My dad followed my gaze. “Jacob Parker? Why are you scowling at him?”
“Who is he anyway? A friend told me that he was a pretty big deal around here, and now you know him too?”
“Of course, we know him.” Mom grinned and pointed a thumb at her chest. “I might be old, but I still have eyes, you know.”
Dad rolled his eyes at her, but his smile didn’t fade or turn hard. He knew she loved him more than life itself. He turned his attention on me instead of my mother, who was now pretending to fan herself.
“He’s a big-shot lawyer. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him. He’s in the news all the time because he has an air-tight reputation for representing the little guys and winning.”
“He represents the little guys?” My brows jumped up. “No way. You don’t afford a watch like his by representing the little guys.”
“He does,” Dad insisted. “I just read an article last week about a family he represented in a wrongful death suit against a construction company. The week before, it was that guy who almost died because of some medicine, and the week before that—”
I lifted my hand to stop him. “I get it. The guy loves being in the news.”
“I don’t think he goes to the reporters, honey.” Mom lowered her chin to give me her serious look. “I’m quite sure they go to him. He also might very well be the most eligible bachelor in the city. And it’s no wonder. He’s very good looking, isn’t he? I’d also have hounded him if I was a reporter.”
“So he deserves to be all over the news just because he’s good looking? He’s a jerk,” I said sharply and folded my arms around myself.
“He’s not a jerk.” Dad scoffed. “Why on earth would you say something like that? I’ve met him, and he’s very polite.”
“Definitely not a jerk,” Mom agreed. “I’ve heard a lot about him from some of the teachers here and from friends as well. He appears to be a perfectly decent human being for someone of his reputation.”
Both of my parents steadfastly disagreed with my assessment, but they hadn’t changed my mind by the time the lights went down. Or at least, the auditorium lights went down.
Jacob’s light went up. As the play began, he lifted his phone and proceeded to record the entire thing. I scowled at him, wishing he could feel the angry heat of my eyes burning into the back of his neck.
The whole thing was super distracting. I couldn’t concentrate for a minute with that damn light catching the corner of my eye the whole time. Why wasn’t anybody around him telling him off? Is everyone in love with this guy or something?
I managed to pay attention to Katie when she appeared with a few other children in their roles as pilgrims, but I could still see his light. The poor people sitting in the rows right behind him.
As far as I was concerned, it was just another example of how completely self-absorbed he was. Most of us wanted a recording of our kids in the play, but the rest of us ordinary people were willing to wait for the official recording from the school.
Mom and Dad didn’t seem to notice it. Although if our conversation before was anything to go by, they were just as in love with him as the rest of the darn auditorium seemed to be. I wonder how he’s managed to fool them all.
Especially my parents. They were real good judges of character, and yet, I knew I wasn’t wrong about him. I’d seen—and was seeing at this very moment—how completely selfish and self-involved he was.
Sighing, I sent him one last glare and tried my best to focus on blocking out his light so I could enjoy the rest of the play. It was always there in the corner of my eye, but eventually, I could ignore it just enough that I actually managed to have a good time.
At the end when all the kids came back onto the stage to do their bows, I jumped to my feet and clapped so hard my hands stung. Mom hugged me again, pressing a kiss to my shoulder as she smiled up at me.
“She was just marvelous, darling. I know you two worked very hard on those few lines, but your work definitely paid off.”
I returned Mom’s hug before I excused myself to go greet Katie when she came out of the back. Mom and Dad agreed to meet us at the car and joined the crowd moving toward the parking lot while I headed for the stage.
Katie came running out soon after, and I dropped to my haunches to give her a proper hug. She launched herself into my arms, holding me tight while she practically screamed into my ear. “That was so much fun! I’m going to try out for every play. I made a new friend too. She wants to have a sleepover at her house on Friday night. Please can I go? Please?”
She managed to say it all without taking a single breath, but I suddenly didn’t seem to be able to fill my lungs at all. “You want to go to a sleepover?”
“Yes.” There was so much hope in her eyes that I had no idea how to say no. Seven seemed a bit young for a sleepover, but it wasn’t like she’d never slept over before. She had sleepovers with my parents all the time, but they were her grandparents. That was different. Right?
My mind spun while I tried to figure it out, and Ruth’s words from the other night echoed in my brain. Just when you think you have one phase figured out, they enter the next one.
God, those words were turning out to be prophetic.
Katie was still looking at me with those blue eyes so sparkly and happy. I didn’t know what to do, but I remembered my mother’s response every time we’d asked her, so I went with that.
“I’m going to need to meet your friend’s parents first,” I said.
She bounced on her feet before running over to a dark-haired little girl with her back to us who was standing with a whole group of people. Katie whispered in her ear, and I saw the girl nod before darting into the huddle formed by all the parents she was standing with.
Katie waited for her friend, who emerged holding the hand of none other than Jacob fucking Parker. Spite filled me as he walked over, all confident and suave, with a smile on his face like he owned the whole darn world.
He threw his head back when he recognized me, laughing as if I’d just told him the funniest joke he’d ever heard. Poser.
“You’re Katie’s mother?” he asked when he’d finally gotten over how completely hilarious he seemed to find this situation.
I didn’t correct him about being Katie’s aunt. It was none of his business what my biological relationship to her was, and I was her mom now. “You know what? This was a mistake.”
I wanted to blow him off so badly, but as I turned to tell Katie she couldn’t have a sleepover with her friend, I saw her clutching Allie’s hand. Both girls looked so hopeful and so sweet and innocent in this mess that I couldn’t be the wicked witch who dashed their hopes.
“You’re okay with this?” I asked him. “Having the girls sleep over at your place on Saturday?”
“Yeah. Sure.” He shrugged, still smiling and looking at me in that way of his. His expression changed as he studied mine, though. It became more serious, and even some of the smooth assholiness he exuded disappeared. “Katie will be safe with us. I promise. I’ll give you my number, the landline number, and the numbers for the front desk and building manager.”
“Please?” the girls asked in unison from my side. They dragged the word out, and I caved.