Say Something...

by T. A. Roth

  She does this every time. She swoops in with her negative bullshit, and I’m just supposed to drop everything to accommodate her request. The messed up thing is that I always do. I shouldn’t need her approval, but I crave it. I want her to be proud of me. It will be the biggest F-U if I’m as successful as my father, in spite of her.

  “I’m on my way to visit Nana, and after that, I have plans with Ari.”

  “Who?” She pretends not to know who I’m talking about, typical.

  “Ari, my girlfriend, Mother. You met her at the hospital.”

  “You can’t be serious about her. Does she know you’ve been accepted to law school in Boston?” I won’t let her get to me.

  “No, she doesn’t. It hasn’t come up, and anyway, now that Nana is sick, I’m not sure I want to be so far away. I might just go to school here.”

  “You will not throw your life away to stay here and take care of your grandmother or to date some girl.”

  “I have to go,” I growl.

  I won’t have her telling me what to do. She’s never cared two shits about me before and now that I’m an adult, she’s going to try to play the mommy card. I hear her take a calming breath.

  “Look Benjamin, I didn’t call to upset you. I’d like to have dinner with you, and if you’d like, you can bring your girlfriend.” She enunciates the word sarcastically.

  “I would have liked to have had a proper introduction.”

  The last encounter with Ari and my mother didn’t end so well. The thought of my mother ripping her to shreds is not my idea of fun. I think for a beat.

  “Benjamin? Are you still there?”

  “I’ll ask her. She doesn’t get home until six, but if we do decide to go, I don’t want you making her uncomfortable.”

  “Oh Benjamin, I wouldn’t think of doing such a thing.”

  “Sure you wouldn’t, Mother. Listen, I’m going to go visit Nana for a while. I’ll be in touch as soon as I speak to Ari.”

  I hang up the phone before she says something that will make me change my mind. I can’t believe I agreed to dinner. I have to be out of my damn mind.

  ARI

  THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY IS A week away, and I’ve been dealing with last-minute RSVP’s all morning. The party planner has called about twenty times today and Mr. Benton is going crazy reviewing depositions for his latest case. I’ve lost count of how many copies I’ve made for the man. In a nutshell, I’ve had my hands full. I’m about to get up and get my third cup of coffee for the day when my desk phone rings.

  “Law offices.”

  “Ari?”

  “Ben?”

  He’s never called my work phone. My heart starts to race thinking the worse. “Is everything okay? Is your grandmother-”

  “No, babe, everything is fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I didn’t want to text you because I wasn’t sure you would get it right away and I needed to ask you something.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, okay. What’s up?”

  “My mom called.” My stomach drops. ”She wants us to meet her and my stepdad for dinner tonight. They’re leaving in a couple of days, and she wanted a chance to meet you properly.”

  Meet me properly? What does that even mean? What am I supposed to say? The last interaction I had with that woman made me want to throat punch her. Now he expects me to sit across from her at dinner and pretend that she wasn’t a first-class bitch. Why me?

  “I already warned her that if she pulls what she did at the hospital, we’re gone. I know it didn’t go well the first time you met, but my stepdad is cool. He’ll be there to referee.”

  I can’t tell him no. I subjected him to my whole family. This is just two people. I can fake a smile for a few hours.

  “Fine. What time are we supposed to meet them?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I told her that you usually get home around six and that I would call her once I spoke to you. I’ll give her a call and text you when I know. I’m on my way to visit my nana for a few hours until you get off. I’ll meet you at home.”

  Is it weird that I got butterflies when he said home? The thought of sharing the same space with him, even if it’s just for a few days, makes me all giddy. I’m such a damn girl.

  “Okay, keep me posted. Send my love to your nana.”

  “Will do. I’ll see you later.”

  We hang up the phone and I immediately text Vonne.

  Me: I’m meeting the parents tonight.

  Vonne: Confused. Didn’t you already meet his mom?

  Me: Yeah, for like three minutes. I have to sit through a whole dinner with her and Ben’s stepdad.

  Vonne: I’m sorry friend. :(

  Me: She hates me. Why am I doing this?

  Vonne: Because you’re in love with her son.

  Me: I hate when you’re right. That man drives me crazy.

  Vonne: So when are you going to tell him that.

  Me: When I become the next American Idol. LOL! Gotta go, the boss man is coming. I’ll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck.

  Vonne: Shoot, you need more than luck. You need Jesus, girl! :)

  I shake my head and laugh. I clear the screen and put my phone away just in time. Mr. Benton comes flying out of his office. His hair is in disarray making him look like a mad scientist. I stifle a laugh as he places another stack of files that he needs to have copied. I guess I won’t have time to be worried.

  BEN

  I get to the hospital and send a quick text to my mother confirming that we’ll meet her for dinner tonight. She hates when I text. She doesn’t understand why people don’t take the time to call each other anymore. I smile as I hit send, knowing it will grate her nerves.

  Nana is chatting with the nurse who’s removing her lunch tray as I walk in. She turns to look at me with her beaming smile. If the doctor hadn’t given me her prognosis, I would think she was fine. She doesn’t look like someone who was just given weeks or months to live. Her sweet voice shakes me from my thoughts.

  “There he is. We were just talking about you, mijo. I was just telling Karen how handsome my grandson is.” The nurse looks in my direction, smiles, and then quickly looks away. I shake my head and smile. She is always trying to play matchmaker.

  “Karen, this is my grandson Ben. Ben, this is Karen.”

  “Hi. Nice to meet you.” She’s holding my grandmother’s tray so I just smile and wave instead of attempting to shake her hand.

  “She’s single. Maybe you have a friend you can introduce her to?”

  Karen stiffens, and she starts to blush. Poor girl doesn’t know what to do with herself. “It’s okay, Mrs. Rodriguez, really. Nice meeting you, Ben.” She keeps her head down and runs out of the room as fast as she can.

  “You, too!” I call out behind her.

  I look back at my grandmother and chuckle. “Why are you torturing that poor girl?”

  She giggles. “I wasn’t. I was just trying to help. She’s pretty and smart. She should have a boyfriend. You’re lucky I like Ari or I would have set the two of you up.”

  Her statement makes me smile. ”Well, I’m glad you like her, too. She sends her love, by the way. How are you feeling?”

  She sighs in frustration. ”I’m fine . . . if you can call being woken up at all hours of the night, being poked and prodded and asked a million questions fine. Then, yes, I’m doing great,” she says sarcastically. I can see the frustration on her face. She closes her eyes and rests her head back against her pillow.

  “Don’t get me wrong, everyone is nice. I just want to go home. I want to be in my house and in my own bed.” She looks at me with her sad eyes, and I feel bad. I couldn’t imagine being cooped up in here all day long. I walk over and sit beside her.

  “Dr. Bishop mentioned you might be able to go home tomorrow. I will check in with him before I leave.” No sooner than I finish that sentence does he walk in holding her chart.

  “Hello, Mr. Rodriguez.”

  I reach out to shake
his hand. “Ben. Please.”

  “Very well, then, Ben. I’m glad you’re here. We have some good news, Mrs. Rodriguez. You’ll be able to go home tomorrow.” A smile stretches across her face.

  “I spoke to Dr. Nguyen, and we both agree that a home nurse will be necessary. You will need someone to monitor your vitals and administer your pain medications. You cannot be left alone. We don’t want another fainting episode.”

  “That won’t be a problem. I will hire a nurse today, and I will also be moving back home with her. I assure you that she will not be left alone.”

  “I won’t be a burden on you, Ben. I told you that you don’t have to move in with me. I’ll be fine.” I turn to address her last statement when the doctor interrupts.

  “I’d have to agree with your grandson, Mrs. Rodriguez. It would be better to have family with you along with a nurse.”

  She looks at both of us like she wants to kick our ass. I love her fighting spirit. She’s always had that no-nonsense type of attitude.

  “Fine,” is all she says.

  “Very well then. I will leave you to it. Ben, take care. Mrs. Rodriguez, I will see you tomorrow before you leave.” She nods her head.

  Dr. Bishop leaves the room, and I turn back to her and gently squeeze her hand. I want to ease her mind. She thinks moving in with her is interrupting my life. She needs to know that I would do anything for her.

  “Nana.” She looks up glossy eyed. She’s clearly frustrated with the situation. ”You would never be a burden to me. You raised me, and I would do anything to make sure you’re taken care of. It killed me that I wasn’t there when this happened. Please, for my own peace of mind, let me take care of you.”

  She wipes at a few stray tears. “Okay, but you have to promise that you’ll have a life. I don’t need you at home staring at me waiting for me to die. I want you to continue living because I will be doing the same. No one but God knows how long I have left.”

  I have to swallow the lump that forms in the back of my throat. She’s right. We have to continue our lives and live each day as if it were our last. I can do that. I would do anything for her.

  “Deal.” I clear my throat. “I’m actually taking Ari to dinner tonight. See, I’m living my life.”

  “That’s great, mijo. I really do like her; she’s special. Where are you taking her?”

  “Mom called. She’s leaving in a few days, and she wanted to say her goodbyes. We’re meeting her and Andrew tonight.”

  She looks at me for a minute. She’s not a big fan of my mother’s, but she would never speak negatively about her in front of me. I know she’s trying to find the right words.

  “Look, mijo. Your mother loves you, and although she wasn’t always around, she is very protective. I don’t always agree with how she shows it, so you’ll need to watch her tonight. She wasn’t very nice to Ari the last time they met. I’m not saying to disrespect her, but if you have feelings for this girl, you’ll have to stand up for her.”

  My mother can be a bulldozer. She can flatten you with one look. She’s never been trusting, especially when it comes to her only son. I know she thinks Ari is some gold digging bimbo. I saw it on her face. I will have to set her straight tonight.

  “I know, Nana. I already explained to her that if she pulls the same stunt that she did last night, I’ll leave. She promised that she’d behave.”

  “Good for you.”

  We spend the next few hours talking. Someone from administration comes in to give us information on in-home care. They tell us what to expect and answer all of our questions. I don’t realize how late it is until Karen comes in with Nana’s dinner tray.

  “I hate to leave you to eat alone, but I need to meet Ari.”

  “Don’t worry about me, mijo. Go ahead. You’re going to be late.”

  I give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be here after my morning class.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  ARI

  I was able to finish Mr. Benton’s copies a lot faster than expected. He declared that we both needed a mental health day, after all the work we’ve been doing. I didn’t even think twice when he let me go home early. I grabbed my purse and ran to the parking lot. I was too busy to let the nerves kick in, but now that I’m home, they are on overdrive. What in the hell am I supposed to wear? I unlock my front door and head straight to my closet. I’m looking at each piece mentally shooting it down when I hear the front door open.

  “Babe?”

  “In here.” His heavy footsteps come down the hall. I peek out of my closet, and he smiles.

  “How did you beat me here?” He puts his hands above his head, gripping the doorframe. His shirt rides up a little distracting me from his question and making me want to lick the V of his abs instead.

  “Hmmm?” He laughs and pulls me into him, giving me a quick kiss. I tangle my hand into the hair at the back of his head and deepen it. We both groan in satisfaction.

  “I’m happy to see you, too,” he murmurs against my lips.

  “My boss decided to let me go home early. Sorry, I was so excited to go that I didn’t even bother texting you. So, where are we going tonight? I have no idea what the heck to wear.”

  “I’m not sure yet. I sent my mom a text when I got to the hospital, but I haven’t heard back. She hates when I text her so she’s probably pissed. Let me give her a call and find out.”

  Of course, she hates texting. The woman looks like she hates everything and everyone. Except her son and her many husbands, of course. This is going to be a fun night.

  “Okay, I’ll just take a shower while you call her.”

  I’m in the middle of belting out my best rendition of “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5 when I hear a knock at the door. I peek around the shower curtain, and Ben is leaning against the doorframe smiling at me.

  “What’s going on, Mariah?”

  I toss my loofah at him. “Shut up.”

  “You never mentioned that you could sing.”

  I pull the curtain shut to hide my embarrassment and finish washing my hair. “That’s because I can’t. So, what did your mom say?”

  He laughs. “I was right. She was pissed that I texted.”

  I roll my eyes, glad that he can’t see me. “Where are we meeting?”

  “They want us to meet them at Morton’s Steakhouse downtown. Have you ever been?”

  I turn the water off and pull the towels from the rod. I wrap one around my hair and the other around my body. I push the curtain back and step out of the shower.

  “No, I haven’t.” I walk back into my bedroom, and he follows.

  “It’s good. You’ll like it. They have burgers if you don’t want to order steak.”

  I go back into my closet and stare blankly at my wardrobe. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my neck.

  “Stop overthinking it. You’ll look gorgeous in anything you decide to wear. I’m going to take a quick shower while you’re deciding.”

  He swats me on the ass playfully and walks away. I look over and he has a dark pair of jeans and a black button up shirt laid out on the bed. His mother will overlook the fact that he’s wearing jeans, but I know better. I decide on a simple black wrap dress and strappy heels, and I keep my make-up minimal. I’m drying my hair when he comes back into my room. He lets out a low whistle.

  “You expect me to make it through dinner with you looking like that?”

  I’m trying hard to concentrate on my reflection. His chest is still wet from his shower and I want to lick off every last drop.

  “I swear if you don’t put your clothes on, you won’t have to worry about dinner.”

  He steps in front of me, forcing me to look at him. The bath towel is hanging lazily from his hips and my fingers twitch to tug it off. He cups my cheek and runs his thumb across my lips. I open my mouth, wrapping my lips around it. My tongue dances around his finger, and I bite down gently driving him crazy. He presses into me, and I feel him ha
rden against my belly.

  “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Ari. I’ll make the call and cancel right now,” he says huskily against my neck.

  He’s working his mouth over every inch of exposed skin. My head falls back, giving him more access. I’m in a lust-filled daze when I hear his phone ring.

  “Fuck,” he huffs out.

  I place my hands on his chest and gently push him away and he groans in protest.

  “We really need to start turning our damn ringers off,” he says as he walks away to check his phone.

  BEN

  I pick my phone up from the bathroom counter. Mom flashes across my screen. I stare at it for a beat contemplating whether I want to answer. When she said seven, she really meant six thirty. I know if I answer, she’s only going to lecture me about the importance of punctuality. I’m already giving in to her demand of showing up for dinner tonight.

  I place the phone back on the counter and decide to let it go to voicemail. I’m not really in the mood for her bitching. We get there when we get there. I’m currently fighting the urge to finish where I left off with Ari and purposely be late. I walk back into the room as Ari shuts off the hair dryer.

  “Who was it?”

  “It was my mom.”

  “What did she say?

  “I didn’t answer.”

  She looks at me quizzically. “Why not?”

  “She’s probably just wondering if we are on our way. I’ll call her back when we get in the car.”

  She’s already nervous. I don’t want to add to it by explaining my mom’s weird hang-up about being on time.

  “Well, I’m done. I’ll let you change. I’ll just wait out in the living room.” She sprays herself with perfume and adjusts the clasp of her necklace.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to stay and watch.” I grin at her mischievously.

  She saunters over, presses her chest against mine, and runs her tongue up my neck. My head involuntarily rolls back to give her more access. I’m instantly hard. She brings my earlobe into her mouth and sucks on it gently. She knows it’s my weakness.

  “We’re late,” she whispers.

  I open my eyes, and she’s walking out of the room.