The Only Exception

CHAPTER 15

Sam left right after classes on Friday, which left me the whole night to clean the apartment from top to bottom. I lit every single candle I owned and hoped to get out any lingering pot smell. I vacuumed all the carpets, scrubbed the countertops, and dusted every square inch that probably hadn’t been dusted since the place was built.

Trey came by at nine the next morning, already dressed for the day and carrying a tray with two foam coffee cups and a white bag with something in it that smelled like fresh-baked bread and rosemary. It made my mouth water.

“I love a woman in some overalls,” he said, walking into the apartment and setting the white bag on the counter, then handing me a steaming foam cup.

I had on a pair of overalls I wore to clean in that I bought at a thrift store, a white tank top, and my hair was pulled back in a bandana. It was my usual cleaning outfit, but I never expected someone would actually see me in it.

“You’re lucky you brought me coffee, or I wouldn’t take your sarcasm so easily.” I took a sip and it wasn’t coffee, but a pumpkin latte; which was my favorite.

“If I would have known you would be up scrubbing the floors, I would have just sent over my cleaning lady, and I could have taken you out instead,” he said, opening up the bag and retrieving two little packages wrapped in aluminum foil.

“Not all of us have that luxury,” I snapped, harsher than I intended.

Trey put his hands up. “Whoa, I know you’re nervous about your parents coming, so I’ll let that one slide. I was just offering to help.”

I put my cup down beside his and then slid my arms around his waist. “I’m sorry. You’re right. That wasn’t cool of me.”

He kissed my forehead. “That’s better, now come have a breakfast sandwich with me.” He scrunched up his nose. “Or you could take a shower first. You kind of smell like bleach.”

I kept my arms wrapped around him and pulled him tighter against me. “Does the smell of bleach turn you on?”

He let out a small smile but still shook his head. “Not in the slightest.”

I released my grip and stepped back, letting out a sigh. “Fine, I guess I need to get ready. Will you be fine out here alone?”

“I should be able to take care of myself, and I’ll keep your drink and food warm until you get out,” he said, holding up my coffee.

“I can live with that.”

I should have been more worried about having Trey in my apartment when I would be naked in the next room, but I didn’t feel like I could just kick him out. I locked my bedroom and my bathroom door just in case. I didn’t like surprises or people walking in on me.

***

Thirty minutes and it was probably a record for fastest time I ever got ready. The weather was starting to get colder, so I put on one of my favorite cable-knit sweater and some skinny jeans with knee-high boots. I blow dried my hair and walked out to see Trey sitting on the couch, watching some news channel.

I took a seat at the breakfast bar where he had my latte and breakfast sandwich waiting. “Do you ever watch anything besides the news?”

He got up and walked over to the counter, leaning on it and standing next to me. “Do you ever not look so breathtaking?”

I unwrapped the mouthwatering sandwich and took a big bite, flooding my taste buds with the flavor of egg whites, honey glazed ham, and spinach, all on sourdough bread. I found myself moaning at its deliciousness.

“And if you’re going to have that reaction when I bring you food, then I’m coming over in the morning more often,” he said.

I swallowed. “If you’re going to bring my sandwiches like this, then you can compliment me all you want.”

***

My hometown was only about an hour from campus. It’s the reason I originally didn’t pick Central, because of the proximity, but later figured it was the best place since I could go home whenever I needed. Of course, I didn’t expect I’d have a boyfriend that my parents would need to meet.

I was cuddled up on the couch with Trey’s arm around my waist, and trying not to smell his cologne too much when a knock came at my door. It was only eleven, and I wasn’t expecting them to be on time. I jumped up and ran to the front door opening it up to see my parents smiling faces.

My mom looked just like me except with an additional fifty pounds, some gray streaks in her hair, and a pair of large glasses. She also was blessed with straight hair that she always kept cut short since she said the babies in the pediatric ward liked to grab it when she would give them shots. My dad was where I got the curl in my hair from, even at his age he still had a gray fro to go with his graying mustache. He was taller than me and very skinny, probably because my mom was always too busy working to cook that often.

“Hey Monica!” Mom gushed, handing me a container of lasagna and walking into the apartment.

Dad patted my back. “Hey, honey.”

Mom stopped and giggled. “And this must be the famous new boyfriend.”

I turned around to see Trey standing there with his trademark political smile and his hands in his pockets. “That’s me, Mrs. Remy.” He extended his hand out to her, shaking it briskly. “Mr. Remy.” He did the same to my dad, shaking his hand like a politician-in-training.

“And such manners,” Mom cooed.

“Don’t let him sign you up for any fundraisers, Mom,” I said, putting the lasagna in the stove and turning it on. Mom took some class in which she learned how to prepare all her meals for the freezer. I knew the drill since high school that everything we had for dinner needed to be cooked in the oven for an hour before it wasn’t a frozen tundra.

Dad looked around the place, eyeing it like something would pop out and grab him. “This is a nice place, Monica, glad to see it’s worth the rate you’re paying.”

“It is one of the best places on campus, Mr. Remy. It has great security and walking distance to all our classes. I even live next door.” Trey pointed to the wall of my bedroom.

“Oh, dating the boy next door!” Mom fluttered her arms.

I groaned, rolling my eyes, but dad was right there patting my back. Mom was the one that was there when I needed comfort and dad was there when mom was getting to be too much for me. “You know how excited your mother gets, and now we can talk to your new boyfriend about his dad’s ideas for local government.”

I put my hands up. “Whoa, I talk enough politics all day in my classes, I think I could go a day without it.”

Mom nodded. “Good idea!”

Dad took his hand off my back. “Well, maybe me and Trey will have a discussion about it later.”

“Dad, where’s Jordan at?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“Oh.” Dad cleared his throat. “He had practice today, so he couldn’t make it. He said he was real sorry, though.”

Jordan was more awkward than I was in social situations. He probably heard that I had a new boyfriend and made up an excuse as soon as he could. He may have been a big, popular jock at school, but that didn’t mean he associated with anyone besides his close group of friends.

“It’s all right, Mon, my brothers never visit me at school either.” I looked up to see that Trey had on his sexy smile. The one that always made me melt.

“Oh, you have brothers?” Mom said, folding her hands and swaying like some sort of teenage girl with a crush.

He nodded, his eyes staying on mine a second longer before he looked at my mom. “Yes, ma’am. Two older brothers, Trigg and Tripp. Trigg is an investment banker in New York and Tripp is a senior at Dartmouth.”

“Oh, how interesting,” she swooned.

I clasped my hands together. “Okay, guys, how about I give you a tour of the apartment and then after lunch we can do a tour of campus?”

The only thing we had was a breakfast bar with three stools and no kitchen table, so instead we ate in the living room; Trey and I sat on the couch, mom on the chair, and dad on Sam’s papasan chair she brought into the living room.

“So tell me,” Mom said between bites of lasagna. “How did you two get together? It’s obvious how you met with being neighbors, but how did you fall for each other?”

I almost choked on my lasagna and had to take a drink of water, leaving Trey to answer.

“Well, ma’am, your daughter is sort of stubborn.”

Dad laughed. “No shit on that one.”

I glared at Dad, but Trey took it all in and just smiled. “We were assigned to work together on a debate project and I kept asking her out, but she kept turning me down. It took a lot of persuading and a few dozen roses, and then she finally agreed to take me up on my offer.” He put his hand on mine, rubbing his thumb along the bridge of my knuckles. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

Dad cleared his throat, and I snapped my head in his direction. “I have to tell you, Mon, I was sort of surprised when I heard you were dating Trey, here. No offense, but I was pretty sure you were a starch liberal and with his dad’s traditional values, I just didn’t think you would have much in common. Unless you aren’t doing much talking.”

Again, I almost choked on my lasagna, but luckily Trey was there with another answer. He had to have an arsenal of great answers somewhere.

“Well, sir, I like a girl that challenges me, and Monica definitely does that. She’s very intelligent and we can have a very civilized conversation about our views, but no matter how heated it gets, we still know that the other is entitled to their own opinion. I value her for having such an open mind and a critical eye. You should see her in the classroom. I swear she made a guy cry.”

That didn’t actually happen. Some guy in our class tried to argue with me about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and I sort of verbally attacked him until the professor finally made me stop. He never actually cried as far as I knew. I took a big gulp of water before slamming my glass down on the coffee table. “And who doesn’t like a guy that likes your daughter for her mind?”

Dad nodded, and I set my plate down on the coffee table.

“Okay,” Mom said after taking a deep breath. “Now that we’ve eaten our fill, how about that tour of campus?”

I jumped up, anything to get out of the small confines of my living room. There was only so much ass kissing from Trey to my parents I could take, and so many questions from my dad, before I thought I would lose it.

“Sound good,” Dad said, standing up and smirking.

Luckily the weather was decent. Fall in Illinois was an unpredictable mess. One day it would be ninety degrees and the next it could snow. It was comfortable sweater weather with a bit of a breeze. The quad had a few students gathered on benches or sitting under the trees whose leaves were just starting to change colors.

“This really is a beautiful campus,” Mom said, looking up at the business building. It was the newest building and funded by an insurance company, so it was a massive brick structure filled with large windows and even a butterfly garden in the middle.

“Yeah,” Dad said. “I guess it’s good to get out of the city.”

I saw Mom elbow him in the side. I should have ignored him, especially in front of Trey, but enough was enough. He spent the day grilling Trey and the past month bothering me about transferring colleges. I finally had to say something. Dad knew I came home early from my last semester at Taylor and that I started counseling. He never really asked why. He just seemed to accept that it was something I had to do.

“Yes, Dad, it is nice to get out of the city. It’s nice to have a boyfriend who cares about me for more than the Greek letters on my shirt, and I think everyone could use a fresh start once in awhile,” I said, putting my chin down. I didn’t challenge Dad often, but every time I did he either blew up or just smiled.

This time he decided to talk. “You’re right, Mon.” He glanced at Trey. “Everyone does deserve a fresh start and a second chance. First impressions aren’t always what we think.”

He raised his eyebrows. I knew exactly what he was talking about, but knew there was no way in hell Trey would catch on. He knew about me crying the first day I went to Taylor about how none of the sororities wanted me, and yet, I wanted to be a part of one so bad. Dad told me that same thing; that maybe their first impression of me just wasn’t right and they had to get to know me. We got to know each other all right and that left me looking for my fresh start. My own second chance.

Trey took my hand and squeezed it. “The first time I met Monica, I thought she was breathtaking, but I also kind of knew she hated me just because of who I was. First impressions aren’t everything.”

“And I thought you were a smug, arrogant, governor’s son. I wasn’t completely wrong.” I laughed.

“I try.” Trey smiled.

“Awww,” Mom said, leaning her head on my dad. “Young love.”

I bit my bottom lip, glancing at Trey and he shot a wink in my direction. I didn’t think we were to that word yet, but at least he didn’t go running for the hills.

Dad cleared his throat. “Well, it’s getting pretty late, and I have to work tomorrow. We’d better head back.”

“Okay.” I nodded, swinging Trey around and walking the short distance back to our apartment building.

My parents’ sedan was parked on the street, and Mom gave me an extra long hug when we got to the car. “Don’t be a stranger now! I hope we’ll see you soon. And Trey?” She walked over and threw her arms around him, embracing him in a big hug. “You don’t be a stranger either.”

Trey smiled when she let go of him. “As long as you keep making that amazing lasagna, I’ll be around.”

Dad patted my back, and I turned toward him. “It was good to see you, Mon.”

“Yeah, good to see you too, Dad.”

He pulled me into a hug and then leaned closer, whispering so only I could hear. “He’s a good kid, Monica.”

My eyes widened. I wasn’t expecting that from dad. He seemed like he was too busy scrutinizing Trey to really try and get to know him. “I know, Dad.”

“Just be honest with him and the rest will fall into place.”

I nodded as he let go of me. I knew what he meant, but there was no way I could be completely honest with Trey. I wasn’t ready for that. And I didn’t know if I ever would be.

Trey put his arm around my waist as we watched my parents’ car disappear down the street.

“I think I left something in your apartment, is it okay if we go back up there?” he asked.

“Um, sure.” I said. I figured I would invite him back up anyway; he didn’t need an excuse.

We took the elevator up to the second floor then walked down the hall to my apartment. He watched me put my key in the lock like he was waiting for me to grow horns or something. I took his weirdness as just being horny and unlocked the door.

A trail of rose petals led from the front door into the living room, the whole place was lit only by candles. I half-expected the trail to lead to the bedroom for some cheesy first time set up, but instead they trickled into the living room. I followed the petals until they ended. My coffee table was pushed aside and written out in white and red petals on the floor were the words “Barn dance” with a big question mark.

“What? When? How...did...wow...”

Trey took my hand and whirled me toward him. His eyes were lit up like the Fourth of July, and he was grinning from ear to ear. “I made sure the door was unlocked when we left, and texted some of the pledges to come by while we were gone. I know you’re against all of this fraternity stuff, but I have to go to barn dance since they need a sober person and, well, I was hoping if I made enough of a show that you would agree to go with me.”

I looked down at the display and up then back up at Trey’s expecting eyes. Melanie was right; I needed to face my fears. After spending the afternoon with Trey and my parents, I knew I owed him for everything he had to deal with from my dad’s grilling questions. It wouldn’t hurt to spend one night at a fraternity function with him, and I had a feeling he would be adorable dressed in plaid.

I put my arms around his neck and kissed the tip of his nose. “How could I say no to a guy who has to work this hard for his stubborn girlfriend?”