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"Thanks, Daddy," says Jasmine, giving his arm a squeeze. She always was a suck-up.
I offer a smile, and Cassie digs into her food, looking like if she doesn't get it down soon, she might just puke all over the table. Don't think he would be too happy about that, either.
I turn to Jasmine, trying to take the heat off me. "So, what time is that meeting you have lined up for today?" Jasmine has been offered an amazing opportunity for someone her age, to go into a private practice with another couple of psychologists. Instead of working for someone else, she would be her own boss.
She nibbles her bottom lip. "It's a lunch thing. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about it, though, and they want my decision by today."
"I think it's a good opportunity for you. What is there to think about?" I ask.
"It would be moving back here. And it's a bit of an investment to start with," she says sadly, and I get it. We have a good thing going in LA, but the truth is, Jasmine hasn't been that happy there this year, and I think she's just staying because she thinks I need her.
"You could stay with us. What's the problem?" huffs Dad.
"No offense, Dad, but I need my own space, I'm nearly twenty-seven. I'm just worried about leaving Andy by herself in LA." She gives me a wide-eyed look, and I know what she means. She's talking about at the moment with everything that's going on. But I'm not her problem. She still thinks I need my big sister looking out for me.
"Don't be. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. You need to do this, Sis. It's perfect for you," I try to convince her. There is no way she is missing out on a good opportunity for me.
"Andrea is right, and besides, she has her own things going on. The two of you aren't going to be living together forever," says Mom with a wink. She's not going to let this go. She thinks she has me all worked out. And maybe she does, but I'm not telling her that.
"What has Andy got going on?" Dad glares at me with a questioning gaze. Why did Mom have to say that? I feel like a little kid in big trouble when he uses that voice with me.
"Just my soccer. And I have the other girls, I'm all good," I say a little too quickly.
He looks happy enough with that answer. And his attention returns to Jasmine. I'm glad, because the last thing I want to do is explain to my father what is actually going on, even if my mother has somehow worked it all out.
Brad
I'm waiting at my local Thai takeout. It's Saturday night, and we lost our game today. The team needed Andy, and because of her fuck-up last week, she was banned for a game.
I shouldn't be so annoyed with her; I know last week she was going through all sorts of shit and that's why it happened, but we can't afford not to have her with us. This is just another reason why I know I have made the correct choice by moving to the men's team for next year. It's too messy when you mix business with pleasure. I want to protect her and support her, but also, she let the team down, and as a coach it fucking pisses me off.
After a week of her completely avoiding me, I was told on Friday by Beth our team psychologist that she's been given stress leave and is having a weekend away back home. I'm glad that she's finally talking to Beth. She'll be able to help her through what is going on, but I wish she would talk to me about it as well.
My order is called, and I go to the counter to collect it. As I leave, I nearly walk straight into someone because she's blocking my path. One of the last people I want to see tonight—or ever, really.
"Brad, darling, it's you," she purrs, as if surprised.
I groan inwardly. All I want to do is take my greasy dinner home and watch the game on my oversized flatscreen. Try not to think about the fact that Andy is probably out having fun with her sisters. "Madeline, what are you doing here?" I huff. After I saw her last time, I thought she had left the country, and I couldn't have been happier about it.
She pulls in close, kissing my cheek, and my entire body tenses at her touch. What the fuck is she doing? "I have decided to stay."
My eyes go wide. Stay? "What, in LA?"
"Yes." She beams, her face lighting up. "After you left me that night in the restaurant, I met someone. A nice man, and well, I thought I might give it a go in a new town. You know, start over like you have."
I'm not sure why I need to know any of this, but I guess if she's with someone else then she's not going to be bothering me. That's exactly what Ava had said would happen with her, and I guess she was right. "Good for you. Guess I will see you around then," I say, preparing to continue my walk up the street, done with the conversation. What else is there to say here?
She touches my arm lightly. Stopping me, her gaze holding mine. "Oh, I hope so, Brad. I would love nothing more than to see a whole lot more of you. Actually, I was thinking we should do a little double date or something? Since I don't know that many people in this town and all. You could bring your teenager." She smiles that bitchy stuck-up smile I hate.
She has got to be fucking kidding, acting all sweet with me, but there it is, the dig she just had to make. "She's not a teenager," I reply.
"Just joking with you, darling." She hits me playfully. "We should, though. I want to see you again. I'm not doing anything tonight, and it looks like you're alone. I could come back to your place? We could catch up, for old time's sake. We used to have so much fun together. You remember that, don't you, Brad?"
I hear a voice call to me from across the street and look over to see Andy's two friends, Darcy and Luna. They give me a wave and a smile. I offer a small wave and a tense smile back, then turn my attention back to Madeline. I need to get rid of her.
"You have them all after you, don't you, Brad, darling? All the young ones love you, but they don't know you like I do. You need a real woman to take care of your needs." She gives her head a little shake as she watches the girls disappear up the street. Then her eyes are back on me. "You made me feel so bad for sleeping with Byron, and I'm sure you would have been doing the same, I just didn't walk in on you. It's okay, though, I'm alright with that. I'm very good at sharing." She bites her bottom lip, I'm assuming because she is trying to be cute. She just comes across as pathetic. Here she is telling me she has met a nice man and she is still trying to get with me. I really have no idea what I ever saw in her. She disgusts me.
"Well, I'm not! I never cheated on you. I could never have done anything that would hurt you like that. You're the only one here with no morals. Not me. If you're finished with whatever it is you're trying to do here tonight, I need to go, my food is getting cold."
