Page 118 of Shameless

Cake, check.

Family and friends… almost check.

You’d be surprised how hard it is to get a bunch of people to hide and stay quiet.

“Dad, where’s Arianna?” I ask, noticing that my stepmother is nowhere in sight.

“Her phone rang and she went into her office. Hopefully it isn’t some emergency at the club.”

I shake my head. “I doubt it. Since she promoted Trish to manager, that place runs like clockwork.”

Dad agrees. “I must admit, there was a lot of skepticism because Trish is so young, but she’s managed to show us all that age is just a number.”

My heart fills with pride. “She’s a role model. I don’t know how she juggles a full time job, online classes at Star Cove College and keeping up with Les and all the travel he does with Star Thunders.”

My father wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a side hug. “If you love someone, nothing can keep you apart. Not even two decades and a narcissistic ex-best friend.”

He’s right. “Talking about narcissistic former besties, have you guys heard from her?”

Dad doesn’t need to ask who I’m referring to. “I haven’t. But that doesn’t mean much. Tiffany knows that as far as I’m concerned, she’s dead to me. The only way I would ever reconsider even picking up the phone when she calls, is if you asked me to.”

I sigh. “That won’t happen any time soon, Dad. I’m sorry, but she’s never even pretended to love me. Arianna is the only maternal figure I’ve had in my life until I met Tilly.”

As if summoned by my words, Arianna walks into the living room.

“Sorry,” her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Where do you want me to hide, sweetheart?”

I ignore her question. “Are you ok?”

My stepmother frowns. “Look, I don’t want to ruin today’s party. You worked so hard for it, Lula.”

Alarm bells ring in my ears. “Who was on the phone?”

“It was Tiffany,” she admits.

“What did she want?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

“Money,” Arianna confirms that my instinct was right.

After the scandal surrounding Evan’s death and the discovery of the bag we planted in Evan’s room, things haven’t gone Tiffany’s way.

“She can’t seriously think that you’re going to pay for her divorce attorney, right?”

The room is full of our family and friends and rather than hiding like they’ve been instructed, everyone is talking and catching up with each other.

I step out and into the kitchen and lower my voice to make sure our conversation stays private. “Howard is a vindictive man. Maybe she shouldn’t have dumped him when he was at his lowest. She can’t seriously expect him to pay the alimony she’s demanding.”

I don’t feel guilty about the fact that Evan’s death and the discovery of the murder evidence, caused such a scandal that Howard had no choice but to withdraw from the election. Of course Tiffany filed for divorce the second her husband was no longer a state senate candidate.

Dad rolls his eyes. “Her reasoning is that since she remarried the second we got divorced, she never filed for alimony. The fact that the judge ruled I was only responsible for child support doesn’t register with her. She thinks I owe her. If she misses the life of luxury her ex could provide, why did she leave him? I don’t buy that it was for moral reasons, not even for a minute.”

I snort. “Tiffany would have married Jack The Ripper, if he lived in a penthouse in the Upper East Side and had at least eight figures in his bank account.”

Arianna drops a real bombshell. “You’re right, Lula. Your mother just admitted that she didn’t dump Howard, it was the other way around. She wants the money to fight the prenup she had to sign when they got married.”

Typical Tiffany. “I hope you didn’t agree to help her.” I say.

Arianna looks suddenly sad. “No, I’m not going to give her money to get into a court battle she’s going to lose. I did offer her help to get back on her feet though.”

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