Adjournment (The Fate Series) (18 page)

I can’t believe I got roped into this.

“Darling, I know you can’t have fish but do try other things!” she says to me.

At least she knows I can’t have it… I wonder if she remembers why I can’t have it.      

“Morgan and Molly, try the snapper and the tuna and let me know which you like better,” she says, pointing her long jewel clad fingers around.

Who
is
this person? She certainly isn’t the woman who raised us. That woman was rough around the edges with a quick tongue that got her into a lot of trouble. Her wickedness was known back then, now it’s just rumored about. Manhattan has softened her in ways that I didn’t think could happen. One would think she would be tougher living here but no money and status has smoothed those edges into the refined pearl we have before us.

I’m just glad I’m nothing like her.

After a long painful two hour meeting over food and what is “most hypoallergenic” aka no nuts, no strawberries, etc., she settles on the menu, and we are finally on our way. Oh yes, not that I care much, but you will be interested to know that we are having snapper on the menu. 

Hypoallergenic my ass. 

Although she did get a vegetarian meal for “people like me”.

I would have argued the point of fish not being actual meat, and the fact that I’m not a vegetarian, I am simply allergic to fish. But let’s be honest, my supply of aspirin is running low, and there isn’t enough alcohol in my system to get her to understand that even though fish have meat, their “meat” isn’t what vegetarians give up and that once again it’s an allergy and not a choice.

Hence the Epi-pen always in my purse.

Nothing good comes from being wrapped in a shiny burrito…

After another quick eye fuck by my mother’s driver, I get back into the car.

“Sidney, don’t encourage him.” She rolls her eyes at me.

Me?
What did
I
do?

I must be wearing my inner thoughts on my face today since Molly and Morgan are both laughing.

The car ride on the way to the spa is quiet other than the constant clicks coming from our phones as we text people.

When we pull over, I’m relieved to think the day is almost done.

I have almost made it through a whole day with them. Maybe we are growing up, maybe I don’t have to worry so much.

“Oh, shit,” my mother mutters under her breath. But we all heard her.

I follow her stare and see
her
stalking toward us.

Our mother takes a dominant step in front of my sisters and me as she lifts her arms up to hug the woman.

“Did it just get colder?” Molly whispers.

Yes, it did.

“Madness, darling! I haven’t seen you at the last few luncheons. Where have you been hiding yourself?” she schmoozes our mother.

“Just busy with—” the woman cuts her off when she sees us.

“Well, look at these three.” The woman’s eyes flicker from one to the other. 

Her cold eyes catch mine, holding me there as her smile fades into something that looks sinister.

Because she is.

“Lady.” Our mother pulls back from the women, angling herself further in front of us. “You remember my daughters.” She turns to gesture to us.

Lady steps around her, her eyes dragging from mine to Molly’s and then Morgan’s. “Of course. Who could forget that Chandler face?” She glances back to me, reaching out to grasp my chin tightly in her hand like I’m a child. “It’s remarkable, actually,” she whispers, her face twisting into a look of disgust.

Where my mother is now positioned, she can’t see Lady’s face. However, Molly and Morgan can so they will be able to confirm. My anger rises as she lets go of my face, laughs, and steps back.

“Well it was lovely seeing you all.” She waves me and my sisters off. “I’m sure we will see each other again soon. We should all have lunch sometime,” she says to our mother. “There is a restaurant over on the east side, fantastic tuna.” Her smile widens.

“I’m allergic,” I chime in.

Her attention snapping to me, she nods. “I know,” she pouts. “How unfortunate.” She looks lost in thought for a moment before speaking again. “Well, you four have a relaxing time.” She waves before walking away.

“What a twat.” Molly shakes her head.

I wonder where she got that word from.

“Molly!” our mother gasps, covering her mouth to hide her smile.

“I think you’ve been hanging around Grams too much.” I walk away from them.

“Maybe you haven’t been around her enough,” she responds.

Guilt zaps me right in the chest. I know in a way she’s right, but it’s too late to change it all now.

I walk silently into the reception area to check in and listen to Molly and Morgan bicker back and forth about God knows what. I look around, taking in the calming interior. Everything is shrouded in warm earth tones—large picture windows on either side of the door are draped in chocolate brown sheer curtains that pool onto the floor, and there’s a light wood smell in the air that instantly relaxes away the past couple months of stress as I breathe in it.

Inhaling deeply, I can feel my insides begin to twist with enthusiasm. Five minutes ago I wanted to rip that woman’s throat out; now I’m feeling the power of the calming scents and colors.

I won’t admit this to my mother, but this was a great idea!

After signing all our paperwork, we’re shown to the changing area and given robes.

“I booked us body wraps for this afternoon since we are all available. I also made sure to get a room all together so we can spend some time together,” our mother boasts.

Uh huh, no way, I said yes to the spa,
not
a wrap! I’m going to be trapped in a room with these three for an hour? That is anything
but
relaxing.

I can do this… I can. Just breathe…
relax
. You were fine outside with Lady, Sid. I give myself a silent coaching. If you can do that, you can do this.

But Lady isn’t a trigger. She is just a bitch who is jealous of my mother.

We walk down the hall to the changing rooms, my sisters and I moving slower and slower as we go like we’re about to be tortured.

In my little room I whisper to myself, “You can do this… You are in control.”

After sliding on the robe I open the door and walk into the hall where my sisters are and we’re shown to our room that has four long tables in it, each has an end that is slightly propped up so we’re sitting up while stuck in our wrap. 

“I’m going to drop my robe first so you three better close your eyes and I will do the same for you. Got it?” Molly says breaking the silence.

“Oh darling, I changed your diapers for the first years of your life, I’ve seen what you have. It’s fine.” Our mother drawls while waving her hand into the air.

“Nope, that is my deal. You can take it or I will leave all of—this.” She motions to everything in the room.

What our mother doesn’t know and would get Molly killed is that she has a tattoo along with her belly button pierced.  Hey, that’s what happens when you lose a bet against your sisters. Well, if your sisters happen to be Morgan and me.

What was the bet you ask? 

For my twenty-first birthday we decided to go drinking in Atlantic City. We walked to the pier to play some games, and Molly was bragging about how she could beat us at Skeeball. 

It’s never happened. 

To teach her a lesson we made a bet and said the loser had to get her belly button pierced. Molly, being her cocky self, added the tattoo part and of course she ended up losing… again.

So now she has
Skeeball Loser
on her ass. Needless to say, she hasn’t played Skeeball since.  

On the plus side, the man did it in very pretty writing, and it isn’t big, but it’s there.

“Fine, fine. I will turn around darling, relax.” She turns her body to face the wall, and we all disrobe at the same time then jump onto our beds throwing towels over our midsections to cover them.

Yes, we have all lost a bet, Morgan and I were never so dumb to wager tattoos though.

Why don’t we just take them out?

Oh, because if we take them out long enough for the hole to close then we have to pierce a nipple.

No, thank you.

“Isn’t this so relaxing girls?” our mother exhales.

She sounds peaceful, and happy.

It’s only been about ten minutes since the women have finished painting the goop on and wrapped us in the tin foil material. It’s already getting warm in my shiny burrito.

Wiggling down into it, my eyes become heavy from the soft music that floats through the air. 

Oh, yes, I could fall asleep here, it’s so peaceful and relaxing.

What if I have to use the bathroom? Great, now all I’m going to think about is the bathroom.

Don’t think about it, don’t think about it.

“So, ladies,” our mother breaks the silence, pulling me from my bathroom thoughts. “I have some exciting news to share with you. I think this is a perfect time to share!” Keeping my eyes closed I can hear her foil wrap crinkle with every movement she makes. “You remember the triplets, right?”

Remember them? How could we forget them? It was just last month I saw stupid Simon twice in a week.

My leg begins to twitch with anger and anxiety as that last time I saw him replays in my head.

“I promise I’ll dance with you,” I had chirped like some stupid girl.

Okay maybe not like that… but still.  

“Well, they are still in town and I spoke with Judith,” she says.

Oh no! No, no, no.

“It turns out they would love to be your dates for the party!” Her voice is excited, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

In town? They never freaking leave according to page six!

Breathe, remember to breathe—calm down and do
not
lose control.

Oh, that Simon, he thinks he’s so smooth. Making it out like he’s doing me a favor. I bet their reveling in the fact that she asked them to take us. They probably think we can’t get our own dates… not that we can of course, because we had sort of a bad reputation with the socialite men growing up. But still I would rather go stag than with
him
.

Smug stupid jackass!

I can’t do this. How the hell am I going to play nice and get along in front of a crowd? This is going to be agony, and he’s going to use it to his advantage.

“
Oh
Mother, you didn’t!” Morgan hisses out.

“I will push Dean down the steps and not make it look accidental this time if I have to do this. I’m in my freaking thirties, Mother! Honestly, you treat us like we’re children.” Molly is fighting against her foil to break free but those women know what they’re doing.

“Wait, why am I always stuck with Chase?” Morgan glares at Molly.

“Honestly, even I know that one, darling.” An evil laughs flows from our mother’s lips.

My mother is evil.

I haven’t gone back to the Hamptons since I was a teenager. Now I have to go back, and I have to take the one man who I swore I would never talk to again. It’s like she likes watching me eat my words…

Oh, wait, she does—because she’s evil.

“Why would you do this? You know we can’t stand each other.” Morgan whines.

Our mother turns her head to look at the three of us. “I thought that was all in the past. You’re adults now.” Her sight lingers a little longer on me than it does on the other two, and I shift around in my solar blanket.

We are… but there is something about that house that brings out the child in us.

“Not to mention you lived next to each other for years in college, and that was fine.” She raises an eyebrow to Molly and Morgan.

“That was because we had to. We signed legal papers stating that we wouldn’t fight,” Molly admits.

“I am not having legal papers drawn so that you six won’t kill each other at a function, forget it,” our mother shakes her head.

It’s not a terrible idea though.

“You sure about that? Remember when they put crabs in our beach bags? Or maybe you forgot about when they put dye in the pool at night, and we thought the color was from their parents putting in colored bulbs. We were freaking blue for two weeks!! Two. Weeks. Mother! And it was the first two weeks of college!” Molly snaps, her body moving around in frustration. “Let’s not end it there though. Remember when they switched out my breath spray for perfume, and I almost choked to death.” Molly is still wiggling to free herself but it is no use.