Drunk on a Plane, page 23
Beside her, Grant sighed and put a hand on Megan's shoulder. "I better go talk to him."
On her other side, Charles sat, checking his phone.
Megan watched her mother fussing over Brittney, touching her belly and wiping away ridiculous fake tears. She went to the back bedroom where the coats had been stashed. Before escaping, she remembered her dad's pie. Avoiding the dining room, she slipped through the kitchen and down the basement stairs.
"Just what we need. Another imaginary grandbaby. I think this is the fourth one." Uncle Doug snorted. "We've been setting up imaginary college funds."
Megan pretended not to hear. "Dad? You down here?"
"Yep. Over here at the train station."
Megan crossed through the main room, into Doug's sanctuary, where a miniature town took up the entire space. "Wow, the last time I saw this, it wasn't even half this size. Sorry to interrupt. I'm leaving, so I wanted to get my pie."
Doug was holding a can of beer. He lifted it and pointed to Megan. "You're a good kid. You turned out great. So much happened to you, but you still ended up being a wonderful young woman."
"Thanks?"
He chuckled. "No, I'm not drunk. Yet."
Grant nodded. "He's right. You've turned out to be an amazing person. In spite of your mother and me."
"There's the problem," Doug said. "Megan's had to fight for everything, so she knows the value of hard work and being a decent person. Brittney had everything handed to her on a silver platter and here we are." He trailed off, shrugging.
Megan couldn't think of anything to say.
"Let's get your pie," Grant finally said. He led Megan out the basement door and unlocked his car. He walked to her car and set the pie on the back seat, then wrapped her in a tight hug. Without a word, he went back into the house.
Megan got into the car, but before she closed the door, Charles jogged over.
"Hey. Can I escape with you?"
"Charles. Sorry." She'd forgotten he was there, let alone that he wanted to talk to her.
"No, please. I'm sorry. I thought you knew I was coming tonight."
"I had no clue. I didn't even know you were in town."
He glanced back at the house. "Can we go somewhere else and talk? Away from here? Quinn picked me up, so I don't have my car." He still had the same boyish grin that had charmed her nearly a decade earlier.
"Sure. Get in."
Megan backed out of the driveway. With every turn away from the house, her anxiety eased. "When did you get back to Hickory Hollow? And how did they find you?"
"I got here about six months ago."
"You're back living here?"
"Yeah. My wife and I separated, so I came back home."
"Sorry to hear that."
"Yeah, it's hard on the kids."
"Kids?"
"Two boys and a girl."
Megan couldn't imagine leaving children behind. She felt a pang of sympathy for him. "It must be hard to be so far away from them."
"The hardest part is seeing how much of my check disappears." He gave a little laugh.
She let the comment pass, but couldn't ignore the bad taste it left. "Where do you live?"
Charles gave her an address. "But you don't have to take me home." His tone suggested something she had no intention of exploring.
"It's no bother. So what are you doing since you're back?"
"I'm working at Mercy General. Eventually I'd like to get into private practice, but for now, the ER pays better, so that's where I'm at."
"Good for you." She turned onto a secondary road.
"Are you still taking pictures of babies and stuff, or did you end up getting a real job?"
"A real job?"
"Relax, I'm kidding." There was no hint of humor in his voice.
"I own my own photography business."
"Make lots of money?"
Megan wondered how awful it would be if she stopped along the edge of the road and told him to walk home. "It pays the bills."
"You want to do more than pay the bills. You should find something more practical. Build up a nice nest egg and retirement accounts. Have you thought about nursing?"
"No."
"How much do you have in your retirement fund?"
"Charles, my finances are none of your business."
"I see."
Megan clenched her teeth and let out a slow breath. "Where do I turn?"
"Up here on the right."
Megan could feel the annoyance radiating from him. She turned. "Now where?"
He directed her until they pulled in front of a nondescript townhouse. She pulled into the driveway. "Nice place."
"Yeah, they're all new construction. You want to come in?"
"No, thanks. I need to get home. It's been a long day."
Charles reached over and put his hand high on her thigh. "Why don't you stay here tonight?"
"What?"
He leaned toward her, his gaze intense. "Spend the night with me."
"Charles, I'm not-"
"Shhh. You don't have to say anything. I know we both feel it." He put his other hand on her face and leaned over to kiss her.
Megan shoved him back. "The only thing I'm feeling is the need for you to get out of my car."
Charles looked genuinely surprised. "I don't understand."
"What don't you understand?"
"Look, I don't want to be insulting. I assumed you..."
"I what?"
"You like having a good time."
"A good time. By 'good time,' I assume you mean sex. And I can only also assume you got the idea from Brittney."
He shrugged. "Come on. It's not like we've never done it before."
"Excuse me? Do you think that means you have lifetime access? I assure you, it does not." When had Charles become a total ass? He hadn't been like this eight years ago when she'd last seen him.
"Of course not. But after your crazy family dinner, I know you could use a little... stress relief. And we both know I can get the job done." He tried another winning smile.
"Get out of my car, please." Why had she bothered to say "please"?
Charles pulled the handle and opened the door. "I'm disappointed. I wasn't expecting tonight to end up like this."
"I get exactly what you were expecting."
He blinked, confused. "Sorry. I was totally wrong, and I apologize."
"Apology accepted. Brittney's on a mission to make me miserable, and you were one more unlucky pawn in her game."
"Wow. I'm guessing you didn't wreck her wedding then, either?"
"No, I didn't."
"Oh. Wow, I look like an absolute jackass." He blew out a long breath. "I'm really sorry. I've been a complete jerk. Megan, can we please pretend this whole evening never happened?"
"It's fine. For what it's worth, I'm glad you're doing well. Good luck."
He pulled a card and a pen out of his jacket, scribbled on the back of the card and set it in the console. "Give me a call. I'll take you to dinner and we can catch up. See if it goes anywhere?"
"Good night, Charles." The card was going in the trash, but he didn't need to know that.
Megan pulled out of Charles's driveway and shook her head. This whole evening was ridiculous. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or offended her ex-fiancé had been living less than two miles from her, and he hadn't tried to contact her once. Until he'd gotten word she slept around. Not a ringing endorsement of his character. Eric wasn't the only one who'd dodged a bullet.
It wasn't seven yet, and she was starving. She'd left so quickly she didn't grab the leftover macaroni and cheese. And she needed gas. The knot in her stomach was gone. It growled, demanding more than the few bites she'd taken at dinner.
Pulling into Sheetz, she swiped her card at the gas pump, filled her tank, then pulled to a parking space next to the building. She went inside, filled a large soda cup and ordered a sub, then absently thumbed through her phone while she waited.
She texted Beth. Hang onto the wine. I'll fill you in later.
"I'm surprised to see you here."
Megan startled. "Why, exactly?"
Eric was plainly not happy to see her. "I thought you were having a nice cozy dinner with your new old boyfriend."
"You're mistaken."
"You're saying you weren't having dinner with your ex?" His tone was accusatory and more than a little annoying. Who did he think he was?
"I'm saying it's none of your damn business." Megan's order number was called. She pushed away from the counter and grabbed her food, stalking past Eric without another word.
Chapter 39
Eric followed Megan out to her car. "Wait." He grabbed her elbow.
She whirled around, smacking her sub on the side mirror. The flimsy plastic bag split open. A few pieces of shredded lettuce flew out of the opening. "Great. My freaking sub is squished. Are you happy now?"
"I'm sorry. Wait. Please."
Megan glared at him.
"I'm going about this all wrong. Which is nothing new. I'm not sure what I said to upset you the other day, and here I am putting my foot in my mouth again." He waited for her to respond, but she said nothing. "Can we go somewhere and talk? I think there are some things I'm missing."
"No."
"Megan, it's too cold to stand out here."
"Too bad then." She turned abruptly, sending the bag with her sub into the mirror again. This time, the rest of the side ripped out of the bag and her sub fell to the pavement. The paper wrapped around the sub fell open. Tomatoes and pickles flew, and the bread didn't stop rolling until it was under her car. "Are you freaking kidding me? Nice." She glared at Eric. "Would you like to dump out my drink, too?"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything about your ex. I assumed –"
"Know what, Eric? You assume an awful lot. You assumed I was screwing Marco. Now you assume I'm romantically involved with my ex. Neither of which should bother you, since we're just friends, which you've made abundantly clear. But obviously we're not even very good friends, because you think I'm lying about things that shouldn't even matter to you."
"Okay, so they matter." He bent down and picked up the ruined sub and paper, and shoved them in the trash can at the edge of the sidewalk.
"Wow. It matters to you who I'm seeing, but you're too thick to maybe trust me and give me the benefit of the doubt when I say I'm not? Especially when we both know damn well where your insider information is coming from."
"I didn't know where this was from. I blocked Brittney's number. This came from someone else." He held out his phone.
She stared at the screen. "Are you freaking kidding me?"
Eric couldn't place the change in her voice. Disgust? Disbelief? Resignation? "What? Do you recognize the number?"
"I sure do. It's my mom's."
"Why would your mother send me this?"
"You're awfully dense, Eric. She sent it for the same reason she invited Charles at all. It's part of some scheme she and Brittney cooked up. Brittney is miserable and hateful and wants to make sure I stay far away from you. My mother thinks the sun rises and sets out of Brittney's ass, and I'm the stupidest person on the planet, so she's perfectly fine with making me miserable. Penance for yet another misdeed on my part. Today was the big family Thanksgiving. I show up, then Charles shows up. He thought I knew he was coming. It was embarrassing for both of us. More so for me, because not only did that miserable little bitch invite him, she also insinuated – no, flat out told him – I'd be more than happy to have sex with him after dinner." Megan was talking fast.
"What?"
"Oh, yeah. So it's been a fantastic day, and of course I barely ate, and then I forgot my macaroni and freaking cheese, so I come here to get some food and my sub gets smashed." She held the empty plastic bag up. "Then you stand here in the middle of the parking lot, accusing me of who knows what, being too much of an idiot to see a stupid picture is an obvious setup. I can't imagine this day getting any worse."
Eric grimaced. "You might not want to turn around."
Megan slowly turned her head, then turned back toward him. "No freaking way."
"Megan! Come over here!" Alice's shrill voice split the air between the sidewalk and the gas pump. She was standing behind her open car door, as if she needed to protect herself from something.
Megan looked panicked. "I don't want to."
"Don't. Pretend you didn't hear her and get in your car."
"It won't work."
"Where are you parked?" He wracked his brain for some way to help her out of this situation.
"The pump beside them."
"Oh, no."
Alice called Megan's name again. Eric wanted to grab Megan and wipe the trapped expression from her face. He also wanted to strangle her mother. Neither option was likely to happen.
"Do you want me to walk with you?"
"Okay."
Eric didn't bother pointing out Megan was still carrying the empty plastic bag. She walked in front of him, her steps halting, like someone being led to their execution.
When they reached the car, Alice glared at him, then dismissed him with a flick of her head. "Where's Charles?"
"Home."
"Why aren't you with him?"
"Because I'm not interested in having sex with him, in spite of what you and Brittney told him, and quite frankly it's disgusting."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, stop it. Charles told me all about it."
"He wouldn't."
Eric could feel the anxiety rolling off Megan like waves.
"What's he doing here?" Alice didn't look his direction.
"Getting gas, I would assume."
"How convenient."
"Well, they are called 'convenience' stores."
"Hey, pumpkin, I thought you were heading home." Grant came around the front of the car and clapped Eric on the shoulder. "Nice to see you. I hear you found some new coffee for your brother's café while you were on your trip."
"Yes. We did, thanks." Eric wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Megan's dad apparently didn't share his wife's hostility for him.
Alice glared daggers at her husband. "Don't talk to him."
Grant raised his eyebrows.
"I'm serious. He's nothing but trouble and I won't have my family associating with him."
Megan moved closer to him. He wondered if it was a reflex or an act of defiance. Probably the former.
"Megan, you're coming with us."
"Stop being ridiculous. My car is right here."
"I don't want you anywhere near him."
Eric wanted to pull Megan into his car and leave, but he was rooted to the spot. Megan moved closer, until she was practically leaning against him. She was clutching her drink. And the empty plastic bag. Eric could see her hands were shaking. He put his hand on her back.
"You can't tell me who I can spend time with." He was impressed with how steady her voice was.
"Then you're making a decision. Let me make this clear. If you choose to continue to associate with this... person..." She sneered and looked over him like he was dog crap. It was better when she was ignoring him. "Then your father and I will not speak to you until you come to your senses."
"WHOA." Grant's voice boomed. "Enough."
Customers at the other gas pumps looked.
Alice opened her mouth to speak, but Grant cut her off, pointing a finger at her.
"I've had enough. You will never keep my daughter from me. I don't care if she leaves here and blows up a busload of orphans and nuns, she is still my daughter and she is always welcome in my home. I've already lost a son. No one, and I do mean no one, will ever stand between me and Megan. Ever. Including you. Am I making myself clear?"
The fury on Alice's face was frightening. Eric half expected her to start swinging. Or shooting. Or stabbing. Instead, she sat back down in her seat and slammed the door shut. Her face crumpled and she began to cry. Eric almost felt bad for her. But not quite.
"Let's get out of here," Eric said quietly.
Grant grabbed Megan in a bear hug. "I'm so sorry. This is not going to happen again." He kissed her forehead and looked over at Eric. "Make sure she gets home safe."
"I will." Eric opened the door of Megan's car and stood there while she got in. "Are you okay to drive?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's not like this was unusual."
"I'll meet you back at your place, okay?"
She didn't answer, but she didn't argue. He supposed he should be grateful to Alice for overshadowing his own offenses just enough for him to convince Megan to speak to him. He watched as she drove out of the parking lot, then went back inside and ordered a sub and got a fresh soda from the fountain. Extra ice, the way she liked it. He paid, then tapped his foot impatiently until his number was called.
On the way to Megan's, her words stuck in his head. She was right about him making an awful lot of assumptions about her, and none of them gave her the benefit of the doubt. He defended himself in his mind. Yeah, but he saw a woman who looked exactly like Megan with Marco. Yeah, but he was texted a picture of Megan beside her ex. Yeah, but. Yeah, but. Yeah, but.
He caught himself. What was actually in the picture, anyway? She didn't look happy. She didn't look captivated by his conversation. She wasn't looking at Charles like she looked at him. In all of their cruise pictures, except maybe the first one, Megan was smiling and leaning towards him. Or touching him. Happy.
The picture he'd been sent? She wasn't looking at Charles with any more affection than she would a stranger. Which the man was now. Charles might know most of her past. He didn't know how much Megan loved pineapple, or how she enjoyed binge watching Little House on the Prairie, or how hilarious she was after half a dozen piña coladas. He didn't know she kept little bottles of sand, that she dreamed of seeing the Great Pyramid, or how she was terrified she'd spend the rest of her life trapped in Hickory Hollow.
He turned down the road leading to her apartment building and sighed. Jody was right. He was an idiot. And he had a lot to apologize for. No wonder she couldn't trust him, he'd done nothing to earn it.
Chapter 40
Megan ignored her growling stomach. She'd thought Eric was right behind her, but she'd been home for fifteen minutes. She changed into her sweatpants and yanked her hair up into a messy bun. A quick glance in the freezer revealed a quart of ice cream. With a start, she remembered the pie in the back seat of her car. Jackpot.
