Page 39 of Collision
“That’s a good thing, Alex! You look happy, and that is already reason enough for me to love her. I have never seen you all aglow like this.”
“I am happy. I can’t wait for her to meet you; I’m sure the two of you will get along great.”
“I have an idea! You should come to my house for dinner tomorrow. Mom wants to ‘officially’ introduce me to her new boyfriend.”
“Ah, the famous Victor, the only man capable of thawing Esther White’s icy heart,” he replies cheerfully.
“That’s the one. So will you keep me company during this torture?” I implore him with my usual doe-eyed look.
“Of course we will. We can’t stay long, though: I’ve got a romantic evening planned,” he says suggestively.
“Oh, you’re gonna be busy, huh?” I snicker, before turning serious to thank him. “I’m relieved I don’t have to face this dinner alone.”
“Travis didn’t want to come?”
“I didn’t ask him. You know how my mother gets around him. The dinner will be awkward enough as it is; I want to avoid piling on.”
“That makes sense,” he says, smiling.
“I’d better get inside, I need to get ready for the party.” I roll my eyes. I don’t have the slightest desire to go.
“Speaking of parties, you don’t need me to do the safety spiel, do you?” he asks wryly.
“I’m gonna say no. I’ve got a good head on my shoulders, don’t I?”
“I know, but weird things always happen at parties. Just keep your phone on you and call me if you need anything, okay?”
“This is all very thoughtful of you, but I won’t call because there will be no need, and because you will be with Stella and an intrusive friend was not included in your ‘Couple’s Weekend’ package.” I chuckle. “In all likelihood, I will be home before ten o’clock,” I reassure him.
“Have fun, then.” Alex rumples my hair with a move that he would call affectionate, and we say goodbye.
An hour later I’m on the bus headed for the Baker house. I walk down the long concrete driveway, bordered by artfully manicured flower beds. When I arrive at the huge wrought-iron gate, I press the doorbell. Lisa, the maid, recognizes me on the video intercom and opens the gate for me. I pass the patio and find myself at the entrance, where Lisa has opened the door for me and stands waiting for me to hand her my jacket. I give it to her and shyly say thank you.
“Please don’t thank me, Miss Clark, I’m just doing my job,” she says with a pleading look. Inside this house, the words “thank you” do not exist. All this luxury always makes me feel uncomfortable.
“Where’s Tiffany?” I find myself whispering, though I couldn’t say why. It must be the deafening silence that fills this huge, bright house.Everything is white here, from the polished marble under my feet to the stone pillars at the entrance to the vast carpet in the living room, which is surely made from the pelt of some poor polar bear…
“You will find Miss Baker in her room, upstairs.” The maid bids me farewell with a bow and then leaves.
A bow? Really? This is the reason I stopped coming to this house— it’s all a bit much for me.
I climb the stairs and walk down the hallway that divides Travis’s room from Tiffany’s. I can tell that Travis is in his room by the music blaring from the stereo, so I sneak into the good twin’s room. When I enter, I find her curled up on the chaise longue listening to “Like a Virgin,” intent on painting her toenails. She’s wearing a pink silk robe and looks beautiful even in her lounging clothes.
“There you are! Lock the door, I don’t want anyone busting in.” I do as she says, then slip off my purse and shoes and throw myself onto the bed, resting my back on the mountain of piled-up pillows. I’d much rather skip the party and stay here to get a good night’s sleep.
“Are your folks still out of town?” I ask.
“You know how they are. Work comes first,” she says, imitating her father’s voice.
“Where did they go this time?” I clutch a pillow to my chest.
“Dad flew to Dubai for a conference, Mom’s on a spiritual retreat or something like that. Apparently she’s stressed.”
“I’m sorry, Tiff,” I say simply. I know their absence hurts. The absence of a parent always hurts.
“I’ve gotten used to it. When your father is the CEO of a big oil company, you don’t have much of a choice.” She shrugs. “In all honesty, not having them around has its upsides. There’s always a lot of tension whenever they’re in the house. Especially with Travis, who never misses an opportunity to raise hell to get dad’s attention.”
“I still don’t understand what you guys are doing in this hole of a town. With all the money you’ve got, I’d be in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco! Anywhere but here!”
