by Jamie Summer
I had just taken a sip when my mom uttered the words, making me choke.
“What?” I spluttered.
“Marriage, Tyler. It’s not such a foreign concept,” she explained, as if talking about marriage was the most natural thing in the world.
“We’re far from—” I stopped at the angry voices behind me.
I turned and saw Jo and Charly in a heated argument. Whatever strategy Jo had, it seemed to have failed. I couldn’t make out what was being said, but from the way Jo was gesturing in an angry and rapid motion, it wasn’t a happy conversation.
“Excuse me,” I said absently and stalked over.
Charly grabbed hold of Jo’s arm. She tried to push him off, but even from a distance, I could see the tight grip he had on her.
The fury within pushed me forward and I shoved him away from her, coming to a stop in front of Jo.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snapped at Charly, who didn’t seem fazed.
He sneered at me. “Are you her knight in shining armor now? Don’t forget. This isn’t the football field where you can just do whatever the hell you want. This is the real life where people have responsibilities and all that shit. I merely reminded Jo of hers.”
His words confused me, but not enough to diffuse my anger.
“I think it’s best if you left,” I growled, my voice dangerously low.
“Or what? You gonna punch me? At a christening? Really? You’re not that stupid. However, Jo might be. Showing up here with you proved that.”
That was it. Without conscious thought, I swung and punched him right in the face. He stumbled back, but didn’t fall. When he grasped his nose, I saw the blood fall onto the green grass.
“Tyler!” Jo said, her voice a mix of surprise and awe.
“I think it’s best if you left now, son.”
I had no idea where my dad had come from, but he and my uncle were suddenly right next to Charly, escorting him off the premises without giving him a chance to protest.
“Ty, why—”
“Don’t,” I warned Jo. “Don’t ask me what happened or tell me to apologize, cuz I won’t. I have no idea what that prick has on you or what you think you owe him, but you don’t just grab a woman and not let them go when they ask you. Easy as that. I won’t allow him talk to you like that. You’re my girlfriend. Letting him talk to you already took everything in me.”
Jo’s eyes widened, and I turned away from her questioning gaze.
“F-Fake girlfriend,” she whispered, almost as if she didn’t want to utter those words.
“Doesn’t matter. You’re mine today, and I wasn’t going to let him manhandle you like that.” I suddenly reached out and pulled her close. I met her lips in a rush of adrenaline and need, thankful when I felt her respond.
“Son, your hand is bleeding. Let’s get you cleaned up.” I pulled away from Jo, silently cursing my dad. “Now.”
Jo gave me a soft smile. I saw my mom step up to her side.
“I’ll make sure she’s okay,” my mom promised. Her words made me feel okay about leaving Jo alone for a few minutes. When I turned away, she grasped my arm.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Smiling slightly, I nodded and walked off with my dad to take care of the evidence of what I had done.
Gotten violent at a christening.
Go me.
Jo
The dreaded phone call came at seven a.m. the next morning. My mother was nothing if not predictable. Which was exactly why I had silenced my phone when I went to bed. And the reason I first saw the six missed phone calls three hours later when I actually bothered to get up.
The rest of the christening went by rather quickly, and after everyone took a breather from what happened, it was a nice party. Tyler made sure to stick to my side the rest of the day, and while I wanted to say I minded, I didn’t. The discussion with Charly had left me more rattled than I cared to admit, but I was pretty sure I pulled off the act of not caring about him being there. A few times, Tyler asked me what the deal was, but I just kept telling him he was a family friend. It wasn’t a total lie.
When I drove Tyler home, the car was filled with silence. I wasn’t sure if he was mad or just lost in thoughts, but I focused on the dark street in front of me and tried not to think about it. Once we got to his place, he gave me a small smile and leaned toward me. For a second, it looked like he was going to kiss my lips. I found myself wishing he would give in to the urge, but then his lips met my cheek.
“I’ll see you next week,” he had said as a goodbye, a soft smile on his lips.
My phone started ringing again. I glanced at the clock. Shortly after ten. My mom wouldn’t worry too much if I didn’t answer yet. After all, I was only working at a bar, not a law firm like they wanted. I ignored the sound of “Should’ve Known Better” by the Sick Puppies and went to make some coffee.
I had no doubt my mom would call until I answered. I just needed to do it in a timely manner so she wouldn’t decide to actually show up on my doorstep. Not what I wanted to deal with on my day off. It was enough to see them twice a year for Christmas and my dad’s birthday. Those days seemed to be the only times my family managed to get together. Not that I minded. Twice was two times too many in my book.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts and a shiver ran down my spine. Was I too late? Was my mom already here?
I walked over, still dressed in my PJs, and glanced through the peephole. Blowing out a breath, I opened the door.
“Thank goodness,” I whispered, my best friend Brianna standing there.
“Well, good morning to you, too.” She looked me up and down. “Given the look of you, you’ve completely forgotten our breakfast date.”
Breakfast date?
“Oh shit. To celebrate your promotion,” I said more to myself than to her. She nodded.
“Exactly. Given the state you’re in, I guess it’s breakfast in. That is, if you even have enough to hold us over,” Brianna said.
“I’m so sorry. I had a rough morning.”
I hadn’t actually told her anything about my arrangement with Tyler. She had been busy the last week, trying to get her promotion. I didn’t want to bore her with details.
“Seems like it,” Brianna replied, then walked into the kitchen where the coffee was noisily brewing. “At least you made coffee.”
My phone rang again. My best friend looked down at it sitting on the counter, then up at me. “Your mom. What did you do?”
That was always the reason for my mother’s call. There was always something I did. At least according to her.
“I need coffee before I get in to that,” I explained, joining her in the kitchen and pouring two cups. The ringing stopped eventually, and I turned it on silent once more. My mom would need to wait. I just prayed today was one of those days she went to bridge club or something before she showed up at my apartment.
“I went out on a date yesterday,” I started, though it wasn’t exactly the truth.
Her mouth dropped open. “On a date?” She felt my forehead. “Are you sick? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
I didn’t blame Brianna for her skepticism. I couldn’t remember the last time I went out. “I know, right? But it was a last minute thing to help out a friend.”
“To help out a friend? That doesn’t sound like your typical date to me. Who was this friend of yours?”
“Tyler, one of the guys who frequents the bar.”
“Please tell me he wasn’t drunk and you just went out with him because you felt sorry for him in his drunken state.” The eye roll had been perfected by Brianna, and it would only get worse once I told her she pretty much hit the nail on the head.
“He had a family function he needed a girlfriend for.”
She held up a hand. “Whoa. Hold on a second. A girlfriend? That’s different than a date, Jo.”
I flinched slightly at the accusation in her voice. “May
be?”
“Nothing maybe about it. Spill.” she demanded, picking up her coffee and taking a sip as she walked to the table. I followed suit, knowing I needed fortification to make it through this conversation.
Within ten minutes, I had relayed everything Brianna had missed over the last week. To my surprise, she didn’t ask a lot of questions, just listened. Once I was done, she leaned back in her chair and let out a huge sigh.
“Oh shit. This isn’t good.”
No shit, Sherlock.
“That’s why your mom has been calling nonstop?”
I shrugged. “Probably. I mean, I haven’t answered the phone yet, but that would be my best guess.”
“Charly… Why couldn’t it have been some random family friend? What are you going to tell your mother?”
“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” I honestly told her, and Brianna nodded.
It took a moment for the ringing to start up again. My best friend looked at me, a question in her eyes. “We both know she’ll be here before long if you don’t pick up. Better get it over with. That way, you won’t have to actually face the devil in person.”
I hesitated a moment longer before I sighed and pushed the answer button. “Good morning, Mother,” I said, hoping I sounded happy to hear from her.
“Josephine. How nice of you to finally pick up the phone. I have been calling you for hours.” I pushed down every angry retort I had on my lips.
“Always good to hear your voice,” I merely answered, not responding to the half-insult she had thrown my way. That was nothing for my mother. Child’s play.
“Well, I wish I would be calling under better circumstances, but we heard some unfortunate news last night. I am merely calling to help clear up the matter.” Her voice was sweet, as if she ate a whole box of cupcakes, but that was what Martha Lovell was.
“Clear up what matter? I’m dying to hear that rumor you heard.” I laid it on thick. I was pretty sure my mom knew, but I couldn’t care less. I had stopped caring about ten years ago when they shunned me because I didn’t want to follow the cooperate lawyer train they had my whole family riding on.
“Charles called yesterday. He said he saw you at a friend’s daughter’s christening with a…with a boy.”
That made me laugh, something I was sure my mom didn’t appreciate. “A boy? Mother, I am sorry to disappoint, but I’m long past the point of dating boys.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Charles told us all about this person, and he doesn’t seem to be stable. However, that is not the point. If I remember correctly, you already have someone you’re promised to.”
Here we go again.
“I never agreed to anything,” I told her, which was true. Their old school idea of me marrying someone just so our family name could be held in high esteem was outrageous. “I told you I was not gonna marry that jerk, no matter what. I don’t care if this goes against your wishes. Clearly, mine have never mattered much to you. As much as you want me to marry that jerk, I am not marrying Charly. Never in a million years.”
“Josephine, I believe we had this conversation before. Charles was quite upset to see you with someone else, and I don’t blame him. He loves you, you know?”
“Are you serious, Mother?” He didn’t love me any more than he loved his next shopping trip to Calvin Klein. All he saw was a possible trophy wife, and that was the last thing I was going to be.
“Don’t you use that voice on me, young lady.”
“I’m not fifteen anymore. I have a life, my own life…no thanks to you. Whatever Charly has told you, believe me when I say that Tyler is ten times the man Charly will ever be.” I was getting more upset the longer I stayed on the phone with this woman. It was always the same. No matter how much I tried to deny it, the dismissal and disappointment in her voice hurt. She was my mother, after all.
“I beg to differ. I did some research on this guy you were with. A football player? Not a very professional thing to do.”
“Dad loves football, especially the London clubs. West Ham included,” I pointed out, remembering the weekends we would go to the stadium or watch on TV. “Do his thoughts align with yours in this matter?”
My mother stayed silent, making me wonder if my dad hadn’t been a part in the conversation Charly had with my mom.
“Josephine, this boy…man isn’t who you should associate yourself with.”
“Why’s that? Because I’m your daughter and anything less than a lord would be an embarrassment at your bridge Sundays? Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be participating in that right now?”
“The girls and I are enjoying a nice cup of tea right now.”
“Well then, enjoy your Sunday and thank you for calling, Mother.” I hung up without another word.
“Oh, she’s going to be so mad,” Brianna said with a huge grin on her face. While part of me felt triumphant at standing up for myself, the other knew my mother wouldn’t let it be. Not if Charly continued to whisper into her ear.
“I don’t care. She can’t still think I would marry that jerk, can she? I mean, the last time I saw her, I made it abundantly clear that this whole idea of marrying me off was insane. We don’t live in the stone ages anymore.”
“I agree, but remember the argument you had with them when you told them you didn’t want to be a lawyer?”
How could I forget? I was the worst disappointment ever when I told them the law was nothing I would ever be interested in. I wanted to work with happier people, not have my nose stuck in law books all day long. The bar had been exactly what I had been looking for and I loved the job.
“They weren’t happy.”
She snorted. “That’s putting it mildly. So if you have a boyfriend now when you were supposed to be with someone else, that’s not gonna make them happy, either.”
“I haven’t cared about making them happy in a very long time,” I told her, but the words sounded sour to my ears. There were times I truly hated my parents for the expectations they put on me, but they were still my parents. Everyone wanted their parents’ approval. I hated feeling this way, but it was nothing I could shake.
“I know, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have liked your mom to congratulate you on your new boyfriend.”
“One can always dream, right?”
Brianna laughed and nodded. “Yes. Never give up on your dreams.” She suddenly got serious and leaned toward me. “Now, what’s the deal with this Tyler guy? Do you like him? Is that why you agreed to go out with him?”
“I told you. He was pressured into the whole thing by his family. We both know I know all about that.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t like him,” Brianna threw in. I sighed, taking a sip from my coffee.
“I have another date with him next weekend.”
Silence. I felt Brianna staring at me, though, and it almost made me smile.
“Get the hell out. Seriously?”
“A wedding. I just said yes without thinking about it.”
“So you do like him?”
I glared at her. “I like him, yes. Nothing wrong with that, is there?” She knew better than to argue with me.
“Nope. I’m just waiting for the moment you finally show your parents they don’t have a hold on you anymore. That’s all I want. If you happen to find love while doing so, who am I to argue?”
Love. “I wouldn’t go that far,” I cautioned her, but Brianna merely waved me off.
“Please. You let him talk you into a fake date, then said yes to a second fake date without him doing anything? I think you’re on your way.”
I rolled my eyes, deciding to not continue this conversation.
“Okay. Now that we’ve settled that, my fridge is empty, so can we still get breakfast? I’m in the mood for Macy’s,” I told her, and Brianna was up in a second.
“Bar food in the morning? Count me in,” she agreed. Without asking any more questions about Tyler while I dressed, we left my apartment shortly after. Howeve
r, I knew it was only a matter of time before she’d pick up the topic once again. After all, we were going to spend the next few hours with each other. Hard to imagine her grilling me was over.
The prospect made me rethink wanting to have breakfast with her, but I needed a distraction.
Spending time with my best friend was definitely better than trying to find something to do in my lonely apartment. It would probably end with me sitting around and thinking. And thinking wasn’t a good thing. Not with everything I had gotten myself into within the last twenty-four hours.
But hell, life needed to be exciting, right?
Right?
Tyler
“Portsmith, my office!” Coach yelled the minute I stepped onto the training grounds Monday morning. Devon and Gavin, who had walked over with me, shot me curious glances. I shrugged. I had no idea what the coach wanted from me. On a Monday, it could be pretty much anything.
I made my way over to the main building and into his office, seeing him sitting at his desk.
“Sit down,” Coach ordered without looking up. I was starting to think this wasn’t a regular meeting. A newspaper was open in front of him, papers strewn across it.
“Have a nice weekend?” It wasn’t like him to ask about our personal lives, so the question threw me for a second.
“Yes, sir. I did.”
He made a non-committal grunt I had no idea what to do with.
“Well, as nice as your weekend was, I fear the beginning of your week won’t be.”
“Coach?” I asked, furrowing my brows, unsure of what he was talking about.
“Does this look familiar?” He pushed the papers off the newspaper on his desk and held it up for me to see.
My eyes widened at the picture and caption staring at me.
Playboy lets loose at baby christening.
What the heck?
The picture was taken this past weekend, right as I took a swing at Charly. Timing wise, it was a gold jewel for whomever took it. Publicity wise, it was a nightmare.
“Coach, I—”
He held up a hand. “Spare me the platitudes, okay? I know you’re a good kid, and judging from this douche’s smug smile on another picture in the article, I’m pretty sure he deserved it. However, this is not what we need. You’re allowed to have your private life, as long as it keeps you out of the press. This…” He pointed at the picture of me throwing a near perfect punch, “is not good press. It makes you look like an arrogant ass who uses violence to get what he wants.”
