Heartwood

by L. G. Pace III

  “I heard you were getting married to Joe!” She gushed, as if it were the juiciest gossip to ever cross her lips. “Good for you. He’s hung like a stallion.”

  All the blood in my body rushed to my face. Joe had told me long ago about how Patty had groped him the first time he’d met her. He’d never told Mac because he didn’t want him to feel worse about an ugly situation. The fact that she was putting this slant on it in front of all of my friends pissed me off to no end.

  You could hear a pin drop at my table. I tried to take a breath, deciding how to handle her.

  “What the fuck did she just say?” I heard Tamryn snarl.

  I saw Dan and Jay working in concert to keep Tamryn from leaping over the table, but Princess Patrón sloshed her drink to her mouth oblivious. Furious that she’d throw something like this in my face in public, I balled my fists, but I was shocked into immobility as Kelly stepped in front of me.

  “To answer your question, Mac and I are doing just fine. It may take years but I’m sure I can undo the damage he experience by being with you. Obviously your poor self-image makes you lash out at everyone around you while you pursue your self-destructive life style. When you are around your own friends, if you have any, you can feel free to be as crass and rude as you like. But when you are around my friends you will watch what you say.”

  Patrón blinked her bleary, bloodshot eyes, as if trying to focus on Kelly.

  “Bitch? Are you trying to talk shit to me? Why I have half a mind to—”

  “I seriously doubt you even have half a mind.” Kelly snapped in a cold voice. Jay and Dan both tittered in unison behind me. “Now, I suggest you abandon this attempt at a battle of wits since you are obviously unarmed. Your best option is to skulk out of here and hurry back to your rotting double-wide down by the toxic waste dump.”

  I thought for a moment that the two of them were going to throw down. By the way Kelly had shifted her weight onto her back foot, my money was on her, gimp leg or not. But then Princess Patrón dissolved into the ugliest cry I had ever seen. Snot came rolling out of her nose as she set to wailing like a two year old. Her new squeeze, Frank, looked like he considered bolting for a moment. Then he gave a heartfelt sigh and put his beer down. Throwing some money on the bar he came over and half dragged, half carried Patty out of the bar. I stood there in shock until the cackling of my two gays behind me startled me out of it.

  “Wonder bitch powers activate!” Jay crowed.

  “Form of...an ugly truth.” Dan said jovially.

  “Ugly is right.” Jay replied. The two of them grinned at each other as Stacy grabbed Kelly and gave her a huge hug.

  ‘That was amazing.” She gushed, and Kelly beamed. “That woman made my life hell for a few weeks. She’s pure evil.”

  “Now can we get the hell out of here?” Tamryn said, looking around as if she were afraid if she made contact with a surface she’d contract cooties. There was nothing wrong with The Rooster, but I was pretty sure Tamryn was used to something a little more posh.

  “I’m sure Molly needs to get off that sore ass.” Slut Two giggled. Paul raised his eyebrows and grinned at me. My blood still boiled from Patron’s not-so-little revelation about Joe and I was tempted to take my frustration out on my cousin. I hated to burst Paul’s bubble, but his attempt at a spanking was about as sexy as a pap smear. I let him have one swat and when he tried to palm my ass after, I’d shoved him away. I was still a bit sensitive to the issue of my personal space and I planned to keep at least three bodies between him and me for as long as they tagged along.

  “Alright, Fancy Pants.” Robin said to Tamryn, placing a manicured hand on her hip. “You pick the next bar.”

  Thankfully, Robin was looking and sounding a lot more like herself, and I felt like I could relax and maybe have a little fun. Try as I might, I was having a little trouble pushing the image of Patty and Joe out of my mind.

  “There’s this place nearby I think you’d like.” Loose-tie suggested to Tamryn. “CU29.”

  Stacy nodded. “It’s nice. Sanchez and I love their desserts.”

  “The cocktails are amazing.” Loose-tie insisted, and Tamryn looked at me to gauge my interest.

  “I don’t care.” My exasperation was hard to miss. “How long before we pick your mom up, Stacy?”

  She looked at her phone. “About an hour and a half.”

  “It’s just a block off sixth.” Paul chimed in. It was odd to me that they’d glommed on to our group like they had. Maybe they thought they could get a quick blow job from the Sluts before we headed off to the gay bar. I looked over at my cousins in their hoochie dresses and hooker boots. Knowing them, it wasn’t outside of the realm of reason.

  “Let’s do it.” Kelly thrust her fist in the air. The adrenaline rush she’d had while bitching out Patrón had taken hold, and I figured she deserved to make the call as the alpha female du jour.

  CU29 turned out to be a very cool joint. Mood lighting and hipster staff gave it a trendy, edgy feel.

  We settled into a large booth and Paul finally got to buy me a drink. It was an oversized, yellow cocktail that the derby hat clad bartender lit on fire.

  “Show off.” I uttered to Paul, who’d managed to get himself seated on my right.

  “I’m trying to impress you.” He tried his hand at a self-deprecating smile. It looked about as real as Patrón’s hair color. “It’s not easy.”

  “I have two single cousins right over there that are already impressed. Have at it.” I replied, and looked over his shoulder. Tamryn had turned and walked away from the booth to talk to someone who wasn’t with our group. I couldn’t see the person she was chatting with thanks to Robin and Stacy’s big hair, but I figured she’d run into a friend or was ordering more drinks. I wondered if Mac had Joe at the strip joint yet and the thought got under my skin in a way it wouldn’t have an hour before Patron’s comments about Joe. Motivated to catch up with the others and actually have some fun, I started working on the colossal drink sitting in front of me.

  “So...getting married, huh?” He slipped his arm onto the back of the booth behind me. I stole a glance at his curly hair and wondered how much product he used to make it stay perfectly imperfect.

  “Yep.” I nodded, taking another large sip of the cool liquid.

  “That’s a big commitment.” He clucked, leaning in closer to be heard over Jay and Dan laughing. “I’m having trouble fulfilling the 2 year lease on my Jaguar without trading it in.”

  A flash went off in my peripheral vision and one of my cousins snorted with laughter.

  “Joe’s gonna love that pic, Molly.” My mouth fell open and I resisted the urge to throw the contents of my glass into her pug-nosed face.

  “Can you stop with the posting to the internet, please?” I was about to ask Paul to let me out of the booth so I could go drink alone when I was distracted by raised voices. I looked up to see one of the last people I ever wanted to lay eyes on again.

  Bethany.

  Joe’s late wife’s best friend.

  Though I’d only met her once, her pinched and bitter face was forever etched into my memory. I’d also memorized every hateful word she’d spewed at Joe when we’d run into her while we were out on our first date.

  She was a selfish witch who had no concern for Joe’s feelings and no respect for his grief. She was a drunk and a wretched excuse for a human being.

  Dressed in a flawless designer dress with enough bling to choke a rapper, Bethany slipped around Tamryn who I realized too late had been blocking her path. Coming to a stop in front of me, she gave me the most condescending smile I’d ever seen.

  “Well, isn’t this cozy.” Her eyes wandered from Paul’s well cut suit, over my tacky t-shirt and tattooed arm all the way down to the engagement ring on my left hand.

  “Let me out, please.” I said quietly to Paul. I had just enough time to think I must have been born under a bad sign, when she spoke again.

  “I hear congratulatio
ns are in order. My my. And Joe’s the unlucky groom in this blessed event? He really must be drinking a lot.”

  “Who the hell is this cow?” Jay demanded at the top of his lungs.

  “Oh, just someone who remembers Joe’s first wedding very well. It was beautiful. Such a classy affair. The bride looked perfect and the groom hung on her every word. Have fun following that act, darlin’. Jessica was a lady.”

  Dan gasped in my left ear, and I felt him put a hand on my arm. I wished I wasn’t trapped between him and Paul, because I would have grabbed Bethany by her pale ponytail and swung her above my head like a lasso.

  “I remember Joe’s first wedding, too.” Robin shot at her, her face twisted with hate. “If memory serves, you were hitting on every man in the room after your husband left with the kids. You wouldn’t know a lady if she sat on your face.”

  Lisa slapped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to cover her laughter.

  “Funny, I don’t remember you being there.” Bethany shrugged. I noticed her waver on her feet, and realized she was pretty plowed.

  “Listen, bitch.” Slut One chimed in. “Molly and Joe have two beautiful babies. He’s moved on, so I think you’d better stop talking shit to my cousin before I kick your ass.”

  I knew she was trying to be helpful, but I cringed as I saw Bethany savor the kernel about the twins. I already knew what was coming next, but it didn’t hurt any less when she said it.

  “Well that explains everything.” Bethany sipped her martini as if we were discussing the weather. I could feel angry tears forming as my heart hammered in my throat. “Trapping him with a couple of replacement babies. Nice move.”

  “Bethany!” Tamryn snapped, and everyone’s head whipped in her direction. “I suggest you get your ass away from my sister and out of my sight before something bad happens to you.”

  “Come on, Tamryn.” Bethany slurred, her tone dismissive.

  “Don’t Tamryn me, you hateful bitch. You have three seconds to be somewhere else.” Bethany blinked back and forth between me and Tamryn, confusion blossoming on her face.

  “But, Robbie and Michael are fraternity brothers, don’t—”

  “One.” Tamryn counter, her voice so icy it chilled my blood.

  Bethany almost knocked down a waiter in her attempt to look casual while fleeing in terror. Jay clambered out of the booth and raced out the door after her.

  “Oh, shit! Where’s he going?” Stacy asked, wide eyed.

  “Please let me out.” I whispered to Paul again.

  “Molly...” Dan gently reached for my arm, but I pulled away.

  “Just give me a minute.” I mumbled, fleeing to the ladies’ room. I hurried into an empty stall and sat with my head in my hands. I didn’t cry, I was not about to give that woman the satisfaction of making me cry, but it was a struggle to deny her argument. It was as if Bethany could see into my soul and had taken inventory of my darkest fears.

  “Molly?” Tamryn’s raspy alto voice was very distinct as it echoed through the empty restroom.

  “Yeah.” I inhaled deeply and stood to leave the stall.

  “Don’t listen to a single word she said, do you hear me?” Though she couldn’t see me, I still felt the sting of her sharp eyes watching my every move.

  “I’m fine.” I said, coming out of the stall and crossing to the sink. I pulled the Dare Me shirt off over my head and stuffed it into the garbage. Tamryn didn’t even blink.

  “After all the secrets she helped Jess keep from Joe...I can’t believe she had the balls to even approach me.” Tamryn crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.

  “Do you mind if I ask you something?” I straightened my blouse and pumped soap onto my hands as I gauged her response.

  “Of course not.” She turned to face me head on, tossing her chestnut hair over her shoulder.

  “What was Jessica like?” I was suddenly bashful as I shot her a sideways glance. She heaved a heavy sigh as if she’d been waiting for a question such as this.

  “Honestly, I think you would’ve really liked her. I did. She wasn’t outgoing like you, but she was friendly. She had the driest sense of humor. She was always busy, like...in a crafty way. And she was good at that stuff...you know, gardening and sewing...she loved her craft stores. She said working with numbers all day long was boring and she needed the creative outlet.” Tamryn grinned, and then the sun set on her smile. I watched as she remembered all of the tragedy that came along with the topic of Jess.

  “I guess she was pretty creative with the numbers, too. I wish I could ask her why. I want to know what she’d been thinking...why she’d risk destroying everything she had when she had such a blessed life.” She added, swallowing hard.

  “You never asked Bethany?” My tone betrayed my surprise, and I bit my bottom lip. I didn’t want to start a fight with Tamryn, but the fact that she and Bethany had social ties had caught me off guard. Between Patty and Bethany, I felt more insecure than I had in a long time, and though they’d been welcoming, I’d never felt at home with Joe’s family.

  Tamryn rolled her brown eyes back in her head and made an unpleasant noise with her throat. “Ugh! I cannot stand that woman. Believe me, we are not and never have been friends. I wouldn’t trust a word that came out of her mouth.”

  I nodded, and was strangely comforted by her sentiment. The thought of Tamryn and Bethany having intimate dinner parties with their husbands was an ugly mental image, and I was glad to know it wasn’t based in reality.

  “To be honest with you, I thought about investigating Bethany.” Tamryn smoothed her hair and turned to me again. “She knew way too much about what Jessica was up to according to her drunken blabberings to Joe. Robbie and I discussed the idea at length. Robbie was against it. He thought Joe had been through enough. In the end, I figured he was right. Nothing good could come from it. Joe was already wrecked and I sure wasn’t going to learn anything to get him his money back.”

  I was struggling with how to respond to that statement when the door swung open, and Lisa stood before us, gasping for breath.

  “Molly, you’ve got to see this!”

  Exchanging bewildered glances, Tamryn and I followed her out of the restroom. She proceeded to tromp out of the building, and I trailed after her with Tamryn in tow. A crowd of excited gawkers stood out on the street staring at a group of police cars surrounding a white BMW convertible. At first, I couldn’t see a reason for Lisa to be as excited as she was. Then, I heard the shrill voice of the woman police had spread eagle against the car hood.

  Bethany shouted in full voice, giving the cops the little pieces of her mind that she had left.

  “I’m not drunk! Do you know who I am? I know the mayor, you assholes! I only had one cocktail. You’d better quit harassing me or you will be working as a mall cop before the end of the week!” Her pointy features looked harsh under the red and blue flashing lights.

  As I openly gawked at the scene, a female officer moved up behind Bethany to try and cuff her. Two young guys in front of me had their phones out and were gleefully recording the action. As the officer tried to take her hand, Bethany lashed out reflexively, connecting with the cops face. Falling backward, the officer pulled the Taser from her belt. Within seconds, Bethany fell to the ground screaming in agony.

  “Holy fuck! They tased her, bro!” The amateur filmographer in front of me said to his cohort.

  “Wicked!” His pal replied. “Look! She’s flopping around like a fish.”

  The two young men moved across the street to get a closer look. Lisa hurried after them, her camera out and ready for action.

  “We’ve got to search YouTube later. If they uploaded that video...” Tamryn laughed. I gaped at her in surprise.

  “Is that Jay over there with the police?” I moved forward to grab Robin by the arm.

  “Yeah. He went to give Bethany a piece of his mind and a group of people saw her try to run him over.” Robin replied, and Stacy and Kelly nodded excitedly. �
�When she missed, she whipped a U-turn and nearly hit a cab. She tried to flee the scene, but the cops were already on their way because she and Jay were screaming at each other on the street.”

  “Great. Now we’re the tacky ones.” I tilted my head toward Tamryn. “Patrón ain’t got nothin’ on Jay.”

  “Where’s Dan?” Tamryn asked, bunching her eyebrows.

  “He took the Sluts and those two preppy boys to get the bus. My money says those four will ditch out before the gay bar.” Robin replied.

  “If the bus is a rocking’...” Stacy murmured, and Kelly chuckled.

  “YOU KNOW, IF you’d had this damn wedding in August we could have cruised this sucker out to Devil’s Cove.” Mason called over the engine of his pontoon. It was 65 degrees outside, but the wind off Lake Travis made me wish I’d brought a heavier jacket.

  “It’s probably for the best. The last thing I need is your sister getting pissed at me because of some ‘Girls Gone Wild’ pictures.” I drawled.

  Mac snorted and handed me a beer. “Short shit would have our collective asses if we let you near the Playboy parties. Besides, all that chaos would screw up the fishing. Women and boats don’t mix.”

  I cracked open the beer and kicked my feet up. It didn’t take us long to motor out to one of our favorite fishing spots. Graham and Nick made the oddest couple, as they fished together out of the back of the boat.

  I had to admit when Mac first suggested we head out on the lake I had been afraid he had something else in mind. Honestly, it was just what the doctor ordered. As much as I love my little family, there’s just something about sitting in utter silence on the water that soothes the soul.

  The fishing turned out to be lousy. Mac caught a nice sized bass and Mason had a thrilling battle with something big enough it probably could have pulled him over the side. Graham caught two medium sized fish and Nick, a fishing novice, cut his finger on a hook and dropped his pole over the side.