Page 129 of Mayhem and Minnie

“See, this is what I mean. He’s so…asocial. He always keeps to himself and hates human interaction. Even with his own mother, for God’s sake! All he does is work, work, work. Out of all my children, he’s the one I’ve always worried about.”

“Really? I haven’t seen him work that much. He’s always walking around the house and mumbling things to himself. I assumed he was on vacation,” Minnie adds innocently.

I grimace.

My mother beams.

It seems my loitering didn’t go unnoticed. And here I thought I was being careful about it…

“It’s an uneventful time at work.” I clear my throat as I try to explain.

But it’s in vain. The glint in my mother’s eye tells me she knows exactly what has been causing this.

“He’s really not that bad!” Minnie interjects. “Please don’t think badly of him. He’s the bestest, kindest person I’ve ever met. I don’t even care that he swears too much, or that he’s a clean freak, or that he can be a bit controlling. Did he tell you he saved a puppy?” she adds eagerly. “He did. He’s a hero, Mrs. Spencer-Astor.” Turning to me, she gives me a bright smile. “My hero,” she emphasizes.

I blink, taken aback by her defense of me.

No one’s done that before.

Ever.

I’ve always been the weird one in the family, and while they accepted me, they never made excuses for me and criticized my eccentricities every time they could. Even my mother, who I know loves me, has never shied away from pointing out my flaws.

This is the first time someone’s focused on the positives instead of the negatives.

And I don’t know how to react.

Heat travels up my neck, and I look away.

Minnie, however, is not deterred.

She continues to smile brightly at me as she seeks out my hand under the table and covers it with hers.

A current of electricity travels from her skin to mine, causing a sweltering heat to take over my entire body. Yet it’s the type of heat I’ve always yearned for. The type of scorching heat that reaches deep within me until not just my body is warm, but also my soul.

My mother watches us closely.

There’s a smile on her face, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She has a calculating look, and I know she’s trying to ascertain whether Minnie’s proclamation is genuine. In her mind, just as in mine, something like this is simply…impossible.

“Minnie darling, I have to ask. Are you with my Marlowe for his money? I do admit he is a good-looking boy, but he is…” She pauses as she purses her lips. “Well, odd is putting it mildly. He’s my son and I love him, but he’s not the dreamy hero you speak of. I should know. I’ve raised that rascal for almost eighteen years. He’s cold and detached, and quite frankly, I don’t see him saving a dog, let alone a human. So please excuse me for being curious about the nature of your relationship and your interest in him.”

There it goes. Straight to the point.

I expected this.

No matter how much my mother might want me to settle down, she also knows why it’s not likely to happen. It’s a hypothetical scenario in her mind—a wish. It’s not something she ever thought would really happen.

Minnie blinks, taken aback by the question.

“No, no,” she quickly answers, waving her hands back and forth. “I don’t care about his money, and I don’t need a lot to live comfortably. Of course I do like that he’s rich.” She nods. “Because that means he can buy me cookies. Lots of cookies. Those things are so delicious, but I never realized how expensive they can get in this world.” She shakes her head to emphasize her disapproval.

My mother stares at her, her mouth agape.

Minnie continues.

“I can cook, but I can’t bake. And the one time I tried, the cookies weren’t as delicious as the ones from the store. But Marlowe’s been very good. He gives me chocolate cookies daily. Rather than being with him for his money, I think you could say I’m with him for the cookies he can provide.” Then she smiles.

My mother stares at her for another moment before she throws her head back and laughs.

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