Chapter 66
By the time they reached the Life Café everyone else was already there. "Where's Joanne?" Cass asked.
"She stayed in Washington." Maureen announced without looking up.
"Oh." Mark said, sitting down. "So how was it?" He asked her.
"Fine." Maureen answered, getting up to go to the bar for another drink. Mark sighed and followed her up.
Roger watched the whole little scene between the two of them play out. Mark what are you doing? He thought. They were going to have to talk. He got so deep in thought on Mark and Maureen he didn't even hear Collins talking to him.
"Earth to Roger? Hello?"
"Oh, sorry Collins. What did you say?"
"I said how did it go? Must have been fairly decent considering you were going for dinner and stayed all weekend."
"Yeah," he smiled, "it was pretty cool."
"Did you see your brother?" Jason asked hesitantly.
"Uh huh. Both of them. Patrick was there Thursday and Mickey came over Saturday with Jack."
"Really?" Collins raised an eyebrow. "And how did that go?"
"Let's just say no one got arrested or hospitalized."
"I'm guessing he wasn't exactly invited over for Thanksgiving dinner?"
Roger looked around. "Where's Cass?"
"Over talking to my sister."
"Oh." He sat up more. "No he wasn't. My mom found out about Cass being pregnant, she told Mickey, and Mickey told him. SOB shows up thinking I don't know what. I don't want anything to do with him, no way in hell I'm letting him anywhere near her."
Collins just nodded. Over the years he and Roger have had many conversations regarding Jack Davis. They may have talked about it more than Roger and Mark. Mark had grown up around Jack. He knew all about him. That mixed with Roger's brooding nature along with Mark's tendency to not push meant they often had non-verbal conversations. At least in regards to Jack. That left the actual conversations to Collins.
"So anything else happen?" Jason asked.
Roger shrugged. "I ran into Mark's little sister Molly."
"What was she doing there? I thought his family went away?"
"They did. She stayed behind to work."
"Work? I thought she was like twelve?"
Roger grinned, mainly because that was exactly what he had been thinking as well when he saw her. "Dude, try 18 and a senior in high school. Face it, somewhere along the way we got old."
"Apparently." Collins laughed.
"Hey, speak for yourself!" Jason joked as he got up to go talk to Jen and Cass.
They sat there, in silence for a minute or two before Joellen came by. "Hey guys, how was your holiday?"
"Very nice. How about you Joellen?"
"Alright. You guys want to order or are you just drinking?"
"I'm not sure, let me check with Jason." Collins got up and walked away.
"How about you Roger?"
"Huh? Oh, no I'm not hungry."
"Okay. Holler if you want more beer."
"Yeah. Hey Joellen?"
"Yes?"
"What's going on between you and Mark?"
"Nothing." She shrugged.
"I can see that. I meant why? What happened?"
"Nothing really." She sat down. "It's just, oh never mind, it's stupid." She started to get up but he grabbed her arm.
"What?"
"Okay, look, I know he's got this overprotective big brother thing for Cass. I mean I know about them, he told me and I'm fine with that. It was a long time ago, and well, she's been through hell and they're friends."
"So what's the problem."
"We weren't even really dating. Just hanging out. You know, friends with benefits."
"So?"
"So, even at that level, I wasn't up for the incredible competition."
"What are you talking about?"
"Fine." She looked at the bar. "I can't compete with that." She gestured her head towards a laughing Mark and Maureen.
"What's to compete with? She's a lesbian. They're just friends." I hope.
"Lesbian. Right." She said sarcastically. "Fine you really want to know? I can't compete with you either."
"Me?"
"Yes you. If you asked him to shave his head right now he'd do it. No questions asked."
"I'm his best friend." Roger was getting defensive.
"Right. Best friend. And she's a full time lesbian." She nodded towards Maureen again. "Look, forget it. Holler if you want food." She got up and walked towards the kitchen.
Roger just sat there, stunned and confused. What the hell was her problem? What was she talking about? He wanted Mark to be happy, he just wasn't sure he was okay with happiness coming form Maureen.
Granted he hated the way she treated him when they were dating. Even after they broke up. Treated him like some little lap dog or something. Mark keeps telling him how she's different. How she's changed. Why was he fighting believing that? Maybe she was different. Maybe she did change. Maybe… Why do you care so much?
Just then Cass came over. "You okay Babe?"
"Uh huh. I was just thinking." He pulled her onto his lap and started playing with her hair. He suddenly realized she had straight hair. Long straight hair. Mimi and April had both had curly hair. Tons of curls that your fingers got lost in. He suddenly felt very guilty for thinking that and comparing Cass to either of them.
"Well don't hurt yourself." She joked, kissing him on the forehead. "Uh! I need food, I'm starving all of a sudden."
"Shocking." Mark grinned, sitting down.
"I'm allowed to eat, I'm pregnant." She told him, reaching for the nachos he brought from the bar.
"Hey don't you go to the doctor soon and find out what it is?" Jen asked.
"In December." Cass said grabbing more nachos.
"I guess we need to order more of those." Mark told Maureen, referring to the plate of nachos they had been sharing.
"That when you get a sonogram?"
"Uh huh."
"That's the black and white funny shaped pictures right?" Jason asked, pouring himself a beer.
"Yes, oh scientific brother of mine." Jen laughed.
"Hey what do I know. But we get to find out what it is then? That will be cool."
"You only find out what it is if it's facing the right way." Jen explained
"Yep. I bet we don't find out then anyway." Maureen told them, drinking her beer and looking at Roger.
"Why?" Collins asked, amused by the whole conversation.
"First of all, it'll probably be camera shy." She explained. They all looked at her as she sipped her beer. "Well all it ever hears is 'Mark get that camera out of my face'."
Everyone but Roger, who wasn't paying attention laughed. Maureen, enjoying being the current center of attention, continued. "And like Jen said, it has to be facing the right way." Maureen shrugged. "Not sitting there sulking, back to everybody being stubborn and giving of attitude."
"Mo behave." Mark laughed, as did just about everyone else but Roger. Luckily he was probably the only one that didn't realize Maureen was referring to him, however he also wasn't really listening by then.
They ordered food and sat around talking. Around the time Joellen brought it out the conversation had moved back to Mark's sister. "So you guys snuck her into a bar?" Jen asked.
"Well there wasn't a whole lot of sneaking needed. She just walked in with all of us."
"God Mark, I can't believe she's that old." Collins laughed.
"Yeah tell me about it."
Cass laughed. "Mark show them the picture you've been caring around of her." He pulled it out of his wallet. "Oh she was mad when she found out he still thought of her as a seventh grader with braces, braids and ugly glasses."
"Yeah she looks a little different now." He grinned.
"She's got big plans too. Going to graduate June of next year, and head off right away to summer session at NYU." Cass let out a small laugh.
"Sounds familiar." Collins smiled.
"Yeah, I'm gonna hear shit if she tries to do that." Mark sighed.
"Oh but the best was when their mom called on Molly's cell phone looking for her last night while we were at the bar. Right Roger?"
"Huh? Oh yeah."
"Glad that once again my life can prove amusing to you two."
"So their mom calls, wanting to know where she is and she starts, 'But Mommy, but Mommy'. Finally to save her own butt, she yells out 'But Mommy I'm with Mark'!" Both she and Roger laughed at that.
"That's right she didn't know you were going to Scarsdale did she?" Jen asked.
"No, she didn't." Mark said dryly as he poured more beers.
"Yeah, the look on his face was pretty good. Like a lamb about to be sent in for sacrifice." Roger commented
"So Molly throws the phone at him, gives him this pathetic, pleading look, he gives and gets stuck talking to his mom."
"So not only did I hear crap about coming home after telling her I wasn't, but also for having Molly out a very loud restaurant at midnight."
"Very loud restaurant?" Jen asked.
"What? I'm gonna tell psycho mother I took her baby to a bar? With the Davis brothers? Are you nuts?"
"Hey!" Roger yelled at him as they all laughed.
"Oh my God! You know what I just realized?" Jen exclaimed, bouncing up and down in her seat.
"What?" Jason mocked her bouncing up and down.
She stuck her tongue out at him and continued. "Christmas is exactly one month from today!"
"Oh wow, you're right!" Maureen said. "Time to start shopping!"
"Yeah? Whatcha getting me for Christmas Mo?" Mark teased.
"Oh please!" She rolled her eyes at him. "Last year you gave me a hug for Christmas Mark."
"You're kidding?" Cass laughed.
"Oh it gets better!" Jen laughed. "Because Roger yells from across the room how that was from him too."
Cass shook her head and laughed. "You two are pathetic. Cute and adorable, but completely pathetic."
"So who's up for Christmas shopping?" Jen asked as all four guys groaned.
"Suck it up you two," Cass told Mark and Roger, "we need to do some big time shopping this week."
"For what?" Roger groaned.
"Stove, refrigerator, dishwasher…"
"Dishwasher? We're getting a dishwasher?" Mark asked, obviously excited.
"Yes Mark." Cass said, sipping Roger's beer.
"You mean a real dishwasher? Like put dishes in and they come out clean? No more of Roger's dishes piled up in the sink? And on the counter? And on the stove?"
"Well we still have to train him to actually put them into the dishwasher, but theoretically, yes just like that." Cass teased.
"Ha ha." He grinned at her. "Forget the dishwasher, what we need is a washer and dryer. This going to the laundromat sucks."
Mark just stared at him for a second before looking at the group of friends who knew what he was thinking. "Tell me Roger Davis did not just say that." Everyone but Roger laughed.
"What's so funny?" He demanded.
"Only that, in all the years I've known you, you never go to the laundromat. I honestly believe you think the laundry fairy just magically produced clean clothes for you."
"I do laundry."
"Well, you go with me." Cass grinned. "But I do the laundry."
"I can't remember the last time you took our laundry to the laundromat by yourself." Mark laughed. "I mean is there anyone at this table who hasn't done your laundry?" Everyone shook their head to "I've done it." And "me too."
"You're crazy Mark."
"Uh huh. You convinced everyone over the years. It truly is a talent I have to say." Mark started sipping his beer. "I mean me and Cass is one thing. But to be able to convince Maureen, Collins, Jason and Jen too?"
"Don't forget Joanne. She stopped by and picked it up once on her way."
"Right. Oh and Benny's done you're laundry and Alison. But that was more she was doing Benny's and you threw yours in."
"I forgot about that." Collins laughed.
"Oh and he's even taken it to the bar for Krystal to do."
"I've taken it to the bar for Tina, the waitress to do." Roger grinned.
"Oh you are pathetic Roger!" Cass teased, shifting off his lap.
"No I'm not. Just talented." He gave her a cheesy grin.
"You must have been something. He knew April two days and he had her doing both our laundry."
"Oh and don't forget Mimi." Maureen laughed. "They'd argue and she'd end up at the laundromat, cursing in Spanish."
"Really?" Cass gave a small laugh.
Roger just shrugged. "It made her feel better sometimes. I don't know."
Cass could tell the conversation had hit a point for him and wanted to move on. "So anyway, we need to go buy appliances this week. And considering we should be able to move back upstairs in like two weeks, we'll be back upstairs for Christmas!" She said obviously excited.
"I can't wait to see the place when it's done. It's going to be strange." Collins shook his head.
"Well it won't be done, but it'll be livable. We'll still have to paint and finish the kitchen and the two new bathrooms."
"He's right though," Mark agreed, "it is going to be strange."
"Yes but we can have Christmas there! We'll get a tree and decorations and all sorts of stuff!" Cass bubbled.
They all went on talking about Christmas. Who was going to do what. Actually getting a tree. Mark tried to convince Cass to get them a Playstation. Cass told them no. They kept laughing and talking about trees and presents and Christmas dinner and shopping and things like that.
Roger hadn't really thought too much about Christmas. Christmas reminded him of Mimi. But it seemed to make Cass so happy at the same time. He wanted to make her happy. If that meant pushing all that out of his mind, he would for Cass. Mimi would have understood. She would have wanted them all to have a good Christmas.