Another story in my Rich and Famous But Wanting More universe. Those stories include:
Not for the innocent -- Lisa's origin story
I love you
Boomerang
Hard Times
*****
I sat across from a good-looking guy, but he seemed too uninterested. He was a friend of a friend who thought we'd be good together, but I was thinking she was wrong. The television on the wall behind me was more important to him than I was.
Suddenly, he looked away from the TV and said, "I got it now! You're her! I knew I recognized you. You're the one who fucked around on Jimmy Mace. I'm gonna have to send our mutual friend some flowers or something for setting me up with you."
He licked his lips and winked at me. That was the end of that date. That's how most of my dates ended in the three years since I made the stupidest mistake of my life.
I stood and said, "It was nice to meet you. Goodbye."
I walked out of the restaurant and made my way to my car, thinking once again, how could I have been so stupid?
For a few days, I was pop star Jimmy Mace's girlfriend. He spent the better part of a year trying to get me to go out with him, but I didn't want any part of being caught up in the whirlwind of his life. I finally realized I was being silly and went after him aggressively. Then I blew it all up.
I don't remember having sex with his friends. It could have been one of them, or it could have been both, I have no idea. All I know is, I got drunk then I got fucked. Jimmy found us in bed, ended it with me, and I've been a pile of regret ever since.
My sister didn't talk to me for almost a year. My mother was cold and had some fallout at her work because of me being on every gossip-based TV show for a week. That was weird because when I graduated college, they hired me in their accounting department with no questions asked.
My father, in a way, was the worst. He's never looked at me the same since. Don't get me wrong; we still talk a lot, and he loves me as much as he ever did, it's just, how should a father feel after hearing his daughter acted like a slut?
Calling myself a slut is funny. I was a virgin and don't remember losing my virginity. I haven't been with a man since, so can I call myself a slut? Maybe, just call me stupid.
It's been hard to find a man interested in me, just me. Most everybody knows me as the girl who cheated on Jimmy Mace, so most of my dates thought I was an easy lay. Every one of those guys was disappointed by the end of the evening and never got a second date.
The only guy who got a second date in the last three years didn't bring up Jimmy Mace on the first date. He played the "slow" game and waited until our second date to try and get me into his bed. He was disappointed as well.
After that last fiasco of a date, I swore off trying to meet someone. If it happened, it happened, but I was done putting myself out there. I wondered if becoming a nun was an option for me, then I realized I wasn't religious.
*****
Six months later, I stood in front of a department store window looking at the Christmas display. Julia yelled, "Hey! Mom and Dad want to move closer to the street now."
We were in New York for the Thanksgiving parade, and I didn't feel like fighting with crowds. I lost the battle and ended up having to go. It was our family's tradition and Mom wouldn't allow it to be broken. We were also supposed to be meeting Julia's new boyfriend, and Mom and Dad were excited for that. I, on the other hand, was indifferent.
There was a commotion, and suddenly the crowd started to move around us.
"Hey, Julia!" a deep voice called.
"Drake, over here!" she yelled and started waving her arms.
The crowd split and two gorgeous men appeared through the middle of it, as if Moses were splitting the Red Sea.
"Hi, honey," he said with open arms into which Julia threw herself.
Mom's eyes bugged out of her head when she saw the gorgeous twins standing before her. I couldn't tell if she was impressed or horny. One never knew with her.
Julia spun and said, "Daddy, Mom, this is my boyfriend, Drake Spencer. Drake, this is Mom and Dad. Mike and Diana Davis."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," he said with a mile-wide smile. "This is my brother Connor."
At least that's what I thought he said. I stopped paying attention when I saw the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen on a man, there in front of me. Drake's brother was so good looking, it was almost too much. His jawline and cheekbones were so perfect, he could have been a model, and they were identical twins. Holy crap!
"Ahem," my dad coughed.
"Sorry, I'm Lisa."
They both said, "Nice to meet you," in unison.
"Is this your first time seeing the parade in person?" Connor asked me.
I shook my head no. I was still staring into his eyes.
He laughed and asked, "Do I have something on my face?"
I snapped out of it and said, "No. We've been coming since we were little girls."
"Ah, traditions. Us too. Our parents are in the parade. Well, they're not always in the parade. They are executives for the department store and can sometimes get on a float. Most years we watch from the bleachers, but somehow Mom got them onto Tom Turkey this year, so we're on our own."
"Have you ever been in it?" I asked.
In the tight crowd, he effortlessly moved next to me, and we got separated from the rest of our group.
"Yeah, we wore silly costumes a few times when we were kids and danced on a few floats. It was pretty cool."
"I'll bet," I said before blowing warm air onto my hands.
"Oh! You aren't wearing gloves," he worried. "Here, take mine, and I'll grab us a hot chocolate. The vendor is behind us."
"No, you don't have to."
He disappeared into the crowd, and I had his black leather gloves in my hand.
I slipped them on and looked over for my family, but I didn't see them. I wondered if they went for hot chocolate too. I decided not to move from that spot, or I'd never find them in that crowd.
A few minutes later, Connor returned with a hot paper cup of chocolate.
"Here you go. Sorry I took so long, there was a bit of a line."
"No worries. Thank you."
He sipped his drink and smiled.
"You know, I think my brother is a goner when it comes to your sister. She's all he talks about."
I didn't want to tell him I hadn't heard much about Drake because my relationship with Julia is still strained over the Jimmy Mace fiasco, so I faked it and said, "She feels the same."
He smiled and I melted again. God! He was making me tingle, and we barely knew each other.
The parade started and we watched the floats, clowns, and balloons go by in relative silence. Only the occasional, "I love that one," or "I miss that one," were shared as it slowly passed us by. He pointed out his parents as they passed by as well. They didn't make him out in the crowd, but looked like they were enjoying themselves.
Then, all too soon, Santa drove by. He waved and smiled as the crowded street cheered for him louder than any of the other attractions.
"Dad always says he's going to be Santa if he ever gets the chance," Connor said. "Mom calls it his pipe dream, but he's got his heart set on it."
"That would be amazing," I said. "I can't imagine being on a float let alone being Santa."
"Hey, I think we lost our family."
He looked around and had no luck spotting them.
I called my sister, and we heard her phone ringing from the middle of the crowd and moved that way as they dissipated around us.
"There," Julia said pointing to us.
Dad said, "Hi guys, we thought you ditched us."
"No, sir," Connor said. "We were staked out a few feet that way."
Drake had his arms around Julia from behind and she looked as happy as I'd ever seen her.
Mom said, "Lisa, Drake will be joining us for dinner, and we need to get going. I'm not sure I trust your aunt with my turkey."
I told Connor, "She says that every year, and every year the turkey's fine. Aunt Jill can't mess up basting it while we're here. Mom does everything else."
He laughed and said, "Have a great rest of your day. I hope I see you again soon."
He shook my father's hand, survived a hug from my mother, then walked off into the crowd. I was still staring, long after he was out of sight, when my mom grabbed my hand as if I were a child needing to be dragged away.
*****
"Jill, no joke they're identical twins. Could you imagine what we could have done with them when we were, Oh! Hi, honey. Need something?" Mom asked when Dad walked into the kitchen.
"Just grabbing some beers, dear."
"The turkey will be done in a half-hour so get ready to carve."
He nodded and walked away. My grandmother, aunt, and mother laughed. I just shook my head.
I wasn't needed any longer, so I ventured out into the family room where Drake was getting grilled by my grandfather, uncle, and father. He was handling it well and put up with some good-natured ribbing as his team was losing the sports-ball game on TV. Julia looked like she was in heaven sitting beside him with his arm draped over her shoulders. She looked tiny compared to him, but I'd have bet he was as comfortable as a pillow.
"Hey, Lisa, my brother texted and asked me to ask you if it would be okay for him to call you. I think he wants to ask you out."
I shivered and sat across from him. Before I could answer, my sister sneered, "He wants to date
her
? Good Lord, why?"
I sat in shock. I couldn't understand why she would try to ruin it for me.
Drake asked, "Why wouldn't he? She's a beautiful woman."
Julia grunted, "She's a cheater. She'll just hurt him."
"You bitch!" I yelled, then ran from the room like a petulant child.
I slammed my bedroom door and fell onto my bed in tears. When I messed up with Jimmy Mace, Julia took it hard. She was a huge fan of his and the thought of having him as a brother-in-law made her swoon. When I got home from Greece after he dumped me, she slapped me and told me I was a piece of trash.
After almost a year of her giving me the silent treatment, my parents intervened and told her to grow up. I'd done nothing to her, and they weren't going to stand for awkward family dinners anymore.
The fact that she tried to ruin my chance with Connor was too much. She crossed the line, and I wasn't in a forgiving mood. I didn't know how I'd get her back, but I wanted to make her pay.
