Chapter 30
The moment she saw the confusion on the woman’s face who opened the door mirrored in everyone in the rooms face, Stephanie knew that this wasn’t Court’s house like she had assumed.
Rebel might not have exactly said it was Court’s house, just that Court would be at the house after eleven the next day.
Which, even at the time, seemed pretty specific of a time and place for it to be her home.
But Stephanie’s mind hadn’t followed that path until right now.
Now standing in the open doorway of a stranger’s house, she knew she should’ve waited until Court showed up at the bar despite her embarrassment of going there night after night.
That would be far less embarrassing than this was.
She knew this was how Court felt whenever her siblings played a trick on Court. Had Rebel done this on purpose?
From her spot on the couch, Stephanie knew the beautiful woman was enjoying what was happening. This was exactly what she had planned, and she was reveling in it right now. Nobody else seemed to have the same reaction, so she hadn’t told anyone what she had done.
So far, Court hadn’t moved or said a thing, just staring at her in surprise. Not exactly a good surprise based on her reaction. In black jeans and a soft gray t-shirt, Court was motionless, no expression on her face.
“Who are you?” An older Asian woman demanded, a small cup in her hand.
“Stephanie Bexley,” she said, wanting the floor to swallow her in that moment.
“Oh, she’s Court’s Stephanie?” The younger woman had a grin on her lips. Stephanie had never seen her before, but she looked a lot like Rebel, so they had to be related somehow. What was more confusing was that she was wearing the same outfit Court had Friday night. Only she was wearing it better.
Tossing a magazine aside, Rebel jumped up from the couch, rushing towards them. “I invited her. Come in Stephanie, come in. Nice to see you again. Ma, look, she brought wine. And I believe white is your favorite. She must be looking to impress you.”
Rebel grabbed the bottle from her hands and handed it over to the older woman, who analyzed the label closely, and Stephanie was glad she had spent more than she usually did on the bottle.
That it was for Court didn’t matter if it got her in the door of this house. At least until Court kicked her out.
The woman glanced up from the label and tucked the bottle under her arm. “Court has a Stephanie? Why didn’t I know that? Are you good enough for my Court?”
“I’m not really hers.” Stephanie was pushed into the room by Rebel, who shut the door with a slam behind them.
“Court, you're Stephanie’s here.” The woman said cheekily.
“Court, come and introduce your Stephanie properly to everyone.” The older woman beckoned Court from the couch before yelling, “James, come meet Court’s Stephanie.”
Court finally got off the couch reluctantly.
She didn't seem all that happy that Stephanie was there. “Stephanie Bexley, like she already said. You know Rebel better than I thought it seems. And that’s Ellis, her sister.” She pointed at the woman behind Stephanie.
It was who she had thought it was. Then to the older woman, “This is Ji Ellis, and her husband James is in the backyard smoking something. Ellis and Rebel’s parents.
There are two more girls who are in their rooms, lucky enough to be missing all the drama Gracie and Elodie. ”
“Hi,” she said to them, feeling unwelcome.
Ji handed Rebel the wine and turned to Stephanie and looked her up and down, still holding the tiny cup. “What do you do?”
“I’m a part owner of a gym and teach classes in it, like yoga.” She answered quickly, which was easier than looking at the women who were staring at her as well.
The woman nodded at her and turned to Ellis. “Does that make any money?”
“Ma!” both of her daughters groaned.
“What? I need to know if she can take care of my Court. I don’t need some gold digger stealing any of my girls’ hearts.” She told them before turning back to Stephanie with a stern look, “In my family, we marry for love. My daughters’ hearts are tender. I must protect them.”
“I do okay, I guess.” She stammered, hoping she wouldn’t need to bring out the books on the gym.
They were barely doing okay today, but one day she hoped to make more.
Right now, she was struggling and couldn’t support another person.
Not that she had thought about it. In every scenario where she fell in love, they had a job and didn’t need support.
Did Court need support? Not that it mattered, they weren’t anywhere near that stage and would probably never get there.
Ji seemed to accept the answer, because she moved quickly onto another must in Court’s life. “Court likes Korean food. It’s her favorite. Can you make Korean food? You don’t look like you can.”
Rebel argued with her mother, “Eomma, that’s a bit racist. She could be a Korean chef, you don’t know.”
Shaking her head, Ji told her daughter, “She runs a gym, so can’t be a chef. So I’m not racist, Rebel, talented cooks learn at their mother’s knee. Her mother must have taught her to yoga.”
“I learned nothing from you.” Ellis took the bottle from her sister and analyzed the label.
Ji turned on her daughter. “You were too particular. I can’t deal with particular in my kitchen.”
“I don’t think you taught any of us to cook,” Rebel inserted as she went back to the couch.
“How many girls do you have, Mrs. Ellis?” Stephanie asked to get them to stop arguing, even though she knew it was four based on Court’s introductions.
“Four.” She held up four fingers and started pointing at them.
“Ellis, whose real name is Ailis, Rebel, whose real name is Rebecca, Elodie, she likes her name, Gracie’s the baby and Court.
I’m proud of each and every one of them.
A woman couldn’t ask for anything better from her daughters. They are my pride and my joy.”
In the count of her kids, she had run out of fingers, but had popped up her thumb when it was needed. Did she even notice that?
“You must be proud of them.” She said, because the woman beamed when she talked about them. Had her own mom ever bragged about her kids, mentioning nothing but their names? Or jobs, spouses or kids? Stephanie didn’t think so.
“I am. I love my girls and what they have become. What do your parents do? Do they make enough to support you and Court? My Court doesn’t come from money, but she has become accustomed to a lifestyle that few can afford.”
“Ji, stop. There’s no need to get into financials with her.” Court finally got off the couch. “Stephanie and I are not at the point where we’re thinking of a future together.”
“Why not? She's pretty and is courageous because she started her own company. You could do worse, Court, and I think you have done worse before. Doesn’t she mark every box you have for a significant other?” She turned on Court like she was the outsider now.
“Ma, let’s go get lunch ready.” Ellis started pushing her mom towards the back of the house and what was presumably to the kitchen.
“It is brunch, Sunday brunch.” Ji argued as she let herself be pushed with her little cup. Rebel followed, carrying the wine again. They had been handing it off since Stephanie got there.
Now alone with Court, Stephanie didn’t know how to start, so said the first thing that came into her head, “I’m sorry about… fucking everything. I can’t believe they treated you like that.”
“Don’t worry about it, Stephanie, this is my family.” She waved around the room.
“I went to the bar last night looking for you, Rebel said you’d be here today. Sorry I intruded on your family. She implied you lived here.” She hoped she believed her, because it was the truth.
“Did you only want to apologize?”
She took a deep breath and admitted the truth, the one she shouldn’t say out loud but couldn’t stop herself. “No, though I can’t see how there can be anything between us. I just want to be with you. For as long as you let me.”
“How about we see if you can make it through a brunch with the Ellis’s first?” Court said ominously.
An hour later, she realized why Court had been so concerned with her ability to stay.
Ji hadn’t let up on the questions yet. From schooling to the future, she had been quizzed about everything.
James, the four sisters and Court had been silent throughout most of it.
Though Ellis had managed to get a few tricky questions in, ones that told her she wasn’t fooling Ellis as to why she was here.