I was practically seventeen.

  “So tell me, Addison,” Mr. Van Buren continued, “Are you excited about living with your father?”

  I wasn’t going to lie for Stuart. I met his eyes head on. “As happy as one can be under the circumstances.” I wasn’t in the mood for a dinner of lies. Why couldn’t he just be honest? He was making a big deal out of everything.

  “Circumstances?” Mr. Van Buren repeated, shooting daggers at Stuart. Clearly, Mr. Van Buren did not like being kept out of the loop.

  “My mother died of stomach cancer. I apologize for Stuart advising you this was some kind of split-second decision,” I clarified. Stuart choked, and Petra made a strangled sound. “But I’m sure California will grow on me,” I added, taking another sip of my water. My head ached. Maybe I shouldn’t have drunk that Jack!

  “I’m sure.” Mr. Van Buren then asked Stuart about his court schedule for the following week, and the conversation shifted to talk about the law firm.

  I focused on my leafy salad with red vinaigrette that someone had placed in front of me. It was sweeter than I had anticipated but rather tasty.

  “So have you given any thought about where you will be attending school?” Jackson asked when it was quiet again, which was after the salad plates were removed.

  “No.” I shrugged. Why did he care where I attended school?

  “I think you would be a good candidate for Briarwood Academy. I know it’s late in the semester, but still I feel it would be a perfect fit. Especially since you’re planning to pursue pre-med, isn’t that right, father?” he asked, glancing at Mr. Van Buren.

  And how did Van Buren and his son know that? Did everyone pass my personal file around? I gave Stuart a strange look, but he avoided me by carefully cutting up his steak. And Briarwood wasn’t that where my mom and aunt went to school? I would have to double-check that. Truth be told, I didn’t care where I went to school, only that I graduated and got the hell out of here. “Candidate? You make it sound like a competition,” I muttered.

  “That’s because it is,” Jackson said.

  Lexus snickered. I shot her a nasty glare.

  “You know what? I think I’ll go to the same school as Lexus.” She perked up, soaking up the attention. Anything to get the attention off of me.

  “I don’t know if Willow Brooke Academy would be a good choice for you, but it’s always an option,” Jackson said, as if it was his decision.

  What was wrong with these people? “Fine, I’ll just go to public school,” I said. Everyone erupted in laughter. “Guess I don’t get that joke.”

  “No one here goes to public school. That would be, like, social suicide,” Lexus scoffed.

  Fire coursed through my veins, and I took another drink to calm down. Like I knew or cared about social suicide! They should try living with the consequences of a real suicide sometime.

  “What she means to say is that I prefer that no one in my office send their children to public school. They are underfunded, understaffed, and under-appreciated. If you’re smart, you go to a smart school. If you’re not, and your parents have money, you go to a dif
ferent school,” Mr. Van Buren said, directing his comment at Lexus, but she missed it.

  “What are your scores, dear?” Morgan asked.

  “Scores?”

  Again Lexus giggled. I sighed. I was getting rather sick of her.

  “Do you know your ACTs or the SATs? Either will do,” Jackson asked.

  My test scores weren’t that great because I had stayed up all night before the test, thanks to Elizabeth having yet another overdose episode at work. I had spent the night in the ER with her. “I scored a 36 on the ACT and at 2200 on the SAT.”

  “Briarwood would be a great school for you. You should check into that, Stuart,” Mr. Van Buren advised.

  “Yes sir. First thing in the morning,” Stuart said.

  What was happening? I was going to some private school. Wouldn’t that be…expensive. How was I going to pay for that?

  Petra began a conversation about some friends of hers with Mrs. Van Buren as the main course was served.

  “Where’s your lobster?” Jackson asked when a plate of rice and vegetables were placed in front of me.

  “I don’t eat meat,” I replied and Mrs. Van Buren smiled. She was eating the same food as me.

  “Are you just a no-meat kind of girl, or do you go all the way?” Jackson joked, and Petra choked on her food. “Sorry, poor choice of words,” he said, turning a bright shade of pink.

  “I’m a vegetarian, not vegan. Everything else is fine.”

  Zach snickered, but Petra shut him up with a glare.

  I was thankful when everyone finished dessert. Lexus pulled Jackson off somewhere, and Mrs. Van Buren and Petra went inside, which left Zach and me alone at the table with Stuart and Mr. Van Buren.

  “Addison and Zach, will you excuse us?” Stuart asked. Zach went inside. I hesitated.

  “Don’t you think she should know what you signed her up for?” Mr. Van Buren said, tapping a cigar on the table.

  I stared at Stuart. I knew it! I just knew it! This whole thing was a set-up!

  “Addison, do you mind?” Stuart reiterated.

  “No, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me what this is about?” I fired back.

  “Let’s get a drink, shall we? In my office?” Stuart rose from the table. Mr. Van Buren drained his glass and followed him inside, leaving me alone with the maids clearing the dishes.

  Now what?

  ***

  “Leave me alone!” I screamed, yanking my arm away from mom and storming into the bathroom.

  “Leave you alone?” she yelled. She grabbed me again and slammed me against the wall. “Like hell I will. I made a promise when you were born to keep you safe. Now you’re my only daughter, and you're inches away from ruining your life.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. I didn’t think she cared.

  “What? You didn’t think I would find out about your grades? You had better pull it together, Addison! And do you even know that boy?”

  “He hangs out on the roof. I’ve seen him several times,” I said, trying to keep an innocent expression on my face.

  “Horse shit, Addison. He’s one of Marco’s punks! You stay the fuck away from him. Understand?” Her eyes were red, and the veins were popping out in her neck. She didn’t need this kind of stress. What if it pushed her over the edge? I took a deep breath.

  “You’re right. I’ve just been really stressed out lately with everything that’s going on,” I conceded. She touched my face and smoothed my hair, smiling as if trying to memorize my face.

  “You’re my baby and always will be. I’m sorry I freaked out.” She pulled me into a hug.

  “I know, mom, I’m sorry.” I hugged her back, and we stood there for about five minutes. She was so thin. Then she kissed my forehead and told me to get ready for school.

  ***

  Except now I knew that she wasn’t my mom and I wasn’t her child. That was the last fight I had with Elizabeth. Everything changed after that. I should have never gone to school. Maybe I could have saved her. Now I was stuck with this mess. I stood and fled inside.

  “Hey wait,” Zach said, and I stopped before heading up the stairs.

  ‘Do you wanna play video games?” he asked.

  “Uh, sure.” At least my mind would be pre-occupied.

  After settling into the couch bean bag chair, I watched him battle his way through three levels of Monkey Kingdom. The game reminded me of an old-fashioned Nintendo game I played when I was younger.

  Jackson barged in. “Squirt, your dad’s looking for you.”

  “Yeah?” Zach said but didn’t stop playing.

  I’m sure Stuart didn’t want him for anything. Jackson crossed the room in two strides and pulled the control from Zach, killing the power to the game.

  “Now,” he ordered Zach, who sighed, but left.

  “Rude much?” I didn’t wait for a response and went to the study room, picking up the book I was reading, tucking my feet beneath me in one of the comfy leather armchairs.

  “You like to read?” Jackson asked from the doorway.

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  He licked his lips and strolled into the room. Was I supposed to be impressed? I put the book down on my lap. Sure, Jackson was attractive enough, but he was missing his father's calm demeanor. Not to mention Jackson's arrogance irritated me.

  He sauntered over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book at random, keeping his eyes on me. A shirtless man with long flowing blonde hair graced the cover.

  “I didn’t peg you for the romance type.” I pointed at the book, grinning.

  He looked at the cover and chuckled. “I’m not.” He replaced it.

  Maybe I could find something out from him.

  Facing me, he pulled out a slim cigarette and lit it. “Sorry about dinner.”

  “Which part?”

  “The whole no meat part.”

  “It’s fine. I get it all the time.” Which was true. In Illinois, all the regulars at the pizza place gave me grief about eating only veggies.

  “You’re different from most girls I’ve met.”

  “Okay. Whatever that means.” I wasn’t in the mood to have my faults pointed out so I returned my book.

  “Like, right now, most girls would be trying to get my attention. Here you have it all and want none of it. No you…you could care less if I was here or in Timbuktu.” He purposely leaned across me to flick the ash from his cigarette into a metal ashtray on the side table by my chair.

  I slid out from under him and rose, taking in his intoxicating cologne. I pushed it aside. I still wasn’t interested. “Jackson, let me make something clear to you.”

  “What?” He answered like an eager dog.

  He was so obvious. Lame.

  “I know that I’m new here, and that might be exciting to you, but it’s not to me. I’m here under protest. I’m not looking for anything at this time, but if I change my mind you’ll be the first to know.” He looked confused. I lessened the space between us. Just because I didn’t want him didn’t mean I couldn’t toy with him.

  I brushed up against him. “Let me put it in terms you may understand. I don’t like you. You’re not my type.” Not that I had a type, but if I did, he wouldn’t be it.

  “Okay, that’s the first time that’s ever happened,” he said, straightening up. I wandered into the other room. He trailed behind me. Slowly, I dragged my fingers along the side of the pool table, fully aware of him watching my every move.

  “There’s a first time for everything.” I perched on the edge of the table. “Play me a game of pool, winner gets--”

  “To show the other person around town,” he interjected.

  “That doesn’t seem quite fair. How about, if I lose, I make you dinner?”

  “Deal, and if I lose, I’ll do the same.” He removed two cues from the rack. He meant business.

  “Deal.” I set the balls and he broke them, shooting six in on the first shot.

  Chapter Fourteen

  After a few minut
es, I noticed how meticulously Jackson played. Before taking a shot, he calculated the perfect angle to maximize his score. If the ball wasn’t where he wanted, he complained, blaming it on the unevenness of the table, not on his faulty aim.

  Pool wasn’t one of my strong games, but I found that if I was tipsy drunk I performed better. It made no sense at all, but it was worth a shot. “I’ll be right back,” I said and slipped into the study room finding my stash of Wild Turkey, which I had hidden behind the books on the bottom shelf, a few days ago. I downed a few shots from the bottle and returned to the game.

  The liquor helped me release the stress of dinner and when my turn came, I had a plan of attack. He left me with a mess of solids all over the green felt. I leaned over to the far side of the table and began to make my mark.

  ***

  A half hour later, we were down to the eight-ball. Zach and Lexus had decided to cheer us on with Lexus, of course, rooting for Jackson while Zach supported me.

  “I’ll be here on Friday at 8:00 p.m. for my dinner,” Jackson said, taking his last shot, which was off by a hair, causing the ball to bounce off one end and stop right in front of a side pocket at the other end. Perfect.

  “I think you’ll be making me dinner on Friday,” I countered and made the final shot, landing the ball in the hole.

  “Yes,” Zach screamed, and we gave each other a high five.

  Jackson remained unmoved, his gaze fixated on the pool table. “I want a rematch,” he demanded.

  “No. I won fair and square.” I put my cue away. I wasn’t in the mood for another game anyway. When I turned around, Jackson was in the same spot.

  Lexus sprang into action and put her hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about her, Jackson. She obviously doesn’t know how to be a good hostess. I’ll play you another game.”

  “I don’t want to play you. I want to play her,” he said, shrugging off her hand off.

  “Come on, Addison, just play him another game,” Zach whined.

  “Yeah, Addison, it’s not that big of deal. You're acting like a brat,” Lexus added.

  “I’m not the one acting like a brat,” I said. “Besides, I don’t want to play another game.” The anxiety of the day mixed with the alcohol made my stomach upset.