Lily White Lies(75)

I interrupted. “You’re right, that is enough.” Turning my attention to Joker, I stared at him, my heart filled with disbelief. “What is your problem? I’m sitting right here, why are you talking about me in the third person?” I shook my head in disgust. “You’re a real piece of work. Here I thought everyone was exaggerating about you, I thought you couldn’t possibly be as bad as what they made you out to be. They understated! You are meaner and more hateful than anything they could have described and you make me sorry that I came out here and even sorrier that I was actually looking forward to it.”

The silence in the room had become deafening, when Joker looked at me and politely asked, “Are you through because heaven knows, I wouldn’t want to interrupt.”

Unable to speak, I nodded.

“Good.” Turning his attention to Con, he bellowed, “What the hell are you trying to do to me? If I wanted that much spit and vinegar, I’d pay a visit to your mother.”

Con shook his head. “You had it coming.”

Joker laid one hand on his desk and leaned his weight on the arm of his chair. He looked back and forth between me and Con. Eventually, his expression softened and he shook his head.

“So, you’ve got a name, Meg. Is there anymore to it or is it one of those one word names like... God or... Liberace?”

I froze. He was already angry, I knew the effect my last name would have on him and I found myself petrified to speak.

Con said, “Her name is Meg...”

Joker cut him off sharply. “She doesn’t like when I talk about her in third person, so why are you doing it? She could speak when she was ripping me a new ass, so she can speak now. You hear what I’m saying?” Turning his attention back to me, he forced a smile and calmly said, “Tell me a little bit about you, Meg.”

My mouth opened several times but nothing came out. My hands began to sweat and my heart raced. I looked to Con who nodded and whispered, “It’s sooner or later...”

Through Con, I found the strength to look Joker in the eyes and without faltering, say, “My name is Meg Embry.” I watched Joker’s mouth drop open, as I continued, “Stewart Embry is my grandfather.”

It took him a mere split second to compose himself as he slammed his hand to the desk and said to Con, “What in sam hell are you doing bringing a goddam Embry into my home? This is out and out treason. Have you no respect for me, boy?”

I watched as Con reacted to his grandfather’s verbal badgering without batting an eye. I wondered if all the years of being subjected to it had numbed him.

“It’s got nothing to do with respect, Grandpa. Whatever happened between you and Stewart has nothing to do with us.”

“And that’s a pile of shit. A million goddam girls to pick from and you have to pick this one. That old bastard probably sent her here to spy on me, and my own flesh and blood is aiding and abetting the enemy.”

Con stood and took hold of my hand. Looking Joker in the eyes, he said, “They’re your demons Grandpa, not ours. You deal with them,” as we turned and left the room.

We could hear Joker yelling, “A grandson who respects me, is that too much to ask? Next thing you know he’ll be looking to move the whole goddam Embry clan in here. Jesus Christ, Ivory, bring me my pills.”

When we reached the foyer, Ivory was waiting for us.

Pulling Con into her bosom, she hugged him tightly and said, “You lasted three minutes longer than I thought you would.” Releasing him, she turned to me, and said, “You did real well in there. You stand your ground with him—he’ll hate it, but he’ll respect you for it.”

I waited until after our goodbye, once we were safely in the car and on our way back to Upper Darby before I inhaled one, deep breath, exhaling slowly.

“Is this an appropriate time for ‘I told you so’?”

“My grandfather was kind in his description. He just said they were enemies.” I threw a hand and shook my head. “Why does he lash out like that?”

He shrugged. “Can’t say as though anyone really has an answer, although my mother said it has something to do with his father. I guess his father pushed him real hard... expected a lot from him and eventually, Joker did the same thing to my dad. All that pushing made Joker strong...” He turned his head away from me. “...but it broke my father.”

“I’m sorry.” I took hold of his hand and caressed it lightly.

Con shook off his memory, turned to me and said, “So when would you like to go back?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. You have to go back. You see, part of the reason he did that was to keep you from coming back. He doesn’t like anyone to get too close... it’s a trust thing. You have to show him that you don’t scare that easily.”