He hesitated, then turned toward the door. “Don’t take too long.”
“You won’t get privacy in here,” my mother added coldly, scanning the one-room layout with a sneer. “You always hated not having your own space.”
“Mom,” I said, already weary. “We’ll talk outside.”
“No, I'll go. I could use a cigarette.”Nick says.
You smoke?” my mother recoiled like he’d just confessed to murder. “And you kiss him after?”
Nick paused in the doorway. A wicked smile curled on his lips. “She kisses me after I make her come with this mouth too.”My mom gasped, placing a hand on her chest.
Someone just shoot me. Shoot me now.
Once Nick was outside and far enough to where he couldn’t hear my mom and I talk, she walked towards me. “Can we go upstairs? I feel like that.” She waves a hand in his direction, “will eavesdrop. Lord knows he’s out for your money.”
I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. “His name is Nick,” I say with a sigh.
“I don’t care what his name is. He’s trash.”
I start walking up the stairs. The sooner she says what she needs to the sooner this will be over with.
“Okay what mom? What is it? You do realize this has been the longest I have ever gone without drinking or doing drugs right?”
“That’s wonderful sweetie and I’m so proud of you,” She grabs my hands in hers, squeezing. The small gesture takes me back to when mom was, a mom and it was just me and her against the world.
“Then I’m not leaving. Going back to L.A. is the last thing I want to do. All my friends are bad influences and, I-” I dipped my chin to my chest.
“I’m starting to like it here. This place is growing on me. Plus Nick cares about me, like really cares about me.”
“Honey, that’s great but you’ve always rushed into things. I’m still trying to grasp that you got married on a whim. Is there something you’re not telling me.”
Ya, that me and Nick got married so I wouldn’t have to ask you for help since I was diagnosed with diabetes and I rather have died than ask Richaerd for money.
“Yes, no. I mean, there’s a lot that I haven’t told you and that we need to catch up on.”
“Okay, how about we do that over some shopping, huh?” She smiles brightly at me.
“And then we can get our nails done, because this is unacceptable, young lady.” She holds my hands up. “You’ve never looked so plain.”
I snatched my hand away. “Mom, I don't want to get my nails done. I want you to tell me why you need me to come back home. I know you, just like you know me.”
“I just miss you, sweetie.” She says, grabbing my hands again. But I don’t reciprocate the warm gesture. “That’s it?” I deadpan.
Her smile slowly fades and she says, “No, remember when your father.”
“Step. Stepfather.” I remind her
“Okay, remember when I called you because I had no idea what was going on with Richard and why I was being questioned?”’
“Ya,” I say, elongating the vowels.
“Turns out a bunch of women are trying to sue him now. Claiming that he promised them fame after sleeping with him, and some of them are claiming he coerced them into sex and raped some of them.”
My whole body stiffens. Could this be his karma? Is it finally happening?
“And you don’t believe them?”
She places a hand on her hip, “Honey, please. Richard? He didn’t even want to try role-playing when I mentioned it. He’s the most vanilla guy when it comes to sex.”
