August 8, 2004
"Connie...Connie...come away from the stairwell!"
"Shhhh! Don't make any noise!"
Lorelei rolled her eyes and dragged her husband back into their bedroom, making
sure to quietly shut the door behind her. "Stop standing there like some Nazi guard - "
"Forgive me for being a watchful parent." He began pacing back
and forth across the floor. "You mean to tell me that we're supposed to stay up here and do nothing while our son is
locked in his room...with a girl?"
"You mean you don't trust him?"
"Of course not! He's an eighteen-year-old boy with hormones!
Why would I trust him?"
"And he's a good eighteen-year-old boy," Lorelei insisted.
"I raised him right, you know."
"What do you mean you raised him right?" Conrad asked, lifting
an eyebrow. "I'm his father, and I helped raise him too."
"Yeah, when you weren't criticizing him or ignoring him -
"
"I never did that. I only encouraged him!" he barked rudely.
"All I wanted was for him to do his best and succeed. And so far he has - he's going to Yale and planning to major
in philosophy, just like his old man. You call that bad parenting, Lorelei? As usual, you're wrong."
"You're incorrigible!" she proclaimed, her brown eyes blazing angrily.
"That's just like you - always wanting to take credit for everything and never acknowledging the fact that you might have
made a few mistakes along the way. Well, guess what - you have!"
"Oh, so you want to talk about mistakes, huh?" he demanded, towering over
her and staring her square in the eye. "What about Richard's half-brother? You know, the one he doesn't even know
EXISTS?! The one you refused to tell him about because your ex-husband is supposedly a jackass - "
"He IS a jackass - "
"And what about that kid, Lorelei? Your other SON who grew up never
knowing his mother!" Conrad was clenching his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.
"I never said I didn't make mistakes!" Lorelei yelled, but then quickly composed
herself and lowered her voice. "And that's a whole other chapter of my life. That marriage was a mistake, yes
- "
"But what about your other son? Was he a mistake? And when were
you planning on telling Richard? I mean...Jesus, Lorelei! I'm your husband and I know nothing about who
you were once married to! Why do you have to keep everything bottled up inside?" Conrad asked crossly. "That's
your problem - it's no big deal reading people's auras or playing with your magical crystals or rallying for world peace,
but when it comes down to being truly HONEST with someone, you can't do it! I've been waiting for you to be honest with
me for eighteen years, Lorelei. And you still can't do it. That's why our marriage isn't working - because you're
too damn flighty to even be honest with your own husband."
"You're not my husband anymore," Lorelei said coldly. "You said that you
wanted a divorce...and I'm granting you one. So I hope that you're happy now."
"Fine." Conrad ran his hands through his hair and sighed in defeat.
"Fine, yeah. I'm happy now. And I hope that you will be too, because this just can't go on."
Instead of responding, Lorelei just swept past him in a huff. She ran
out of the room, slamming the door behind her and leaving him standing alone.
August 10, 2004
"How many times do I have to tell you, Stanley?" Scott Baker-Aldrick III
growled into the phone. "I need you to order a case of the red switches. Not blue, not green - RED! Now
go do it before your obvious short-term memory loss kicks in and I have to personally come down there and beat it into your
head. Thank you and goodbye!" He slammed down the phone and shook his head. It certainly was hard
finding good help these days.
"Scott, I need to speak with you."
He looked up at his wife, who was standing in the doorway of his office.
For once, she wasn't drunk, which surprised him. Lately, it seemed as if that was all she did. Well, getting drunk
and disappearing on outings with her many rich girlfriends.
"What do you want?" he grumbled as he sorted through the papers on his desk.
"I have work to do, so make it snappy."
"Yes, darling, I know you have work to do," she replied, rolling her eyes
exasperatedly. "You always have work to do. It's your life, remember? Work is your life and I'm
just some insignificant little speck of dust."
"Oh, for God's sakes..." Scott threw his pen down and whipped
his reading glasses off. "Must you always do this?!"
"Yes, I must! Until you stop being a cad and give me what I want."
"A divorce, huh?" He smirked callously. "You sure about
that, Virginia?"
"I'm sure that I don't want to be married to a vicious, cold-hearted
beast like you for another minute," she responded boldly. "I'm sick of playing second fiddle to you and being your
little housewife trophy. I found someone who will support my endeavors as a career woman, not some prize that was won
and who only lives to sit on a shelf and look pretty for her husband!"
"Fine, you'll get a divorce - and I'll get everything!" Scott
informed her. "That's because everything is mine, lovey. The house, the cars, the boat, the kid...it's all mine.
You'll have nothing."
"Don't you even try and bring Scott into this!"
"Why not? I'm the one who's paying for his schooling, his car,
his clothes, basically his entire life!" The elder Scott crossed his arms and smiled coolly. He always knew when
he had the upper hand. He was just a skilled businessman like that, and he'd milk it for all that it was worth.
"Listen, you jerk! I have a case too!" Virginia persisted. "I'm
the one who gave up everything and supported you when you were a poor college student. I was with you before
you earned your money, and I was there with you while you earned your money. Some people might say that entitles
me to half of what's yours."
Scott hated to admit it, but she might have a point. Yet, there
was no way that he was going to let her know that she did. Instead, he'd try another tactic.
"That may be so, darling, but you're the one who
cheated on me," he pointed out triumphantly. "Why would the judge give half of my earnings to a reckless whore?"
"It doesn't matter. We didn't have a prenuptial agreement," she
retaliated. "Because we had nothing when we got married!"
Damn. She had a point again. Maybe she had picked
up a thing or two from being married to a sly businessman like him.
"I have the papers here," Virginia continued as she tossed them
down onto his desk. "Just sign them and we can both get on with our lives because obviously this little arrangement
is no longer going to work."
Scott paused for a moment. She was right - their
marriage was dead, and it had been dead for awhile. The only reason they even stayed together was because of the
younger Scott, but he was grown up now and would be leaving for college soon. And it was also obvious that Virginia
was turning to alcohol to console her and make her feel better about the situation, which was a destructive habit. He
knew they couldn't go on living like this. He had no choice.
"Let me get a pen."
August 14, 2004
"Hmmm...doesn't look like much is on TV tonight," Jenn said disappointingly
as she flipped through the channels while curled up next to Richard on his couch. "Except for Fatal Attraction, if you're
in the mood for a taut, psychological thriller - featuring a crazy woman."
"Whatever you want," he replied absentmindedly. He seemed to
be on another planet entirely, and he had been acting that way all night. Normally, Jenn wouldn't have said anything,
but the fact that he was even watching TV alarmed her - usually he was the one lecturing her about
how TV ruins your mind and doesn't provide enough intellectual stimulation or whatever.
"Speaking of crazy women...Richard, you have got to talk to Angie,"
Jenn informed him firmly. "I mean, I get home from grocery shopping today and guess what was on my front doorstep?"
"Hmmm?"
"A stinky piece of moldy, rotting cheese!"
"So? Maybe some bird dropped it there."
"With a note attatched to it that read, 'Rot in hell, bitch'?" Jenn added
in disbelief. "Richard, seriously. She's starting to frighten me. I understand that she has feelings for
you, and I understand that you two used to spend a lot of time together before I came into the picture, but really now.
She's dangerously close to teetering over the edge here."
"Well...I guess I could have a word with her," he said as he let out a huge
sigh, to which Jenn just rolled her eyes.
"Gee, don't worry about my well-being or anything," she replied sarcastically.
"I think it's fun to have articles of decaying food with threatening notes dropped on my doorstep. The
next step: Murdering me while I'm in the shower."
"Hmmmm...." He barely even acknowledged the fact that he had
heard her, but instead furrowed his brow and stared off into space, as if he was deep in thought. Jenn stared at him
for a moment, cocking an eyebrow high in the air as she watched him attempt to calculate the speed of light in his head or
something along those lines. Either way, he was acting strange - even for him. He hadn't formed a coherent,
well-articulated sentence this whole night, which was odd. She was determined to figure out what was bugging him, even
if it killed her.
"...And so I think that we should have sex," she said casually, trying
to gauge whether or not he was paying attention. "Hot, passionate, juicy, burning sex - right here on this couch.
I've been saving myself for you for the past eighteen years, you know. So can we do it now?"
"Yeah, okay....whatever you want," Richard answered without much enthusiasm.
He kept that same faraway gaze on his face while nervously tapping his fingers on his knee. After a moment, he shook
his head out of the fog and looked at Jenn as if he just realized she was sitting there. "Oh, I'm sorry...did you
say something?"
"No, no....nothing at all." She exhaled impatiently and crossed her
arms in front of her chest. "What is with you? Why aren't you telling me that TV will corrupt my mind?
Why are you even sitting here and watching..." She paused and glanced at the screen. "An episode of 'Fear
Factor,'" she finished with a disgusted tone to her voice. "Ew, how did we even get on this anyway?! They're dunking
their heads in a vat of horse's blood! I think I'm going to puke!"
"It's all just downward social comparison," he said, although his voice
lacked its usual luster. "We watch it so that we can say, 'Yes, my life may be a bottomless pit of crap, but at least
it's better than these people right here.'"
"Whatever, they're the ones getting paid a million dollars to do it,"
Jenn muttered. She winced as the guy on screen fished out a rubber ring with his teeth - and his face was covered entirely
in blood. "God, that's nasty. I'd rather watch the movie about the psychotic woman who tries to murder her lover's
wife."
It was evident that he wasn't going to be changing the channel
anytime soon, since he was too involved in his current train of thought. Because his sunglasses were off, Jenn
could tell that he wasn't really even focusing on the screen, but instead just sort of staring right through it. She
was growing bored, and if he wasn't interested in entertaining her through the ways of the media, at least he could entertain
her in other ways.
Jenn propped her feet up underneath her so that she was closer
to his level and leaned into him, figuring he'd take the hint. But then again, he was a boy, and subtle hints weren't
exactly his strong suit. When he didn't respond, she draped her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled her nose
against his cheek. She figured that would definitely convince him that she wanted some action, but since he was
still in la-la land, it didn't seem to work. Trying not to become too frustrated, Jenn gently turned his chin towards
her and kissed him. She expected to feel that electrifying spark run through her like it usually did whenever
they kissed, but he wasn't as receptive as usual, and his lips felt dull and unresponsive. She broke away for a second,
and then kissed him again, but with a greater urgency. Still, he definitely seemed to be preoccupied with something
else. Slowly, her lips slid off of his and she opened her eyes, peering at him strangely.
"What's wrong?" Jenn asked. "Please tell me, because I'm really starting
to wonder if aliens have taken over your brain or something."
"I...I...don't know," he answered honestly, averting his eyes away from her.
"Oh," she replied as she unlocked her arms from around him and sat back on
the couch. "Um...is it me?"
"No, no, no," he insisted in a rush. He scooted closer to her and brushed
back a piece of hair from her forehead. "You're wonderful."
"Then what is it?" she practically demanded.
"I just...I don't know. I might be acting overly paranoid, but I think
something's going on with my parents. Something...not good."
"Like what? Have they been fighting a lot?"
"Well, you know how my mother is. She's a free spirit and very
open and communicative, but lately she's been oddly quiet. And she looks like she hasn't slept in a year."
"What about your dad?" Jenn wondered as she curled up next to him again
and leaned her head against his chest. "But I guess it would be kind of hard to notice a change in him. He's kind
of...distant anyway."
"I haven't noticed a change in him personally, but I have
heard them arguing late at night. I can't make out what they're saying, but it doesn't sound friendly. And when
I went into his den to get the copy of Plato's The Republic that he borrowed from me, I discovered
these strange brochures on his desk...for a ski resort in Vermont. Something called Sugarbrush Mountain Resort
and Spa, I don't know. But I don't get it." Richard sighed and lazily ran his fingers through Jenn's hair, feeling
more confused and frustrated the more he talked about the situation.
"Hmm, well, maybe they're planning a ski and spa vacation?" Jenn
suggested. "Orrrrr...maybe they're giving one to us as a Christmas gift!" she added jokingly. Yeah right, like
that'd ever happen.
"It's so cute the way you live in a fantasy world, darling," he replied,
cracking a slight smile. "But I seriously doubt it. He's never been interested in skiing before, or any other
kind of sport. Or spas...whatever the heck goes on there."
"Maybe him and your mom - "
"I think that he's having an affair," Richard blurted out. No
way....he couldn't have possibly said what she thought he did. Jenn raised her head and looked at him with wide,
surprised eyes.
"Are you serious?" she asked in a hushed voice. "No way.
No way would your dad be cheating on your mom. I totally don't picture him doing that."
"But he's never home, Jenn - "
"He's a professor," she argued. "He stays late to grade papers
and stuff."
"He's been a professor for my entire life, and only within the past
year has he stayed out until 2:00 am to "grade papers." When he is home, him and my mother fight like cats
and dogs. They think I'm asleep, but the walls in this house are thin. Then the next day, the cycle repeats and
my normally vibrant looking mother is walking around with bags underneath her eyes. And this ski resort thing - "
"So you think that he's making a move to meet his sweetie on the side
at a ski resort?" Jenn asked doubtfully. "That's...too weird. I mean, your parents are like...old! And so
are my parents! And this type of thing only happens in the movies!"
"What, you're saying that parents can't have sex - "
"Ew, don't ever say 'parents' and 'sex' in the same sentence again,"
Jenn commanded, shuddering.
"Maybe I'm just being paranoid," Richard said. "I could be over-analyzing
everything. My mother and father could just be going through some hard times, that's all. And you're right
- maybe he's planning on taking her to the ski resort to try and fix things, like as an 'I'm sorry' present."
"See? It makes sense if you think about," she replied wisely.
"No need to worry. Everything is all good."
"It is." He took her head in his hands and leaned in, brushing
his lips against hers and starting an electrifying train of kisses.
"Except..."
"Ughhhh...?" she groaned, anxious to get back to the smooching.
"I get on a plane to Connecticut in a week...and I won't be back until December."
"Richard, you're going to Yale. I think that qualifies as a good excuse
to get on a plane to Connecticut," Jenn replied teasingly.
"But what about us?" he asked.
"I told you - just because I'm going to school in-state doesn't mean anything.
I'll be right here when you come back. I promise."
"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep," he responded just as
teasingly.
"And you should learn to have more faith in your girlfriend,"
she said, punching him lightly on the arm.
"Oh? Why?"
"Because I...." Jenn stopped short. For weeks, they
had been playing this unspoken game where one of them would get close to saying 'I love you' but then they would chicken
out or stop abruptly. She wanted to say it, but she didn't want to say it first. What if he didn't feel
the same way? What if he only said it back just because she said it first? What if he didn't really mean it?
Those questions always flew through her mind whenever she got close, and they prevented her from ever completing the
sentence. Besides, saying 'I love you,' was a big deal for the both of them, considering Jenn had never really been
in love and she was sure that he hadn't either. She didn't want to say it and then regret it, which was why she wanted
to wait until the right time, when she was certain that she could say it and fully mean it. But would it ever be
the right time?
"....I like your shirt," she finished quickly.
"You like my shirt?"
"Uh, yes." To shut him up and prevent him from asking further questions,
she placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled his head down so that she could kiss him.
They were so involved with that, they didn't hear Richard's father
come into the room - and they definitely didn't see the angry expression he wore on his face. He stood there for a moment,
waiting for his son to acknowledge his presence, but obviously he was more interested in making out with his girlfriend.
The nerve.
"Ah-ah-EM!" Conrad cleared his throat loudly, and the couple jumped
apart in surprise. "Thank you. Richard, I must have a moment of your time."
"Uh, alright ..."
"Tomorrow night - what are your plans?" his father inquired,
the tone of his voice 'business-as-usual.'
"Well..." he began cautiously. "Jenn and I were going to
see an independent film at the art house - "
"Cancel those. You're having dinner with me instead...at
The Piper."
"What?" Richard looked genuinely confused and he glanced at Jenn,
but she just shrugged slightly. "The Piper? Why?" It was a restaurant notorious for its stuffy atmosphere
and expensive, exotic dishes - a meal from there definitely didn't run cheap.
"Because I have something important to discuss with you, that's
why," Conrad replied gruffly. "So I take it that you'll join me? We'll leave at 7:00. I already made the
reservations for 7:30."
"Can Jenn come too?"
Conrad stared at the girl in question, who was sitting meekly
on the couch and trying to blend in with the material. He had a feeling that she was always nervous around him, but
it's not like he blamed her. He hadn't exactly warmed up to her the way his wife had.
"No, it's fine..." Jenn started anxiously. "Um, you two
can go. I can always call Kim and - "
"I suppose she can come," Conrad interrupted, resisting
the urge to roll his eyes. "But make sure she gets here right at 7:00. The restaurant won't hold our
table if we're late."
"You can tell her directly, dad. You don't have to talk
about her as if she's not here," Richard replied with an edge to his voice.
"Sorry," his father answered, but he didn't sound the least bit
apologetic. "Well, I have some work to do, so I'll be going now." He adjusted his wire-rimmed spectacles before dashing
out of the room.
"Well...that was interesting," Jenn remarked.
"I'm not sure if I want to go to this dinner." Richard
groaned and leaned his head back on the couch. "I have a feeling that father-son bonding time is not what he had in
mind."
"I guess we'll find out. But don't worry...everything will be
fine," she said soothingly, although she wasn't so sure anymore.
August 15, 2004
Richard and Jenn followed a very dapper-looking Conrad Forkiedough
into The Piper. He had said maybe two words during the car ride over, which made the excursion somewhat of a strain.
The tension between the three of them was so thick that you could cut it with a knife, and Jenn almost wished that she had
decided to have a girly sleepover with Kim instead. But it was obvious that Richard needed her to be there, or else
he wouldn't have asked if she could come. Reluctantly, she held on to his hand and smoothed down her knee-length red
skirt and matching silk top with the other hand. It was going to be a long night.
"The reservation should be under 'Dr. Forkiedough,'" Conrad said importantly
to the maitre'd. "For 7:30."
"Ah, yes. Right this way, sir." The maitre'd grabbed three
cloth-covered menus and led them into the dining area. "The finest table in the house, as requested." He came
to a stop by a grand table right in front of the window, where they had a glorious view of the city lights that twinkled down
beneath them. Already a bottle of champagne was chilling in a silver bucket alongside crystal glasses. The only
problem was...there were six crystal glasses.
That's when Jenn and Richard noticed that their table was already occupied
with three other people.
"Wow, hey guys!" Jodie Sweetin chirped in her overly-cheery voice.
She looked radiant in a purple strapless dress that was accentuated by a pair of sparkly diamonds that winked in her ears.
"Uh....I didn't know you would be here." She glanced at Scott, who raised
his blue eyes and stared at the newcomers with an obvious un-amused expression on his face. He turned to his mother
and glared at her.
"Oh, so you invited them along," he said in a snooty voice.
"How perfect...and also very confusing."
"What's going on?" Richard asked, looking from his father to Virginia,
to Scott and then back to his father again. "Why are we here? And why are they here?"
"Richard, just sit down and I'll explain everything," Conrad assured
his son.
Slowly, Richard and Jenn sat down, feeling somewhat awkward and bewildered.
The fact that Scott, Jodie and Virginia were there just added to whole mystery of the evening and made it more frustrating.
"Dad..." Richard stared at his father with pleading brown eyes.
"Please...tell me what's going on."
"Let's order first, and then we can have a chat," Conrad responded.
"No!" Richard said loudly, which surprised everyone. "I don't
want to have a chat! I want to know what's going on and I want to know now."
"We might as well tell them, Conrad," Virginia interjected. "Obviously
they're both curious, and they have a right to be. Now is definitely the time."
"Alright then." Conrad took off his glasses and cleaned
them with his napkin before going on.
"A year ago, I met Virginia through a mutual friend at a cocktail party.
He's a colleague of mine, and basically needed a designated driver for the night. But anyway, Virginia and I connected
that evening - we talked for almost the entire time, and we talked about everything. Art, music, literature, poetry...I
had never met someone who was so serious about the arts and the meaning of life. It didn't surprise me to learn that
she used to be a classics major at Columbia. But ever since then...we've been....seeing each other...."
"....What?" Scott interrupted, clenching his fingers around his champagne
glass. "What do you mean by seeing each other?"
"I think you know what it means, dear," Virginia answered.
"Of course I know what it means!" Scott roared. "But I never expected
my own MOTHER to be doing it!"
"Oh God..." Richard trailed off, feeling slightly ill. He reached
for the water glass and took a large sip, as if swallowing vast amounts of liquid could wash away the sick feelings churning
inside of him. "So you're saying that you've been cheating on mom this whole time?! And you brought me here to
a restaurant to tell me this?!"
"Your mother and I have been fighting for quite some time, Richard.
We're both two different people, and a marriage just won't work between us any longer. We can't go on fooling ourselves
like this," Conrad said solemnly.
"How could you?!" Richard spat out angrily.
"How could you do this to her? I can't believe you...so now what, dad? Now what?"
"We're getting a divorce."
"Oh God - " Richard repeated, covering his face with his hands.
Jenn reached out and tentatively rested her hand on his shoulder, in an effort to comfort him somewhat. "A divorce!
But...but..."
"Don't worry about it," Scott put in blandly, contorting his
face into a smirk. "My old man is divorcing my mother too. Well, she's the one who gave him the
papers...right, mother? Was that how it went?"
"You knew it was coming, Scott," his mother insisted. "Your father
and I don't love each other anymore, and we can't continue fighting. It's making a mess of our lives. But Conrad
and I...we do love each other."
"That's fucking adorable," Scott replied, rolling his eyes. "Really,
I'm touched."
"I can't accept this," Richard stated. "I just can't. I'm
sorry, but this is just ridiculous. You mean to tell me that you two have been carrying on an affair for the past year
and you bring us to a restaurant to tell us that you're both getting divorces and our lives will be ruined?!"
"There's more," Conrad replied seriously. "Virginia and I...we're
getting married."
Complete and utter silence overcame the table. No one knew what to
say. No one even dared to breathe.
"WHAT?!" Scott suddenly exploded, bolting up from the table and throwing
down his napkin. "Are both of you completely and totally INSANE?!"
"Both of the divorces will be finalized in December," Virginia informed everyone.
"Conrad and I have been planning a luxurious wedding at the Sugarbrush Ski Resort and Spa..."
"No." Richard shook his head and stood up from the table as well.
"No. No. This is not happening."
"All of your friends are invited!" Virginia insisted, as if that would smooth
things over. "You all can travel up there for your winter break, and then we'll have the wedding. We want it to
be a fun time for you all too."
"I even brought you some brochures to look at, son." Conrad reached
into his jacket pocket and placed some glossy, colorful pamphlets on the table. "It's the perfect vacation spot!"
"And so what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to accept this or be
happy about it?" Richard demanded, shoving the brochures off of the table. "I don't want any part of this. None
at all! This is the dumbest thing you have ever done, dad!"
"Oh, and what about me?!" Scott asked fiercely. "Like I'm supposed
to go skipping through the fields because of this wonderful news, mother! God, you are SO selfish - "
"I love him," Virginia broke in defiantly. "And maybe it IS about time
that I was selfish, Scott. All my life I've catered to your father's needs and gave up everything for him - my career,
my schooling...everything! Now I love Conrad. And nothing you can say or do will change that."
"I hate you," Scott whispered, narrowing his eyes at his mother.
"What was that, young man?"
"I said...I HATE YOU!" He yelled, attracting the attention of everyone in
the room. "I hate you and I wish that I was never even born! God! I'm so fucking sorry that I screwed
up your life, you rotten bitch! I'm sorry that I ruined your oh-so-lucrative potential career! Just...fuck
you! And fuck you too!" he added, turning towards Richard. "I'd rather have my eyeballs covered in honey
and ripped apart by red fire ants than be your brother."
"Step-brother," Richard corrected with gritted teeth. "Step-brother...and
don't you ever forget it either!"
"I need a cigarette," Scott grumbled. He patted down his pockets out
of instinct, but then realized that he had given up cigarettes a long time ago. "Damnit! I need one now!"
Out of anger, he furiously tossed a champagne glass against the wall, and the glass shattered into a million
tiny pieces.
"Scott, stop it!" Jodie hissed. "You don't need a cigarette!
You can live without them!" She got up and grabbed his arm, but he jerked away.
"Leave me alone!" he growled before taking off towards the exit.
"Um - " Jenn began hesitantly, but Richard just turned and ran out
of the restaurant before she could finish.
"We better go after them," Conrad said hastily. They both followed
their respective sons, leaving Jenn and Jodie alone at the table.
"Sooo...." Jodie began, drumming her fingers on the tablecloth.
"You hungry?"
"A little," Jenn confessed.
"I have Scott's credit card. We could order something," she said deviously.
"Jodie! Geez!" Jenn propped her chin up in her hands and sighed.
This 'dinner' was certainly a disaster, and the only thing it accomplished was predicting future disaster in the coming
months.
"Mmmm....I could go for some chocolate," Jodie stated. "We'll
split the Chocolate Thunder cake."
"Jodie...what do you think is going to happen?" Jenn asked seriously.
"I mean, this is huge for both of them. A wedding? A new family? It's a lot to take in one night."
"Well, I guess it's just like...life is full of surprises," Jodie said
wisely. "And when we get stuff thrown at us, we can either let it hit us or we can throw it back. I really hope
they throw it back, you know?"
"So you're saying that they should try to make the best out of it?"
"Something like that. But I think it'll be okay. I really do.
And this ski resort is supposed to be beautiful." She picked up one of the discarded brochures from the floor.
"'Here at Sugarbrush Mountain Resort, we offer complete planning services for your dream wedding including catering, luxurious
tents, horse-drawn carriages, floral, photography and a beautiful setting - inside and out,'" she read.
"I guess..."
"'I've been wanting to thank everyone at Sugarbrush for putting together
an amazing, incredible wedding for us. It was more than we could have ever hoped for' - Mary Johannsson, Bride,
September 2000,'" Jodie continued. "Wow, and if that testimony doesn't say it all, I don't know what does."
"I don't know about this." Jenn sighed. "I just don't know."
"It'll be fine. We just have to be there for them." Jodie grinned
and held up her glass. "To the Sugarbrush Resort, new families...and hot ski instructors named Pierre."
"Hear, hear." They clinked their glasses together.
If only they knew what they were getting into.
August 22, 2004
The lights in the airport were practically blinding. Jenn
had to blink three times before she could even see where she was going, but it might have also been the fact that she was
extremely distracted. Here was she, about to see Richard off and say goodbye before he boarded a plane to Connecticut.
His parents were with them too, of course, but the situation was somewhat awkward because of their impending divorce.
Lorelei remained in good spirits, however, and she doted over her son like an attentive mother would.
"Richard, do you have something to read?" she asked anxiously. "And
something to eat? I'm sure that the food on the plane is ghastly."
"I have both, mom," he replied. "I'll be fine."
"Oh, my little baby boy - going to college," she gushed, clasping her hands
in front of her. "Your chi is positive, as you are about to enter a new stage of your life. But just remember
that I am always here for you if you need support and guidance."
"Yes, yes - I know," Richard said in a rush. His flight number was announced
then, so his mom didn't waste any time in enveloping him in a hug.
"Now listen," she said, squeezing him tightly. "I want you to call me as
soon as you get there."
"I will."
Lorelei pulled away, and Conrad stepped over. They paused for a moment,
but then Conrad leaned in and gave his son a quick hug.
"You'll be brilliant, as always."
"Thanks, dad," Richard said blandly, pulling away from his father and avoiding
any sort of eye contact.
"Connie..." Lorelei glanced at him pointedly. "Let's give them a chance to
say goodbye," she said, nodding towards Jenn. "We'll be over here in the lounge."
Reluctantly, Conrad followed Richard's mom into the airport lounge, leaving him
standing with Jenn.
"So..." she began, already feeling the tears start to well up in her eyes.
No, she couldn't cry! That was so incredibly wussy of her. She had to stay strong and not break down just because
she wouldn't see him again until December. "What am I going to do without you?"
"I don't know...watch endless amounts of TV?"
"But someone always told me that it'd rot my mind," she replied with a slight
smile. "And that it contributes to the downfall of society or some crap like that."
"What a moron," Richard scoffed jokingly. "You really shouldn't be
associating with those kinds of people, Jenn."
She wrapped her arms around his neck in response, and stood up on her
tiptoes so that she could look him in the eye. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses, which was unusual. But then again,
he probably would have attracted a lot of unwanted attention if he was wearing black shades in an airport.
"I don't mean to sound all mom-ish, but could you call me when you get there?"
Jenn asked.
"Of course."
"Well, I guess..." she tilted her face up expectantly. "I'll talk to you
soon then." She closed her eyes as he bent his head and kissed her, slowly, because they both knew that it
would be the last time for quite awhile. Jenn ran her fingers through his hair and held him to her, the tears falling
from her closed eyes and sliding down her face. She didn't want to let go, and they would have stood there forever
if it were not for the annoying intercom that clicked on and announced the final boarding call for Flight 374 to
Connecticut.
Gradually, he broke the kiss but his lips remained in close proximity
to hers.
"Nunc scio quit sit amor," he murmured against her mouth. It was in
Latin - of course. She had no freaking clue what he had said, and they were the last words he'd speak to her.
"What?" Jenn asked breathlessly as he pulled away from her.
"What does that mean?"
"Look it up," he responded with a sly smile. "Goodbye, Jenn."
She remained standing in the terminal in a daze, watching as he disappeared
into the gate with the other passengers. The trance was broken, however, when Richard's parents came and gently led
her away so that they could head home.
In the car, Jenn was so distracted by what he had said that she
couldn't even think straight. Lorelei attempted to make conversation, but all Jenn could do was smile weakly or mutter
the occasional 'Uh-huh.' When they finally dropped her off at her house, she dashed up the stairs and into her dad's
den. Grabbing his Latin dictionary off of the bookshelf, she quickly sat down and began looking up each of the words
until she was able to form the sentence in English:
"Now I know what love is."
She let out a gasp of surprise, and then started laughing - but
she wasn't sure why. She was just incredibly overwhelmed and shocked, and it seemed like a natural reaction.
"See you in December," she said to no one, the words falling off of her
lips and evaporating once they hit the air.
