Storms over Ireland shook the plane back and forth. A little baby up front bawled and screamed for his mother while the rest of us wish we could. Jackie was handling the turbulence much better this time. She didn’t need to hold my hand to feel comforted.
Could my presence alone be enough to console her? No, no, I’m reading too much into that. You’re too hard on yourself Tomas. Get out of your own head and let whatever’s going to happen, happen Tomas. Just be yourself.
“So, Jackie what do you do?” I asked. All this time we had just made casual conversation. I wanted to really get to know her.
“I just graduated from law school in Los Angeles. I want to work at this law firm in London that my father owns. He always talked about me working alongside him. Since then, that vision has been my dream as well.” She shook her head. “That’s probably more than you asked for . . .”
“I was going to ask, why, next anyway.” I said shaking her arm, trying to reassure her.
“You’re too kind Tomas. It’s not a normal thing to find in men. I mean that in the positive way.”
I nodded my thanks. I’m not sure if she saw it or not. “Wait, what’s your last name?”
“McCreary. Why?”
“You’re father owns McCreary and Redstarr law firm?”
“Yup he is the McCreary half.” She laughed. “How do you know us?”
“They are the law firm handling my copyrights and book publishing agreements. Maybe I’ll get the chance to meet your father after all.”
“After all? What do you mean?” Her smile was getting wider. She thought she had caught me getting a little ahead of myself.
“After the flight is all.” I could tell my cheeks were showing the truth. Hopefully, she wasn’t very keen on body language. She’s a lawyer. Of course she is idiot.
“Oh well definitely.” She let me off death row. “Plus we’re going to a Villa game sometime right, so he’ll definitely be bringing the firm as well.”
“Splendid. I’ll have to get my tea drinking down won’t I?” I held up my pinkie and tipped my hand back while sticking my neck out. Stop embarrassing yourself.
Despite my own doubts, she quite enjoyed the impersonation. “Is that how you see us? Tea drinking snobs with our English money flowing from wells?”
“Exactly!” I laughed along.
“Americans!” She shook her head in mock disapproval.
“Don’t forget the monocle, Tom!” Rich jumped into the friendly banter. “The blighters wouldn’t be able to see without those!”
“I think you’re thinking of the monopoly man, boys.” Despite her defense, I had found Rich extremely funny and continued laughing.
“No, he’s spot on Jax!” I kept laughing, but her smile faded quickly. Now you went and killed it Tomas. You idiot!
We had been getting shushed from all around for waking people up.
“Are you alright?” I leaned into Jackie’s shoulder.
“Yes of course. I just want to be off this plane. Twelve hours or whatever is too long to sit for me.” She had recovered well, but I can tell I screwed up.
She sat back and closed her eyes. I took the hint and quieted down. Rich saw it as well. He pointed at himself and raised his eyebrow asking, “Was it me?”
I shook my head, and pointed back at my chest. “Always,” I whispered.
Jackie was revealing her scars.
***
Dinner had been going great. Stacey’s half-sister was outside making out with her new boyfriend and we were all watching and having a wonderful laugh at their expense.
Stacey’s brother in law, Lahm, filled in words for them. “Oh kiss me you big lug!”
“Put macaroni in your mouth and then I’ll do it. I like food more than kissing you. OM NOM NOM!” I joined in.
“Well okay, but I better get laid for this.” Lahm said in his girliest voice.
“I’d never touch you with a thirty foot pole! I don’t even want to imagine you naked.” I lowered my voice to a sound like a dumb brute. That’s what the boy was after all.
“Okay you two, I think that’s enough.” Stacey’s mother piped up. “Wait. Tomas go get me a piece of paper.” I hurried into her office and grabbed one off the printer.
“Here you go ma’am.” I said.
She began writing on it. “Now go stick it on the window and get there attention, Tomas. Lahm, go with him. It’ll be funnier with two.”
We hurried across the kitchen to the sliding glass door and stared at the paper. A large 4.3/10 was written on it. Lahm gave the glass a rap with his knuckles. The love birds quickly blushed as they read the sign.
I hadn’t laughed that hard in ages. Lahm started shimmying against the window while I stuck my fists in the air and pelvic thrusted. Not my proudest moment, mind you, but it was worth the laughs from the audience behind us.
After the couple was thoroughly embarrassed we walked back to the table clutching our stomachs.
“Well done!” I high-fived Stacey’s mother.
“Now that was enough.” Lahm said, still wiping tears from his eyes. “I have never seen anyone get that beat-red before. Did you see her Tomas?”
“Looked like Clifford!” Nearly the whole room roared with laughter.
Everyone except Stacey. She wasn’t finding any of it amusing.
“You all need to grow up.” She pushed her chair back and walked up spiral stairs. Her house was amazing, but it still wasn’t good enough for her because her family lived in it.
“I’ll go check on her.” Her mom said.
“Let me ma’am. May I?” I interjected.
“Yes, maybe that’s for the best.”
I hurried upstairs after Stacey. I knocked on her bedroom door. No one answered so I walked in to check if she was just pouting on her bed. She had her shirt raised slightly, showing her stomach. She was standing in front of the mirror staring, before she noticed me.
“Don’t you knock?” She screamed.
“I did but you didn’t say anything so . . .”
“So you just barge into a girl’s room? Is that how your father taught you to treat girls?”
“You had only been up here two seconds. I don’t think anyone could get undressed that fast.” I smiled a little, trying to lighten the mood. I stood in her doorway, awkwardly.
She responded with, “You think you’re so funny, don’t you?” I didn’t respond. “Tomas and Lahm, best pals! Tomas the funny one! How about Tomas couldn’t get a date to the prom? How about Tomas too-nervous-to-talk-to-a-girl-so-he-sits-and-cries-about-it?” I didn’t respond, but the smile surely was gone now. “How about Tomas one parent away from being a damn orphan!” She pushed me out of the doorway and slammed it in my face.
I stood there, stunned. Had she really just said that?
Suddenly, arms were around my shoulders. I didn’t know who it was but they moved me towards the stairs. “I’ll take care of this Tomas.” Grant, Stacey’s father forced me down the stairs. I was still in shock. “Lahm, take Tomas outside okay?” Lahm came around the corner smiling. Seeing my face, he knew something was wrong.
“Sure thing Grant. Come on Tom.” He took my wrist and led me outside. We played basketball while listening to the yelling from inside. Every once in a while, we could make out a sentence or two. Stacey was certainly not winning this one.
“You know what, Lahm, I think I’m gonna head for some ice cream. You want to come?”
“Sounds great. Want to drive? My keys are inside.”
“Yeah, no sweat.” We hopped in my Bonneville and drove to Dairy Queen, surely breaking every speed limit on the way.
As we pulled up to the drive thru microphone, my phone rang. Stacey’s face smiled back at my screen. Somehow the innocence on that face didn’t look recognizable to me.
I ignored it.
“Who was that?” Lahm asked looking out the passenger side window.
“My sister, but I’ll call her back. What do you want? I’m buying.” Lahm tried to protest but I wasn’t having it.
Fifteen minutes later we were in front of the house again, eating gigantic blizzards.
“You know, it’s true what girls say. Ice cream and chocolate heal the soul somehow.” Lahm said through chunks of brownie stuck to his teeth.
“I always knew women were smarter than men.” I said dramatically. I waived my spoon to try and look snobbish.
The mood suddenly shifted. “Tom?”
“Yeah?” I looked over at him. He was staring right back at me.
“Whatever you see in Stacey, I want you to know, you’re better than her.” He paused. “No matter what she appears to be to you, you are on a different level. She is two-faced, bitchy, hurtful, and manipulative. I don’t know what she said to you tonight, but I know it hurt. A lot.” He turned down to his ice cream. I did the same.
I knew he was telling the truth.
We didn’t speak for a few seconds, but we were okay with that.
“She said I was one parent away from being an orphan.” Lahm’s draw dropped a little as he looked up at me. Turning to meet his gaze, I said, “That’s not even the worst one . . . she said I wasn’t funny.”
Lahm cracked a smile as I began to chuckle, still spooning my ice cream. “We both know she’s wrong about that one Tomas.”
I kept smiling, if only on the outside, “I got to get home Lahm. Thanks for everything, man.” He pulled me in and gave me a hug.
“You are a great man Tomas. Never let yourself tell you anything differently.” He let go and climbed out of the car.
Just then, I could make out the front door swinging open, through the lower branches of the maple tree in the front yard. Stacey stood there.
Lahm turned back to me. He put his left hand by his hip, and with one finger told me to “get a move on.” He then walked past Stacey into the house without giving her the time of day. That hurt her, but she had to know that’s what she earned.
As she walked down the steps onto the brick path, we made eye contact. For a second, I sat there wondering whether I should stay and listen to her apology.
She took one more step. I faced forward, and drove home.
Keep it up, and I'd be happy to look at any other chapters too. I wouldn't nitpick so much if I didn't like it. 
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