“It’s a long story.” I have no intention of getting into a discussion about how I found Vivienne through Randy. As far as I’m concerned, that’s my mom’s business. “But this one client, this woman, she … she sort of threatened to kill Mom. That’s why I thought I should talk to her.”
“She threatened to kill Mom and so youwentto see her? Cleo, what were you thinking!”
“That I actually want to find Mom!” I yell back at him.
“And I don’t?”
“I don’t know, Dad,” I say. “I don’t feel sure about anything anymore.”
He looks like he’s about to tell me off. But instead he blinks and looks away. Like even he isn’t willing to come to his own defense anymore. The silence is unbearable.
“Anyway, I went to see her in front of theDakota,” I go on. “What was she going to do, attack me in front of a bunch of moms pushing thousand-dollar strollers? Also, she threatens to kill people all the time … it’s, like, her thing.”
“Cleo, what are you doing?” my dad asks quietly. And he does look concerned now for real.
“What amIdoing?” I say. “Something.Somebody has to.”
“This is all really dangerous—Cleo, I’m worried.”
“You want to know what I’m worried about?”
“What’s that, Cleo?” he asks in this aggravating, extra-patient dad voice that I’ve never in my life heard him use before.
“I’m worried about the fact that you were cheating on Mom,” I say.
His face is freakishly still. It looks like a mask. “What are you talking about?”
“Iknow,Dad. Mom told Lauren about Bella. It’s creepy.”
He shakes his head. “It’s not what you think … I’m not dating Bella.”
“Okay, fucking.” My face feels hot. “It’s pretty creepy for you to befuckingsomebody who’s only a few years older than I am.”
“Jesus, Cleo.” He looks disgusted. LikeI’mthe disgusting one. “Idid… I made a mistake,” he admits. “It wasn’t with Bella, though. It’s still not good, I know. I’m not making excuses. But it’s not that … bad.”
I’m surprised by how tight my throat feels. “What about the money, Dad? Lauren told me that Mom didn’t want to give you some loan. When I was in your office, I saw the emails that show you have it now.”
My dad opens his mouth, then closes it like a big dumb fish. Then he gets up to pace, energy turned manic. He’s scrambling now.
“The situation with money, between your mom and me, it’s complicated,” he says, rubbing his forehead.
“What does that mean?”
“It means maybe because this movie is so important, and so close to being done, it pushed me to make some bold choices.”
“So instead of figuring out how to, like, raise the money yourself, you took Mom’s money?”
He closes his eyes for a moment. “Yes,” he says, finally looking at me. “But I have a line on some new financing, and my plan was to get the money back before your mom even knew it was gone.” He grimaces as he rubs his forehead with a hand. “Or maybe I was hoping she’d change her mind. There’s always a first time, right?” And then he kind of half laughs, likeCome on, you know how she is.
“This isn’t funny.” I start gathering up my stuff. “None of it is.”
“Cleo, please,” he says, a sharper edge creeping into his voice. “No one’s saying it’s funny.”
“But you’re also not exactly devastated that she’s gone, are you?”
“Cleo, your momleftme,” he says. “I’m not at the peak of my warm feelings toward her. But I will always love her, of course. I want her to come home safely, and as soon as possible.”
“You love her?” I cross my arms. “Was that beforeandafter you were having an affair?”
