�Alexis, where are you from?�
�New York City, born and raised,� I replied. For some reason I wanted to say, �On the playground is where I spent most of my days.� But I resisted that urge, it didn�t seem appropriate for right then.
�And you�re a stylist, right?� she asked sweetly.
�That�s right, Mrs. . . . I don�t know what to call you. Do I call you Jane or Mrs. Carter?�
�Mrs. Carter would be best. Well Nick, with her around you can never go wrong, can you? Maybe you�ll make Blackwell�s best dressed list.�
�I�m definitely going to keep him looking good.�
�How did you get into your line of work?�
�Because of my mother. She was a dancer on Broadway and she broke her wrist once and asked me to do her makeup. Well ever since then I was hooked.�
�Fascinating. Does your mother still work on Broadway?� she asked. I could practically see her calculating.
�No. . . she�s. . .she�s passed on,� I replied. She changed direction immediately. She didn�t even extend condolences.
�What about your father? What does-,� She started but was interrupted by Angel.
�I�m sorry to hear that about your mother, Alexis,� she said giving me a reassuring smile.
�Oh it�s ok,� I replied returning her smile.
�Yes, we�re all sorry to hear that,� Jane replied. There was an uncomfortable lull in the conversation before she continued her line of questioning. �So, what about your father? What does he do?�
�Well. . . he was involved in Broadway a lot too. I know he played in the orchestra and he did a little acting. I. . . . uh. . . don�t know what he�s doing now. We aren�t exactly close. The only other relatives I have left are my grandparents, an aunt and uncle who live in Texas, my mother�s best friend and her son. You might have heard of her.�
�Really? What�s her name?� she asked.
�Geez Mom, nosy much?� asked Angel.
�I�m not being nosy, Angel. I�m trying to get to know the girl. I have to ask some questions to do that.�
�It sounds like you�re being nosy,� Leslie chimed in.
�I agree. Damn Mom, can we take a bite of our food? You can grill her later,� Aaron replied.
�I told you about that language, Aaron. I�m not stopping you from eating and I�m not grilling her.�
�Oh come on Mom, you know what you�re doing. Why don�t you just flash a light into her face and ask her where she was on the night of the twenty-ninth?� he said.
�Well you�ve turned my kids against me,� she said to me. Then to them, �She didn�t mind. She answered every question.�
�Whatever Mom, you were grillin� her. No one has even had a chance to take a bite of their dinner,� Angel said.
�Alright I get it. No more questions from me,� she assured us. �Let�s eat.�
After that dinner went smoothly. The food was delicious, the conversation was light and fun and the company was delightful. The whole time though I could feel Mrs. Carter watching me.
Dinner was done and we had settled into the family room for more light conversation. I was being entertained by stories of Nick in his younger days when Mrs. Carter stood.
�Anyone up for dessert?� she asked the room. Everyone said they were.
�I�ll help you with the dessert, Mrs. Carter.�
�Oh no, Angel or Leslie will help. You�re a guest.�
�I insist.� She agreed to let me help and we headed off to the kitchen together. I was feeling pretty good. It looked like I had won Mrs. Carter over.
Almost as soon as the door was closed she turned on me. She crossed the room and became a totally different person. The polite fa�ade she had been wearing all through dinner was gone. The Jane Carter I had expected from the moment she caught Nick and I on the sofa in the family room emerged.
�I know what you�re trying to do and you might as well stop it,� she said facing me.
�Excuse me?� I asked taken aback.
�This whole polite act, I know your type. I�ve been dealing with girls like you since before Nick got out of adolescence,� she said.
�Why does everyone think they know my type?� I muttered. To her I said, �I don�t know what you�re talking about.�
�You�re all the same. Grasping, clingy, vicious little girls only out for one person, yourself. One minute you�re soooo in love and as soon as something doesn�t go your way or as soon as he doesn�t buy you something you want you�re out the door. The next thing I know the tabloids are calling to confirm something you blabbed to them about my son. I want you to know that I don�t need that right now, I don�t want that right now and I�m not going to have it.�
�Mrs. Carter I�m being polite because I was raised that way. I�m not grasping, clingy, vicious or a little girl. I would like to know how you came to this conclusion about me when you barely know me.�
�Please, I know all the tricks, so spare me. You give Nick the innocent victim look when you told him about your family sob story? No mother, father is estranged the only family you have are distant relatives. You sound worse off than Little Orphan Annie. My boys love strays, why do you think we have so many damn animals?� I was shocked into silence. I had never been talked to like that by anyone. I could only recall one past boyfriend who�s mother obviously didn�t like me but even she managed to put on a brave face when I was around. She certainly didn�t speak to me the way Mrs. Carter was speaking to me just then. When I found my voice I asked,
�What exactly is your problem with me? Is it because of my background? Is it because I don�t have any connections you can use for your own gain? Is it because I�m black?�
�Oh please, don�t play the race card with me. That has very little to do with this.�
�But it does have something to do with this. Well what is it? Is it because you missed the �tricks� with Jessica and you�re taking it out on me? I guess she slipped under your fail proof radar,� I said. She didn�t have a reply to that. �I�m curious, Jane. . . . do you even know how far that grasping, clingy, vicious little girl was going to go? No, you don�t but, you have the nerve to stand there and lump me in the same category as her. I�m the one who saved your son years of pain and heartache! That was me, while you wanted to hand him off to one of those little girls you so fear. . . . with your blessing. . . . like a lamb to the slaughter!� She didn�t respond immediately but when she did her voice was deadly serious and she was completely calm.
�I have only the best intentions at heart for my sons and my family. I am telling you now, you double cross my son in any way, you won�t have to worry about what Nick might say or do or even if he�ll break up with you because that will be the least of your problems. The person you�ll have to worry about is me. I am warning you now. So, you�ll know the terms of this relationship. Nick may not see it but I am wise to you, Alexis.�
�You think you�re scaring me? Nick is going to date me for however long he wants and vice versa. There is nothing you can do to change that. I am nothing like Jessica and I wouldn�t dream of betraying Nick the way she did or at all in any other way. Furthermore, whatever happens between him and I is our business. . . not yours,� I said just as calmly and turned on my heels and left.
I left the kitchen feeling a little shocked I could not believe the things she had said to me, not to mention the stuff she alluded to. I tried my best, I answered all of her intrusive questions, I was polite and courteous, that�s all I can do. I can�t and I�m not going to force her to like me, I thought as I headed back to the family room.
�Hey didn�t you forget something?� Nick asked when I came back into the room.
�Yeah, where�s dessert?� asked Aaron.
�Your mother didn�t need my help after all. She should be coming out soon. Uuuhh. . . Nick, can I speak to you out in the hall, please?�
�Yeah, what�s up?� he asked standing from his seat on the sofa.
�I�ll tell you in the hall,� I replied preceding him out of the room.
�Oooohh what�s in the hall Nick?� Aaron taunted.
�Cut it out,� Nick told him ruffling his hair as he followed me into the hall. �What�s going on?�
�There is no nice way to say this so, I�m just going to come out with it. Your mother insulted me and I�m ready to go.�
�What?! What are you talking about?�
�When we were in the kitchen she insulted me. She basically called me a gold digger. . . no I believe her exact words were �grasping, clingy, vicious little girls who are only out for themselves�. She said I was one of them. She even compared me to Jessica!�
�Alexis calm down. I can�t believe this, you two were getting along fine at dinner.�
�Yeah well. . . believe it. Dinner was in front of a table full of people. I swear when she stepped into that kitchen with me it was like Dr. Jekyll turning into Mr. Hyde,� I told him. Nick let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.
�Are you sure you didn�t say or do anything to provoke this?�
�Me?! All I did was offer to help her with dessert, she�s the one who went off on me as soon as the door was closed.�
�Just like that?�
�Yes, just � like � that,� I said snapping my fingers. Then I asked, �Why does it seem like you don�t believe me?�
�I believe you. If I know my mother I believe you. I was just. . . . trying,� he started.
�You were just trying to see if it was my fault, assuming I�m even telling the truth about what she said to me. Why don�t you go ask her, Nick? Since you think I�m lying, go get it straight from the horse�s mouth. I�ll be outside when you�re ready to go,� I said and turned to walk away. I was so infuriated with Nick, with his mother, just with the whole situation. I was ready to go.
�Alexis come on don�t leave. Let me try and work things out.�
�Ok. You go �work things out� with Mommie Dearest in there and I�ll go outside and wait in the car,� I said. This time I turned and walked quickly to the door.
�Alexis. Alexis come back. Alexis! Shit!� I heard him call after me but I ignored him and kept walking until I reached the front door.
I was pissed. I was mad at Nick for his faithlessness in me and his evil mother for the way she talked to me. I could not believe that I actually cared if that woman liked me or not. I realized too late that the fact that his sisters seemed to like me probably held more weight with him. Who the hell does she think she is? She acted like I wasn�t good enough for her precious son. This, from the woman who hooked him up with the Dragon Lady, I thought.
I couldn�t even understand Nick�s actions in all of this. He acted like he didn�t believe me. He acted like I was the one who started the whole thing. Why in the world would I do that? I was worrying myself into a frenzy when his mother appeared. I was on my best, best behavior all through dinner and was hoping to continue that behavior until we left. Not that I ever planned on showing my ass in front of his mother. What happened in the kitchen was not planned. . . not by me anyway.
�Alexis?� Nick called. I was sitting outside on the front step with my back to him. At first, I thought I would ignore him. �Alexis?� But then I knew he wouldn�t let me just sit there and ignore him. Besides, we�d have to have this out eventually. �Alexis? I know you hear me talking to you.�
�What?�
�Are you going to come back inside?� he asked stepping outside and securely closing the door behind him.
�Are you going to join the Wu Tang Clan? Since ODB is gone, I think they might need another member,� I answered.
�Alexis, come on, can you stop being a smart ass for a minute?�
�All a part of my charm,� I replied.
�Seriously Alexis, are you going to come back inside?�
�Are you kidding me?� I asked as I stood and faced him. �You want me to go back in their and receive more of her abuse?�
�She�s not going to talk to you like that, anymore.�
�Oh ok. . . so you want me to go back in there so I can be ignored?�
�No. Alexis you�re taking this all wrong.�
�I�m taking this all wrong? She basically called me a gold digger!�
�That�s not what she said.�
�Oh I�m sorry, you�re right, that�s not what she said. She didn�t call me a gold digger, at all. She called me a grasping, clingy, vicious little girl, you�re right that�s so much better than being called a gold digger. I was so wrong,� I said sarcastically.
�Ok I�m sorry. Would you come back inside, please?�
�No. I�m not going back in there until she apologizes,� I said watching his face. He looked like I had just asked him to bring me the moon. �By the look on your face I can see that that�s not going to happen.�
�Look, come back inside and we�ll work this out.�
�I�m not going back in there. I�m ready to leave.�
�Well I�m not,� he said looking defiant.
�Look, you can take me back to your place or call me a cab either way, I�m leaving.�
�I don�t understand why you have to be so difficult. Couldn�t you just try to come back inside and talk to her?�
�I did talk to her. Weren�t you there during dinner? I politely answered all of her intrusive questions. I was even going to answer the questions that were probably none of her damn business before I was rescued by my boyfriend. . . . I mean boyfriend�s little sister.�
�I thought you could handle it. You seemed to be doing fine.�
�Yeah I was doing great for someone who had never been in the Spanish Inquisition. She treated me like a prisoner of war or something.�
�Don�t you think you�re overreacting a little bit?�
�No. I get the feeling that you don�t believe me or you don�t care.�
�I believe you and I care, which is why I think you and her need to talk.�
�I can�t talk to someone who hates me before I walked through the door. Someone who hates me because of something she read in a stupid tabloid,� I said. Nick�s ears perked up.
�What was that last thing you said supposed to mean?� he asked.
�What?�
�How did you know she read about us in a tabloid?� I paused. Might as well tell him, I thought.
�The day of AJ�s barbecue, when we went back to the hotel, while I was in the shower. . . . I overheard you talking to your mother on the phone,� I said not looking at him.
�You overheard or you heard? There is a difference, Alexis.�
�I overheard you talking on the phone to your mother,� I said through clenched teeth. He better not get mad, after the way he lied to me, I thought. I was angry and he was only intensifying that anger.
�You were eavesdropping, again. What is it with you? Can�t you trust me?�
�I wasn�t eavesdropping. You were yelling so loud that I�m sure the rest of the floor overheard you.�
�Uh huh, how long did you stay in the bathroom so you could �overhear� my conversation?� he asked. I couldn�t answer. I knew deep down that I did eavesdrop even if I didn�t mean to. When I initially overheard Nick arguing with his mother I should have came right out of the bathroom. That still didn�t excuse him for lying to me.
�That�s what I thought,� he said. Then, �I�m not going to argue with you on my mother�s doorstep. We�ll talk about this later,� he said then he went back inside. I wanted to hit him. I was not about to go back in there. I remained on the steps. He came back shortly and poked his head outside.
�Aren�t you going to come back in?�
�What gave you that impression? I don�t recall ever telling you that I was going to go back in there.
�I�m not leaving,� he warned.
�That�s fine, I don�t think I want to be in your company right now, anyway,� I said turning my back on him.
�How are you going to get back?� he asked. I could hear the annoyance in his voice.
�I�m going to call information and then I�m going to call a cab,� I said just as annoyed.
�Do you want me to pay for it?� he asked.
�No, that would make me grasping and maybe even clingy. I can pay for my own cab, thank you very much,� I replied as I reached into my purse and pulled out my cell phone. �I just need to know the address to this house.� He told me the address and then went back inside.
When the cab arrived I practically ran to it gleefully. I hopped inside and didn�t look back. When the cab driver asked, �Where you goin�?� I told him and I didn�t give him Nick�s address.
