Chapter 19
T hough Paley had warned him about her family dynamic, Piedmont still found it fascinating. Her mother was willfully ignorant about factual information, and her father was fully in his own world, carrying on a conversation about grass with no one that lasted ten minutes. At last he asked Piedmont how he handled his grass. When Piedmont told him he had a lawn service, it was somehow another strike against him. He passed the remainder of the meal with his eyes narrowed on Piedmont, probably counting the silver, lest Piedmont attempt to swipe it and buy contraband weed controller.
Much to his surprise and appreciation, Mattie tried hard to carry the conversation and smooth things over. Undoubtedly this was for Paley’s benefit, but Piedmont still appreciated it. It was obvious to anyone with eyes he cared deeply about her, but Piedmont still couldn’t get a read on which way those feelings bent—true friendship or a desire for romance. Either way, he also seemed to hold Piedmont at arm’s length and view him through a lens of deep suspicion. Did he think Piedmont was using Paley or playing with her heart? Something was off there, and Piedmont didn’t know what.
Only Clark was open and friendly with no undercurrents, and Piedmont found himself gravitating to him, asking him questions whenever the conversation lagged. Clark was equally friendly and hadn’t yet lost his fascination with Piedmont’s genius status.
“So, what actually is your IQ?” he asked during one pause in the conversation.
“Clark, you can’t ask that. It’s like asking someone’s pant size,” Paley said.
“What’s your pant size?” Clark asked her. “Because it looks smaller than I remember.”
“Paley’s lost weight,” Mattie volunteered. “She’s been working out.”
“Why would you lose weight? Young girls always think they’re heavy, but they’re not. Everyone looks better with a little meat on the bones,” Allison volunteered, adding a plop of mashed potatoes to Paley’s plate.
“What is your IQ?” Paley’s dad piped up. “If you don’t mind saying.”
“I don’t mind saying, but it always feels a bit like bragging,” Piedmont said.
“It’s not bragging if they’re asking for it,” Paley said, a bit irritably. She rubbed at a spot between her eyebrows, a sure sign her family was getting to her. He could see why as her mother reached for the gravy and added it to Paley’s potatoes uninvited.
“It’s 210,” Piedmont said.
“What? That’s not possible. I thought the max was two hundred,” Mattie said. He pulled out his phone and began to Google.
“It’s not,” Piedmont assured him. He tried to focus on his food, but his plate was empty, so he reached to Paley’s plate and took some of her potatoes, causing Allison to frown and Paley to smile.
“Huh, he’s right, it’s not. It’s rare though, like higher than Einstein rare,” Mattie volunteered, shoving his phone back into his pocket.
Everyone gawked at Piedmont and Paley waved her hands. “Stop staring at him, he’s not a circus freak.”
Their eyes returned to their own plates, but conversation was on hold, and no one seemed to know how to get it started again.
“Have you heard from Aaron?” Allison asked.
“He tried, but I told him to talk to my lawyer.”
Allison’s hand settled onto the table with a thud. “You got a lawyer? Why?”
“Because I’m getting a divorce, Mom.”
“You are? Since when?” Allison said.
“Since always. I told you Aaron kicked me out and started divorce proceedings,” Paley said.
“That’s a little blip.” Allison picked up her fork and waved it dismissively. “You have to work at these things, Paley. Every marriage hits its bumps. If you gave up at every little fight, you’d never stay together. Your dad and I have had our rough patches, but we pulled together and persevered, and that’s why we’re so happy today.” She cast a glance to her husband who was staring at his pot roast, oblivious to his wife’s words. She sighed and turned back to Paley. “I think you should meet with Aaron in person. A lot can be communicated face to face.”
“I don’t want Paley to do that,” Piedmont said, and now everyone turned to look at him in surprise.
“I don’t see that it’s any of your business,” Allison said.
“Mom,” Paley intoned.
“I do,” Piedmont agreed.
“And why do you feel it’s your right to tell her not to meet with her husband?” Allison demanded.
“Because I’m a lawyer, and I know how divorce proceedings go. He’s trying to take advantage of her, to get her to give up everything in the settlement, to leave her with nothing.”
“If she talked to him, there might not be a divorce,” Allison said.
“Mom,” Paley tried, but Piedmont put his hand on hers.
“Allison, do you believe it takes two people to make a marriage work?” Piedmont asked.
“Yes, but…”
“Knowing Paley as you do, do you think she gave it her all as a wife, that she was loyal, faithful, loving, hard working?”
“Yes, but…”
“Do you believe your daughter deserves the same loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, and hard work from a spouse?”
“Yes, but…”
“Do you honestly believe Aaron gave her that? That he was kind to her, supportive, said nice things, treated her the way you would wish for her to be treated?”
“No, but…”
“If you believe he didn’t treat her the way she should be treated, if you believe Paley tried hard at her marriage and he didn’t, don’t you believe sentencing her to remain with someone who doesn’t love her, with someone who cheated on her and impregnated another woman, would be tantamount to abuse?”
“I…I don’t…” Allison floundered.
“We all want what’s best for Paley, don’t we?” Piedmont pressed.
Allison nodded, out of words now.
“And we all trust Paley is capable of figuring out what that is, don’t we?”
Allison nodded again.
“Good, we agree,” Piedmont said and scraped all of Paley’s potatoes onto his plate.
“Case closed,” Mattie said, and Clark snickered into his napkin.
After that, somehow things were better. The argument, if it could be called such, had cleared the way for Paley’s parents’ approval somehow. In any case they were less suspicious of him, more trusting, more eager to like him. Her dad even walked him outside and showed him the grass.
“I’ve tried everything, but it’s still brown,” he said in dismay.
“Dad, Piedmont doesn’t…” Paley began, but Piedmont held up a hand, bent, and inspected the grass, running his hand softly over the top of it.
“Your lawnmower blades are dull. It’s tearing the grass. And you’re watering too much. Water every other day, sharpen your blades, and raise the height of you mower deck,” Piedmont said.
“Tearing the grass,” her father said, kneeling to inspect the torn blades before him. “By gum, I think you’re right.”
“How did you possibly know that?” Paley asked, leading him back inside while her father remained kneeling beside the grass. It was possible he was apologizing to it. She tried never to peer too closely into her father’s odd relationship with the lawn.
“I researched grass on the off chance it would come up,” Piedmont said.
“That might be the sweetest, most adorable thing I’ve ever heard,” Paley said.
“Clearly you need to get out more, if that’s the case,” he said.
“Did you research anything for my mom?” she asked.
“Nope,” he said, but he wouldn’t make eye contact.
“What?” she asked, poking him.
“I researched how to impress your girlfriend’s mother,” he said, his tone sheepish.
“Huh. It’s lucky that also applied to meeting your housekeeper’s mother,” she said.
“It’s a startling coincidence how much and how often the two intersect and overlap these days,” he said. He took her hand and pulled her close, snugging her against his chest. “There’s one glaring difference, however.”
“What?” she whispered.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “My housekeepers and I always spend a lot of time making out. It’s usually a highly physical relationship.”
“It’s not like that between us,” she said.
“Then I guess that shifts you into the other category,” he said, squeezing her hand.
She blinked at him, a bit stunned. Was he saying...?
“Let’s play two on two,” Clark said, palming a basketball as he entered the room, followed by Mattie.
“Yes,” Paley replied, her eyes still on Piedmont.
“Yes to…” he drawled.
“What do you think? I’m a sucker for basketball,” she said, stealing the ball from her brother and tossing it to Piedmont who somehow caught it.
“It goes without saying I only know the technical aspects of basketball,” he said.
“Then it’s time you got all the feelings,” Paley said and, taking his hand, led him outside.