Common Sense Doesn't Become Me (13 page)

We all took turns passing food around and
putting it on our plates. Sitting at the table now was the two
older sister's husbands, Joseph and Mark. They did not say much but
they sure looked like they were ready to eat. Adoncia was holding a
two-year-old boy in her lap trying to get him to eat, while a small
playpen off to the side of the table held a sleeping baby girl not
much more than a few months old. It was a picture of a growing
happy family, and I really wanted a part of it, so perhaps that was
why I was trying so hard to be perfect.

I jumped in on a conversation the two sisters
were having about baby rearing as I mentioned my best friend Marion
was pregnant with twins. It got a few comments, but then they seem
to go back to their own conversation. Therefore, I turned to Sophia
and commented on how wonderful her roast was. She thanked me and
winked but did not say much more because she had this worried look
of concern glaring at the other end of the table at Mark Anthony. I
turned to Maria and told her how much I appreciated her help with
my birthday gift from Mason. Before Maria could comment, Mark
Anthony spoke up.

"You have got to be kidding me son. At your
age, you can't even figure out how to buy a present for a beautiful
woman. Jewelry, flowers and a good bottle of wine. Does the trick
every time." He winked as if he was joking, but I saw the way
Mason's body tensed and his eyes glared. I felt for him, because
what he and Maria had done had been perfect. Therefore, I chimed in
with a comment - of course.

"Oh Sir. It was perfect. He did send me
flowers on my actual birthday. A huge bouquet. And took me and my
best friend, my sister and my mother to lunch, picking up the tab.
But, it was the bakery cake from my favorite bakery and the cushion
for my window seat that was perfect. I'm not a jewelry kind of gal
any ways."

The table went dead silent. Mason had this
tense feel in his hand and with the way he was trying, mind you, to
hold my hand under the table. Sophia made a small gasp sound, and
then I realized; I had just tried to protect or was it fight
Mason's battle for him. He was a grown man and could take his
father's indignant suggestion that he could not be a great
boyfriend. So why did I think it was my place to speak up about it?
Because that was who I am, and I had a feeling, right now, that I
was not fitting in very well with his family after all.

Maria finally spoke up. "So that cushion I
got you at Pottery Barn was perfect after all. Good. I am glad. By
the way, that bakery where I picked up your cake had muffins that
were the best I have ever had." She smiled and winked at me, and I
tried to falter a smile.

I spoke up to break the tension or at least
try. "Their holiday pies are wonderful, but Mason and I are
planning on making it a regular for a coffee and muffin run."

The table stayed quiet but at least people
were back to eating. A few seconds later, Mark Anthony finally
spoke up. "So how old are you if you don't mind me asking?"

Ok. I knew it was rude for a man to ask a
woman's age in private, let alone out in the presence of more
people, but I sensed this was a question Mason's father felt he had
to ask.

"Thirty Sir. I just turned thirty." I took a
big bite of salad as he replied.

"And you are just now taking college courses?
For work? To be a production line manager?" His voice was
judgmental, and his tone told me that I wasn't really the person he
was mad at, it was something between Mason and himself. Either way,
I took offense and barely got out a 'yes sir' reply.

When he put it that way, I probably should
have thought about growing up about eight to ten years ago. I
probably should have, but I didn't, and now that I was thirty; I
planned on doing so, even more so as his father seemed to be
judging me, and his family was nowhere to my defense. It was a time
like now that I craved Marion's help. She always had a way with
people, and she would have found a way to divert or make everyone
focus on her instead of me out of help, not selfishness. Sofia
finally spoke up.

"Mark Anthony, I need another bottle of white
wine. Would you be a dear and go into the wine cellar and get me
that bottle of ninety six?" The way she was looking at him, if he
was to say no, she would have caused him a lot of mental anguish
later. I have seen that look on a grown woman and any man who ever
wants loving again, better do what she asks. I needed to accomplish
that look.

Mason jumped up and scooted his chair back.
"I'll get it." Then I watched him practically stomp off, which that
did not make his dad any happier. Therefore, I guess making a
comment about it would make him feel better, but it just made me
want to put my fork down because at this point, I could not eat
another bite.

"Leaving your date to the wolves is not the
best way to act. I would have gotten the wine. I just wanted to
finish my bite." He set his fork down, took a huge sip of his wine
and then set the glass down with a look that read on his face of
righteousness. My, how the rich and powerful see their
intentions.

I had half a mind to speak up and defend
Mason and all the great things he has done and said to me in less
than a week, but I couldn't. I wouldn't. I just sat there staring
at my plate of half eaten food, while the three sisters began
chiming in about some upcoming family wedding for a cousin, and how
Adoncia was pregnant with her second baby. You could not tell by
looking at her as she was so skinny but now that I remember her
standing sideways there might have been a small pooch.

Sophia finally joined in, and it was as if
the negative comments had never filtered the air in a sour note. I
scooted my chair back and excused myself to use the restroom. This
time all the men stood up in a formality, and I was shocked. I had
never had that before.

As I walked back through the beautiful garden
towards the kitchen, my heart ached for Mason. This was his life,
just like mine, a parent who made him feel less than adequate was
prominent in the picture. I was not helping his situation, unlike
how he had helped mine tremendously. Just this morning, my mom had
left a beaming message about how happy she was that I was finally
growing up, taking college courses, and dating a man whom I should
not let slip away as he was extremely prominent in this city. No
mention of 'hi dear, are you happy?' Just like Mark Anthony berated
his own son for not properly addressing my birthday, or so he
thought, or for dating a woman of better stature.

As I stepped inside his parents' house, I
looked around at the beautiful gallery kitchen and dreamed how
wonderful it would feel if it was Mason's and mine. I turned as I
heard a noise and saw Mason looking down at two bottles of wine.
When he looked up, our eyes met, his was sad and mine were worried.
I walked over and kissed him softly.

"I need to use the ladies room. I'll be out
in a bit. Hang tough. You are the most perfect man I have ever met.
Where would I be without you?" I teased with the last sentence as
my fingers trailed down his chest.

A small smile escaped his misery, and he
returned a kiss to my forehead. Then what he said next made me
worried. "Probably better off if you think like my dad. Listen, I
sent a text into a tenant for a favor. We will have to rush out of
here in about fifteen minutes for a broken pipe."

"Sounds wonderful. That is, if you let me
show you my appreciation later." I teased as I patted his ass.

"I'm counting on a little uplifting. Mind if
we watch the Rockies game later. I could use a little sports to
take my mind off my dad." He sounded relieved just thinking about
where he will be later versus where we are right now.

"Sounds great." I walked away to leave him to
his own demise with his father. I'm sure by the time he made it
back out there, conversations had taken place and everyone will be
just fine by the time I make it back out from the bathroom.

Boy was I wrong. Here is where everything
just took a turn for the worse. I had never heard a family shouting
at each other the way this one was. I heard Mason and Mark Anthony
practically screaming at each other as I started out of the kitchen
into the garden, still out of view from where the family was
sitting.

I overheard in a strong voice from Mason's
father that he was not to get himself involved any further with a
woman like me. I had to wonder what he thought of me. Then I heard
Mason yelling at him to mind his own business. Then a female voice
from one of the two older sisters yelled out. "For heaven's sake,
Mason. Do you really think she is the type of woman you want to
marry? She hasn't even gone to college, and her credit rating is as
poor as the maid who cleans this house."

Just then, I realized that I had been walking
in slow motion towards the commotion, and rounded the corner to see
everyone stop yelling and staring at me. The baby who was sleeping
in the playpen was now crying profusely. Sophia grabbed her and
started to calm her down by rocking her in a standing position, as
I stood there looking like a zombie to these people. They did not
want to, nor would they probably ever, welcome me into their
family. It would be just like Marion has to deal with, and I know
at times she confided in me that it was not worth it. That she
should have married a man more of her nature not Carl's status. Did
I want to try to make the same mistake even though I felt I was in
love with Mason? Could our love be strong enough to defy the
expectations of his family?

When he did not answer or defend me, I spoke
as if my voice was about to crack into full-blown tears at any
moment. "Sophia, thank you for the lovely brunch. I must go now.
Mason, if you would not mind, please drive me home. Thank you all
so very much for the lovely meal." The last word was teary, and I
turned just as tears fell down my face.

I thought I heard a few 'we're sorry' as I
started to walk back towards the kitchen. I felt Mason's hand grab
mine and practically drag me out of his parents' home. I felt so
devastated that I could not say a word the whole way back to our
apartment. Mason said very few, but he seemed so full of rage that
I think he was retreating to the far recesses of his mind, thinking
how dating a woman like me would only make his life more
miserable.

I wondered if I had just found me another
Steve. That I was just his playmate until he could find a
quality-educated woman that suited his father's request. It was
devastating to my confidence to know that I was not up to par in
any person's eyes let alone the fact that my mother constantly let
me feel that way. I did not need a future Father In-Law to make me
feel that way as well.

On the car ride back to my apartment, Mason
said very little, and what I did have to say in my defense was
spoken in short contrite responses in a very defensive manner.
There was truth to the credit part. I had gotten in over my head a
few times with credit cards and bills but my dad usually bailed me
out. I had worked hard the last two years to be productive but some
of those things on my credit would be around for a while. How his
sister already knew caused another quick outburst of mean remarks
that only brought on more silence from Mason.

Mason tried to kiss me and stay at my place,
but I told him to go. The day was young, and I had a full steam of
piss and vinegar that was going to force me to log on and start my
online college courses today. I think I wanted Mason to think long
and hard about if he wanted to keep me as his girlfriend. For both
of us, it might be best if we just gave it a rest.

Shortly after he left, I did something
completely insane. I texted, not called, but texted him that we
needed a break. I turned my cell phone off and unplugged my
apartment telephone. I wanted to be unreachable until I could
figure this all out. Turning thirty had not turned out to be the
grand turning point I had hoped for.

Chapter Ten

Walking back and forth in
my apartment, with a glance towards Mason's bedroom every five
seconds, was not helping my cause. My head ached with the constant
barrage of questions I was asking myself, ones that only Mason
could answer, but he couldn't, because I had no intention of
talking to him. At least not until I cooled down, not tonight, I
needed my space.

Internally, I could hear my mother blaming me
on screwing this one up. My dad would offer to take me out for a
drink. My aunt Heather would tell me that there are plenty of fish
in the sea, which she should know because at her age, she still has
not settled down with one man in her life, just married three for a
short-term commitment. Bethany would tell me to focus on my now I
am thirty plans. I let her read it. She actually liked it and told
me she was proud. Coming from a younger sister who is so high on my
mother's pedestal, it helped. At this point, the only person that
could help was Marion, and I knew she was out shopping with her
mother in-law, registering for baby gifts at places Marion did not
want to register. So perhaps I would be doing us both a favor.

I shot out an SOS text and told her to bring
'anything' from the bakery. A half-hour later, she was walking in
my apartment with her own key, bakery bag in hand, and a sly smile
on her face. "Hey thanks for rescuing me by the way. However,
please tell me this is not a real SOS, but an 'I was just stupid
and this first argument with Mason will pass' SOS."

"Oh I don't know about it passing. It wasn't
just Mason. It was his family, and I figured if anyone understood
and would not judge me for all the stupid things I did, it would be
you." I grabbed the bag out of her hand. "What did you get any
ways?"

"Vanilla cupcakes, with cream cheese
frosting, and raspberry filling. I think the babies really like
those." She teased.