24. Jeanie
24 /
jeanie
Walled Ladyfest
“I need to speak with you, Jeanie,” Roman says.
“What’s up?” Sophia loops her arms around his shoulders, but I can tell by his stern demeanor that something’s wrong.
When isn’t something wrong?
“This is about Dex,” he says to Sophia. “It doesn’t concern you.”
At his brush-off, Sophia quiets and her arms fall away.
I recognize her shrinking reaction. He dismissed me like this for years. Turns out, when he does it to her, I still don’t like it. Something inside me flips to protective mode.
“I think it’s time to include Sophia in the parenting,” I say, shocking myself.
I glance around to make sure I was the one who said it. I was.
“Yeah.” Sophia parrots me, even though she’s looking at me with surprise. She leaves Roman to stand beside me.
Suddenly, it’s two against one. Again.
For once, my innocent smile is real. For the most part.
Roman’s lips press tight. Knowing him, he’s sniffing out my game plan. Behind the chaos of his glare, he’s strategizing how to play this.
“Okay, Sophia,” he says. “Our child was out past curfew. What do you think we should do?” he asks condescendingly.
“Go, Tex! I’ll bet he hooked up with that cute brunette.” Sophia leans close as if we’re gossiping.
Because we’re on the same team now, temporarily , I shake my head, signaling wrong answer. She nods, taking the hint, and reevaluates.
“Lock him in his room with no food for a week?” she asks.
Roman flashes me an I-told-you-so look and folds his arms over his swelling chest. He’s not amused. But I am, a little bit.
“She’s joking,” I say, trying to contain a smile.
“Gotcha!” Sophia pokes his belly.
Roman rolls his eyes.
“We’re on vacation. Let him have some fun,” Sophia says, sounding very chill.
“He didn’t roll in until one a.m.” Roman taps his wristwatch.
I understand his concern. Dex typically has the bedtime of a ninety-year-old who eats dinner at 3:30 p.m. Staying out until one a.m. is the equivalent of an all-night rager for him. It’s highly out of character.
“He’s a good kid. I’m sure he has an explanation,” Sophia says. “Let’s give him a chance to right the wrong.”
“Nice job.” I pat her on the shoulder and then lean close. “Except for one tiny important detail.” I pinch my fingers and whisper, “His name is Dexter or Dex. Not Tex.”
She cringes. “Like the TV serial killer?”
“More like sewing, cooking, and crafting with the passion of a murderous killer.”
“Oh, I like that. I’ll bet he can sew me some new?—”
“Will you two stop! I don’t like what’s going on here.” Roman waves a hand between us.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.
Sophia twists her arm with mine. Together, we form a wall of women that no man can tear down.
“You haven’t talked in years, and now you’re best friends?”
And you never corrected your fiancée when she said your child’s name wrong.
“Did you think Jeanie would just disappear? She’s part of this family too,” Sophia says. For reasons I can’t explain, she has my back, and as far as I can tell, no other agenda.
All this time, I thought her angle was the keep-your-enemies-close strategy, which I fully took advantage of. But now I’m starting to wonder if she wants me here, or worse, needs me. I fight the urge to run when she holds me tighter.
“Then you two deal with Dex.” Roman turns to leave. He’s never liked being outnumbered. Bullies usually don’t. He barely misses slamming into a bellboy with a stack of suitcases when he escapes.
Sophia deflates. “He’s going to be grumpy all night.”
“Go find Dex. I’ll deal with Roman,” I say, eager to send her as far away from me as possible. I need to untangle this lady-fest. I don’t like the gooey feelings it’s giving me.
“Thank you. Thank you. I love co-parenting.” Sophia takes the bait. She kisses me on the cheek and leaves on her mission.
When she’s gone, I rub her lip gloss off my face. She’s so darn affectionate and likable. Ugh. If she were a terrible person, like me, this would be a lot easier.
Roman is sulking in the hotel’s lounge when I find him. I drop onto the seat opposite as a server slides a Cuban coffee on the table. For once, he’s wordless as he stares into his cup.
“How did you think this would play out?” I ask. What Sophia said is true. If they marry, we’re stuck together to some degree.
“You keep pitting Sophia against me. Is that what you’re trying to do?”
That’s exactly the plan I mapped out. Though, to be fair, what just transpired wasn’t to destroy them. It’s a reality we’ll have to face. If they marry, Sophia will have to parent.
I inhale deeply. If.
“And this Nathan guy, I still don’t believe you’re dating him. I mean, you’re old. He’s too young for you,” Roman says.
My mouth drops open at his nasty jab .
“Tell me the truth.” Roman grabs my hand like he’s desperate. His eyes flicker with an emotion I recognize—jealousy.
My lips flatten as I consider an answer. Even though this was the outcome I schemed for, I’m too annoyed to take a victory lap.
“You’re the same age as me, and Sophia is slightly younger than Nathan. The only difference is Sophia’s too good for you. And I swear, Roman, if you hurt her the way you hurt me and Dex, I’ll come for you.”
I yank my hands away and rise from my seat, accidentally bumping the table. Roman’s coffee tips over and splatters everywhere.
“Jeanie!” Roman tugs his shirt. It’s drenched with brown spots.
“Nathan’s a better man than you’ll ever be.”
Before Roman can get a word in, I stride away. Though, at this second, I’m not sure who’s more stunned by my outburst—him or me.
It’s one of the many things that went haywire today. First, I kissed Nathan, and now, God help me, I’m sticking up for Sophia.
What’s next?
“Dex?” When he doesn’t answer, I ease open the bedroom door.
Dex lifts his head, looking like he hasn’t slept in days. He squints in my direction, groans, and face-plants into his pillow .
“Did you party hard last night, bud?” I ask in a cheery voice. Then I launch myself onto his mattress with a big bounce.
“Dad already yelled at me,” he croaks.
“But now it’s my turn,” I sing.
“Mom.” He whines and scrubs his forehead.
“Did you drink, smoke, do drugs, have sex, or get arrested?”
“Do you even know me?” He shoots me an annoyed glare.
“Just trying to be a better mom. Now, tell me about the Food and Wine Festival, minus the wine part.” I snuggle into the blankets.
“The food was awesome. Cuban food is smack. Rosemary ice cream is the bomb. I met Chef Georgiana. She’s hot. I think she’s single.” Without lifting his head from the pillow, he reaches for his phone to share their selfie. “She invited Freddie and me to a VIP party ... with a guardian.”
“You work fast!”
“I’m taking Grandma. She wants to meet Chef Gordon Wade.”
“I’ll bet she does.” Adios, Mr. Robert.
“What about the young ladies you were hanging with?”
“We’re going out dancing on Friday night.”
“The wedding is Saturday. You might want to be functioning for that,” I say in warning.
“You always complain you want me to do teenager things.”
“Yeah, but I never thought you would.” I ruffle his hair.
“Nathan said he would teach me how to dance. Not stripper dance, just normal dance. He’s cool. I like him.”
Dex leans on me, ready to doze, and I rub his back.
“He’s got some good qualities, I suppose.”
Even though I don’t want to, I can’t help thinking about all the things Nathan can teach me too.