Chapter 18 #2
I’m so intrigued with this family and start asking questions, wanting to get to know them better.
We cover a variety of subjects, and when I ask Kaylee about what she does, Melodie jumps in over Kaylee’s hesitation.
“She lives in New York and works at a big-deal fashion house in downtown Manhattan. She was the youngest merchandising assistant in the history of the company and got promoted to visual merchandising manager within the first year. She runs the entire textile department now!” She sits back, looking incredibly proud of her sister.
“So, my sister’s basically a big deal and can do no wrong. ”
Kaylee looks uncomfortable with her sister’s praise. “I’m not a big deal.”
Melodie makes a noise of disagreement.
I can’t help but chime in. “I actually know quite a bit about the fashion industry, and I’m with Melodie on this.
” Melodie looks pleasantly smug. “Running the textile department at a major fashion house in New York City? That’s an incredibly prestigious position!
You can’t be that old, so you must be amazing at what you do!
” I sit back and look at Kaylee, and an unexpected swell of pride hits in my chest. “I’m bursting with pride simply because I know you!
And your perusal of my clothing when you first saw me makes more sense now. ”
“Did I do that?” Kaylee’s hands fly to her cheeks, and a blush colors her face. “I’m so sorry! It’s a habit I’m trying to break.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head a little.
“It was fine.” I brush it off. “So, if you work in Manhattan, why are you in Austin?”
“I always take a month off after fashion week. I need it to decompress, so I spend the time bouncing back and forth between my mom’s and Melodie’s places.
And now,” she announces to the entire table, “it’s time to talk about someone else.
Melodie works for a start-up fitness company on their social media team, and my mom has a small yoga studio where she teaches classes on the weekends, and they are both incredible. ”
I continue asking questions about what they’ve told me—plus anything else that pops into my mind along the way—and find I like Mallory’s family. Quite a bit. These are women I could see myself wanting to spend time with, had we not met under the circumstances of my complete humiliation.
“She’s doing it again.” Melodie is looking straight at me.
“What am I doing?”
“You’re letting yourself get embarrassed again. I can tell by the look on your face. Don’t do that.” She turns to address Mallory. “You’re right. She really would be bad at poker.”
I look over at him, confused about why she would say that to him, but all he does is shift in his seat.
Kaylee begins laughing. “When Melodie . . .” She can’t talk because she’s laughing so hard, which makes Pam and Melodie start giggling.
“When she . . .” she keeps laughing, tears starting to form in her eyes, and the other two are now laughing as hard as she is, “started demanding the names of the women Cooper was seeing and beating him up?—”
Melodie realizes what Kaylee is referencing and lets out a billowing “GAFAW!” Her next words come out between her laughter.
“I can’t imagine what you must have been thinking!
I was so furious with him when I thought he was seeing all sorts of women without telling me.
I ask him about dating all the time, and he always denies seeing anyone. You must have thought I was a lunatic.”
“I’m going to take credit for the entire situation.” Pam looks very happy with herself.
“Credit? Don’t you mean blame?” Mallory’s head shifts to an angle as he eyes his mom.
“No, son. If I hadn’t insisted to Kaylee that we show up early, Stephanie wouldn’t be having dinner with us right now. Girls?” She looks to Melodie and Kaylee for support.
“Absolutely.” They both echo, and Melodie even applauds her mother for a few seconds.
Pam reaches out and holds Mallory’s hand. “It had been too long since I’d seen you, and I didn’t want to wait. I make no apologies.”
“Can we talk about that? Why are you even here?” Melodie’s eyes are slits and rake over Pam and Kaylee, as if she were a detective in a second-rate novel. “I thought I got Cooper all to myself tonight!”
“You always think you should get him all to yourself.” Kaylee takes a piece of bread from the table and plops it in her mouth. “But if you must know, Coop called us and wanted to set up a little surprise party for your birthday.”
“My birthday isn’t until next month.”
“Yeah, we know.” Kaylee does jazz hands and gives an exaggerated smile. “Surprise!”
Melodie looks at Mallory with her sweetest smile. “Big Bear, you are simply the best.” She leans over and gives him air kisses across the table.
Mallory leans back into the bench. “We don’t get together as much as we’d like, so I thought I would make the most of it while I’m in town.” He gives his mom and Kaylee a look of pretend frustration. “Little Bear and I were supposed to be seated and already eating when you two showed up.”
Melodie sits up. “If this is my birthday party, do I get presents?” Her lips are pouty and adorable, and if she were my little sister, I would be completely incapable of saying no.
Kaylee and Pam both take small packages out of their purses. Melodie opens a beautiful and feminine necklace from Kaylee and gift certificates for a spa gift from Pam. Then she turns her expectant gaze to Mallory.
“You’re an entitled twerp, so I didn’t get you anything.” Mallory’s voice convinces no one. He materializes an envelope from somewhere and hands it to her. “Open that later. You might be annoying,” he gives her a small wink, “but you’ll always be my last love, Little Bear.”
Kaylee slams her fist on the table. “What the heck, Cooper! You always say that I’m your love.”
Mallory briefly closes his eyes and begins to backpedal. “Kay, you’re my number one love, because you’re the oldest and came first! She came last, so last love.”
The two dissolve into some kind of “fight” about who loves who the most, and I simply watch.
I’ve never been a jealous kind of person, but I find I am right now. I’m jealous of what Mallory has with his family.
My family was distant, controlling, and manipulative.
My parents tolerated each other, I was invisible to my father, and I was nothing more than a commodity to my mother.
There was never laughter, banter, or the kind of lighthearted ribbing and teasing that’s been going on here all night.
To me, family was to be endured, not celebrated or enjoyed.
I have a front-row seat to four people who seem to thrive on savoring each other’s companionship. I’ve never seen this type of interaction before in a family—never really knew it existed—but in this moment, I know it’s what I’ve wanted my entire life.
How can someone want something their entire life without knowing it existed?
My thoughts are pulled back to the present when Pam, who has been silent during most of this exchange, clears her throat in an authoritarian kind of way.
“Except you, Mom!” Mallory places his hand over his heart and bows his head, like he’s greeting royalty. “You’ll always be the first and most-important love of my life.” The superiority of Pam’s smile elicits groans from the girls, but they quickly dissolve into more laughter.
“Here’s another reason why I have to keep you all apart! You turn everything into a disaster.” Mallory is talking under his breath, but he knows everyone can hear him. “You’re all a menace to society.” His double-dimpled smile gives him away; he thinks nothing of the kind.
For some reason, seeing Mallory in this simple moment releases a legion of butterflies in my stomach.
How could I have so boldly misread this man for so long?
I turn my face away from Mallory, afraid the look on my face will give me away, and find Pam looking at me.
“Stephanie, where are you staying while you’re here?”
“I’ve got a suite at the Marriott downtown.”
“No you don’t.” I have no idea what she’s about to suggest, but her tone is that of a woman who knows how to get what she wants.
Somehow I know it’s going to be almost impossible to contradict whatever it is.
“Go ahead and cancel that. You’ll be staying with me at my house.
” She addresses Mallory but doesn’t look away from me.
“Cooper, is it alright if I move you into your old room and give Stephanie the guest house out back?” It was formed like a question but was undeniably a direct order.
“That’s okay, Pam, I don’t want to impose?—”
“Stephanie,” Kaylee’s smile is too smug for my liking, “you don’t know my mother very well, but there’s no use trying to fight. Besides, the guest house is going to be better than any hotel room.”
I dare a glance at Mallory, and he catches my eye. Why is it that after everything I’ve done to him, he doesn’t look like he hates the idea? Or like he’s going to put up much of a fight against his mother? In fact, he looks . . . curious? Resigned? Dare I say, anticipatory?
Against my better judgement, I make my decision. “Yeah, okay. That sounds nice.”
What. Am. I. Doing?
I peek over at Mallory again. He’s still looking at me, and I’d give anything to know what is going on inside his head.