Mark My Words (2 page)

Chapter Two

Dropping the Bomb

"You’re what?!” bellowed Artie Markowitz over the massive dining room table that was overflowing with casseroles, a perfectly prepared brisket and a colorful assortment of vegetable dishes.  

Sloane had just broken the big news. She wanted to tell her father about the engagement before Luke came so that she could prepare him. Sloane sat perfectly unfazed at the other end of the dining room table as she looked at her father with a happy look on her face.  

“Oh, Daddy, isn’t it exciting?!” asked Sloane as her cheeks blushed red from excitement. 

Artie’s face had turned a threatening shade of red as he considered his daughter’s question. 

“Exciting?! I don’t even know the man you’re supposed to be marrying! I’d say no, I’m not excited at all!” 

“Oh, Daddy. Stop. You’ll love him.” 

“What on earth is goin’ on out here?!” asked Philomena loudly as her eyes wildly scanned the room. 

Philomena gave her husband a wayward look as she patted down her curly hair. She had just got back from the salon and her red hair was perfectly teased and hairsprayed to a hard crisp. As she talked, she waved her hands around which showed off her dark red acrylic nails and several massive diamond rings. 

“Did you hear what your daughter just said?!” asked Artie in a fit of rage. His face was still purple and his broad chest was heaving up and down. 

“Calm y’self down. I’ve known for several weeks that she is engaged. I, for one, am looking forward to meeting the young man t’night.” 

“You’ve known?!” yelled Artie boisterously. “And you haven’t told me?! I feel so betrayed!”

“Oh, honestly, Arthur…” Philomena began, ready to put her husband in his place. She spoke in a Fran Drescher-like whine at all times. “You might have known if you were around here more often instead of at the dealership!” 

“Someone has to make money around here!” 

“I offered to get a job… Way back in 1964. But you said, ‘No wife of mine!’”

“Can we get back to the issue at hand?” Artie protested, but Philomena continued. 

“You said ‘No wife of mine is going to work. I want her home with the children where she is safe.’” 

Artie rolled his eyes at his wife. There was no winning with her. 

“I don’t even know the boy’s name.” 

“He’s not a
boy
, Daddy. He’s a man… and a damn good one, too. He’s thirty-five years old. Just two years older than I am.” 

“He sounds like a very nice young man, Arthur!” protested Philomena, clearly on her daughter’s side. 

“He is!” insisted Sloane. “His name is Lucas Casile and he is a…” Sloane began to explain but was cut off. 

“Casile… That doesn’t sound Jewish to me…” 

“It’s not. It’s actually English.” 

“English?!” 

“His grandparents came from England.” 

Arthur rolled his eyes. 

“Just like us!” Sloane added, trying to get her father to see the big picture.

“What religion is he?” Arthur asked sternly.

“He was raised Catholic.” 

“Catholic?!” Arthur barked as if such a thing was unheard of.

“Yes, Daddy. There is nothing wrong with that!”

“No daughter of mine…” 

“Oh! Here he goes again!” complained Philomena. “No daughter of mine… No wife of mine… How about this! No husband of mine will ruin
my
dinner party! Now stop complaining, they will be here any minute now!” 

Suddenly the door bell rang.  

“Oh, they’re here!” shouted Philomena sounding more excited than her daughter presently was.  

Both Sloane and Philomena rushed to the door as their heels scraped against the hardwood floors. Artie shook his head as he opened a bottle of aspirin. Between his wife’s nagging and his daughter’s sudden engagement, he felt as if his head was about to explode. Little did he know, the fun was just beginning. 

***

I always get so nervous coming here…” said Brant as he held the passenger side door open for Holly. She smirked as she stepped out of the car.

“Why? This was like my second home growing up,” Holly admitted.

“It’s just too upper crust for my liking. There are a million forks on the table, and I feel like I’m in prep school whenever I come here. Arthur is a bit intense.”

“Prep school, huh? Relax. He likes you, whether he shows it or not. Besides, we’re not going for his benefit, are we? Luke’s the one who’s under the gun tonight.”

“Poor sucker…” said Brant as he and Holly climbed the front steps to the grand town home that the Markowitz’s called home.

“Who are the flowers for?” Brant asked as he nodded at the bouquet of red and white roses that Holly was carrying.

“Artie and Philomena. I sent them a thank you note for the reception, but I want to make sure they know just how much we appreciated the gesture.”

Brant smirked down at his wife and squeezed her tightly by his side. A bouquet of flowers could never express the amount of gratitude he had towards Sloane and her parents for their generosity. After all, they were the big reason why Holly and Brant were remarried so soon.

“I wonder if Luke’s here yet…” remarked Holly.

“I don’t see his bike anywhere…”

“His bike?! Please tell me he’s not riding his Harley here.”

“He rides it everywhere.”

With wide eyes, Holly smirked as the mental picture of Mr. Markowitz berating Sloane’s biker fiance across the dining room table came to her mind.

“Oh, boy,” quipped Holly as Brant knocked on the heavy door of the Markowitz Residence.

This was going to be an interesting evening.

***

“Holly! Brant! So good to see you, both!” squealed Philomena as she welcomed Sloane’s dearest friends into the foyer. “I hear congratulations are in order!”

Brant smiled broadly at Philomena as Holly hugged Philomena and flipped a wink at Sloane.

“Yes! Thank you so much for letting us use the ballroom. It was absolutely fabulous!” gushed Holly, still overwhelmed from their dream wedding and reunion.

“These are for you,” said Brant as Holly handed over the bouquet of flowers.

“Oh, what a lovely centerpiece!”

“This is just a way to say thank you for all you, Arthur and Sloane have done for us.”

“Oh! Nonsense. You’re like family to us! Now let me see that ring!” Philomena urged as she placed the bouquet of flowers in the middle of the dining room table.

Philomena rushed back, trotting in her black high heels that clopped against the hardwood floor. Holly held out her hand to show off her beautiful diamond engagement ring.

“Oh, Sloane! You’re right! It is exquisite. Good job, Brant.”

Brant fixed his tie, nervously clearing his throat. He said, “Thank you,” bashfully.

“Come now, Brant, don’t be shy… Come in and have a seat next to Arthur,” Philomena urged.

Great. I get to sit next to the headmaster,
thought Brant gruffly
.

“Philomena! Let them breathe!” urged Artie from the head of the dining room table. He had a look a pure perturbance written across his face.

Holly gave Sloane a hug and whispered something in her ear that earned a chuckle from her good friend. Then she followed Brant into the living room and took her seat next to her husband. Sloane sat across from Holly at the table as she excitedly awaited for Luke’s arrival. Artie glanced at his gold rolex as his brow furrowed even further.

“He’s late,” Artie said grouchily as he cast his daughter an annoyed look.”

“Oh, Daddy… He’ll be here. Be nice!”

“Can anyone tell me anything about this guy?! Brant, you know him, correct?”

“Yes, Luke is a good friend of mine.”

“What does he do?”

“Luke is the Director of a Sales Department over at Saxman Tech.”

This caught Artie’s attention.

“A businessman, huh?”

“Yes, Daddy…” Sloane chimed in, “A good one, too.”

“Now, Brant… Would you say that Lucas is a smart man?”

“Very. He and I both went to Drexel together.”

“What about respectable?”

Holly chimed in, “Luke has a heart of gold. He’s a real good guy…”

“Okay. I must admit, I got a bit nervous when I heard about this guy. I guess we will see what happens when he arrives.”

Suddenly the roar of a motorcycle sounded from outside and came to a resounding halt outside of the Markowitz residence. Sloane and Philomena scrambled to the front windows.

“He’s here!” squealed Philomena as she parted the curtains to get a better look.

“Oh! He drives a
motorcycle
! Oh, now I’m excited!” quipped Philomena looking more and more thrilled by the second.

As soon as Artie heard the word motorcycle, he wanted to die on the spot. This was going to be a very long night.

***

Luke brought his Harley to a stop at the mid-way point down Pine Street as he approached Sloane’s parents’ house. His stomach rumbled with anxiousness as he pulled off his helmet revealing his neatly combed black hair. He had used nearly half a can of hairspray on it to make sure it stayed in place under his chrome motorcycle helmet.

Luke was nervous. He had met many girls’ parents before, but it was never this important before. He and Sloane had dated very casually for over seven years now. Before just recently, she was in no rush to introduce Luke to her parents, or them to him. She was happy with her compartmentalized life. But things were serious, now. They didn’t want to keep their love a secret anymore. Luke wanted Sloane to be his wife. That upped the ante for him a little bit.

As Luke parked his motorcycle by the curb, he took one last deep breath before making his way to the house.

***

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Lucas!” Philomena gushed as she planted a big wet kiss on Luke’s face. She left behind a bright red lipstick stain on his cheek.

“Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Markowitz,” Luke said with a pleasant smile on his face.

Much to Holly’s delight, Luke had dressed well for the occasion. He had on a gray suit with a white dress shirt and a black long tie. He had even shaved for the occasion. When he saw Sloane, he gave her a kiss on the cheek, and when he looked up, Artie Markowitz was giving him the look of death.

Great, he hates me already.

“C’mon, I’ll introduce you to my Dad,” said Sloane as she led Luke to her father’s side.

“Daddy, this is my fiance Luke. Luke, this is my father Arthur Markowitz.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” said Luke happily as he held out his hand for Arthur to shake. Arthur took it, and grasped it firmly.

Rather than exchanging pleasantries, Artie cut right to the chase. “What are your intentions with my daughter?”

“Dad!”

“Quiet, Sloane! I am talking to Mr. Casile.”

Luke raised his eyebrow at Arthur. He didn’t like the tone he used when speaking to Sloane. Brant and Holly followed the conversation with baited breath.

“Please do not speak to my fiance in that tone, Mr. Markowitz,” stated Luke firmly. He continued, “I intend to marry your daughter. I’ve loved her for years. We are planning a June wedding.”

“And what kind of life do you plan to give her? I understand you are some sort of business man?”

Luke puffed out his chest as Sloane squeezed his hand tight. It was a non-verbal cue to be brave, and not to back down from Mr. Markowitz’s brash exterior. Luke had been coached well in advance.

“I am the Director of Sales at Saxman Technology, and I intend to give Sloane a good life. I may not be wealthy, but I make enough to give us a good and happy life together. I own the deed to a house that is being rebuilt in Conshohocken, I have a cabin in upstate Pennsylvania and Sloane, though I offered, has no intention upon being a house wife.”

“How did you become the director of Sales at Saxman…? You can’t be no more than thirty five years old.”

“I’m thirty five, and I’m dedicated. I graduated on the Dean’s List from Drexel, the same year that Sloane did. I worked my way through the ranks.”

Artie peered at Luke as he scratched the hair on his chin. He was running out of ammuniation.

“Was that you who rode up on a motorcycle?”

Luke smirked as a mischevious look crossed his face. Sloane’s heart rushed as she saw the expression she loved so much cross Luke’s face. There was the bad boy that her father was so paranoid about.

“Sure is. Isn’t the purr of her engine a thing of beauty?”

Artie wasn’t impressed.

“Don’t you own a car?”

“Of course I do. I just prefer to ride that around.”

“You better not have my daughter on the back of it.”