7.
Sunday evening Mark and James arrived for dinner. Alice had been sitting in the kitchen watching as her Mom cooked up a storm.
"Mom," She said tentatively. "Why the big deal?"
"Big deal? I don't know what you're talking about sweetie." Her Mom replied, but Alice wasn't buying it.
She went into the room where her brother was sitting watching the sports. "Something is up!" She announced dramatically.
"What?" Chad asked, taking his eyes off the game. "What do you mean?"
"Mom. She's having a cooking frenzy out there like this is some kind of important dinner." Alice replied.
"Maybe she wants to impress Mark?" Chad offered.
"They've known each other for awhile now, wouldn't you think they'd be comfortable with each other and not have to impress each other?" Alice demanded.
"Oh I don't know Alice...geez, let me tell you something for nothing: you're becoming really weird!" Chad said, a little sick of his sister's antics.
Alice glared at him and left the room, convinced there was something going on! She went and called Cloe to let her know that she and Chad were going to go to the movies the next night, and get a bite of pizza in town also, and she wanted to know whether she's join them?
"What's your brother like?" Cloe asked.
"A pain in the butt!" Alice replied. "He refuses to listen to me when I tell him there is something strange about Mark, but he is meeting him tonight, so maybe then he might listen to me."
Cloe coughed. "Listen Alice, I know you probably don't want to hear this-"
"-then don't say it!" Alice warned.
"I have to." Cloe replied. "I've been thinking about this all, and it's almost like it's becoming something of an obsession with you. As far as I can see Mark hasn't done anything weird, apart from being a little nervous about his son, which is only natural when the kids a diabetic. I mean he didn't make the prank calls did he?"
Alice sighed. "I know it sounds stupid Cloe, but the very first time I met him I just thought there was something a little strange about him! And it just seems to much of a coincidence about Katy-"
"-Katy was murdered hitchhiking!" Cloe interrupted.
"I thought you said it wasn't likely?" Alice asked.
"We didn't think so at the time, but when we thought about it more logically Katy would willingly get in the car with a stranger if she thought they were nice." Cloe argued.
Alice sighed. "I don't want to fight about this. Let's just say I don't like Mark, but I'm not accusing him of being a psycho or anything!"
"Okay, deal!" Cloe agreed.
After she hung up Alice frowned. Why didn't anyone else think that Mark seemed a little strange? And why didn't anyone else think that his wife leaving, and the babysitter being killed was a coincidence? Or were they all right? Was Alice jumping to conclusions linking them all, simply because she didn't like Mark and thought there was something creepy about him? But then, had he even acted creepy lately, other than the strange reaction to the prank calls? She sighed, and decided that she should just let it go for now. For now, at least!
*****
That night Mark and James arrived for tea, all dressed nicely. Mark handed Alice's Mom a bottle of wine, and James handed her some flowers.
"Oh, isn't that sweet?" Alice's Mom said, hugging the kid. Then she called through the lounge room. "Chad, Mark and James are here! Alice!"
Alice and Chad went into the kitchen, and Alice watched as Chad sized Mark up.
"Mark-this is my son Chad. Chad-Mark." Their Mom said.
Mark smiled-fakely Alice couldn't help herself thinking- and held out a hand. Chad didn't hesitate to shake it.
"I've heard a lot about you." Chad said, glancing at Alice.
"Well I've heard a lot about you too-your Mom's very proud of you with the college scholarship and all." Mark said.
Chad blushed. "Yeah, well, that was more luck than anything!" He said.
"Nonsense!" His Mom said. "You were a shoo-in. Any college who didn't want you playing football for them shouldn't be allowed to teach anyone!"
"This is my son James." Mark said, putting a hand on James' shoulder.
"Hello James." Chad said, holding his hand out to the kid, who hesitated, and then shook it.
"Hi Alice!" James said brightly, suddenly noticing her standing silently to the side. "When are you going to babysit me next?"
"When your Dad asks me to." Alice replied, but she couldn't help but smile at the kid. He had that effect on her!
"Should we sit down? Dinner's ready a little earlier than I expected it would be." Alice's Mom said, a little nervously Alice thought. She and Mark exchanged a look, and then they all trooped into the dining room, except Alice and her Mom who were serving.
"What is it Mom?" Alice asked.
"Tomato soup for entrée, and then for dinner roast chicken with herbs, potatoes, vegetables. And I made a crème brullle for desert." Her Mom replied, and Alice raised an eyebrow.
"Different!" Alice muttered, but she helped her Mom take the soup into the dining room.
During the meal they talked about Chad's football, and college, and other things. Then after desert Alice's Mom and Mark exchanged looks again.
"It's great you're here Chad because we've got something important we want to announce." Alice and Chad's Mom said.
Alice and Chad exchanged their own glances. Alice wished she could say 'See? I told you there was something going on here!'
"Mark and I are getting married."
Alice felt like the bottom had dropped out of her stomach. "You're what?" She managed.
"We're getting married!" Her Mom replied, smiling brightly.
Alice forced a smile. "That's great Mom. I am happy for you." She lied.
Her eyes locked with Mark's, and there was something strange in his eyes, almost as if he were challenging her to say something?
"Congratulations guys!" Chad said, looking impressed.
"What do you think buddy?" Mark asked his son.
"Will Alice be over at our place all the time if you get married?" James asked.
"Sure will." Mark replied.
"Then I like the idea!" James declared, and they all laughed.
*****
Later that night Alice sighed to herself. It had been hard work pretending that she was happy about the upcoming marriage. She was pretty sure that her Mom knew she wasn't exactly over the moon about it all, and she was sure Mark knew as well, but she had acted as though she had no problems with it.
"She can't marry him, she just CAN'T!" Alice muttered to herself. "I know there is something strange about him, I know it, but I don't know what!"
Sunday evening Mark and James arrived for dinner. Alice had been sitting in the kitchen watching as her Mom cooked up a storm.
"Mom," She said tentatively. "Why the big deal?"
"Big deal? I don't know what you're talking about sweetie." Her Mom replied, but Alice wasn't buying it.
She went into the room where her brother was sitting watching the sports. "Something is up!" She announced dramatically.
"What?" Chad asked, taking his eyes off the game. "What do you mean?"
"Mom. She's having a cooking frenzy out there like this is some kind of important dinner." Alice replied.
"Maybe she wants to impress Mark?" Chad offered.
"They've known each other for awhile now, wouldn't you think they'd be comfortable with each other and not have to impress each other?" Alice demanded.
"Oh I don't know Alice...geez, let me tell you something for nothing: you're becoming really weird!" Chad said, a little sick of his sister's antics.
Alice glared at him and left the room, convinced there was something going on! She went and called Cloe to let her know that she and Chad were going to go to the movies the next night, and get a bite of pizza in town also, and she wanted to know whether she's join them?
"What's your brother like?" Cloe asked.
"A pain in the butt!" Alice replied. "He refuses to listen to me when I tell him there is something strange about Mark, but he is meeting him tonight, so maybe then he might listen to me."
Cloe coughed. "Listen Alice, I know you probably don't want to hear this-"
"-then don't say it!" Alice warned.
"I have to." Cloe replied. "I've been thinking about this all, and it's almost like it's becoming something of an obsession with you. As far as I can see Mark hasn't done anything weird, apart from being a little nervous about his son, which is only natural when the kids a diabetic. I mean he didn't make the prank calls did he?"
Alice sighed. "I know it sounds stupid Cloe, but the very first time I met him I just thought there was something a little strange about him! And it just seems to much of a coincidence about Katy-"
"-Katy was murdered hitchhiking!" Cloe interrupted.
"I thought you said it wasn't likely?" Alice asked.
"We didn't think so at the time, but when we thought about it more logically Katy would willingly get in the car with a stranger if she thought they were nice." Cloe argued.
Alice sighed. "I don't want to fight about this. Let's just say I don't like Mark, but I'm not accusing him of being a psycho or anything!"
"Okay, deal!" Cloe agreed.
After she hung up Alice frowned. Why didn't anyone else think that Mark seemed a little strange? And why didn't anyone else think that his wife leaving, and the babysitter being killed was a coincidence? Or were they all right? Was Alice jumping to conclusions linking them all, simply because she didn't like Mark and thought there was something creepy about him? But then, had he even acted creepy lately, other than the strange reaction to the prank calls? She sighed, and decided that she should just let it go for now. For now, at least!
*****
That night Mark and James arrived for tea, all dressed nicely. Mark handed Alice's Mom a bottle of wine, and James handed her some flowers.
"Oh, isn't that sweet?" Alice's Mom said, hugging the kid. Then she called through the lounge room. "Chad, Mark and James are here! Alice!"
Alice and Chad went into the kitchen, and Alice watched as Chad sized Mark up.
"Mark-this is my son Chad. Chad-Mark." Their Mom said.
Mark smiled-fakely Alice couldn't help herself thinking- and held out a hand. Chad didn't hesitate to shake it.
"I've heard a lot about you." Chad said, glancing at Alice.
"Well I've heard a lot about you too-your Mom's very proud of you with the college scholarship and all." Mark said.
Chad blushed. "Yeah, well, that was more luck than anything!" He said.
"Nonsense!" His Mom said. "You were a shoo-in. Any college who didn't want you playing football for them shouldn't be allowed to teach anyone!"
"This is my son James." Mark said, putting a hand on James' shoulder.
"Hello James." Chad said, holding his hand out to the kid, who hesitated, and then shook it.
"Hi Alice!" James said brightly, suddenly noticing her standing silently to the side. "When are you going to babysit me next?"
"When your Dad asks me to." Alice replied, but she couldn't help but smile at the kid. He had that effect on her!
"Should we sit down? Dinner's ready a little earlier than I expected it would be." Alice's Mom said, a little nervously Alice thought. She and Mark exchanged a look, and then they all trooped into the dining room, except Alice and her Mom who were serving.
"What is it Mom?" Alice asked.
"Tomato soup for entrée, and then for dinner roast chicken with herbs, potatoes, vegetables. And I made a crème brullle for desert." Her Mom replied, and Alice raised an eyebrow.
"Different!" Alice muttered, but she helped her Mom take the soup into the dining room.
During the meal they talked about Chad's football, and college, and other things. Then after desert Alice's Mom and Mark exchanged looks again.
"It's great you're here Chad because we've got something important we want to announce." Alice and Chad's Mom said.
Alice and Chad exchanged their own glances. Alice wished she could say 'See? I told you there was something going on here!'
"Mark and I are getting married."
Alice felt like the bottom had dropped out of her stomach. "You're what?" She managed.
"We're getting married!" Her Mom replied, smiling brightly.
Alice forced a smile. "That's great Mom. I am happy for you." She lied.
Her eyes locked with Mark's, and there was something strange in his eyes, almost as if he were challenging her to say something?
"Congratulations guys!" Chad said, looking impressed.
"What do you think buddy?" Mark asked his son.
"Will Alice be over at our place all the time if you get married?" James asked.
"Sure will." Mark replied.
"Then I like the idea!" James declared, and they all laughed.
*****
Later that night Alice sighed to herself. It had been hard work pretending that she was happy about the upcoming marriage. She was pretty sure that her Mom knew she wasn't exactly over the moon about it all, and she was sure Mark knew as well, but she had acted as though she had no problems with it.
"She can't marry him, she just CAN'T!" Alice muttered to herself. "I know there is something strange about him, I know it, but I don't know what!"
