“How was your first night?”
“Do you even need to ask?”
“Did he try to sleep with you?”
“No.”
“Huh, that’s unusual.”
“We were both mentally exhausted from therapy.”
“Ah, that makes sense. You think he suspects anything?”
“No, I’m covering for you just fine.”
I let out a deep breath. “Good.”
“Are you having a good time?”
“Yes. We’re having a great time. Thanks for doing this for me, sis.”
“You owe me big-time after this.”
“Consider it done.”
“Okay. I’ll check in later.”
“Okay.”
Morgan
I just lied to my sister. But what was I supposed to say? That I screwed her husband and enjoyed every single minute of it? I’ll never tell her the truth. The bedroom door opens, and Jasen walks in, dripping sweat and breathing hard. In his hand is a cup carrier with a green drink inside. He hands it over to me. “I cut my run short this morning. Figured I’d pick you up one of those seaweed smoothies you like.”
I grab the cup holder and remove the drink. “Thank you.” I open the straw and place it inside the cup. I watch Jasen shed his clothes as I take a sip. I immediately gag. He turns around completely naked. “What’s wrong? Did they mess up the order? I specifically told them to go light on the chia seeds.”
I place the cup holder next to me on the nightstand. “No. I swallowed too fast. It’s good, thank you.” I take a big gulp, pretending to enjoy it like Monroe would. The disgusting taste consumes my tongue and the back of my throat.
I sit the drink down next to the cup holder and pull the blanket around me tighter. “I was thinking of cooking this morning. I’m in the mood for some bacon.”
This conversation is hard to have with him standing in front of me with glistening skin and a perfect physique. “It’s been a long time since you cooked breakfast.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I know, but that’s going to change.”
“Did you call Otis to let him know?”
“Yup. Called him this morning.”
Of course I didn’t call Otis this morning. Because I forgot that my sister has a personal chef to begin with. I make a mental note to call him as soon as Jasen takes his shower.
“Okay. I’m going to shower and head to Mom’s afterwards. She wants me to meet her new male friend, who I’m sure I’m going to hate.”
This should be music to my ears. Time away from Jasen when I don’t have to pretend to be Monroe. Time to relax and turn my brain off for a while. But instead, I’m curious about his mother. I’m curious about his relationship with her. “I’ll come with you.”
He laughs. “Yeah, right. You hate my mother.”
Now I know why Monroe never spoke about gatherings with Jasen’s family. Now I know why his mother wasn’t at their wedding. She hates his mother. But why? “I don’t hate your mother, Jasen.”
He folds his arms. “You said she expects you to be a Stepford wife and that you hate being around her.”
My heart drops. No. She. Didn’t. Monroe was raised to be more respectful than that. “I shouldn’t have said that. Please, let me come with you.”
He takes a deep breath. “You know how much my mother means to me. I let it slide the last time, but I’m telling you right now, Monroe, you will behave. You will not be disrespectful.”
I have no words. So, I nod instead.
“Okay. We’re leaving at noon.”
“Okay.”
I wait until the bathroom door closes before releasing the breath I’m holding. I grab Monroe’s phone and send a prayer up that she has Otis’s name saved. I unlock the phone. Five voicemails. Ten text messages. Three missed calls. I ignore all of them. She can check in with them when she gets back. I scroll through her contacts, and my prayer has been answered. I hit the call button next to Otis’s name.
“Good morning, Mrs. Baker.”
“Hi, Otis. I’m calling to tell you that you don’t need to come and cook breakfast this morning.”
“But you requested my special. Bananas Foster french toast.”
“I know. I’ve decided to cook breakfast myself. As a matter of fact, don’t come back until further notice.”
He gasps. “Are you firing me, Mrs. Baker?”
“No. I…”
There’s a moment of silence before he bursts into laughter. “I’m just kidding. Let me know when you need my services, okay?”
I exhale loudly. “I will. Thank you, Otis.”
I end the call. And fall back on the bed. Nerves settle in as I think about meeting Jasen’s mom. Technically, it’s my first time meeting her, and I don’t want it to be a disaster. If things don’t go well, it could make the dynamic between her and Monroe ten times worse. Maybe I shouldn’t have offered to go. I drag myself out of the bed and grab the silk white robe on the back of the door. I slide it on and decide to start making breakfast. But not before I grab the green drink from the nightstand so I can pour it down the kitchen sink.
Spread across the kitchen counter are buttermilk pancakes, perfectly cooked bacon, fried potatoes with onions, scrambled eggs with cheese, and a fruit salad. I’m pouring two glasses of apple juice while Jasen watches with his mouth agape. “Aren’t you going to sit down to eat?”
He moves slowly towards the kitchen table. He has a seat and stares down at the plate in front of him. “Wow!”
“What?” I ask as I place our glasses down before taking my seat.
“You haven’t cooked for me since we lived in that condo years ago. This looks good, baby.”
I smile with satisfaction. “I told you that was changing. I’m going to cook more.”
We grab our forks and dig in. Jasen immediately goes for the pancakes, and I can tell by the way he scarfs them down that he’s enjoying them. I bite off a piece of bacon as I watch him eat. I feel a sense of pride as he eats my food. I’ve never cooked for a guy before. “These pancakes taste better than Otis’s.”
I smile. “They’re Grandma Rose’s recipe. Thank you.”
He places his fork down and grabs my hand. “No. Thank you. I know you hate cooking, so this means a lot.”
And suddenly, I’m reminded of why I’m here. “I promised you that I would try harder. This is me trying.”
“I know I have things I need to work on as well, and I plan on doing my part. Starting with your credit cards. I called the bank this morning and added your authorization back to the American Express card. I had no right to take you off in the first place. What’s mine is yours, and I never want you to feel like it isn’t.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did. It was petty to remove you to begin with. And from now on, I promise to be better with your spending. I’m not your father, and I don’t want to act like one. You’re an adult, and I have no right tracking what you spend like you’re on allowance or something.”