“Anyway,” she continues, ignoring him. “Do you want to sit with us? Violet will get us a bigger table. It would be nice to get to know each other since we’ll be working together!”
Marissa attempts a genuine smile, but I can see the tense effort behind it. Her eyes dart quickly to the side, like she’s trying to gauge the safety of her surroundings. It gives the distinct impression of stalked prey, and I feel a sudden, inexplicable need to protect her. I can’t help but wonder if the reason she’s here is to escape this kind of attention. If so, I hate knowing that we’re the ones who made her feel this way. But I guess when you’re a celebrity, there’s no place to be completely anonymous.
“I appreciate the offer,” Marissa says a little too brightly, “but we don’t want to intrude on your family time.”
“Nonsense! You aren’t intruding,” Toby bellows. He awards her his best grin, the crinkled kind that goes all the way up to his eyes and reassures strangers that despite his intimidating size, he’s nothing more than an overstuffed teddy bear who weeps during Super Bowl commercials. “Let us buy you breakfast, to make up for being in your way next week.”
Marissa sneaks another glance at me, and I sense she’s looking for reassurance. I give her a half smile and a shrug, hoping to communicate that aside from my three-year-old niece, who’s currently yanking her tiny fists through my hair, we aren’t dangerous people. She returns it with an apprehensive smile of her own, and her shoulders lower a fraction.
“Okay,” she relents. “Why not?”
Violet grabs another handful of utensils and leads us to the back of the restaurant, where my brother helps her shove two tables together. Vi probably thinks this seating arrangement is giving us privacy, but unfortunately, that ship sailed the minute my sister-in-law walked through the door.
I allow myself to steal another glance at Marissa. I’ve seen all her movies, of course, even that weird art house one she did right afterLittle LLC. And like the rest of the world, I noticed how incredible she looked in that latex catsuit and silver braids in the Felicia Fox movies. But I much prefer the way she looks today, dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt, her hair piled on top of her head, and not a stitch of makeup on her face. She’s breathtaking.
To no one’s surprise, Shelby starts her interrogation the minute we settle into our seats.
“So!” she says, fixing her attention on Marissa. “How are you liking the Poconos so far?”
“Not good,” Marissa’s son replies. “Our house is possessed.”
Shelby’s mouth falls open. This was clearly not the answer she was expecting. “Possessed?”
Marissa bursts into laughter and shakes her head. Her shoulders relax for the first time since we walked in.
“Not possessed. I said it was likeThe Possession. The movie with the moths. I…” She trails off, like she’s not sure if she wants to get into it. But a quick glance around the table confirms that we are now her captive audience, and she gives us a rueful smile.
“I opened our pantry this morning and it seems like there’s a moth infestation. I guess they got into some old flour or something. The house was vacant for a while.”
“Oh no,” Shelby says. “That can happen sometimes when houses sit. Let me give you a number for pest control.” She reaches into her purse and starts to dig around for her phone.
“Don’t call pest control. I’ll come over this afternoon and help you get rid of them.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I clamp it shut, wishing I could shove them back in.God, what is wrong with me?Between me and my sweet but overbearing sister-in-law, Marissa is probably ready to bail on the Poconos before she gets through the first weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if she called in security.
“Oh.” Marissa’s smile is politely dissuading. “That’s very nice, but I couldn’t ask you to do that. It’s Saturday.”
“It’s really no problem,” I continue, since my mouth is no longer connected to my brain. “Exterminators will overcharge you. Plus, you’d have to deal with more people in your house.”
Maybe I’m overreaching, maybe it’s something selfish in me, but I have to assume she’s here for privacy, and the idea of strangers coming into her space fills me with an uncomfortable sensation I can’t quite put my finger on. All I know is, I’d feel better if I’m the one helping her out.
Marissa bites down on her bottom lip, considering. I’m sure she has a trusted team of people who work in her house in LA, but she doesn’t know the folks out here. And against her will, she’s already spent a decent amount of time with us, so at least we’re familiar.
“Thanks,” she says finally. “That would be great, actually.”
“It’s no problem,” I say again.Cool, Jesse. Real cool.
“Lake house ownership has a learning curve. But you’ll get the hang of it,” Shelby reassures her.
Marissa nods. “It is weird being here as an adult,” she admits. “The grown-ups took care of these things when we were here for the summer. And now I’m the grown-up.”
I know exactly how she feels. When my father passed away, I became the unofficial head of the family overnight. I may not be a parent like Marissa, but it’s jarring to have people counting on me after years of only worrying about myself. My dad made it look effortless, but I never realized how many balls he was juggling. Now that I’m running the business, I’ve spent too many nights lying awake, worrying that I’ll somehow screw everything up and let my family down. That I’ll buckle under the weight of responsibilities I never asked for.
Shelby tilts her head to the side. She’s poised to ask another question, but before she can, Violet and another waitress arrive at our table, carrying several plates of food, including ours.
Marissa narrows her eyes as she glances around the table, clearly confused.
“Sorry, when did you even order?” she asks no one in particular.
“These guys come in every weekend,” Violet replies. She taps an index finger against her temple. “I’ve got their order right here.”
