by Lila Moore
He pushed her away gently and sat down at the table. The server came over. Luke ordered a drink and looked at me hard.
“Val never told me she had a daughter,” he said.
My mother laughed. “Of course I did.”
“No. You didn’t.”
Luke was not amused. My mother’s engagement was blowing up in her face. A part of me felt bad for her. This was the only life she’d ever known. She was in too deep to ever reform. I have no doubt that she will continue to behave this way for the rest of her life.
I had more sympathy for Luke though. He didn’t ask to be lied to or manipulated by a woman who was only interested in his money.
“How old are you?” Luke asked.
“Eighteen,” I replied.
“How can you have a teenage daughter? You told me you were twenty-seven,” Luke said to my mother.
I nearly spit out my drink. I wasn’t surprised my mother lied about her age. I was surprised Luke believed her. My mother always says men are idiots when it comes to makeup and plastic surgery. They have no idea how much a little foundation, contouring, or Botox can change a woman’s appearance, making her look years younger.
Luke looked genuinely surprised by this revelation. He clearly fell right in with the average male in that regard. I choked down a laugh.
“I had Gigi when I was very young,” she said. “She’s about to leave to go to college. She starts in the fall. She won’t be living at home with us.”
The message was clear: my daughter won’t get in the way of our life. Apparently, my mother was as eager to get rid of me as I was to leave. I won’t lie; her eagerness to get rid of me stung. Maybe a part of me still wanted a relationship with her in spite of everything.
“Us?” Luke said.
“Don’t be silly, Luke-y. We’ve talked about moving in together and agreed it was time.”
“What? We never talked about this and I certainly didn’t agree-”
Luke cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure as the server set down his drink. He threw back the whiskey and loosened his tie.
“I think we should leave. We should talk about this in private,” he said.
“No. We’re celebrating,” my mother insisted.
“Mom- Val- he’s right. The two of you should discuss this in private.”
I stood and started to leave. The scene had lost its entertainment value and turned sad. My mother grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down. Luke’s eyes fell on my chest. My face burned red. Had I fallen out of my dress? I looked down quickly. My tits were still covered. I readjust the straps and wished I had a coat to wrap around me.
“We can’t be married and live in separate houses,” my mother said.
Luke gave me a look I couldn’t quite read. He then turned confidentially to my mother and spoke in a low voice, but it was pointless. I could hear every word he said.
“I never proposed to you. I don’t know where you got that ring from, but I’m not paying for it.”
“You already paid for it. I charged it to your AMEX.”
“You’re going to return it.”
“Luke, what’s gotten in to you? I thought you loved me?”
She pouted and scrunched up her face. She dabbed her eyes with a napkin, but they were dry. I’d seen her pull this fake-crying routine before. I’m not sure how effect it usually is, but Luke seemed to be buying it.
He wrapped an arm around her and spoke gently. “Don’t do that. I don’t want you to be sad. It’s just…”
He gave me a look. My presence made him uncomfortable. As it should. I had no business being here. I did not want to know the details of my mother’s marriage scam. That was between them.
“Luke, if you’re scared of commitment, I understand. If you still want to see other girls, I’m cool with that. I don’t mind an open relationship. Remember when we first met? You couldn’t decide between me or that cocktail waitress and I said: ‘Why not take the both of us?’”
“Stop!” I shouted.
I couldn’t take anymore. I jumped up before my mother could grab me and force me to listen to any more of this. Normally, I’m not that bothered by my mother’s antics, but tonight felt different.
I’m not a crier, but I had tears in my eyes. Every eye in the restaurant was on me as I ran out the front door and into the street.
Luke
“Aren’t you going to go after her?”
“Who?” Val said dumbly.
She stared up at me with big round blue eyes. They were completely free of tears. Silently, I cursed myself for falling for her fake tears.
“You’re like a child sometimes, you know that?”
She made an incredulous sound and pawed at me as I stood and left the table. I didn’t want Val to follow me. I managed to make it to the front of the restaurant and out a side exit.
I watched as Val exited through the front. She grabbed a valet and shouted something in his face. I shook my head. I couldn’t believe the way she’d behaved. Stealing my credit card and buying an engagement ring; springing a daughter on me; bringing up a drunken threesome we’d had in earshot of her daughter.
The woman was insane. I should have listened to Trent and stayed far away.
I watched Val wander through the crowd of people gathered by the valet. She was clearly looking for me. I decided it was best to stay in the alley for a while before I made my escape. A grown man hiding from a crazy gold digger was pathetic, but I just couldn’t deal with her right now.
The meeting at work had gone horribly. I couldn’t deal with any more drama today. I’d wait for Val to leave, then I’d sneak out. I wouldn’t return her texts or calls. I’d ghost her. Eventually, she’d get the message and stop calling me. As for the engagement ring, I’d have to figure out a way to get it back. Worst case scenario, I’d call the police. I didn’t want Val to be arrested, but maybe it would teach her a lesson.
“You hiding out too?”
I turned to find Val’s daughter standing behind me. Her mascara was smudged around her eyes as if she’d been crying. She sniffled and rubbed her face with the back of her hand. The gesture made her look younger than her years.
Seeing her sad made me angry. I can’t imagine having Val as your mother. What was it like growing up in a house like that?
My eyes drifted over the girl. She had high cheekbones and catlike eyes. Her hair was dark; she wore it pulled up in a messy knot on top of her head. Her looks were severe, sharp angles and pouty lips. To put it simply, she was stunning. She looked like she belonged in the lost works of a great artist.
She shuffled her feet and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was wearing a low-cut, see-through dress. A light mist had started to fall. The thin fabric clung to her curves leaving nothing to the imagination. I could clearly make out the shape of her tits and hard nipples. She shivered.
“You must be cold,” I said.
“I’m fine,” she lied.
I took off my coat and took a step towards her. She stared at me with the same big blue eyes her mother had. It was the only thing they shared. It was hard to imagine this trembling girl was Val’s daughter, but the eyes don’t lie.
I wrapped my coat around her and buttoned it. She smiled weakly.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
We stared at each other in awkward silence.
“I want you to know-”
“Do you-”
We spoke at the same time.
“Go ahead,” I said.
“I just wanted you to know I’m sorry. My mother is…” She sighed and looked away. For a second, I thought she would start to cry again, but she seemed to recover. “She’s difficult. There’s no excusing what she did. I had no idea she’d made up the engagement. I never would have come if I’d known.”
“You don’t have to apologize for her. You did nothing wrong.”
She looked down at her feet. She was wearing six-inch stiletto heels; they look
ed like she borrowed them from a stripper. Her calves were round and firm; her legs shapely. She looked like she worked out.
Val’s body was softer. She spent most of her life being cared for like a house pet. This girl was different.
I looked around the corner of the restaurant. Val was gone.
“Genevieve, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you need a ride home?”
She looked around uncertainly. “No, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ll take the subway.”
I couldn’t believe Val would take off and leave her daughter behind. Did she just assume the girl would take the train? It was late and raining. Traveling alone was dangerous for a girl.
“I’ll give you a ride. You shouldn’t take the subway alone this late at night. It’s not safe.”
“It’s fine. I do it all the time.”
“If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself. No more arguments. I’ll drive you.”
She shrugged shyly and followed me to the valet. We waited in silence as they brought my car around.
My jacket was big on Genevieve. It swallowed her up. She was so tiny and vulnerable; easy prey for any creep on the subway. Fucking Val. How could she abandon her daughter to fend for herself?
Genevieve
After what felt like ages, the valet brought Luke’s car. He held the door open for me. Getting in was awkward. He drives a sports car and it’s low to the ground. My dress is short so I had to twist and turn to get into the car without exposing myself.
Luke smiled at me and shut the door. I didn’t like this. Luke was way hotter than he had any right to be. What was he doing fooling around with my mother? Most of her Daddies were old, rich men with long hair coming out of their noses and jowly faces. Luke looked like he was carved out of marble. He had a strong jaw and striking green eyes. The way he looked at me made dangerous thoughts pop into my head, like: what would he look like naked?
Luke slid into the driver’s-side seat, then turned up the heat and pointed the vent at me. I hugged his coat around me. I was freezing.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
He put the car into Drive and sped off. I gripped the seat. I wasn’t used to driving in cars; I usually take the subway.
Luke drove fast, darting in and out of traffic. The sports car accelerated quickly as he shifted gears. I thought about what he said about the subway being dangerous.
“You know, getting into cars with strangers isn’t exactly safe either,” I said.
“What?”
He looked confused.
“You said it was a bad idea for me to take the subway alone.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I don’t really know you. I mean, you’re the guy in a phony engagement with my mother. For all I know, you’re as crazy as she is.”
“I’m not crazy.”
“Crazy people never know that they’re crazy.”
I meant it as a joke. I was trying- and failing- to lighten the mood. Luke wasn’t amused. I tried to think of something to say to make him laugh and came up blank. He took a sharp left turn and before I knew it we were on the street that runs in front of my house.
“How do you know where I live?”
Instantly, I realized what a dumb question this was. He’d obviously been there to visit my mother. She must have been extra careful to bring him around when I wasn’t home. I’d never seen any evidence of his presence in our apartment.
“Um, well…”
“Never mind. I’m an idiot. Thanks for the ride. You can let me out here.”
He pulled to a stop a couple buildings down from where I lived. I had no idea if my mother was home, but I assumed Luke did not want to see her again tonight. I didn’t blame him. I was dreading going inside.
I fumbled with the handle as I tried to open the car door. Luke leaned in close and reached over me. His hand brushed across my bare leg. For a heart stopping second, our faces were an inch apart. Up close, I could see that his eyes were actually blue with flecks of yellow, making them look green. He stared at me without blinking.
Madly, I found myself leaning in for a kiss.
Suddenly, he pulled away. The passenger’s-side door opened. I stumbled out in a daze. What had come over me? Did I seriously try to kiss my mother’s fiancé? Or ex-fiancé? Or ex-pretend fiancé?
I needed to get a grip. He probably thought I was as crazy as my mother. He might even suspect that I was trying to manipulate him like she had. She’d already lied to him once. What if he thought I was part of a longer con?
I’d just met Luke; I’d probably never see him again, and yet the idea of him thinking I was trying to manipulate him sent me into a panic. I had no idea how to make the situation right. The instinct to flee took over.
I jumped out of the car quickly. My dress flew up, exposing me. I pushed it back down as quickly as I could, but it was too little too late. I was sure Luke saw up my dress. He averted his eyes and cleared his throat. I half expected him to floor it. If he decided to take off in a cloud of exhaust, I wouldn’t blame him.
“I’ll wait here until you get inside,” he said.
I smiled awkwardly and closed the car’s door. I had no idea what to say. I’d just flashed him, humiliating myself. Thank God it was dark. My skin was burning hot. I’m sure I was beet red.
Silently, I walked away from Luke’s car without acknowledging him. What do you say in a situation like this? ‘Thanks for a great evening. Let’s do it again sometime?’ If I was lucky, he’d forget I exist.
I walked quickly down the street. I nodded to the doorman and turned around. Luke was still watching. I waved to him and slipped inside the building. I ran for the elevator and pulled out my key. The elevator doors opened directly into our apartment. My mother was waiting.
“You ruined everything!” she said.
“What are you talking about?”
“If you’d let me explain things to Luke, he wouldn’t have freaked out and left. But you just had to spring everything on him all at once. You scared him away. You did it on purpose.”
I pushed past her into the kitchen. I was suddenly exhausted. I needed something to wake me back up. I poured a cup of coffee and loaded it with sugar.
My mother was still ranting about how I’d ruined her ‘perfect’ plan. I was going to need caffeine before I fought this out with her. I took a long drink and tried to forget about how I’d embarrassed myself in front of Luke. Had seen up my dress when I exited the car? No. It was just my imagination. From where he was sitting, he probably didn’t see anything. And even if he did, it didn’t matter. With the way my mother had behaved tonight, I was sure I’d never see him again. Surprisingly, this disappointed me.
“What’s the matter with you?” my mother demanded. “Why aren’t you arguing with me? You’ve just been standing there quietly drinking your coffee. It’s freaking me out. Say something.”
I took another sip of my coffee and regarded her over the edge of the cup.
“Did something happen tonight? Was Luke still at the restaurant? I was sure he’d left.” She tilted her head to the side examining me closely. “You talked to him, didn’t you?”
Before I could respond, she screamed: “Shit, Gigi! What did you say to him now? I can only imagine what kind of nonsense you filled his head with. I’ll never be able to undo the damage you’ve done.”
“The damage I’ve done? You lied to Luke about everything. You were never engaged. You stole his credit card and bought yourself an engagement ring, then proclaimed you were getting married. Did you really think he would just accept that and marry you?”
I didn’t give her time to respond.
“How is this my fault?” I demanded. “You didn’t even tell him that I exist. Do you think a man is going to trust you after you’ve stolen from him, lied and kept a kid hidden from him? You deceive everyone who has ever been close to you. Not th
at you care, but when I leave for college, I’m never coming back home again.”
I slammed down my coffee cup and pushed past her.
“But Gigi…” she whined behind me.
I never looked back. I marched into my bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Luke
I stared at the email open on my laptop. I’d read it at least seven times and I was no closer to understanding it now than the first time. Words jumbled together into a meaningless array of symbols.
The trouble was that I was distracted. I couldn’t stop thinking about last night. The bizarre scene at the restaurant played again and again in my head. Val insisting we were engaged; Genevieve sitting across the table from me in her low-cut dress. The way she looked in the low-light of the alley. Mist clung to her skin as she tried to hide her tears. And that dress. It clung to her body wetly, leaving nothing to the imagination.
Then there was the awkwardness that ensued when I drove her home. Had she tried to kiss me? Of course not. I was the one who tried to kiss her.
When I helped her open the car door, my hand brushed against her leg. Her skin felt like velvet. I could still feel a ghost of her touch. It made me hard, both then and now. When our eyes locked, I’d frozen. I’d leaned in to kiss her. Fortunately, I got ahold of myself and pulled away at the last second before I made a mistake I couldn’t undo.
What if I did kiss her? What then? She still lived at home with her mother- my ex- what? Not a girlfriend really, and certainly not my fiancée. Val was more like a fuck buddy. And now, I was attracted to her daughter. What the hell was wrong with me?
If I had kissed Genevieve, I wouldn’t have been able to stop. I would have driven her back to my place and fucked her. Imagine the mess I’d be in then.
The door to my office flew open and Trent waltzed in. For once, I was grateful for the distraction.
“So, how’d it go last night?”
“Not well.”
“Uh oh, what happened? Did she go full Bunny Boiler on you?”
“What?”
“You know, like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. After Michael Douglas breaks up with her, she loses her shit and boils his daughter’s pet bunny rabbit to death.”