Convincing Her (11 page)

Pouting, she reached for his drink, “That’s rude. You know, I’ve never
been rejected as much as I have this year.” She gulped the remaining liquid in
the glass, “I guess I’m past my prime.”

“Nah, you’ve still got it. I’m all fucked up right now.” He pulled out
his phone, “I’m going to call you a cab, okay?”

She huffed, motioning to the waitress to come over, “I’m gonna have
another while I wait.”

He flipped through his contacts on his phone, blinking several times in
an attempt to focus on the screen. Finally, he found the number, motioning for
her to move so he could make the call away from the loud speakers behind him,
“Don’t go anywhere. I mean it.”

It took a few tries but he made his way out of the booth, dialing the
phone as he walked to the semi-quiet entrance of the club. After he was done,
he slipped the phone back in his pocket and went back inside, relieved to see
her at the table. “You have about thirty minutes. Don’t get alcohol poisoning.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to have some fun? Rumor is you haven’t
gotten lucky in a long while.” She eyed Chris and the blond with a jealous
expression, “I think I can remain coherent for another hour at least.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. One of us would end up puking on the other.”
Shuddering at the thought he slid into the booth, trapping her in the corner.
As the waitress made her rounds he ordered a bottle of water, wanting this
night to be over. There was no use trying to pretend anymore.

He guzzled his drink, only half-listening to Amy’s account of her night.
After he was pretty sure enough time had passed he grabbed her hand, lifting
his chin at Chris as they exited the booth. Once outside he sucked in a huge
breath, filling his lungs to the max before letting it out. Her cab hadn’t
arrived yet, so he slid down on the curb while she twirled around a street
sign, singing softly. “Have you ever been in love Amy?”

A harsh laugh escaped her and then she hiccupped, “Yup, it blew. He
turned out to be a total jack-ass.” She stopped twirling, “Is that what’s made
you all boring? You’re in love?” She drew out the last word, mocking him.

He ignored her, standing as the cab pulled up to the curb. “I’ll see you
around okay? Be safe.”

“Wait,” she grabbed his arm, “thanks for not taking advantage.”

He gave a curt nod, pulling out his wallet and handing the cab driver
two twenties, “This should cover it.”

Her cold hands gripped his face and she gave him a quick kiss on the
cheek, “Whoever the lucky bitch is, she’s stupid not to love you back.”

Waiting until she was on her way, he took a few more draws of the fresh
air before turning to head back inside. He heard his phone sound with a new
message and he pulled it out, focusing on the screen.

Angel: That was surprising

He swung his head around, searching for her on the crowded street. His
vision blurred as he tried to focus on any dark head in the crowd, not having
any luck. His heart was pounding, his hands shaking. It took him three times to
type a reply.

Rich: Where R U

Unsure of how long he stood outside the club waiting for her response,
searching for her, he finally gave up. Heading back inside and drinking another
bottle of water, he was overwhelmed as his mind filled with questions. Why was
she here? Why didn’t she respond to him? Why didn’t she talk to him? None of it
made sense. He told Chris they needed to go, slipping outside to search for her
again. Taking a risk, he pulled out his phone once more.

Rich: I miss u

He needed to get his shit together. Angie would never be his if didn’t
straighten himself out. She deserved better than this, and so did he.

Rich set his bag down in his childhood room, surprised that his parents
hadn’t turned it into an office by now. He’d arrived about an hour before,
welcomed by his mom. His dad was at work and Pete and Tracy were still on their
way. It was weird being here, even more so since his mother had given him a big
hug when he’d arrived. She looked older, her dark hair beginning to gray. But
she looked happy too. They’d sat at the table and talked, Vivian hinting that
she was disappointed he’d come alone. It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried. He’d left
messages with Tyler and Cameron, sent her at least twenty texts, he’d even gone
to the coffee shop she frequented every day for the last two weeks. She never
showed and she never responded. It was done. He needed to move on.

Lying back on his bed he gazed at the Playboy centerfolds he had taped
to his ceiling, chuckling as he wondered what his mom had thought about that
and why she’d left them up there. Most were brunettes and his smile faded as he
compared them to Angie. Despite their air-brushed beauty, there was no real
competition.

Hearing the door shut upstairs, he slid off his bed, stopping in the
small basement bathroom to wash his hands and pull himself together. At least
he’d gotten a haircut before he’d come, he actually looked half-way
respectable.  

He met his father as he headed into the kitchen, returning the man’s
handshake when it was offered. “Hey, how are you?” Richard Sr. looked a bit
older than the last time he’d seen him, but his eyes crinkled at the sides as
he smiled in welcome.

“I’m great Rich, how are you doing?” He slid up behind his mom, giving
her a chaste kiss on the cheek, “Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s okay dear. It gave me time to catch up with your oldest son a
bit.” She smiled up at his father, “Pete and Tracy should be here soon. It’ll
be good to have a full house again won’t it?”

Sinking into a chair Rich observed their interaction while searching his
memories for any recollection of seeing them like this. Maybe all the stuff his
mom said about things being different really had been true. He heard a song
begin to play, raising his eyebrows at his dad when his mom grabbed her phone,
disappearing into the laundry room. His father just shrugged, opening the
fridge and taking out a soda and offering him one as well. “Thanks.”

“So how’s school going?” His dad sat, taking a big drink.

“Classes are good this year. How’s work?” He’d never made small talk
with his dad before, it was surreal.

“Work is work, if I were you I’d put it off as long as possible.” The
old man gave him another smile.

“You remember this conversation when I’m the oldest senior at my
school.” He joked, sipping his drink. They sat in comfortable silence.

 He didn’t mean to be nosy, but he wondered who his mom was talking
to, especially when he heard her say softly, “Did you get what I sent you?” He
wasn’t sure how the caller responded since there was no response from his mom.

“Where’s the welcome wagon?” Pete made his presence known, Tracy on his
heels.

Rich stood at the same time as his father, giving Tracy a quick hug as
Pete greeted their dad with a nod. “How are you?”

Tracy did a little dance, shuffling her feet, “I’m all healed up good as
new. How are you?”

“I’m here.” He answered honestly as he gave Pete a quick hug and pat on
the back. “I told you I’d make it.”

Pete smiled, “I’m glad.” He turned to Tracy, “Tracy, meet my dad, dad,
this is Tracy.”

His mom entered the room with a smile. She put her phone away, “Sorry I
missed you coming in.” She made her way over to Pete, pausing for a moment
before giving him a hug, and then did the same to Tracy, “Nice to meet you.”

“Thanks for having me Mrs. Remington.” Tracy gave her a smile, taking
Pete’s hand.

“Call me Vivian. Sit down. Do you want something to drink?” His mom
turned, opening the fridge.

“So, let’s all
get to know each other shall we?” His father sat, “It’s well passed time we did
so.”

Two days later Rich was convinced he’d been transported to the twilight
zone. His parents were constantly touching, gazing at each other across the
room. It was obvious that they were truly in love, something he had never been
convinced of as a kid. Rightfully so, considering the small amount of
information he’d gotten from his parents his first night home. Turns out they
had gotten married straight out of college without ever going on a single date.
It was weird to picture living with someone you didn’t really know but it
seemed to have worked out okay.

There hadn’t been any tension after that first night. They’d laughed and
talked until early morning, finally crashing in their respective rooms. It was
good, and he was happy, at least as happy as he could be as the odd man out
without someone here to love. He was still a bit curious about his mother
having private conversations on her phone from time to time, but he let it go.
Maybe she had friends, adults did have social lives.

Tracy had assured him she had stayed in touch with Angie and that she
was fine, but there was something in her gaze that made his stomach clench.
He’d pushed the feeling away, determined to try and enjoy himself. Pete was
practically ecstatic, grinning from ear to ear every time their mom touched his
hand or ruffled his hair. 

She had announced she didn’t want to wait until Thanksgiving Day to have
their big dinner. She’d been experimenting with different recipes and promised
they’d do something special for the holiday but said there was no reason to put
off a good turkey dinner.

Rich woke up around noon, taking his time in the shower before making
his way towards the kitchen. Hearing the distinct sound of his mother’s
ringtone, he paused, waiting.

“Hi honey, how are you?” She whispered, her concerned tone causing him
to frown.

He jumped when his father laid his meaty hand on his shoulder, “Did you
sleep well?”

“Yeah, I slept great. Who’s she talking to?” He’d never heard his mom
call anyone honey before.

His dad replied as he shrugged, “No idea, I just let her be. It pays
off.” Giving Rich a knowing wink, he made his way into the kitchen, pouring
some coffee.

His mom frowned as she met his gaze, hurrying out of the kitchen and
onto the porch. She returned minutes later, the frown still creasing her
forehead.

“Is everything okay mom?” He picked up the knife and began cutting up
some celery.

There was sadness in her eyes, but she still smiled, “Yes, everything is
fine son.” She instructed him on how much celery she needed, then placed some
carrots in front of him.

It was kind of fun, helping his mom out in the kitchen. He wasn’t a good
cook, not having much experience, but he’d never spent time preparing a meal
with her before. She took bites of everything as they went, always making sure
his dad had enough coffee as he read his paper. It was another surprise that
his dad had slept in. Rich could remember the man getting up at the break of
dawn every morning.

Tracy and Pete made their way into the kitchen about an hour later.
Tracy looked well-fucked and Pete wore a relaxed grin as he pulled out a Red
Bull. His parent’s didn’t seem to notice or if they did they didn’t seem to
have a problem with it.

Rich decided he should do some Christmas shopping since he had the time
to kill, plus he wanted to get out of the house for a while. After stopping at
several stores, finding a nice bracelet for his mom, a sweater and tools for
his dad, and several small trinkets for Tracy and Pete, he washed his car,
taking the long way back to the house as he listened to a classic rock station
on the radio. All in all, it had been a good year. He couldn’t let his messed
up love life damper those feelings.

Carrying his bags down to his room, he checked his phone for any missed
messages before heading upstairs, finding his dad in front of the TV with Pete,
Tracy and his mom in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner.

“Get me anything good?” Pete asked, glancing away from the television.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He flopped down on the couch, “So, I heard
Tracy say you agreed to go to her parents for Christmas.”

“Yeah, it’s only fair. They seem like nice enough people, sort of weird,
but so is Tracy.”

He nudged Pete’s shoulder with his own, “You love it.”

“Yeah, I do.” His brother admitted quietly, “Everything is going really
well.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“So am I Pete. If you’ve found the girl of your dreams, you hang on to
her, no matter what.” His dad chimed in, glancing at Rich before focusing once
more on the television.

“Come and get it!” Tracy called from the kitchen.

Rich heard his mom laugh. She seemed to really get a kick out of Tracy’s
somewhat flamboyant behavior. He took a spot by his dad, his mother on the
other side of his father, Tracy and Pete across from him. “I’m really glad we
did this.” He wasn’t sure why, but he felt really emotional.

“So are we son. It’s been too long.” His father tapped his knuckles on
the table, “Let’s eat.”

He accepted each dish as they were passed to him, taking a generous
amount. His mother had cooked enough for ten people instead of the five of
them. As he was shoving a spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth, real ones,
not the ones out of the box that he was used to, the doorbell rang. He raised
his brows, “Are you expecting someone?”

His mom clapped her hands together softly and stood, “Yes, I am
actually. Excuse me for a moment.”

He locked eyes with Pete across the table, “Do you know who it is?”

“Nah man, it’s probably the same person she’s always whispering to on
the phone.”

So he hadn’t been imaging things. He noticed Tracy shifting in her seat
nervously, “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head quickly, “Nothing.”

Hearing the door close he took a sip of water, wondering if some
long-lost family member had shown up or his mom had started taking in strays.
As he heard two sets of footsteps approaching he paused expectantly. His
stomach flipped when he saw her, only partially visible behind his mother’s
form. He froze, knowing he should say something, do something, but unable to
form a coherent thought.

“Come on in honey, take a seat. We just sat down.” His mother stepped
aside, putting her arm around Angie’s shoulders.

He really saw her then, dressed in an old baggy sweater and jeans, her
eyes darting around the room, avoiding his gaze. Her hair was a dull brown, not
the soft shiny waves he remembered, and her face was too thin, her cheekbones
much too pronounced. Her face was clean of make-up and she looked tired.

Tracy slid back from the table, walking over and giving her a quick hug.
“Come eat, I helped cook.” She said proudly with a smile.

Angie finally met his gaze, taking a hesitant step forward, “Is it okay
that I’m here?”

His tongue felt stuck to the roof of his mouth and he had to swallow
twice before he could answer, “Yes, of course.” He forced his arms to move
pulling out the chair beside him.

His mom sat down first, glancing at his father, “Richard, this is Angie.
I’ve been chatting with her for the last few weeks. Introduce yourself.”

His father stood, making his way over to Angie and giving her an awkward
hug, “Good to finally meet you. Come on, we don’t bite. The food is getting
cold.”

Her face turned red and Rich wondered if she was thinking the same thing
he was. His body heated as remember that first day, his teeth closing on her
nipple as she screamed.

 She looked up at his dad and then cast a glance at Pete as she
gave him a small wave, “You really do look just like him.” Making her way to
the chair, she sat slowly, accepting the glass of water Pete placed in front of
her.

Mom sat a plate in front of her, spooning massive amounts of turkey,
stuffing and potatoes on top. “Help yourself to anything else you want okay?”

Angie nodded, picking up her fork and pushing the food around. “Hey.”
She whispered, shooting a glance his way.

“Hey.” He knew he should say more, but his brain still wasn’t
functioning at full capacity.

They sat in awkward silence, his father the only one who began to eat
again.

“Well, I thought this could wait until after dinner, but it doesn’t
appear that it can.” His mother started in, taking his dad’s free hand. “There
are some things about my life that I just don’t think you kids need to know
about. But I want to explain why everything seems so different now. I know you
boys are curious as to what changed.”

 She sighed and continued, “I’m sorry I can’t share more with you,
but what I can tell you is that when I was raised, things were different. Bad
things happened to me, and what your father and I had was simply a marriage of
convenience for many, many years. He knew I wasn’t capable of love, and we were
compatible otherwise.” She squeezed his father’s hand again, “After a lot of
therapy I’ve been able to overcome some major obstacles. We’re just now
figuring out what love is. We can’t get the time we lost back.”

Sending a pointed look at Angie, sadness filled her eyes and she focused
first on Pete, then on Rich, “I’m so sorry that my inability to love affected
you two as well. I know I can never change what has happened, but I’m going to
try to be the mother I promised myself I was going to be. I’m so proud of both
of you for taking the risks you have, for letting yourselves care for people.
Relationships are hard, especially when you don’t know how a good relationship
is supposed to be. Your father has been so patient with me. After you boys went
off to college, I was sure he was going to leave me. But instead,” she blushed,
“he pursued me like we’d never met before. We even started dating.”

“We took a trip to Hawaii. It was amazing.” His father chimed in, “I fell
in love with your mom, and I made sure she knew it.” He winked at Rich, “That’s
all you can do. All the rest will fall into place if it’s meant to be.”