Within a period of 45 minutes we were back at my house again. To my surprise my dad was back after spending the time after the funeral with Claudia. I opened the door and set my keys down on the table and went into the living room where my dad was while JC, Joey, Chris and Justin went upstairs to play video games
“Hey there cutie how’s it going?” my dad asked.
“Fine, just got back from taking Erica to the airport and Tiffany home. Why did you come home?”
“I live here, I don’t need to give you explanations do I? But I thought since you’re leaving in a few days we should spend some time together.”
“Well I kind of have guests here dad it’s a little rude to just up and leave like that.”
“They can tag along, I’m sure they won’t want to go everywhere though.”
“Dad, do you realize my boyfriend who I don’t get to see that much is here?”
“Well you don’t get to see me that much either sweetie. Besides you two won’t be together much longer anyways.”
“Yes we will why did you say that? And true I don’t see you but that’s by choice dad. You’ve never been around, you’ve been on you ‘business trips’ to Claudia’s. I don’t get to see Lance that much and it’s not because we don’t want to be around each other it’s because we can’t.”
“How can you two possibly stay together, you’re two kids, you don’t know what love is. And I know I wasn’t around, I’ll admit that. That’s why I’m here making plans with you. ” “How stupid are you! You were gone off and on for YEARS of my life, you can’t make it up in days and even if you could it wouldn’t help any.” he hesitated to speak so I spoke up again. “And I do know what love is mom taught me the true meaning. She loved you dad and you lied to her and said you were on business and you were with another woman, what kind of love is that?” my voice shook as emotions rushed through my head.
“I loved your mother once but then I met someone else who I loved, we’ve been through this. Listen me, you and you can bring Lance if you want are going out to dinner tonight, be ready at 3.”
I walked away, my lip still quivering. As I rounded the corner to exit the living room where I saw Lance looking at me.
“Did you hear it all?” I asked, he nodded.
“Well you’re coming with me, I can’t go near that man alone anymore or I am going to kill him and I’m not just saying that.”
“Why would he say that we won’t be together much longer?”
“Because he’s 47 and he still doesn’t know what love is.”
At 3 p.m. we were downstairs waiting for my father. I told the rest of the guys to go out and find something to do. At 3:30 my dad walked into the living room. I looked at my watch and looked at him.
“Sorry I’m a little late, I fell asleep.” he apologized.
“It’s no problem I’m use to you being late.” I smirked at him and we headed to the car.
I went to sit in the back with Lance and my dad said to come sit up front, I simply replied, “No thanks.” Not too much later we arrived where we were eating, it was the new Chinese restaurant the guys and me went to.
“This place just opened up not too long ago I though we should come check it out.”
“Oh I love it here, there food is pretty good but it’s gorgeous inside.” I said.
“How do you know?”
“I came here a few weeks ago with Joey, Justin, Chris and JC.”
“Oh,” He didn’t know what to say, his bright idea was gone.
We were seated in the restaurant after standing around for 10 minutes. The place was packed. We ordered and my dad tried to start a conversation.
“So, are you sure you really want to move?”
“Yup.” I made it clear as glass to him that I was in no mood to talk to him.
“Why are you moving to Florida when your brother offered for you to live with him and Emily out in California?”
“Well Aunt Lindsay always said she wanted me to come stay with her for awhile and her house was always open since she doesn’t have any kids so I figured she could use the company. California is nice but it would be a whole new time zone and then there’s the earthquake factor, I’m just not up for all that excitement. Besides I’ve got friends down there and I’d be close to the guys. It’s just a better move for us all.” “I wish you would re-think this.”
“I’ve thought over and over, and the only reasons I see for not leaving are that a bunch of my friends are here and I grew up here, but on the other hand I can’t sit around here and watch Claudia take over the house, no way can I let that happen before my eyes.”
“So I guess you’re all set then right?”
“You better believe I am.”
“Well you make sure to call and write.”
“Oh I will, I’ll send you postcards from all the states we visit this summer.”
“What states?”
Before I could speak Lance jumped into the conversation. “I invited Jen to go on tour with us all summer. So in a few weeks we leave and we get back near the end of September.”
“Yeah, isn’t that great dad. And I already asked Aunt Lindsay and she said it was great for a young woman to travel.” That was a lie. I hadn’t told my Aunt yet. She didn’t even know I had a boyfriend, but it sounded like something she would say. “Yeah real great, so when am I going to see you?”
“Well I guess if you’re going to Jeremy and Emily’s wedding in September.”
“Your brother’s wedding? He never told me he was getting married.”
“Yeah he did last year when they started plans.”
“Oh well yeah I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss my boy’s wedding.”
“You won’t miss mine either when the day comes will you dad? Please tell me you can at least be there to walk me down the isle.”
My dad wasn’t listening instead he was gazing off to the entrance of the restaurant. Before I knew it he got up and walked over there.
“Where’s he going?” I asked Lance I couldn’t turn around to look.
“He walked over to some lady and some boy.”
“Does she have shoulder length blonde hair?” I asked.
“Yeah.” he replied.
“Does the boy look around 16 and have brown hair?”
“Yeah, do you know who it is?”
“No, I don’t.” I lied placing my head in my hands. Shortly after my dad along with the woman and her son. They sat down at our table. I looked up and saw the bitch who ruined my life sitting before me with the worst smile upon her face. I got up from the table and walked outside and sat on a bench in front of the restaurant. Lance followed close behind.
“What’s wrong?”
“That bitch is Claudia, it’s bad enough to know my dad is in love with her but he takes us out and tries to make up for time lost because he was with her and what does he do? Invites her to sit down with us, I bet that asshole even invited her there.” I said with anger racing through my veins.
“Jen, I use to wonder how you could sit and say all that stuff about your father but now I see it all, you shouldn’t have to put up with that. But let’s at least go back in there, remember in a few days you don’t have to be near him again.”
“Yeah, but if I go in there and punch that bitch I don’t want anyone pulling me off of her, she’s going to pay.”
“Ok try to stay away from violence, just don’t hit the kid or that’ll really be too much.”
“Oh don’t worry I won’t hit him. It’s a real shame cause Seth is a really cool guy and we’re really good friends, he was my first boyfriend back in like 3rd grade up through 7th grade then it was a real nasty break-up ya know, he hit me with a kick ball and went into the “I’m afraid of girls” phase. But he can help me stay away from his mom, we talk all the time online, and he knows how much I hate her, he isn’t too fond of her or my dad either.”
“So you dated this kid before and now your dad is going to marry his mom?”
“Yeah I know isn’t that gross! That’ll mean I’ve made out with my step-brother, how disgusting is that, yuck.”
He laughed. “Come on let’s go back in now, just ignore your father and her if worse comes to worse you can always talk to me.”
“Oh god please don’t let that happen. Hey if it gets too bad would you terribly mind if I embarrassed them?” I laughed and got up.
“No, I guess not, depends on what you have planned.”
“It’s not bad, I promise, we do it all the time, my dad just wouldn’t like to watch it.” he looked confused but agreed and we walked back to the table hand in hand. My dad and Claudia were engrossed in a conversation about nothing and Seth was waiting for us to come back in.
“Where did you two run off to?” Seth asked.
“Oh nowhere special just out for some air.” I shot a look at my dad and Claudia and Seth whispered, “Wanna try to piss them off.”
I laughed and whispered back, “You know me too well, how?”
“Leave it up to me.” he thought for a second then looked at Lance. “So this is the Lance I’m assuming the guy you talk on and on about huh?”
“You know it.”
“So how long you two been going out?”
“About a year.” Lance replied.
“So it’s a serious relationship huh?”
“Yeah real serious.” I looked at my dad who was still not listening, Seth was thinking.
“So you two done it yet?” my dad and Claudia’s conversation stopped but they continued to stare at each other.
I paused before I answered and looked to my left at Lance hey nodded his head.
“Yes of course, many times, I’ve told you that, but one thing I didn’t tell you.” I looked over at Lance and was ready to laugh out loud with what I was going to say.”
“What?” he asked.
“I’m pregnant” I said rather loudly. My dad turned and knocked the hot tea onto his pants with astonishment.
“Ouch” he screamed.
Claudia grabbed his napkin and started wiping his pants.
“Hot dad?” he just shot me a look of anger. “Claudia watch how you wipe don’t wanna damage his manhood, that wouldn’t be good at all, would it Seth?” He shook his head in agreement and my dad got up and left the table and headed towards the bathroom. Claudia stuck her nose in the air at me and got up and went to “freshen up” in the ladies room.
“We’re good.” Seth exclaimed as he gave me a high five.
“I know.” The three of us sat there laughing in the meantime out meal arrived and we began to eat, within minutes Claudia and my dad arrived back at the table where everything was quiet. When we all finished we talked some more as we waited for the bill.
“So what were you 3 talking about before I spilt the tea?” my dad asked.
I scooted closer to Lance and whispered to him “Embarrassment act is going into effect now.” I grabbed Lance and pulled him in to me. Our lips met and I thrusted my tongue into his mouth and we continued kissing for around 5 minutes while my dad continued to yell “Stop it now, this isn’t going to happen at this table.” I ignored him and kept on kissing Lance I knew my father hated to see me making out with a guy in front of him, so my embarrassment act went through perfectly. Seth calmly said “Jen” and I stopped.
“Sorry guess I got a little carried away.
“Jennifer don’t you ever do that in public around me again, do you hear me. Anyways did you have something you needed to tell me?” my father asked me.
I pretended to think, “Hmm... Oh yeah!.. no wait, nope, not a thing.”
“Well what were the three of you talking about?” Claudia asked.
“We were just talking none of it is your business, so don’t worry about it.”
“I heard you, you little whore. You went and got yourself knocked up, didn’t you?”
“Excuse me? What did you call me? Dad are you going to let her talk to me like that?”
“Well you tell me is she right? Then I’ll tell you.”
“Let’s see dad, a whore is someone who goes around sleeping with a bunch of guys, right? I’ve slept with 1 guy, so nope I’m not a whore, what do you say?”
“Are you pregnant?
“I’m sorry I’m not going to make the same statement again.”
“Damnit answer me.” He insisted.
“Listen dude, she said she was. Jen is pregnant did you hear that or do you need to clean your waxy ass ears out?” Seth yelled at my father his mother yelled at him for shouting like that.
“Well I guess you are nothing but a little whore. Getting pregnant at 17 that’s the way to go.”
“Actually I was 16 when I got pregnant, but what’s a few weeks difference.” I said trying my best to make him hate me.
The bill came and my father and Claudia got up to pay it.
“I’ll meet you two in the car.” he said. Once they were away Seth spoke up.
“That was a good joke Jen.”