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I shook my head in agreement though she couldn’t see me. “I will. I’ll finish my breakfast, and I’ll go straight home.”
Parker looked at me; concern etched on his face.
“Well, go see your parents and then call me and we’ll meet.”
“Perhaps it’s best I stay home tonight. Why don’t you come for a sleepover?”
“Sounds great. As long as you don’t think I’m Mr. Newell in the night and try and feel me up.”
“I’ll call you later,” I told her as I ended the call.
“Is everything okay?” Parker asked.
“I need to get home; my parents are really worried.”
“I’ll drive you.” He said. “I’ll just grab a quick shower while you finish up your breakfast.”
“Thank you. But, I might be better off getting a cab.”
“I’ll drop you off at the end of the street. I’m driving you, and that’s final.”
“Okay.” I stood and wrapped my arms around him and gazed up at him. “I wish we didn’t have to hide.”
“Well, once you’ve left school, maybe we won’t.” He said. “But right now, let’s focus on getting you back to your parents, so they can quit worrying about you. Now, please can we start tutoring again Monday after school because I need to know when I’m going to be able to see you again, just us.”
“After school Monday for sure,” I told him, reaching on my tiptoes to kiss him.
He groaned. “I’m going in the shower. A very cold shower, or you’ll never get home.” And he left me to finish up my eggs.
I’d not considered the fact that walking from the end of the road to my house in an almost sheer party dress could have looked like a slutty walk of shame, so instead, I held my head high and acted like I was some kind of celebrity. It was the Upper East Side; barely an eyebrow twitched at my attire.
My mother rushed towards me and enveloped me in her arms. I held myself stiff for a moment before relaxing in her embrace. I don’t think I could remember the last time I’d had a genuine hug from my mother. Not since I was small.
“Come on, let’s go get you changed into something a lot more comfortable and then you can tell me everything that happened.”
She ordered refreshments to be sent to my room and sat in one of my velvet chairs in my bedroom while I went into my closet and changed into pajamas. I didn’t sleep well, and if Larissa was coming later I wasn’t going to get to sleep until late again, so once I’d spoke to my mom, I was going to try to catch up on some sleep.
I walked back into my room and sat on my bed. My mom poured us both coffee and passed mine to me. She looked me over. “Did that boy harm you in any way? I know you told Larissa he didn’t, but I want to hear it from you.”
“No. Mom.” I saw her visibly relax. “He was too drunk.” I described to her how he’d told me he’d arranged a birthday surprise and how foolish I’d felt that I’d entered the hotel room with him.
“But you trusted him. He’s a respectable politician’s son for goodness sake. Anyone would have.”
“Well, I shouldn’t have, because he was a drunk eighteen- year-old boy and things could have ended so much worse.”
“Well, you won’t be seeing him again.” She said.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“We spoke with his parents early this morning, and Julian is out of Lincoln High, effective immediately. Believe me; they are going to have him very busy out of New York, until he proves himself a son worthy of them again.”
Now it was my turn to relax. I’d dreaded seeing him again at school.
“I want you to know, Candy, because this came up in conversation last night between your father and me, that we would never expect you to marry for status or money. Obviously, we hope you secure a good future for yourself. But love is more important than money. Your father and I married for love. That’s why we’re still together after all of these years.”
It sounded fantastic until her next sentence.
“Because of course, we have enough money to set you and a husband up in a good home.”
