Chapter 13: Perfect Match
*****Friday******
Parker hung up phone with a sigh. Mac came out of her room and joined her in the living room. "What's up?" she asked.
"That was Piz. He was supposed to come see me this weekend, but he can't. He's got to work all weekend. There's a new DJ that he's got to work with. They're feeling him out as like part of a morning show," Parker said.
"Well, that's great for him!" Mac said, pleased.
"Yes, I know. It's wonderful. He thought he'd be stuck on late night for at least two years until he proves himself. This is exactly what he wants. He'll be able to easily find time for classes in the afternoon without being utterly exhausted," Parker said.
"Sounds perfect," Mac said. "Tell him I said congratulations."
"It just means that he'll be busy on weekends for the next month or so," Parker said, grimacing. "He's not going to be able to come down."
"Then you'll have to go to him," Mac said.
"Yeah, I'm going to next weekend," she said. "How's Dick?"
"He's doing okay. He's frustrated having to stay home and do so little," Mac said. "Plus his mom's home."
"How's that going?" Parker asked.
"About as well as you would expect," Mac said with a shrug. "The woman's not been a mother to him in years and now thinks her presence is needed. She's dissatisfied with her life and hopes to use Dick's illness as a way to worm her way back into his life."
"I take it her plan is going to fail?" Parker said, smiling.
"Utterly," Mac said with a smirk. "I told Dick to try to keep calm until his check-up Monday. We'll find out how he's responding to his new heart medicine."
"That's good," she said.
"So what's your plans for tonight?" Mac asked. Daisy came downstairs, interrupting them. "Hey, Daisy. I was just asking Parker what she was up to tonight. Do you have plans?"
Daisy saw down on the sofa and grimaced. "Not really. My social life is sadly lacking it seems. Not a good way to start a new year," she said.
"Well, your social life wouldn't be lacking if you'd just put Jason out of his misery," Mac said pointedly.
"Yeah, well, I'm not ready for that," she said with a sad sigh.
"Piz had to cancel. I'm at loose ends, too. Do you want to grab dinner and a movie maybe?" Parker asked.
Daisy brightened at the suggestion. "Sure! We can see Taken! I like a good violent movie!" she said grinning.
"You don't want to watch Not Easily Broken? That sounds good," Parker said.
"Sounds like a date movie, and I don't want to get depressed," Daisy pointed out.
"True. I'll make Piz take me to see it next weekend when I go see him," she said.
"Well, I'm off to go see Dick," Mac said. "See you girls later!"
Her friends said goodbye as she headed to her car. Mac didn't like being away from Dick much since his heart attack. Betina being at Dick's so much, though, made it really uncomfortable. It wasn't that the woman was rude to her. It was more like it bugged Mac how little Betina knew the man Dick was now. It was hard for Mac to remain silent sometimes when she reminisced about Dick's antics as a younger teen.
When she made it to his house, she grimaced as she saw the car rental Betina was driving. Mac was going to have to deal with her.
She let herself into the house. She could hear Dick arguing with his mom.
"No, I'm not getting rid of my roommates. Nor will I move back into the frat house. I told you, Mom, that Dad asked me to move back. An empty house loses value," Dick said in annoyance. "And, no, I'm not too young to be so serious! Mac's the best thing that's ever happened to me!"
"I just think that being so serious has to be adding to your stress. The doctor said you need less stress," his mother reminded him.
"Having a girlfriend I love doesn't add to my stress! Having you here does!" Dick exclaimed in irritation.
"I haven't been here, Dick, so I'm not sure how I'm responsible for your current condition," his mother said dismissively.
Dick snorted. "Yeah, and absence has not made my heart fonder!" he said snidely.
"You dad's bad genes are responsible!" Betina replied.
Mac decided it was time to interrupt. "Hey," she said as she stepped into the room.
"I see no one has manners anymore. Or did I miss the doorbell?" Betina said crossly.
Mac took her words in stride, walking to Dick. She dropped a kiss on his lips and moved to sit next to him. He looked overjoyed and relieved to see her. "Actually, I learned early on to not bother ringing the doorbell with Dick. At the beach house, I'd ring and ring, and they'd ignore me. I'd think they weren't home. I finally just learned to walk in," Mac said with an easy smile. She gave Dick a fond look. "Your son can be very lazy when it comes to some things."
"Tell me about it!" Betina said knowingly. "His father is the same way. His brother was the only one that had some drive."
"Don't start with Cassidy, Mom. I can't deal with it," Dick said crossly. "You know that Mac was hurt by him, too. She cared for him, and he hurt and humiliated her. She doesn't like talking about him either."
Betina gave Mac a surprised, curious look. "Really? I didn't know she knew him," she said.
The subject of her dating Cassidy hadn't come up. It was awkward and weird, so Mac wasn't sure bringing it up was a good idea. She should've known Dick would not be able to refrain.
"Yes, we were friends. I thought we were really close," Mac said sadly. "I had no idea he was hurting so much." She decided to not mention they were dating. She gave Dick a warning look. There was no point in making things even more awkward.
"I'm not sure he let anyone really get close," Betina said, her eyes tortured. "You know he wanted to come stay with me when your dad bailed. I can't help but think I should've let him. But I didn't think he'd like living overseas. It's so different from here. He and Dick had never been a part for long. I didn't think that going to another country would be good for him."
"You didn't want the bother, Mom. We both know it," Dick said sourly.
"I doubt it would've matter. Cassidy was brilliant. I'm not sure miles would've stopped him from seeking to punish those that had hurt him," Mac said.
"Not to mention, he'd already killed a bunch of our classmates who'd done nothing to him. He's the reason Lily has no mother," Dick said harshly. That wasn't something they ever discussed. But how could Dick not think that sometimes when he was playing with her? Sometimes when she talked about Meg, Dick wanted to cry for her. It was wrong, and it never should've happened.
When Betina looked confused, Mac explained, "Duncan Kane dated Meg Manning in high school. She was pregnant when the bus crashed. She stayed in a coma mostly throughout the second part of the pregnancy. She lived to deliver the baby, but she died of a blood clot soon after. Duncan named his daughter after his sister Lilly."
Betina nodded. "I don't think I knew that," she said sadly.
"Well, you'd know more if you visited or even called," Dick said bluntly. "Lily's practically my niece. Since my only biological brother is dead, my nieces and nephews will have to come from my friends. Now I have Richie, too. He was named after me!"
"Really? Trina named her son after you? That's such an honor," Betina did, surprising them both.
Dick looked surprised and gave her a suspicious look. "Why are you being nice?" he asked.
"Dick!" Betina said in annoyance. "Why must you insist on acting like an abused kid?"
"Are you ready to get out of the house?" Mac suggested, hoping to diffuse the situation. "I think it would be good for you to go out for a few hours."
Dick's entire being lit up. "Really? I'm so sick of being here, so yes, yes, yes!" he exclaimed, getting up. He held out his hand to her. "Let's go!"
"Don't overdo it, honey," Betina said.
"Don't worry. I'll take good care of him," Mac assured Dick's mom as she got to her feet and let him slip on his sandals and lead her out the door.
When the front door closed, he sighed in relief. He turned and kissed her. "I love you, Mackie!" he said.
She smiled. "I know," she said. "How about we pick up something to go, and we go sit at the beach and watch the sun set?"
"I thought fast food was banned?" Dick said with a grin.
"I think you can handle a turkey sub from Subway," Mac said, smiling. She didn't want to get carried away with the diet. Then he might be tempted to cheat when she wasn't around.
"Can I get potato chips?" he asked hopefully.
"Probably not. But you can have a cookie," she said, flashing her dimple at him.
"I'll take it!" he said happily. She drove while he enjoyed looking out the window. He's not been anywhere since he'd got back from the hospital. Soon they had their food and some drinks. She took them to the beach that he once tried to kiss her at freshman year—the place they'd actually had their first real kiss at.
They got there before sunset. Dick sat down in the sand with a happy sigh. He kicked off his sandals and dug his toes into the sand. "I can't remember the last time I've spent so many days away from the water," he said glumly.
Mac leaned against him, and he put his arm around her. "I know this isn't easy, Dick. But remember when Logan got shot? He had to stay out of the water for a few months. But he worked up to it," she said.
"Yeah, but he can go surfing now on his own," Dick pointed out. "I may never."
"Sure, you will. You'll just have to learn to pay attention to your body and not go as long as you normally would," Mac said confidently.
"You think so?" he asked hopefully.
She nodded. "I do. Maybe you can work on teaching me to be your surfing buddy," she said. "I can start swimming in your pool and get in better shape. Then I can spend time on the water with you."
"Really? You'd do that?" Dick asked in surprise. Mac was not overly athletic. The fact that she was offering to do this for him meant a lot.
"Don't you know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you? I know how much surfing means to you. I normally am content to sit on the beach, but I can adapt if you have to," she assured him. "I don't have to actually stand on the board. I can paddle out!"
Sometimes Dick didn't know the words to express how much she blew him away. No one had ever loved him and took care of him like she did. Not his parents, not anyone. He pulled her close and kissed her. Her arms went around his neck, and she returned the kiss eagerly. They'd had very little alone time since his heart attack. Abstaining wasn't normal for Dick, so he was kissing her like they'd been separated for a year instead of the week it'd been since they'd had sex. For a few minutes, Mac let herself forget about his health as she returned his kiss. Finally, he broke off for air and began trailing kisses down her throat, sucking hard like he knew she liked.
"Ah, God, Dick!" she moaned, breathless. His hands wasted no time slipping under her shirt and squeezing her small breasts.
However, when his mouth moved down and kissed the slope of her breast, she pushed him back. "We need to stop, Dick," she said, panting.
"Why?" he asked. "You're so perfect, and I love you. I want to make love to you!"
She grinned. "I love you, too, hot lips, but we can't until Monday," she said. "Then I'll let you have your wicked way with me!"
"Promise?" he asked.
"I promise," she vowed.
"You're going to get laid so hard!" he promised.
She laughed and snuggled against him. "We should eat our sandwiches and watch the sun set," she suggested.
"Naked?" he asked hopefully.
"You can pretend we are," she compromised.
He leered down at her. "I'll take what I can get," he said, dropping a kiss down on the top of her head.
It was going to be a very long weekend.
*****Babylon Gardens*****
Duncan made plans to meet Wallace and Thea at Babylon Gardens. He wasn't sure about a blind date, but he figured doubling was the best way to go. He hadn't been at the Gardens since he dated Meg. As he went in, he looked around. Not too much had changed. Wallace spotted him and waved. He was sitting next to Thea. A girl with shoulder length blonde hair and blue tips smiled at him as he approached. His mother was going to die. Duncan grinned just thinking about him introducing her to a girl with blue tips. Lily would love it and want her own tips.
"Hi," Duncan said to the table. His gaze lingered on the girl he knew was his date. She smiled warmly at him. She was very cute. Now that he was closer, he could see that she had an athletic build. She looked vaguely familiar.
"Duncan Kane, meet Kayla Bryson. Kayla this is my friend Duncan," Wallace introduced.
"It's good to meet you," Duncan said as he sat down next to her.
"You, too," she said. "My sisters threatened to boycott my next game if I didn't get a social life."
Duncan laughed. "Really? What game do you play?"
"Kayla is on the girls' soccer team," Thea said, smiling. "I thought introducing you to someone that had something in common would be a good idea."
"I thought you looked familiar!" Duncan said, glad to figure it out. "How long have you been playing?"
"Since I was four," she said with a rueful smile. "My dad is a P. E. teacher, and he had me playing. He coached my first two teams."
"Kayla's here on a soccer scholarship," Thea shared.
"Really? That's great. I'm not as committed," Duncan admitted. "But it's great to be playing again. I played in high school."
The server came and took their drink orders. They were silent a minute while they examined the menu.
"Where are you from?" Duncan asked after their orders were place.
"Not far. Lakeside. It's about a forty-minute drive from here," she shared.
"One of the guys from my basketball team is from there," Wallace said.
"Yeah, we're pretty serious about our sports," Kayla said, smiling.
They chatted, learning more about each other. Duncan found out she was in her second year and was following in her dad's footsteps by majoring in physical education. When he mentioned he had a daughter, she didn't seem upset. He took that as a good sign. It was nice to enjoy the company of a woman that didn't have any expectations and was completely available. For a blind date, this one wasn't so bad.
Not long after they received their first course, Parker and Daisy came in for dinner.
"This place is great," Parker assured her. "Logan took me here once when we dated."
"I still think that experience must be a fantasy of yours," Daisy said. "I cannot imagine you with Logan in any way."
Parker laughed, unoffended. "Yeah. He and Veronica are such a team that it's hard to picture him with anyone else," she said. "But he does tend to favor blondes."
"So I've heard," Daisy said dryly. They were waiting for a table, so she looked around. "Hey, over there's Wallace, Thea, and Duncan." She pointed. "I don't know who the girl sitting next to Duncan, though."
Parker looked. "Me either,' she said. The hostess led them to a table. She led them by their friends. They paused to say hi.
"Hey, guys," Daisy said, smiling.
"Hi, Daisy," Wallace said. "What are you two up to?"
"Grabbing dinner before going to a movie," Daisy said. "How about you?"
"Dinner. No movie," Wallace said.
"I wanted Duncan to meet my sorority sister," Thea said easily. "Daisy, Parker, this is Kayla. Kayla, this is two more of our friends."
Parker glanced in surprise as it occurred to her that Duncan was on a date. She smiled, though. "Hi. It's nice to meet you," she said. She grabbed Daisy's arm. "We'll leave you to your dinner. See you guys later."
Daisy smiled brightly and waved as Parker all but dragged her away. The table they were led to wasn't nearby, but it provided a line of sight. Parker was unable to resist sitting in the seat that faced Duncan at an angle.
"What a coincidence!" Daisy exclaimed. "Imagine, your almost boyfriend, Duncan, here with another woman! What are the odds!"
"If I hadn't chosen the restaurant, I would think you planned this!" Parker said.
Daisy laughed. "Nope. Just one of those fun things! You didn't want Duncan, so the poor guy is tired of being miserable and is finally on a date with someone else!" she said. She eyed Parker carefully. Although she knew Parker was with Piz, she remained unconvinced her feelings for Duncan were gone. The way Parker was eying the table with Duncan helped feed her belief.
"Good for him," Parker said. She told the server what she wanted to drink.
After Daisy gave her drink order, she smirked. "You can't tell me it doesn't bother you at all to see him smiling at another woman. To date another woman," Daisy said knowingly. She turned her head and looked at Duncan, who was doing exactly that.
Parker grimaced. "Fine. Okay. It bothers me a little. But that's natural," she said. "It'd bother you if that was Jason over there smiling and flirting with another woman, wouldn't it?"
Daisy's eyes flashed a moment at the thought. Parker laughed. "See!" she exclaimed smugly.
"The difference between us is Jason wouldn't be dating someone else," Daisy said haughtily. "He loves me and is waiting for me."
"Why are you putting him through that?" Parker asked. "If there's no one else, why would you walk away from an amazing guy who is your perfect match? He is your perfect match, right?"
Her question struck Daisy. Was Jason her perfect match? Did she want him to be? Luckily, she was saved by answering with the arrival of their salads.
Both women were unusually quiet as they ate dinner. Parker was trying to convince herself that it didn't bother her that Duncan was moving on. Daisy was trying to recall why she was keeping herself away from Jason. They ate their dinner and left to go to the movies. Parker had watched Duncan walk away with the blue-haired girl. The woman looked very different from Parker.
Parker drove them to the movie theatre. Daisy bought their tickets. They had ten minutes until the movie started. Since they'd both just eaten, they weren't really interested in buying snacks. They made it to their theatre. It was half full, but there were a lot of empty seats. They sat in the middle close to the back. The row they selected was empty.
About five minutes before the movie started someone sat next to Daisy. She was playing a game on her phone and didn't glance up.
Jason couldn't believe it when he spotted Daisy and Parker in the new Liam Neeson movie. Joseph was with him.
"Isn't that your woman?" Joseph said, pointing her out.
"Some days," Jason said dryly. "Not lately."
Joseph grinned. "She giving you the cold shoulder? Do you want me to talk you up?" he asked.
"Not in a million years," Jason said. "Don't say a word. With Daisy, you have to tread very lightly."
Jason led them to her row. She was distracted and didn't look up. Parker saw her and started to speak. Jason put his finger to lips, smiling. Parker grinned and said nothing. The movie started. Jason tried to watch the movie—it was action packed. However, his eyes kept drifting to the woman next to him. It amused him that she had picked this movie to go to. He hadn't realized that she liked violent movies. It seems they still had things to learn about one another.
When the credits rolled and the lights came on, Daisy turned to Parker. "That was great!" she said enthusiastically.
"You think so?" Parker said, grinning. "It must've been since it kept you from noticing who was sitting next to you."
Daisy turned and spotted Jason. "Oh my God! You were sitting there the entire time?" she asked in surprise.
Jason grinned. "Yes. You were so focused that I didn't want to disturb you," he said.
"Hi," Joseph said.
"What is he doing here?" Daisy asked, glancing at him.
"Visiting," Jason said with a shrug.
"Who's the gorgeous blonde you're with?" Joseph asked Daisy.
"This is Parker, my roommate," Daisy said. "Parker, this is Joseph."
"Yeah, I know who he is," Parker said with a frown. "The guy who broke Jazmin's heart in high school."
Joseph sighed and gave a forlorn look. "Is that all I'll ever be?" he asked.
"Parker used to live with Jazzie," Jason explained.
Parker stood up. "I'm going to go to the bathroom," she said. "I'll meet you by the door."
"I'll go with you," Joseph said, never missing an opportunity to flirt.
"So how are you?" Jason asked Daisy.
"Fine. How about you?" she asked, feeling nervous. Parker's question kept going through her head. Was he her perfect match?
"I'm okay. I'd be better if I was spending Friday night with you instead of Joseph," he said dryly. He got to his feet. "We should leave so they can clean." He glanced at the workers who were waiting. She followed him out. They walked to the front entrance.
"Jason, do you think I'm your perfect match?" she asked him, the question surprising them both. The desire to know what he felt was burning inside her. She had to know.
Jason was surprised by the question. He stepped close to her and took her hand. "Yes, I do," he said solemnly. "I don't think there's another woman on this planet that would ever be better for me than you."
Daisy gazed at him in silence, trying to discern if he meant it. When she saw nothing but truth and love in his eyes, she smiled. Something inside her unclenched. A weight lifted off her. She stepped forward and put her arms around his neck. "I don't think there is either," she said honestly.
Jason was dumbfounded by her sudden movement and words. "Seriously? You are ready to forgive me?" he asked.
She nodded. "I forgave you weeks ago. I was just afraid," she admitted. "But I think you might be my perfect match, too."
Jason closed his eyes a moment, relief coursing through him. He didn't think she'd ever forgive him.
"I love you," he told her. Then he kissed her.
Parker and Joseph came up to find them kissing passionately. Joseph grinned. Parker was happy for her friends and smiled at them.
"Guys, you might want to take this some place less public," Joseph said after a few minutes when they showed no signs of stopping.
Jason pulled back, smiling in adoration at Daisy. He glanced at Parker. "Can you give Joseph a ride back to my place?" he asked. He took his house key off the key chain. "Don't bother Jazmin," he warned.
"Sure," Parker said, grinning. She winked at Daisy and led Joseph way.
"Where are we going?" Daisy asked.
"I think we should check into the Neptune Grande. I think we need a few days to get reacquainted, don't you?" he asked with a grin.
Daisy laughed. "We don't have any clothes," she pointed out.
"We won't need any," he said with a wolfish grin. He took her hand and walked her to his car.
When they got in, he looked at her a moment, still having trouble believing she was really there. "Why now? What's different?" he asked.
"I love you," she said quietly. In the end, she had decided that wasn't going to change. She was only punishing them both by keeping them a part.
He grinned happily and started the car. "I'm never going to let you go, you know," he informed her.
"Yeah, I know," she said, returning his smile. And she was okay with that.
*****Chapter End*****
Like Daisy, I was writing this chapter, and it suddenly felt like it was time. Sorry, if you wanted Jason to suffer longer! Thanks for reading and reviewing!