When You Know Ch. 04

"Actually..." he started. "Jessica and I broke up, over the summer."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Richard," Vicky said consolingly. "What happened?"

"We were just so different," Richard said. "We wanted different things; after a while we lost that passion for each other and came to realize that...well I came to realize it."

"That's too bad," Vicky said with a raised eyebrow. Did they really lose their passion? Or was Richard using that as an excuse? She suspected the latter, but still she worried it was the other one, and that could bode ill for her own relationship. Would that happen to her and Joe?

"I'm glad you found Richard," Caroline said with a smile. "I guess he told you he's single again."

"Yes, Mother," Vicky replied with a glare. Suddenly she realized why Richard was invited. Caroline probably didn't like him anymore that she did before, but he was a better match in her eyes than Joe.

"You two should get together, in the New Year," Caroline offered. "To catch up on old times."

"I'd like that," Richard said with hope. Vicky studied him though, and quickly saw he was acting more of desperation than anything. She was more suitable to his own parents than Jessica no doubt, and he was looking to please them again. It was no different than her and Joe, except Richard had given in. Vicky vowed to be different.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I'll be spending time with my boyfriend," she emphasized, more to her mother than Richard. "Did my mother tell you I've been dating someone for 9 months now?"

"Yeah, he's a bartender..." Richard started.

"No he's a lawyer, a damn good one too," Vicky replied. "But that doesn't matter; all that matters is I love him. Isn't that right mother?"

"Whatever you say dear," Caroline icily replied.

"Well, it was good to see you Richard, enjoy the rest of the party," Vicky said quickly. "Mother, may I have a word with you."

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," she started after pulling Caroline into another room. "I'm not leaving Joe for Richard. I don't know what happened between him and his fiancée, but I'm guessing it wasn't really his choice."

"He saw the light, like you have to dear," Caroline said. "That girl was not suited for him, his parents made it clear. And Richard still values his parents' judgements. Now, won't you please see it too and give up this silly fantasy?"

"Get this through your head," Vicky spit out. "I love Joe, nothing you say or do will change it."

"Victoria, why do you have to be so difficult," her mother replied, exasperated. "I'm only trying to show you what's best for you."

"Because I know what I want now," Vicky said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get Joe and get the hell out of here."

As Vicky was interacting with Richard and her mother, Joe was pulling Henry Mullen back into his study, the site of their disastrous meeting months ago. He was determined it would go different this time, and he had an important question he needed an answer to.

"So what did you need to talk about, Joe," Henry started. "I really only have a few minutes..."

"I'll only take a few minutes, sir," Joe said, mustering all his courage for this. "I love Vicky, I want to spend my life with her sir. I want to ask Vicky to marry me, and I would like to have your blessing. I'm willing to do whatever you want to make that happen."

"Joe, I admire you, I really do," Henry replied honestly. "This took guts to do this, considering everything. But there's nothing you can do to change my mind. Vicky is not a good match for you."

"She is, sir, with all due respect," Joe continued. "She makes me whole, like my mother did my father, like you do with your wife. How can I prove it to you?"

"It's not a matter of proving, Joe," Henry said dismissively. "You don't want the same things. Vicky is about to be a named partner; it comes with so many responsibilities. Working at the DA's office is not good enough for the life partner she needs."

"She doesn't want that job," Joe said. "She's told me."

"Well, I've known my daughter longer than you," Henry said with confidence. "She's been working her whole life for this moment. If she gives it up now, she's doing it for you and only you. How will that make you feel? And how do you think she'll feel after a while, when she realizes what she gave up."

"She doesn't have to give it up if she doesn't want to," Joe replied. "I would never ask her to do that for me; I'll support anything she wants to do."

"Maybe, but deep down I know you don't like her having that job," Henry said. "It'll eat at you, both of you, but by then it will be too late."

"I can support her," Joe persisted. "I'll get a job in corporate law, if that's what she wants...if that's what you want."

"Well that's admirable, Joe, it really is," Henry replied. "But we both know it's not you."

"You weren't much different from me at my age," Joe said. "Look at you now."

"Yeah, but that's because we're not really alike," Henry explained. "Sure we have similar backgrounds, but from an early age I knew that kind of life was not for me. I was ambitious, maybe even nakedly so. That's what won over Caroline's father, not my love for his daughter, but my willingness to do whatever I needed to get ahead."

"You're different, Joe...idealistic, you're not as ambitious," he continued. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing...it's not, it works for you. But it doesn't make you right for my daughter. It doesn't make you Mullen material."

"I'm not interested in being Mullen material, not anymore," Joe said, anger rising. "I see that now. I'm just interested in being Vicky material."

"Joe," Richard said with a sigh. "Let me tell you how this plays out, with a real example. As we speak, Vicky is probably noticing Richard is here...you know Richard, right?"

"Her ex-boyfriend?" Joe asked, confused.

"Yes, in many ways he was like you too," Richard started. "He thought he found the woman he loved; he broke my Vicky's heart to chase it. But they were too different, and he realized it over time. The girl just wanted to live a simple life; she wasn't interested in the lifestyle we have here. Richard was, though, and he realized they could never bridge that gap. So they broke up."

"That's them," Joe replied. "It's not me and Vicky."

"But it will be, trust me," Richard tried to explain. "Vicky still wants this life, she wants us in her life. She won't commit to you if it means displeasing us, no matter what she says to you now. I think you realize this, otherwise you wouldn't be here trying so hard to win me over."

This was like a punch in the gut to Joe; it was indeed his worst fear. It took whatever remaining fight he had out of him.

"I'm never going to convince you, am I?" he said to Henry with sadness.

"No, son, I'm sorry," Henry replied. "I'm doing you a favor, believe me, now I need to get back to my guests. Feel free to enjoy the rest of the party." With that, Henry left. Joe slumped on the couch for a few minutes then got up to leave. As he did, Vicky entered, looking for him and her father.

"Baby, what happened?" she said, alarmed at the look on his face, which was drained of all color. "What did he say?"

"Nothing, we just talked for a while, no big deal," he tried to deflect. "I need to use the bathroom, then we can go if you want." He didn't want her to see him break down.

"OK, baby," she said, tears in her own eyes. "Wait for me, I have to do one thing." Her sadness turned to anger, as she prepared to confront her father once and for all.

As she exited the study, she saw him with some of his partners, and made a beeline to him.

"Vicky dear, you remember..." he started when seeing her approach.

"Not now, I need to speak with you," she grabbed him by the arm and ushered him to a back room.

"What do you think you're doing young lady!" her father hissed at her once they were out of earshot. "You're embarrassing me in front of my guests."

"I don't give a flying fuck about you and your guests," she hissed right back. "You need to hear what I have to say once and for all."

"Very well Victoria," Henry replied. "Say your peace."

"The games are over father, you lost," Vicky said with confidence. "Whatever you said to Joe in there, know this; he sees you now, for who you really are. His days of trying to please you are over."

"Maybe you should talk to him about what was said," was all her father replied.

"I don't care," Vicky said. "I know what's going to happen now, not you. He's going to ask me to marry him dad, soon."

"If you say so," her father replied.

"Oh, I know so, and when you know, you know," she retorted.

"What does that nonsense even mean?" her father laughed.

"It means he's asking me, he may have even asked your permission in there, because that's the kind of man he is," Vicky replied, correctly of course. "You obviously didn't give it. But that's fine. He knows who you are now, and it won't stop him. I know him, you don't."

"Please see reason, dear," Henry begged his only daughter. She had read his conversation with Joe well, and now he wondered if she really was right.

"I am seeing reason," Vicky said, completely calm now. "He's asking me, I know it with all my heart. And I'm saying yes. We're getting married; I'm going to have his babies. So you and mother can get on board now, or don't and then suffer the consequences of not being in our lives, in your grandchildrens' lives. That's up to you. But you don't get a say in what happens. Not anymore."

With that, Vicky stormed out to find Joe. She was certain everything she said was true, she realized for some time why Joe was so anxious for this day. And his devastated look in her office told her what happened when he did ask. Now she needed to convince him she truly didn't care about her parents' thoughts, so he actually would ask the question she desperately wanted to give an answer to.

Henry was stopped in his tracks by his daughter's words. He realized he would have to do more to prevent both of them from ruining their lives. But what? He thought of taking Joe up on his word, and getting him a corporate law job. He knew Joe would hate it, and it would be long hours and time away from Vicky; it would be a perfect relationship killer.

But Henry knew Vicky would probably talk him out of taking it, and Henry honestly wanted to find another way anyway. He didn't want to ruin the kid's life; despite himself, he had come to like and admire Joe. But that still didn't mean he was Mullen material.

Suddenly, the idea came to him, in the form of a program that came across his desk a few weeks ago. It was perfect; he cursed himself for not thinking of it sooner. It was one Joe couldn't turn down, and one that Vicky wouldn't let him. And it would take him far away from Philadelphia; a win-win for everyone, even if his Vicky wouldn't see it that way initially.

"Jeffrey," he said upon returning to the party to one of the lawyers who worked at his firm. "You still have the details on that environmental law program for graduates from overlooked law schools, outside the top 25 rankings?"

"The 3 year one, in London?" Jeffrey replied. "Yeah, they're still looking for a Philly candidate for it, someone who went to Temple or Drexel."

"I have the perfect person," Richard said with a smile. "It's the perfect opportunity for him. Let's talk about it on Monday."