No Way Out by Fern Michaels (great books for teens .TXT) 📗

she normally spoke? He wondered. He really couldn’t remember much except for some extramarital shenanigans in the parking lot after several rounds of anything over eighty proof.

“This here your boy?” She pointed her pencil in Jackson’s direction, cracking her gum.

“Yes. This is Jackson. Jackson, this is Lucinda.” Mitchel was starting to squirm as the rise in Vivian’s blood pressure was starting to show on her temples. “And this is my mother, Vivian.”

“Well, nice to meet cha all. Jackson. Vivian.” She smiled at both of them, revealing a few gaps between her front and back teeth.

“What can I get you folks?” Another crack of gum. Mitchel wondered if it ever got stuck in the spaces.

Jackson ordered a burger from the kids’ menu. His father ordered one from the adult side and a draft beer. Vivian gave him a dirty look.

“Don’t start,” Mitchel growled. “I’m only having one.”

“It’s barely past noon,” Vivian growled back.

“Please, Mother. Can we just enjoy our lunch?”

“Fine.” That was Vivian’s most commonly used response to most things, especially those of which she disapproved.

Lucinda stood there while mother and son bickered.

Jackson was starting to get antsy. “Dad? Can I get a milkshake?”

“Sure. Whatever you want. This is our day today. Right, Mother?” He gave her a stare that could kill a snake.

“And you, Miss Vivian? What would you like?”

“I’ll have a BLT, mayonnaise on the side, and a Coke.” She paused. “Please.”

“Comin’ right up!” Lucinda stuck the pencil back behind her ear and wiggled her way to the kitchen.

Mitchel gave his mother another look as if to say, “Don’t ask.”

Jackson was oblivious to the veiled exchange between the adults. He was enjoying being in a new place, having a burger with his dad.

Lucinda returned with their drinks. “Food will be coming out in a jiffy.” Another wiggle back to the kitchen.

Vivian could not hide her horror, imagining her son carousing with such a loose woman. Colleen was looking good in comparison. So what if she thought Colleen was an educated snob? At least she had all of her teeth and a respectable job. The thought of her baby boy playing rumpy-pumpy with that trailer trash made her lose her appetite.

The gum-smacking waitress returned, carrying a big tray above her shoulder and setting it down on the table next to where they were sitting.

“Your BLT, Vivian, burger for Jackson, and a burger for Mitchel, well done, if I remember correctly.”

Vivian was about to vomit. Mitchel wasn’t too far behind. He finished off his beer as if he were in a guzzling contest.

Jackson slathered his fries with ketchup, not having a clue.

After they finished, Lucinda cleared the plates. “Can I get you anything else?” She put her hand on Mitchel’s shoulder.

He was horrified. Vivian thought she might faint. Jackson innocently asked, “Ice cream? Please, Dad?”

“Not right now, son. We have to get to the movie theater. We’ll have ice cream later. Check, please?” Mitchel really meant, “Please! Now! Not a minute longer!”

Lucinda slapped the check on the table. “Y’all come back here real soon!” Then the final wiggle back to the kitchen.

Mitchel pulled out his wallet and threw two $20 bills on the table. The check was only $26, but he didn’t want to wait for change. “Let’s go.” He moved as fast as he could.

Jackson skipped to the car, while Vivian waddled her way to the driver’s side door. She couldn’t get over what she had just experienced. She slammed the door shut and shot Mitchel another stink-eye look in the rearview mirror. So far, the day had been awful.

The ride to the movie theater took ten long minutes. It seemed like an eternity for both Mitchel and Vivian. Fortunately, Jackson was oblivious and was getting excited about seeing the movie.

“I think I’ll skip the movie and go to the outlet shops.” Vivian thought she was going to jump out of her skin. She knew they would be violating the “supervised” part of the visitation, but she didn’t think a movie with just the two of them would do any harm. Besides, she had to get away from Mitchel for a bit.

“Good idea, Mother,” Mitchel said with relief. He opened his wallet and handed her several twenties. “Buy yourself something nice.”

“I don’t need your money to buy myself anything. Besides, you need to hang on to your cash. You don’t have a job, remember?” She was seething.

Mitchel held his breath and didn’t respond. Besides wanting to scream at her, he wanted to strangle her as well.

“Come on, Jackson. Let’s go watch the movie.” He helped Jackson with his seat belt, and they both got out of the car.

“Movie runs for almost two hours. See you at three.”

Vivian didn’t answer.

“See ya later, Grammy!” Jackson waved, but his grandmother pulled away without returning his wave.

Mitchel walked up to the ticket window and handed the cashier one of the twenties his mother had refused. Mitchel leaned down, looked straight into Jackson’s eyes, and said, “We won’t tell anyone that Grammy went shopping. OK, sport?”

“OK, Dad!” He gave him a thumbs-up.

Anticipating Jackson’s next request, Mitchel intervened. “No popcorn. You just had a big lunch, and we’re getting ice cream later. I don’t want you to get sick. Then your mother will be really mad at me, and we don’t want that, do we?” Mitchel sounded reasonable for a change.

“OK, Dad, but I might have to have two scoops. With sprinkles!”

Mitchel chuckled for the first time in a while. His son was having a good time. Mitchel couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had had a day together. They went into the theater, and Mitchel let Jackson pick out their seats. Of course, it was all the way down in front, but Mitchel didn’t mind this time.

* * *

Vivian was furious. She didn’t care about the outlet stores. She just had to get away from the situation. Everything was unraveling. If Mitchel was cheating on Colleen with that, that woman, Lord knows what else or who else he was up to. And