The last person I had expected to hear from was Mrs. Brooks, especially after I had left her house so abruptly on Cassie’s birthday.
“Hi, Mrs. Brooks,” I said, trying to pretend like this was a happy surprise. “It’s good to hear from you.”
“I need to see you. I’m in Chicago. Can you meet me for lunch?”
I had never known Mrs. Brooks to venture into Chicago since I had lived here. She spent most of her life within a small circumference of her home, and her life consisted primarily of a handful of volunteer organizations and spending time with her husband. I wondered if he knew she was in Chicago.
“Sure,” I replied, although meeting up with Mrs. Brooks was the last thing I wanted to do. As much as I wanted to refuse, I felt like I couldn’t, and I thought it best to refrain from asking questions until I saw her in person. I checked my watch and saw that it was almost noon. “Where exactly are you? I can come meet you.”
“I’m in the Loop. I thought we could go to Benson’s.”
“I know where that is. Is one o’clock okay?”
“It’s perfect. I’ll be waiting for you.”
After I hung up the phone, I considered whether I should call Mr. Brooks to see if he knew his wife was in Chicago. Despite being an adult, she wasn’t exactly in the right state of mind, and I knew he kept a close eye on her comings and goings. Ultimately, my last encounter with Mr. Brooks discouraged me from reaching out to him. We hadn’t left on good terms, and I figured I could contact him after meeting with Cassie’s mother if I found out he was unaware of her whereabouts.
I quickly changed clothes and tried to make myself presentable. I was nervous as hell, but I told myself that Mrs. Brooks wanting to meet me for lunch didn’t necessarily mean anything significant. She had sounded fine on the phone, so maybe this was just a social call.
Benson’s was an old school, upscale restaurant with dark paneling and leather-covered booths. By the time I arrived, I was in a calmer state of mind, and was able to smile naturally at Mrs. Brooks when the hostess guided me to the table where she was waiting. She stood and kissed me lightly on the cheek as I breathed in her flowery perfume.
“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, dear,” she said as she sat back down. I followed suit and tried to look cheerful.
“Of course,” I said. “What brings you to Chicago?”
Before she could answer, the waiter came over to take my drink order since Mrs. Brooks already had a glass of wine in front of her. I just requested a glass of water since I was hoping to make this as quick of a lunch as possible.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
My stomach clenched in nervousness but I kept a smile on my face. “You came all the way to Chicago just to talk to me? About what?”
She leaned forward, discomfiting me by the way her eyes pierced into me. Her smile had disappeared, and her lips were now pressed together tightly in disapproval.
“I’m disappointed in you, Madison. You’re Cassie’s best friend. You know how much you mean to her. How could you?”
I didn’t know how to respond to her accusatory words. I didn’t want to believe that I knew what she was referencing.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Brooks, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The corners of her mouth turned down at my response. “Madison Bailey, I’ve known you since you were a little girl. I watched you grow up, and I was as proud of you as I was of my own daughter. This is the first time you’ve let me down, and I have to say I’m terribly ashamed of your behavior.”
I swallowed audibly as my pulse started to race, but I continued to feign ignorance, desperate to believe that she was talking about something other than my relationship with Logan.
“Can you tell me what exactly is bothering you?” I asked. “I don’t know why you’re upset.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her hand on the stem of her wineglass tightened so hard that I was afraid that she would snap it in two.
“You and Logan. I know you’re seeing him behind Cassie’s back, and I’m disgusted by it. How could you do something like that to Cassie? If she ever finds out, she’ll be devastated. Not only is her boyfriend cheating on her, but with her best friend.”
I took a deep breath as I contemplated what to say in response. I didn’t know how Mrs. Brooks had found out about me and Logan, but the most pressing matter now was how to handle it. I needed to tread lightly so I didn’t upset her.
“It’s hard to explain,” I started slowly, trying to determine how much of the truth I could tell her without throwing her world off balance. “The first thing is, I think you should know that Cassie and Logan are no longer together.”
“Nonsense! I would know whether or not my daughter is dating Logan, and I know for a fact that they’re still together.” Mrs. Brooks shook her head in disapproval. “Why are you trying to lie to me, Madison? Just tell me the truth.”
I desperately wanted to do just that, but I didn’t think she could handle it, so I continued to try to give her as much of the truth without breaking the illusion of Cassie still being alive.
“I am telling you the truth, I promise. You’re right; Logan and I are seeing each other. But I swear, it isn’t behind Cassie’s back.”