Trigger (25 page)

“My goodness,” my mother said, putting a carton of milk into the fridge. “I can’t imagine what a tough time her mother must’ve had being on her own with two kids in a foreign country.” She tsk’d, shaking her blond head with vigor. “Some men are just awful!”

“True. Anyway, so asking about her family might not be so smart at this point. Not that she’s ashamed of her family or anything, but it’s not something she loves to talk about, either.”

“Will keep that in mind.” She patted my arm. “Thanks for giving me the heads up, honey.”

“Sure.” I had only told my mom about Nina’s family background and what she was doing for a living, matters she would likely ask about. At the moment, I didn’t see the point in also bringing up that Nina had been the victim of severe bullying. My mother, loathing bullies as much as I did, was bound to let something slip if she knew about it—at least if she got a little tipsy—and I was sure that would make Nina uncomfortable. The last thing I wanted was for Nina not to have a good time with my family tonight, and after this conversation I was sure she’d have a great one.

I hoped I would have as good a time when I had dinner with Nina’s mother and brother the following week. Nina had already set up a date for the four of us to have dinner so her family got to meet me. When she’d asked if I was available the night in question, I had said yes despite that I really should have attended a work event. But I’d figured I might as well get the trip to Downtown L.A. over with as soon as possible. Declining to go to Nina’s childhood house when her mother had invited me—especially after she had come to mine—was not an option, no matter how much I disliked going to the hood. The last time I had visited a similar area someone had scratched the entire side of my car. And that had been during the day. It wouldn’t surprise me if something like that happened this time, too. As soon as I could, I’d help Nina’s mother and brother get a place in a better neighborhood.

I was determined to take care of her family the same way I was planning on taking care of Nina. After all the hardship they had suffered, they deserved to have an easier time from now on. My family and I certainly had the means, not to mention character to make sure her kid brother, for example, got on the right track. Based on what I’d learned about him from Nina, Alex was a big-time troublemaker with criminal tendencies. With the right guidance, that trend could be reversed. I would see to it that the kid got a good tutor to help him do better in school and introduce him to my sister, so Elle could get Alex to see why he needed to remain in sports. According to Nina, Alex had recently quit the basketball team and she was worried that meant he’d fallen back into his old patterns, hanging out with the wrong kind of people.

I nodded to myself, content. Yes, I’d make sure Alex got to meet my sister as soon as possible. Not only was my sister very cute—which meant a hormone-riddled kid like Alex was bound to develop a crush on her—but she was also the nicest, highest quality person I had ever known apart from my mother. When Alex found out what a cool, high-paying job she had and how playing sports had helped her develop the discipline required to land such a gig, I was sure Alex would feel inspired to take up basketball again.

Nina

I flung my arms around my gangly kid brother. “I’m
so
glad to hear that, Alex! You don’t know how worried I’ve been about you.”

I felt my brother return my bear hug with awkward hands, barely touching me. Still, it was a step in the right direction. Ever since he’d turned eleven and began turning into a man, he’d acted aloof with me, like he was too cool to show affection any longer. I squeezed him close, got up on my tippy toes and pressed a kiss onto his cheek, before letting go of him again.

“You don’t have to worry,” he mumbled. “I get that it was stupid of me to ditch the team. I was just being a baby. It was actually my fault that we got into a fight. So I told him sorry and we’re friends now.”

I gazed at my brother, who was much taller than me now, and smiled. “I knew you’d come to your senses. I’m so proud of you.” That wasn’t actually completely true—I’d definitely had my doubts—but that was unnecessary to bring up now that he had realized on his own that he was as much at fault for the quarrel with that other kid as the kid had been. I turned to our mom. She was a small woman with streaks of gray in her dark hair. Almost fifty, she was still attractive despite the bags under her hazel eyes and the many lines in her face caused by all the stress over the years. In her youth, she had been very beautiful.

“He’s becoming a man finally,” I said, beaming at her. “Can you believe it?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Mom said and wiped down the area next to the kitchen sink. “We have to see.” Her eyes that were so much like mine gleamed with happiness, contradicting the vagueness of her answer, telling me that she, too, believed Alex was maturing. He was going to be fine after all.

“Okay,” I said, “now that that’s settled, let’s eat. I need me some blinis,
mamulya
.”

No one made Russian crepes like Mom, and it had been a while since I had gotten a chance to eat them.

Mom smiled and nodded toward the table in the middle of the kitchen we were standing in. “You kids sit down and I bring them.”

Alex and I scurried to the table and plopped down on two of the chairs around it, eagerly awaiting the blinis, both of us grinning big. I looked at my brother and giggled, a sense of contentment spreading within me. Alex was definitely maturing. It was a subtle thing that you only noticed if you looked closely, but it was there. Mom and I had both worried far too much about what had proven to be a fairly minor matter.
Thank God
.

Mom put plates loaded with steaming blinis covered with raspberry jam in front of us and one at the head of the table. She sat there and we began to eat.

The blinis were as delicious as always, the warm ricotta inside pouring onto the plate as I cut through the jam-slathered pancake.

“Mmmm,” I said and looked at Mom appreciatively. “You have to make these when Dylan comes over. It’ll be a great way to introduce him to Russian culinary tastes.”

“We should have Beef Stroganoff, too,” Alex inserted, having already devoured half of his plate of blinis. “With some Stolichnaya.” He grinned, gazing at me and Mom with a glint in his brown eyes.

My mouth dropped open as I stared at my brother. “Please don’t tell me you’re drinking vodka now, Alex.”

Alex gave me a flat look. “No, I’m not drinking vodka. Have you ever seen me drunk? But I know that lawyers like vodka. And you want this dude to like Russian stuff, right? So I was just trying to add to the conversation.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I have not ever seen you drunk. And you’re right. Lawyers do like vodka.” I smiled. “Well, at least Dylan does.”

Dylan

The street where my childhood home was located was outlined with rows of super tall palm trees with tiny crowns at the top. Each house Nina and I passed had its own personality. Some were loud and ostentatious, others were sleek and understated, yet others were warm and colorful like houses in the Caribbean or along Mexico’s coastline. They ranged from large to huge, each worth several million dollars.

Even though I had driven down this road hundreds of times, the air of money but not necessarily class never failed to have an impact on me. I snuck peeks of Nina beside me, wondering what went through her mind as she took in the area where I had grown up. The expression on her face revealed nothing, but I could still sense that she was nervous.

I put a hand on her knee.

“How are you doing?” I asked.

“I’m okay.” She turned to me with a brave smile. “It’ll be great to meet your family.”

I gave her knee a soothing squeeze. “They can’t wait to meet you. My mom especially. You’re just the type of girl she wants me to be with—a strong, beautiful, independent woman.”

I was glad my mom and sister were unaware of all the drama that had been going on between me and Nina. This way they wouldn’t get to know Nina with preconceived notions, like Victor would.

I pulled onto the long driveway in front of my parents’ house and parked to the side. Exiting the car, Nina gazed at the white Spanish-style stone house with its red tile roof, arched doorways and windows. Compared to the gaudy houses of most of my parents’ friends and acquaintances, theirs was modest and tasteful.

“That’s a beautiful garden,” she said, her eyes skimming the many colorful flowers in the well-maintained garden beside us. “I love the sunflowers.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking her hand. “You tell my mother that. She loves her garden. Let’s go see her.”

We walked up a few wide stone steps that led to the wooden front door. I turned the knob and opened the door. We walked through the huge hallway and into a spacious sitting room with big plants and a fireplace.

“Mom!” I called. “We’re here. Where are you?”

I turned to Nina. ‘She’s probably in the kitchen. My mom loves to cook.” I led Nina through a hallway that ended up in an ultramodern kitchen. It had all the latest appliances and cool metal details, yet it still managed to be warm and utilitarian. My mother was standing behind the white marble island in the middle, fixing a cheese tray. Her silvery blond hair was as usual tied back in a low ponytail and she was wearing a green sundress. She lit up at the sight of Nina and me.

“Hi honey!” Mom put down the knife and cheese in her hands, wiped off on a kitchen towel and walked around the island to greet us.

“Hi Mom.” I kissed her cheek and inhaled the familiar smell of her, a mixture of citrus and Estee Lauder’s White Linen. It always had the same effect on me, taking me back to my childhood.

She turned to Nina, grabbing hold of her hands and pressing kisses on both her cheeks. There was a big smile on Mom’s pink-painted lips.

“Hello, Nina. It’s
so
great to meet you. You’re even prettier than I imagined when Dylan told me. I’m Catherine. Would you care for some wine and cheese?”

“Um, sure,” Nina said. “That would be great.”

Victor walked in from another opening to the kitchen then.

Nina

The burly man with the balding head came straight up to me and Dylan, looking as pleased to see us as Dylan’s mother had. He shook hands with Dylan and they exchanged a man hug, slapping each other’s backs hard.

“Dylan, my boy,” the brawny man said with a grin that went from one ear to the other. “It’s good to see you.” His watery blue gaze found me and that jovial expression on his face changed, becoming a touch more deferential.

“You must be Nina.”

I wasn’t sure why I felt on display suddenly, but I did and it made me nervous. The man soon remedied this by taking my hand and placing a light, gentleman-like kiss on my cheek. “I’m Victor. I’m glad to get to meet you finally. Dylan can’t stop talking about you and now I can see why.” He swung an arm around Dylan’s broad shoulders. “My nephew is a lucky man, that’s for sure.” Victor turned to Dylan’s mother and gave her a bear hug and kiss on the cheek. “You just keep looking better and better, Catherine. If you keep that up I might have to trade in Jen for you!”

“Oh, stop it, you silly man,” Catherine exclaimed, rolling her eyes. She turned to me. “Would you like red or white, Nina?”

“Some white would be nice.”

“Coming right up.” Catherine threw a glance in Victor’s direction. “Can you please take out the cheese plate to the sitting room, honey? I was about to put another piece on it, but it isn’t really necessary.”

Without a word, Victor picked up the tray Catherine had been referring to and disappeared with it.

Catherine handed me a glass of white wine. She turned to Dylan. “What would you like, honey?”

“Same as Nina. Where’s Elle? Wasn’t her baby shower over at six?”

“She just called me,” Catherine said. “She’s on her way home. She’ll be here any time now. Why don’t you guys go into the sitting room and I’ll finish up here?”

“Do you need help to carry anything?” I said. “I’m happy to help.”

“No, no, no, sweetie,” Catherine said, shaking her blond head. “You’re my guest. Please go have a seat in the sitting room with Dylan and I’ll be right with you. Make yourself at home!”

Dylan took my hand and whispered in my ear, “Come on, baby. It’s best we do as my mom wants.”

I smiled and let him lead me back through the corridor we had taken to get to the kitchen. When we reached the sitting room, Victor had already positioned himself there in an armchair upholstered in silk striped with white and a smoky blue. He was munching on cheese that he picked from the plate in his hands.

Dylan and I took a seat on the navy sofa next to Victor, its expensive elegance so palpable I barely dared putting my full weight on it for fear of ruining it. It felt more like a sofa a person bought for show, not to actually sit on, and definitely not to eat on. Dylan handed me a plate from the ones stacked on the coffee table that contained the huge cheese plate. “You like cheese, right?”

“I love cheese,” I said.

“Well, dig in then. Don’t be shy.” He loaded his plate with cheeses and fruit, and had some of the assortment of crackers that lay on a different plate beside the cheese. When he was done, he leaned back into the beautiful sofa like it was some worn-out basement couch and began munching.

Empowered by his relaxed demeanor, I dug in as well.

“So, Nina,” Victor began, “Dylan tells me your one-woman show is something else.”

I smiled at the stocky man. The moment I’d laid eyes on him, I’d taken a liking to him. He seemed like a really nice person. “Really? He did? But he’s only seen about five minutes of it.”

“Yes, but those five minutes were
great
,” Dylan said, squeezing my knee. “I’m sure the rest is as good.”

“Well, now I can’t wait to see it,” Victor said. “Dylan has good taste. You have to let me know when it’s on next.”

“I sure will. As soon as I have the official opening night for it. I’m not sure how long that will take, unfortunately. You’re welcome to come to one of my open mikes if you want. I’m doing a pretty big one next Wednesday.”