The Reunion (11 page)

“GOD!”  Ryan was sitting with Josh and Carole.  “I know that look.  What have you done?  He’ll dump you in Lake Mead if you do anything else.”

“What?”  Josh looked from Ryan to Em.  “NO!”  He stood up and took her by the shoulders “I thought he was going to kill you this afternoon.”

“He’d never kill me.”  She shrugged and smiled.  “Squash me like a bug, but he’d never kill me.”

“What are we doing?”  Carole leaned forward conspiratorially and then noticed her kids had stopped fighting and were listening.  She broke a candy bar in half, handed it to them, and they started fighting over who got the bigger half.

“We’re doing nothing.”  Em smiled at them. “I’m doing something very Freshman dorm-like.”

“Does it involve getting naked and Vaseline?  I’m in if it does.”  Ryan laughed.

“No and not the cellophane and goldfish or the baby power one either.  That’ll cost me and staff would get stuck cleaning up.  This is cliché, simple but makes a statement.”

“Look, I told you they were up to something.”  Tommy was there with Pete.

“OH YEAH draw attention to me.”  Em pointed the other direction.  “What floor are you on Tommy?  We may need to sleep in your room tonight.”

“I don’t think so.”  Tommy immediately didn’t like the sound of that and turned the other direction.  “That means he’s going to hunt her down.  I’m not having any part of this." He nudged Ryan.  "Tell me later.” and headed to the bar.

“Chicken shit.”  Ryan smiled.  “You can have my room and I’ll stay with Tommy.  I’m one floor below you.”

“Perfect.”

“Did it.”  Mike smiled and sat down.

“Did what?” Ryan looked over his shoulder.

“Never mind. You wouldn’t get it. Thanks baby.” Em smiled.

“He’s lifted someone’s keys.”  Pete looked at the ceiling.  “I’m getting Kim and we’re changing hotels.”

“He didn’t take anyone’s keys, yet.”  She looked over at him.  “Did you get Connor’s keys?”

“Not yet.”  Mike got back to his feet and wondered the room.

“We can run interference…”

“Hi TY.”

“EM!”  Ty had Mike around the waist, resting on his hip.  He then pulled Em to her feet then over his shoulder like he had at the airport.

“Busted!”  Josh started cracking up.  Ryan went to find Toni.  He figured they'd have to rescue the two of them this time, just as long as Ty didn’t leave the ballroom.  He signaled for Pete and Josh to slow Ty down.  They didn’t need to see Ryan’s signal to figure it out because as soon as he had Em on his shoulder there were cat calls and whistles.

“GOD DAMN IT TY!”  Em started yelling.  “I’m going to bounce right out of this damn dress if you don’t set me upright!”

“No flashing the family Em.”  Ty shifted her a little.  “Mike if you don’t settle down I’m going to have to sit on you.”

“You’ll break me in half.  Let me down Uncle Ty.”

“No way.”

“Ty.”  Toni took the first shot.  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you…”

“Don’t even try it Toni.  She’s done something and I’m going to kill the two of them.”

“You’re imagining things!”  Em was still tugging at the dress to keep coverage.

“Ty.  Put her down this minute.”  Carole was trying to keep up but she couldn’t run as well in heels and her dress as she could earlier in jeans and tennis shoes.  “Nothing's happened, yet.”  She started cursing herself.

“YET!”  Ty stopped and yelled at the two of them.  “She’s done something and I need them somewhere where I can keep an eye on them.”

“What?  He’s going to put us in the trunk of a limo.  He’s going to dumping our bodies in the desert!”  Mike started squirming again. 

“Honey, he wouldn’t dump us in the desert.  Stop worrying.”  Em bit Ty’s shoulder and he almost dropped her.  “Drop the kid or I’m going to hurt you.”  Em warned.

“She bit me!” Ty whined.

“I’ll bite you too if you like it.”  Toni stood in front of him and making him walk around her until she had him going back into the ballroom.  He stopped and dropped Mike so suddenly Mike didn’t get his footing and went to the floor.  Ty picked up Toni and she screamed and laughed so hard, he started laughing.  Ty turned and Em could see Mike.

“You ok baby?”  Mike nodded and dusted himself off.  He signed that they should look at the door and there were six guys bring in dozens of pizza boxes, bread sticks and a huge container filled with ice and two-liter bottles of various drinks.

“Oh Shit.”  Toni laughed.  Ty then spun around and saw someone point him out in the crowd.

“Come back here you brat.”  Ty tried to figure out how he was going to hold on to Em and Toni and run the kid down.  “Tommy.  I’m dumping her naked into the pool.  Will you help?!”

“I’m on your side dude.”  Tommy laughed.  “Sorry Em.  I’ve tried to get you naked in a pool since that time…”

“TRAITOR!”  Em screamed “Pete.  Kill your brother!”  She couldn’t help but laugh as she tried to hold the top of her dress in place and talk through the curtain of her hair that was everywhere.  She puffed a couple of times to get strands out of her mouth and eyes.

“Hey I’m taking bets on how close to naked he’ll get you before you hit the water.”

“I can tell you how close to naked they are now…”  Ty started.

“Mr. LeBeau?”  The guy in the pizza uniform asked.  “Six dozen large, mixed variety pizzas with bread sticks and 24 cold two-liter drinks.”  Ty’s jaw dropped.  “Sign here.”

“EM!”  He smiled at the guy.  “I kind of have my hands full.”  The guy held up the sheet so he could sign it while holding onto Em’s legs.  “Toni love, reach in my back pocket and give the guy a tip for me.”

“How much honey?”  She reached into his back pocket and got his wallet.  "Are these our card keys?"

“Six guys, $10 each.”  He smiled at the delivery guy. "and yes."

“TY!”  Toni laughed.  “She only did it because you stole our clothes and…”  She leaned toward Em “Stockings?”  Em shook her head  “Strapless?  Demi?” Em shook her head again.  “Thong only?  No wonder you looked poured into that dress.”

“Drop us or we’ll have you arrested.”  Em tried again.  “I’m falling out of the dress.”

“Honey this town is all about tits and ass.”  Ty bounced her again.

“I’ll take this one off your hands.”  Brockton said laughing. 

“He didn’t hear that did he?”  Em asked Toni who was still laughing.  Em tried biting Ty’s again and he re-adjusted her so she almost went completely upside down.  She grabbed the front of the dress hoping he would keep the other end covering her ass.

“Damn it Em if you bite me again, you’re going in the fountain and that water isn’t heated.”

“Got him.”  Tommy returned with a passive looking Mike. 

“He put the card in the wrong pocket Em.” Ty swatted her butt.  “Ryan get me a plain cheese and a couple of those breadsticks before the pizza’s completely gone.”

“Lass you look like you could use a hand.”  Connor came up and smiled at Toni.

“Please Connor get him to put us down.”  Toni said with a sexy pout.

“I’d said I’d lend a hand.”  He went around to the front of Ty and patted Toni’s butt.  “Here’s a lad.  Which pool?”

“NO!”  Em started screaming.  “NO!”  She started clawing at his back and pulling at his jacket and pulling his shirt out of his pants.

“She’s going for skin son.” 

Ty adjusted her again and she ended up feeling like she was being thrown before his knee came up on a chair and caught her across his leg.  She had immediately grabbed for the front of her dress.  He bent over and got nose to nose with Em and Toni thought she was going over backwards.

“There’s a line forming and at least 100 camera phones in this room.  Do we call a truce or do we head for the pool?”

“Truce!  We’re even again!”  There were sounds of disappointment all over the room.  He released her and Brockton helped her straighten up.

“This one should go swimming though.”  Ty bounced Toni on his shoulder before setting her down too.  Toni took his face in both hands and kissed him.

“Thank you Ty.”  She purred.  Em looked furious and started heading out of the ballroom.

“Where’s she going?”  Ryan asked Mike.

“Probably to change clothes.”  Mike shrugged.  “At the very least to find a strapless.”

“GRAB THAT WOMAN!”  Ryan yelled.  “SHE’S MINE!”

“Take a number.”  Brockton told Ryan and caught up with her first.  “Em?”  He caught her arm.  “You’re not really leaving?”  Brockton smoothed some of her wild hair over her shoulder.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.  With a chainsaw and duct tape.”  Em teased.  Grabbing her hair and pulling the entire hank over her shoulders.

“That doesn’t sound good.”  Brockton steered her back into the room and toward the head tables again.  She tried to change directions a couple of times but he grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and handed it to her.  “You definitely haven’t had enough of these.”  He smiled down to her.  He had an amazing smile, Em thought.  Brockton sat her down next to her aunt, where he had been sitting and got Connor’s chair.

"Here we are having a beautiful four course dinner and pizza arrives and everyone swoops in like a pack of wolves."

"Em?  Is this your doing?"

"Yes mom."

“Were you making all that noise by yourself dear?”  Aunt Louise nibbled on a breadstick.

“No Aunt Lou.  Toni was doing her share of screaming too.”

“Did I hear they were dumping the two of you in a fountain?”  Hannah asked. 

“Pool.  Fountain was first alternate.”  Em smiled, crossing her legs, revealing the long slit up the side of the dress, leaned back and took another sip of champagne.  “I have a moral obligation to kill Tyler before the night is over.”

“That’s nice dear.”  Hannah smiled and patted her hand.  “Did you hear that Martha?  Em is going to kill your son tonight.”

“She’s been trying that on and off for 30 years.”  Martha nibbled at her salad.  “Of course she’s come closest of any of them.  He broke her finger landing on her while they were jumping fences." Em held up her hand and popped her pinky.  "She hit him in the head with that board and knocked him out.”

"That was an accident, he got in the way when I was passing it up to Tommy on the roof."

"That's what it looked like but I seem to remember he'd just tossed you fully clothed into the pool not half an hour earlier."

"I forgot about that part."  Em blushed and smiled. 

“That couldn’t have been 30 years ago.  Ty was 14.  He’s not even forty yet.”

“No darling he turned 38 last April.”  Martha reminded her sister.  “Em is only three years behind.”

“He was always bigger than the other kids.”  Lou sighed.  “How old are Mae’s kids?”

Oh I think the boys are 40 and 38 and Antonia is 32 and so is Stacy.  That would make Ryan Em’s age.”  Bea filled in.

“How old is Josh, Bea?”

“38, same as Tommy and Ty.  We would have all been pregnant at about the same time.  I remember mom had a devil of a time trying to keep us in maternity clothes those years.” 

“She was sure wonderful taking care of us that way.  Technically we didn’t know Mae until some years later, but Joe’s Deborah was also pregnant then and had that one that didn’t live long.”

“I didn’t know aunt Debbie lost a baby.”  Em listened.

“Yes dear it was a boy also.  He only lived a few hours.  Deborah never got over it.  Started drinking and was so unpleasant to Joe.  Joe had the sweetest disposition.  He tried but she left and that’s when he met Mae the first time but she was marrying Connor over there and…It’s so long ago.”  Hannah sighed.  “Joe was the sweetest man.”

“Michael is fifteen now, isn’t he?”

“Twelve.”  Em continued to drink and took some bread to settle her stomach.  She was feeling much calmer and only then remembered Brockton was sitting next to her and watching her.  He was staring and listening to them.

“He’s so mature for twelve.  Tall too.  He’s going to be almost as tall as Ty.”

“Doubt that.  Probably just over six feet.”

“Was his father tall?”  Ah, there it was, fishing…

“I don’t remember.”  Em smiled down into her drink and didn’t look at them.  “Doesn’t matter anyway.  He’s still got a lot of growing to do to grow into his feet and hands.”

“Yes, he’s like a puppy that way.  Has those big feet and hands.”  Lou looked at Brockton watching Em.  Em decided it was time to change the subject.  “So how come you ladies haven’t been up there dancing?”

“No one’s come and ask us yet.”  Em raised her eyes and looked directly at Brockton.  She was setting him up.  Brockton knew it and there was no way he was going to not have to do this.

“Louise?”  Brockton extended his hand.  Escape was at hand, Em thought.

Mike had been waiting for her to make her move and saw her make her break.  He waited for her to get out of the ballroom before following her.  Tommy was waiting too. 

“Em.  My beautiful Emie.”  Em stopped dead in her tracks.  Tommy pulled her towards him, running his hands down her arms and pulling her closer yet.  Alarms went off in Em’s head.

“Tommy?”  She could see that he’d been drinking, serious drinking.  He was upset.  He was looking at her like she was some kind of pastry.  “Am I going to have to hurt you?”  She smiled up to him.  “Mike go ask Ryan if he’s got cab fare.”

“But mom.”

“Cab fare.”  She didn’t take her eyes off Tommy's.  Mike went back into the ballroom and she put her hands on Tommy's arms to keep his hands still, keep a little distance and to be ready to take action if he was just a little too drunk for her to handle.

“Emie, give me a kiss.”  Tommy slurred.  “Give me a hug and a kiss.”

“Sure Tommy.”  She pulled him in and rested her head on his chest just below his chin.  “You’re feeling bad.  I know.”  Em patted his back and spoke softly.  “The family’s all here and that bitch Patti leaving you like she did.”

“She’s always doing that.”  He moaned and tried to pull her in tighter, his hand dropping down her back.  She stiffened her back and looked up at him.  “She was never any fun.  She was always running off.”

“She was never good enough for you Tommy.”  Em started taking a step back and he held her in place starting to run his hand over her bare back, beneath her hair.  She shifted her arms.  She wasn’t stupid enough to think she could wrestle him to the ground but she was going to cause him pain if he got much more personal.  She could have him on his knees by his thumb if she had to.  “Let’s go get a cup of coffee and totally dis(respect) Patti?”

“She was never like you Em.  She wasn’t ever fun.  She never made me laugh.”

“I only make you laugh because I’m so funny looking.”  Em started leaning back so she could look at him.  “Isn’t that right Ryan?”

“Tommy?”  Ryan got him to look away from Em and she shifted so she wasn’t in contact other than her arms.  He was holding her behind the elbows again.  “Mike I need to borrow the cab fare from Ty.  Go ask Ty for cab fare for Tommy please.”

“We’re in this hotel, we’re not taking a cab.”  Mike saw the same intent look from Ryan as he had from his mother and ran into the ballroom to find Ty. 

“Tommy.  I have to go to the lady’s room.  Tell Ryan about Patti and what a no good, unfunny, bitch she is and I’ll be right back.”

“You were always there to listen, Em.  You always cared.”  Tommy went on as if not hearing her.

“Yes Tommy.”  Ryan stepped forward and took his brother’s arm.  “She cares, Em’s our friend.  She always listened.  Remember what we promised.  Remember we promised we wouldn’t do anything to break the trust?”

“Breaking trust?  She broke my heart.”  Tommy’s affect changed, the anger coming through now.

“I know Tommy.  Patty hurt you.  We can’t do anything about Patti tonight.  You’re coming back to California after the reunion and going to work with Ryan and Toni at the restaurant again.”  Em reassured him.

“After…?”

“Let Em go Tommy.  This isn’t about her.  She’s our friend.”

“Beautiful Em.  Our beautiful Em.”

“Yes
OUR
Em.  Let her go now Tommy.”  His fingers were digging into her elbows. She was digging her thumb into a pressure point inside his left elbow.  There was pain in his arm but he didn’t attribute it to Em’s thumb.

“Tommy we’re going to have coffee and talk about this.  Let me go and I’ll be right back.  I need to go to the bathroom now.”  Em smiled up at him. “The little girl’s room.”  His eyes cleared.  He looked down at her and sorrow entered his eyes.

“Em.  I’m sorry Em.”  It was as if he hadn't really seen her at all.  She suddenly snapped into focus for him.

“I know Tommy.”  She released his arm and patted his shoulder.  “We’ll talk about it later.”  Tommy released her just as Ty and Mike came out the door.  Ty looked worried and he saw Em take two steps calmly backwards then turn, and walk into the lady’s room.  Ty let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Good one Ryan.”  Ty slapped him on the back and put his arm around Tommy’s shoulders.  “Let’s get a drink Tommy.  Let’s see if we can get Connor to pass out like we did six years ago.”

“Sure.”  Tommy’s head was down and he went with Ty back into the ballroom.

“What was that about?”  Mike put his hand on Ryan’s arm.

“It was a safety thing.  If Em, RW, Teri, Stacy or Toni felt threatened or worried that someone was getting out of hand they’d ask for cab fare.”  Ryan explained.  “She was worried that Tommy was so unhappy he might hurt you or her.  So she had you come and get me asking for cab fare.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Good, and I hope you don’t for a few years.”  Ryan smiled at him.  “I’m going to get Carole or Toni to check on her.  I’ll be right back.  Have a seat this may take a few minutes.”  Carole and Josh walked out immediately and Josh sat down with Mike to have a little talk and Carole went in to talk to Em.

“Some night.”  Carole sat down with her and put her arm around Em.  “Your dinner's cold and the pizza's all gone.  They're serving dessert.  Tommy was just unhappy and drunk.”

“I know.  He’s been that way before.  I could have handled it but I didn’t want to in front of Mike.  He wouldn’t have understood.”

“He’s still only 12.  We keep forgetting that.  He’s been around adults and has always seemed so grown up.”

“He's twelve going on 30.  He's older than us, Carole.  He’s a good listener.  He’ll never understand how it feels.”

“You’ve been though a lot and have every right to ask for help when you need it.”  Carole handed Em a wet paper towel and she blotted her face. 

“I’m going to call it a night Carole.  I just can’t take anymore.  I can’t think anymore.”  She closed her eyes and relaxed into Carole's hug.

“I know baby.  Go get some rest.”  She smiled and patted her back.  “We’ll take Mike and bring him up later.  Is he ok to stay?”

“Sure.  He’s good.  Make sure he gets over to say hi to the aunties.  Is Josh talking to him?”

“Yeah.  We thought it best.”

“Thanks.”

“Good night Em.”  And Carole left her alone.  Em sat there another five minutes looking at the reflection in the mirror.  Sometimes when she looked at herself she saw her teenage self, short, chubby, pimply.  Other times she saw every flaw, every scar, every freckle and mole.  Now she looked at herself and saw exhaustion and a very lonely woman.  She was dressed to the nines.  She didn’t have a speck of makeup left and her hair looked full and wild, but her eyes looked sad and lonely.

'Tired.  That’s all I am.  I’ve been trying to do the project, plot Ty’s annihilation and be with the family at the same time.  I’m just tired.' she told herself. 

She dabbed the cool towel to her eyes and went to leave.  She realized she didn’t have her key and would have to go find Mike.  Brockton saw her coming out of the bathroom.  She was walking rather stiffly and had seen a bit of activity in and out of the door as he danced with the aunts.  Then had Cummins and Marshall take over entertaining the aunts. 

He went looking for her.  Seeking her out.  He'd seen the tiredness and the sadness.  She didn’t smile, but just looked at him.  He didn’t reach out for her.  She didn’t want him to.  He just knew, so he was very still.  She just stood there looking at him for several moments.  She took a step towards him and then another then she was resting her head on his chest and he felt her arms go around him.  Then his arms went around her.  He stroked her hair; it was like baby hair, so soft, so fine.  Her back so warm and the skin so soft.  She was looking at him.  Asking him something with those blue gray eyes.  His lips on hers were so soft, so gentle. 

His arms tightened and she raised up on her toes to get closer.  She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t speak.  She could only feel the warmth of his hands and the pounding of his heart against her chest.  Her lips parted and she felt a wisp of his tongue against her lip then the kiss went deeper.  She felt herself strain to be closer to take the floating warm feeling farther.  Pull it in closer. 

She sighed and he felt the small strings of control snap one by one.  He slid lower on the wall, parting his legs and drawing her against him.  They were eye to eye, shoulder to shoulder.  Her breasts were crushed to his chest her legs trembling.  Her body swaying.  Her arms were around his neck and her feet were leaving the ground.  They turned.  Her back was to the wall now.  His body crushing hers.  His hands lifting, molding, feeling.  Heat and madness were enveloping them.  They were someplace where people were just a few feet away.  He moaned and held her just slightly away.  She whispered his name and buried her face in his chest.  He took a breath, then another, then another trying to focus, to think. 

“I have to find Mike.  I don’t have my room key.”  Brockton almost laughed.  He looked down at her and smiled.  He ran his hands over her face and into her hair.  He kissed her softly and drew away.  Distancing himself slightly more.  Touching her, touching her was what caused the madness.  He couldn’t be touching her.  He stepped further back and rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned her against the wall.

“I’ll be right back.”  He’d find the key.  He’d find the kid.  What he found was the man.  The
big
man;  the one that would crush him if he hurt her.  He would kill him if he damaged her in any way.  He somehow knew without his having to say a thing.  He’d take the child and would leave him the woman.  He’d have the woman.