The restaurant was decked out for Christmas, fancy glittery snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and a huge silver Christmas tree in the middle of the main dining room, with gold and silver wrapped presents stacked underneath.
She ordered a diet soda, surprised when Tony and Langston both ordered coffee. Langston always seemed to drink almost as much as Lindsey. Though Tory could easily see how living with Lindsey could drive almost anyone to drink.
She browsed the menu, not really interested in the selections, while Tony chatted with Langston like they were old friends, or almost like father and son. It was driving her crazy. She wasn't hungry and nothing looked good. She wanted to go home. And she didn't mean to Langston's. She meant to Tony's.
She hid a sigh when the waitress returned, turning her big eyes on Tony again. Tory was the last to order. While she was tempted to order the cheapest thing on the menu, a salad that cost $12.50, she told the waitress that she'd have the special, mostly so she'd go away.
Did she think that Tory was here with her dad and brother she wondered? They were all blonde, though Tony's hair was much darker than either hers or Langston's. She was tempted to give Tony a big wet kiss but it would probably piss him off as much as Langston, he was so busy trying to get on her stepfather's good side. So she flipped the girl off under the table, then picked up Tony's hand and rested their twined fingers together on the table. That would show the stupid bitch she thought.
"So Tory, have you put any thought into what school you want to go to?" Langston said when his conversation with Tony about investing money had lagged.
"Something close to home I guess." More like something close to Tony she thought.
"You must have put in applications by now. Any acceptance letters that have caught your eye so far?"
"The university is a good school and the prices are fairly reasonable."
"They do have several good choices there, yes. I had a good friend who went there. That was years ago of course. Tony told me he's thinking of going back to school himself. He mentioned the university so you might have company there next fall.” Langston gave Tony a smile.
She gave Tony a look. He was thinking of going to school full time she thought? What the hell was he going to do for money? No way in hell was he going to be able to get away with dealing from a college campus.
"I'm not so sure about full time, but I figure I'm not doing anyone any good spinning my wheels. And my mom seems to be doing better, so maybe if we're lucky there might be a chance that they'll let her out of that place. I'm not counting on it, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. She was almost like herself again."
"Have you thought about getting a second opinion? The problem with so many of those places is that they're content to keep a person there as long as they can if the money keeps coming in. If she seemed so much better, there's a chance she could have improved long ago with the proper medication."
"I didn't think of it like that. She was so messed up after my Dad died that I thought it was always gonna be like that. If I would have known that she could be functional with the right meds, I'd have done something about it a long time ago."
"I know a doctor; a very well respected psychiatrist, in your area. We went to high school together. He owes me a favor from years ago. Let me give him a call after the holidays. If he thinks that your mother will be okay in society, there's no reason they shouldn't release her."
"Wow, that's great sir. You'd really do that for my mom?"
"Of course. I know a woman; she was a dear friend of my mother's. She had problems when she was younger and was institutionalized well into adulthood. No one bothered to take a second look because the doctors insisted she wasn't getting any better. She had to go through hell to put her life back together when she was out. And she was fine. She's still doing well now. In her eighties with loads of grandchildren, but she's still the sharpest, most together woman you'll ever meet. No one should have to pay for their whole lives because they made mistakes or had a hard time dealing with a bad situation."
So Tony had told Langston about his mother she thought? She snuck a glance at him as the waitress brought their food. She'd practically had to drag out of him to get him to open up about his parents, but he was spilling it all to Langston. She didn't know whether to feel relieved that they were getting along so well or insulted.
When the waitress had walked away, giving Tory a dirty look as she squeezed Tony's hand, Langston said "It may take a while, though. Even if she is greatly improved, it may take months even with Dr. Larson's esteemed opinion for them to release her."
"That's okay. I didn't expect them to let her go right away. And I know it's still gonna be hard for her. I think it's still gonna hurt her to look at me sometimes. I kinda look like my dad."
"Kinda?" Tory pushed her plate to the side and opened up her locket, leaning over the table so that Langston could see the picture inside of Tony's dad.
"There is quite a resemblance." Langston chuckled. "If there's anyone that can get around all the red tape and just plain bullshit to get your mother out, it's Hank Larson. It's good to have connections now and then."
"Yeah, I guess so." Tony still looked amazed that Langston had made such an offer.
Tory was finding it harder and harder to dislike Langston herself. He'd put up with Lindsey for four years. He'd bought her a car, he was paying for her college education and now he was going to pull strings and get Tony's mother out of the mental hospital? Damn this man was a walking miracle she thought.
Langston gave Tony a smile, and then turned and gave her an affectionate wink. She smiled at him and then looked back at her plate. There was turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, a small side of corn, and a dinner roll. She'd passed on the stuffing because even her grandma had never been able to get her to eat that.
Tony had ordered the special as well, but Tory thought that it looked like the waitress had given the cook a blowjob so that he'd give Tony twice as much food as anyone else. He even had a bigger plate than she did. It was piled high with twice the portions she'd been given.
She thought that the woman would probably have written her number in whipped cream on the pie that was included as dessert afterwards if Tory hadn't made sure she'd been holding his hand when she came back with their food.
Langston had noticed. "I think someone's got a little crush," he said when he looked from Tory's plate to Tony's.
Tony gave him a sheepish grin and then turned to look at Tory. "Sorry Tor."
"You didn't do anything. You can't help it that you're so good looking that every woman from sixteen to sixty who looks at you wants you for themselves."
Langston looked amused. "I miss that sometimes. I was quite a ladies' man in my younger days."
"They make it hard on you don't they?" Tony laughed.
Tory stepped on his foot as hard as she could, with a wish that she had worn heels.
"They can. Until you find someone who makes you think about nothing else. Even if they drive you crazy sometimes wondering how you could possibly love them so much." Langston sighed as he cut into his steak.
"You can do better than my mother Langston." Tory found that she really meant it, too.
"I was too stubborn to see that she was never going to change. Instead she was changing me to suit her tastes. I never drank like this before I met Lindsey. But it's what she liked so I went with it. I never wanted a house with eight bedrooms and three cars in the garage never being driven. I grew up with money, but my parents worked hard to keep it. That's the last thing Lindsey cares about. I'm just glad I didn't let her bankrupt me before she moved on. I was such a fool. Still am really."
"You're not the first man she used Langston, and you won't be that last. You're better off without her."
It was pretty damn funny to be sitting down with your stepdad for Christmas dinner and telling him he was better off without your mother she thought.
"I know you're right, but that doesn't make it easy. I'm not loo
king forward to dating. I'd only come close to marriage once before Lindsey and that was right after high school. That girl tore my heart apart. We'd been together all through high school. But she left me for my best friend's cousin, left me standing like a fool at the altar while they were eloping in Reno."
"That sucks," Tony said.
"Hey Langston, how did you meet my mom?"
"Ah, this makes me sound like an even bigger fool. It was through her previous husband, the lawyer."
"Not Luther. No, it would have been the one after him. Luther was a stock broker. Her first husband was rich because of his parents. Then there was Luther. Then there was the lawyer. Geese I can't remember his name."
"I can't remember it either. We were only acquainted for a short time. It was something unique though wasn't it Tory?"
"Yeah, though I would have called it more strange. It was Trinten? No it was Trinity. Lindsey used to give him crap about it."
"Oh yes, Trinity Walker."
"Yep, that was it. It used to upset Lindsey that I wouldn't take any of her husband's last names. I made her let me keep my dad's name."
"How is your father Tory?"
"Okay I guess. I wouldn't really know since I haven't seen him in years."
"Seems to me Lindsey talked to him a while back. He wanted to give her something that he had for you for safekeeping. Something about not wanting his ex-wife to get her hands on it."
"Ex-wife?" She felt all the color drain out of her face. “My dad's never been married."
Langston saw the look on her face. "I'm sorry dear. I must be mistaken."
"No Langston, tell me more about my dad's ex-wife that I never knew about. Does he have other kids too? Have I been living one big lie my entire life?"
"Honey, maybe it would be better if you discussed this with your father. I didn't mean to speak out of turn."
"I can't talk to my father because he's out of touch for a few days as he put it. Do you know where Lindsey is Langston? Give me the guy's address. I'd like to pay her a visit."
"Sweetie, I'm sorry. I honestly had no idea that you didn't know."
"Of course not. Who the hell thinks that a guy wouldn't tell his daughter that he was married? I'm beginning to think that I dislike my dad almost as much as I dislike my mom."
"Tory, I didn't mean to upset you. I never would have brought it up if I'd known."
"It's okay Langston. It's not your fault both of my biological parents are assholes who lie to me on a regular basis."
"I'm sure it's not like that honey. I don't think they were married long."
"Yeah well, who the hell am I to deserve to know anything? I'm just their daughter right? Why the hell should that mean anything? It never has to either of them before. Lindsey probably knew about it the whole time. Good old Mom. Damn her."
She had begun tapping her foot incessantly on the floor. Tony put his hand gently on her leg to stop her. She was so mad she could hardly see straight. "I think I'm gonna go outside for a minute. Tony will you hand me my purse please?"
She hoped she still had a cigarette in there. She could really use one.
"Are you okay Tory? Do you want to leave? We can drop the leftovers off at home on the way to the play. If you're still up to going that is."
"I'll be okay Langston, but thank you. I just need some air."
"You want me to come with you Tor?" Tony said.
"I'll be okay."
Though maybe she should take him with her because she was sure as hell gonna smoke a cigarette and then she could blame the smell of smoke on him when she came back. Now was not the time to explain to Langston that she's taken up her mother's bad habit she thought. But no, she was gonna make a phone call and she didn't want anyone around to hear it, not even Tony.
"You sure?" He reached out and squeezed her hand.
She nodded, giving him and Langston a pained smile as Tony stepped out of the booth to let her by. Holding her purse like it was a weapon, which she might have the urge to smack that stupid waitress with; she hurried out of the restaurant and into the bright winter sunshine.
It couldn't fucking snow on Christmas anymore she thought. She remembered how upset she'd gotten one year when she little when it hadn't snowed on Christmas. She'd bawled when she'd woken up Christmas morning and there hadn't been snow on the ground. Her dad had brought out this huge snow globe that had been his sister's when she was a kid and had spent half the day shaking it to placate her.
How could the father that had done that for her when she was four, the father that had clumsily tied bows in her hair when she was ten because his mom's hands were too twisted from arthritis to be able to do it anymore, the father that had proudly worn the hideous sweater that had been her only failed attempt at knitting, have lied to her she thought? How long had he been lying to her? What was it that he had to give to her that he wanted Lindsey to keep so some stupid bitch couldn't get her hands on it?
She walked down the street a few paces so she wasn't in view of any of the restaurant's many windows. She leaned back against the wall of a high priced clothing store and lit a bent cigarette that she'd found in the bottom of her purse, saying a silent thank you that it wasn't broken.
She took out her phone and tried her father's number. She didn't think he had a cell phone. Though he probably did and didn't want to tell her since there seemed to be a lot he wasn't telling her she thought. She was so mad that she was practically seeing red.
Her hand was shaking as she dialed and her heart was beating triple time. The phone rang and rang on the other end, making her wonder again why he had it set to go for so many rings before the answering machine kicked on. Finally it picked up and his voice said "You've reached Corey Collins. I'm not here right now so leave your name and number after the beep."
"Hey Dad. It's your daughter. Oh yeah, your daughter Tory since it kinda seems like you might have more than one. Since you were married and never mentioned it, what more would it be to not mention that you had other kids right? My stepdad told me. My fucking stepdad. Made me feel real loved. Hope you're having a great time Dad. Talk to you later."
She hung up and tossed the cigarette into the street, dialing her mother's number. It didn't surprise her when Lindsey's number went straight to voicemail.
"Hey Mom. Having a great time with your husband. Oh yeah Mom, got a question for you. Why didn't you tell me my father was married? Really appreciate your thoughtfulness like usual. Thanks for taking off and leaving me with your husband by the way. Can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for everything you've ever done for me. I swear you should win mother of the year. Well, hope you're enjoying yourself with your new boyfriend who's supposed to be young enough to be your son. Thanks for another unforgettable Christmas Mother."
She hung up the phone and stood there for a minute, trying to calm down. She wasn't going to get any more about her dad's ex-wife out of Langston, who was too busy wanting to kick his own ass for ever having brought it up. It was so messed up that her stepdad seemed to care more about her than either of her parents she thought. Maybe she'd ask Langston to adopt her. Cut off all ties with her real parents.
Lindsey and Corey probably wouldn't give a shit she thought. You could tell how much both of them cared about her by the way they acted. She had to have an explanation. And she didn't think she was going to get it from Lindsey, who would probably stay hidden over the holidays until she could find an expensive lawyer, making her new husband pay for her divorce.
So she was going to have to wait until her dad got back from his trip she thought. And she was going to keep calling him until he got the guts to answer the phone. Deciding she'd better go back to the restaurant before Langston sent Tony to come look for her, she shoved her phone back into her purse and started back to the restaurant.
She pushed open the door and made her way back to their table, giving the waitress a dirty look when she passed her. Langston and Tony were sitting silently, both picking at their food. Hers was
cold too, and the last thing she wanted to do was eat.
"Is everything okay Tory?" Langston said.
"Yep. Just peachy. Just had to make a couple phone calls."
"Oh, okay. Do you want to stay for dessert or should we take it to go?"
"I'm not really hungry anymore. You two are more than welcome to eat if you want though."
Langston sighed, signaling for the waitress to bring the check. "I really am sorry Tory. If I'd have known you didn't know, I would never have opened my big mouth."
"It's not your fault. You figure that someone's kid would know whether or not they'd been married and divorced huh? Sure wasn't a secret when Lindsey did it four times."
"I'm sure there was a good reason that he didn't tell you Tory," Langston said, after he had handed the waitress a credit card and she'd left again, trying to pretend Tony and Tory didn't exist.
Tory wanted to laugh at the way she'd turned all her attention on Langston, figuring he was the one who'd be giving her her tip.
"I can't think of one." She used her fork and knife to shove the food she didn't think she'd want later into the Styrofoam tray. "He could never come up with a really good reason he didn't try to get custody of me. Just a bunch of excuses. I figure it will be more of the same with this."
"We all make hard choices in our lives Tory. It's not always easy to understand without knowing the full story."
Tory sighed as they got up from the table. "One thing I've always had to give Lindsey. At least she was honest. She never bothered to pretend she loved me."
"She does love you Tory," Langston said, as they went outside, handing their tickets to the valet.
"Yeah, right."
"She may not be very good at showing it, but I happen to know that your mother loves you very much."
"She told you this? I find that hard to believe. Because she sure as hell hasn't told me for as long as I can remember."
"I know Tory, and I've never liked it. Your mother has many faults, but her inability to show that she loves you is one of the biggest."
Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set Page 125
