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It wasn't that I didn't get along with my mother, but she was one of those people that just cannot resist telling someone else “I told you so!”. Especially to her own children. But obviously, she was still my mom and I still loved her. I was just hoping to hold off on telling her about Jeff. She had never liked him, for no reason other than that he was dating me. The fact that we have now broken up will just delight her to the end of eternity...until my next boyfriend. The only one that she even semi-approved of was Jaxon, and that's just because she picked him out for me.
Either way, I had mom on the phone and coming to get me at the park roughly a block down from Jaxon's house. I don't know if she knows where he lives, but with her “bat-like sonar hearing” as she puts it, I wouldn't be surprised. Little birdies tell my mother everything.
“Kelley Marie O'Haran you look like hell. What the hell happened to you?”
“Thanks Mom, great to see you too. I'm great thanks, and yourself?” I threw my head back and shut my eyes. This was going to be a long day. “Jeff and Jessie dumped me last night Mom. Both of them. On the same night.”
“Damn, didn't know you swung that way sweetheart.”
“Mom, you know what I mean. Come on, really? Do we need to start this right now?”
“Hey you started with the sarcasm. But good, you didn't need that asshole of a guy anyway. He was too clean, too nice and pretty. He's gay and just hasn't realized it yet. I told you he was no good for you.”
“The way you put it Mom, he's too good for me. Either way whatever, he's gone and I'm done!”
“Oh sweetie, done? I don't think so. Come on, us O'Harran women are never done.”
“Mom, you haven't been an O'Harran for as long as Dad has been gone. Don't even start with me about not being done. I'm swearing off men and that's that. I'm done!” My mother was that kind of woman, she changed husbands like I changed my underwear. My dad died when I was three years old. Ever since then I feel like she's been trying to replace him and hasn't found the right match. Not that she ever will, as the old cliché goes, dad was one in a million. He died from cancer and that's when I knew that nobody was invincible. “Can you just bring me home, Mom? Please?” I sighed and she kept talking but I blocked her out by pulling my phone back out of my dress. I pressed the home button but nothing happened. Dead. Great. That's all I need right now.
“You can't go home. We need a girls day! You just got dumped sweetie! As your mother I cannot let you go home by yourself and just mope.” My mother drove through the streets like a mad woman, I didn't even know where she was going. I wasn't sure she did either.
“Mom, I'm not going to mope. I'm going to charge my phone, I'm going to call Jess, and make up with her. Then we are going to talk trash about Jeff. That's all. I promise, I'll be fine.”
“Well fine, if you can't do those things with your dear old mom, then fine you can go home and sulk. I'll hear from you again when your next boyfriend dumps your sorry ass.” My mom let out an obviously fake sob and I rolled my eyes, slumping down in my seat. Yes I felt a little guilty, way way way down deep inside. My mother was the queen of guilt trips and this time I wasn't falling for it. I was going to go home and take a nice warm bath and get over this shit. Who knows, maybe I would be the classic girl that got dumped and go eat a pint of ice cream in front of the TV.
Mom dumped me in front of my building and didn't even wait to see me inside before she drove off. More of the guilt trip I guess. I plugged my phone in in the kitchen, letting that charge and ran myself a hot bath. After the last 24 hours it was heaven. Until I heard my phone start vibrating non-stop on the kitchen counter. “Oh shit.” I muttered. I tried to force myself to stay in the tub, I really needed to relax, but my ears couldn't ignore the constant buzzing any longer. I got up, wrapped myself in a towel and marched to my phone. I stared at it in disbelief. 11 missed calls, 10 text messages, 7 voicemails, and one snapchat. My phone hadn't even been dead that long! Did everyone wait until it was dead to call me? It must have died right after mom picked me up, it had been at least an hour or so.
I checked the missed calls, it really must have died after I called my mom. Two were from her, five were from some number that wasn't in my contacts list, three were from Jaxon, and one was from Jessica. The voicemails looked about the same, one from mom, Jaxon gave up after three, the mystery number had left two, and Jessica just left one.
Mom: Hey, where were you again? I can't seem to find where you said. What the hell are you doing on this side of town anyways?
Jaxon: Hey. Um, Kells. Call me okay? It's kind of important. Just..call me!
Mystery number: Hey, it's Marcus, from the bar. Guess you're not up yet? Late sleeper, huh? Well, this is my cell number so give me a call if ya wanna go out Friday night.
Jessica: Hey, Kelley. Look. I'm sorry, alright? Just...ugh why must you sleep so long. Seriously, I'm coming over this afternoon and we're gonna talk. Then maybe we can go key Jeff's mercedes or something. Yeah, I'll see ya later.
I deleted the voicemails and added mystery man Marcus's number into my phone. I may be swearing off men, but hey I could always do with a free dinner or something friday night. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I'd call him later. Jessica coming, shit, need to get dressed. What the hell did Jaxon want? Wasn't he supposed to be getting married? Like in a few minutes? Shit. I just deleted Mom, I swear she was as blonde as Jessica under that short red hair. I ran to get dressed, I threw one of my green sun dresses, a pair of golden leggings underneath, and a pair of heels. Yes, this look is hot. I can go with this. You know, maybe I will call Marcus. He was cute, and once again free dinner. Maybe we could go out tonight.
As I walked out of my bedroom, Jessica walked into my apartment.
“You know, girl, you really have to start locking that door.” I just laughed and hugged her. I'm glad she came around, this world would have been lonely without my best friend.
“Yeah, well, I guess I allow random guys that are going to dump me to walk through it anyway so why bother lock it, right?” We looked at each other and laughed harder, nobody could cheer me up without doing anything other than Jess. We had been friends since high school, when she saved me from a rumor that an old boyfriend started. It was sisters at first sight.
“Well, anyway, how was the rest of your night? How did you get home?” We sat on my beaten up old couch, an old hand-me-down from a relative that passed on long ago. The cushions were ripped and it wasn't exactly comfortable to sit on but it was mine and I loved it just the same. I told Jessica the rest of my night, how I meant to call Jayson but instead called Jaxon. Her eyes got huge, almost to the size you would see in a cartoon, and she handed me my phone. “Girl, you have to call him! If he's calling you on his wedding day, I mean that has to mean something!! Call him!”
“Jess, I walked out of his house and he said he didn't want to see me! Plus his fiance is my old college room mate. I'm sure she'd just love to hear from me after the last 2 years just out of the blue! Oh hey, heard you were getting married to my ex-boyfriend, thought I'd just drop by to share my congrats, you slut! Yeah that will go over well.”
“Oh just call him, here, I'll dial.” She took the phone from me and found Jaxon's name among my contacts. She handed me the phone after she it the 'call' button.
“What do I even—hi!” I was cut off when Jaxon picked up the phone almost immediately. “Uh, you said to call...it sounded urgent...I thought---”
“Hey, Kelley, we need to talk. Can you meet me tonight? At Lucky's?” Jaxon asked, talking quickly as if he were out of breath. Like he had just run a mile.
“I thought you were getting married. To Nicole.”
“Yeah, I guess...I guess things change, right? Can you just do that for me? Meet me at Lucky's? 7 o' clock?” I mouthed everything to Jess and she enthusastically nodded her head. I swear, next to my mom, she had been the biggest fan girl of mine and Jaxon's relationship. I think everyone was but me.
“Yeah, seven sounds great. I will see you then, bye.” I hung up and Jess was fanning herself with her hand.
“Oh my god, this is amazing!” She squealed as if everything were happening to her. “Girl, I'm so going with you to that meeting. I haven't seen Jaxon Dodd in years!”
“Trust me, nothing has changed. But yeah, come along, I don't care. Probably wants to explain about the marriage thing. Whatever.”
Marcus Nichols
I looked at my phone, frustrated. I had called that woman multiple times and no answer. She seemed interested the other night, why wasn't she picking up? I had never worked this hard for a woman either, never waited for a phone call. But lately a dry spell had hit, nobody seemed interested. But this girl, there was something about her. Probably just the fact that I was horny as hell and there wasn't a woman around lately that I didn't have to pay to deal with that.
“Fuck it!” I punched the number into my phone again, if she didn't pick up this time I'd give up, move onto another bar in town. Lucky's really hadn't been that Lucky for me anyhow. I my expansive living room floor in front of the fireplace, listening to the phone ring. At least it was ringing this time.
“Hello?” Oh thank god, this time she answers.
“Hey, baby, been tryin' to reach ya all day. Thought you'd like to go out for drinks or somethin' on Friday? You know, go down to Lucky's have some of that Whiskey and Coke that ya like.”
“Um, I don't think so. You know, no offense to you or anything but last night was just a bad night for me and I'm really going to hold off on going out for a while.” I balled my hands up into a tight fist, tight enough my knuckles turned white.
“Well you know what they say, if you fall off the horse you should get right back on. Come on, baby, just a few drinks. That's all I'm askin'. Ya don't like me, I'll drive ya home in an instant. You can even bring that friend of yours. You can ask her to drive you home.” I could hear someone else talking to her in the background, crossing my fingers that bringing her friend along would make her come along. And hey, maybe I could get a two for one deal in the midst of it all.
“Alright fine, only a drink or two though. And nothing official.” In my head I was doing a victory dance, finally. And once he got a few drinks in her he'd be home free. Maybe he could get that friend of hers to loosen up. He knew she'd be the one that would ruin his night and his chances with the red-head.
“Alright, so I'll see you Friday night at 7. See ya then, Baby.” I pressed the red 'end' button on my phone and flipped it around a few times in my hand. By Saturday morning I'd have a girl in my bed, coffee on, and everything would be all good. I hoped...