Chapter 7: Heading to a Party

Piper’s POV

On the way home from Jay’s mansion, I sat leaning against the back of the chair as I stared at the rows of houses on the left and right sides of the road. Ever since I was little, I had always asked my dad to take me to this street because I wanted to see and observe the model houses that lined the street.

I had other reasons besides wanting to see these houses. When I was a kid, I thought the houses in this area were unique and nice. All the houses along this street were the same model, just different in terms of color. Another thing was that these houses are higher than the road. To reach the front door, we have to climb a few steps. I imagined standing behind its living room windows and enjoying the view of the highway. It would be nice.

“Piper.”

“Piper.”

Max’s voice woke me from my reverie. It was him calling my name. “Yes?”

“You’re daydreaming. Is there something you want to talk about? You can talk to me about it or we can hang out tonight with Lisa. As always, I’ll pick you guys up,” Max asked as his eyes focused on the highway.

“Mr. Jay has accepted me to work as his daughter’s private tutor. And I didn’t know he was Megan’s husband. I just can’t imagine working at his house next week and seeing Megan every day. Huft, she’ll make trouble with me. I need this job. As you know, I’m the backbone of the family and I can’t decide everything based on my emotions and feelings. Why should I meet her?” I replied, sipping the mineral water.

“If you keep quiet, then you lose. If you fight back, I think she’ll stop bothering you,” he replied.

I looked closely at his face. Max smiled widely and within seconds, he was laughing loudly. He was such a pain in the ass. I thought the answer he gave was a serious one.

“Be a little serious,” I said as I stared at the busy highway.

“Ok, I am sorry. The answer I gave was serious. As you know, God creates the minds of women and men differently. Women use more feelings while men use more logic. That’s why men are from mars and women are from venus. If I were you, I would ignore Megan. My focus is on doing a good job. If she’s going to mess with you, just ignore her. Or if she goes too far with you, you better report it to Mr. Adams. I’m sure he’s a wise man,” he replied.

For the first time in my life, I heard a long and reasonable explanation from Max. He’s a humorous guy, so once he gave a logical and serious explanation, I felt a little strange. But the answer he gave made sense and was quite good.

Men have an easier time dealing with pressure or problems because they solve everything using logic. This is inversely proportional to women.

“Since when did you become a little wise?” I asked.

“Since a long time ago, it’s just that you and Lisa didn’t realize the advantages I have. Especially Lisa. She never realized the signals I sent her,” he replied as he let out a long breath.

“W-wait! Signals? Do you like Lisa? Since when? Hahaha,” I asked, laughing out loud. It was unexpected. Max liked Lisa.

“Since we were in senior high school, I’ve liked her, but she doesn’t realize it or she pretends not to realize it,” he replied. The look on his face turned sad.

I touched his shoulder and patted it lightly. “Keep fighting if you love her.”

“Even men have patience. You remember that, Piper. If we men feel that the love we’re after is too hard to achieve, then we’ll give up and leave so we don’t get hurt,” he said. This time, his face looked serious and not so sad anymore.

“Ok, thanks for the advice.”

“Tonight. Seven o’clock. Okay?” he asked. For parties, Max’s face would instantly turn happy because he was the king of parties, while Lisa was the queen of parties.

“Ok.”

Moments later, the car Max was driving stopped right in front of my apartment. After closing the car door and waving, I rushed up to the seventh floor.

I got into the elevator and leaned against the wall just to unwind. I hope I made the right decision by accepting this job for mom and Jensen.

After the ding sounded and the elevator doors opened, I rushed out and walked to my apartment unit. When I entered the room and closed the door again, I found mom standing waiting for me near the shoe rack.

“Mom? What are you doing there?” I asked in surprise.

“I was standing here when I heard the door open. Lisa called and told me everything. Why did you hide it from me?” mom asked with a sad look.

After putting the shoes on the shelf, I rushed toward mom and hugged her. She stroked my back as she asked, “Mom has prepared your favorite tea and snacks. Let’s sit in the dining room.”

Mom’s hugs and voice always calmed me down. We spent the afternoon talking in the dining room while enjoying snacks and tea made by my mother.

In that conversation, I also told her about Megan. And what surprised me more was the answer that came out of her mouth. Her answer was the same as Max’s. I never would have guessed that my meek and yielding mother could give such a bold answer. Maybe she was fed up with all the bullying that Megan and her family were doing. I understood how she felt. She certainly couldn’t bear to see her family suffer.

However, at the end of our conversation, before I went into the room, she said, “Piper, if you don’t feel comfortable working for them, quit and don’t push yourself. I just want to see you happy.”

Tears immediately flowed out of my eyes. I cried like a child in my mother’s arms. I believed I could, and I was strong.

Long story short, seven o’clock came. Just before Max knocked on my apartment door, I was already out of my bedroom. That night I wore a black minidress, a jeans jacket, black boots, and a black sling bag. The outfit I wore didn’t suggest that I was a fan of the color black. I just wanted to wear all black that night.

“Piper, Max is here,” mom called from the doorway.

“Ok, I’m ready,” I replied as I kissed Jensen on the cheek. “Don’t stay up too late.”

“Ok, mom. Have fun. I love you,” Jensen replied.

“Love you too,” I replied. I walked towards the entrance, waving goodbye to him.

After saying goodbye to Mom and Jensen, we hurried downstairs and got into Max’s car. Before he started the engine, he asked, “Are you ready for a splendid party?”

“We’re just going to a bar, right?” I asked.