CHAPTER 16
The morning comes and Michaela puts on her tight jeans and polo t shirt. She is excited for the lesson. However, her heart feels weird remembering Nate’s reaction and that angers her. He has already ruined it for her but she has to persevere. Even if it disappoints Nate, she needs to something for herself. Something useful, something that she really wants to do. Ride a horse not bath one.
She approaches Nana’s for breakfast. Steven is not cooking today. Nate and Cassy sit on the table reading newspapers.
“ No breakfast?” she asks.
“ Why are you so excited for your lesson that you can’t even wait a bit?” Nate replies without glancing at her.
“ You need to stop being rude. It’s just a lesson.”
“ Huh.” He scoffs.
“ I’m bothered by your attitude young lady, not your lesson.”
“ You condescending liar.”
He slams the newspaper on the table.
“ Where in the world is this man.”
He goes outside to look for him.
“ You got him good this time.” Cassy says laughing so open heartedly that it astounds Michaela.
Eyebrows raised she shakes her head.
“ And he thinks that I have an attitude problem. Someone needs to warn him, he is turning into a jerk.”
Steven and Nate enter from the front door with a vast basket in hand.
“ What is that? Did you guys catch fish?” Cassy says seriously.
“ No. Xavier dropped by. These are fresh from the farm fruits.”
“ Which reminds me why haven’t you made the breakfast?”
“ You are so dense in your brain Cassy. I’ve just brought a basket full of fruits. Isn't it too apparent, we all are having fruits for breakfast today.”
Cassy squints her eyes at Steven's insult. She comes over to him and slaps him on the arm.
“Watch your language with me.”
“ Why are you going to make breakfast from now on?”
She picks up an apple and leaves him while mimicking his words.
“ You need to pick one more. That’s not enough for breakfast Case.”
She ignores him and keeps on walking.
“Case. Case. You better come back here. Case.”
By the time he’s done shouting, she is gone.
Nate picks up a banana and an orange and leaves the house.
“ Better make something for breakfast tomorrow.” He shouts.
“ I’m sorry, I wanted to make fruit salad, a bowl each. Xavier dropped them by late. “
He apologizes to Michaela.
“ Hey. Have you seen how much weight I have put on because of you? I’m grateful.” She says holding in her grip, a light fold of her stomach.
“ You ready for your lesson?”
“ Yes sir.”
“ That is quite unnecessary. Why don’t you take Cherry out of the stable? I’ll wash the fruits and join you in a bit.” He says, smiling to her like a baby.
“ Sure. Don’t he late.” She yells, leaving with a banana and kiwi in her hand.
“ I must be looking like a fool.” She whispers to herself.
Steven hops on the horse with Michaela in front of him.
“Okay. Focus.”
With his hand over hers, he instructs her on how to ride Cherry. She is a good girl. And Steven leaves no opportunity to remind her that.
“ You are a good girl Cherry. You are a good girl.”
Nate stands and watches from far. They look like a pair of idiots to him, for whatever may be the reason.
Steven unmounts the horse leaving Michaela to ride alone.
“I am here. Go on.”
But Cherry refuses to move. He clicks his tongue, pats her, caresses her. But nothing works. Nate leaves them alone, smiling to himself. He goes and sits on the stairs leading to the porch.
“What is wrong with her. “
“ I think she’s tired.”
“ She was alright just now. Does she hate me?”
“ You are being delusional. Let’s carry forward tomorrow. “
“ We haven’t even started Steve.”
She gets off the horse and holds her by her reins.
“You selfish little girl. I go through so much trouble to give you a bath. Combing through your tail and mane. And you can't even let me ride you? I deserve better than your hostility. “
She stomps off. By the time she is half the way, she makes a turn and goes back to her. She goes and stands in front of Cherry who is standing still, munching onto the grass with the utmost casualness.
“You little trouble maker.”
She grabs her reins and takes her back inside the stable.
“Can't even freaking hate you, you little...” she yells.
As she stuffs Cherry back into her place , Michaela hears the sound of an engine. Who is it? She wonders.
‘ Must be Gilberto and Xavier.’ She recollects Nana saying that they will be visiting soon.
Since Michaela did not get to thank them for their kindness last time, their presence at Nana’s make her happy. They are at least way better than Cherry who can’t even return any favours.
She hops outside and sees a grey truck make an attempt to park. The driver sees to give them a display of his poor skills, parking is so not his talent.
Right at that moment, Cassy come over to greet the guests. So does Steven and Nana.
The driver’s side of the door opens, and to her surprise it’s not Xavier or Gilberto.
A young looking blonde, with unbelievably big breasts and bright pink lipstick on her lips come out. She stretches out her body, tired from driving Michaela guesses. Her boobs stick out like coconuts. Michaela can see Steven staring towards her as Gilberto and Xavier exit the vehicle.
All of a sudden , the blonde makes a run towards them. Her eyes wide open in surprise and her mouth stretching into a fine smile.
Michaela can see Nana take a step back, as she crashes into Nate.
“ I missed you.” She says.
Michaela is stunned by her guts. She waits for Nate to resist , but instead he hugs her back. The enthusiasm may be lacking but the mere fact that he extends the favour boils Michaela’s blood. This little man child. Is this his way of getting back at her? Fuck it.
It's Nana who breaks their hug. The disappointment oozes oot of the woman's eyes.
“Audrey! We didn't know you were coming as well. What a pleasant surprise.”
Nana pulls Audrey into a hug., while making faces of despise. She quickly cuts off the hug.
“This is Michaela. Nate's wife.” She yells her while literally dragging her towards Michaela.
At first Audrey is taken back, but the expression swiftly changes to that of contempt.
“Nice to meet you.” Michaela says stamping a fake smile on her face.
“ Whatever. “
She shakes Michaela’s hand as if already planning to cut it off.
“ Haven’t heard about you before from anyone.”
Michaela points out. Even though if comes off as a comment, it’s actually true. Never was she aware about the existence of this woman who now was the centre of everybody’s attention.
“ How did you guys get married anyway. I don’t think you even know him enough. So how about you concentrate on that. Anyways in this century marriages hardly last. I hope you both get lucky. Or not.”
She catwalks her way to the house while Xavier and Gilberto stare at Michaela.
‘ Sticks and stones Mickey. Sticks and stone.’ She whispers to herself.
“She brings shame to me.” Gilberto says, disappointed in his daughter.
“She's just feisty Papa. She'll need to learn her lessons.”
Nate steals glances at Michaela from the corner for his eyes. It's her turn to feel the weirdness. Proud of himself he adds, “ She is alright old man. I' m sure she was just taken aback. Anyone would be. I should have told her about it before hand.”
“ Oh! You are no pet Jon. I’m sure she knows that. Just because she has had a crush on you forever does not mean she gets to be a terrible person. Please do not justify her I’ll manners. That girl has a lot to work upon.”
The old man trots his way into Nana’s. Meanwhile, Michaela cannot help but think how similar his walk is to that of Cherry’s.
Audrey sits right at the centre of the table. She beckons Nate to sit at her right. It was very unlikely of Nate to actually respond to her beckoning but for the sake of making Michaela he does.
She grabs his hand into hers and places it on her naked thigh.
“I missed you Jon. It's been so long. Why didn't you come visit me? Didn't you miss me? I have so much to talk to you about. And what in the world were you thinking, getting married like use no deal? But you know what I'm sure she convinced you of trapped you into marrying her. The Jon I know had better taste than dumb brunettes.”
She giggles and Michaela has already imagined slapping the crap out of her face fifty times without stopping. She is too much in her head to notice that Nate is trying to loosen her grip on his hand. Michaela wants to grab his hand free of her hold, but somewhere deep inside she's aware that Nate is hell-bent in making her feel. But jealousy was not what she was feeling right now. It was angst boiling in her tummy.
Cassy comes from the kitchen with three glasses of water on a try. She places the try on the table and comes to stand next to Michaela.
“ What a spoilt brat. Holding hands with a married man, with his wife at the scene. I appreciate her guts though. “
“Who in the world is she? I mean what does she take herself to be. I swear I’m seconds away from marking her cheeks swell with my palm.”
Cassy suppresses her laugh.
“ I’ve dealt with the same feeling for years. The only thing that holds me back is that she’s a child.”
“ Child? She is easily in her mid 20s.”
Cassy raises her eyebrows at Michaela.
“ She looks as if she could be in her mid 20s, but as far as the fact goes she’s exactly twenty years old.”
“ What?” Michaela exclaims, so loudly that even Audrey herself is shocked.
They apologize and rush to the kitchen.
“ How is that even possible. She looks older than me.”
“ You know today’s kids. They would rather look older than their age than younger. It’s a trend nowadays. However, it’s not she who bothers me but Jon. He has never paid heed to her nuisance before. So why now?”
“ I know exactly why.” Michaela says and looks into Cassy’s eyes.
After a minute of deep thought Cassy speaks up.
“ No way.”
“ Yes way.”
“ You think it’s because of Steven giving you those horse riding lessons.”
“ That’s not what I think. That is what it is.”
“ Well now that I think of it. It makes total sense.”
A little laugh escapes her lips.
“ It’s not funny. Steven and I have the mutual understanding. But Audrey? I don’t trust them together. I mean how can I? Her breasts are even bigger than yours.”
“Okay now you're offending me.”
“ I don’t mean to. But it’s true. I hardly have any. It just makes me more insecure and conscious about mine.”
“ Oh! You are being way too dramatic. I know you can hardly stand me. So there’s no need to sugar coat those words.”
Michaela sighs, hanging her head down. Cassy is not wrong. Audrey is probably the only reason they are even in the same room. The only common thing between them is the hatred they share for Audrey. Perhaps, after the fact that they both love Nate.