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I sit down on the couch, and Alyssa sits next to me, stiff and silent. This is awkward. "I'll tell you what I can."
"Let me get you some water,” Gloria says, and leaves the room. Alyssa smiles. "She's always the hostess."
Jim stands up and nods to me. "I'm going to pick up the food. I'll be back in a little while." More quietly he says to me, "Good luck."
He leaves, and Alyssa and I are alone for a moment. "I'm so sorry,” I whisper.
"Not your fault,” she sighs.
Gloria comes back with a glass of ice water and hands it to me. "Thank you."
"No trouble at all." She sits in one of the chairs across from Alyssa and I. "So,” she says, smiling at us. "How long have you been sleeping together?"
I choke on my water.
11
Alyssa
"I'm sorry?" Charles says, trying to recover from water coming out of his nose. I could tell him that there's really no coming back from doing that in front of someone's mom, but I don't think it would help. Besides, it would only be to distract myself from my own mortification.
"Mom,” I say. "Why on earth would you ask that?"
She gives me a look I've seen many times before, and I hate it that she's right. "I wasn't born yesterday, Lys. It's written all over the two of you." She looks over at Charles. "You really expect me to believe a man like you would let his phone die?"
"That's your proof?" I ask. "Really?"
"No,” she says. "The look on your face when you came around the corner is. But the phone thing is total bullshit too."
Charles laughs, nearly choking on his water again. "You're right, Mrs. Harrington, it is." He reaches over and grabs my hand. "And you were right about us. But we're not just sleeping together."
"Is that so."
"I actually came over to ask Alyssa if she wanted to spend the evening with me. I've been helping her see New York. My original plan was eating in followed by Coney Island."
I look at him and ask him with my eyes if he's telling the truth. His face says yes, but there definitely would have been sex involved. I've never been so mad at my parents.
"Well, I'm glad you came over," Mom says. "Or Alyssa may not have told us about you."
I roll my eyes. "That's not true. It's just very new, mom."
"I know, sweetie." She reaches across the coffee table and pats my knee. Then she points at Charles. "As for you, you take care of my girl. She's been through a lot. If you don't, hell hath no fury like a scorned Midwestern housewife."
I think I'm going to die of embarrassment, but Charles just laughs. "Yes, Ma'am." Then he brings my hand up to his lips, and my embarrassment turns into a warmth that spreads all the way through my stomach.
Charles pulls me against his body at the door. "I really like your parents,” he says, smiling like we share an inside joke.
"They're embarrassing, but I do love them."
"I'm serious.” I can feel his fingers drawing circles on my waist and they're very distracting. "I can see where you get your wit, and your sweetness."
He leans down to kiss me, and I kiss him back. It's a kiss that's leading somewhere I really want to go and can't afford to right now. "Were you really going to take me to Coney Island?"
"After ripping all your clothes off."
"I thought so." I kiss him again, and I have to force myself to pull away. "Okay. They're going to think we're a couple of teenagers. I'll see you in the morning."
"I've never so looked forward to a Monday morning." His face is completely serious, and something in my chest pulses. "'Night."
I watch him walk down the stairs and out the door. There's a serious feeling swirling around in the pit of my stomach and it's too raw and too real to deal with right now. Not with my parents in the house. So, I decide to do the dishes. My mom is a stickler for real plates even when we have take out, so now there's a pile of dishes in my sink, and I don't want to leave them for after work tomorrow.
I'm not at all surprised when my mom comes into the kitchen. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Honestly, Mom, there isn't a lot to talk about. And I don't want you to scold me."
She picks up a towel and begins to dry the dishes I've already washed. "Why would you think I'm going to scold you?"
"Because I've been at the job for less than two weeks and I've already slept with the boss."
"If that's what you're worried about I'm sure we can find some secretaries who beat that record."
I laugh in spite of myself.
"But I wanted to tell you that I like him, and--"
"And to be careful. I know." I push another plate down under the water a little too forcefully.
She sighs. "Baby, you have to stop putting words in my mouth."
I drop the dish and turn to her. "That's not going what you were going to say?"
"I don't need to tell you to be careful." She finishes drying the glass she's holding and leans back against the counter. "Of course I always told you to be careful, because that's what moms do. But you've always been careful. Even when you were little, you never made a decision unless you were sure. And after everything that happened in California, I honestly expected you to stay there. I thought you would wait until you knew you had a solid option. But you took a chance and moved out here, and I'm so proud."
"Mom--"
"Let me finish,” she says, holding out a hand. "My point is that I like Charles. He seems like a good man. It's okay that it's new and it's okay that you're scared, but deep down that little girl I know is waiting until she's absolutely sure."
There are tears pricking behind my eyes and I don't know where they came from. "Is that so wrong?"
"Of course not. But I saw the way you looked at each other, and sometimes it's better to be a little less careful." She folds the towel and kisses me on the cheek. "See you in the morning."
I drain the water from the sink and turn off the lights in the kitchen. With the pile of emotions sitting in front of me, the dishes will have to wait.
The morning comes way too soon, and with it no more clarity than I had last night. However, my mother has a point. If I'm going to give it a shot with Charles, I have to give it a shot. This won't work if I'm only waiting for the moment when it all falls apart.
I see my parents off on their drive back early, dodging my mother's artful questions. I give my dad a long hug, thankful for his silent support. He took the news about Charles and I in stride. Frankly I think he's relieved I'm with anyone at all. It's been years. But no matter. I'm going to give this a chance, and the ripples of anxiety that have been constantly with me fall quiet. My mother was right--I always wait until I'm sure. I'm sure that I want this. No matter what happens.
Charles is already in the office when I get there, and we smile at each other. We haven't talked about it, but we both know it's best not to make this public to the company. He comes to the door as I'm settling in. "Morning."
"Good morning."
; "Did your parents get off all right?"
I smile and roll my eyes, "Yes. They're driving back to the middle of nowhere as we speak."
"We should be the ones to surprise them next time."
"And be dragged around to farmer's markets and dinner at Red Lobster? No thank you."
He laughs. "Did Robert Jenkins call back last week?"
"I have left about one-point-five billion messages with his assistant, and the concierge at the hotel. He never returns."
I see his face darken, and I wonder what's so urgent that he needs to speak to Mr. Jenkins, but I don't think we're at the place where I can ask. "Can you try again? Make sure they know it's urgent."
"As soon as their office opens I will."
"Great." He flashes me a smile full of teeth that has nothing to do with work. "Thanks, Alyssa."
"No problem."
The rest of the morning in the office is quiet, and normal. I find it easier to focus on work than I did before when I was distracted by the sound of Charles' voice. I'm still distracted by it, but now I can live with it, because I know the promise it holds for after work.
It's early afternoon when I hear Charles shout, "YES!"
I jump, ruining the note I was writing. I go into the office and shut the door behind me. "What's going on?"
"Heely International officially offered. They're willing to finance three new hotels. We're moving to negotiations." He moves around the desk and grabs me, swinging me around and kissing me. "Charles that's amazing. Where will they be?"
"Don't know yet. That's all apart of the deal yet. The important thing is that they said yes. I was worried when they didn't get back to me last week."
