The Surprise

by Alice Ward

  “Okay. You’re right. My dad doesn’t own me, and when I’m not working, I can do anything I want.”

  “That’s right!” Brandon yelled.

  “Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Dani

  It was late when I returned home from my mother’s house on Friday night. After working the breakfast shift at the diner, I spent most of the day with her. We watched movies together, and I helped her clean the house. After dinner, I prepared a few meals for her and said good night. I knew she would be okay for the night, but I still felt nervous as I backed out of her driveway. I hated the constant fear that lived inside of me now. No matter how much time I spent with my mom, I never felt like it was enough. She needed me, and I could only devote so much time to her.

  When I made it to my apartment, I immediately moved to my easel and placed a blank canvas on it. I stared at the canvas for a few seconds, just thinking. Ever since Tuesday night, I’d been on edge. My show was a bust and Perry dumped me. I was still in shock over our breakup, and I hadn’t yet wrapped my mind around it. After that night, I devoted most of my time to my part-time jobs and to my mother.

  Now that I had a free moment to myself, I was ready to let myself feel everything. I replayed Perry’s words over and over again in my mind. When I hung up on him, I thought he might try to call back. After five years together, I thought he would at least want to make sure I was okay, but he didn’t. I hadn’t heard from him since, and I didn’t think I would. He admitted to being with someone else, and now, I didn’t mean anything. As I poured black, blue, and green paint onto my board, I wondered if I’d ever truly mattered to him.

  With my thickest paintbrush, I swirled the three colors together. I quickly lost myself in the blending process. When my brush hit the canvas, I felt my shoulders relax. I breathed out slowly and let myself fall completely into my painting. I moved the brush automatically, not thinking about technique or style. I didn’t think at all. For the first time in years, I just painted. I didn’t try to create a scene or invoke any emotions, I just let myself be free.

  When I was finished, the canvas was covered in different colors of paint. There wasn’t a clear picture. I took a step back, scrutinizing my work, but I didn’t see any clear shapes or images. Instead, I saw a mess of colors and lines. My brushstrokes were messy and harsh. I hadn’t painted like this since college. It was raw. As I looked at it, tears formed in my eyes. I analyzed the blues and greens I’d created. I looked over the specks of bright yellows and oranges that were scattered over the canvas. My heart ached as I took in the hues of purple and pink.

  Every color was represented on the canvas. In that moment, I realized I’d been painting my own emotions. By not thinking, I was able to set myself free. I didn’t know if anyone else would like this painting, but I did. I stared at it for a long time, reveling in my creation. I felt good. I felt strong. Then, all of a sudden, a fresh wave of sadness hit me. I slumped over and laid my paintbrush down. Tears fell while I continued to stare at my latest creation.

  I was so immersed in my own head that I didn’t hear the soft knock on my door. It wasn’t until the door creaked open that I spun around, terrified.

  “It’s just me,” Madison said as she stepped inside. My eyes must have been wide with fear because she raised her hands defensively and hurried over to me. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, placing my hand over my heart. It was pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest.

  “I knocked, but you didn’t answer.”

  I pressed my fingers to my temples. “I’m sorry. I was just in the zone.”

  “Painting?” Madison glanced at my easel and took a step forward.

  I shrugged. “Yeah. It’s nothing. I just had the urge to paint when I got home.”

  “This is beautiful,” Madison said softly. She was close to the painting now, staring at it with interest. “Really, Dani, this is amazing. It reminds me of your old stuff. It’s so—”

  “Messy?” I finished for her with a laugh.

  “Real,” she said, spinning around to face me. “I’m serious. This is amazing.”

  “Thank you.” I suddenly felt shy. It was always like this when someone praised my work. Back in college, I won different awards, and everyone seemed to enjoy my work, but lately, compliments had become increasingly rare. I didn’t realize how much I missed the confidence boost until Madison gushed over it now.

  “Were you crying?” Madison narrowed her eyes and took in my face. I knew my green eyes were probably bright red, and my cheeks were most likely flushed. Embarrassment quickly overwhelmed me, and I turned away from her.

  “No,” I said, wiping my face. “The paint just irritates my eyes sometimes. That’s all.”

  “Since when?” Madison asked.

  “It’s a new kind of paint,” I lied. “Just got it last week.”

  “Dani…” I was still facing away from her, but I could hear the understanding in her voice. I’d never been very good at lying.

  I slowly turned around to face her with an apologetic grimace. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have lied.”

  Madison shrugged. “It’s okay. You’re terrible at it, so it doesn’t really count.”

  I laughed. “Thanks.”

  “What’s going on?” Madison took a step toward me.

  “A lot.” I was finding it hard to breathe again and turned to sit on the couch. Dropping my head in my hands, I rubbed my face roughly before I looked back up. Madison had moved to sit beside me. She was watching me closely, waiting for me to explain.

  “Just talk to me,” she said. “What is it?”

  I sighed. “Perry. He dumped me.”

  Madison’s face immediately shifted from concern to rage. She looked ready to kill. “He what?”

  “He said he met someone else.”

  Her nostrils flared. “Holy shit. Who?”

  “He didn’t say.” I shrugged. “And I didn’t ask. Honestly, I don’t think I really want to know. It doesn’t matter anyway.”

  “It doesn’t?” Madison asked with a frown.

  I lifted a shoulder. “Why would it? He met someone. He broke up with me. That’s all I need to know.”

  “But…” Madison began, but I shook my head, and she immediately fell silent.

  I fell back upon the soft cushions and curled my feet up under me. “The worst part is that I knew something was going on. I could feel it, but I never said anything. I just kept waiting like a freaking puppy dog for him to show up. I let him walk all over me and use me for years, Maddi. I wasted years on him. I really thought we would…”

  I trailed off, not wanting to finish my sentence. Even though Perry and I never discussed marriage, I always thought we were heading in that direction. Once his business slowed down, I imagined he would propose, and we would start our safe little life together. There were days when Perry was the last thing I wanted, but I stood right in the middle of my comfort zone. I never let my curiosity get the better of me. I never cheated or betrayed him. I was loyal. Always.

  “He’s such a shit,” Madison said. “God, I always hated him.”

  I nodded. “I know you did.”

  “Well, I knew he would do something like this!”

  “I didn’t,” I admitted. “God, I knew our relationship wasn’t perfect, but it was five years. Five years! How could he just up and find someone new after five years?! Who does that?”

  “Assholes,” Madison said simply.

  “Exactly,” I sighed. “I’m such an idiot.”

  I put my head back in my hands and left it there. Madison rubbed my back gently, silently comforting me. It felt nice to have her there with me, but I still felt pathetic.

  “Is it that big of a loss?” Madison asked softly. I lifted my head and looked at her, trying to fully comprehend the question.

  “What?”

  She licked her lips. “I just mean, were you even happy? Did you re
ally love him?”

  I frowned and looked away. I didn’t even need to think about it. I wasn’t happy. I hadn’t been happy with Perry in a long time. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time we even did something so simple as laugh together, if he happened to be in town.

  “You know, he never asked about my art.”

  She frowned at my change in subject. “What?”

  “My art,” I said. “My paintings. When we first met, he was so interested in it, you know? Back in college, he loved everything I did. He was at all my shows. He was always there to cheer me on when I won my awards, but after we graduated, he just stopped. I guess I thought it was because I got worse. I just blamed myself, thinking that I was at fault.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Madison said softly. “It was his.”

  “Still,” I said, shaking my head. “I really believed that if I got better, he would come around. I tried so hard to paint something he would like, but I just never could.”

  “You shouldn’t have to try that hard for someone’s approval,” Madison said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Especially not someone who claims to love you.”

  I nodded. “I know. I do. I know that, but it’s hard. My mother wants me to get married so badly. Every time I see her, she asks me about Perry, and I lie. I lied again today. I just couldn’t tell her that we broke up, you know? It would break her heart.”

  “I know,” Madison sighed.

  “I don’t know what to do.” I felt so defeated. “I don’t want to disappoint her. I think I stayed with Perry for so long because I just wanted to make her wish come true. I wanted her to see me get married and have children, but I don’t think she ever will.”

  “Don’t say that,” Madison said firmly. “She will, Dani. She’s not dying.”

  “But she’s sick. She remembers things less and less. Her mind is already drifting so far away. By the time I find someone new and settle down, she won’t even be her anymore.”

  “Dani…” She leaned her head against mine.

  We sat silently together for a few minutes. I knew Madison wanted to help me, but she didn’t know how. I wasn’t upset about Perry, not really. I was just upset about what it meant for my future. The one thing I never wanted to do was let my mom down.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Madison said softly. She pulled away from me.

  “Why? Where?”

  “I think you need a break. You’ve been sacrificing so much of yourself lately. For Perry. For your mom. You need to take a break and heal.”

  I didn’t even know how to start. “And how do I do that?”

  “Come with me to Vegas for the weekend.”

  “Madison, I—”

  She held up a hand. “I’m serious. You need this. It’s not far. If something happens with your mom, you can be at her house in a little over an hour.”

  I frowned. She wasn’t wrong. Plus, my mother’s neighbor would look in on her if I asked.

  “Okay.” I said it before it could turn into a no.

  A huge grin split Madison’s face. “Okay?”

  The smile was contagious. “Yeah.” I nodded once to emphasize the word. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  “Yes!” Madison exclaimed.

  I hurried into my bedroom and packed a bag. While I did so, I called my mom’s neighbor and told her I’d be out of town. She promised to look in on Mom each day. I thanked her and ran back out to the living room. Madison was waiting for me with the door wide open. She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as we headed out into the night.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Talen

  Brandon’s grand plan for the weekend was yet another adventure into Vegas. At first, I was skeptical. It was the same thing we’d done countless nights before, and I wanted something new, something different. I wanted to get in the car and drive miles away. I wanted to forget about my father and his mandates. I wanted to push my negative emotions aside and focus on making myself happy. I didn’t think another weekend in Vegas was the answer, but I was wrong.

  After a few hours inside the Palazzo, Brandon and I stumbled onto the Vegas Strip. We walked together, laughing and running into people randomly. Neither of us was blackout drunk yet, but we felt great. Nothing could tear us down. All thoughts of my father and his company had flown from my mind completely. The only thing I wanted to do was drink and party with my best friend. As we walked, Brandon yelled random things at strangers just to make me laugh. I laughed so hard that tears formed in my eyes.

  The alcohol worked through my system. My body was flushed, and my instincts were dulled. Everything around me was clear, and I knew exactly where I was, but my thoughts were hazy and confused. One second, I laughed with Brandon, and the next, I was hitting on an attractive woman walking by, and after that, I dwelled on thoughts about my father’s ridiculous ultimatums. Despite my determination to forget him, he kept creeping back into my psyche.

  “I’ve been thinking!” Brandon yelled while we continued down the strip.

  “What?”

  “About your dad,” he said, looking serious. He got close to my face so that I would hear him clearly over the noise of the crowd. “I think the reason he’s so hell-bent on controlling your life is because he can’t control his own.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, laughing. “My father controls the fucking world.”

  “No,” Brandon said, shaking his head. “That’s the thing, he doesn’t. He just wants you to think he does so that he can control you.”

  Brandon was drunk, but he made perfect sense. Maybe it was my own intoxication that fogged my senses, but I understood every word he said. He was totally right. My father was determined to wield his power over me because he actually felt powerless. It was a classic sign of insecurity, and I finally saw right through his façade. That night, on the strip with Brandon, I felt larger than life. Larger even than my father.

  “I’m not going to play his game,” I said firmly.

  “What?” Brandon yelled over the crowd surrounding us.

  “I’m not going to play his game!” I yelled back. “I’m done! I’m done with him and his fucked up rules!”

  “That’s right!” Brandon high-fived me. “You’re not getting married!”

  “Hell, no, I’m not getting married,” I said with a laugh. “Of course, I’m not getting married. That’s insane.”

  “Beyond insane!” Brandon agreed.

  “It’s my life,” I said with a newfound confidence. “I don’t have to sit back and let him control me. I’m a grown man. He’s nothing more than a power-hungry psycho!”

  “Yeah, screw him!” Brandon yelled.

  “Exactly,” I said with a nod. “He wants me to get married? Fuck. That.”

  Brandon laughed and pumped his fist in the air. I knew this had been his goal all along. When he suggested going out for the weekend, he just wanted me to find my own confidence again. He wanted me to shove my father’s orders back in his face. He wanted to remind me of the person I really was. I grinned and slapped him on the back. Right then, I’d never been more grateful for him. He wasn’t just my best friend, he was my brother, and I loved him. Without Brandon, I never would have stopped wallowing in my own misery. I would have stayed in my apartment all weekend, whining to myself about how unfair it all was.

  Just the thought made my stomach churn. My father had that effect on me. He made me feel weak, even though I was strong and confident in every other aspect of my life. I was Talen Fucking Gaston, and I knew exactly who I wanted to be. No one, not even my father, was going to take that away from me.

  I wouldn’t let him beat me down into submission. He could lay down whatever laws he wanted, but I wouldn’t listen. He would never be able to control me. No matter what he said or did, I would not cave. He could cut me off. He could ban me from the company. I didn’t care anymore. I was ready to strike out on my own for good.

  “You don’t need him,” Brandon said, shaking his head firmly.
<
br />   “Damn right. I don’t need him or his damn rules.”

  “Let’s go.” He grabbed my arm, pulling me to the side.

  I looked around. “Where?”

  “Here!” Brandon pulled me down a side street. I didn’t know where we were going, but I let Brandon take the lead. I was just drunk enough to trust him completely.

  He led me a bit farther before he stopped in front of a strip club. He turned to stare at it head-on with a mischievous grin on his face. When he looked at me, he raised his eyebrows and laughed. I rolled my eyes but let him pull me inside anyway. Brandon loved strip clubs. He always had. I never saw the point in them. Watching women dance naked was only a turn on if I got to touch them while they did it. Strip clubs were just one giant exploration into the land of blue balls, and I hated it.

  Still, I was up for anything tonight. I let Brandon pull me inside, and I even broke a twenty at the bar. Brandon and I got a few drinks before we found a table right up front. Three women were dancing on the main stage, wrapping themselves seductively around poles. I watched the one closest to me while she moved. Her black hair looked like a wig, but I didn’t care. It was short and sexy. She was already topless, and I watched her breasts bounce to the beat of a trashy rock song. I licked my lips and stood up slowly. Walking over to her, I slid a one-dollar bill in her G-string. She winked at me and shook her tits in my face. When she retreated, I went to sit back down.

  “God.” I adjusted my pants. “Strip clubs still suck.”

  Brandon looked at me like I was crazy. “What? This is amazing, man.”

  I lifted my empty hands. “We can’t touch them. What’s the point?”

  He winked. “You can touch them if you pay enough.”

  I rolled my eyes. Even half lit, I wasn’t into that. It was basically prostitution and not my thing. Brandon would take anything he could get, even if he had to pay for it, but not me. My standards weren’t always that high, but they were always too high to indulge in hookers. It just wasn’t me.