Lusting For Ralph
Chapter 41

"So, holidays are coming up and I really like you to come with me as my plus one."

They were having lunch at Barney's as Madison was missing their famous whiskey cake.

"Ralph, there's no such thing as a plus one on family vacations and also your mother hates me, she even told my mom..." "She what?"

"Right, I haven't told you about the day I went to my mom's. This was when you went to Shani's. But basically, my mom met your mom accidentally, then your mom told my mom that I should end things romantically with you. Then my mom told me that I should not pursue you like a gold digger, telling me that I won't fit in with your social standings,"

Ralph looked fuming already, but she continues with her story while spooning on the scrumptious cake.

"...then I told my mom that I was....pregnant with your kid, that's when she slapped me and I was back on the road," she paused her bites and drink her water as if her last sentence was a hard one for her to speak of. "Maddie, I'm sorry...I shouldn't have left you." He caressed her hand then telling her that he would talk to her mom.

"No, it's okay Ralph. I'm not afraid of her anymore not after I know what my mom thinks of me, I think I'm done with..." she looked at the diamond ring and looked at the man who wanted to be her future husband. "Look, if we do this, the marriage thing, I need you to be on my side. I'm not saying you should cut off your relationship with your mom, I'm just saying I have a say when I want to be in your family events or not." He nodded and caressed her ring finger.

"Okay, but I will talk to my mom regardless. She needs to know about the high pedestal that she sets herself in."

"I'm not going to stop you. But once you do, I know she'd think that I made you do it."

"Maddie," he tried to cut her off but she kept on talking.

"Look Ralph, you know I don't do drama. And family has never been my strong point, I'm not like you. I'm just a kid with divorced parents, I don't even have any siblings."

He knows they would argue every time they talk about his parents. That was why he tried to avoid the subject, but since the day is near he needed to ask her.

"Okay how about this, I take you to my family dinner tonight, introduced you as my fiance then we will see about the family vacation."

"When your mom sees this diamond ring I'm sure she'd label me with the gold digger stamp."

"I pay that with my own money, from the inheritance which my real parents left me,"

Ralph looked offended but she was quick to apologize.

"I'm sorry, it's just that..."

"I know, Maddie. Look, you want to go to the mall? buy the perfect gold digger outfit to wear for dinner?" he smirked trying to lighten up the mood. And it worked she look at him grinning with a mischievous smile.

"You know what? I'll take you up on that challenge," Madison said nudging Ralph to call the waiter.

"...who knows I might get some compliment from your brothers, I'm thinking a deep burgundy body-hugging short dress with a plunging neckline? or maybe backline?"

She was busy talking when Ralph gives his card to the waiter.

"Babe, if you're insisted on doing this for my brothers I'll be upping the game by house hunting and pick out the perfect gold digger apartment. I was thinking of the one with a full-body mirror across the hallway, then golden stairs, and oh! I know, a dedicated room

for your clothes. I think you should forget about your books, those kinds of girls only think about appearance. And I'm sorry about buying you an apartment, I don't think it's wise for me to spend money on a house for my trophy wife." She finally laughs at him and told him to stop.

"Okay, I get it. You can pick my outfit. But I think I'm ready to pick the lingerie for after dinner." She smiled looking at him.

He groaned and was glad that the waiter was back with his card already.

"Come on, let's get this over with." He took her hand and ushered her back to his car. But he stopped to give her a moan-worthy kiss, just before he put the car in gear and took her to the nearest mall.

She was breathless, all flustered and bothered from his last kiss while he took her hand and kissed her ring finger.

"I love you."

She was lulled by his words that she rests back in the passenger seat and smiles while looking out the window to the late afternoon traffic.

*****

"Are you ready? you looked beautiful Maddie."

She was finishing off on her look, Ralph decided to buy her a simple black fitted sleeveless short lacy dress, it looked modest and sexy at the same time.

But then she laughed when she saw the heels that he picked out for her. Red glittery strap heels telling her that it'll go well with the red lingerie that she picked out earlier.

"My naughty man, you peeked at my stuff! but I gotta say this screams gold-digging bitch with every step I take."

"I don't know," Ralph watched as she put the heels on and strap them sexily on her ankles.

"I think you just gave me a hard-on," Ralph adjusted his bulge and walked out of the bedroom, while she giggled and put on her red lipgloss that matches her heels.

They reached his parents two hours later, Ralph already told Dale and his brothers to come to dinner, but told Dale to sit Mable out, thinking the night might get nasty. And Dale didn't ask further, he just told him that he's going to be there. "Woah little Madison, I knew I should've grabbed you when I had the chance. You looked stunning, love the heels." Larry greeted both of them in the foyer and congratulated them when he saw the ring. "Thanks, bro." Ralph hugged his brother.

"So, is this why we can't reach you for our usual night out? you two have been busy, congratulations to both of you." Tyler hugged the couple and told them that Dale is in the lounge with their parents.

Ralph took her hand in his, then whispered everything is going to be okay. That they will leave once she's not comfortable with the situation.

"Ralph, so nice of you to come. Oh, I didn't know that this is a neighborly dinner." His mom greeted him with a warm hug while she courteously kissed Madison on the cheek

"Mom, dad, Dale. I invited Madison for our family dinner because we have an announcement and we would like all of you to be the first to know."

Dale gives her a brotherly hug while his dad shakes her hand.

"Should we eat first?" his mom said, already wanted to ignore her. But Ralph was not having his future precious wife be ignored by his family.

"We're engaged." Ralph took her hand and showed them the ring.

Dale was the first to congratulate him, his dad hugged them both after Dale nudged him to do so. Lately, his dad and Dale have been on the best of terms, so at that point, he was agreeing with his son and worry about his wife later. His mom looked at them with a calculating look.

"But both of you are still young? is this one of those long engagements you young folks are doing? or is this because of the baby?"

All eyes were on them, as they waited for someone to speak of the matter. But his mom continues her words, regardless.

"Your mom called me, asking if you were staying here a couple of weeks back. Then she was accusing our Ralph for not being responsible for her pregnancy. Where did you go? why did you go back to your mom instead of Ralph? is the baby even his?" "Mom! stop it!" Ralph should've known that their mom would be in touch and that her pregnancy would be discussed.

Madison thought that she could handle anything his mom thrown at her. But the mentioning of her baby was it, she was done crying and what comes next was her anger towards his mom, towards the whole f****d up universe, and mostly to her careless self who got into an accident and kill her baby.

"The baby is gone! and it's his! and I'm so sorry, it's one thing when you speak down to me, but not to my DEAD baby!! I'm so sorry Ralph, I thought I can, but I can't, I can't do this."

His dad scolded his wife for telling her off, but then Madison heard her when she accused her of aborting her pregnancy.

Madison took off the ring and give it to Ralph. She walked away from the lounge, Larry tried to stop her but she was frantic and wouldn't listen to him.

Her stupid heels made her stop at Ralph's car, knowing there's no way in hell she could manage to walk from his parents' driveway to find a taxi.

"Maddie, please..." Ralph finally catches up to her, Dale was not far behind. He knows Madison was telling the truth, she knows her since she was a little girl, she has been like a sister to him.

"Why don't you take her up to your room, calm her down while I talk to mom then you can explain everything for Madison. Running away is not the solution, little Maddie."

Dale's nickname for her made her shed another tear and she was in Ralph's arms instantly.

She nodded and let Ralph carried her back into the house.