A Mother Would Know (85)

I was about to ask Theo what he thought Kendra was doing with the drugs, but just then, Molly swaggered over to us, wearing a low-cut top, tight jeans and strappy high heels.

She was even hotter than the first time I met her.

My palms moistened.

“Theo?”

“Oh, hey, Molly.” I noticed my brother-in-law’s cheeks go red. I assumed it was from the alcohol. “You remember my brother-in-law, Hudson?”

“Sure.” She smiled. “Good to see you again.”

“You, too.” I touched the empty bar stool to the left of me—Theo was to my right. “Join us.”

She glanced at Theo momentarily, almost as if asking permission. I sort of understood. They did work together. Maybe she was afraid drinking at a bar with a colleague would make her seem unprofessional. But Theo nodded subtly. She smiled and said, “Okay,” and walked toward me, her tits bouncing with every step.

We talked for a little bit, and I was delighted to find out that Molly was legitimately cool, but then some of her friends showed up. I reached out and grabbed her hand before she could leave, and I asked for her phone number.

She hesitated, and I couldn’t help but notice her glancing over at Theo again. It was odd, but I thought maybe she was more cautious about meeting new guys than I’d thought. Maybe she wanted some kind of assurance that I was a good guy—and I could understand that. I’d been burned before, too. So I just smiled at her, and after a few uncomfortable seconds, she finally shrugged and rattled off her number.

I typed it into my contacts, dubbing her BLONDIE.

The next day, I came home to find Mom passed out on the couch, an open container of vitamins in front of her.

“I’ve seen the empty containers in the wastebasket. But I know she’s not taking them.”

I thought back to all the times Kendra mentioned my mom’s condition. The way she’d reminded Mom to take her vitamins a dozen times when she was over on Friday night.

I hid the vitamins from Mom, and the next day she seemed fine. Normal.

I’d been texting Molly, asking her out, but I got no response. I worried that I’d put her number in wrong, so I called and got her voice mail. When her voice came on the line, I smiled. Definitely her.

Later that night, I finally got a response: Sorry, bro, but I’m sorta seeing someone.

She hadn’t acted liked someone in a relationship at Midtown Saloon. She’d been more than friendly. She’d been flirty.

I tried again: Don’t worry. I won’t tell him. lmao.

I texted Theo about it, but all Theo said was that maybe I should leave her alone, then.

But I just couldn’t figure out what had happened between when we’d flirted at Midtown Saloon and now.

I knew where Molly lived, so I went over there, hoping we could talk about it. But she wouldn’t open the damn door. I just wanted to know what her deal was. I swore she was home. Lights shone through the windows and everything, but she still never answered.

I was sick of being ignored and villainized by women. I needed her to at least talk to me, but clearly she was too uptight to have a simple conversation.

I had Mom’s “vitamins” stashed under my bathroom sink. Curious, I popped a few. Within an hour, it was clear this was no vitamin. It didn’t hit me as hard as it clearly had Mom. I was laid out flat for a few hours, but then I recovered. Mom had been sick for an entire day. It made sense, though, the more I thought about it. I recalled seeing Mom take more than one of the vitamins the day before she got sick. I chalked it up to her forgetfulness, or possibly the fact that she drank a little more wine than usual that night (evidenced by the empty bottle she’d left out).

At first, I planned to tell Mom, rat Kendra out.

But the next day, when I was getting ready to go out with Browning, a different plan emerged in my mind. I thought of how loose and fun Natalia would be when she was drunk or high. I definitely preferred her that way. Toward the end of our relationship, it was the only time I could get close to her.

What if I used Mom’s pills to loosen Molly up a bit? What would be the harm in that? I’d only use enough to get her to talk to me, to admit she had been flirting with me that night, and then I’d tell Mom about the pills. No harm, no foul.

That night when I was out with Browning, I slipped one to a girl I was chatting up at the bar, but it seemed to have almost no effect on her. When I went home, I studied the pills. They were clear capsules, ground up medicine inside. Some were fuller than others. If Kendra had made these herself, maybe some were stronger than others. I’d have to keep that in mind.

By Saturday night, Molly’s responses were getting volatile. Uncalled for.

Bro, stop hitting me up or I’m gonna block you.

That’s when it hit me. Her flirtiness—maybe it hadn’t been directed at me at all. Both times I saw Molly, I’d been with Theo. And she did keep looking at Theo as if asking for direction...or permission. Also, how had Theo known where Molly liked to hang out if they just worked together?

Was Molly into Theo?

Maybe she was one of those destructive girls who went for married guys or unattainable guys. If only Molly could see how much happier she’d be with me. Theo would end up hurting her.

Armed with a fractured ego and a pocketful of whatever the hell Kendra had been slipping Mom, I Ubered to Midtown Saloon with Browning on Saturday night. To my delight, Molly was there.