The Truth About Fairy Tales (26 page)

             
Jackson had planned to spend the morning with his best buddy from the university, who also worked for him, Sam Winters. And my prince charming was taking old Sidney with him. They were just planning on hanging out together watching sports on TV, but mostly he just didn’t want to be anywhere near all those women.

             
“What time do you think this little party of yours will be over with, Miss Monroe?” he asked while we stood just in the door whispering after I’d been forced to introduce him to the group. I didn’t even have to look around to know they were all watching our little conversation with open curiosity.

             
“By one…I think. You want me to call you?” He smiled, nodded and then took me in his arms and kissed me, giving the ladies group quite a show.

             
I think no one actually believed the great and handsome Jackson Riley was with me. I mean it just didn’t seem to compute in their minds that someone who could have anyone in the world would choose me. I could only agree with them. I didn’t fully understand that.

             
By ten, my living room filled with women and gifts. When Genna walked in and saw that sight, she started to cry and laugh so much that I was beginning to worry she might just have the baby right there.

             
“You guys? I can’t believe you planned all this without me knowing anything about it!” Serena and I winked at each other. We were so proud. Normally, Genna could spot a party in preparation a mile away. We’d never been able to fool her in the past. We were so proud of ourselves that day.

             
After endless hours, okay, so it was only a couple of hours; but after all the oohing and aahing over all the cute little baby presents and playing those ridiculous shower games, it felt like endless.

             
Now most of Genna’s friends, well, other than Serena and me, are the wealthy, snobby type. You know the kind. Too much money, whether it be their daddy’s or their husband’s, and too much time on their hands to spend said money.

             
After we served the cake, the conversation, as I had feared, came back to Jackson. I don’t know what it was about him that every single one of those ladies was so fascinated with except that maybe the single ones were hoping for the inside scoop on how to land a millionaire. More likely, they were just fishing for tips for when he left me high and dry, like just about everyone at this party wasn’t saying but was certainly thinking.

             
“I want to know how you two met and what you did to get him to propose to you.” This was one of the single friends. She had been eyeing my two-carat ring with envy, her eyes all alight with speculation. I could almost read her thoughts,
what’d you do? Drug him
.

             
Me, being the nice social-butterfly that I am, I made up one whopper of a story.

             
“I met him on the east side. Where I was working…you know.” With an ever so coy lift of one eyebrow, I meant to imply the obvious. I could almost hear the silence and Genna’s jaw drop.

             
“Well, you know, a girl has to make a living.” I managed to say with a straight face, shocking them all. As it turned out, that couldn’t have been a better way to get rid of those ladies. Shortly afterward, every one of them made excuses to leave.

Serena was laughing so hard at Genna’s expression that I think she was just about ready to pass out.

              “I can’t believe you said that,” Genna, still in her euphoric baby shower with tons of gifts fever, told me angrily and only half meant it.

             
“Sorry, I just couldn’t help it. Gees, what a bunch of snobs you hang out with, Gen. I mean, where do you met those gals?”

             
“They're actually nice if you’d give them half a chance…”

             
“Uh-uh…they’re rich snobs,” I said and felt guilty for the first time since I’d been so free with my mouth.

             
“Do I need to remind you that most of those women hang out in the same circles you and Jackson do? You ever think about that. He’s rich as well. Maybe not a snob, but neither are they.”

             
That shut me up. She was right and I hated to admit it. Half the ladies there were at most of those boring parties, charity events and functions we attended out of obligation, as he called it. Genna was right. I hung out with more of them than the kind that I believed was mine.

             
“I’m sorry, Gen. I didn’t mean to ruin your party.”

             
“You didn’t ruin the party. I think it was the best part of it.” This was Serena who was still busy laughing.

             
“Serena, don’t encourage her.” Genna turned to me and slowly smiled. “It’s okay. I know it’s hard for you to adjust to this new lifestyle so I forgive you.”

             
This had my eyebrow raised and I looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. Boy, she was just lucky she was pregnant.

             
I called Jackson to let him know he could come home again. “Are you sure? No hidden ladies lurking to attack?”

             
“Nope just Serena and Genna. Come home so that you can see all the gifts.” This was so unlike me that he couldn’t think of one single thing to say in answer.

             
“We’re on our way now.”

             
When I hung up, I saw my two friends staring at me as if I were a rare find. “What?”

             
“Man, you’ve got him wrapped around your finger. I swear you say jump and he says how high. He’s got it bad for you, that’s for sure.” Serena who had started laughing all over again at my expression ignored the warning signals of my return grumpiness.

             
“That’s not true. He does whatever he wants.”

             
I prayed Serena didn’t know what she was talking about. Was I bullying Jackson the way I’d bullied these two all those years? If so, would he keep letting me? I doubted that. Jackson was not the bullying kind.

             
Jackson found us sitting around still talking when he and Sidney walked in the door. My poor little old man dog whose arthritis was acting up more than usual lately made his way slowly over to my side and I picked him up and put him in my lap. I didn’t miss Serena and Genna exchange that look that they always gave each other every single time they saw Sidney and me. They knew how hard it was going to be for me when Sid passed.

             
Jackson came and kissed me first before looking through the assortment of baby things, pretending interest.

             
“Looks like you cleaned house, Genna. That’s going be one spoiled little girl.” That was just like him, always teasing my friends. He fit right into their worlds just as if he belonged there. Another warning sign of disaster ahead.

             
“I can’t wait.” Gen had that wistful look in her eyes that made me jealous. Here, lately, I was considering babies without any of my previous revulsion.

             
“Oh, Jackson, you should have heard what this one said to all those nice society ladies. You’d be so proud of her.” I threw Serena a look that told her if she valued her life she’d shut up right there. She obviously didn’t consider me much of a threat anymore.

             
Jackson, well he’d caught all of it and smiled. “You’d better tell me, Serena, because I have a feeling she isn’t going to.”

             
I was so embarrassed to hear my hasty words out there in front of me again, especially with Jackson laughing throughout all of them, that I wanted to disappear.

             
He knew all of this and took my hand. God, this man was good. “That sounds just like something she would say.” His gaze met mine reminding me that he knew the truth.

             
“I should go,” Genna interrupted. “I’ve left Layne on his own for way too long. He’ll have the baby’s room completely remodeled by now.

             
Jackson, Serena, and I carried out all of Gen’s goodies while forcing her to sit quietly on the sofa next to Sidney, who wasn’t sure who she was. The poor thing only had one good eye, after all.

             
“One more month.” I hugged Gen and patted her stomach. “I bet you can’t wait.”

             
“You’re right. I’m so ready to meet my daughter and so tired of being fat. And so jealous of all my skinny friends. I remember when we used to wear the same size. Now, I’m so fat.”

             
“Oh, you are not. You’re pregnant and you look beautiful.” I think she picked up on my wistful expression because she smiled and hugged me again.

             
“Someday it will happen for you, too, you know? You’re going to make a wonderful mother, Mags.”

             
I glanced at Jackson, who had heard the whole thing, but I could only pray he’d write it off as just Genna’s hormones talking. We’d never talked about anything so permanent as kids. He couldn’t even get me to commit to a marriage date and I certainly didn’t have the nerve to ask him if he wanted kids.

             
Jackson never mentioned Gen’s comments. I think he’d picked up on my embarrassment and decided to let it lie for now. The poor guy was gold. But some day, we’d have to talk about all those little things that I was finding so hard to bring up.

Chapter Fourteen

              The following Monday, the verdict was in. I’d been sweating it and worrying over it even though I knew the truth. The results were in and it was official. I was now an attorney.

             
I’d been going home every single day for lunch to check the mail. But today, with the envelope ripped open and the results in my hands, I couldn’t stop myself from standing out in front of Jackson’s most expensive home crying and shouting with happiness. As always, when I wanted to share my good news, he was the first that I thought of. He was almost as excited as I was.

             
“That’s wonderful. I knew you’d pass. Stay there, I’ll be right over.”

             
Now, I knew if he got home before I left neither one of us would be going back to work.

             
“Jackson, I have tons of work on my desk.”

             
“Me, too,” he told me in that soft seductive voice of his that told me he didn’t care.

             
“Jessie and Rich are expecting me back.”

             
“They’ll forgive you when you tell them the good news.” I’d already dropped my purse and keys and kicked my shoes off. I wasn’t going anywhere.

             
That afternoon, we took the phone off the hook and celebrated my success in the best possible way. I forced myself to call my employers and share the good news with them while Jackson went to the kitchen to make lunch.

             
“Jessie, I’m sorry I didn’t come back, but I was just so excited. I got the news today, I passed the bar!”

             
I heard her let out a yelp, drop the phone, and yell to Rich, who was on the extension along with this wife congratulating me.

             
“We knew you could do it. We’re so proud of you.”

Jackson
asked me something from the kitchen and I heard Jessie say, “Is that Jackson? Now I understand why you didn’t come back. Oh, don’t sound so shocked. You should have seen me when I passed, right, Rich? I don’t think we got out of bed for days. Enjoy it. But we want to take you both out to celebrate you becoming official, so let us know when is good for you.”

             
“Well, they figured it out.” I joined him in the kitchen. Jackson only smiled. He didn’t care who knew what we’d been up to.

             
“Did you really think they wouldn’t? I’m sure they were so happy for you that they didn’t care.”

             
I nodded. They had been great to me. I loved the both of them. “They want to take us both out to dinner soon. What do you think?”

             
He glanced up from doing whatever it was he was doing to that poor chicken at the sound of my little girl voice.

             
“I think that sounds like fun. You pick the day because you know it doesn’t matter to me. This is your celebration, baby.” He kissed my nose and smiled down at me and I’d never been happier or more scared.

****

              Becoming legal allowed me to actually go in to court. My first case was a custody battle between two divorced parents that were using their little child to get back at each other. It was heartbreaking to watch. The poor little girl, barely five, was caught in the middle between my client, the mother, and a verbally abusive father. I ended up winning the case, but it didn’t feel much like a victory and I ended up crying for hours in the ladies room of the courthouse.