“It would’ve mattered to me.” I realized that sounded selfish, which was the exact opposite of what I was trying to convey, so I tried to clarify. “I’m not going to let you sacrifice something you worked so hard for because I’m worried about something that might happen. Sure, the idea of my name being dragged through the mud causes me anxiety, but I’m not going to let my anxiety become yours. What good does that do us?”
“Maybe none. Maybe it causes more problems than it fixes. But it also puts us on a level playing field.”
“This isn’t a game,” I said before he could continue.
I could see his expression shift after I spoke. He looked like he was trying to hold back anger that was building inside.
“I know it’s not a game,” he shot back. “It’s a fucking analogy, Sophia. Jesus. This is the opposite of a game to me. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. This”—he gestured between us—“this is the most important thing to me. More important than some bar or your dad believing in me. It’s more important than anything.”
Swallowing hard, I reached up to wipe a tear away from my cheek, but Drew beat me to it.
“Don’t cry,” he said. “Please don’t cry.”
“I’m trying not to,” I said, but more tears fell at my words. “I’m just… This isn’t a game to me either. I love you. I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry. I was trying to protect you.”
He rubbed his thumbs over my skin to swipe away at some more tears. Then he gave me a kiss on my forehead. “Isn’t it supposed to work the other way around? Aren’t I supposed to be the one protecting you?”
He pulled me against him, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. “Maybe we should both protect each other. Level playing field, remember?”
I felt him smile before he put a hand under my chin and lifted my head to look at him. “You scared the hell out of me when I thought you weren’t gonna come tonight. Promise you won’t ever do some crazy shit like that again?”
“Promise,” I said, raising my hand up. “And for the record, I was always gonna come tonight.”
“Really?” he said, his tone heavy with innuendo. “I can get on board with that.” He kissed me so slowly, so gently, that it nearly caused me to crumble in his arms.
“You’re so dirty,” I said when our lips separated long enough for me to speak.
He laughed softly before saying, “You wanna see dirty?” Then he put his hands under my ass and lifted me up and onto the bar.
When he followed me up and climbed over me, I said, “You don’t have security cameras out here, do you?”
“Of course we do,” he said as he kissed my neck. He was already sliding my shirt up, and I did nothing to resist. “I’ll make sure no one sees the video. Well, except for me. I might have to make a copy and keep it for later.”
“You’re so bad,” I told him.
“It’s what you love about me.”
“One of the many things I love about you,” I said.
And for the next hour or so, I got to feel some of the other things I loved about him too.
Chapter Twenty-Three
S O P H I A
“This is really beautiful, Mr. and Mrs. Mason,” Vee said as she looked around the large dining room full of white linens, crystal stemware, and traditionally uniformed waitstaff.
The opulent, three-tiered chandelier added even more class to the room, though its light was unnecessary with the wall of windows that let sunlight stream inside. I’d never paid attention to the finer details of the country club when I was young, but as an adult I’d come to appreciate how beautiful it was.
“Please, call me Kate,” my mom said, her chestnut bob perfectly framing her beautiful face. I hoped to age half as well as my mother. “Or Mom, if that’s comfortable for you.”
Brody lurched forward, almost spitting his water all over the table. My parents looked at him curiously.
“Sorry. I thought I saw…a…clown,” Brody said when he stopped coughing.
“A clown?” my mom said as she spun around to try to locate what Brody was talking about.
“Uh, yeah, but it was just a server with a lot of makeup.”
Aamee and I exchanged glances and both flattened our lips in an attempt not to laugh. I could never understand how someone who lied as frequently as Brody could be so horrendous at it.
“It’s wonderful you could join us, Aamee,” my dad said as he put the small brunch menu down. Elmwood Country Club had never offered much by way of selection on special holidays, but what they did serve was always delicious.
“Thank you for including me. It’s been quite a while since I’ve gotten to enjoy a country club brunch.”
“It’s our pleasure,” my mom said with a smile for people she was humoring.
My mom hadn’t ever said so, but I got the distinct impression she wasn’t very fond of Aamee. Maybe it was due to all the issues we’d had in the fall. Or maybe she recognized another bloodthirsty social climber and felt threatened. Both were equally plausible.
“Though we’re disappointed Drew couldn’t make it,” my mom said to me.
“Yeah, he is too,” I said with all the sincerity I could muster. Which wasn’t much, considering a root canal would be better than partaking in a stuffy meal with my parents.
I also managed to refrain from pointing out that they’d never asked me to invite Drew. Though when Drew had told me he’d felt a little hurt by my excluding him, I realized I should’ve extended the invitation anyway. I’d been trying to spare him but had only hurt his feelings. Again.
“Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Mason. Happy Father’s Day, sir,” Rocco, one of the servers who’d been at the club a long time, said when he approached.
He wasn’t much older than Brody and had asked me out once the summer before I started college. I’d declined, and he’d gone on a rant about how I was a spoiled brat who thought I was too good for him. Evidently the fact that he was a total sleazeball wasn’t a believable excuse.
“Sophia, Brody, good to see you again,” he continued. “Who else do you have with you today?”
“This is Brody’s wife, Veronica,” my mom said. “And that’s Sophia’s good friend, Aamee.” My mom had hesitated on the word friend, causing her to overly enunciate it when she finally pushed it through her lips. It was probably because she couldn’t wrap her mind around how that could be an apt description.
But the way Rocco’s face registered shock, it became clear he’d interpreted my mom’s fumble a different way.
“Oh, how wonderful for you, Brody. And you too, Sophia. A very courageous decision.”
“What’s courageous exactly?” I asked, my tone overly innocent, as if I didn’t know where his mind had gone.
“Just, uh”—Rocco gestured between Aamee and me—“you and your…your relationship.”
I smiled sweetly. “Well, I’m simply thrilled to have your blessing.”
Everyone at our table was staring at Rocco, and his eyes went wide in alarm, as it likely occurred to him he’d misstepped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound patronizing.”
“I think ya did,” I muttered as I picked up my menu and perused it.
“Ew, does he think we’re together?” Aamee said a little too loudly.
“Yup.”
“Oh. Do I, like, give off a vibe or something?” she asked Rocco, who looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. “Not that it would be bad if I did,” she quickly added. “We are very open-minded and inclusive at Zeta Eta Chi. But…just…do I?”
Rocco stammered for a second before finding his words. “My apologies. I leaped to the wrong conclusion.”
“Okay, but do I?” Aamee asked again more forcibly.
“I think we’re ready to order, Rocco,” my dad said.
“Oh, yes, of course. What can I get for you?”
We all placed our orders, and Rocco hauled ass out of there.
“Well, that was a Father’s Day memory we won’t soon forget,” my mom
said.
“So, Veronica, tell us about yourself,” my dad said, obviously trying to change the subject.
“Um, okay. I— I’m not sure where to start. My immediate family all lives in New York, and I’m considered the black sheep for moving wherever job prospects take me. My plan is to focus on criminal issues with my international law degree.”
My parents were hanging on her every word, and Veronica began to look a bit panicked.
“I’m a Pisces who once had a tarot card reader tell me I would never find true happiness,” she continued. “So, you know, that was a blow. And—”
Brody reached out and put a hand over hers on the table. “No need to put Vee on the spot, Mom. You’ll have the rest of our lives to get to know her.”
I managed to refrain from saying how little time that probably was, considering Mom and Dad were likely to kill him once they found out he’d lied about the marriage.
Mom raised her water glass. “How very true.”
Another server dropped our drinks off, and I wondered if Rocco had sold a vital organ for someone else to take our table.
Our food came out soon after, and we fell into perfunctory conversation about a variety of topics: how things were going at Dad’s company, my course load for the fall, Aamee’s plans now that she’d graduated, and my mom’s work with various nonprofits. It was oddly enjoyable until our plates had been cleared and Mom said she wanted to show us something.
“What is it?” Brody asked.
“It’s a surprise. Right this way.” She then stood and flounced away down one of the corridors, my dad right on her heels.
We all shared a wary look before following.
“Is there even anything down this way?” Brody asked.
“Nothing except the ballrooms, unless they added something since last summer.”
We trudged down the empty hallway, and I felt like I was reenacting a scene from The Shining.
Finally my mom arrived at a set of wide double doors and turned around to smile at us before throwing them open and stepping inside. When we’d joined her, she spread her arms wide. “What do you think?”
We shared a look before Brody said, “About what?”
“The ballroom.”
“It’s…nice.” He sounded like he’d been given a pop quiz he wasn’t prepared for.
“It is, isn’t it? I think it’ll be perfect for the wedding.”
“Whose wedding?” Brody asked.
“Your wedding.”
“Mom,” I said in an attempt to help Brody out. “You do realize they’re already married, right?”
“Yes, but I didn’t get to be part of that wedding,” my mom replied, a decided pout in her voice.
“Well, the wedding isn’t really about you, so…” Brody said.
My mom’s look turned dark, and I rushed to cover before she detonated.
“I think Vee is really busy with her internship, and Brody has the job at the bar. It’s probably not a great time for them to plan a wedding.”
“Oh, but I’d love to plan it. They can just show up. And this way our entire family can be part of the ceremony. We haven’t even told them Brody got married, so for them, it would be the first time.” She clapped her hands. “We can even get Uncle Marc to officiate. I could make his day if I told him he could marry the two of you.”
That’s when it all made sense. This was less about her wanting to be part of her son’s big day and more about not wanting to tell our extended family that Brody took off to parts unknown and eloped with a stranger.
“I really appreciate that, Mrs. Mason… Kate,” Vee amended when my mom looked at her. “But this is too much. I can’t accept something like this.”
“Okay,” my mom said, her disappointment clear.
“Okay,” Brody said, sounding relieved.
“We’ll just have it at the house, then,” my mom added.
“Have what at the house?” Brody was tense again.
“The wedding. We’ll keep it simple and have a casual affair at our house. How does the beginning of August sound? It’ll be hot, but we’ll have it under the oak tree. And if we have water stations and fans, it should be fine.”
“Mom, we really don’t—”
My mom held up her hand. “I won’t take no for an answer. I’ll take care of everything.” She walked over and drew both Brody and Vee into a hug. “This makes me so happy. Thank you for giving me this.” She pulled back, gave them one last smile, and then turned to my dad. “Okay, let’s head out. I have a spa appointment this afternoon. Bye, dears,” she called over her shoulder.
When she was gone, Vee asked, “What the hell just happened?”
“A Kate Mason tornado,” I replied.
“She truly is an inspiration,” Aamee said on a dreamy sigh. When we all stared at her, she continued. “The way she emotionally manipulated all of you so she could get what she wanted? Masterful. I hope to have half that talent when I have my own kids.”
I patted Aamee on the shoulder. “You’ve already shown amazing promise.”
She beamed. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
I nodded, allowing Aamee to take the compliment I hadn’t intended to be one.
“So what do we do now?” Vee asked.
Brody pushed a hand through his hair. “We may have to fake your death.”
Vee looked alarmed, so I looped my arm through hers.
“We can probably be less extreme than that. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”
We always did.
D R E W
Xander and I pulled up to my parents’ house at a little after three.
I’d followed through on my thought to invite him, and to my surprise, he’d actually accepted. When we got out, I could smell the grill going, and it made my stomach rumble. My dad was always surprisingly good at barbecuing and refused to let anyone else near his precious Weber, which he took care of like it was a valuable family heirloom. I’d offered to do the grilling in the past so he could enjoy the day and had been met with a glare so fierce, I’d never made the same mistake again.
Even though it meant spending a few hours with my crazy-ass family, I was thankful to have the time away from the Yard. I’d been there every day leading up to the opening as well as almost every waking moment the past two days and earlier today. Sean had promised he’d keep an eye on things and told me to go the hell home.
Sean had decided to close the deck on Mondays and Tuesdays to keep our overhead down, and after barely surviving opening weekend, I was grateful for that decision.
“You did ask your parents if it was okay for me to come, right?” Xander asked as we walked toward the door.
“Um…” I winced.
“Shit, man. Will they mind?”
“Definitely not,” I said, and I meant it.
My mom loved putting on a show for company. In that regard, I imagined she was like Sophia’s mom, though neither would probably ever admit to the similarity.
My mom loved appearing like a doting mother. She just wasn’t so great at making that translate into reality. It wasn’t that she wasn’t well-intentioned, but she tended to be selfish when push came to shove.
Xander sighed but didn’t say anything more as I opened the door and stepped inside.
“Anyone home?” I yelled. A perfunctory greeting, but it was all I could think of to announce our arrival.
“In the kitchen” came my mom’s answering call.
I started that way but saw Hazel, the daughter of my sister’s boyfriend, sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone.
“Hey, Hazel. How’s it going?”
“I’m here, so horrible,” she said without looking up.
I glanced at Xander, who looked like he wanted to burst out laughing, before turning back to Hazel. “Well, it’s good to see you.”
“I bet,” she grumbled.
As I started toward the kitchen again, Xander leaned in and whispered, “How old
is she?”
“I think she just turned nine.”
“Wow. She’s beyond her years when it comes to sarcasm and snark.”
“Being around my sister will do that to a person.”
The small kitchen was bustling and chaotic, all my sisters yelling and moving around as they pretended to help my mom set up for the cookout. In reality, they were just getting in the way and stealing bits of food.
“Hi, everyone,” I yelled.
“Hi, honey,” my mom said, never looking up from the vegetables she was cutting. “Your dad’s outside.”
“Who’s your friend?” my older sister Courtney asked.
That got my mom’s attention. She quickly lifted her head and began drying her hands on her apron.
“Oh, you brought a friend,” she said. “Welcome.” She smiled widely as she approached, extending a hand.
“This is my buddy, Xander. Xander, this is my mom, Pam, and my sisters, Amber, Courtney, and Heather.”
He shook my mom’s hand awkwardly and said, “Nice to meet all of you. Sorry for crashing your party.”
“Nonsense. The more the merrier,” my mom said before she went back to her chopping.
“Drinks are outside in the cooler. Heather, go get our guest a drink.”
Heather looked at Xander with a vaguely irritated though expectant look on her face.
Xander held up a hand. “I’m good for now.”
“So no Sophia?” my mom asked.
“No, she’s with her dad today,” I replied, trying to sound casual and not at all bothered by the fact that we’d both made plans with our families without including the other. We needed to be better about meshing all the aspects of our lives.
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
“Yeah,” I said because I wasn’t sure how else to reply.
Amber cleared her throat. “So, Xander…” The way she said his name sounded like she didn’t believe it was his name. She was so freaking weird. “How do you know our Drew?”
Two Truths & a Lime (The Love Game Book 3) Page 18
