Page 153 of Payoff Pitch
I raise an eyebrow at Fallon, and she smiles before standing and pulling Harper into a hug. “Did you have a good day, sweetie?”
“Not really.” Her shoulders fall. “I got into trouble. I wasn’t allowed to go out to recess today.”
Fallon and I exchange glances. Harper has never gotten into trouble before. I ask, “What happened?”
“I called Mrs. White an ignoramus.”
Fallon and I do everything we can to bite back our smiles.
I gather myself first and ask, “Why did you call her that?”
She purses her little cherry-red lips. “Our music teacher was playing a song on the piano. Mrs. White was sitting in the circle with us. As the music began to fade away, the teacher asked if anyone knew what it was called when the music gets softer and softer. I raised my hand right away.” I know exactly where this is going. “I said a smorzando.” Yep, that was one of her toilet paper words of the day last week. “Mrs. White told me I was making up a word. I told her I wasn’t. She immediately looked it up. She was embarrassed that I was right and told me to apologize for being disruptive to the class. I told her she should apologize for being an ignoramus.” A word of the day a few months ago.
Fallon and I look at each other and burst into laughter. Harper scrunches her face. “It’s not funny. I missed the kickball game. I’ve been practicing for that all month.”
Fallon wraps her arm around Harper. “But you won the battle of wits with a sixty-year-old woman.”
I raise an eyebrow, and Fallon corrects herself. “Harper, there will be times in life when you’re significantly smarterthan people in positions of authority. You have to respect them no matter what.”
She crosses her little arms. “Kam says respect is earned and that most people are fuckwits who never earn it.”
Fallon covers her smile with her hand. I pinch the bridge of my nose. I need to get Kamryn out of this house and away from my kid.
I take a deep breath. “Bailey is probably awake now. Why don’t you grab the Monopoly set and see if she wants to play?”
Harper’s frown quickly turns into a smile, and she runs to gather the Monopoly set before leaving to go to Bailey’s room. I know spending time with Harper makes Bailey happy, so I try not to interrupt. Every day they end up playing games or cards until dinnertime when I help Bailey into the kitchen.
When dinner’s over, Bailey always asks to go back to her room. She hangs with Kamryn and her friends until bedtime. I feel so helpless.
When Harper disappears, Fallon looks up at me with a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. Her lips curl up as she admits, “Kam isn’t wrong.”
After a few weeksof the same mundane routine, I decide that Bailey needs a fun night. We can’t go out with all the press attention on her, and I don’t know that she’d want to be seen in her wheelchair, so I invite everyone over for a big poker game full of good food, good drink, and hopefully a few laughs for her.
Just before everyone is set to arrive, Fallon stands therewith her mouth widened. “You’re letting girls play in your preciousboys-onlypoker game? I never thought I’d see the day.”
Kamryn smiles. “It’s only because Bailey and I are the best poker players around. These dipshits don’t stand a chance against us.”
Fallon nods toward Bailey’s room. “I don’t know if she’ll be able to hold the cards properly. Why don’t she and I play as a team? I’ll tell her that I want to learn how to play.”
My face falls. “I never thought of that. Shit. I was trying to create a fun night for her.”
Kamryn nods. “It’s a good idea. She needs a normal, chill night with friends and laughs. I’ll bring my A game, don’t worry.”
“Oh Christ. God help us all.”
An hour later, my poker table is fuller than it’s ever been. Everyone showed up tonight even with it being last minute. I’m so grateful to all of them.
I brought down a big chair for two for Fallon and Bailey to share. Cheetah motions toward the two of them with their heads huddled together and winks. He’s deranged.
Harper played a few hands with Kamryn and then went to bed. She’s actually getting quite good at it. As much of a pain in the ass as Kamryn is, she’s highly intelligent and has taught Harper nearly every advanced card game.
We’re all into a groove now, with Kamryn or Bailey winning every hand.
Kamryn asks, “Anyone watch that Menendez brothers miniseries?”
They’re two privileged men who famously killed their parents more than thirty years ago. There have been several movies about them, but a new series has them back in the media spotlight.
Vance nods. “I watched it. They definitely did it.”