“What? No.” He explains, “They were impressed with my skills and they’ve offered me a modeling contract. Isn’t that exciting?”
Morgan looks like she’s about to lose it. But then she asks, “Are they blind?” She stands up and hands Thomas the calendar. I can’t make eye contact with him.
Thomas takes the calendar and is quiet for long enough, I’m tempted to make a run for it. I know I’ve just ruined his revenge, but he deserves it after what he did to me. Except Thomas holds his ground and unexpectedly announces, “They said I’m the best male model they’ve ever seen.” It looks like he’s going to brazen this out, which goes against common sense. Even so, I’m actually impressed by his chutzpah.
With copycat cringes on their faces, Morgan says, “You cannot give up being a doctor to do this. Thomas, dear, you’re not that good. In fact, these photos are horrible!” She looks at me like she wants me to agree with her.
At this moment, I’m not quite sure what to do, so I tell her, “My contact said that Thomas’s look is exactly what they’re looking for.”
“Son.” Jason stands up and walks to his son’s side. “I think they’re making fun of you.”
I suddenly feel bad for ruining this for Thomas. He did take me out on the best date I’ve ever been on. That’s why I decide to announce, “April Fool’s!”
Everyone in the room turns to me with a look of shock on their faces. So, I continue, “Thomas is pulling an April Fool’s joke on you.” Pulling out my phone, I take it over to his parents and show it to them. “Here are the real pictures my client saw.”
Morgan and Jason take the camera and start scrolling while Vivie runs over to stand behind them. There are comments like,“Oh, dear,” and “These are actually quite good,” when Jason declares, “You can’t leave the medical profession to be a male model. That’s lunacy!”
I feel Thomas staring at me while he tells his parents, “I told Finley how we used to play pranks on each other and she thought this would be a funny way to get even with you.”
Morgan looks up at me anxiously. “So, it was all a joke?”
“Just this calendar,” Thomas tells her. “The real one is no joke.”
Morgan opens and closes her mouth several times before she finally says, “It’s been a long day. I think I need to go lie down.”
Jason stands up and helps his wife to her feet. “I could use some rest as well.” Their disappointment is palpable.
This prank clearly isn’t having the bang Thomas hoped it would, and I know that’s all my fault. But I still don’t feel too bad for him. I am sympathetic toward his parents though.
Thomas motions for his mom and dad to sit back down, which they do tentatively. “Remember when you took us to Ohio instead of Hawaii?” he asks them. They both nod their heads slowly.
Thomas tells them, “That was pretty traumatic and I’ve wanted to get even with you ever since.”
“So, you’re going to leave medicine and become a male model?” It’s clear Morgan thinks her son has gone off the deep end. “That’s seems extreme, Thomas.”
“Stupid, more like,” Jason adds.
“Brilliant!” Vivie claps her hands together excitedly before saying, “Look how gorgeous he is! He could be the next Fabio!”
“I don’t know who that is,” Jason responds.
Vivie uses my phone and looks up pictures of the vintage romance novel cover model and shows it to her parents.
“I might throw up,” Morgan groans before saying, “It’s one thing to get even with us and another to lose your mind.”
“Cleveland,” Vivie announces. “You took us to Cleveland when we thought we were going to Hawaii.”
“We took you to Hawaii two weeks later,” Jason says, sounding confused.
“But you didn’t tell us that until after we came home from Cleveland.” Vivie is holding her ground.
Morgan is still struggling to put this all together. “So, because your dad and I played the prank of all pranks on you when you were kids, you’re going to pay us back by becoming a male model?”
Thomas simply smiles. “Mom, I could make a fortune!”
“You’re a doctor. You already make a fortune!” Jason says.
Thomas and Vivie share a look, and Thomas says to her, “What do you think we should do?”
