Later that evening, James arrived home from going out with Kevin and Lalie that evening and sat down in the living room. Moments later, Vivian soon joined him.
"Have a nice time?" Vivian asked.
"It was just coffee," James shortly answered as he grabbed the TV Guide.
"You don't have to go on that trip if you don't want to," Vivian once again told him.
"Mom, I said I wanted to go and I am," James firmly told her.
"You just don't know the people that you're going with," Vivian tried to reason. "Of course you know Kevin, but do you really know Lalie and that Marcia person?"
"No about Marcia," James answered and then added, "But I know Lalie better than you think."
This caught Vivian's attention. "What do you mean? You've only been back in town a week before that wedding, and then you left again and just came back. How do you know Lalie so well?"
"Does it matter how?" James asked in a serious tone as he looked up. "Why can't we just leave it at that?"
"I just don't understand how you know Lalie so well," Vivian told him in a reply.
"We went on a date a couple of nights before the wedding that never took place," James truthfully told his questioning mother.
Vivian's eyes couldn't be wider. "How is that possible?"
"I went to see Kevin one day at his office and I forgot my thermos when I left. I went back to his office later and Lalie was crying in his office. We talked for a little while and then I asked her to go on a date with me that night and she accepted," James explained the whole story. "We figured things wouldn't work out after we went out together and called off the possibility of a relationship."
Vivian was blown away and didn't respond right away. Lalie went on a date after she proclaimed her love? Vivian excused herself and went upstairs. She knew she had to go talk to Kevin the next day.
It was Saturday morning and Lalie arrived at Kevin's apartment to leave for St. Paul later that day. Marcia soon joined as they sat down in the living room and waited for James.
"He is coming, isn't he?" Marcia nervously asked as she waited for James to knock on the door.
"He's coming and we'll be on our way," Lalie assured her as she walked into the living room area with a cup of coffee.
"I wouldn't want to make this trip for nothing," Marcia told herself as she looked down at her two duffel bags.
"Kevin, I can't wait to try out the Jacuzzi in the Saint Paul hotel," Lalie smiled as she sipped her coffee.
"Don't forget, this is supposed to be a business trip too," Kevin reminded her.
"I know," Lalie sighed and she began to smile again. "But, can't you picture us just walking outside by that fountain with the water and the flowers and the warm, June air gently touching our faces?"
"It will be a Kodak moment," Marcia added as Kevin nodded. "Remind me to send out a postcard when I get there."
"You know I'll be making a stop in one of those cute gift shops on Grand Avenue, you will definitely come with me, Marcia!" Lalie enthusiastically grinned.
"Sounds like a plan!" Marcia exclaimed. "Maybe I can buy a tee shirt for-" Marcia got interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.
Kevin got up to answer it and saw James and his mother standing there.
"I needed an escort," James sarcastically said, referring to his mother as he walked into the living room.
"I didn't see you again last night," Vivian started to tell Kevin. "I just wanted to wish you well on that trip. Mind if I come in?" she asked as she glared at Lalie sitting in the living room.
Kevin stepped to the side as Vivian entered and made herself comfortable on the couch next to Marcia.
"Vivian, we'll be leaving soon now that James is here," Lalie informed Vivian, who was clearly making herself comfortable.
"Go right ahead," Vivian nonchalantly answered. "I'm not holding anyone up."
Lalie looked at Kevin with a confused statement on her face. What was Vivian doing?
"So," Vivian turned her head to look at Marcia. "Marcia, is it? Are you seeing anyone?"
"No," Marcia truthfully answered, as she looked around, confused. "I'm not. Why?"
"It's just that James is single," Vivian replied as she looked at James. "He and Lalie went out… when was it, James? A couple of nights before Kevin almost got married?"
"Mom!" James yelled out, as Lalie looked shocked.
"What do you mean James and Lalie went out?" Kevin asked his mother in a demanding tone.
"Oh," Vivian stopped short. "I thought you knew!"
"Vivian, what are you trying to do?" Lalie stood up in a very angry fashion.
"You went out with James?" Marcia couldn't believe it.
"Look," Lalie started to explain as she turned to Kevin. "I thought you didn't feel the same way about me after I told you what I needed to that day in your office. James offered to take me out for dinner that night to cheer me up so that's all we did. In fact, we decided that nothing would work between us that same night."
"Why am I always the last to find out, though?" Kevin questioned as Lalie looked at him with a helpless look on her face.
"Mom, why did you bring that up?" James wanted to know as Vivian shrugged.
"She was using it against me because I told her that Heather had nothing to do with her marital problems and Vivian didn't like that reasoning," Lalie answered James' question as she looked at Vivian in the eyes. "Don't you see, Kevin?"
"Everybody needs to calm down," Kevin tried to ease the situation. "I know I gave you mixed signals that day, Lalie, so I understand why you went out with James that night."
"You understand?" Lalie asked with a sigh of relief in her tone.
"I understand," Kevin assured her as he turned to his mother. "Mom, I think you should be leaving."
"You're kicking me out?" Vivian stood up with her eyes wide.
"I'm not kicking you out," Kevin told her. "We're going to be leaving in a few minutes. We'll see you when you get back."
Vivian grabbed her pocket book off the couch and left the apartment without saying anything.
"Looks like your mother is plotting against me just like she used that tape against Heather," Lalie voiced out in frustration. "If anything else happens to stand in the way of our relationship, she'll be the first person I'll be pointing fingers at."
"I won't let her break us up, Lalie," Kevin softly told her as he walked over and embraced her. "Calm down."
Marcia sat there silently and looked on at the effects Vivian's scheme had on Lalie, Kevin and James.
Vivian arrived home and kicked off her shoes by the door and walked into the living room. Her husband was standing by the window gazing at the outdoors.
"Damn," Vivian mumbled as she cut her finger while flipping through one of the magazines that was lying on the coffee table.
Robert slowly turned around and made eye contact with Vivian. Robert turned towards the window again as Vivian looked at him a few seconds longer with anger and went up the stairs for a Band-Aid.
Chapter 5
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