Fair Play (11 page)

Rainy’s
brows furrow again and I can see she looks confused. If she’s not careful, she’ll need Botox before she’s 20. I decide to go in for the kill. “So, how many times have you gotten together with Aaron’s mom? Has she been blowing up your phone? She always wants me to go shopping, or to the spa, or out to lunch.”

Rainy’s
face turns pale and I know that Mrs. Donovan has never phoned her. I know this because she’s already told me a number of times she doesn’t want Aaron to marry Rainy and that she still considers me her future daughter-in-law.

“Don’t tell me she hasn’t asked you to go
out with her yet?” I say in mock astonishment but I know what I’m really doing is twisting the knife I just stuck in her back.

Rainy clears her throat but no words come out so she just shakes her head.

“Wow,” I proclaim. “I’m shocked. She’s always treated me like the daughter she never had.”

I can see Rainy blinking back tears and I feel like jumping up and cheering but I hold back. “That’s too bad,” I try to sound sympathetic as I twist the knife even
more. “Maybe she just wants to spare you any embarrassment because you might not fit in.”

When Rainy looks down and tries to quickly wipe away a tear that has escaped down her face, I know I’ve scored a direct hit.  I debate pushing the knife in even deeper but I think my point has been made. She doesn’t belong with Aaron but I do; even his mom agrees. Rainy will never be accepted by Aaron’s family no matter how hard she tries.

I let out a fake yawn. “I’m getting tired,” I say then glance over at Roxie.

“Me, too,” Roxie agrees. “We’ve got school tomorrow.”

“So do I,” Rainy says quickly and I sense that she’s ready to escape. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when she goes back to her place.

As the three of us exit The Cavern, we run into two girls and a guy who Rainy seems to know. One of the girls, a red head, is obviously related to the guy, who is also sporting a mop of red hair. He kind of looks familiar but I’m not sure why. The other girl is decked out in all black and looks tough. I wouldn’t want to run into her alone in a dark alley.

“Keira and Roxie,” Rainy says, “this is my roommate, Olivia; her brother, Lucas and her girlfriend, Marney.”

When Olivia’s face twists in confusion, Rainy says, “
Keira is an old friend of Aaron’s and she’s in his graduate program as is Roxie.”

Recognition seems to cross over Olivia’s face and I’m sure she and Rainy have talked about me before. Then I remember where I
’ve seen her brother, Lucas. He was the guy who came to pick Rainy up from Aaron’s family lake house during Spring Break when Rainy freaked out and ran away. The way the guy looks at Rainy it’s obvious he’s completely in love with her.

Olivia turns and glares at me. “Rainy has told me a lot about you.” She says it with such
disdain, I know it’s not a compliment.

Marney
gives me a menacing look and it sends a few shivers through me. I’m rarely intimidated by anyone but she is definitely not someone I want to mess with. When I glance at Lucas, he looks like he wants to crawl into a hole. He seems to be the type of person who likes to avoid conflict.

“I should throw a little housewarming party and invite you all over to my new place,” I say as sweetly as I can. “Any friends of
Rainy’s are friends of mine.” I add a sickeningly sweet smile for emphasis. Of course, actually having them at my house is something I’ll probably never in a million years do but they don’t have to know that.

Olivia,
Marney and Lucas all glance over at Rainy and I can see her eyes are wide with concern. I’m sure the last thing she’s expecting is for me to try to befriend her friends. I like keeping her on her toes. The more I can keep her off-balance the easier it will be to topple her when the time comes.

“My place is right next to Aaron’s,” I say matter-of-factly but I like to rub in the fact that I live a lot closer to her man than Rainy does.
Her man
. I can’t stand saying those two words even to myself. Aaron is supposed to be
my man.

“Well, Dude and
Dudettes,” Roxie says. “It’s been fun but I’m outtie.”

When everyone turns to face Roxie,
Marney says, “You look familiar. Have we met before? Possibly at a Pridefest?”

Roxie shakes her head. “I have yet to meet a girl I’d do the nasty with,” Roxie says. “Besides, I love the cock too much.”

Lucas chokes and when we all look over at him, I can see his face is turning bright red. I think Roxie may be a bit more than he can handle.

Marney
narrows her eyes as if she’s trying to figure out how she knows Roxie.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” I say trying very hard not to show my frustration with the entire crew. “She’s a reality television star.”

Marney’s eyes light up when she finally makes the connection. “You’re one of the Trailer Park Trio.”

Roxie smiles.
“Guilty as charged.”

As if on cue,
Marney, Olivia and Lucas all turn to face me as if they suddenly can’t figure out why I’m friends with Roxie. “We’re in the same study group,” I explain.

“And by study group, she means we’re drinking buddies,” Roxie adds. “Well, I really do have to motor.
See you tomorrow, Skinny Ass.”

As Roxie makes her way past me, I reply,
“See you tomorrow, Fat Ass.” When I turn back to the rest of the group, they are all looking at me stunned. “We really do like each other.”

They all just blink nervously and I say, “I guess I’d better get going to
o.” I hope they’ll take it as a hint that the party is over.

“Thank you for inviting me tonight,” Rainy says politely. I know as soon as I walk away she’ll be gossiping about me with her friends for the next hour at least.

“I’m serious about the housewarming party,” I say even though I’m not serious about it at all. “I’ll let Aaron know the details.” Of course, I have to get another
quick dig in before I leave. I have to make sure to provide constant reminders that I’m with her beloved fiancé all day long.

As I walk to my car, I try to turn my thoughts to Aaron and getting to see him again in class but my thoughts keep wandering back to Evan. I keep hearing
Rainy’s little doll voice saying:
Why isn’t he your boyfriend
?

I don’t have a good explanation.

For the first time, I wonder if my quest to get Aaron is completely misguided. Am I headed down a path of complete self-destruction, as Evan seems to think?

I know Evan wants me. Why can’t I want him the way I seem to want Aaron?
Then I wonder if I truly
want
Aaron or if I just
think
I
should
? Maybe I really do want Evan but I just can’t allow myself to go down that path. It’s so confusing it makes my head ache.

Besides, it’s too late to turn back now, isn’t it? The plan to get Aaron
has already been set in motion. And Aaron’s the guy I’m destined to be with. That’s what everyone has always said, including both of our mothers.

As if on cue, my cell phone rings and it’s my mom. I think about letting it go to voicemail but I know I’ll just have to phone her back at some point. I decide to deal with the inevitable.

“Hey, Mom,” I say.             

“I just wanted to see how things are going,” she says. And by
things
, I know she means
things with Aaron
. I know she could care less about how things are going in school or any other aspect of my life.

“
Things
are fine,” I reply but I’m not even sure I believe my own words.

“I spoke with Theresa Donovan,” my mom says. “She’s very concerned about Aaron’s
little friend
. I told her you were going to take care of things and that she could count on you. I hope you won’t disappoint her.”

Now I know my fate is completely sealed. Even if I wanted to go after Evan, I couldn’t, because my mom has pledged my skills of deception and deceit to rid Aaron of Miss Middle Class. And I’ll be required to step in and take her place. Just like everyone has wanted since we were both kids.

The idea that Aaron has a mind, a will, or a life of his own is irrelevant. He’s apparently got to do what’s in the best interests of both of our families.

As do I.

So, it’s on to the next phase of my devious plan to get Aaron Donovan.

Five

Love is an uninvited visitor.

It never tells when it’s coming and when it’s leaving.

Hammody Ali

I know I’m in trouble when my mother summons me to meet her at
the club
. And by
the club
, she of course means the most expensive and exclusive country club in the state. She and my father are lifetime members. I don’t know exactly how much it cost my parents to become a lifetime member of the club but my guess would be several million dollars.

The club is just as extraordinary as one would expect of a place of its caliber and standing. Everything about the place is perfect including its members. From the perfectly manicured landscape to the model perfect staff, the place is the epitome of affluence, sophistication and elegance.

When I pull my Mercedes convertible up to the valet parking area, I feel like a peasant who just pulled up to a mansion in an old beater truck. In this place, my hundred thousand dollar car is nothing amongst the far more expensive and exclusive Lamborghinis and Aston Martins.  

As I hand the hot-looking parking valet my car keys, I can’t help but compare him to Evan in every way and it pisses me off. The guy is model attractive and muscular but still inferior to Evan in nearly every way. I shake my head in frustration that everything in my life now seems to focus on one of two things:
how to keep Aaron in my life
or
how to keep Evan out of my head
.

I can see the valet is slyly checking me out and I know the club
has strict policies against such things. If I knew my mother wasn’t waiting for me and I knew she wasn’t the type of person to get crazy about a person being late, I might take a few minutes to outright flirt with him just to see what would happen. But I don’t have the time for that kind of fun, so I just give him a cordial half smile and make my way to the grand entrance of the main building.

The club facilities include golf, tennis, swimming, spa, several restaurants and a lounge. The main buildi
ng houses the largest restaurant, where I am meeting my mother for lunch.

Although the place i
s already packed with groups of mostly older women gossiping over their first (or possibly second) Mojitos of the day, I easily spot my mom, who is decked out in a wine-colored sleeveless draped Donna Karan jersey dress that must be new because I’ve never seen her wear it before. Not that my mother ever wears the same outfit twice. That would be unheard of in her social circle where everything is worn once and deposed of just as quickly as it was acquired.

“Hello,
Mother,” I mutter as I bend down to place a light kiss on her cheek.

“What are you wearing?” my mother whispers when she sees the dress I selected. I didn’t have much time to consider an outfit for the lunch with my mom so I admit I threw on an older Chanel little black dress I had hanging in the back of my closet, hoping my mother wouldn’t notice. I don’t know what I was thinking.
Of course she notices
.

“That dress is three years old,” my
mother manages to whisper through gritted teeth. She is already fuming and I haven’t even sat down yet.

“I know, Mother,” I snap back. “But I assure you it hasn’t been worn yet.”

As I slide into the seat across from my mother, I already feel like a puppy that has been beaten by its master.

“I hope no one realizes that design is from a dated line. I spotted it immediately.”

I want to tell my mother that I doubt any of her friends care what her daughter is wearing but I know it’s not true. Every woman who enters the club is immediately and harshly judged by every other woman there. If I have a chipped nail or a hair of place, I’ll be the subject of gossip for weeks. And that is the last thing my mom wants to deal with: all of her friends gossiping about what’s wrong with her daughter.

“And you wonder why you can’t get Aaron,” my mom snaps and I feel like she’s already slapped me in the face with her harsh words. That didn’t take long. It may be a new record.

I want to tell my mom if Aaron actually cared about designer clothes he wouldn’t be caught dead with Rainy Dey, who wouldn’t know the difference between Valentino and Versace.

But I refrain.

Instead, I inquire about the extra place setting I notice. “Is someone joining us for lunch?”

“I invited
Theresa Donovan,” my mom says nonchalantly but I immediately feel my stomach tense as I realize I’ve been ambushed by my own mother. “What’s wrong, darling,” my mother continues. “You look pale.”

I gulp. I can’t believe my mother invited Aaron’s mom to have lunch with us and didn’t even bother to tell me.

“Since I knew we were meeting for lunch, I skipped breakfast,” I reply but the words sound lame as soon as they come out of my mouth.

“You still need to watch your figure,
Keira,” my mother admonishes. “Or Aaron won’t give you a second glace.”

“I already practically starve myself to stay a size two,” I retort.

My mom glares at me. “Size zero is the new two.”

“Well, I don’t have a personal trainer to work out with for four hours
a
day and I don’t have a personal chef to prepare my meals.”

My mother waves her hand like my words are a menacing fly that need
s to be shooed away. “If you need help just let your father know. He’ll hire whoever you want. It’s no excuse.”

“I’m in graduate school, Mother,” I remind her. “I’m busy studying.” It’s a complete lie because I have yet to open a
textbook but she doesn’t have to know that.

“I realize you went into the MBA program to be closer to Aaron but do you really have to take it that seriously?”

I’ve never taken anything very seriously in my life and I’m just now beginning to see that’s a problem. As I look around at all of country club wives, I wonder if this is all I have to look forward to: spending my afternoons as the club having lunch with woman I can’t stand, who’ll stab me in the back the moment I turn around and  drinking expensive cocktails to numb the pain of my empty existence.

I can hardly wait.

When Aaron’s mom hurries over to our table, I see she’s wearing a brand new beige Louis Vuitton mini dress that looks stunning against her gorgeous tan.

“So sorry I’m late,” Mrs. Donovan says as she gives my mother’s cheek an obligatory peck. Then she glances at me. “It’s
nice to see you, Keira.” I can already tell by the scowl on her face that she’s judging my dress. My mom was right. It was a poor fashion choice and a misstep I’ll obviously be hearing about for a while.

“
Keira has been so busy with her graduate studies, she hasn’t had time to do much shopping,” my mother states in an obvious effort at damage control for my fashion debacle.

“Of course.”
Mrs. Donovan gives me a catty smile. “And that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

I’m surprised that Mrs. Donovan goes straight to business and completely forgoes the small talk.

“Whatever you need,” my mother offers. “You know Keira and I will do anything to help.”

Mrs. Donovan quickly brushes away a tear that
has escaped down her cheek. “I don’t know what Aaron’s thinking. I can understand boys wanting to sow their wild oats with all kinds of girls but that doesn’t mean they have to marry them.”

My mother leans over and places a hand on Mrs. Donovan’s forearm. “I know how difficult this must be for you.” My mom is trying her best to be comforting but she’s anything but. She has about as much depth as a puddle in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

Mrs. Donovan tries to blink back tears. “Aaron’s our youngest and I certainly didn’t think he’d be the first to get engaged. It was so shocking. We didn’t even know he had a girlfriend. Why didn’t Aaron tell us about
her
?”

I have to hold back a smile because Mrs. Donovan can’t even say
Rainy’s name. And the way she says
her
makes Rainy sound worse than the plague.

When Mrs. Donovan
turns
to face me, I can see her eyes are wet. “I always thought you’d be Aaron’s wife, Keira. The two of you are perfect for each other. I have no idea what he sees in
her
.”

I give a little sniffle and blink a little more quickly to give the impression I’m blinking back tears but inside I’m doing a happy dance because I know Aaron’s mom hates Rainy and thinks I’m better suited to be with her son.

“I know this must be difficult for you, too,” Mrs. Donovan says as she pats my hand.

“It is,” I mutter.

The three of us heave a collective sigh as the waiter brings me and Mrs. Donovan Mojitos. I have to laugh that he didn’t even ask us what we wanted—he just assumed we would be having what everyone else in the lunch crowd is having. Not that it’s a bad assumption. Women in the country club set always want what everyone else has.

And isn’t that why I’m sitting her
with my mother and Mrs. Donovan? They want me to have what Rainy has. The only question is: what do I truly want. Do I
want
to be with Aaron Donovan or am I
supposed
to be with him? And does it matter? What Aaron wants obviously doesn’t matter to his mom. Aaron has always done what he’s supposed to do——what his parents expect him to do. Maybe what’s more shocking to Mrs. Donovan is that Aaron finally did something that
he
wanted to do.

“So,” Mrs. Donovan says. “
Your mother tells me that you’re not giving up on Aaron so easily and I just wanted to let you know that not only am I glad to hear it, you have my full support. Whatever you need, consider it done.”

I give Aaron’s mom a sly smile. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you, your family and Aaron.”

“I know you will, Sweetie,” Mrs. Donovan says. “I knew I could count on you.”

As I glance around the room at all country club members and their guests, it looks like a fashion show, everyone dressed in the latest
designs, right off the Fashion Week runway, and it gives me an idea. “Why don’t we invite Rainy here, to the club for lunch?” I suggest.

Both my mother and Mrs. Donovan look at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“You can’t be serious,” Mrs. Donovan scoffs. “Someone like Rainy certainly doesn’t belong here.”

I grin. “But that’s the point. Wouldn’t it be a great way to show Rainy exactly how much she doesn’t belong, not only just here, at the club, but also in Aaron’s life?”

A small smile crosses Mrs. Donovan’s face. “I like it. It’s subtle but I think it will make a strong point. I like it a lot.”

“When shall we do it?” my mom asks clearly excited about the idea. She’s now grinning from ear-to-ear.

“Let me check my calendar,” Mrs. Donovan says. “Are you free later this week?”

My mom and I both nod
. I have to give myself a little bit of credit because my mom and Mrs. Donovan are both still smiling.

“I’ll have Aaron talk to his
friend
,” Mrs. Donovan says. “I’m sure he can persuade her to have lunch with us.”

I can hardly wait.

***

Aaron’s mom convinced Rainy to let me pick her up and take her to the country club with me. She lets it slip that Aaron gave her a bit of a hard time about it. Apparently, he wanted to drive Rainy himself but his mom nixed the idea and basically told him he was being ridiculous. I think Aaron could smell an ambush a mile away.

But now I have Rainy in my car and we are headed to the club. I can hardly keep the huge smile from my face when I pick her up. As I suspect, Rainy is wearing a dress that looks like it’s right off of a J.C. Penney sale rack. The style looks like a knock-off of a Dior that was in their spring line like four years ago. I know a dress like that will have every woman in the country club whispering behind her back. If I was a nicer person, I would have offered to take Rainy shopping to get her something decent to wear. But that would have also defeated the purpose of trying to completely humiliate her and make her feel like she doesn’t belong.  

“Has Aaron taken you to the club yet?” I ask even though I know he hasn’t. I just want to start making her feel as unco
mfortable as possible.

“No,” Rainy mutters. I can see she’s nervously wringing her hands.

“That’s too bad.” I try to sound sympathetic but I know I just sound catty. “Do you have any idea why?”

When I glance over at Rainy, I can see her brow is furrowed. I think she knows exactly why Aaron hasn’t taken her to the country club. She doesn’t belong and I hope today’s little outing is going to make that exceptionally clear.

“We’re both so busy with school,” Rainy says lamely. “I’ve got my internship. I’m co-authoring an art history book.”

As if her helping her professor
co-write a crappy art history book that maybe five people are going to read impresses me at all. Unless she’s going to make a billion dollars writing the next Harry Potter, I don’t care. “I know what you mean,” I reply. “Graduate school is so much more demanding than I thought it would be. But at least I have Aaron to help me when I need it.”