Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
FINLEY
I like Thomas’s family a lot. Too bad he’s a big, fat, thick-haired liar. I know he said he could explain why he wasn’t at the hospital like he claimed he was, but I don’t see the point in hearing him out. In my world you’re either a liar or you aren’t. There is no in between.
After we eat, Thomas’s parents excuse themselves to go upstairs to change. I’m relieved Vivie doesn’t do the same. But then Thomas asks his sister, “Are you ready to witness my April Fool’s prank on Mom and Dad?”
Vivie claps her hands together excitedly. “Yes! That would be the perfect ending to this stupid day. Although, if it’s too mean, maybe it will be more than Mom and Dad can handle.”
“I think you should wait,” I tell him. “Your parents are tired. You should let them recover first.” As mad as I am at Thomas, I really do like his parents and I don’t relish the idea of causing them more distress. Also, I’m no longer sure I want to bear witness to Thomas’s shame.
“I think they’re recovered enough,” he tells me. “Plus, this way, they’ll have a whole week to get over it before they go home.”
“They are pretty resilient,” Vivienne says. “Go ahead and do it.” She looks positively thrilled.
Thomas stands up and walks to the staircase. Then he calls up, “Mom, Dad, come on down! I have a surprise.”
“Coming,” his dad shouts back.
When his parents join us again, they’re both in their pajamas. Morgan says, “I don’t usually entertain like this, but it’s been an exhausting day.”
“If I’d brought my jammies with me,” I tell her, “I’d put them on, too. You look very comfortable.”
Sitting down on the couch next to his wife, Jason says, “Now, what’s this surprise you have for us?”
Thomas walks over to the side table and picks up the bag containing the calendar. Then he comes back into the room. “What Finley and I didn’t tell you is that we’ve been working on a special project together.”
His parents look at us expectantly. A pang of doubt stabs at me, but I brush it away. Thomas deserves this. He tells them, “In fact, it’s gone so well, I’ve been offered a new opportunity.”
Both of his parents look confused. Handing the bag to his mother, Thomas says, “Open it up and see.”
Morgan moves toward the edge of the couch and gingerly takes bag. Then she pulls out the calendar and simply stares.
“What do you think?” Thomas asks excitedly.
Her expression shifts rapidly. Oh yeah, she’s mortified. Which is exactly what I wanted her to be.
Thomas tells her, “Finley has shown that around to a few contacts and I’ve been offered a modeling job. I’m going to take a hiatus from work and do it.”
Thomas’s dad, who’s also looking, asks, “Are they hiring you to play the village idiot?”
“What? No.” He explains, “They were impressed with my skills and they’ve offered me a modeling contract. Isn’t that exciting?”
Morgan looks like she’s about to lose it. But then she asks, “Are they blind?” She stands up and hands Thomas the calendar. I can’t make eye contact with him.
Thomas takes the calendar and is quiet for long enough, I’m tempted to make a run for it.
I know I’ve just ruined his revenge, but he deserves it after what he did to me.
Except Thomas holds his ground and unexpectedly announces, “They said I’m the best male model they’ve ever seen.
” It looks like he’s going to brazen this out, which goes against common sense.
Even so, I’m actually impressed by his chutzpah.
With copycat cringes on their faces, Morgan says, “You cannot give up being a doctor to do this. Thomas, dear, you’re not that good. In fact, these photos are horrible!” She looks at me like she wants me to agree with her.
At this moment, I’m not quite sure what to do, so I tell her, “My contact said that Thomas’s look is exactly what they’re looking for.”
“Son.” Jason stands up and walks to his son’s side. “I think they’re making fun of you.”
I suddenly feel bad for ruining this for Thomas. He did take me out on the best date I’ve ever been on. That’s why I decide to announce, “April Fool’s!”
Everyone in the room turns to me with a look of shock on their faces. So, I continue, “Thomas is pulling an April Fool’s joke on you.” Pulling out my phone, I take it over to his parents and show it to them. “Here are the real pictures my client saw.”
Morgan and Jason take the camera and start scrolling while Vivie runs over to stand behind them. There are comments like, “Oh, dear,” and “These are actually quite good,” when Jason declares, “You can’t leave the medical profession to be a male model. That’s lunacy!”
I feel Thomas staring at me while he tells his parents, “I told Finley how we used to play pranks on each other and she thought this would be a funny way to get even with you.”
Morgan looks up at me anxiously. “So, it was all a joke?”
“Just this calendar,” Thomas tells her. “The real one is no joke.”
Morgan opens and closes her mouth several times before she finally says, “It’s been a long day. I think I need to go lie down.”
Jason stands up and helps his wife to her feet. “I could use some rest as well.” Their disappointment is palpable.
This prank clearly isn’t having the bang Thomas hoped it would, and I know that’s all my fault. But I still don’t feel too bad for him. I am sympathetic toward his parents though.
Thomas motions for his mom and dad to sit back down, which they do tentatively. “Remember when you took us to Ohio instead of Hawaii?” he asks them. They both nod their heads slowly.
Thomas tells them, “That was pretty traumatic and I’ve wanted to get even with you ever since.”
“So, you’re going to leave medicine and become a male model?” It’s clear Morgan thinks her son has gone off the deep end. “That’s seems extreme, Thomas.”
“Stupid, more like,” Jason adds.
“Brilliant!” Vivie claps her hands together excitedly before saying, “Look how gorgeous he is! He could be the next Fabio!”
“I don’t know who that is,” Jason responds.
Vivie uses my phone and looks up pictures of the vintage romance novel cover model and shows it to her parents.
“I might throw up,” Morgan groans before saying, “It’s one thing to get even with us and another to lose your mind.”
“Cleveland,” Vivie announces. “You took us to Cleveland when we thought we were going to Hawaii.”
“We took you to Hawaii two weeks later,” Jason says, sounding confused.
“But you didn’t tell us that until after we came home from Cleveland.” Vivie is holding her ground.
Morgan is still struggling to put this all together. “So, because your dad and I played the prank of all pranks on you when you were kids, you’re going to pay us back by becoming a male model?”
Thomas simply smiles. “Mom, I could make a fortune!”
“You’re a doctor. You already make a fortune!” Jason says.
Thomas and Vivie share a look, and Thomas says to her, “What do you think we should do?”
Vivie shrugs. “I think you really should become a male model. Your pictures are gorgeous.”
“Thank you, Vivie,” Thomas tells her. “But what should we do with Mom and Dad?”
She turns to her parents and declares, “We’d like an apology and a promise there will be no more April Fool’s pranks ever again.”
Morgan stands up again and heartily declares, “I’m truly sorry.”
Jason joins her. “Me, too.” Then he looks at his son and pleads, “But son, you can’t leave medicine.”
Thomas’s expression shifts to one of victory. “Because I believe you’re sincerely repentant, I accept your apology.” He adds, “There’s only one thing left to say. April Fool’s!”
Morgan nearly collapses in her relief. “It was all a joke, then?”
“All of it,” Thomas tells her. “I’m sorry I pulled it tonight. I thought it might go over a little better than it did.”
“I love it!” Vivie says running over to Thomas to hug him. “It was brilliant and it made my whole day better!”
A lone tear slides down Morgan’s face when she says, “If it made you happy, honey, then I’m happy, too.”
Thomas’s parents may have played a horrible prank on their kids once upon a time, but the truth is, they are amazing parents. They love their children and they champion them—which was clear with how they took care of Vivie during her crisis.
Jason suddenly starts to laugh. He keeps going until he’s nearly bent in half. He catches his breath several moments later and says, “That really was something, Thomas. I bow to the master.”
“I need another cocktail,” Morgan says. “And maybe some more cheese.”
Thomas’s parents and sister sit back down on the couch and start going through the cross-eyed pirate calendar again. Their enjoyment is contagious. But even so, Thomas isn’t laughing.
Instead, he walks over to me and says, “Finley, I’d like a word.”