no strings attached - j.b

thinking out loud

Joe had come up behind her protectively and had an arm around her waist, while Phoebe rolled her eyes and glared at her mother. "What's gotten into you?" she snapped at her.

"Into me? Faith, learn to behave for once. You're 22, not 12 anymore. No one approves of your childish behavior, no one excuses it anymore" her mother sounded at least as pissed as Phoebe.

"What have I done now?" Phoebe asked annoyed and put her hand on Joe's who gave her a checking look and nodded at her arm. "Are you okay?" he asked softly and quietly. Phoebe nodded and gave him a quick smile before turning back to her mother and raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Virginia told me what you did to Norm and to her. How could you? Do you know what the family will think of her when they find out Norm is just a teacher?" her mother gave an exasperated sigh.

"Ma'am, to be honest, I was the one who....did this to Norm and Virginia. Phoebe had nothing to do with it" Joe stepped in and clarified, but Hillary just sighed in annoyance.

"You stay out of this, okay? This is about family. You don't get a say in that" she gave Joe a wicked look. "Don't talk to him like that" Phoebe growled and stood protectively in front of him while glaring angrily at her mother.

"And I think our family will be more shocked to learn that you got Virginia to lie about Norm's real job. That was your idea, wasn't it?" she held her mother's contemptuous gaze, while Joe worried that the two women might soon start fighting each other.

"I just wanted to spare her the humiliation. She would be the laughing stock if she told anyone she was dating a teacher. She, the one who could have any man she wanted, ends up with a teacher while..." Hillary heaved a sigh.

"Finish the sentence" Phoebe hissed at her. "Finish the sentence with what you were going to say" but Hillary remained silent. "While I show up with a football player who is pretty successful too and not just a no name on a practice squad. That's what you were going to say, isn't it?" Phoebe got louder.

"Your great Virginia is only dating a teacher, what a shame. But you know what the saddest part is? You don't care what the family would say about Virginia if this got out. No, you're afraid of what they'd think of you. How could you let Virginia date a guy who's just a teacher? How could you, mother? Great Virginia, she deserves better. A football player like Phoebe, for instance. You're afraid it will get out because for the first time the family might think I'm better than Virginia" Phoebe was quite out of breath when she finished talking and leaned exhaustedly against Joe's chest.

Joe had to be careful not to laugh out loud at the irony of the whole situation. Phoebe was here in Joe's arms, who was playing her boyfriend for the wedding just because she didn't want to give her stepsister the satisfaction of knowing she had a boyfriend who worked on Wall Street while Phoebe spent her single life in Cincinnati having occasional sex with the quarterback of her grandpa's team, lecturing her mother about how ridiculous she was being to lie to the family about Norm's real job just to escape humiliation.

In any other situation, he would have jumped right into the conversation, held Phoebe back and told her she wasn't exactly in a position to be lecturing like that, but not today. Not after everything her family had thrown at her. Not after the woman in front of them had insulted Phoebe as a slut.

There was nothing but anger in Hillary's red face. No sign that the woman she was staring at so angrily was her daughter, for whom she was supposed to feel at least a little love.

Warningly, she raised her finger. "I don't want you coming under my eyes again tonight, do you understand? I've had it with your behavior and your nasty, unjust attitude toward Virginia. And don't you dare tell anyone about Norm's real job, Madame. Then things will get really ugly between us."

Phoebe laughed out. "Don't worry. I won't be so ridiculous as to go around telling everyone about the lying games Virginia and you play. As for the other thing. You're going to have to put up with me for the rest of the day whether you like it or not, Mother. I'm just as much a guest at this wedding and thus have the same rights as you" Phoebe grinned.

"Just don't mess around anymore and leave your sister alone" her mother growled before turning and walking away. "I'm not messing around and she's not my sister, but have a nice evening too mother" Phoebe called after her mother provocatively before turning to Joe.

"Sorry, looks like we'll have to stay longer than we wanted to. I can't pass up the chance to let my mother live in constant fear that I might tell Virginia's secret while I'm here" she grinned at him. "But I swear I'll make it all up to you once we get back to the hotel" she winked at him.

Can't wait for the bengals game one Sunday!! So excited to see them play in all white again!!

WHO-DEY🧡