Chapter 4 Misty #2
“That one?” He jerks his chin to Talbot. “He’s trouble. You’re a nice girl. Don’t get involved with him.”
Talbot throws his arm around my shoulder. “Too late!”
I’m reeling. I’m in way over my head.
Talbot smirks. “Let’s say she’s not with me for my job prospects or my sparkling personality, right, Gumdrop?”
“You’re not going to be young and cute forever, T. The community college takes your GI Bill, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Mac sighs loudly then gets called away by someone telling him that Brielle screamed at him because the chicken piccata bites are supposed to be vegan.
“I’ll take care of it,” I call.
“Oh my gosh, Brielle,” I mutter as I hurry toward the grand ballroom. “She doesn’t even eat the food. None of the WAGs eat the food anyway. They drink skinny martinis all night and flirt with each other’s husbands.” I stop to massage my temples. “That’s mean. That’s not a nice thing to say.”
“Look, Gumdrop—”
I shriek as a muscular arm settles around my waist. “Why are you still here?”
“Uh, you fucking kidding me? You hired me to—”
“Shhh! Keep it down. Look, I’m in a crisis right now. I can’t deal with this. I can’t deal with you. I’m sorry, but you have to leave. Maybe we can do this over New Year’s.”
“Gumdrop, I have other jobs to do over New Year’s. You’re not a regular. You don’t get red-carpet treatment. Now, take me into the ballroom; I need to scope out the tar—”
“Eyy, Talbot, you working tonight?” A man with a tray of empty glasses passes.
Talbot blows out a loud sigh.
“Fucking hell. No. I am on a date.” He grabs my upper arm. His hands are calloused as he tugs me toward the ballroom.
“You grew up around Maplewood Falls? All these people know you. Do they know that you’re a—” I lower my voice as the staff ferrying delicious trays of food to the ballroom give us weird looks. “A—you know.”
“No, of course not,” he hisses. He half drags me down the hallway.
“Where is Misty? Rachel, where is your daughter? This evening is a disaster,” I hear Aunt Kathy call.
“Look, just…” I fish out my room key. “It’s room 404. It’s a suite. Go there. Don’t mind Cocoa; she doesn’t like people, but she’s too lazy to actually attack you. Hide in the closet if someone comes in for some reason.”
“Fancy. Someone’s spending daddy’s money.” Talbot smirks as he takes the key.
“Look, mister, I don’t need the smart commentary. I’m obviously having a mental breakdown brought on by a year’s worth of repressed trauma, and I cannot right—"
The doors burst open, and Grandma Pam sweeps out followed by Granny Keagan.
Granny Keagan whistles and looks Talbot up and down from his scuffed, dirty boots to the smirk on his bruised-up face. “Looks like you got your money’s—"
“Granny, this is Talbot!” I practically shout. “My date. From work, remember?” Is it a wink or an eye twitch? Who can tell?
“Ahh, yes.” She taps her nose. “The one and only Talbot. My granddaughter says you do amazing things with your tongue in the back of your truck.” She gives me a dramatic wink.
Grandma Pam is livid. “You’re dating this? You lied to Austen.”
“You lied to Austen? Geez, Misty.” Talbot looks down at me. “I didn’t know I was rawdogging a filthy liar.”
Skipping straight to the pregnancy scare, I see.
“No, Granny. Talbot, shh. Grandma Pam, please.”
“Who cares what Austen thinks?” Granny Keagan continues. “Fuck him.”
“Not literally. I don’t share, Gumdrop.” My fake boyfriend gives me a predatory smile.
“Austen is marrying into this family.” Grandma Pam tugs sharply at the lapels of her silken pantsuit. “Your actions and choice of life partner matter.”
“Shit, Gumdrop, we’re life partners now? Are we gonna adopt a cat?”
“I don’t think Cocoa will like that. She really does not like other animals.”
“Hey, did you find—” my stepfather announces as he pushes through the doors. “There you are, kiddo. The bartenders want to know—”
“Don’t worry yourself about this, darling.” Pamela pats her son’s arm. “Misty, this party is a disaster. You need to go out there and fix things,” Grandma Pam hisses at me.
Talbot’s eyes light up, then an easy grin flits across his face. “The Ryan West. Damn.”
I shove Talbot toward the elevator. “No autograph. This is a private family affair.”
He’s huge, and I can barely move him. Should have worn tennis shoes.
Grandma Pam is trying to shoo her son back into the ballroom. “This is not important. Misty had a terrible lapse in judgment, typical for her, really.”
“Choosing not to leave that pantsuit in a dumpster was a lapse in judgment,” Granny Keagan says over her.
“Sorry, Ryan.” I kick Talbot.
My stepfather beams at me. “Kiddo, you didn’t tell us you had a boyfriend.”
“We’re life partners, sir.” Talbot salutes. “Might be having an unplanned baby on account of—ugh.” I slug him in the stomach. Hard. Like a hockey player hits.
Talbot doubles over and wheezes.
“He’s—” I make a helpless gesture.
Ryan’s eyebrows flatten, but he’s too well media trained for the smile to falter.
“We aren’t—we just met today. I mean…” I’m sweating. It’s dripping under my boobs.
Ryan looks confused. “You just met him?”
“I mean to say, we’re dating. We’ve been on a few dates. Online. Like, over Zoom? Talbot just got out of the Marines, so he’s, um, been out of town?” My voice cracks. I need a drink. And cheese. And pie. There’s a quarter of an apple pie in the fridge at home.
“She’s been doing her civic duty, sir.” Talbot’s smile is feral.
“He’s not coming to the party. Don’t worry, Grandma Pam.”
“I’ll just wait in your room.” My fake boyfriend gives a mocking bow, the key swinging from one tattooed finger.
“You were going to ruin your sister’s engagement party then skip out for a clandestine hookup?” Grandma Pam demands. “Just like her mother.”
“You’re jealous you don’t have a hot piece of ass showing up here to floss his teeth with your pubes,” Granny Keagan shoots back.
I can feel Grandma Pam’s judgment. “What did I tell you, Ryan, terrible character, a cesspool of bad decisions just like—”
“I’m not having this conversation with you again, Mom.” Ryan claps a large hand on Talbot’s shoulder. “Please come to the party, son. I insist.”
“He has holes in his jeans.” Grandma Pam’s eyes flash.
“Mom.” Ryan sighs then gives me an encouraging smile.
I want to die.
Talbot looks over at Ryan’s mother and flicks his tongue lewdly against his teeth.
Grandma Pam huffs and immediately goes to my mom, who’s talking to Ryan’s cousins, and starts berating her.
“…trying to sneak off… up to her suite…” I hear her sharp voice over the murmur of the crowd.
Austen, drink in hand, cuts through the crowd.
“Coach Ryan.” My ex nods then sizes up Talbot. Austen’s a respectable six feet tall. Talbot’s a good four inches taller. Maybe more in the heavy boots. His ghostly gray eyes lock on Austen like a wolf sighting its prey. He’s practically salivating.
Austen’s visibly offended by Talbot. “Misty, can I speak to you?”
“I actually need to find the caterers…”
My stepfather takes Talbot around the room, introducing him as “Misty’s boyfriend; he’s an ex-Marine.”
People fawn over Talbot, thanking him for his service.
He’s probably a war criminal. I glare at him. Or one of those people who steals equipment and sells it on the black market.
Austen blocks Talbot from my sight. “What the hell are you doing? Is this some pathetic attempt to make me jealous to get back with you?” He grabs me roughly. “Huh? Is it?”
“No! It’s just a mistake—he’s a mistake. You’ll never see him again.” I use my soothe Austen voice.
It works. Austen’s hackles go down.
“I better not. And I was just talking to one of the Gatorade reps. I want an endorsement deal with them. It’s me or Ryder O’Connell. I need you to, you know, do your thing to make sure my name’s at the top of the stack.”
“Of course!”
He smiles at me. My heart melts.
“That’s my little Mousy Misty.”
Suddenly, Talbot’s there—like he just materialized out of thin air.
I shriek at his hand on my back.
Austen flinches.
“Haha! You’re like a ninja or an assassin or something.” I laugh nervously. “Just coming out of nowhere.”
Talbot’s voice is eerily flat. “The caterers are looking for you.”
“Right. Caterers.”
Brielle is screaming at a quivering waiter behind a column near the buffet. She turns on me when I hurry up.
“Misty, what in the literal garbage is this?”
“It’s okay, you can go. I’ll talk to your boss.”
The poor waiter flees.
Brielle is livid. “Do you honestly think I don’t know what you’re doing?” she hisses. “You’re so transparent, Misty. It’s so obvious that—”
“I’m sorry about the prawns, Brielle,” I tell her in a rush.
“The prawns? What the hell are you talking about?” my stepsister demands.
“Isn’t that what this is about?” I’m confused.
“No, it’s about you thinking that a buffet was acceptable for my engagement party to Austen.”
“We talked about this.” I pull out my phone and try to search for the email. I should have brought my party-planning notebook. “Doing a formal sit-down dinner would feel too stuffy and could make your wedding feel less impressive and—”
“A buffet? It’s so low-class. Just have servers walk around with the appetizers.” My stepsister tosses her perfect blond locks. “No one is going to want to fill a plate with food that they have to carry around, Misty, god. I thought you were supposed to be good at this.”
“Then the food will be cold, and no one will have enough to eat. We discussed it…”
“My aunt”—the emphasis is on my—“is right. You are just trying to sabotage me. This is what you—” Brielle stops mid-rant when she sees Talbot.
“The beautiful bride. Neglected by her fiancé,” he purrs in that deep voice.
Brielle’s head whips between us.
“Now, don’t tell me you two are sisters?” He slowly pans from her to me. “I don’t believe it.”
“Stepsisters.” Brielle giggles. “We’re not related, obviously. I’m Ryan West’s real daughter. And you? Are you one of Austen’s friends?”