Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
TRISTAN
Past all the jibs and jibes about my weekend, we make it to dessert.
I had no idea my boys would be so damned interested in Palm Springs, or the fact I spent the majority of it with Alison; not that they know that part.
Yet. We finally get off that subject and talk about everything from the new listings over the weekend, to our projects over the next three months, and Noah’s house hunting escapades.
“You know you can stay mooching off of me and Dad for as long as you like,” Joshua says. “It’s all never-ending costs when you get your own place. Not that I can’t afford it, but the bills and maintenance add up, it’s definitely a commitment.”
“I’ll keep it in mind for when I’ve finished mooching,” Noah quips back.
“It’s not a bad investment,” I add. “Getting your first place is important, you can always rent it out later when you start adding to your portfolio. That’s if it’s what you want.”
“Of course he does,” Bradley joins in. “He’s just too stingy to fork out the money for it, even though he’s been saving since he was six.”
We all chuckle. That sure is true enough.
“You know I’ll help. Not one of you will ever have to struggle,” I say. I’ve offered time and time again to help Noah purchase a place, he’s just fussy about what he likes and the “vibe” of the place. I get those things are important. I just wouldn’t mind seeing him put down some roots.
After we’ve cleared the table, I serve up tiramisu for dessert from the best little patisserie in town; Sweet Confetti Bakery. I top it off with a hit of espresso each and I’m hoping to steer the conversation even further away to one of their fluctuating love lives instead of mine.
But Noah is in fine form after sharing a glass of Shiraz and gets back down to business as soon as I sit down to eat dessert. Maybe he’s trying to steer the heat away from all the questions about his house hunt.
“So tell us more about the weekend, Dad. You’ve been awfully cagey, anyone would think you got lucky or something.” Noah licks the back of his spoon and waggles his eyebrows at me across the table. He’s obviously intent on not letting my tequila-filled weekend go in a hurry.
Joshua bursts into laughter and holds his hand to his chest. “TMI, thanks bro. I am trying to enjoy my dessert without feeling ill over where Dad might’ve?—”
Bradley runs a hand down his face. “Tell us you didn’t, Dad?” he groans.
“Didn’t what?” I shake my head. “Since when did I have to answer to you guys anyway? I feel like the kid here being interrogated by my parents.”
That only makes Noah chuckle even more. “I think he’s asking if you stuck it to Alison Archer, or anyone else at your high school reunion.”
I drop my spoon on my plate and point across at him. “Watch it!” I warn sternly. “Don’t talk about Ali like that or I’ll wash your mouth out with soap right here and now!”
“Oooh, touchy.” Noah waves his hands around in front of him as if to say ooh I’m scared.
“It’s Ali now?” Joshua elbows Noah in the side. “You dog, Dad! I never thought you had it in you, but I’m all for being proven wrong.”
“Fuck, Dad.” Bradley lets out an exasperated breath.
Noah and Joshua both laugh and I give them the side eye and throw my napkin down in exasperation.
“Listen. Nothing like that happened with Alison or otherwise. Have you all lost your minds?” I try my best to cover things up.
I fucking need to loosen my shirt buttons or something.
It’s feeling awfully stifled in here. Now is not the time or the place to talk to my children about my one-night stand with my archenemy/now not-so-enemy.
I have feelings for her, and they aren’t going to be easy to explain.
I need time to think about things. I don’t like lying to my kids, but it wouldn’t be fair to Ali to let the cat out of the bag without talking to her.
“And where are you getting all this information you keep spouting?” I ask Noah.
He continues with his tiramisu like it’s his mission in life. “From Dillon, he’s friends with Barbara Attwater’s son, Oliver.”
Barbara Attwater? I think back for a moment… Thoughts of Jellyfish Julie and her annoying friend flitter my thoughts, that almost instantly makes me feel annoyed.
For fuck’s sake. Seriously, can a person not go anywhere these days and not be ratted out by their own kids?
“He said you were cavorting with Ali, kissing and carrying on all night, and that you did some shots up at the bar and left together laughing and joking.” He gives me a smirk, like he didn’t just drop a fucking bombshell.
Again, three sets of eyes continue to stare at me.
I don’t know when they all suddenly became so invested in my love life.
I know the answer to that: never, since I haven’t had one since my divorce.
Sure, the casual acquaintances have been plentiful, but it’s not something we’ve sat around and talked about.
“Way to go, Dad!” Joshua muses, clearly gunning for the idea.
“Have you lost your marbles?” Bradley grunts.
Noah just claps his hands together and gives me a little eyebrow shuffle as if to say you’re welcome.
Maybe I have lost it. I run a hand through my hair and knock back my espresso, like that’s going to help. “You were the ones who all told me I don’t know how to have a good time,”I point out. “And I had a good time on Friday, can we just leave it at that?”
Joshua reaches over and pats me on the shoulder. “Don’t get so uptight,” he says. “None of us have seen you like this in a long time.”
“Like what?” I balk. I don’t understand what they’re seeing that I’m not. I make them dinner like this at least once a month. Maybe my whistling while I worked gave it away.
“Um, happy,” Noah offers. “Happy with something other than work, I mean.”
“I’ll second that.” Bradley nods, surprising me. He’s the hardest of the trio to even attempt to crack, always has been, but I love him dearly and he’s fiercely protective.
My eyes flick up at them, from Noah to Joshua, finally landing on Bradley. And something seems to settle between us, the air suddenly growing somber.
Bradley sighs. “It’s been years, Dad, it’s time.”
Alison
I think of nothing else for the entire weekend other than Tristan and what we did.
To top things off, I couldn’t find my panties when I left. I’m sure Mr. Forbes had something to do with that, but I haven’t had the gall to ask him anything.
I take Clementine out to Ruby’s for brunch Sunday morning and she chats about school and what she got up to with her grandparents on Friday night and most of Saturday while I was out gallivanting and getting drunk.
Thankfully, I don’t hear a word from Gareth.
We don’t often need to converse because our custody arrangement rarely changes.
She spends every second weekend with her father and the rest of the time with me.
Our pick ups and drop offs are a simple affair and require very little conversing.
I was half expecting a message from him about seeing me with Tristan, but I’m glad he hasn’t texted me.
“I saw Daddy at the reunion,” I say to Clementine gently. “Did he talk to you about anything recently?” I’m trying to gauge if he’s even explained his new engagement to our daughter yet.
“About him getting engaged to a twenty-four-year-old?” Clementine shudders.
My eyes widen. “So he told you then?”
“He called me on Saturday before you picked me up.”
Typical. He breaks news like that to his own daughter over the phone.
“How do you feel about that?” I ask. Not that she spends much time over there, but it’s going to obviously be a factor going forwards.
She shrugs and takes a sip of her orange juice, setting the glass back down and looking up at me. “Amber is okay to me, I guess. I haven’t been around her much in the past. But I know what Daddy did to you, and I don’t like either of them for it.”
I let out a breath and try to smile. “It’s okay, honey. I mean, it’s not okay when people hurt you, but sometimes things aren’t meant to last forever between two people. And it just wasn’t meant to be with me and your dad.”
“Will you ever get married again?”
I freeze, surprised by the question. I haven’t actually thought about it for a long time. I mean, I’d love to have someone to share my life with. Isn’t that what everyone is striving for? “Maybe,” I say. “But I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about that for a long while.”
Clementine lets out a little chuckle.
“What is it?” I laugh without knowing what she found funny. Just to see the sweet look on her darling face and having a heart to heart with my princess brings light to my soul.
“You’ll get married again for sure, Mom. You’re a hottie.”
I curl my bottom lip under for a moment and laugh. “A hottie?”
“Everyone thinks so.”
“What about when I go gray and get old?” I chuckle. But the moment I think about gray hair, I think about the hot man I spent the entire reunion flirting shamelessly with and humping all night. Nope. Gray definitely does not define being old. It’s a stupid stigma, now I think about it.
Nothing about Tristan Lucas is old.
“Even then!” she giggles.
I squeeze her hand across the table. “I love you, Clem.”
“I love you too, Mom.”