Page 59 of Weddings, Revenge & Fake Dating

What’s next?

“Dex?” When he doesn’t answer, I ease open the bedroom door.

Dex lifts his head, looking like he hasn’t slept in days. He squints in my direction, groans, and face-plants into his pillow.

“Did you party hard last night, bud?” I ask in a cheery voice. Then I launch myself onto his mattress with a big bounce.

“Dad already yelled at me,” he croaks.

“But now it’s my turn,” I sing.

“Mom.” He whines and scrubs his forehead.

“Did you drink, smoke, do drugs, have sex, or get arrested?”

“Do you even know me?” He shoots me an annoyed glare.

“Just trying to be a better mom. Now, tell me about the Food and Wine Festival, minus the wine part.” I snuggle into the blankets.

“The food was awesome. Cuban food is smack. Rosemary ice cream is the bomb. I met Chef Georgiana. She’s hot. I think she’s single.” Without lifting his head from the pillow, he reaches for his phone to share their selfie. “She invited Freddie and me to a VIP party . . . with a guardian.”

“You work fast!”

“I’m taking Grandma. She wants to meet Chef Gordon Wade.”

“I’ll bet she does.” Adios, Mr. Robert.

“What about the young ladies you were hanging with?”

“We’re going out dancing on Friday night.”

“The wedding is Saturday. You might want to be functioning for that,” I say in warning.

“You always complain you want me to do teenager things.”

“Yeah, but I never thought you would.” I ruffle his hair.

“Nathan said he would teach me how to dance. Not stripper dance, just normal dance. He’s cool. I like him.”

Dex leans on me, ready to doze, and I rub his back.

“He’s got some good qualities, I suppose.”

Even though I don’t want to, I can’t help thinking about all the things Nathan can teach me too.

25/

jeanie

Mama Mojo

On the pool deck, staff stack chairs and clean up for the evening. A few guests linger. I bypass giggling couples in steaming hot tubs. Other groups, dressed up, are heading to dinner or bars. Wanting some time to myself, I venture deeper to find a quiet pool.

Beneath an enclave of palm trees wrapped with twinkle lights, the glowing pool feels like a lagoon in paradise. I settle into a large flamingo inner tube and drift around, my feet and hands hanging in the warm water.

Alone with my thoughts, I can’t help it when they return to an earlier subject.

What kind of life would make me happy? I take it a step further and wonder what would make me happy in a world without Roman? It’s difficult to untangle myself from him, but this afternoon, I realized I may not win this fight.