Beyond Denver

Chapter 52

"Surprise," I hear TJ's voice when I open the door. Not a good surprise when I see my parents sitting on the couch.

"Hi, honey, you bought a new couch." Minhoca smiles, and my father though serious, seems to be proud. The apartment is spotless, smelling good as TJ had spent some time cleaning up after his class. He is still limping with his boots, but somehow, he manages to do anything with them: cleaning, dancing, and even have sex with a chick at that party.

My heart races inside my chest. The truth came out. Now they found out I live with TJ.

My mom starts, "I was telling Theodore I got a hotel close by. We decided to spend the weekend here since we couldn't come for Labor Day."

Wait. Theodore?

TJ exchanges a look with me. We were looking forward to meeting your roommate, Taylor, but this gentleman of a brother told me she is at the library studying, and that's what she does all day long. Isn't it a coincidence he came over for a visit the same day we did?

"So, Theodore, are you thinking about transferring here to UW?"

"Oh, yes, this is one of the best schools in the country. I definitely I'm trying. But you know, studying in Atlanta is not bad. Can you imagine how my parents would feel with both my sister and me living far away? I love the fact I can help my parents with their business."

"Oh," my father seems to pick some interest. "What type of business."

"Refrigerator and heating system."

"That's great. Is this why you and your sister are both studying Business Management, I suppose?"

"Yes, that makes sense, doesn't it?" TJ says under his breath. I am quite the whole time. They will wait forever, and his sister will never show up because she lives in Georgia.

"Oh, we always wanted Cassidy to open her business," Minhoca tells him, and TJ now serves her tea. "Thank you. Maybe when she graduates, she can come back to Seattle and open a coffee shop. Maybe coming here wasn't a bad idea. Maybe this is a great start for her. Isn't Seattle the land of where Starbucks was born?"

"Oh yes," affirms TJ. "I had to study about Starbucks in my business class. I also learned about some different coffee shops in Seattle. I know some baristas take more than two years to learn how to make Latte Art and all that. Where Cassidy works, they don't have such a thing, but that doesn't mean she can take her experience with her and move to another fancy shop."

"Oh, if that what it takes, we can embark on this adventure."

"Mom, I don't know if that's what I want," I say.

"Maybe she needs a different business than a coffee shop that will keep her busy seven days a week. A regular business from Monday through Friday. She has four years to figure things out."

"I don't know what I want."

"Honey, everything is better than thinking about things you shouldn't, and we talked about it..."

"Don't start with that right now," My father tells my mom.

"Did you stop writing the stupid letters?"

TJ looks in confusion.

"Stop," I say, and before I have the chance to hide in my room, a soft knock on the door. I hope it is not Scarlet. Not when my parents are here. TJ stops me from getting up from the couch, limping to open the door. His face almost falls when he looks at the person behind the door. Maroney enters the apartment, well dressed and holding a bouquet.

I thought it would make my parents upset. My mother's expression is of surprise when she watches the guy approach and introduces himself politely. My father is more skeptical than my mother when he shakes Maroney's hand.

Yeah. Now I am fucked. 

Thank you for the flowers, as TJ helps me find a vase to place them in the water. Maroney sits on the chair across from them, my parents asking questions. Of course, Maroney never mentions his divorce process, that he dropped school for a year, nor the restraining order on some ex-wife who stalks him. Maroney doesn't say anything my parents need to know. He knows well what to say. Instead, he says, he is finishing Finance school while succeeding in a real state agency selling houses.

Maroney tells about his parents and where they live, what they do for a living, and how his childhood with his brothers was perfect. Maroney knows how to sell himself the same way he knows how to sell the property. Somehow, it makes me feel as I'm one of his properties that he didn't give a shit about, but when he is about to lose it, he runs like a dog to recover it from the market before goes to foreclosure.

My mother is enchanted with his speech. And so does my dad. In fact, my dad is more impressed about Maroney than TJ alone. TJ is no longer the center of attention. Now TJ is Taylor's brother, only a guest just like my parents. He is not important.

I notice the disapproval in TJ's eyes when he sees Maroney entering the apartment without invitation and sitting by my parents as he belongs here. Maroney can be there forever, talking to them about all types of things, but the only thing I'm concerned about is him spitting out that TJ is my roommate.

"We were hoping to meet Taylor tonight. She seems to be a wonderful roommate," My mother tells him. Maroney is not that stupid and seems to understand what is going on. At this point, I can't remember if I told him the truth about TJ and the whole story when he moved to this apartment. I'm not allowed to live with a man as a roommate. This isn't very comfortable, I know, but this is how my parents are.

"Oh," says Maroney. She is amazing. Cassidy couldn't have a better roommate."

"Oh, really? What's so good about her?"

"She is studying all the time," TJ says.

"Yeah, and I heard Cassidy saying something about going to church on Sundays, too."

TJ frowns with his interruption. TJ didn't lie about his sister. Although his sister's name is not Taylor, she is studying, but she doesn't attend church mess on Sundays.

"Oh really?" Minhoca asks. "You know that my daughter, Cassidy, studied in a Christian school for years. I know she hasn't been going to church on Sundays due to her work schedule, but maybe Taylor can motivate her? Find another time?"

"I can motivate her. There is a nice church by my parent's house I can take her."

"Oh really? That would be awesome."

I want to ask my parents when it was the last time they'd been in church. I have nothing against it going to the Sunday mess, but this is something they don't do themselves. Instead, they put that on me. 

"Yeah, that would be my pleasure." Maroney opens his mouth to say.