But this man was old school and he’d never call her anything other than her legal name. More’s the pity.
“Good afternoon, Richard,” she replied, greeting the man with that politically polite smile that she’d worn since she was old enough to be taken out in public. “Is my mother here?”
The man bowed slightly. “She is indeed,” he replied. He took one of the leather menus out from a hidden cubby in the podium and gestured to the dining room. “This way, please.”
Lilly followed the man, refusing to look at the other diners for fear that she’d have to acknowledge the stares. Goodness, she hated this! Thankfully, her mother’s table wasn’t far.
“Good afternoon, Mother,” she said, giving her mother air kisses on both cheeks before she sat down.
“Hello, Lilliane,” her mother greeted. But as soon as the greeting was over, Lilliane looked up to find her mother’s censorious eyes taking in her outfit. “Are those your grandmother’s pearls?” she asked.
Lilly’s hand lifted nervously to her neck, her fingers caressing the simple strand of pearls. “Yes. They are.”
Her mother sighed dramatically. “Darling, why would you wear them on an ordinary day? They are special. Your grandmother presented those to you on your sixteenth birthday as a gift of love and respect. And you’re wearing them here? Just to lunch?”
Lilly didn’t bother to mention that she worked most days. Her mother had been a politician’s wife all her life and considered it her life’s goal to further her husband’s political aspirations.
“How is Dad?” she asked, changing the subject. She loved these pearls and had adored her grandmother. The sweet, elderly woman had been the one person who hadn’t judged Lilly during her childhood. If Lilly had decided to fly to the moon, her grandmother would have lifted her fist into the air and told her to “Fly hard!” If Lilly had said she’d wanted to be a chef, her grandmother would have gone out and bought her special cooking tools, but kept them at her own house so that Lilly could practice. The Von Deuch household had a housekeeper who cooked and Janice never would have allowed her daughter to interfere with “silly, messy hobbies” that might disrupt the smooth running of the household.
In other words, Lilly missed her grandmother’s unconditional support and love. She had passed away about five years ago. The funeral had been a massive event, with dignitaries from all over the world coming to pay their respects. Janice Von Deuch had been in her element, the center of attention, where she preferred to be. Even Lilly’s father, the esteemed Senator Von Deuch, who had been struggling to win his election for a fourth term as a senator from Virginia, had been thrilled with the media attention.
“Your father is well, dear. He’s in the Caribbean right now, brokering a deal for some sort of agreement between the island nations.” Janice waved her hand dismissively as if whatever was going on was irrelevant to her. “I don’t know what it’s about really, but your father was eager to get started.”
Lilly chuckled. “You mean, Dad went down for a free vacation?”
Her mother’s eyes hardened. “Lillianne, that is not appropriate, nor are comments like that productive.”
Lilly rolled her eyes as she draped the linen napkin over her lap. “Mother, you know those international fact finding trips are just a boondoggle. Dad and his senator friends are wined and dined and…” she didn’t finish because there had been a scandal a couple years back about politicians and prostitutes and…well, Lilly had been warned firmly never to bring that subject up again. “Well, it’s a boondoggle that the tax payers front.”
“That’s not true and you know it,” Janice snapped.
Lilly picked up her menu, startled to notice she felt…in control. When was the last time she’d felt this way when with her mother? Not in a while, she thought, if ever. Her mother was one of those incredibly judgmental parents. Lilly couldn’t do anything right in her mother’s eyes. And her father? Good grief, he just wanted Lilly to marry one of his political cronies and have Lilly become yet another political wife who caters to her husband.
That was fine for Lilly’s mother. Janice thrived on throwing elaborate parties. It was definitely a skill, knowing who to invite, what foods to serve so as not to offend the dignitaries. Lilly had seen her mother smooth over some of the most difficult, tense moments at a dinner party and have everyone laughing by the end. Janice was truly an asset to her husband’s senatorial ambitions.
Lilly often wondered why her father never ran for president. He certainly had the charm and the good looks to step into the role. He was also powerful enough to be on some of the highest visibility committees within the Senate. Which was another reason why her father was so wealthy. Granted, he’d also married extremely well. Janice was the daughter of a very wealthy man who had been more than happy to finance her father’s campaigns. But there was more to it than that. Her father…he just knew things that were happening in the world and made strategic financial moves that tended to double his wealth, as well as that of his father-in-law.
The whole system was just a massive scam, in Lilly’s opinion. The senators knew what drugs or laws were about to be approved or rejected. They could then step in and buy up stocks in companies that would benefit from the passage of those laws. It was illegal, but Lilly knew it happened all the time. Which was yet one more reason why Lilly stayed as far away from the political machine as she could.
“You know, your father will begin his campaign again in the fall. I’m hoping that you’ll be a more visible member of the family during this year’s campaign.”
“No,” Lilly replied quickly while she reached for a roll and her knife, slathering butter with a liberal hand.
“Lilly,” her mother sighed, “it was embarrassing during the last campaign when you didn’t show up for your father’s events. Not even one! But we were able to explain your absence because you were in school working on your master’s degree. But you’re not in school now, darling. It will be much more difficult to explain your absence this time. So, your father has decided to schedule you for several speeches. He’s even hired a coach that will work with you over the summer.”
Lilly’s stomach clenched with horror at the idea. “No,” she repeated, but with firmer emphasis.
The waiter arrived, ready to take their orders.
Janice smiled up at the man. “We’ll both have the spinach salad and a glass of white wine, George. Thank you so much.”
The man bowed and took their menus, disappearing before Lilly could contradict her mother.
“Mother, you know that I hate spinach,” Lilly argued, turning to try to get the waiter’s attention.
“It’s good for you. Besides, you’re looking a bit pale. You need the iron.” She folded her hands on her lap. “Now, about these speeches. You’re going to need to–”
“Mother,” she interrupted, glaring daggers across the table. “I’m not doing the speeches.”
“Of course you are, dear. This is our family and you need to support your father now. It’s what we do.”
Lilly shook her head. “No, it’s what you do. And what Sylvia does,” she emphasized, referring to her older sister. “It’s what Mike and Nathan do,” she continued, naming her older brothers. “They are excellent lawyers and have set themselves up to start their own political careers. But that’s not what I do, mother. I have a job.”
“Which you will have to give up, dear. You can’t be working as a secretary. It just doesn’t look right.”
Lilly’s mouth fell open. “First of all, I’m an executive assistant. Not a secretary. And even if I was a secretary, what’s wrong with that? It’s a good job.”
“It’s not politically correct, Lilliane. You know that the public likes to see women who are strong and in powerful positions.”
Lilly gasped. “Mother! Have you actually seen Jessy work?” she asked, referring to her father’s administrative assistant. “She works so hard! And she’s extremely proud of the work she does for Dad.�
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Janice looked around, lifting her hand slightly in an effort to calm Lilly down. “Lower your voice, dear. People are starting to wonder what’s going on over here.” She smiled politely, then waved cheerfully to a few of the diners at the tables closest to them.
Lilly sighed and leaned back in her chair, which was another negative in her mother’s mind. A lady doesn’t use a chair’s back for support, her mother had always said. The back of a chair was a “crutch”. It was a weakness to be avoided at all costs. It also messed up the line of one’s dress.
“Sit up straight,” her mother snapped, but accompanied the order with a fake smile for anyone who might be looking. “That’s another thing that the coach will need to work on. Your posture is horrendous.” She smoothed the napkin down over her lap, then brightened when the waiter arrived with their wine.
Lilly didn’t want wine. She was working and had so much she needed to accomplish this afternoon. A glass of wine would only muddle her concentration and Lilly knew from experience that she wouldn’t be as productive.
“No, thank you,” she said firmly when the waiter tried to pour wine for her.
“It’s fine, dear. One glass of wine won’t hurt you.” Her mother nodded regally to the waiter to pour the wine.
Lilly sighed as the waiter poured, then moved silently away. She was just about to open her mouth to speak, but another waiter arrived, carrying two bowls of spinach.
“Thank you,” her mother said to the waiter who bowed after setting the salads down.
“Now, we also need to discuss your…apartment.”
Lilly grabbed another roll and buttered it. She was starving, but she hated spinach salads. And this one was mostly spinach with a few slices of mandarin orange as a garnish as well as a few slivers of almonds. There was some sort of dressing on a pretty container beside the salad, but Lilly suspected that it was most likely fat free, sugar free, chemical free, and taste free. She didn’t bother pouring it over the green pile, but then, neither did her mother. Janice never doused her salads in dressing. She delicately dipped the tines of her fork into the dressing, then stabbed a piece of lettuce, munching on that as her meal.
“I need a burger,” Lilly muttered as she took a bite of the bread that was covered in rich, delicious butter.
“Lilly, it wouldn’t hurt you to have a salad once in a while. You’ve gained weight. You’ve never been slender, but goodness, you’re looking…” her mother’s eyes moved over Lilly’s figure as the bread turned to sawdust in Lilly’s mouth.
“Well, dear, I’m sure that you’d be more comfortable in that style of dress if you’d lose a few pounds. It’s just…well, it would be more flattering.”
Lilly set the remaining roll down on the bread plate, lowering her gaze to the salad in front of her. Carefully, she finished chewing, then swallowed, but it took an enormous amount of effort to keep from choking.
“I didn’t realize that I needed to lose weight, Mother.”
“Oh, don’t get your feelings hurt, Lilly. If I don’t tell you what everyone else is thinking, then I’m not doing my job, now am I?”
Lilly thought about that for a moment, then shook her head, trying to keep her pain hidden. “No, Mother. You’re supposed to be the one person in the world that supports me, no matter what.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Janice snapped. She calmed herself by taking a large sip of wine, then realized what she’d done and set the wine glass back down.
Lilly continued, “When I have children, I’ll tell my children every day how beautiful they are. How much I love them. How wonderful and special they are.”
Her mother huffed a bit, carefully placing her fork on the side of her salad plate. “Lilly, you know good and well that my feedback is for your own benefit. Since you will be up on a stage with cameras watching your every move, you don’t want to be fat.”
“I thought I only needed to lose a few pounds,” she whispered. “Now I’m fat?” This time, she couldn’t keep the pain out of her voice. “Well, that’s…really hurtful.”
Her mother’s eyes sharpened. “Lilly, don’t you dare cry right here in the restaurant. How will that look for your father’s campaign when pictures of you crying are splashed all over the news?”
Lilly sat there for a long moment, trying to let go of the pain her mother’s words created. But it was pointless. Her mother knew every one of her buttons, all of the ways to truly hurt her.
With as much dignity as she could muster, Lilly looked her mother in the eye. Controlling every facial feature, not wanting her mother to know how deeply wounded she was, she curled her lips into a semblance of that same smile that her mother used when she was speaking to rude reporters. “I have to go,” she told her mother. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for lunch with you.”
Her mother leaned forward, her eyes mere slits now, but she maintained that sleek, polite smile. “Lilly, don’t you dare leave that chair,” she snapped. “You will sit there and eat your salad. We will discuss your future and–”
“No. I tried to tell you that I didn’t have time for lunch today, Mother, but you didn’t listen. You never listen. I also mentioned that I don’t like spinach salad, which is something you should already know since you are my mother and I’ve never liked spinach. Yet again, you ignored me. So, I’m going to walk out of this restaurant with my head held high.” She stood up, and carefully folded her linen napkin, placing it on the chair while her mother sputtered in outrage.
“Don’t you dare leave me like this, Lilliane!”
Lilly paused and lifted her chin, regaining that sense of power she’d felt earlier. “I have work to do. Have a nice afternoon.”
And with that, she left the restaurant with her head held high. Lilly even managed to nod politely at some of the Washington, D.C. power mongers dining in the restaurant as well. They all knew her through her father and nodded politely back. Thankfully, none stood to talk with her, for which Lilly was eternally grateful. Lilly wasn’t sure how much longer her legs would hold her. She needed to get out of here and get to her car. Once she was away from this area, then she could break down and have a good cry.
Then she’d pull herself back together and remind herself that her mother’s words had no power over her. The whole routine was something she’d nearly perfected growing up.
Sylvia was the good daughter. Sylvia was the one who was reed thin and wore appropriate clothes created by the “right” designers. Sylvia wore tan and cream dresses, maybe black or navy blue. All with matching shoes and perfect accessories. Sylvia would never wear a pearl necklace during a weekday lunch. Although, Lilly wasn’t sure when it was “right” to wear pearls, if not to an afternoon lunch. Surely, they wouldn’t be appropriate during an evening dinner. Would they?
Lilly pondered the issue as she got into the car. She tilted her head slightly, looking at her pearls against the deep purple sheath dress she’d donned this morning. It was one of her favorites and Lilly had always thought that the lines of the dress made her look good. Not skinny. Nope! Lilly’s breasts were too round and her hips a bit too full for her to ever be considered skinny. But she’d felt pretty.
Until her mother had told her that she was fat. And, apparently, she was wearing the wrong necklace. Her dress was probably the wrong color as well. She pulled out of the parking lot, glancing at the boutique across the street. One of the upscale mannequins, the kind that didn’t have a head because the eyes and hair might detract from the outfit, modeled a sleek, cream colored sheath dress. The person who had done the window display had chosen a slightly chunky gold necklace and bracelet for accessories. Nothing more. Just the simple gold pieces.
Yep, that’s what she should have chosen to wear today. And if Lilly’s mother had called a few days ago to schedule lunch, Lilly probably would have worn a dress similar to that one this morning.
Then again, Lilly might have chosen that floral dress that she’d bought last week. The one with the flowing skirt and
pretty neckline. Her mother would have hated that one. But Lilly loved it. Granted, it wasn’t really a “work” outfit. But Drako had never criticized her appearance. Never!
Goodness, just thinking about him made her feel better. Not good, exactly. Just better. She’d hurry back to his office and see if there was something that she could do to help him. She’d completely obliterate the memory of that horrible lunch with her mother from her mind!
In certain ways, Lilly knew that she was similar to her mother in that they both enjoyed helping. Lilly loved taking care of people. She wanted a family and children. She wanted cats she could cuddle with and dogs that needed to go for long walks, have their fur brushed, and their bellies rubbed. She wanted children that would throw themselves into her arms when she picked them up at the end of the day, unconcerned with dirty hands or mussing her hair with their enthusiastic greeting. Lilly loved to cook, mostly because she craved taking care of people and cooking was the most basic way to care for another person.
Unfortunately, the one man she wanted to care for didn’t seem to want to be loved. Lilly understood why Drako was so opposed to love. She knew his deep, dark secret that…well, wasn’t really a secret. His wife’s death, several years ago, had been all over the news. Sophia Gatakis’ funeral had been huge news because of the influence Drako had on the financial world. There’d been speculation that he would retreat because the love he’d felt for his wife had been so intense, so all consuming. The markets had gone into a tailspin at the idea of Drako selling off his assets. No one could run the empire that Drako had built up over the years. No one had the skills or the knowledge of so many moving parts. Drako was…brilliant at business, Lilly knew.
Heated Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 1) Page 3
