Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kendall
“You should really come for a visit,” my mother says. Her voice is low and drug out and I know it’s because she’s spent her entire day by the pool sipping cocktails.
She is the kind of woman that needs a man to take care of her. She seeks it, and when she feels like that man she is with isn’t pampering and catering to her enough, she moves on to the next one. She is dependent on attention, always needing to be at the center of it.
“You would love it here, Kendall,” she adds and I am pulled back to the conversation I wish I could avoid.
I love her, I do. But we are better at loving each other from afar. Emails are nice, but the face to face, the phone calls when I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying what I truly mean, those are the worst.
“Maybe soon, Ma,” I say. It’s what I always say.
“Richard’s house is amazing,” she adds and again the words are slow and drawn out, almost whiney.
“He owns a real estate company, selling million-dollar homes all over the coast. His house is extravagant, really. A kitchen that if I cooked would be a dream, a living room that is bigger than any home I’ve ever had.
The sprawling staircase is like something you’d see in a fairytale movie.
It’s incredible sweetheart, you must see it. ”
This goes on for at least another ten minutes.
I guess I am supposed to be impressed. I am supposed to feel jealous maybe, but the truth is I’d hate that kind of life.
Stuffy and expensive dinners with gowns and sipping pricey wine.
It sounds awful to me, but she is so wrapped up in being someone that she will pretend to be anything just to fit in.
Each man she dates she becomes a new version of herself.
A version that best suits the current fling.
Last year she met a rocker and started a new love with leather. It was leather everything, and she even shipped me a leather jacket care of her new beau. It’s still hanging in my closet with the tags on it.
“Listen I should get going to work.”
“Just another reason why you should move out here Kendall, my goodness still driving that tow truck.” She scoffs. “How will you ever meet a man wearing grey clothes and towing cars around Montgomery. Men don’t find that kind of thing sexy.”
“I don’t need a man, Mother.” And here we are full circle right back to the same things we are always going through. Her thinking I need to find a man to take care of me. “I take care of myself, Mother. I don’t need nor want a man to do it for me.”
“A spinster, you’ll be living in a house full of cats.”
“I prefer a dog.”
“Kendall, I am being serious.”
“Me too, I don’t find anything appealing about cleaning out litter boxes.”
“Can’t you be serious for one minute.” I picture her rolling her eyes and pursing her lips.
I don’t respond, knowing what I say will only make her carry on more and even longer.
So I let her lecture me. “A good man, they are hard to come by, but they are out there. A man that knows how to treat a lady. But right now I guarantee any man sees you pulling up in that big truck is probably scared of you.”
I smile but keep my mouth shut. I truly don’t give a shit.
“Dirty fingernails, greasy hair,” she huffs. It’s like she thinks I don’t bathe or get cleaned up at all. Like I’m a ratty grease monkey. Truth is this woman doesn’t know me at all. She never has, she’s never tried.
“Richard has a friend that has a son who just graduated law school and is moving to the area. He’s handsome enough.”
That’s code for unattractive but give it some time and his bank account will make you forget all about the fact you are married to an ogre.
“I don’t need you to set me up with anyone, I’m fine on my own.”
“Alone.”
“Who says I’m alone? Anyway, if I chose to be alone that is my problem and not yours. But just so you know I’m not alone, I just prefer not to allow any man to occupy all of my time. I like my life, just as it is.”
“I will never understand you, Kendall.”
I know this, and the feeling is mutual.
The problems with her and my family stemmed from the fact that my father was not rich enough.
Granted he has done pretty well for himself.
He’s managed to build a pretty well-known business in a competitive area.
But that would have never been enough for her.
She wants glam and glory and my father he is not a flashy man.
And I am not a flashy girl. I love getting dressed up and going out, don’t get me wrong.
But I’m a jeans or cutoffs, tank or T-shirt kind of gal on most days.
“Listen, Mom.” I know I am going to regret this and I am still not really sure about it myself. But I need her to back off, so I do something I know I shouldn’t. “I don’t need you to set me up with anyone, I’m already kind of seeing someone.”
She squeals, like really loudly which triggers my entire body to jerk in surprise.
“Oh my gosh Kendall, tell me everything. Is he good-looking, does he spoil you? Who is it?”
“Mom.” Regret is already rushing through me.
“Do I know the family?” She continues with the questions and I know they won’t stop till I give her something.
“O’Shay.” I am so unsettled about the entire thing. I’ve been trying all day to keep myself from calling Aaron and telling him it was a bad idea for me to agree to giving anything a try.
“Yes, I know the name,” she adds and I know she is smiling. If you are from around here, you know the name O’Shay. “Which one, wait.” She pauses and I know she is weighing it all out in her head. “Please tell me it’s the O’Shay boy. Kendall!”
I roll my eyes.
“Pull yourself together, woman,” I lecture her. “It’s new, very new.”
If I’m being honest with myself, I’m pretty sure that we won’t even get through the first month without it imploding and leaving us both angry and wounded.