AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Excuse me?” Parker nearly choked.
“Yeah, Michael Brower. What was he? A DJ? The whole thing seems messy. Can’t believe that poor girl though, Natalie. I’d hate to be her husband right now. I’m glad they’re seeking restitution.”
I swallowed whatever I mindlessly stuffed into my mouth, clutching the cloth napkin on my lap. What the hell did I just hear? The DJ out in Bushwick was Natalie’s husband? My head began to spin as this tangled web of history unraveled itself before me. Why wouldn’t Alejandro mention that? Both men had spoken about the incident before, but never enough for me to form any conclusions on my own. The whole situation began to feel more confusing than revealing, and Parker must have noticed, watching my reaction before cutting in.
“Once again, this is something we can’t talk about. And how the hell did any of this come to your attention? There are non-disclosures all across the state.”
Al shrugged as if it were some simple explanation. “I stopped by your office and talked to Tommy. He mentioned how the team wasn’t pressing charges for the assault out in Bushwick but increasing the amount in damages instead. Not a bad move.”
“Oh, I love Tommy. How’s he doing?” Mama Meg chimed in with a smile.
“Fucking Tommy.” Parker tossed his napkin onto the table.
“Language, Parker,” Mama Meg snipped. “And enough of this jibber jabber. These cases are so boring, not something for dinnertime talk.” She stirred the ice in her freshly filled drink.
I sighed in relief, still rattled at the revelation of how Alejandro’s involvement with Natalie Brower seemed deeper than I realized. Who were they to each other, and had he gone out to Bushwick that night just for me or for the DJ in particular? I wasn't sure anymore, I wasn’t sure of anything, having still not checked my phone since arriving, committing myself to leaving it alone once I left the car. The truth was I was far too scared to look, bothered by two possibilities: either Alejandro had reached out or he hadn’t. Both options I hated.
My clouded thoughts momentarily parted with the sudden graze from Parker’s warm hand. We reached for our silverware, accidentally touching pinkies before pulling back. It could’ve been nothing, but the way we quickly looked up into each other’s eyes made it feel as though we were about to get caught.
Camilla glared between the both of us.
“I’d rather focus on how great it is having Mr. and Mrs. Spuddington back in the Hamptons,” Mama Meg clinked her spoon against her sangria.
Parker and Al groaned loudly as I dropped my fork.
“Mom,” Parker pleaded quietly, “not this again.”
Mama Meg shooed him away, fueled by the power of alcohol to share childhood stories.
“What is this now?” Camilla asked in a nervous laugh.
Mama Meg shoveled a scoop of potato salad onto her plate. “It was the summer of 2003. Gemma and I signed up for the Fourth of July Hamptons Hoedown and volunteered to bring potato salad. Could you believe it was the first time she’d ever had it? Honestly, Gemma was so proud of the creation, that she wanted nothing else to eat.” Parker buried his face into his hands as Al got up to get another drink, burping loudly as Mama Meg continued. “Of course, Parker followed her example, he was absolutely obsessed!”
Camilla’s glare was replaced with a distant stare, and I wondered if it had anything to do with how Mama Meg elongated the word obsessed.
“That’s not true,” Parker sighed as I held in my nervous laugh, but Mama Meg shushed him.
“You don’t know anything; you were obsessed and still are.” The whole room grew fiery hot, and I wanted to scream and die all at once. “They ate so much that we warned them they’d become spuds. But that didn’t stop them. I think all of the Hamptons ran out of potatoes by the end of that summer.” She rubbed Parker’s back, sighing with reminiscent endearment. “We started addressing them as Mr. and Mrs. Spuddington and even had a wedding right at the dock. Do you remember you two dressed up in the backyard? That cute little kiss and the vows!”
My palms grew terribly sweaty as I nodded, bracing for Camilla’s impending punch.
“Vows?” Camilla asked, clearly not thinking it was as cute as Mama Meg did.
“I promise to be your truest love,” Al howled, returning with a fresh glass of bourbon, reciting the words Parker declared an eternity ago. “I had the legal authority to make that come true too. No prenup either, good job on you, Gemma,” he winked at me as I sucked in my lips.
“Ugh! They grow up so fast.” Mama Meg sighed, her face now aglow by the tabletop candles as the nighttime shadows swept into the room. “Gemma even wore my ring,” she toyed with the diamond on her finger. “You know it’s yours, honey, when the day comes,” she smiled at Parker and me so lovingly.
“Mom!” Parker barked, looking over at Camilla who now shoved all her potato salad to the side of her plate.
“What?” she cried. “I’m your mother, I just know these things.” She held her hands up as Al shook salt all over his plate. I essentially stuffed the entire burger into my mouth, hoping not to be asked any more questions.
Camilla wiped her lips with the cloth napkin, scooting her chair back with a loud screech. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Fuck,” Parker grumbled, looking over at me with a worried stare. I stared back, my mouth still full, nodding as if begging him to go check on her. He understood, glaring at Mama Meg. “No more Spuddington talk,” he scolded, then turned to Al. “And you, no more case talks, please.”
Al failed to listen as Parker stood up to chase Camilla.
“I thought it was cute,” Mama Meg looked back at me for approval. “You like the burger, hun?” She moved on as if she said nothing at all. I wanted to say the food was incredible, but I couldn’t even taste it. I couldn’t enjoy anything really, not fully at least. Sure, there were moments, instances, where I was luckily distracted, caught in some fantasy of how I envisioned everything to be. If it wasn’t Parker on my mind, then it was Alejandro, the very two people who had taken real estate on my entire life. But it wasn’t just them anymore, it wasotherstoo, people that I now knew because of them; Camilla and Natalie included.
