by Alison Mello
“Why don’t you get going and I’ll clean up from breakfast? I’m going to text my mother when I’m done to see what she’s up to. Hopefully we can make plans for lunch.”
“Are you sure? I didn’t make breakfast to leave you with a mess.”
“I know, honey, but the sooner you get to work, the sooner you can come home. Shoot me a text later to give me an idea on time and I’ll have dinner ready.”
“All right, I’ll talk to you in a little bit.”
I kiss her goodbye.
***
Patty
I’m so happy that Carter is back to himself. It was sweet of him to make me breakfast this morning. He’s getting really good at cooking certain things, and I love that he tries so hard. Now I get to work on cleaning up the kitchen. Lucky for me he doesn’t leave too much of a mess when he cooks.
I rinse our plates and place them in the dishwasher and then quickly wash the two pans he used and wipe down the counters. Now I need to get dressed. On my way to the bedroom, it dawns on me that we do not have a dining room table for our Thanksgiving dinner.
Patty: Carter we never got a dining room table.
Carter: Shit, we need to find a place that can deliver one and soon.
Patty: Ok, leave it to Bella and I. We’ll find one. I’ll see if she’s around today or tomorrow to help me look.
Carter: Thank you! You really are the best!
I jump into the shower and get dressed then text my mother.
Patty: Are you free for lunch today?
Mom: Sure!
Patty: Don’t get too excited, we need to talk.
Mom: I know.
Patty: Where shall I meet you?
Mom: I’ll pick you up.
Patty: Okay I need to see if Bella is free to meet me afterward. What time do you want to pick me up?
Mom: See if she’s free for lunch too.
Patty: Are you sure? We really need to talk.
Mom: Yes, it’s fine. I’ll pick you up at noon.
Patty: Okay, you will need to pick me up at Carter’s. See you then.
I look at the clock and realize it is already ten. I need to send a quick text off to Bella and then try to get some work done. I sigh as I grab my laptop and set it up on his snack bar. As it’s booting up, I send a quick text to Bella.
Patty: Are you free today? I need shopping help and mom wants to take us to lunch.
Bella: Why does she want to take us to lunch? And I’m always up for shopping.
Patty: I texted her and told her we needed to talk and she said to invite you. It’s furniture shopping. Don’t get too excited.
Bella: Yes I’m free and why are we furniture shopping?
Patty: Because there will be approximately ten of us for Thanksgiving dinner and he has no dining room table.
Bella: Lol that’s pretty funny.
Patty: No it’s not. Are you going to help me or what?
Bella: You know I will. Calm down.
Patty: Meet me at Carter’s. Mom will be here at noon.
Bella: See you soon!
I sit down at my laptop and open my book document. I scan through the last chapter so I can see where I left off and make a few changes. I’m having a hard time coming up with a name for this book. Lucky for me, I can throw some ideas around with my beta readers and they’ll help me nail it down. I don’t like finishing a book without having a name.
As soon as I start typing the next chapter out, the words flow. I’m deep in thought when the phone rings, scaring the crap out of me. I jump up to answer it, and of course it’s the doorman letting me know that Bella’s here. I tell him to send her up. I look up at the clock and can’t believe it’s already eleven thirty. I really love when I’m so into a chapter that the time flies. Now the next chapter is almost done. I save my work as Bella knocks on the door.
When I open the door, she greets me with a big hug. “How’s my girl now that her man is back in her life?”
“I’m great! Get this, I’ve been teaching him how to cook and he made me breakfast this morning.”
“Really? That’s pretty great! That’s one of the things I like about Derek. He can cook. I do okay on my own, but his meals are yummy. It’s probably why I stay thin because I never eat.”
She is too thin, but she’s constantly worried about her weight because of her modeling career. They don’t want super thin girls anymore, but she still can’t have too much meat on her bones.
“Let me shut down my laptop and we can go down to wait for mom. After lunch, I was figuring she can drop us back off here and we’ll go look for a table and chairs.”
“That’s cool,” she says. She looks in the living room, probably to try and see what size table can fit in there.
“I need to ask the manager of this apartment complex the dimensions of the living room when we get down there. It’s a pretty big space, so I’m sure we can fit a table big enough for all of us.”
“Are you inviting your mom?”
“If she comes clean today, I will. If she doesn’t, then I’m going to tell her she won’t hear from me again until she does.”
I remove my coat and gloves from the closet, and we leave to wait downstairs in the lobby. While we wait, I stop at the desk to ask the manager the size of the space. He tells me it’s seventeen by fifteen, which is plenty big for any dining room table to fit into. Darryl opens the door for us. I thank him, and we wait outside for my mother. We’re out there for about a minute when my mother’s car pulls up to the curb.
I open the door, and we both climb into the back of the chauffeured car. We both say our hellos as we get situated in the back.
“So, what did you want to talk about, darling?” My mother asks, jumping straight to the point.
“Really, Mother? If you’re going to play dumb, turn this car around and you can forget joining us for Thanksgiving.”
“You wouldn’t do that to me.”
“I would in a heartbeat. What does Ben have over you?”
“What are you talking about?” she says, and I start to lower the privacy glass so I can ask him to turn the car around. “Wait!” she shouts, and I put the glass back up.
“He tried to attack me at the lake house. Carter got there in time to stop him from hurting me in any way. He told me that he has something over you, but wouldn’t tell me what. He said you owed him and your debt wouldn’t be paid until I was his again.” I’m disgusted at this point. “What does he have over you that you would put your own daughter's life in danger to keep a secret?”
She starts to cry. “I can’t believe he told you that. He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.”
“Do you care that much about your social status that you are willing to put my life in danger to keep it?”
Bella starts rubbing my leg to try and calm me down, but at this point I’m so upset with my mother. I could never imagine treating my daughter this way. My child’s life will always come before mine.
She takes a deep breath and says, “I had an affair with Ben’s father, Anthony, and Ben caught us. It was a few years ago. Richard and I had gotten into an argument, and I was upset with him. I had gone out for a few drinks and ended up having a few too many. Anthony had found me at the club bar, drinking. He offered to give me a ride home, and when I told him I was upset with Richard and didn’t want to go home, he came on to me.”
“So all of this is because of a one-night stand with Ben’s father?”
“I slept with him a few times, but then Richard apologized and said he wanted to fix things between us. That’s when I cut Anthony off. Ben had already had a crush on you and wanted me to fix you two up and he told me if I didn’t, he would go to Richard with the pictures he has of me in bed with his father.”
“That is one sick bastard,” Bella says. “Who the hell has pictures of their father banging a woman?”
“At first all was fine because you two were getting along and in a relationship. When you left him, he was mad and told me I nee
ded to fix things or else. I told him that I held up my end of the deal and set you two up. Now it was on him. I warned him that if he ever hit you again, I would kick him in the balls so hard he’d never have to worry about kids.”
I burst into a fit of laughter because there is no way I can picture my mother saying that. “Patricia, what is so funny?”
“You threatening to kick a man in the balls, that’s what’s funny.”
Bella is trying to hold her laugh, back but she’s failing miserably.
“Bella, do not encourage her,” my mother says as she wipes her tears.
I sigh and say, “How do we fix this? He was arrested this weekend, but I’m sure he’ll make bail today and be back out on the streets. He’s going to be really pissed.”
“Why was he arrested?” my mother asks, totally confused.
“Are you listening, Mother? He broke into dad’s lake house and nearly raped me. Lucky for me, Carter walked in as he was about to attack me. He is being charged with breaking and entering as well as attempted rape.”
“Oh, I’m done for. He’s going to start posting those pictures everywhere.”
“You need to come clean with Richard, and we need to come up with a plan. Have you actually seen the pictures?”
“He’s only shown me one, and it’s of the back of my head. He says he has more and they’re all kept in an envelope in a safe place.”
My eyebrow shoots up. “Wait a minute. You’re telling me you have gone along with this based on a picture of the back of your head. Do you know how many blondes are out there? That could be anyone in the picture.”
“But what if he does have more?”
“What if he doesn’t? You’ve been screwing with my life and chancing that I’ll get hurt based on a jackass’s word?” I scream at her.
“Okay, let’s calm down,” Bella says. We’ve been circling our lunch spot for a few minutes because clearly we can’t continue this conversation in the club’s restaurant.
My mother sobs. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You do realize your husband is a district attorney for the same state I was attacked in. Do you think word is not going to get to him that his stepdaughter was attacked? Then he’s going to wonder why you haven’t said anything to him. You have turned a small affair into a huge deal.”
“I’m sorry,” she says with tears running down her cheeks.
“You know what? I’m not hungry, and I have a dining room table to buy.” I lower the privacy window and say, “I’m sorry, but can you take Bella and I back to Carter’s, please?”
He nods, and I put the privacy glass back up. Not that it matters much, since we were yelling at each other loud enough for him to hear through the glass.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Talk to Richard and fix this, or I’m going to end up hurt. If you call me and tell me that all is squared away with the two of you, then you’re welcome to dinner on Thanksgiving. However, if you can’t manage to do it before then, than don’t bother showing.”
“Patricia, please—”
I cut her off because I’ve had enough. “Don’t, Mother. I’ve put up with this long enough. He hit me and then he breaks into Daddy’s house to ‘show me how much he loves me,’ which, by the way, was going to be him forcing himself on me.”
We pull up outside Carter’s house, and I don’t bother waiting for a response or the driver. I jump out of the car with Bella in tow, running straight to her car so we can go shopping.
As we climb into her car, she says, “You realize you need to talk to Carter about all of this, right?”
“Yeah, I know. We’re having dinner at his house tonight so I’ll talk to him about it then. I wish this wasn’t all happening so close to him coming home. I don’t want to stress him out.”
“Patty, he’s a big boy. He can handle this, but you need talk to him.” I nod. I’m going to send him a text right now.
Patty: Just talked to mom. It didn’t go too well. What time will you be home?
Carter: I’m sorry, baby. I’ll be home by five-thirty.
Patty: Okay see you then.
Carter: Where are you now?
Patty: Leaving to shop for a table with Bella.
Carter: Watch out for yourself.
Patty: I will. Talk to you later.
“There. Now I can’t back out of telling him later. He’ll ask me about it.”
“How much did you tell him?”
“I told him that it didn’t go well.”
Bella pulls up to a furniture store that I didn’t even know existed. We walk in and start wandering the building. We find a dining room set that’s okay, but I’m not ecstatic about it.
Just as we’re about to leave after walking around the building for a while, I see this table nestled in the corner. I look around to find a salesperson, but I don’t see anyone. I walk over to it, and I think it’s perfect. It fits twelve. It’s a sturdy, dark wood piece with thick square legs. Though it has a masculine feel, I think it’s gorgeous.
A sales lady sneaks up behind me and says, “Can I help you?”
I jump half out of my skin as I turn around. “Is this table for sale?”
“Yes, it was on its way up to the clearance floor. It went on sale as of this morning.”
“Really? How much and how soon can you deliver it?” I ask, super excited.
“Its sale price is fifteen hundred, and I can probably get it to you this week.”
“Give me one minute.”
I pull my phone from my purse and call Carter’s cell. He answers right away. “Hey, sweetie, what’s up?” He sounds concerned.
“I’m fine, Carter. Relax,” I say, shaking my head. “I found a dining room table set that went on sale this morning. It’s fifteen hundred and seats twelve.”
“Great. When can they deliver it?”
“The woman thinks she can have it to you this week. I’m going to finalize it. Do you want to see a picture of it first?”
“Nah, I trust you. Go ahead and take care of it, and I’ll get you the money.”
“I’m not worried about the money. I’ll get it all taken care of and delivered. I love you, Carter.”
“I love you too, sweetie. See you soon.”
I cut the call and tell the woman that I’ll take it.
***
Carter
I’m on my way home from work, and I can’t wait to see my girl. We’re having dinner together tonight, and we need to talk about what’s going on with her mother. I wish she would have at least given me a hint as to what was going on, but I’m sure she doesn’t want me to worry while I’m at work.
I pull up to my building and park in my usual spot. I snatch the flowers I picked up for Patty and run inside, making sure to greet Darryl as I do. He laughs as I go straight to the elevator.
I take a deep breath, stepping inside. Immediately, I can smell her heavenly meal. I can’t wait to see what she’s cooking up. I take another deep breath. It smells like a sweet and sour stir fry, and it makes my stomach rumble. There’s music playing, and she’s dancing away as she cooks. I chuckle to myself because she looks so damn cute.
“Sweetie, I’m home!” She jumps in the air, and I realize I’ve scared the shit out of her.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you so jumpy?”
“I’m sorry, Carter. Between the conversation with my mother and then the sheriff calling me today, I guess I’m a tad jumpy.”
“What did the sheriff have to say?”
“Ben was released on bail today with directions to not go within a hundred yards of me.”
“Oh, because that will stop him,” I say, shaking my head. “Well, I brought you these to cheer you up.” I hand her the flowers, and she smiles at me.
“Thank you, they’re beautiful.”
“Just like you,” I say. I kiss her on the forehead. “What happened with your mom today?”
She shakes her head. “She’s such an idiot sometim
es.”
“I’m sure she is, but that doesn’t tell me much.” I give her a minute, and when she doesn’t say anything, I add, “Patty, if you want me to talk to you then you need to talk to me too. This has to be a two-way street.”
“I know. I don’t want to stress you with this,” she says with a sigh.
“Not knowing is stressing me. Tell me, and we’ll deal with it together.”
“Okay, let’s make a deal. I’ll tell you about my mom if you tell me something from your time in the hospital.”
“Okay, fine. You start. Tell me what happened today.”
“I’m so angry,” she says as she stirs our dinner. “My mother had an affair with Ben’s father and Ben caught them. She openly confirmed that she’s been letting him bribe her with pictures. She has only seen one of the pictures, and it’s of the back of her head. She says, that in the one she’s seen, you can’t really tell it’s her, but he says he has more. She has no proof they exist and has helped him orchestrate half the crap he has done to try and get me back.”
My eyes go wide. “Oh, that’s not good, but that explains your mother laughing that night.”
“Yes, it does.”
“Doesn’t she realize that the pictures may not even exist?” I’m angry that Sandra put her daughter in this situation without proof of the pictures.
“That’s what I said. She sat there and sobbed, saying she didn’t know what to do.”
“How did you leave things?” I ask her as she puts food on my plate and places it on the snack bar.
She starts making her plate and says, “I told her that she had to come clean with Richard and let me know how it went. If she does it prior to Thanksgiving, then they’re welcome. If she doesn’t, then they’re not.”
