Probably better than for the headline to read Senator's children fuck around, I think. But I hold my tongue. Mentally, I congratulate myself for my superb act of self-control.
Katherine surprises me by speaking. "I mean, really, it's not the front page. It's the front page of the social section. And it's the Post, so..."
I hold back a laugh, but not very well, so it comes out more like a snort. The Senator turns his gaze toward me. "And you. You think this is funny?"
I roll my eyes. "Look. It's an article in the paper. It's not the end of the fucking world."
He crosses around to my side of the table, and I stand there, only because I can't really believe this guy is actually about to lose his shit, especially over something like this. I can think of at least twenty more scandals I've been involved in that are worse than this blip on the radar. It's when he grabs me by the collar of my shirt that I start to actually get pissed off. "Not the end of the fucking world?" he asks, narrowing his eyes. "You arrogant little shit. Your mother might cut you all the slack in the world, letting you piss away her money on clothes and drugs, but you don't come into my house and --"
I push his hands off me. "You want to get into it, Pops," I say, disgusted. "Let's go."
"Stop!" Katherine yells the words. Yells. The sound of her yelling is so startling that her father looks at her, open-mouthed.
"What did you just say?" he asks.
"I think we all need to calm down here," Ella says, standing at the far end of the table. "Ben, Caulter is not your child, he's mine, and I'll thank you kindly to not - "
"Oh please, Ella." I hold my palm up.
"I don't want to hear you refer to your mother by her first name like she's one of your friends," the Senator booms.
"It's a good thing you don't get a say in the matter then, is it?" I ask. "Since I'm not one of your employees you can order around."
"Ben!" Ella says. "I said, this is my child. Caulter and I are informal. And it's not your call to step in and change that."
"Your child is an adult," the Senator says, his voice louder now. "Not a kid. And it's time to start treating him like an adult. Both of you are adults and - "
Katherine yells again, her hands over her ears. "Jesus fucking Christ," she screams.
"Katherine Eva Harrison," the Senator said. "You will not take the Lord's name in vain in this house."
"I can't listen to another second of arguing!" she yells. "Yes, Caulter and I flipped each other off. Yes, it's in the paper. Yes, it's a PR problem. I'm sorry your engagement was announced this way. But if you want to talk about being selfish, we can talk about being selfish. You left like a bat out of hell after graduation to get back to work -- and by work, I'm assuming you meant Ella. You didn't think that maybe you should, oh, I don't know, give me any kind of heads up that you were getting re-married?" Katherine asks, her voice growing more high-pitched.
I step back, crossing my arms over my chest, not even bothering to hide the smile I can feel tugging at the corners of my mouth. I didn't think daddy's little girl had it in her. I can't believe I'm listening to her tell off her father.
"I thought you would prefer to hear something like that at home - " he starts, suddenly on the defensive.
"Yeah, dad," she says. "I totally want to walk in the door to the house to see the three of you standing there. I'm sure that's how they tell you to do it in all the parenting books. Make sure you choose a setting for maximum impact, right?"
"I made a decision that I thought was most appropriate for - "
"You've been keeping this entire relationship a secret!" Katherine yells. "Do you understand how big of an asshole you're being? You're about to punch Caulter in the fucking kitchen! You don't see the irony here? Mom would hate the person you are - and you know it."
At the mention of her mother, it's like all of the air is sucked out of the room. The color drains from the Senator's face.
Katherine keeps going. "You're bringing them - " She doesn't look at me, just points the direction of me and Ella. "To the summer house, to our house. To her house."
"She's dead!" The Senator yells. "Your mother has been dead for four goddamn years!"
"I can't talk about this," she says, shaking her head. She looks at the Senator with disappointment etched on her face, and brushes past me without a glance. I stand there for a minute, the silence in the room lingering. The Senator leans over the table, both palms flat, his head hanging. I'm irritated with him, but I feel badly for Katherine.
Ella looks up at me, her expression pained. "Caulter - " she starts.
I cut her off before she can say whatever the hell it is she has to say. "Fuck this shit," I say. "I'm out."