Page 7 of The Date
He looked as happy as if I had somehow solved a problem forhim, instead of the other wayaround.
"Mom, Cal says he's going to make a phone call and see about the tux," I told my mother. "We'll get itsorted."
"Oh, tell him thank you!" she sighed. "Well, now I'm going to go backto..."
"Mom!" I interrupted. "What's up withMack?"
"Oh, that." She became hesitant again. "Well, hecalled."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah,and?"
"And... it seems like he's in a little bit more trouble than we originallybelieved."
I dropped my chin to my chest. "Howmuch?"
"Not toomuch?"
"Mom."
"Well, he got the bail money Karen sent. But it seems like there are some fees he needs to pay? A bail bondsman or something? It seems like he's going to need a little bitmore."
"Text me the details," I said wearily. "I'll take care ofit."
"But maybe Karencould..."
"I said I'll take care of it," I told hergently.
Mackie was a fucking train wreck, and I blamed myself a little bit for enlisting when he was still in middle school. It was fucking hard to grow up without a father figure around, and I knew it as well as anyone. At the time it had seemed like the right choice, but now I wasn't sosure.
But at least now I'd be around to help deal with the fallout, and to help my mom with my littlest brother, Rhett, who was turning out to be twice the troublemaker Mackie everwas.
My mom hung up a second later and I put the phoneaway.
"Okay," I told Karen wryly. "Let's figure out your whole cake dilemma before my damn phone ringsagain."
"Yes, let's do that. Just a couple more things," Cal said, his eyes calm and competent as he immediately took control. "What flavor cake? And are you using the same colors as the weddingcake?"
"No!" Karen said imperiously. "It needs to look like a bottle oftequila."
Cal looked at me. I looked at Cal. We both turned to look atKaren.
"Are you fucking insane?" Idemanded.
"No!" She grabbed my arm as she tried to explain this bullshit to me. "I met the love of my life at a tequila bar! It's a romanticgesture."
I laughed incredulously. "After everything? AfterVegasand...and...and.. all of that?Tequilais the symbol of love you want on thecake?"
She let go of my arm and instead pointed one of her red-tipped fingers atme.
"There isnothingfunny about this situation, Ashley Martin. I have been working formonthson this wedding. Months! The groom hadone joband that was organizing the damn rehearsal dinner. Instead,mygroom goes to Vegas, gets trashed, and gets alap dancefrom astripper, then proceeds to get into a fist fight with a bunch of other lunaticsabout the lap dancer,getarrested,and callmeto send him the fuckingbail money.Youremember?"
I could practically hear Cal's jaw hit the floor, and I felt my face get hot. Jesus. I was embarrassed. And I didn'tdoembarrassed. So suddenly, I was embarrassed ofbeingembarrassed. And that's the only reason I could think of for saying what I saidnext.
"I remember you're the idiot who said yes!" Ishouted.
Karen gasped, and angry tears filled hereyes.
"Sorry!" Christ. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." If I ruined this, Mackie and my mom were going to killme.
