by Ward, Alice
“You look lovely today Kennedy, thank you for meeting us,” Jack said as he pulled out my chair. “Your mom said that fajitas are your favorite, so we took the liberty of ordering for you. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all, I’m starving. The faster the food gets here, the better.” I grabbed a chip from the basket and dipped it into my bowl of salsa. It was salty and spicy, exactly what I needed after my long morning in the gym.
Three days had passed since I left Jackson at the Sigma house. I’d spent Monday locked in my room, avoiding reality. Tuesday morning, Lauren put her foot down and insisted that if I wasn’t going to get out and meet new people, I at least needed to find a new hobby. She kicked me out of our room and I wandered campus aimlessly for a while before I ended up at the gym. I was already wearing yoga pants and tennis shoes, so I decided to hop on the stationary bicycle. I was amazed by the way the exercise cleared my head. Not only did the workout give me an outlet for all of my frustrations, but I also burned five hundred calories before I finally crawled off of the bike. My legs were sore, but it was a good sore. And the physical discomfort was a welcome distraction from my emotional turmoil.
“Mom, can we order the chocolate soufflé?” I asked between bites.
“Of course we can, darling. I’m pleasantly surprised you asked.”
I told Mom and Jack about my new hobby and that I was confident I’d burn the extra calories off during my next gym visit.
“How is the campus gym?” Jack asked. “Back in my day, Harvard didn’t have a facility for the regular students. If you wanted to work out on campus, you had to be on one of the sports teams.”
“It’s alright, I guess. The whirlpool is busted and the showers kind of smell… but they have plenty of machines. So far, I haven’t had to wait on anyone. And it’s free, so I can’t complain.”
“We have a family membership at Boston Health Club. I’ll call this afternoon and add you to the account. It’s a fantastic place, really top of the line. They have individual televisions and book holders on all the equipment. Once classes start again, you can study while you exercise,” Jack told me.
“Thank you, Jack, I really appreciate that. But the Boston Health Club is all the way across town. I’ll have to look at the bus schedule and figure out when I can go.”
“Actually…” Jack began. He was interrupted when our waitress appeared at our table. She set her tray down on its holder and started distributing our plates. My fajitas sizzled on a cast iron skillet, filling our corner with a mouthwatering, smoky aroma.
“Thank you, Margaret. This all looks amazing,” Jack told her as I grabbed a tortilla from the thick plastic container. “We’d each like a chocolate soufflé for dessert.”
“Of course, Mr. Montgomery. I’ll have Enrique start them right away. Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked as she refilled all of our ice teas. She finished and set the pitcher on the table.
“We’re great for now, thank you,” Jack replied as he poured salsa over his plate of enchiladas.
Margaret left the table and we dug in to our food. I loaded my tortilla with chicken and vegetables and topped it off with cheese, beans, sour cream, and more cheese.
“Kennedy, it makes me so happy to see you eat like a normal person,” Mom told me as she stabbed her salad with a fork. “I wish I could do the same, but if I’m going to fit into my gown, I have to watch what I eat until the wedding.”
“You should come to the health club with me,” I suggested. “You could give me a ride.”
Mom and Jack exchanged satisfied smiles and I knew that they had some sort of secret. I was sure that they were about to tell me, but then Jack turned the conversation to the engagement party.
“Kennedy, I spoke with Jackson on Monday and he told me he’d already explained his little outburst to you. He said you were very understanding and forgave him for the way he spoke to your mother. I appreciate that more than I can tell you.”
I swallowed the last bite of my first fajita and started building my second. “Once Jackson explained everything to me, it was easy to forgive him. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for him, growing up without his mom.”
Growing up without either of his parents is more like it. Jack’s obviously changed since then, but I still can’t believe that he didn’t do better for his son.
“Lilly’s death was a shocking blow to our family. I don’t know if Jackson mentioned it, but she filed for divorce just a few weeks before the accident. I was served the papers during a business trip. I spent days trying to figure out how to win her back. When I finally came up with a plan, it was too late.”
“So you covered everything up and left Jackson to be raised by your father?” I asked. I didn’t want to hurt Jack’s feelings or be disrespectful, but I couldn’t just sit there and pretend that I didn’t know what he’d done.
Mom gasped and I could tell she was about to reprimand me, but Jack held up a hand. He looked sad as he said, “I guess it makes sense that Jackson sees things that way. At the time, I thought I was doing what was best for everyone. I didn’t want Jackson to grow up reading sensationalized accounts of Lilly’s death. And my dad was already settled in Boston full time, while I was still traveling nonstop to expand the company. I thought that my dad’s strict approach to children would be good for him. After all, I survived it. In some ways, I’m better for it. What I didn’t expect was for Jackson to become my dad’s doppelganger. I love my son, but he can be a demanding, entitled brat sometimes.”
I thought about the way Jackson acted when we first met. I wanted to tell Jack that I completely agreed with him on his son’s faults, but I resisted the temptation. It was one thing for Jack to criticize Jackson. If I did it, it could easily be taken the wrong way.
“I believe you did the best you could,” I told him. “And Jackson didn’t turn out so bad.”
I turned to Mom. “You didn’t know about any of this?” I was surprised Jack had kept my mom in the dark about such an important part of his life.
Mom swallowed a bite of lettuce and washed it down with her tea. “Well, of course I knew about Lilly’s accident. Jack and I don’t keep secrets from each other. I just didn’t realize that Jackson would react so badly to the renovations.”
“I should have seen it coming,” Jack added. “When Jackson started high-school, I hired a decorator to redo the house. I wanted him to have a nice, comfortable place he could invite his friends to. He came home one day and found the decorator and me looking through paint samples and he threw a fit. I thought he’d be over it by now since he doesn’t even live at home anymore. But as usual, I was wrong.”
Jack polished off his last bite of enchilada just as Margaret returned to the table. “You’re in luck,” she told us as she cleared our empty plates. “Another table ordered soufflés a half hour ago, but they had an emergency come up and they had to leave. You’ll only have to wait about five more minutes instead of a half hour.”
“Fantastic, could you bring coffee out with dessert? If I don’t have a pick me up, all of this food in my belly is going to put me to sleep,” Jack told her with a grin.
“Of course, Mr. Montgomery.” Margaret nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen.
“Well, now that we’ve cleared the air about the party, Jack and I have news for you,” Mom announced. They smiled at each other again and I realized they were about to let me in on their little secret.
“I knew the two of you were up to something,” I said with a suspicious grin. “What’s going on?”
“Well, there’s a reason we asked you to lunch without inviting Jackson,” Jack began.
Panic filled my body and my heart leapt to my throat.
They know. Jackson told them about our relationship and they’re about to tell me to stop it.
“I always wanted a big family,” Jack continued. “And the more I get to know you, the happier I am that you’re about to be my daughter. I want you to feel like
an equal part of the family, Kennedy. And my family comes with a certain amount of… perks.” He finished with a wink.
I didn’t understand what he was saying. “Perks… like the health club membership?”
“The club is just the tip of the iceberg.” He took a manila envelope from the inside pocket of his blazer and handed it to me.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Open it sweetheart!” Mom insisted, not even trying to hide her excitement.
I folded the clasps together, lifted the flap, and stuck my hand into the envelope. I pulled out a stack of paperwork, a black Visa card, and a set of keys.
“You won’t need me to give you a ride to the health club!” Mom beamed. “You can drive yourself.”
“There’s a black Honda Civic waiting for you in the parking lot,” Jack told me. “I wanted to get you something fancier, but your mother insisted on the practical choice. The Visa is for you and I’ve given you the same monthly spending limit Jackson enjoys. All of the details are in the paperwork, as well as the title to the car. And there’s another surprise in there that I think will be your favorite.”
I shuffled through the paperwork until my eyes fell on the Harvard letterhead. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. My eyes darted back and forth from the letter to my Mom and Jack as I tried to make sense of what was happening.
“How is this even possible?” I finally asked. “I haven’t even turned in my application.”
“You’re a legacy now, Kennedy,” Jack explained. “I called the admissions board and told them you were about to be my stepdaughter and that I expect them to treat you with the same consideration they’ve given the rest of the Montgomery family over the years.”
“I can’t believe you did this,” I said in awe. “I can never thank you enough.” I couldn’t tear my eyes off the page.
An acceptance letter to Harvard Law… with MY name on it!
“The phone call was a formality, just like your application would have been. Your transcripts speak for themselves, Kennedy. They’d have accepted you no matter what. All I did was cut down on the paperwork,” Jack assured me.
“Jack, you’re being modest,” Mom told him. “That’s not all you did. Tell her the best part.”
Jack blushed. “I know that you’d never accept a handout Kennedy, so please don’t consider this to be one. But from this point forward, your tuition is taken care of. Your mother and I both want you to be able to relax a little during your senior year, and that’s not going to happen if you’re working at the Student Services Center. And once you get to law school, you’ll need all the study time you can get.”
Margaret arrived at the table with our soufflés and coffee, and I was grateful for her interruption. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around my new found wealth, and I needed a moment to process it.
“Kennedy, are you all right?” Jack asked.
I looked up from my coffee and realized that Margaret had left the table. “I’m sorry, I’m fine. This is all just a little…”
“Surreal?” Jack finished with a patient smile.
“Yes.”
He nodded. “I completely understand. I find my life and family surreal myself sometimes, and I was born in to it. Try to hold on to a little of that, my dear girl. It will help you appreciate things.” He let out a breath and looked wistful for a moment. “I wish Jackson could learn to appreciate things. I’m afraid a healthy sense of entitlement is one of the many things he learned from my father.”
“I definitely appreciate it… all of it. I don’t know how I could ever thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Kennedy. We’re family now, and this is what family does.”
***
“This is just what I needed. Thanks so much for picking up the bill. I’ve never felt so pampered.” Lauren smiled as she stretched out across the massage table. We’d had a busy week coordinating the last of the food donation drop-offs, and I decided to treat us both to a day at one of Boston’s best day spas.
“Technically, Jack is picking up the bill,” I reminded her.
I still felt guilty for taking Jack’s money. I knew it was his way of welcoming me in to the family, but it made my feelings for Jackson seem like a betrayal. I hadn’t seen Jackson since that day at the Sigma house, but he was always on my mind. I longed to feel his arms around me again, to press my lips to his. But I knew we could never be together, so I’d tried to keep myself busy and distracted.
“Are you okay, Kennedy?” Lauren asked. She rolled over on her side and studied me. “I feel like a wet noodle after that massage, but you seem just as tense as you were when we got here.”
“I’m fine.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe you. We both know what’s on your mind… or should I say who’s on your mind. You can talk to me about Jackson, I won’t judge.”
“I can’t get him off my mind,” I confessed. “I went to see him at the frat house on Sunday. I know you said I should stay away from him, but I just couldn’t help myself. He was so upset at the engagement party and he looked so lost when he came by the room. I just wanted to hear his explanation for his temper tantrum and make sure he’s okay. But we ended up…”
“Kennedy! Did you sleep with him?” Lauren asked, wide-eyed and surprised.
I shook my head. “No… I almost did, but then I stopped it.”
Lauren looked intrigued. She sat up; we’d each been given a plush terrycloth robe when we arrived at the spa and Lauren wrapped up in hers. I sat up and did the same while she took a seat at the end of my massage table.
“How did he react when you stopped it?”
“He wasn’t happy about it. He doesn’t understand why our parent’s relationship should get in the way of us being together. He said that all of my reasons are based on the assumption that we’ll eventually break up and he doesn’t think that would ever happen. He said he’s falling in love with me.” My bottom lip trembled as I fought to hold back tears.
“Oh, Kennedy.” Lauren sighed and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “It must have been so hard for you to walk away from him. Do you believe him? Do you think he really does love you?”
I shrugged. “Part of me wants to believe him and part of me hopes that he was lying.”
Lauren looked into my eyes. “What about you? Do you think you’re in love with Jackson?”
“What does it matter?” I asked with a nervous laugh as a single tear ran down my cheek. “You’ve said yourself that there’s too much at stake for us to be together.”
“Well… maybe I was wrong.”
I was certain I’d misheard her. “What do you mean, maybe you were wrong?”
“It’s obvious that you care about him, Kennedy. If he cares about you too then maybe the two of you dating isn’t the worst idea in the world.” She let her arm fall off my shoulders and let out a sigh. “Maybe I’ve been giving you the wrong advice this whole time.”
I’d drifted off during my massage and, listening to Lauren, I was certain that I’d woken up in some sort of alternate universe. “Why the sudden change of heart?” I asked.
Lauren blushed and shifted uncomfortably on the table. “I’ve learned a little more about Jackson, and I’m starting to understand your attraction to him.”
I raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You’ve learned more about him? From who?”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ve been seeing Rory since the night we all went to the frat party. Please don’t be mad at me for not telling you sooner,” she added quickly. “We hooked up that night and I never expected it to go anywhere. And you’ve been so upset lately…”
That’s where she’s been going all the time!
I gave my friend a wide smile. “I understand why you didn’t say anything. I’ve been an emotional basket case. Of course you didn’t want to flaunt your relationship. But I’m glad that you told me, Lauren. And I’m glad that you’ve found someone who makes you h
appy.” I wrapped her up in a tight hug.
“Rory and I have talked a lot about you and Jackson,” she told me as I released her. “Rory said he’s never seen Jackson act like this over a woman. He says that you make Jackson want to be a better man… so maybe you should give him another chance.”
“But things are so complicated with our parents,” I argued.
“I know. But this isn’t the first time someone’s fallen for their stepbrother, Kennedy. I’m sure it happens more often than we realize. And you’re obviously miserable without him… Rory says he’s miserable without you.”
I shook my head. “Our parents…”
“Your mother is one of the most liberal people I’ve ever met,” said Lauren. “She’s always encouraged you to do what you want without worrying about what anyone else thinks. I’m sure she’d understand. Just explain to her that you and Jackson started seeing each other before she and Jack announced their engagement.”
“I’ll think about it, but…” Cynthia, my massage therapist, returned to the room before I could finish my argument.
“How are we doing in here?” she asked in a bright, bubbly voice.
“We’re great, incredibly relaxed.” Lauren smiled and rolled her shoulders as if to prove her point.
“Wonderful,” Cynthia replied. “If you’re ready, we can move on to the seaweed wraps. Follow me.”
Lauren and I slid off of the massage table and followed Cynthia into the hallway. The spa had bamboo floors and tropical décor, and I caught myself fantasizing about being at one of the Montgomery’s island resorts with Jackson.
“Okay, Lauren, you’ll be in here,” Cynthia announced as we stopped in front of a doorway. “Kate will be in shortly to wrap you. Kennedy, you’ll be in the room across the hall. I’m sorry we have to separate you, but there’s a group of sorority girls here today so the group wrap room is all full.”
“That’s fine, Cynthia,” I assured her as Lauren disappeared into her room. “If this is as relaxing as the massage, we’ll both sleep through it anyway.”
