Take It All Off

by Weston Parker

  “I came by to ask if you wanted to go to lunch with me,” he said, straightening up again. “I feel like Carpaccio, and it’s just not the same to order it in than it is to have at the restaurant.”

  I tapped the side of my mouth. “Carpaccio? That’s the appetizer that’s really just slivers of raw meat and toppings, isn’t it?”

  “When you say it like that, it sounds disgusting.” He grimaced. “Let me take you to a place that will prove to you it’s much more than that.”

  “Okay,” I said the word slowly, dragging it out. “But I have to warn you, I’m not a fan.”

  An hour later, I changed my mind. Marco had brought me to an authentic restaurant on the top floor of a semi-dilapidated building. I’d been hesitant about even entering the place at first, never mind tasting the food.

  He’d convinced me, though, luring me in with pretty words and sexy promises. I’d followed him into the carpeted, cramped dining area.

  Despite its shabby appearance, I had to admit that the variety of appetizers he had ordered was some of the best I’d ever tasted. “Okay, you win. That was awesome.”

  A blinding smile lit his face. “I’m glad I could play a role in the refinement of your taste buds.”

  “Wow, that didn’t sound snobby at all.” I pushed my empty plate away.

  Marco shrugged, chuckling as his shoulders lifted. “I don’t mind sounding snobby if it means you’ll trust me in the future when I suggest a place to eat.”

  “Let’s give it a few hours. I still have to see whether I get sick. But if I don’t get sick, then I won’t question your choices again.”

  “Done.” He grinned. “Wait, that counts for all my choices, right?”

  “Not a chance, but nice try.” I pushed my hair behind my ears, sighing when I realized it was probably almost time to go back to the office. “Before we leave, I have some questions about bills of lading. Do you mind if I pick your brain?”

  “I don’t mind at all, but there’s something else I need to talk to you about. Can we discuss your questions when we get back to the office? I have a meeting at two, but it should be wrapped up by four. Does that work for you?”

  “Sure.” I frowned, my pulse kicking up a notch. When a person said they needed to talk, it usually wasn’t a wonderful sign. Considering that this person was not only the man I was sort of seeing but also my boss, my nerves were suddenly frayed. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “Uh, it’s a personal matter,” he said, delicately picking at his paper napkin. “That’s why I thought it best to discuss it outside of the office.”

  I steeled myself, bracing for the worst. “If this is your way of easing me into it, please don’t. Just rip the band-aid off. What’s going on?”

  Marco’s tongue darted out and swiped across his lower lip, a nervous tick I didn’t think I’d ever seen from him. “My mother wants to meet you.”

  “What?” My jaw loosened so much it practically dropped. “Are you serious?”

  “As a potential heart attack,” he said, his expression grim.

  I blinked too many times in rapid succession. “Why? I thought you said it would be a long time before that would happen. Didn’t we just talk about this after the weekend?”

  “We did, but things have changed.” He rolled his lips into his mouth. “She found out about you, and I’m afraid she’s insisting on meeting you.”

  “Did you tell her—does she know we’re—” I lowered my voice to an urgent whisper. “Sleeping together?”

  “She knows we’re in some kind of a relationship and that it’s very new. I’m assuming she knows there’s a certain level of intimacy that goes along with that.”

  A cold tremble ran down my spine. “How did she find out about me?”

  “Aldo told her.” Marco screwed his eyes shut and sighed. “He thought he was doing right by you because I wasn’t about to tell her without a push.”

  “Why would he do that?” I asked, still whispering furiously. “The last thing I needed was for your mother to find out I’m sleeping with her precious baby before she even meets me.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think it’s the fact that we’re having sex that’s bothering her,” he replied at his normal volume. He shrugged when I widened my eyes at him. “If it makes you feel any better, she didn’t bring it up at all. It’s not your moral compass she takes issue with.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I replied dryly. “It’s my heritage. Is there any way to avoid meeting her for a little while?”

  “Nope. If I don’t take you to her, she’ll come to the office to find you. She knows you work with me.”

  “Great. That’s just fucking great.” I felt a headache creeping up the back of my skull. Pouting as I propped my elbows on the table and laid my head in my hands, I met his concerned gaze. “It’s going to be bad, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” he said without hesitating for so much as a second. “I don’t know how bad but bad. Whatever she says, it’s important to me you know I don’t share her views.”

  “I’d hope not,” I grumbled. Then I reached deep down inside for my big-girl panties. Mentally putting them on, I took a deep breath and forced my mouth to form a smile. “You know what? I’ll be fine.”

  His brow furrowed. “Well, yeah. She’s not going to murder you. It’s the damage to our relationship I’m concerned about.”

  “I won’t hold anything she says against you,” I promised and reached across the table for his hand. “I’m actually glad it’s going to happen now. We can get it out of the way. I know what to expect, and it’s not like I’m going to get more ready to be hated the longer this goes on.”

  Marco paused, then wound his fingers around mine. “You don’t have to go, Addy. If you don’t want to, you can say no.”

  I was shaking my head before he’d even finished his sentence. “I’m ready to meet her. I promise.”

  Releasing a heavy breath, he kept his eyes on mine. It allowed me to see the regret already entering them. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I guess I’ll pick you up for dinner on Saturday?”

  “Consider me warned.” I pulled back my shoulders and lifted my chin, hoping that if I tried to look confident, I’d feel it too. “Don’t worry, Marco. I’m not afraid of your mother.”

  It was a lie—such a gigantic lie— but I had two days to keep repeating it to myself. Maybe I would eventually start believing it.

  Chapter 25

  Marco

  Addy might not be afraid of my mother, but I sure as hell was afraid of what was about to go down at this dinner.

  As I got dressed, I tried to remember all the nasty things my mother had said about Americans over the years. There were a lot of comments, and none of them were remotely good.

  I didn’t even really know why she felt the way she did, other than that she came from a different generation. My mother was super conservative and very patriotic. It wasn’t an excuse, but it was all I had.

  I felt sick at the thought of what she might say in front of Addy and how much pain those opinions might cause a girl that I genuinely liked. Mother’s tongue could be sharper than a blade, and she wouldn’t shy away from saying hurtful things.

  Addy could handle herself. She’d proven it time and again, but that didn’t mean I wanted to watch my mother do her best to obliterate her. There wasn’t a sliver of doubt in my mind that my mom viewed this dinner as a test. One that would be impossible for Addy to pass.

  Once she inevitably failed the test, Mom would be on my ass to break up with her. Probably fire her, too. I sighed into my empty bedroom, watching as the sun set over the terracotta rooftops of the city in the distance.

  Somewhere in that city, Addy was getting ready for a night that was going to be brutal. I’d tried to discourage her from going to dinner again on Friday, and then I’d sent her three texts earlier to make sure she really knew what she was getting into.

  The only reply I kept getting was a series of thumbs-up emojis. I didn’t
know what she was thumbs-upping, but I was assuming it meant she was still of the opinion that she was ready to meet my mom.

  Since it seemed nothing was going to stop the two females in my life from meeting and clashing like runaway fucking trains, I’d decided to take a page out of Addy’s playbook. I’d seen the moment at lunch when she’d accepted her fate and tried to be gracious about it. That was all I could do now, too.

  Well, that, and strangle my brother. I still couldn’t believe he’d put us in this position. Despite how good his intentions had been, they had definitely paved the road to hell for Addy and me tonight.

  I could deal with it if she decided she wanted to call off the benefits part of our relationship. It would suck, and I’d spend most of my time at the office with blue balls, but I could suck it up.

  What I was more afraid of was her resigning as a result of this evening. It had taken me a long time to find someone with the specific touch she had with clients, and replacing her now would be a bitch.

  My clients were getting used to her, and everyone she’d dealt with had commended me on hiring her. It would be really annoying if she resigned now, even if I would completely understand it.

  In the back of my mind, I knew dealing with the consequences wouldn’t be as easy or as cut and dry as I was trying to convince myself it would be. Dealing with losing the personal side of our relationship certainly wouldn’t be fucking fun, and if she resigned, I wouldn’t only be annoyed.

  Why are you doing this then? a voice whispered from the darkest recesses of my mind.

  But the answer was simple. I felt like I was about to lead a lamb to the slaughter, but if I didn’t, the slaughterer would come to my office, and it would become a public spectacle I desperately wanted to avoid.

  I had dressed for the occasion, too. I was in all black from head to toe. It seemed fitting.

  Serious misgivings about the evening swarmed around my mind as I headed out. This was an awful idea. A horrible one that was sure to backfire on me, even if it didn’t happen tonight.

  Addy was waiting for me outside her apartment building when I arrived. She held an oven dish covered in tinfoil in her hands, and a wide smile lifted her lips when she spotted my car.

  She seemed overly excited for someone who knew she was headed into the lion’s den. Waving as I pulled up to the curb, she made her way over to me.

  “Hi,” she said cheerfully when I climbed out to get her door for her. “I made lasagna. Is your mom going to be okay with that?”

  “It depends on how good it is,” I replied honestly. “Lasagna is a specialty of hers, though. She’s bound to be a harsh critic.”

  Some color faded from Addy’s cheeks, but then she rallied. “Let her bring it on. Elena’s mom helped me perfect my recipe. It’s really good. I feel good about it.”

  I reached across the console and squeezed her hand after we’d gotten into the car. She turned in her seat to face me as she clipped in her seatbelt. “It’ll be fine, Marco. Relax. I’ve got this.”

  “No. No, you really don’t got this. There is no such thing as got this with my mother. Not for us.”

  A soft smile spread on her lips before she lifted our joined hands and planted a kiss on the back of mine. “Just the fact that you’re this freaked out by it means it will be fine. I see how uncomfortable this situation makes you, and that means that you actually care.”

  “Of course, I care. I’ve just found you. Do you know how difficult it will be to explain to clients why my brand-new and beloved liaison left after such a short stint at the company?”

  “Stop worrying,” she said confidently. “I’m not going anywhere. Whatever your mom dishes out, I can take it. Trust me, I’m tougher than I look.”

  I caught the tightening of her jaw as I pulled out of my parking spot. “I’m sure you are, but do you care to tell me why you suddenly look like you could punch someone?”

  “Nope.” Her voice was cheerful again, singsong almost. But her posture was still stiff. “It’s not something we should get into on the way to your mother’s house. It’ll only put me in a bad mood to explain why I’ve had to be tougher than I look.”

  A thought hit me that was so unexpected and so infuriating that it made red dots swim across my vision. My hand tightened on the steering wheel until it felt like it might disintegrate beneath my grip.

  “Did someone hurt you?” I gritted out. I’d never really questioned her motives for leaving the States and not having any intention of moving back. She’d claimed it was because she’d always wanted to travel, but was there more to it than that?

  Addy let out a humorless chuckle, then shook her head. “Not in the way you’re thinking. I’ve been hurt a lot but never physically.”

  Some tension melted out of my muscles but not all of it. “I won’t push you for details now because I really don’t want to put you in a bad mood, but can we talk about this later?”

  “Sure,” she said with a flippant wave of her hand. “Later. Much later. Like months from now later.”

  I expelled a soft breath, but I didn’t argue. If she wanted to tell me in a few months’ time when she was ready, I was just going to have to suck it up and wait.

  As we entered my mother’s neighborhood, nerves skittered across my skin. It felt like I had touched a live wire, and it was as unpleasant as it was foreign. I never felt like this. Not anymore anyway.

  “Just so I’m clear, no matter what happens, you won’t quit your job, right?” I asked as I rounded the last corner to the house.

  Addy sat up straighter, seemingly sensing that we were getting close. “No matter what happens, I won’t quit my job.”

  “Good,” I said. “That’s good. I’m holding you to that.”

  “Please do.” She smiled and reached out to me, running her fingers along the scruff on my jaw. I hadn’t shaven earlier. The black stubble matched my mood. “I think I like this. It’s prickly, but it suits you.”

  “I’m prickly?” I risked a glance at her. “That’s strange. I didn’t think I was prickly around you.”

  “Not usually, no,” she agreed. “But you have been these last couple of days.”

  I swallowed past a dry spot in my throat. I was going to need so much Grappa when we got there. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be. I’d also like to apologize in advance for anything my mom might say.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for her.” Addy’s voice was quieter now, barely audible above the hum of the engine. “She’s your mom. She raised you, but that doesn’t mean you can be held responsible for her actions. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you nervous.”

  “Don’t get used to it,” I grumbled. “I don’t do nervous. I haven’t been truly nervous for years.”

  “Why are you so nervous about this then? You already have my word that I won’t quit. What else is bugging you?”

  Releasing a huff of air, I leaned into her small hand on my jaw. “I love my mother, but I don’t like knowing she might say something that will hurt you. She’s a great woman who’s fiercely loyal, wise, and loving. Knowing that I have to be nervous to go home because you’re probably not going to get to see that side of her just doesn’t sit right with me.”

  “Maybe someday I’ll get to see that side of her,” she said. “For now, don’t let it get to you this much. It’s just dinner, right? You never know. She might even surprise you.”

  “I seriously doubt it.” Not after the way she’d reacted when she’d found out Addy was American. “But you’re right. It’s only dinner. How bad can the next few hours really be?”

  “That’s the spirit.” I heard the smile in her voice, but my eyes were suddenly fixed on my mother’s house. Outside of her front door was a figure dressed in the same inky colors I was, and she wasn’t happy.

  Even from this distance, I could tell Mom was upset. It was there in the hunch of her shoulders and the rigidity of her spine. When we got closer, I saw the scowl on her face.

  Yeah.
The next few hours could get really, really bad.

  The protective urge I’d always felt toward my mother warred with the knowledge that what was about to happen was on her. On the one hand, I wanted to leap out of the car and tear the city to pieces until I’d destroyed what had upset her, and on the other, I just wanted to take her by those hunched shoulders and tell her to snap out of it.

  My stomach dropped as I parked, and my eyes connected with hers through the window. There was a storm swirling in those black depths, and it was headed right toward Addy.

  Chapter 26

  Addy

  Oh holy mother of—well, Marco.

  The calm and even excited facade I’d managed to hold on to came crumbling down when the car slowed and eased into a narrow parking space.

  An older woman, who I assumed was his mom, was waiting for us outside. Her gaze zeroed in on the car, and a chill ran down my spine.

  For an older and surprisingly frail-looking woman, the expression she wore was formidable. I took the brief time I would have to survey her while Marco parked the car. There was no way I would risk getting caught staring at her once we got out.

  Her small body was wrapped in black cloth, which seemed to have been the Ricci go-to for this dinner. Marco also rocked all black, leaving me to wonder about my bright purple maxi-dress. I’d chosen it because it was conservatively cut and Elena had said it made me look wholesome, but now I thought I should have gone with a more somber color.

  Since it was too late to change, I decided not to obsess about it. Just because they’d dressed as if they were going to a funeral didn’t mean I had to. I opted for embracing the uniqueness of the color I’d chosen instead. I was going to stick out like a sore thumb in this family anyway. Wearing black wouldn’t have changed that.

  Plus, I had it on good authority that this dress brought out my eyes. If eyes were the windows to the soul, I was practically daring this woman to peer into mine and see me for who I was.