by Tina Martin
“Yes, you’re my fiancée. We need to be somewhat affectionate.”
“But I thought you said your mother frowned upon that kind of thing.”
“To a certain degree, yes, but she would like to know that you actually love me.”
“Jeez. I didn’t think this would be so confusing.”
“What so confusing about it, Elsie? When I step up to you to plant one on you, just receive it. That’s all you have to do,” he says, palming my thigh. “Oh, and that reminds me...”
Steering with his left hand, he leans over and opens the glove box with his right hand and says, “Do you see that little red box right there?”
My heart rate quickens when I lay eyes on the box because I know what it is. “Yeah, I see it.”
“Open it. Tell me what you think.”
I take the box, close the glove compartment, then open the small box.
He reaches up to turn on one of the interior lights so I can see the ring in all its glory.
“You want me to wear this?”
“Yes. You have to look the part, right?”
“Right,” I respond. “Was this Rachel’s ring?”
“No. I just bought that one.”
“Just for this weekend?” I inquire and I can hear myself panting when I ask him.
“Stop panicking, Ellie. This isn’t real, remember? The ring is, but we’re not. Remember that. We’re friends. You’re doing me a favor.”
“Right. Got it.”
“Then why do you look like you’re about to pass out?”
“Because that is exactly how I feel. What if I screw up and say something I’m not supposed to say? What if your mother doesn’t like me? Have you considered that as a possibility?”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem. My mother likes everybody.”
“Even imposters?”
He chuckles. “You’ll be fine, now put the ring on, please.”
He waits until I slide the ring on my finger, then he turns the interior light off again. “Now, lay back and relax for the rest of the drive. You need to be on your A-game upon arrival.”
“Okay,” I say, but my stomach is flipping so bad, I feel like I can’t do this. But it’s too late to turn back now. In thirty more minutes, I’m Rachel.
Just as I close my eyes to relax, my phone beeps. It’s Priscilla. I make the choice not to answer and in good ol’ Priscilla fashion, here comes the flurry of text messages:
Priscilla: Um, hello?
Priscilla: Remember me?
Priscilla: YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Priscilla: where r u?
Elsie: I decided to go see my parents. Will call u when I get a chance.
I hated to lie, but since I’m playing the role of a liar this weekend anyway, what’s the harm in getting in a little practice?
Chapter 18
Trevor
“Elsie, are you awake? We’re here.”
Elsie stretched then opened her eyes wide to see where they were. She saw a two-story white house with dark shutters, situated on a massive, snow-blanketed yard. This must’ve been the place. “What time is it?”
“A few minutes after nine. Are you awake?”
“I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you’re awake. You need your game face on, not the sleepy one.”
She yawned, then rubbed her tired eyes. “Alright. I’m awake.”
“Okay. I’ll get your bag.” Trevor walked around the car, took Elsie’s overnight bag from the back and then opened the door for her.
“I’m really nervous about this now, Trevor,” Elsie said, bending forward, clutching her stomach.
“It’ll be okay. I’ll help you through it.”
Elsie breathed deeply, then twisted her body to finally step out of the car. As they walked to the front door together, her trepidation grew increasingly worse.
“Just breathe. My parents aren’t superhuman.”
“Sure about that? They produced you. They must have some kind of super powers.”
“I see your logic,” he quipped. With a bag in each hand, he instructed her to ring the doorbell. Not even a minute later, she could hear someone there.
“Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh…this is it. I shouldn’t have signed up for this.”
He cracked a smile. “Will you stop being so nervous?”
“You want me to stop being myself?” she whispered loudly.
“You’re not yourself. You’re Rachel, remember?” He laughed.
“And let me guess—the real Rachel is outgoing. Never nervous. Beautiful. Loves everybody…a real overachiever.”
“She was friendly. That’s all you need to know.”
“Are you saying I’m not friendly?”
“Shh…” Trevor said when the door started to open. When he saw his mother, he said, “Surprise!”
Surprise? Now, Elsie was really panicking. His mother had no idea he was coming! He forgot to share that tidbit with her. In fact, he made it seem like his parents were expecting them.
“Trevor, it’s so good to see you,” she said happily, throwing her arms around her son.
When the two separated, she rubbed her hands together while saying, “Ooh, and this must be Rachel.”
Yes. Fake Rachel at your service, Elsie thought to herself, but since it was showtime and Trevor was counting on her to pull this off, she said, “Yes, I’m Rachel.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rachel. I’m Lana, Trevor’s mom.” Lana reached to hug her, too.
“Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Lana. I mean, Myerson. Mrs. Myerson.”
“Just call me Lana, dear, or mama, whichever suits your fancy.”
I’m definitely going with Lana, Elsie thought.
They stepped inside, out of the cold and it was then that Elsie got a good look at Lana. She was about five and a half feet tall, a few inches shorter than her and had eyes just like Trevor’s. Now, she knew who’d blessed him with those splendid gifts.
Looking around, Elsie found the house to be exquisitely decorated with interesting antique pieces, including the living room set and the borders that framed the decorative mirrors. Everything looked fancy, well taken care of and carefully put together.
Lana hugged Trevor again and said, “I’m so glad you’re here, son.”
“Me too, Ma.”
“How long will you be staying?” she asked.
“Just for the weekend.”
“That’s plenty of time for me to get to know my future daughter-in-law.”
Elsie smiled tensely glancing over at Trevor. “Yes. I’m looking forward to getting to know you as well.”
“What’s all the commotion in here?” a voice as deep as Trevor’s asked.
Elsie looked up and saw a man who could be Trevor’s twin, except he had a blend of gray and black hair. They were the same height. Same complexion. The man had to be his father.
“Oh hey, hun,” Lana said to him. “Look who came by for a visit.”
Elsie could feel Trevor tense up as his father approached. He wasn’t all that fond of his father and from what Elsie already knew by Trevor’s own admission, he didn’t have a good relationship with him.
“Don’t you know how to call first?” he asked.
“Good to see you too, father,” he said in a tight-lipped kind of way because it actually wasn’t good to see him, but to keep things light in front of Elsie, he’d pretend for now.
“And who do we have here?” his father asked, stepping in front of Elsie.
Trevor said, “This is my fiancée, Rachel. Rachel, this is Dexter, my father.”
Dexter reached for Elsie’s hand while saying, “I see my boy got tastes like his daddy. We like that chocolate.” Dexter looked Elsie up and down before trying to bring her hand to his mouth for a kiss, but Trevor grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from his father’s grasp.
Dexter grinned slyly and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Rachel.”
She
didn’t return the same sentiment because she didn’t trust the man. She trusted Trevor and since Trevor had a problem with him, so did she.
“The apple doesn’t roll too far away from the tree, does it, boy?” Dexter asked Trevor after Lana showed Elsie upstairs to where she’d be sleeping.
“I’m nothing like you Dad if that’s what you’re implying.”
“Oh, but you are,” Dexter responded. “You’re getting married to a younger woman…somebody you can easily persuade and mold into what you want her to be. I get it. I did it myself.”
“Shut up, man,” Trevor said.
“And when you get her where you want her, you can go looking for some vanilla on the side.”
Trevor tried to contain his anger, but the man had disrespected his mother for far too long to the point that he didn’t even try to hide it any longer. Trevor cocked his fist back and landed a punch smack dab in his father’s face. “I’m tired of you disrespecting my mother! She deserves so much better than you!”
Lana and Elsie came running downstairs to see what the commotion was about. That’s when Elsie saw Dexter’s hand over his bloody nose while Trevor had just exited the front door.
“Unbelievable,” Lana said angrily. “After all these years, y’all still can’t set horses.”
Elsie went after Trevor, but by the time she could step out onto the porch, he was driving away. What…the…heck? Elsie threaded her fingers behind her head. Now, what was she going to do? Chill at his parent’s house, people she didn’t know after Trevor busted his father’s nose and took off like a robbery suspect?
Chapter 19
Elsie
“Rachel, come on back inside, honey,” Lana says softly but with enough panic in her voice to make me listen to her. “It’s freezing out here.”
“Okay,” I say, stepping back inside. I’m already growing tired of her calling me Rachel and I just got here. Trevor has up and left me here all by myself after he clocked Dexter. Lana is floating around like she’s in denial – like nothing ever happened when we know what happened. Trevor darn near knocked his own father’s lights out. Dexter’s face is bloody (light skin folks simply can’t hide bruises) and he’s rubbing his nose as if he’s trying to determine if it’s broken.
Lana tries to give Dexter a towel, but he slaps it away and staggers down the hallway where he’d initially came from (and probably where he should’ve stayed). I think it’s safe to say I’m in panic mode. I don’t know these people and they don’t know me. Trevor obviously can’t stand his father if they can come to blows within moments of seeing each other. And Dexter is somewhat of a perv, trying to hit on me, calling me chocolate. Who walks around calling people different flavors based on their skin color? And then he looked me up and down, was staring so hard, I bet he knows what size bra I wear. I see why Trevor doesn’t like the man.
Since Dexter refused to use the towel after he got decked, Lana uses it to wipe up blood spatters like this is nothing out of the ordinary. She doesn’t look flushed, embarrassed or anything of the sort. She’s just cleaning up blood. I determine she must be in denial. Maybe that’s where she’s always been. Where she’s most comfortable.
After she cleans up the blood, Lana looks at me, smiles and asks, “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“How about some hot chocolate? Would you like some hot chocolate?”
No, but I’m sure your husband does...
I chastise see myself for being so crude, then respond, “I’ll take some coffee.”
“Certainly. Come with me, dear.”
She has one of those old-style coffee makers, but the thing sure makes some hot fresh coffee. I sip, then glance up.
Sip.
Glance.
My goodness, this is awkward. I don’t know this lady. She’s sipping coffee, too, and not saying a word to me. Nothing. Okay, Elsie. Talk to the woman. Get out of your box and engage her in conversation. Trevor’s taught you how to do this, so do it.
I clear my throat in preparation to speak when she says, “You know it’s supposed to snow tomorrow.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We’re getting up to six inches the weatherman said.”
“Oh. Okay.” I drink more coffee as my anxiety builds. This is just great. Now, it’s going to snow and I could be stuck here? And where is Trevor?
“I’m sorry you had to witness that, Rachel. Some first impression, huh?”
“I’m not here to judge you or Dexter, Lana. I just wanted to meet you. Trevor thinks the world of you.”
“I think the world of him, too. He grew up to be such an amazing man, despite how his father is.”
“How is his father?”
She shrugs. “He’s a man. Men do men things as I’m sure you know already, but he’s a good provider. I’ve never had to work.”
Now, I’m starting to put the pieces together. Dexter is stepping out on Lana and she accepts it because he’s a good provider.
Ain’t enough money in the world…
Good provider or not – that doesn’t give a man the right to cheat on you. Of course, I feel it’s not my place to tell her this. She’s probably heard it plenty of times from Trevor.
“Why is Trevor so furious with his dad?” I ask.
“I wouldn’t say furious.”
“He bloodied his father’s nose. I think furious is pretty accurate for the way Trevor’s feeling right about now.”
Lana shook her head and sighed. “Rachel, this feud between them goes back a long time, but listen—we’re not going to let that spoil our good time. Tomorrow, I’m cooking a meal so delicious, it’ll make you forget everything that’s happened tonight.”
“Is that so?”
“It sure is. Now, I know you’re tired, so I’m not going to bombard you with questions, sugar. You can turn in whenever you like. I’m gonna go back here and see about Dexter. Have a good night.”
“Goodnight, Lana.”
As soon as she leaves the kitchen, I run upstairs to the room where she put my bag and purse, then dial Trevor’s number. He answers, “I’ll be there in a lil’ while, Elsie.”
“A lil’ while, Trevor?” I say in an angry whisper. “You nearly knocked your father’s nose off of his face and you run off and leave me here alone with your folks?”
He laughs.
“This isn’t funny,” I say, still whisper-yelling. “Get your butt back here!”
He’s still laughing. Now, I’m starting to think he’s a lil’ crazy, too. What does this man have me mixed up in?
“Stop laughing at me, Trevor. I’m serious.”
“Stop panicking, Ellie,” he says. “You act like you’ve never seen a fight before.”
“Not in real life. You hit the crap out of your father! I can’t stay here. I can’t stay here! I’m ‘bout to call Uber, Lyft, 9-1-1, Tyrone…somebody’s coming to pick me up. I can’t believe you left me here stranded.”
“Elsie, calm down. I’m right down the street. I’ll be to you in about ten minutes.”
“You better not be playing with me. My eyes already have a nervous twitch thanks to you.”
“Alright. Just calm your nerves. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
I hang up the phone with shaky hands feeling bamboozled. I don’t want to be in this house alone with his parents. His father is questionable and his mother is a black Stepford wife.
I get up from the bed, secure the lock on my door then text Karsheeda:
Karsheeda: Girl, you ain’t gonna believe this mess.
She messages me back right away.
Karsheeda: What happened, Iz?
Elsie: Can I call you?
She calls me instead of responding back. When I answer, she asks, “What’s going on? You there already?”
“Yes. I’m here alright. We arrived almost an hour ago. Trevor introduced me to his folks and his wannabe pimp daddy tries to make passes at me. The next thing I know, Trevor knocked the daylights out of him.”
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Her gruff all-out, deep belly laugh makes me laugh.
“Trevor didn’t hit him with the one-two punch did he?” she laughs harder.
So do I. “Stop making me laugh, Sheeda. It ain’t funny.”
“My boy Trevor said he ain’t for play,” she says. “I like him. When y’all get back, you have to bring Floyd Mayweather by the office so I can meet him.”
“Oh, my gosh, Sheeda. You’re laughing and I’m panicking. Had I known his family was this screwed up, I’d stayed home.”
“Well, you’re there now, girlfriend. May as well make the best of it.”
The knock on my door startles me so bad, I actually feel a pain in my chest. “Karsheeda, somebody’s knocking at the door,” I whisper.
“It’s probably Floyd,” she says and starts laughing again.
I giggle, but I’m still on edge. “What if it’s not?”
“Girl, get off this phone and go handle your business. Call me later when everything settles down. I’m sure it will.”
“Yeah. Okay. I’m glad one of us is sure of something.”
“Bye, girl.”
“Bye.”
Tap! Tap! Tap!
More knocks.
I tiptoe to the door, touch the knob, internally chanting, please be Trevor. Please be Trevor. I open the door slowly. It’s Trevor. Thank God.
“I’m going to kill you,” I say, nudging him when he steps into the room. “What the heck was that, Trevor?”
“It was nothing. Just a small family dispute.”
“Small? That was small? Your mother was wiping blood off the floor and that was small?”
Trevor walks over to the bed, takes a seat and says, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“I mean, is this how you normally are? Violent. Running around knocking people out and stuff?”
“Will you stop it? I’m not a violent person, Ellie. I’m just protective of the people I love, and I can’t stand the dude, okay. I’m sorry if I scared you and I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I couldn’t breathe. I had to get out of there before I really did something to hurt the man.”
