features that I wanted to scrub my own face just looking at her. I glanced past her, spying my dad who was eyeballing all of them with disdain, making sure no one stepped onto his property.
A heavy set man with a thick accent shoved forward his face tight with impatience. “Where’s the kid? You said she’d be here an hour ago!”
My mouth fell open as shock and hurt swallowed me whole. It was true. She tipped them off.
“ Leila texted me a little bit ago and said she’d be here any minute.” Mom’s toothy grin spread a few inches wider. “But if you have any more questions about her and Jacob-”
“How long did your daughter work for Jacob befor e they became an item?” Someone blurted out, not wasting any time.
“Oh not long at all,” Mom replied with a chuckle. “He was just so taken with my Leila he just couldn’t help himself.”
My eyes nearly bulged from my head as a few of them laughed at the admission and Mom coaxed them on with a wink. “Y’all know what I’m talking about.”
“Did Leila give you the scoop on Jacob in bed?”
“Absolutely not!” I hollered, completely forgetting that I was trying to lay low. I didn’t even notice when all eyes turned to me and the bulbs started flashing. It was total tunnel vision, everything else fading to nothing. It was just me locked on my mother’s surprised face that quickly reddened. It was one of the few things she and I had in common--there was no hiding our embarrassment.
“L -Leila!” she yelled over the clamor. “I’m so glad you’re home!”
“I bet,” I seethed, biting back what I really wanted to say. They’d eat up our family drama and it would be plastered all over the rags next week. She quickly pulled my father up beside her, gripping him tight.
“All these lovely photographers just wanted to-”
“I’m going in the house, ” I said, marching right past her.
Did she forget that I studied PR ? That I’d lived it for the past month? I knew exactly why the photographers were there. It was no secret that the most unscrupulous in my field would tip off paps about their client’s location for publicity. Well, the only publicity or pictures they were getting today would be a shot of my back walking in the opposite direction.
I clenched and unclench ed my fists as I stepped inside the house. The warmth of my mother’s favorite Airwick fragrance, apple cinnamon, flooded my nostrils. It should have relaxed me, like it did every time I came home. When I sunk into the familiar grooves of the couch, all of my worries should have been soothed away. But I got no relief, no relaxation at all. Every nerve ending in me was on edge.
The screen door creaked open and I knew it was my dad, his woodsy cologne and the scuff of his boots gave him away. I peered up at him, tears of frustration blurring my view, ruining what was supposed to be a happy reunion.
“How long has she had them on speed dial?”
He ran his hand over his thinning brown hair, his bright green eyes weary. “One of ‘em called about two weeks ago and the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since.”
I shut my eyes with a groan. Right around the time Jacob and I announced to the world that we were dating.
Dad trudged to his armchair and let out a groan of his own as he sat down. “If I would have known she was goi ng to have them waiting for you…”
I flashed a weak smile. There was no need for him to explain. We both knew that Mom was a force of nature and when she put her mind to something, even he couldn’t slow her down. It was as close to an apology as I was going to get from him. When the door swung open a second time, I didn’t even bother waiting for one from the real culprit.
“Are you insane , Mom? You had no right calling them here!”
She brought a hand to her chest, feigning shock. “Leila, I had no idea-”
“Oh God,” I said disgustedly. “Please don’t insult my intelligence on top of everything else.”
She slowly lowered her hand,
A heavy set man with a thick accent shoved forward his face tight with impatience. “Where’s the kid? You said she’d be here an hour ago!”
My mouth fell open as shock and hurt swallowed me whole. It was true. She tipped them off.
“ Leila texted me a little bit ago and said she’d be here any minute.” Mom’s toothy grin spread a few inches wider. “But if you have any more questions about her and Jacob-”
“How long did your daughter work for Jacob befor e they became an item?” Someone blurted out, not wasting any time.
“Oh not long at all,” Mom replied with a chuckle. “He was just so taken with my Leila he just couldn’t help himself.”
My eyes nearly bulged from my head as a few of them laughed at the admission and Mom coaxed them on with a wink. “Y’all know what I’m talking about.”
“Did Leila give you the scoop on Jacob in bed?”
“Absolutely not!” I hollered, completely forgetting that I was trying to lay low. I didn’t even notice when all eyes turned to me and the bulbs started flashing. It was total tunnel vision, everything else fading to nothing. It was just me locked on my mother’s surprised face that quickly reddened. It was one of the few things she and I had in common--there was no hiding our embarrassment.
“L -Leila!” she yelled over the clamor. “I’m so glad you’re home!”
“I bet,” I seethed, biting back what I really wanted to say. They’d eat up our family drama and it would be plastered all over the rags next week. She quickly pulled my father up beside her, gripping him tight.
“All these lovely photographers just wanted to-”
“I’m going in the house, ” I said, marching right past her.
Did she forget that I studied PR ? That I’d lived it for the past month? I knew exactly why the photographers were there. It was no secret that the most unscrupulous in my field would tip off paps about their client’s location for publicity. Well, the only publicity or pictures they were getting today would be a shot of my back walking in the opposite direction.
I clenched and unclench ed my fists as I stepped inside the house. The warmth of my mother’s favorite Airwick fragrance, apple cinnamon, flooded my nostrils. It should have relaxed me, like it did every time I came home. When I sunk into the familiar grooves of the couch, all of my worries should have been soothed away. But I got no relief, no relaxation at all. Every nerve ending in me was on edge.
The screen door creaked open and I knew it was my dad, his woodsy cologne and the scuff of his boots gave him away. I peered up at him, tears of frustration blurring my view, ruining what was supposed to be a happy reunion.
“How long has she had them on speed dial?”
He ran his hand over his thinning brown hair, his bright green eyes weary. “One of ‘em called about two weeks ago and the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since.”
I shut my eyes with a groan. Right around the time Jacob and I announced to the world that we were dating.
Dad trudged to his armchair and let out a groan of his own as he sat down. “If I would have known she was goi ng to have them waiting for you…”
I flashed a weak smile. There was no need for him to explain. We both knew that Mom was a force of nature and when she put her mind to something, even he couldn’t slow her down. It was as close to an apology as I was going to get from him. When the door swung open a second time, I didn’t even bother waiting for one from the real culprit.
“Are you insane , Mom? You had no right calling them here!”
She brought a hand to her chest, feigning shock. “Leila, I had no idea-”
“Oh God,” I said disgustedly. “Please don’t insult my intelligence on top of everything else.”
She slowly lowered her hand,
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