They had escaped in through the door; he had pushed it open for her and with a supporting hand resting on the small of her back led her in. Surely they must be a couple; why else would she care so much for him and he so much for her? And they were a stunning couple too. Both with perfect postures and perfect shape.
I let out my breath, as I finally was alone again. Feeling slightly embarrassed with having eavesdropped on their conversation, I felt jumpy and hurried back down the lane - this time choosing the path leading to the entrance of the main house.
“She always just runs off like that! No manners Charles, none at all! Don’t you see how out of hands things would get if you let her go to England?” I followed the high pitched voice of Judy, which sounded from the couch area of the lobby as I entered the main house.
“She’s going to be here any second just - ah see! There she is,” my father put away the newspaper he had been concentrating on, while Judy stared up at me with narrowed eyes.
“About time if I may say so,” Judy spat and touched her perfectly pinned hairstyle, in which she had emptied half a can of hairspray. Her long slender fingers moved down to the white pearl necklace, which had once belonged to my mother. Correcting that one, though it couldn’t possibly be out of place already. The sight made my stomach twist.
My dad sent me a smile not seeming to have noticed Judy’s comment and got up, “I hardly think Fran will spend her time doing anything else than studying once she gets to Oxford. How much trouble can she possibly get herself into a place like that?” The deep comfortable chuckles coming from my father were what made it bearable I was reminded, as he helped Judy up the couch offering her his hand.
“Where are Cynthia and Patricia?” I asked carefully pulling in the sleeve of my white cardigan, which I was wearing over the dress, that was pastel coral colored. Stopping just under the knee. Though Patricia, Cynthia, and Judy were all wearing high heels tonight I was sticking with my white keds. It was easier getting around this place with these. And there was no way I was going to be caught somewhere with them, because I couldn’t move around in high heels. Lastly Keds were much more comfortable - and honestly I hadn’t learned to walk in high heels yet. Too stubborn not to wear anything which had reminded of Cynthia and Patricia - not to forget their awful mother - I had never gotten around to learning it to their utter dismay.
“Oh Cynthia and Patricia? They will be here any second. Cynthia needed more time to do her hair, we can just go to the table now,” I rolled my eyes at Judy’s answer, as I followed her and my dad into the restaurant area. So the twins could be late - but I couldn’t? Judy-logic. Why not just let her hair down? Easy and simple. I preferred my hair that way; always had, always would probably.
The evening went on as least painful as it could get with my stepmother and her children. But dad made it okay. Luckily, I had scored the seat next to him, which made the whole thing a lot less worse. We got to talk about Oxford, while Judy constantly intruded coming with new arguments as to why I should stay home. But my dad didn’t listen to my joy. For now at least. I was pretty sure with him not here Judy would find a way to keep me - if it meant locking me up in the house she would probably do that too.
The ballroom was filled with wildly decorated round tables, where families and friends were gathered. Talking, laughter, and the sound of light music from the live band floated through the night summer air through the open balcony doors. The dinner had been remarkable - just like the rest of the facilities of this place seemed to be. I had gotten a pretty good chance to check out what kind of guests had lodged into the Kellerman's Summer Resort and as I had expected they all looked terribly rich. Judy probably thought she fitted in her perfectly, though she lacked all kinds of manners and appropriate behaviour. Unlike my mother, who had come from a family with values teaching you to have a good heart. Judy wasn't like that - she only wanted to look rich and had bewitched my father to obtain that. As she sat there with her pearl necklace sipping the white wine she really seemed to have reached her goal, sitting with her two daughters each in their battling colorful dresses and extreme hairspray coiffures.
“Sir,” my dad looked up at one of the young servants, who was standing with a bottle of wine perfectly presented in his hands during the desert. Brown eyed and wearing an awfully formal white uniform jacket, which had golden buttons and a suit like shape. To that he had black dress pants, a butterfly, and white butler gloves - just like the rest of the servants, who the evening through had made their way around the large dinner room.
“Excuse me sir, but this is a welcome present from Mrs. Kellerman,” my dad moved his chair to be more comfortably seated, while Judy watched with excitement over the ‘special treatment’.
“Well, well, how very kind of her! I assume she must be awfully busy a night like this - can you let her know we are all very delighted to be here?”
“Yes sir, would you like to -” the young servant continued. He couldn’t be much older than me. Maybe a few years. My dad interrupted him, “what’s your name son?”
“Payne, sir. Liam Payne,” his smile was charming even without trying, as the chatter and music from the live band buzzed in the room. The few who had turned their heads at the approach of ‘Liam Payne’ to our table, returned their attention to their own table, as my dad continued with an approving nod.
“So Mr. Payne -”
“You can call me Liam, sir -”
“Okay, Liam it is then - so are you studying somewhere? Kelly told me most of the servants were hired from different universities, offering summer jobs. I reckon you were too? Very smart of her - very. She’s always had a good sense for ruling business with a twist of creativity ever since freshman year!” My dad chuckled softly. His entire way of speaking about Kelly Kellerman was a bit surprising to me. I knew she and dad had been going to college together, but I didn’t knew they were so very good friends.
But then again there were so many things I didn’t know about dad. He was very enclosed in that sense. Kind but distant - it hadn't helped after my mum had passed away and he had found Judy.
“Yes sir, that’s correct. I’m graduating from Yale next semester - or well hopefully. Degree in Classics, sir.” Liam’s brown eyes travelled politely around the table, as he was telling. Cynthia and Patricia seemed awfully interested in his attractive chocolate brown eyes and the tanned charming features of his, which contained a summer pink color in his cheeks from the sharp sun. He was so very different from Louis Tomlinson, who had helped me with the luggage earlier that day. Liam was more - the dream of any parent for their daughter. Degree from Yale, the manners, sensible, polite, probably never wearing any holed shirt or driving a motorcycle or whatever. No, Liam Payne seemed as the typical ‘Yale Classics’ kind of person.
“Classics! Fran - darling - did you hear that? Fran is moving to England after the summer. She got into Oxford for the social science writing course! Can you believe it? I’m so very proud. She’s going to change the world. She’s going to change the world!” My dad spoke loudly, which made me sink slightly in my seat and warmed my cheeks, as the band slowly drifted over into a new tune. I was pretty sure it was a Frank Sinatra one, but I couldn’t remember the name, as I smiled awkwardly at a very impressed Liam.
“Wow, Oxford! That’s really something, sir. Really. Your lovely daughter must be just as bright as she’s beautiful - you must be very proud,” I sunk lower in my chair. Or that was how it felt anyway. Judy would probably have kicked me under the table if I had lacked my posture.
“Oh believe me I am! That is actually the reason for me accepting Kelly’s invitation to coming here. So I could spent the last summer with my little girl, before she is off for good!” My dad turned to smile at me, as a lump formed in my throat blocking the words. Was that - was that the reason for him taking a vacation for the first time in ten years?
His familiar and friendly smile was wide and welcoming - just like it had been when I had been a little girl. But now the wrinkles around his eyes when he smiled had become more and deeper, his hair had gotten grey hints of silver, and his posture seemed to sink in a little by little each day. Though it was only as much, that you wouldn’t see the change, till you stopped up and really looked at him. This was one of those moments and I couldn’t stop smiling back at him.
“Oh Charles - do you remember Cynthia wanting to attend Yale’s program for drama. Isn’t that right pumpkin?” Breaking the moment with her high pitched and fakely happy voice, Judy intruded. Clearly not satisfied with being left out of the moment and talking. Cynthia still just seemed to swoon over the sight of Liam Payne and didn’t react to her mother’s words till seconds later, when Patricia kicked her under the table.
“Well that course is amazing too - I believe one of my good friends attends that exact line, actually. Should be very - interesting,” Liam Payne smiled politely at Cynthia, obviously holding in the reaction to her stare - just like a Yale gentleman would do.
Now if you took a look at Cynthia - she looked nothing like a possible candidate for - well any study course really. With her huge baffled eyes and the chubby cheeks, which seemed constantly bright red. She was kind of the awkward more enclosed twin of the two - the smallest too and not the brightest. Not that Patricia was - but she was just more annoyingly loud than Cynthia.
“Oh well - I shall not disturb you and your wonderful family any longer Mr. Hamilton,” Liam placed the bottle of wine carefully at the table - with the label facing my father of course, as the music seemed to die out.
“It was a blast talking with you Mr. Payne,” my dad acknowledged, as the music came to a final stop making everyone turn their attention towards the stage. Something was going to happen up there for sure.
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a/n: hi guys :) Okay just one thing - just because some of the characters in this story reminds you of some of the characters from Dirty Dancing, Grease etc. don't define them as being the same! For instance here with Liam - he's nothin like Robbie from Dirty Dancing though it might seem that way ^^ yeah so just make up your opinion of him as you read on instead tehe :3 x