by Kayt Miller
“Thank fuck for that,” scoffs Billy. “Your mom needs help too, you know?”
“A mother’s love….” It’s all I can think to say.
“That’s not it. Sure, she loves her children, that’s obvious, but it’s moved into the mental health realm now.”
“I guess.” I’m resting my head on Billy’s side with no wounds, and I’m running my palm up and down his flat stomach. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m glad I’m okay too, but next time, call the cops then stay out.”
“Next time?” I laugh. “I hope there’s no next time. I’m not made for this kind of drama.”
“Hey.” He looks down at me. Running his fingers through my hair, he asks, “Why’d you come home? I thought you were sleeping over.”
“Two reasons. One, I wanted to sleep in your bed with you, and two, she got back together with the asshole.”
“Reason one is my favorite. I’ve already gotten used to you in my bed. It was lonely without you.”
I wrap my arm over him and give him a gentle squeeze. A tear makes its way from my eyes to my cheek. “Me too.” I sniffle. “I love you, Billy. Seeing you in danger—” I sniffle again. “—it scared me more than I can say. My life flashed before me, and the idea of you not being in it, it hurt so much.” I’m crying. It can’t be helped.
“I know. I feel the same about you. I can’t believe we found each other. It’s been pretty fucked up since then, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Well, I’d probably change the knife-wielding part.”
“I’d definitely change that part. But if it meant we wouldn’t be here now, I’d leave everything just the way it is.”
“Me too.” Yawning into his chest, I can’t help noticing the sun coming up through the blinds. It’s a good thing it’s Saturday. We get to snuggle just like this for as long as we want. Maybe forever. Yeah, forever sounds nice.
“What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?”
Wow, I haven’t given one thought to another holiday. The last one, Christmas, was a doozy. “I usually sit on my sofa and watch movies.”
“Do you want to do that this year or would you rather go to a big, fancy party?”
When I hear the words “big” and “fancy” I immediately know I don’t have anything to wear. That green dress I wore to the French place is my nicest dress. “Where is this party and how fancy?”
“The Aon Ballroom.”
I know that place. It’s out at Navy Pier. It’s spectacular with its lighted dome. I’ve never been to a party there, but I’ve seen it. “That is fancy. What else?”
“Well, it’s my mom’s deal. It’s a fundraiser for one of her most important charities, a children’s cancer hospital.”
“Oh, wow.” I’m getting emotional already. “That’s so nice.” My voice cracks a little. “Of course I’ll go with you.” What will I wear? The only person I know with fancy clothes is Gisele, and she’s too small for me to wear her clothes. The fact that I wouldn’t be able to get a dress from her because she’ll be in jail is also a consideration.
“Great. We’ll go shopping tomorrow. I know just the place.”
“Shopping. For what?”
“A dress and things of that nature.”
I’m too tired to argue. Besides, I can’t meet his mother wearing something from a thrift store. “Fine. Just keep a tab going for me. When I get a job, I’ll pay you back.”
“Okay, baby,” he says as he slides his hand down my back to pat my bottom. “I’ll keep a tab.”
He’s not going to keep a tab, the big, fat liar. It’s okay. I will.
True to his word, Billy took me shopping. I’d like to tell you that I wasn’t blown away by the places he took me, but I was. They were f-a-n-c-y. One of them was by appointment only. To say I was uncomfortable was an understatement. In the end, we compromised and went to Nordstrom. It’s still too expensive for me, but at least they had options that were much more affordable. In the end, I chose a deep green sequined dress with a V-neck that held the girls in quite nicely and a thigh-high slit up the leg. Nordstrom is going to alter the dress for me at no extra cost because it definitely needed hemming up about six inches. I asked them to close up some of the thigh-high part too. I’m meeting Billy’s family, for goodness sakes. I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard, if you know what I mean.
Shopping with Billy was a blast, though. He sat outside while I tried things on in the dressing room. When I liked something or if it actually fit, I stepped out to get his opinion. This green number was his favorite by far. “Holy shit, babe,” he said, leaning forward in the leather side chair. “You look amazing in that dress.”
And you know what? I felt amazing. It was really structured, which means it gave me support—support that will be enhanced by the Spanx I bought, but it’s also stretchy so I can still move. In all, it’s a perfect dress.
Billy insisted on buying me shoes, a handbag, some costume jewelry, and he made me an appointment at a spa his mom likes. “They’ll do your nails and hair if you want them to. And before you accuse me of wanting you to have your hair done, I couldn’t care less. I’m partial to your braids, personally. But you’ll get a massage at this place, and that’s fun. Okay?”
“Thank you, Billy.” I step up and kiss his cheek. His beard has grown a lot in the last few days, and it looks good. “I like your beard.”
“Yeah?” He runs his fingers over the stubble. “You think I should keep growing it out?”
“If you want. It’s up to you.”
“You like it?”
“I do.” I love beards. Yummy, yum, yum.
“Well, I haven’t had one in a long time. We’ll see how it looks, and then you can decide. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Chapter Twenty
This is it, the night I meet his family. God, I’m so damn nervous. What if they hate me? What if I say the wrong thing? I’m known for putting my foot in my mouth when I’m in awkward situations. At least the rest of me looks good. I went to the spa and did the whole shebang. I even got a wax, you know, down there. Shit, that hurt. They trimmed my hair and gave me big loose curls then put it up in sort of a messy updo. I love it. It’s me but elegant.
As for the dress? It fits perfectly. The slit goes up to just above my knee, so I’m not going to flash anyone my goodies tonight. I’m wearing strappy nude sandals and the necklace we bought at Nordstrom. It’s too bad Mom can’t see me now. She’d love all this glam. I sigh, thinking about them. Even Gisele. Hell, I wish Gisele and me… No. Don’t go there, JoJo. I can’t help it, though. My family is in complete disarray. I talked to Dad earlier today. He updated me on Mom and Gisele. Apparently, they released Mom the day after the incident at Billy’s. Dad bailed her out, of course. She’s going to have to appear in court later on—something I’m sure she’s mortified about. As for Gisele? She was in the hospital for several days with her self-inflicted shoulder wound. After that, they transferred her to jail. Once Billy told the police about everything that had happened in the last week, they were going to do their best to keep her as long as possible.
Shaking away the thoughts of them. I focus on tonight. Now, I’m just waiting for Billy to finish up in the bathroom. I saw him in his tuxedo pants and shirt but not the entire thing. I know he’s going to look devastatingly handsome. How could he not?
When he steps out into the living room, my breath catches. He’s better than I thought. The tux fits him perfectly. The white shirt and bow tie make him look so dapper. I step closer and notice the deep green silk pocket square, and then I squint at his tie. “Your tie and pocket square match my dress.”
“They do.”
I’ve never had a guy go all out like Billy has. Heck, my prom date didn’t even buy me a corsage. And he was wasted by the time he got to my house, so we didn’t even get pictures. What a douche.
“You ready, gorgeous?”
“I am.”
I reach for my c
oat, but Billy’s already got it his hand. He bought me a black, floor-length winter coat. It was on sale so, I let him buy it. I currently owe him over eight hundred bucks for this outfit alone.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a box, one from a jewelry store.
“Billy, no.”
“It’s just a little something.”
I sigh but hold my hand out anyway. I’m so full of shit, I know. Popping open the box, I see there’s a gold necklace with a small emerald stone hanging from the center. It’s not over the top or anything, but it’s beautiful. I feel my eyes grow wet, but I shake it off. “It’s beautiful, Billy.”
“Perfect for your dress.”
“It is.”
Turning around, he removes the costume jewelry, placing it on a nearby table; then he hangs the emerald from my neck. Touching it with my fingers, I close my eyes and make a wish. I hope tonight is perfect. That his parents like me, and he kisses me at midnight like I’m the only one he’ll ever need.
“I hired a car for us. It’s downstairs. Shall we?”
“First, though.” I step closer to him, and I barely have to get up on my toes thanks to my shoes. I kiss his lips and whisper, “Thank you. For everything.”
“You’re welcome.” He’s smiling, but then his face changes to something much more serious. “I love giving you things. You don’t expect them or even want them, which makes it even more fun. And you appreciate everything you have. I’ve never met anyone like you, JoJo. It’s just one more thing I love about you.”
“Billy.” I choke up, doing my best not to cry. It’ll ruin my makeup, and if Luis at the salon gets wind I ruined his makeup, he’ll have my head. “I love you too.”
“Let’s go. Mom has been texting me all day. She can’t wait to meet you.”
I’m nervous. And when I get nervous, my stomach does all sorts of whirly swirly things. Deep breath, Jo. Deep breath.
“Champagne?” Billy holds up a bottle of the bubbly that was waiting for us in the back of the limo.
I know I shouldn’t. “Sure.” I little liquid courage would be nice. Billy and I sit hip to hip, our legs touching in the car. Just having him this close is helping calm my nerves more than the champagne ever will. “Don’t run off and leave me alone at this thing.” I look up at him. “Okay?”
“Don’t be nervous, JoJo. I’ll make sure you’re having fun. My family is going to love you.”
How can he say that? He literally barely knows me. He doesn’t know about that time in college when I got wasted and tried to do a keg stand but slipped and fell over a railing on to the beer-soaked grass below. Did I mention I was wearing a dress?
And he doesn’t know about that time I—
“We’re here.”
I look out the window and see Navy Pier come into view. The car takes a back way that I’ve never seen before. It leads to a parking area at the end nearest Lake Michigan. The driver pulls up to a set of double doors and stops. Billy taps on the window. “I’ve got this.” The driver nods. Looking at me, he adds, “Wait there.” He slides out of his side of the car and jogs around to mine. Opening the door, Billy holds his hand out to me. I take it and scoot out until my feet find the ground.
You can do this, Jo.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Hand in hand, we make our way through the double doors down a long corridor. There are other people walking toward the ballroom as well, but some of them aren’t dressed like we are. You know… fancy. At the entrance to the actual event, we check our coats and make our way inside. I gasp at the space. It’s huge and open. The dome is lit with colorful lights, but thanks to outside lights, there’s still a view of the lake from almost every window around the space. “Breathtaking,” I say with a sigh. “This is like a fairy tale.”
“That was the idea, my dear.”
“Mom,” Billy says excitedly, “Dad.” He wraps his mom up in a big hug then kisses her cheek. Next, he extends his hand out to his dad. I know now what Billy will look like when he gets older. A silver fox. He shakes his dad’s hand, but Mr. Mathers pulls him in for a hug and a back slap. “I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, JoJo Foster. JoJo, this is my mom, Rebecca, and my dad, William.”
Ah, now I know why he goes by Billy. Too many Williams can get confusing.
I hold my hand out to shake first Rebecca’s, but she skips my hand and goes in for the hug. In my ear, she says, “We’re huggers in the Mathers family.” Laughing, she pulls back enough for me to get a good look at her. She’s gorgeous with dark hair and bright blue eyes. I can’t believe she’s old enough to have a child as old as Billy. “You’re pretty,” I say without thinking.
It must amuse her because she laughs loud enough to draw attention to us. “And you’re beautiful, JoJo. I’ve heard a little about you, but I hope we can have lunch next week so we can learn more about each other.”
“Oh.” Do I want to have lunch with his mom? Alone? “Okay.”
“My son has never called me to tell me about a woman before. From that alone, I knew this was different than any of the others.”
Others. I wonder how many others there were.
I hold my hand out to William, but he does the same thing that Rebecca did, only his hug is brief. “It’s nice to meet you, my dear,” he says, giving me an older version of Billy’s smile.
I beam at Billy. “I feel like I’m going to wake up and this will all have been a dream.”
I turn to Rebecca, but she’s got a funny look on her face as she asks me, “You really feel that way, don’t you?”
“I do.” Why would I lie about that?
Without warning, she wraps me up in her arms again and whispers in my ear, “I want grandkids as soon as humanly possible.”
I giggle and whisper back, “Isn’t your daughter pregnant?”
“I want more grandchildren.”
I laugh again. “I’ll talk to Billy. We’ll see what we can do.”
“Good.” Stepping back, she turns toward the large crowd of guests. “Have fun, kids. Happy New Year if I don’t see you again.”
“Happy New Year,” Billy and I say at the same time.
“See?” He kisses the top of my head. “Two down, one to go. Well, two if you count my brother-in-law.” He smirks. “Which I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.” I laugh as I slap his arm. It’s hard with muscle. My goodness, Billy is so dreamy tonight. I know I’m not the only one who thinks so. There have been many people, men and women, who have gawked at him. I can’t blame them.
After meeting his parents, Billy and I walk around the ballroom looking at the decorations, getting a glass or two of champagne, and sampling from the amazing food available. I’m not able to eat much. My stomach is still in knots from the whole experience. I mean, this night is like one of those you see in a Disney movie with the lights, orchestra, dancing, and the clothes. The clothes are the best part. I know I’m no fashionista, but I could spend the whole night sitting at one of the hundred tables and just look at the dresses. Luckily, my green dress fits in nicely with the rest of them.
During one of our walks around the room, we finally bump into Billy’s sister, Faye, and her husband, Mark. I like them immediately. Faye is funny and merciless when it comes to teasing her baby brother. I really like her. It’s nice to watch siblings who get along and see what it’s like when they actually like each other. Anyway, Faye’s gown is gorgeous on her. It’s white which looks great with her dark hair, but it’s flowy too for the baby bump. We talk for a few minutes and agree to have lunch soon as Rebecca suggested. Now that I’ve met them all, I sigh in relief. It also means my appetite is back.
As we walk away, I whisper to Billy, “Let’s get some more food. I’m starving.”
“As you wish,” Billy says with a wink and a smile. You know what, I think he means that. I have a feeling Billy Mathers is going to make sure all my wishes come true. I just hope I can do the sa
me for him.
When it was time to count down to midnight, Billy wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “This is the best New Year’s Eve of my life, JoJo and all because I get to look forward to the next year with you by my side. Then, while everyone else was yelling “Happy New Year”, Billy leaned down and kissed me softly.
I smile before the kiss is even over and say, “Best. New Year’s. Ever.”
As soon as we slide into the car, I get as close to Billy as I can and put my head on his shoulder and wrap my arm around his middle. “Best. Night. Ever.”
“It was. I’m glad you liked it.”
“I loved it.” I look up at him. “It was like a fairy tale and I was a princess. What woman wouldn’t love something like that?”
“I don’t care about any other women. Only you, JoJo. I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”
I push back so I can look him square in the face. “I’ll do the same for you, but I’m not as good at it as you are. But I’ll try.”
“Just be JoJo. That makes me happier than you’ll ever know.”
Just be JoJo. Hm, I think I can do that.
Chapter Twenty-One
Christmas. One year later.
I’ve still got issues.
It’s true.
Nothing compared to this time last year, though. This time last year, I’d slept with my sister’s fake boyfriend, gone to urgent care twice, and the emergency room once (with Billy). I watched my parents’ marriage disintegrate and saw my sister forced into a court-ordered psychiatric program. The only good thing that came out of last Christmas is Billy. He turned out to be my everything. It’s like fate couldn’t just bring us together. She had to shake things up to test our resolve or something. Well, she did and we stuck.
I can’t believe how much has happened this past year. I’m not sure where to start. I guess I’ll start with Gisele. She did as the court required; she went to get some help. The deal was, if she endured the three-month program and was successful, I’d drop the charges and so would Billy. She did it. Then, she moved to New York with the state of Illinois’s blessing.
