I laugh and think back to Sunday afternoon. I told John and the girls that I was heading to the store, but as soon as I was in the car, I pulled out the crumpled piece of paper with Chris McNies’ address on it. After a long discussion, Rachel and I decided to let Audrey tell John what had happened, when she was ready. In the meantime, she simply told him that Mr. Popular was really a jerk and that she had decided not to date him, or even be friends with him. Maybe the fact that my own mother never breathed a word to my Dad about what happened to me made me adamant that John should know. Back then, I’d felt relief that my own father didn’t know, but now, looking back, I wish he had; perhaps then he would have been able to comfort me instead of being perplexed by my sudden withdrawal and inexplicable sullenness.
So even though I was relieved when Audrey agreed it was important for her father to know, that she’d confide in him when she felt he’d be receptive to handling it, that wasn’t enough for me. Of course I was proud of Audrey and I respected her wishes—but I knew I had to take an action of my own.
The next day, I pulled up to Chris’ house. Even though there was a chill in the morning air, the fog from the beach still blanketing the sky, he was standing shirtless in the driveway washing his shiny black Land Rover. It was a scene out of a bad movie, him soaping up, his tan arms reaching up over the hood in circular motions. Usually, the cougar in me would have loved every minute of the show, but now all I saw was an asshole who had tried to hurt someone I loved dearly. And I was here to make sure he never did it again. To anyone.
Chris eyed me walking up the driveway, set the hose down, and smiled his most charming smile. “Hi, Mrs. Cole. Can I help you?” His smile made my anger boil and I tried to remain calm.
“How was the dance, Chris?”
He smiled smugly. “Just lovely. I think Audrey had a great time.”
I clenched my fists. Keep calm, Casey. “Oh, really? Is that what you think? Do you consider date rape a great time?”
“Whoa.” He put his hand up in the air. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” But I caught a flash of fear behind his piercing blue eyes and wondered if anyone had ever called this kid on his shit before.
“I think you do.” I took a step closer to him, causing him to back up against the soapy vehicle.
“I don’t know what Audrey told you, but she’s a liar. And a tease,” he added under his breath.
“Oh, is that what you’re going to tell all your friends next week at school?” I said, moving even closer.
“Maybe,” he said defiantly.
I leaned in and whispered in his ear, ignoring the water from the hose drenching my sandals. It was all I could do not to punch him in the face. “Listen here, you spoiled brat. You’re going to go to school tomorrow and tell everyone that Audrey doesn’t like you because you are a douche bag and she is too good to be around you.”
“And if I don’t?” He tried to inch away but I grabbed his arm and he winced as I dug my nails in. I prayed that his parents didn’t come out while I was accosting their son.
“Then I’m going to call Audrey’s Aunt Casey. You know, Casey Lee, the celebrity? She has over four hundred thousand Twitter followers. Did you know that?”
Chris shakes his head and glances around, desperately looking for a way out.
“If you don’t apologize to my daughter first thing Monday morning, Casey is going to let the whole world know what you did.” I look over at his mailbox. “Oh, and she’ll be sure to include your phone number and home address so everyone can let you know how they feel about it too.”
Chris laughed nervously. “You wouldn’t do that.”
I grasped my hand tighter on his arm and he flinched. “Do you want to bet life as you know it on that? Tomorrow. Apology. Or else. Got it?”
“Got it,” he whispered.
I drove away, tears streaming down my face, my hands shaking on the wheel. Telling Chris off was liberating, like I had finally exorcised the demon of my own past. But the real reason for my tears was joy. I finally knew the feeling of loving someone more than I loved myself.
“Earth to Mom,” Audrey calls to me as she holds out another tiny champagne bottle.
“Sorry,” I say, smiling as I take it from her and put it into the box that I’ll take over to the venue later today. Charlotte crawls over and climbs into my lap. “Want to help Mommy make presents for Daddy’s party?” I ask, and she gives me the same amused smile she does whenever I call myself Mommy.
John, it seems, has no idea about his surprise party. He is under the impression we’re going to have dinner as a family at the restaurant in the hotel. Little does he know that one hundred of his friends will be there. I wonder if Rachel thought that throwing this party would be a way to bring them closer together, or maybe she hoped a grand gesture might wake John up from the fog he had been in. I thought about my own time with him, watching the John I once knew emerge from underneath the uninterested, aloof man who was here when I first arrived. I couldn’t wait to hand him back over to Rachel; I was out of excuses, in terms of dodging his advances.