Thick: A Stepbrother Romance (6 page)

              I was surprised as shit at what he said. I stood there for several minutes, mouth hanging ajar just staring at him. He smiled before asking me if I was hungry. I wasn’t really, but I knew that we had more to talk about. Having dinner was the perfect chance to talk without being interrupted. It wasn’t an idea situation we found ourselves in, but it was what life threw at us. Halfway through the dinner that’s when I connected the dots to the box on my bed. It had been from Brad. That’s what my mom had been trying to tell me before I left. Right now I wished I had stopped and saw what she wanted.

              After having dinner with him and showing him the letter I got from New York, his face had filled with pride. If for just a minute I forgot everything that was going on around me. I let the warmth of him being proud in me, fill me up. My mother had showed me the same enthusiasm as Henry did. He told me to go for it. To get out of this Podunk town and make something of myself. Him being a terrific lawyer, I took his advice.

              He must have done something right to get to where he was today. His home life was totally fucked up, but he never let anything stand in his way. Nothing. He did what he wanted, meeting every obstacle in his path with vitality, and quick wit. I would always remember him. Even if I didn’t step a foot back in this town, him and my mom would always be in my thoughts.

              The letter to the university had stated that I could come up early if needed. So that I could get settled in and find my way around before the semester started. Since their semester started Mid-July. I knew that now was as good a time as any to get away from here. It would hurt me so bad to leave and know that I was not coming back to Brad; or that he was coming with me. But there was no other choice. Brad had made his decision, albeit it had been the wrong one, he still made it.

Henry gave me an envelope before I left the restaurant and made me promise not to open it until I got to the school. He also made me promise that I would get a cell phone that I could keep in touch with my mother. He gave me five hundred in crisp one hundred dollar bills. He stated that I had no excuse not to now. I laughed. There was always something about this man that caused me to smile.

Getting home and talking with my mother. We both thought that it was a good idea if I left that night. Since it was only about five pm in Cedar Grove, PA, I would drive halfway and get a hotel for the night. Then arrive in New York on Sunday and sightsee and stay in a motel until Monday morning. Of course she is the one that thought of it, that’s why I loved her and why it was so hard letting her go. She had been my rock for so long. She was the only person, besides Henry that I looked up too. I would make both of them proud. There would be no doubt about it. I don’t care how long it took me, I would succeed.

“Oh sweetheart. This is for the best, you’ll see,” my mother stated

“I know…it just hurts so badly.” I sniffed, lugging the suitcases out of the house and to my car.

After I put the luggage in my car, I turned to her. She threw her arms around me, gripping me to her tightly. “He messed up. Do you hear me, Claire? He believed someone else over the woman he said he loved. Do not let that boy take another ounce of love from you,” she sternly stated in a choked up voice.

I nodded into her chest, and sobbed. I held my mother for the longest time, her swaying me back and forth. Our sobs echoing through the empty street. She released me and dried her tears, shutting the car door as I got inside. I closed my eyes putting the car in drive, and then I was off. Away from this town, Brad, and his evil mother. I was determined to look ahead instead of keep glancing behind me. It hurt like hell, and I was absolutely positive I would break down multiple times along the way. But I would make my mother proud of me. There would be no failing, especially since she never failed me.

I chewed on my cheek as I came to the last stop light. The envelope that Henry gave me was in the passenger seat, drawing my attention like a beacon in the night. Curiosity got the best of me and I picked it up. Turning it around in my hands, I opened it. Seeing what was inside, I laughed and then cried. Inside was a check that would cover all of my schooling and housing for the next four years. I wiped the tears from my eyes as the light changed.

              I glanced in my rearview mirror, seeing the lights become smaller and smaller with every foot I sped in the other direction. Brad would always be my first love, more than likely my last love. There would be no way I would ever forget him. But the finality of it all tore at my heart. A tear slid down my cheek when the last of the lights left my mirror.

   Present day…

              “Do you always have to work so hard?” Alex, my secretary asked.

              Five years ago I started at Premier Inc. A top Public Relations firm in New York, NY. I loved it, loved the fast paced city life. It made it easy for me to forget about all that things I gave up coming here in the first place. The same day I got hired on here, Alex had been appointed to me. The rest is history. Even though she had the same degree that I did, I had more of the killer instinct; whereas she was a little bunny in comparison.

              The main reason I kept her around was that she was my absolute best friend. I only briefly met her in college, but she never stood out to me; or I just didn’t take the time to get to know her. Hell, she was even in the same graduating class as me. I felt bad for not noticing her all those years ago. But we made up for the time difference in becoming fast friends. She understood my drive to be the best, she didn’t agree, but she understood.

              “Yup. There’s no other way,” I chuckled, scanning over the printouts I had on my desk.

              She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, and eyed me. I couldn’t see her do it, but I could feel her eyes beading into mine. “Claire, live a little. My god you’re only twenty eight.”

              I full belly laughed at her. She was always trying to get me to live a little as she like to call it. I called it a blind date with yet another loser. She hadn’t asked me yet, but it was coming. I could feel it. It was always the same with her. Her favorite saying, one that made me chuckle just thinking about it was, ‘a cock a day with keep the doctor away.” Man she was a hoot. I loved her to death.

              “I know. Any day now you’re going to be planning my funeral.”

              She huffed before walking out of my office. I laid the paper down on the desk and swiveled my chair to look out of the window. Looking down at all the people running around; there was sometimes I missed the live of a small town. But then I remember that in a small town such as Cedar Grove there was always a Brad there to tear you apart. Just thinking that and it put everything back in perspective, pretty damn quickly.

              I closed my eyes and sighed. Thinking things just got people into trouble. There was no time to think about things that no longer mattered. I was the best for a reason, and it wasn’t because I fiddled around, it was because I worked harder than anyone here at Premier. I swiveled my chair back toward my desk and got back to work. I had a huge client coming in for a meeting, I needed to be ready for when they showed up. Booting up my computer I got to work on the files I would need.

The next thing I knew, Alex was at my door asking about lunch. Looking at the Cartier watch gracing my right wrist, I saw that it was indeed time to go out. I stood stretching my tired muscles. Grabbing my purse, I shut my door and locked it. Most called me paranoid for doing that even if I was walking down the hall for something. But in life you never can be too careful. Trust me I should know.

“Where should we eat today?” Alex asked excitedly, pushing the down button on the elevator.

I chuckled. She was always like this when it was lunch time. “Anywhere that serves margaritas.”

She giggled. We had what we call, ‘mid-day fuck-it-all’ drink. Ever since we started getting lunch together, it just became a thing that we did. It wasn’t professional to drink on the job, but we had to have something to keep us from clawing someone’s eyes out. So far, five years later, it was working amazingly well. Neither one of us has been arrested for committing murder. Which I will say is a feat all on its own.

The elevator dinged, signaling its arrival. I checked to make sure that I had everything in my purse, only to find that my phone wasn’t in there. I cursed inwardly, before telling Alex that I would meet her down at the restaurant that she chose. She nodded in agreement and left me to go back and retrieve my phone. Unlocking my door, I walked over to my desk and saw my lifeline sitting on the desk where I left it.

As I went to pick it up, I saw a blue light flashing on it, signaling I had missed a call. Swiping my finger across the screen I saw my mother tried to call me. I groaned. It was only Tuesday and she was already calling me. More than likely she was calling to gush over her new beau that she started seeing a few months ago. It was all I ever heard her talk about. She never would tell me a name. Just that he went by Shawn. It was a funny name to call someone her age, but then again she could be with a man my age. The little cougar. I smiled before dialing her number.

Within two rings she picked up on the other line. “Sweetheart, I’m glad you could call me back.”

I laughed. “Mom, you know I always return your calls. You stubborn thing.”

She snickered over the line. “You forgot overbearing.”

“Yes. I do believe it did.” I chuckled, locking the door behind me on my way out. “To what do I owe the pleasure of a mid-day call?”

With that, she squealed. I held the phone away from my ear almost certain she ruptured my ear drum. “I’m getting married!”

I stopped walking, almost causing the mail clerk to run into me. I mouthed an ‘I’m sorry,’ before continuing my way toward the elevator. “Um…Can you repeat that? I seriously think I heard you wrong.”

“Nope, you heard right,” she giggled.

For once I was actually speechless. To say that my mother hadn’t dated when I was home was an understatement. She wouldn’t even let men calling on her to even come over to the house when I was younger. So to hear that she was getting married was a big, big deal. My mouth felt like cotton had overrun it, I started sweating. The dating world was so new to my mother that I didn’t want her to make a mistake. Gripping the side of the elevator for support, I let her know my feelings.

“Mom.” I stopped to clear my throat. “Are you sure that this is something that you want to do? I mean, you’ve only been with Shawn for a few months now.”

I was supposed to be the child. She was supposed to be the voice of reason. But somehow I felt like the roles were reversed. I was the one talking her down from her excitement.

“Claire Gabriella James, I’m forty-six. I do believe I know how to make my own decisions,” she shot back in a stern tone.

Damn, she was right. She wouldn’t have made it this long if she was making the wrong decisions. I hated it, but there was nothing I could do.

I sighed. “I’m sorry, your right. It’s just that…this is a bit new don’t you think?”

She laughed. “New to you sweetheart, maybe. But to me I’ve known for quite a while.”

Well, shit. I couldn’t think of anything to say to that besides what any person in her spot would want to hear. “Congratulations.”

“You don’t have to sound so happy about it,” she snapped.

I groaned. “I am happy mother. It’s, I don’t know…It’s been me and you forever now, adding someone to the mix is going to take some getting used to,” I said in a resigned breath.

“Oh but dear, we aren’t just adding one person to the mix. We’re adding two. You’re going to be getting a new Stepbrother,” she explained excitedly.

Well fuck me swinging.

It was about ten years too late to worry about a Stepbrother. I mean I was almost thirty years old. Getting excited over finally getting siblings would be vastly overrated at this point. I sighed into the phone. There was no use in talking her out of this. She seemed pretty set in her ways. So in order to make her happy, I was going to act happy. At least until I met this said Stepbrother and Stepfather I was going to be getting.

I put on my fakest smile, as if she could see me through the phone. I tried to sound upbeat when I replied back to her, even when on the outside I was dying little by little. “When’s the big date?”

“Well that’s where we have a problem…” She began only to go silent the next second.

I was about to check my phone to see if she had been cut off. Service in New York was terrible, so that could have been a big possibility she had been cut off. The screen lit up showing that she was still on the phone. Putting it next to my ear, I waited for her to reply. Which wasn’t long at all.

“We’re getting married Sunday,” she whispered.

Cocking my head to the side, I strained to hear what she had said. “What was that? I could have sworn you just said Sunday. Are you meaning this Sunday?”

“Umm…Don’t be mad. But we’ve been engaged for quite some time now. I just didn’t know how to tell you.” She finished in a hurry.

“How long have you been engaged, mother?” I asked sternly.

“Do not take that tone with me Claire Gabriella James. Remember I am your mother.” She ended her rant before speaking in a softer tone. “We have been engaged for two months now. The wedding is indeed this Sunday.”

Well double fuck me swinging. This woman surprised the shit out of me every day. She could fart glitter and no one would question it, she was that off the wall. This was so fucked up. How was I supposed to meet a new Stepfather, which was probably my age; and a new Stepbrother mere days before the wedding? I mean come on, this was pretty messed up shit.

I groaned. “That’s in five days, mother. That’s not even a week from now.”

“I know I hate that I didn’t tell you. You don’t have to worry about anything. Promise. I have everything taken care of. All you have to do is be down here tomorrow night for dinner with them.”

“Tomorrow?” I asked incredulously.

              This woman really was giving no one time to get anything settled. She better be glad that I was a workaholic and had vacation time saved up. I was in half a mind telling her that I would not be there. But I knew that would break her heart; and that was something that I absolutely could not do. She had been there for me during the entire after math of the douche bag. So I would put on my big girl panties and be there for her to.

              “Please say that you can get time off,” she begged.

              I smiled. It wasn’t often that my mother begged me for anything. But when she did, I felt on top of the world. That without me being there she would not be able to survive. It filled my heart with love every time she did it.

              “You better be glad that I love you,” I chuckled, pushing the button on the elevator so that I would go up to the top floor. “Because I’m heading to my bosses office right now.”

              “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you,” she rushed out in excited squeals.

              “No need to thank me, mom. Just make sure if you have something this important that you please tell me sooner.”

              “Ok…Then I have something else to say…Will you be my Maid of Honor?”

              My breath left my lungs. My mouth hung open in shock. I knew that we were close, but I didn’t realize she would ask me for something so important. I figured she would ask one of her friends she had in crochet club, or whatever the hell it was. But not me. My eyes started tearing up. It had been so long since I’ve actually cried for something good. That’s was just how my mother was thought, it was always something good with her.

              “I’d love to.” I choked up at the end. It was then I remembered I didn’t have a dress. “Oh shit. I don’t have anything to wear.”

              She sighed. “Everything is already taken care of, sweetheart. The only thing you need to worry about is getting here by tomorrow night. Oh, and that your able to stay until at least after the wedding.”

              As the elevator dinged, I stepped out. “Sure will, mom. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

              “I can’t wait. It’s been too, too long,” she giggled.

              “It’s not been that long,” I argued.

              She cleared her throat. “It’s been ten years since you’ve been home. The only time we see each other is when I come up there for a visit.”

                I started thinking of the last time I had been there, and found she was right. That dreadful, earth shattering day had been my last one there. What the hell was wrong with me? I was so busy that I couldn’t visit my own mother that was a mere eight hours away.

              “That is right. Damn, it’s really been that long?” I asked, stepping through the door to put in my emergency vacation request of time off.

              “Yes it sure has. But darling I have to go. Call me when you’re on your way.” With that her side of the line went dead.

              After putting in my time off, I went to meet Alex at the restaurant she texted me she was at. I was so lost that I almost got off on the wrong floor more than once. I would definitely need more than one margarita on this lunch break. The phone call with my mother threw me for a loop and a half. I let out a half crazed laugh, before exiting the elevator. She didn’t know how to do anything half assed, that was for sure.

              Taking my time, I walked through the turnstiles, exited the building. As I stepped outside the July sun beat down on me, as the humidity did wild things to my hair. I inwardly groaned at the mess I knew my hair was going to be by the time I made it to where Alex was. No amount of hairspray was going to fix the frizzy mop on my head. Searching through my bag, I found a hair tie tying my locks into a ponytail.