Venus rising boxset, p.78
Venus Rising Boxset, page 78
Feeling incredibly lighthearted, Jessica watched as Justin put together a plate for her. Bowling had gone well. Yeah, there had been the woman hitting on Chris, but that's what had given her the courage to be a little more demonstrative with both of her men in public. And nothing bad had happened! It was silly how much confidence such a small thing could give her, but she'd felt like she was walking on air ever since. She knew those other women had been talking about her, but who cared what they thought? It only proved to her, she could rise above caring about what complete strangers thought of her. At the time, it had made her feel a little uncomfortable, but the people she cared about had rallied around her, and that was what mattered.
Breakfast was delicious, of course, because it was Justin, although he'd learned not to mess with her eggs too much. She liked her breakfasts nice and simple. The conversation was minimal, mostly eating in comfortable quiet, seated around the kitchen's island rather than at the table. She realized she could see spending every weekend like this. Soon, it wouldn't be a matter of deciding to stay over, it would be the reality.
How strange… and wonderful.
She did spare a wistful thought for Hilary, the feminine rush to get themselves together during the workdays, often skipping breakfast because they were too focused on getting ready, and the lazy weekends when they'd wear pajamas all morning and take forever to do anything productive unless they had plans. Life was changing, and it was good changes, but of course, there were some growing pains.
Music blared from the other room, and Jessica's head swiveled to stare, then looked back at Justin and Chris in astonishment. She knew the ringtone, but she certainly hadn't expected to hear it anytime soon.
“It's my mom.”
They exchanged looks, which she missed because she was too busy swiveling around on the stool and rushing over to the coffee table where she'd left her phone the night before.
“Hello? Mom?”
Although she knew Justin and Chris could see her, she stood with her back to them, trying to ignore the low murmur of their voices.
“Hey, sweetheart,” her mom said, her voice strained as if she was trying overly hard to sound pleasant. “How are you?”
“Um... I'm good. How are you?”
“Good... good... We ah... Your brother came over for dinner last night. He said he met your young men.” The strained quality in her mom's voice increased, although she said the words cheerfully enough. “He ah... he said he liked them. Although, of course...”
Jessica rolled her eyes as her mother's voice trailed off.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” But he didn't like the situation, she thought to herself snidely. She was getting really tired of her family members calling her relationship a situation, but she'd probably have to put up with it for a while before they came around and got over it. If she'd been talking to Jay, she would have snarked back at him, but it was still hard to do so to her mom, especially when her mom sounded like she was trying really hard. “That's good to hear, they liked him too.”
The rumble of masculine voices rose behind her, and she stuck her finger in her free ear to block them out. Not that she didn't appreciate their support, but she didn't want to miss anything her mom said. This was too important.
“So,”—her mom took a deep breath—“I was thinking... maybe I could meet them too?” Her voice rose at the end of the question, sounding uncertain and vulnerable. Jessica's breath caught in her throat, giving her voice a little hitch when she answered.
“I'd really like that. They would too.” She hesitated, nibbling at her lower lip. “What about Dad?”
“Oh ah... he's ah...” Her mother let out a huff of air and a nervous laugh, and Jessica's heart sank. “He's not quite there yet, sweetie. He'll come around, though. I'm working on him, but I thought that... I thought since your brother liked um, Justin and Chris, maybe once I met them and could bring back a good report, maybe your Dad would come around.” Her mother's voice started to sound a little forlorn. “You wouldn't really miss Thanksgiving with us, would you?”
“Actually, Justin's mom has invited all of us to Thanksgiving at her place, you guys too,” Jessica said evenly, relaying the invitation which had come through once Lenore found out Jessica and Chris were moving into Justin's place. While she still seemed to be withholding full approval, she mostly accepted their relationship. Chris had joked to Jessica, he wondered what events in Lenore’s own life might have made her so open-minded, but Jessica noticed he hadn't repeated the joke to Justin.
“Oh... how nice of her...” Her mother's voice trailed off again, and Jessica knew she was taking in the information. It wasn't like they usually traveled or anything for Thanksgiving, usually just the four of them since Grandma had retired to Florida. That was her mom's mother; all of her other grandparents had passed away, and the rest of her aunts, uncles, and cousins were scattered across the country. They would get together sometimes for Christmas, but rarely for Thanksgiving. “I'll talk to your father about it.”
A smile quirked Jessica's lips at her mother's long-suffering tones. That tone of voice used to make her feel guilty. Now, she barely suffered a twinge.
“Okay, well, either way, that's where I'll be. I already told Lenore yes, but I'd really like it if you all would come too. Justin's doing most of the cooking, so I doubt Jay will have a problem with it.”
“Yes, Jay said Justin was a very good chef,” her mother said in dubious tones. Then again, some skepticism wasn't surprising since Jay would eat just about anybody's cooking. He was a human garbage disposal. But Jessica knew he truly appreciated quality when he came across it, even if he was willing to eat sub-par offerings.
“He is. In fact...” Jessica glanced back at the men who had stopped talking and were watching with identical expressions of interest and concern on their faces. “What are you doing next Saturday, Mom?”
The question was directed at Justin and Chris as well. Being the closest to the calendar hanging on the wall, Justin glanced over to it and nodded. They were free.
“Ah... I don't think I have any plans.”
“Why don't you come over for the afternoon? You can bring Jay and meet Justin and Chris. We'll see if Lenore can come too, so you can meet her. That will give you time to talk to Dad. Maybe he'll change his mind.”
“Oh... okay,” her mother sounded a little more chipper all of a sudden. Probably the thought of meeting another mother. Jessica smiled; hopefully, her own mom would take cues from Lenore.
“Great!”
A surge of warm hope went through her as she finalized the plans with her mom. So, her family hadn't completely accepted her unconventional relationship yet... but this was progress—progress with the important people—and hopefully, tonight, when they hung out with the rest of her friends, she'd make progress with some of the other people who mattered.
Chapter 7
“So, Jessica's mom is finally willing to meet Chris and Justin,” Hilary chirped happily as she slid into the passenger seat of Liam's car.
“Hello to you, too,” he said, pulling her in to press a kiss against her soft lips. The flirty navy and white skirt she was wearing went down just past her knees, but the hem practically floated when she walked, the fabric swirling around her shapely calves. It made him want to crawl under the damn thing and do terrible, depraved things to her. Especially since she'd paired it with a pair of navy Mary Janes and a white button-down cardigan set under the jacket, she was unbuttoning in the heat of his car. With her soft, honey hair pulled back in a French twist, she looked like a prim schoolteacher or maybe a librarian with only the skirt hinting at her flirty nature.
Didn't she know an outfit like that called to a Dom? He wanted to get her unbuttoned, flushed and hot, and coax the passionate submissive out from under her prim exterior.
Instead, they had to go to meet her parents.
Get it together.
Time enough to coax the passion out of her later when they joined their friends, and he could get her on the dance floor.
Hilary beamed at him, too happy for her friend to even take notice of his slight rebuke.
“She's going over to Justin's next Saturday afternoon, and Justin's mom is going to be there as well. Jessica asked if we'd like to come. Hopefully, Jay, her brother, will be there too, but her Dad's probably not coming, and she thinks her mom might be more comfortable if she knows someone else there. Plus, her mom will see how much I like Justin and Chris, and I really don't see anything wrong with their relationship.”
“Sure,” said Liam easily. Damn, but she was so easy to please sometimes. He paused for a moment before backing out of the parking space when she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a grateful kiss, happy to take his reward.
Hilary burbled cheerfully for the next ten minutes, mostly about Jessica's family and how thrilled she was they were finally coming around. With her usual optimism, she was sure Mr. Swift would eventually follow suit, although her expression clouded a bit when she admitted she wasn't sure it would come before Thanksgiving.
“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” she asked suddenly as if realizing she had no idea. Liam grinned at her.
“I'm going to Adam's. He usually has a Friendsgiving for those of us who don't feel up to traveling and will be in the area. Similar to his Labor Day party except slightly more exclusive. It's an all-day, 'drop in whenever you feel like and bring food or drink with you to share' kind of thing.”
“That's nice,” said Hilary before falling into a thoughtful silence.
Liam reached out and put his hand around hers, enjoying the way her small fingers curled around his larger ones.
“Don't feel like you need to invite me to anything, honey-girl,” he said teasingly. “I know how hard it was for you just to invite me over for dinner, I don't expect holiday invitations anytime soon.”
“I just don't know if you'd like it,” Hilary said, protesting before he laughed at her, and she realized he was teasing. She stuck her tongue out at him before continuing. “My parents make it all fancy with different courses, and sometimes, they invite their friends and get dressed all fancy... Adam's party sounds much more fun, to be honest.” She sighed a little. “I usually stick around for cocktails if they have their friends there, then ditch to go to the Swifts, but I don't know if I should this year. Jessica invited me, but since they're going to Justin's mom's house, it just feels a little weirder than usual.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Liam offered immediately, looking over to read her expression since they were at a red light. He didn't like the worry lines marring her brow, and his immediate instinct was to make whatever was bothering her better. “Or you could come to Adam's with me.”
Hilary's pink lips made a moue as she thought this over. “I don't want to make you change your plans... or force myself into them either...”
Squeezing her hand, Liam gave her a stern look. “I wouldn't offer or invite you if I didn't mean it. You're my girlfriend, and I want to be where you are when I can… wherever that is. Hell, we could do all three. Cocktails at your parents, appetizers with the Swifts, Merchants, and O'Neal, and finish out the evening, drinking whatever awful holiday alcoholic concoction Lexie comes up with this year.”
Immediately Hilary perked up. “Lexie will be at Adam's?”
“Yeah, she and Jake always came over after their family's dinner, which is always in the afternoon. Now, with Jake's overseas, she’s the only one who comes. And she always has a new themed mixed drink she forces us to try.”
Tilting her head to the side, Hilary's eyes unfocused a little. “How can that be...? She can't have been drinking for long? How old is she?”
“Twenty-three, but she's been making them since before she could legally drink them. Not that the legal drinking age stopped her.”
“I'm surprised you guys let her get away with it,” Hilary teased. She was holding his hand with her left, stroking the hairs on the back of his wrist with her right. It tickled, but it felt nice, too—soothing.
“Hey, back then, she was Jake's responsibility, and we could be a little more indulgent.”
“And now that he’s gone, you all just gang up on her.” She shook her head with a little giggle. “That poor girl.”
“Poor girl?!” Liam said indignantly. “She’s got us running around in circles!”
“Only because you insist on it,” said Hilary. “You could just let her into the club, you know.”
Liam growled, the knuckles on his hand around the steering wheel going white as he tightened his grip, although his fingers around her hand were still gentle. The idea of Lexie in the club… she was still just an awkward teen in their eyes—an awkward teen who needed protection from the dirty, debauched things they all did. Privately, to himself, he admitted it might be more about not wanting her to watch the things they did while in the club rather than keeping her out for her own protection. Although he couldn’t imagine being able to stand by, watching some faceless Dom paddle her smart, little ass—no matter how much it might deserve it on occasion.
Unfortunately—or perhaps, fortunately—the friendly banter didn’t continue, Hilary’s hand tightening its grip on his as he pulled into her parents’ neighborhood. The houses were big and spread far apart, with long, rolling lawns, each home sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of a landscape. She tensed, then let out a long, low breath before glancing at him and giving him a small smile.
He returned it with a much larger one and a supportive squeeze to her hand.
“Your parents are going to love me,” he said as he pulled into the driveway.
Although she was looking out the window, he was pretty sure she muttered something under her breath. Strangely, it sounded like “I know.”
She really shouldn’t be getting as much enjoyment out of this as she was, but it was just so, so worth it to see the poleaxed expression on Liam’s face as he nearly choked on the prosciutto and ricotta appetizers he’d just put into his mouth. During drinks before dinner, her mother had been fairly well behaved, talking to him about his dojo and the Kung-fu Kids program, but Hilary had seen her watching the interactions between her and Liam, and apparently, her mother had come to her own conclusions—very optimistic conclusions.
“I’m sorry?” he asked, as soon as he managed to clear his airway, staring across the table at her mother, looking helpless. True to form, her father didn’t seem to be attending the conversation very much, he was off in his own little world. He’d probably catch up in about ten minutes or so.
But Hilary’s mom was practically glowing with excitement as she beamed across the table at Liam. The slightly dazed look made Liam seem even more boyish, something she almost hadn’t noticed. Since they’d started dating, she knew first hand he wasn’t boyish in any way at all. But right now, he almost looked like a horrified kid, and it was all she could do not to laugh.
She should save him. She really should.
Maybe in a minute.
“I said you two will make beautiful babies, you have such unusual grey eyes,” Mom repeated, beaming a smile at him, completely oblivious to the uncomfortable way Liam was shifting in his seat and the dumbstruck expression on his face. “Imagine a baby with grey eyes and blonde hair! They’re going to be just amazing!”
“Um...” Liam glanced at Hilary, asking for help, and she just shot him a pointed look with her eyebrow raised.
After all, he'd been the one to insist he could handle her mom. She'd let him flounder for a minute or two more, teach him not to assume she was exaggerating in the future. If he even wanted anything to do with her after this. He hadn't gotten angry or run screaming yet, so that seemed like a good sign.
“I think that might be getting a little ahead of ourselves.” He forced a laugh. “Hilary and I aren’t talking about having kids right now.”
“Oh right, sorry, the wedding first! Silly of me, I know, but I just got so excited, thinking about babies.” Her mother beamed at Liam. “Spring weddings are all the rage, you know, but if you were to get engaged right now, it wouldn't give us much time to plan. Personally, I prefer a fall wedding...”
Hilary coughed to cover her laugh as Liam stared at her mother with his mouth hanging open, at a loss how to derail her detailed explanation of the various benefits of different seasons for a wedding. Then his mouth snapped shut, and he turned to look at Hilary, who mouthed 'I told you so.' The corner of his lips quirked before he shot her a stern look, which promised retribution for her amusement as his expense.
She giggled.
Time to rescue the big, bad Dom from her mother.
“Hey, Mom,” she said, interrupting the pros and cons of the deeper colors of fall, which would match Liam's looks so well, versus the lighter colors of spring which, according to her mother, would match Hilary's better. “Do you think it's time for dinner?”
Her mother blinked, thoughts grinding to a halt, shooting off in a new direction as she looked down at the plate of empty appetizers in the center of the table. “Oh, dear, yes.” She turned her head. “Anne?” The housekeeper appeared in the doorway, and Mom smiled at her appreciatively. “The appetizers were delicious, please bring out the main course as soon as it's ready.”
“Yes, Mrs. Bryant, I'll have it out in a jiffy.” Anne gathered up the empty platter and appetizer plates, giving Hilary a supportive wink as she passed. Anne had been her parents' housekeeper for as long as Hilary could remember. She was in her early fifties and had been just as pleased as Hilary's mother that Hilary was finally bringing home a boyfriend. Working in the house, she'd also picked up the habit of using out-of-date sayings from Hilary's father—who was now blinking at her with consternation.
“Hil, are you engaged?”
Liam coughed, and Hilary smiled. “No, Dad.”
“Then why are we talking about your wedding?”
“We're not,” she said firmly before her mother could respond. “How are things at the University?” While her dad was normally very quiet and off in his own little world, if she could get him started on a topic that interested him, he would go into professor mode and keep the conversation away from weddings and babies for a while. At least until dessert, she hoped.
