Chapter 19
Jason
Nervous didn’t even cover what I was feeling about revealing Tiffany to my parents. They knew I was bringing this mystery girl to dinner, but they had no idea that it was Tiffany. I had dressed in a polo and jeans to lighten the mood of the event and stood staring at myself in the mirror. Tiffany was everything I had ever wanted in a woman and more, and I wasn’t about to let her walk into a bad situation. I knew if my parents didn’t approve, they would at least be somewhat diplomatic about it since they really did love Tiffany. I hoped for the best but was completely prepared for the worst, something I wasn’t sure whether Tiffany had prepared herself for. She had been through so much heartbreak over the last several months that the last thing she needed was for the only family she ever really knew to turn their backs on her for good. The fact of the matter was, you couldn’t pick who you fell in love with, and I had loved Tiffany a lot longer than I really realized. She had infatuated me ever since I met her, but she had been with Jordan, so I put it out of my mind and went on with my life. When Jordan broke it off with her, I didn’t even understand it then. Instead, I was just furious and protective over her, wanting to fix her broken heart. It wasn’t until that first date at the restaurant that I realized there was more to my feelings than protection.
I took in a deep breath and reached down to grab my toothbrush. The house was quiet, and after spending almost the whole weekend in my place with Tiffany, I kind of hated the silence of it all. My house was comfortable but eclectic, just like you would imagine a SoHo loft to be. But with Tiffany standing barefoot in my kitchen and swimming in the heated pool on the roof, it made everything feel like home for the first time since I bought the place. The smell of dinner cooking on the stove, the sound of her laughter echoing through the halls was intoxicating, and I almost hated being here by myself now. I had taken her home early in the morning so she could get ready for dinner tonight. She seemed calm and collected, but I could tell there were quite a bit of nerves floating around in her chest. She had kissed me on the cheek and bounced off down the walk into her house. I couldn’t bring myself to drive away until I’d watch her blond hair flowing behind her as she headed down the walkway, smiled, and waved before closing the front door.
I tossed my toothbrush back in the holder and walked out, grabbing my jacket and checking the street for the car. As usual, it was sitting out front but this time, I would be taking a detour to the Greek District to pick up Tiffany before we went over to the house. I didn’t want to give the address beforehand because I didn’t want my parents to recognize who the address belonged to. We drove through the city, watching as tourists flocked the streets, and the city workers got ready to decorate the city for the holidays. It was my favorite time of year, and there was a bit of relief knowing I would get to spend them with Tiffany.
When we pulled up, Tiffany came out front, her hair pulled back halfway, wearing a pair of wide legged, flowy white pants and tucked in button up silk top. She walked carefully in her heels and pulled the hair out of her dangling diamond earrings. She looked at me and smiled as she climbed into the car, pulling her peacoat closed and kissing me on the cheek with her cherry stained lips. She looked amazing, like the woman I had seen so many times walking around the office with confidence and allure. I didn’t know if it were me or just the way time healed all wounds, but for the first time since everything started, she looked like her old self again. Her cheeks glowed in the evening light, and she had even painted her fingernails a light pink. She clutched a bottle of wine she had bought my parents and her clutch that I recognized from the party. She was absolutely stunning in a way I had never thought of a woman before.
“You think they will freak?” She looked at me, slightly worried.
“No,” I laughed. “Freaked would be if I brought home a goth girl or someone from the Bronx. Surprised, probably, but no matter what, I want you to know how absolutely beautiful I think you are.”
She smiled and turned to watch the passing scenery out the window. I wanted to protect everything about this girl, and as far as I knew, my parents were still unaware of who my mystery girl really was. I assumed there was a possibility that Jordan had told them, but I didn’t think he would have. However, I did duly note to myself that there weren’t very many things I could actually trust when it came to my brother anymore. For all I knew, he ran right over to their room after Saturday morning’s explosion and told them what happened. At the same time, he didn’t want them to know why he had divorced Tiffany, so he was probably keeping as much to himself as he could for as long as he could. He knew my parents would chastise him for it. I was almost glad he did what he did, not that Tiffany had gotten hurt but because it gave me the opportunity to be with her, show her what love was really supposed to be like and have her show me the same.
When we pulled up, my parents were standing on the front steps, holding each other’s hands. They couldn’t see through the tinted windows of the car, and I looked over at Tiffany, grasping her hand, reassuring her that no matter what, everything would be okay. She smiled through the nerves that we were both feeling and grabbed onto her bottle as I stepped from the car and greeted my parents. My mother hugged me and my father shook my hand before turning to the darkened area of the open door.
“I’d like you to meet my date,” I said as Tiffany emerged smiling at them. “I think you know Tiffany.”
There was a brief moment of silence where everyone stood stunned.
“Oh, my God,” my mother said excitedly as she ran forward and hugged Tiffany tightly. “You are the mystery girl! This is beyond amazing. I just love you so much.”
Relief flew through me, and I let out a deep breath as I read the happiness growing on my father’s face. He walked forward with his arms out, laughing and shaking his head. He embraced her and hugged her tightly.
“This is just the best surprise,” he said quietly. “Seriously, we missed you so much.”
My father turned to me as my mother talked and laughed with Tiffany. He shook my hand and slapped me on the shoulder. We both turned and looked at Tiffany and my mother.
“Does he know?” My father asked the question I’m sure was plaguing his mind since the moment Tiffany stepped from the car.
“Yeah.” I sighed, and we exchanged a meaningful look. “We never meant to hurt him. It was a hard discovery for him.”
“Well,” my father said, putting his arm around my shoulder. “Maybe he should have held on tighter and not made rash, unfair decisions about Tiffany. Everyone deserves to be happy. He’ll get over it. Besides, he brought that redhead from the party the other night. She is sitting uncomfortably in the living room. I had forgotten to take that last wedding photo down, and she saw it. It's in the drawer now.”
My father chuckled as we turned and walked toward the house, my mother and Tiffany trailing behind us. As we entered, I could see the girl stand up and reach for Jordan’s hand. Jordan walked into the light and looked over at me, a stern look on his face. As I approached, he reached out and shook my hand, nodding at Tiffany kindly.
“Jason,” he said. “This is Rosalie. I don’t think you had a chance to meet before.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking her hand. “This is my date, Tiffany.”
Tiffany smiled kindly and nodded her head at Rosalie who crinkled her forehead, confused. She looked up at Jordan and back at Tiffany, not understanding at all why his ex-wife was standing in front of her. Tiffany took in a deep breath and winked at Jordan, walking forward and taking Rosalie’s hands in hers.
“I know it’s strange,” she whispered. “But don’t feel uncomfortable. Jordan and I were never meant to be together. And yes, I’m dating his brother. Just let it all out. You’ll feel better about the situation once you accept it.”
I watched as Tiffany tried to console Jordan’s date and thought about how adorable it was. It was just another example of how amazing of a woman she really was, always looking out for other people’s feelings. She sat down next to Rosalie and poured her a shot of whiskey, handing it to her and watching as she took it back. When Rosalie had swallowed, she looked at Tiffany and burst out in laughter. I had to admit, if I were here, I’d probably have reacted the same exact way. Jordan rolled his eyes and shook his head, walking over to the mantle and looking at the pictures of us as kids that lined the shelves. I turned toward the dining area as my mother cleared her throat. It really was impressive, the amazing amount of food she had spent all day cooking.
I sat down next to Tiffany, and we stared across the table at Jordan and Rosalie. There was a slightly awkward moment, but just like Tiffany always did, she poured some wine and broke into the conversation, trying to make Rosalie feel comfortable. If anyone knew how nerve-racking it could be there for the first time, it was Tiffany. She hadn’t come from an affluent background so just sitting at the huge mahogany table in the grand dining room of my parent's mansion could be extremely overwhelming, not to mention that the situation wasn’t quite normal these days. My mother smiled and winked at me as she passed the potatoes, knowing I was happy for the first time in a very long time.
I gazed over at Tiffany as she laughed loudly and talked about life with the other people at the table. Her fair skin and rosy cheeks sparkled in the dim lights of the chandelier, and I couldn’t help but notice just how amazing she looked. She turned and caught me staring at her as I sat back from the table to listen to everyone. She winked at me and squeezed my hand before turning back to Jordan and Rosalie who were telling the story of how they met. We hadn’t realized that the night in the bar when he’d left with her wasn’t the first time they had met. Either way, I didn’t care, I was mesmerized by the beautiful woman sitting next to me, laughing loudly as Rosalie talked about my brother’s clumsiness. She really could make anyone feel comfortable in any situation. She was the light that lit up every room she walked into. I squeezed her hand as they continued to talk through the evening, so glad that everything had turned out the way that I wanted.
There was no shaking it, I was falling in love with this girl. Head over heels in love.