Chapter 13

Miranda lay with her head on Zack's bare chest. "That was great", she chuckled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it", he chuckled.

She pressed her lips to his sweat covered skin. "So, are you ready to head back to New York for dress rehearsals?"

"Oh yeah. I'm ready to get this play over with. I'm tired of living and breathing RENT."

She laughed. "You act as though being Mark is a bad thing. Is it that you're playing a character that's watching everybody or that you're playing my ex?" She looked him in the eyes.

"Well, I think it's because of both. I'm gonna have a camera in my face most of the play pretending to record the whole thing. Watching characters die and leave and I have to just record it all.  There nothing I can do to prevent any of it."

Miranda sat up on her elbows and looked at him with a face that asked if he was serious. "Really? Get over it, Zachary Scott. You're acting like a child."

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't stutter. You're being a wimp. Stop complaining. Mark is actually a relatively simple role. I've done this play before. He's not overly complex. You're just being a wimp. I'm playing an overly dramatic bisexual who wouldn't understand the meaning of commitment if it bit her on the ass and thinks she always has to be the center of attention. That's exhausting."

Zack looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you saying that because your character is more eccentric your character is more vital?"

"No. I'm saying that my character is more complex. Your character is vital because he's the anchor and you're being a wimp by complaining about watching it all happen. You should treat it as an opportunity to learn from the other characters. Now, I'm going to go clean up. I think you should sleep in the spare room my Dad offered you. I want my bed to myself tonight."  She grabbed up her robe from the floor and slipped into it before heading for the door. "Oh yeah, be sure to dress a little bit before heading to the room. I do have younger sisters still in the house and I'm sure that none of my brothers that are in the house want to see your junk. Have a good night and I'll see you in the morning." She headed out into the hallway and down the hall to the bathroom to get a shower. She was slowly starting to discover that Zack was probably not going to be the guy she'd spend the rest of her life with. He just didn't have enough of a back bone to be a member of the Draiman family.  It took a certain kind of person to be in her family.  She just hadn’t had the luck to find him, and she was nearing 30. 

As the hot water beat down on her skin, she silently wondered if she would ever find the missing half of her soul.  She was getting that the point in her life where she needed that kind of devotion, especially if her career took off the way she was hoping it would after this stint on Broadway. 

She thought about the stories she’d heard about her grandparents, recalling how her father told her that they didn’t find each other until her Grandfather was almost 40.  It took them that long to find their other half.  Maybe it was gonna take her that long.

She wasn’t sure, but sure knew one thing, Zack Winfield either had to step up and grow a set, or after the play he was a goner.

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“I don’t like him”, Elijah said as he spoke with his older brother over the phone about their sister’s boyfriend.  “He has no spine.”

Isaiah laughed.  “I agree with you there.  But, Miranda seems smitten with him.”

“She’s a fool.  He’s not Draiman family material.  You and I both know it.  The men need to have the balls to tell the women when they’re being stupid.”

“Have you ever heard Grampa tell Gramma that?”

“No, but I’ve heard him call her stubborn.”

Isaiah chuckled again.  “Well, that she is.  They both are or they wouldn’t still be here.”

“I know that’s right.  Now, what are we going to do about Zachary?”

“He’s already met Gramma and Grampa.  What they think of him, I don’t know.  But, I was thinking that if we wanted to make a lasting impression on the nitwit, we need to go about it with brute force.”

“Ooh, I like it.  How do we wanna go about it, big brother?”

“Just corner the little fucker and tell him that we’re watching him.  The moment he steps out of line we’ll be all 

over him like a fat girl to cupcakes.”

Eli laughed.  “That’s mean.  Some of my closest friends other than B are thick girls.”

“There’s a difference between fat and thick.  My girlfriend’s sister is thick and full figured.  Skinny chicks are for wimps, she says.  A fat girl is one of those girls that’s weighs so much she can’t get the hell out of bed and has all kinds of health issues because of it.”

“Touché.  So, we’re gonna give him hell tomorrow during the final day of Family Photo Week.”

“Yep.  And I dare him to say something stupid to me.  Give me an excuse to knock his fucking teeth out.”

“Isaiah, what would Dad say?”

“Don’t tolerate anyone being stupid and saying stupid shit; stick up for your sister no matter what.”

“Touché again, bro.  Ok.  Well, B is sitting on the bed begging me to come join him to cuddle and possibly other nefarious activities.  I will see you in the morning.”

“See you at Homestead, bro.  Good night.”

“Night.”  Elijah padded across the floor to the bed and stripped down.

B looked at Eli.  “What was that all about, baby?”

“We’re gonna give Miranda’s boyfriend hell tomorrow.  He’s a worm and he doesn’t deserve to be with our sister, so we’re gonna scare the hell out of him.”

“You gonna get any of your Uncles involved?”

“Doubtful.  We wanna keep this just the two of us.”

“You talking about scaring your sister’s boyfriend is kinda sexy.”

Eli smiled as he climbed into bed.  “Really now?”

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“Malachai, I think you might be judging him a little harshly”, Mandy said chidingly.

“Oh?  So you’re ok with our oldest child getting with a young man who’s gutless?”

“Why do you say he’s gutless?”

“First of all, he never bothered to come out here and introduce himself.  He waited for Miranda to ask him to come out.  Second, he didn’t have the balls to approach Dad himself.  Miranda had to drag him over.  That’s gutless if you ask me.  And third, he hasn’t spoken to either of the older boys.  Hell, he hasn’t spoken to anyone unless Miranda’s forced him to.  He’s gutless.”

Mandy nodded from where she sat on their bed.  “I see where you’re coming from I suppose.  He does need to grow up.”

“Exactly.  He doesn’t deserve to be with our daughter and I don’ know if she sees that he’s useless.”

As Mandy tried to find the words to put her husband’s anger to ease, there was a knock on the door.  He moved across the floor to answer it.  “Miranda?  What are you doing down here?” he asked.

“I wanna talk to you and Mom, Dad.  It’s about Zack.”

“What’s he done now?”

“He’s being a douche.  I didn’t see it until he came out here.”

“What do you want me to do, baby?”

“I don’t know.  Tell him to step up and grow up?”

“I think Isaiah and Eli are planning something like that.”

“Then I’ll just leave them to it.  If he doesn’t start acting like he’s worth a damn he’s gone.  I can’t do this.”

“I don’t blame you”, Mandy said.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“No, sweetie”, her parents said in unison.  “You didn’t see that he’s a wimp until you got him out here”, Mandy continued.

“I think what Uncle ‘Miah would say in this instance would be something like, ‘Dr. Maya Angelou said, If someone shows you who they are, believe them’”, Malachai said with a chuckle.

“I do believe him.  I just don’t like what I’m seeing.”

Her father shrugged.  “Then do something about it.”

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Zack finally laid his head on the pillow that Miranda’s parents were letting him use.  He had to figure out what the hell Miranda’s problem was.  She hadn’t been like this when they were in New York.  She wasn’t this bitchy, that was for sure.

Maybe she’s pregnant; he thought then shook away the thought.  Oh no, I can’t do that.  A baby would throw a monkey wrench in my career.  No way.  If she wants to be with me, she’ll get an abortion.  No, no, no.  No babies for me.  But then, she may want to keep it.  Perish the thought.  Would her family hold me responsible for being a father to the baby?

Little did he know, but by the time the play they were doing was over not only would she be carrying his child, but he would be alone.  She wouldn’t want him in her life of that of her child’s.  And he had no idea the hell that would rain down on his head.