The Lighter Side of Large (30 page)

“Can I get you something to drink, Bella?” asks Mika.

“Rum and diet coke,” I reply stiffly, avoiding his face.

“Still on a diet?” Tiresa asks coolly. “I thought you’re having surgery for that.”

I look her in the eye. “I am,” I reply with a chill in my voice. “But you still have to be careful of what goes in your mouth as much as what comes out of it. As I’m sure you always are.”

Tiresa’s nostrils flare and she opens her mouth when Mika grabs her arm. “Hon, we have guests to attend to. Will you excuse us, Bella? I’ll be back with your drink.”

He pulls on Tiresa but she doesn’t budge. I smile the most sickeningly sweet smile I can manage. “Is this dress good enough for you, Tiresa? I know how much you hate to be embarrassed by me.” I bought it with money left over from the money Mika gave me for the surgery: a flirty, deep violet crinkled chiffon slip dress. The bust cinches in a knot at the centre, while the filmy chiffon skirt flows down from the empire waist to my knees. Short flutter sleeves cover my upper arms, hiding the flab. It is a fabulous dress which hides my faults and emphasises my assets.

Tiresa’s upper lip twists into a snarl. “Watch yourself, because I will.” She jerks her arm out of Mika’s grasp and storms off. Mika opens his mouth but I cut him off.

“Don’t say anything. I’ll find a corner to hide in.”

“Let me get you that drink,” Mika says.

I follow him to the spacious kitchen, which is filled with dozens and dozens of bottles of wine and liquor and beer on ice. Last time I saw it, it was messy with baby bottles, kiddie food, and stacks of dishes which I was too depressed to wash. Before I had Abe, I spent a lot of time in here, trying out new recipes. It is a grand kitchen for cooking - I designed it myself. I spent hours pouring over kitchen floor plans and drawing my own until I came up with the most convenient design. It is a far cry from the cramped kitchen in my cottage, but though cramped, it is a happier place.

Mika pours himself a shot of whiskey and swallows it in one gulp before mixing my drink. “Thanks,” I say and quickly walk away. I do not want to deal with him or Tiresa tonight.

I wander through the house, checking it out as well as smiling and nodding to strangers - and suddenly realising that they’re smiling and nodding back. No one looks down their nose at me or sneers, and, best of all, I’m not knocking drinks and plates out of their hands with my butt and bust. I’ve slimmed down enough to not be a road hazard.

At least that gives me something to be happy about while I’m here,
I smile to myself as I walk out the open back patio door and admire the backyard. It, too, is strung with white fairy lights from the house to the trees along the fence line. Rented tables and chairs are set up, while hired wait staff in white jackets and black trousers weave in and out of them, offering to refill people’s drinks. A buffet table near the door is piled high with finger foods, while the triple-tiered, heart-shaped, chocolate-frosted cake stands on its own table. I laugh: the frosted swirls and flowers on it match the colour of my dress.

“Isabella,” I hear someone call and look to see Mama Rose and some cousins seated near a rented fountain with what I assume is champagne bubbling out of it. With a sigh of relief, I join them.

Mama Rose gives me a hug. “Isabella, you came. You look beautiful.”

“Thanks, so do you,” I say. “Dad and I just arrived. Did we miss anything?”

“No, but there seems to be more strangers here than family,” Mama Rose snorts. “What is Tiresa thinking? I count more white people here than Samoans.”

“Mama Rose,” I laugh, “I swear you are the sweetest, most prejudice lady who ever lived.”

Mama Rose sips her champagne and shakes her head. “Is this what the wedding will be like? I’ll have Tiresa know that it will still be a Samoan wedding. Danny will do a fire dance,” she nods toward one of my cousins at the table.

Danny’s face falls. “I haven’t done a fire dance in ten years.”

“It’s about time you started practicing again,” she says. “Where is your father?”

I wave toward the house. “He was shanghaied at the door by Abe and Fi.”

“And did you congratulate Tiresa and Mika?” she prods. What she means is,
did you make nice?

“Haven’t had the chance,” I deflect the question.

I spend most of the evening at the table amongst family. I’m glad they are here, lest Jae not being here makes me feel worse. I try not to think of him but I refuse to check his message. Him breaking it off with me was not going to ruin my night - not that being at my ex-husband and sister’s engagement party can be worse.

We watch Mika and Tiresa speaking with all the guests as they slowly make their way around the backyard, which looks like a hazy dream once the sun sets and it’s only lit by the strings of lights. Our table is ignored by Tiresa, no doubt due to me, but Mika stops.

“How’s everyone doing?” he asks. He reeks of liquor. Mama Rose frowns in disapproval. “Did everyone get some cake? Need a refill on your drinks?”

“Thank you, we’re fine,” Mama Rose speaks for the table.

“Good, good, well, enjoy yourselves,” he says and quite conspicuously pats me on the shoulder. I don’t know what to make of it.

“Seems some of us already are enjoying themselves,” Mama Rose sniffs in Mika’s direction. “I never did like that boy’s drinking. Tiresa will curb that habit, if she knows what’s good for her.”

I chuckle. “Tiresa always acts in her best interest, you can be assured of that,” I smart off.

“Now, Isabella,” Mama Rose chides, “you’re better than that.”

I think for a moment. “You’re right: I am better than that.”
I’m better than her as well.

Mama Rose pats my knee. “That’s my good girl.”

“On that note,” I get up from the table, “I need to be good and check on Dad. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Dad is comfortably ensconced on the leather sofa, talking animatedly with a stranger. Dad always had the knack for talking to anyone, anywhere, anytime. He jokes that he can make friends with a rock, and I believe it. I overhear him talking about literature, his love of a lifetime.

My job done, I use the downstairs powder room. When it was my powder room, it was decorated with green and blue tartan wallpaper and a border showing golfers, with rugs and hand towels in green and blue, a masculine look since it was across the hallway from Mika’s home office. Tiresa’s décor ideas were a complete one-eighty from mine; she had turned the room into an Eastern bazaar. It boasted a strong Indian influence in bold colors of gold and orange and fuchsia, with a framed picture of the Taj Mahal hanging above the toilet and a hanging light fixture of wrought iron and colored glass above the sink.

When I step out, Mika is standing in the hallway. “Hey there, how are you holding up?” he asks.

“Fine,” I reply, moving past him.”Wait,” he touches my arm. “I have something for you.” He motions me into his office and shuts the door, shutting out the rhythm and blues music. “I found your sketch book,” he says, picking it up off his desk.

“Thank you” I say, genuinely pleased. “Where did you find it?”

“It was behind a stack of books in a cabinet,” Mika. I flip through the pages, admiring my old handiwork. “How’s your drawing going?”

“Good,” I reply, lost in the past of doodles and sketches. “I heard back from a magazine. They want to print one of my caricatures.”

“That’s great news, Bella. I’m really happy for you.”

I can’t get over seeing my sketch book again, and then I realise it’s been years since I worked in it. Marriage, kids - my life had grown too busy. But no longer. Even though Jae is the one who wanted to see this book and now he is gone, I have a piece of my lost life back.

The cover of the book closes and Mika takes the book out of my hands and place it back on the desk. In the same movement, he slips his arm around me and kisses me.

I try to push him away but he slips his other arm around me and holds me tight. “Mika, what are you doing?” I protest.

“Bella,” he breathes, “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Mika! This is your engagement party. What do you think you’re doing?”

He nuzzles my neck with his lips. “Baby, I can’t stop thinking about you and those things you said. You’re right, I’ve been a bad husband and I want to change. I want you back.”

I push in earnest against him but he holds me tighter. “You’ve had too much to drink.”

“No, no, it’s true,” he works his way back to my lips and kisses me passionately. I can taste the whiskey on his tongue. “I want you back,” he whispers. “I want to hold you again and make love to you and be a husband to you. We can be a family again. I want to take care of you in this house, our house. You know it’s the right thing to do.”

He pulls me against him even tighter; I begin to feel afraid. I can’t scream but I can’t let him keep on. “Mika, stop it,” I demand. “You’re drunk and you’re hurting me. Let go.”

“I shouldn’t have let you go,” he moans into my ear. “I can’t get you out of my head. Please say yes, Bella. You gotta say yes.”

“NO,” I say. “Let me go this instance. What will Tiresa say if she finds us…”

The office door bangs open, letting in the loud music. Tiresa stands there, the picture of hatred. “Yes, what
will
Tiresa say if she finds you? Oh dear, she did find you, you conniving bitch.”

“Tiresa,” Mika says, startled by her intrusion. He pushes me away, as if I am the one assaulting him. “What are you doing in here?”

“Keeping an eye on my dear sister, that’s what,” Tiresa slams the door behind her and stomps toward me. I back up but am stopped by the desk. “I knew you were going to do something, but this beats all. How dare you try to seduce my fiancé in my own home? Don’t you have any decency?” She laughs bitterly. “Of course not. You don’t know what it means to be decent, you fat slob.”

Mika jumps between us. “Tiresa, calm down. Bella was just…”

“Don’t tell me to calm down. I saw what she was doing! She just couldn’t wait to get her hands on you again. Missing his kisses, Bella? Yes, they are seductive, aren’t they? Were you planning to bonk him in the office while I was attending to our guests?”

I rub my temples, a headache beginning to form.
This can’t be happening,
I groan. Tiresa gets an idea in her head and it will not be dislodged, I knew from experience. “I’m just going to leave and pretend this never happened,” I say, starting for the door, but Tiresa, red in the face, blocks the way.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Just go along your merry way and act like nothing’s wrong, like you’re so innocent. You’re anything but.”

“Tiresa…” Mika begins.

“Shut up, Mika” Tiresa orders.

I try to step around her but she shoves me back.
Fine. You want to be that way?
“Tiresa, if you touch me again, I swear to God I will pound you to the ground. And since you put such high stock on innocence, let me tell you about your fiancé’s innocence. A few weeks ago, he came onto me and we had sex. How do you like that? He’s unfaithful, just as I warned you and he continues to prove it.”

Tiresa snorts. “Like I’m going to believe you. Trying to get back at me because you gave up your husband? You’ll have to come up with a better story than that.”

“It’s no story,” I insist. “Ask him.”

“I don’t need to,” Tiresa laughs. “This is just a last-ditch effort to ruin our wedding. Well, it’s not going to work. I’ve had enough of you trying to ruin my life, but this is it. I want you out of my house now. And if you come within fifty feet of the wedding, I’ll have you arrested.”

“You’re ruining your own life by marrying him!” I say. “Why won’t you ask him if we had sex? What are you afraid of?”

“Fine,” Tiresa rolls her eyes and turns to Mika. “Mika, dear, did you sleep with Bella?”

Mika, who had tried to make himself small and had moved away from us, suddenly stands up straight and crosses his arms. “Tiresa, what do you think?” he says in a cynical tone. The expression on his face is one of disgust at the accusation. I want to slap him.

Tiresa’s eyes narrow and, for a moment, doubt flickers in her eyes at his lack of outright denial.

Yes! I cheer inwardly. Revenge at last.
Now who’s the winner?

Tiresa stares him down. Unbelievably, Mika rolls his eyes. “I don’t know why she said that, Tiresa. Maybe it’s the stress. Maybe it was a bad idea for her to come tonight, but you seem intent on keeping this a threesome. It’s time for you to decide whom you want in this family and whom you don’t want in this family.”

My jaw drops.

Doubt fades from Tiresa’s eyes as she turns a smug smile on me. “Anything else you want to add?”

“Mika, you bastard!” I yell.

He clears his throat but avoids eye contact. “I think you need to leave now.”

Tiresa shakes her head and tsk-tsks. “It’s about time you let go of this jealousy, Bella. It’s backfiring on you and ruining your life. I mean,
maybe
you’ll find a man after your surgery, but in the meanwhile, keep your claws off mine.”