“Okay, six weeks,” she agrees, diving back into her food but avoiding my gaze. “And how did we reconnect? Does anyone know that we knew each other before?”
“Yes, actually. When I came up with this lie, I told Dave I was with someone I knew from back home. It just so happened that I saw you later that day and I thought the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.”
She huffs. “Lucky for you.”
“Hey, don’t forget you’re getting something out of this too.”
She sighs. “Yeah, I know. My mom called the other day asking about you…”
“Really?”
“Yup. I told her we were hanging out tonight, which wasn’t a lie. But if she only knew…”
“Why do you care so much about what she thinks?” I ask, understanding that feeling more than she may realize. If I really told her about my dad and how he played a role in our little competition growing up, she’d probably accuse me of lying.
“I don’t. Not really.” She leans forward to place her plate on the coffee table before curling her legs underneath her on the couch, clutching her glass of wine in both hands. “It’s just exhausting having to constantly defend myself, you know? Just because I’m single doesn’t mean I haven’t accomplished anything in life. I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am in my career, but that just never seems to be good enough for her. Every time I feel confident about where I am, one conversation with her can derail my entire mood. And I don’t know that she does it on purpose, but it’s stifling.”
“I get it. I do.”
“Really? How?” she asks, but before I can answer, her phone rings. “Sorry. Hold on.” She leaps from the couch and walks over to her purse, giving me the perfect glimpse of her backside. Fuck, her ass is exquisite. “Oh, shit. It’s my mom,” she says, spinning around to face me, clutching her phone to her chest.
“Okay…”
“She’s trying to Facetime me.”
My mind instantly sparks with an idea. “Let me answer it.”
“What? No!”
“Why not? She knows we’re hanging out together. That’s probably why she called.”
“But…”
“This will work to our advantage, lay some groundwork for Hawaii. Remember, we have to sell this to your parents, Char. Your mom is going to want breadcrumbs. I know her.”
Charlotte bites on her bottom lip, and the sight has my dick stirring. I wonder if she does that during sex? “Okay, fine. Just…be vague.”
“Got it.” She hands me the phone and I swipe to answer the call before it ends. “Hello, Mrs. Montgomery.”
“Damien? Is that you?”
“Yes, ma’am. In the flesh.”
“Where’s Charlotte?”
“She’s in the bathroom. I told her you were calling and she said to answer. How are you? You’re looking beautiful as always.” That grants me a blinding smile.
“Oh, Damien. You are just so sweet. Some things never change, I guess, huh?” she says as Charlotte rolls her eyes behind the phone that is currently facing me.
“Well, some things do change, Mrs. M., like the fact that Charlotte finally gave me a chance after all these years.” I wink over at Charlotte as she shakes her head.
“I know. I still can’t believe it, but I feel as though this was all meant to be.” She brings her hands under her chin, and I swear, I can see hearts in her eyes. “I secretly always wondered if there were feelings between you two.”
“Seems as though we’ve finally found them.”
Charlotte steps in and grabs the phone from me before I can say another word. “Hi, Mom.”
“Oh, hi honey. How are you?”
“Good. At Damien’s, as I told you I would be.”
“I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” she says with a wink. “You know I’d always preach using protection, but an accidental pregnancy wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to you now, dear. You’re not getting any younger.”
Charlotte clenches her jaw as I feel my heart rate pick up speed. There will be no accidental pregnancies anywhere near us, thank you very much.
“Mom, please don’t discuss my sex life with me.”
Mrs. M. holds her hands up in the air. She must be propping the phone up against something if both of her hands are free. “I’m just saying. Time’s ticking, honey.”
“How can I help you, Mom?” Charlotte asks, changing the topic, thank God. I can’t imagine having someone pressure you to have a kid, let alone your mom. My mom knows I’m not ready to settle down, but my dad? Hell, if he caught wind that Charlotte was looking to procreate, he’d convince me to knock someone up ASAP just to beat her.
Yeah, did you catch that? Oh, just wait until I let you in on just how my dad plays a role in all of my history with Charlotte.
“I wanted to make sure you stopped by the dress shop this week for your fitting.”
“Yes, Mom. And I ordered the dress.”
“Good. You’re going to look beautiful standing up next to us at the ceremony in Hawaii. Now just watch what you’re eating between now and then so we don’t have to do any last-minute alterations,” she says sweetly, but I catch the underlying message underneath. Jesus, is this really what Charlotte is putting up with?
“I wouldn’t dare,” Charlotte mocks.
I grab the phone back from Charlotte. She tries to fight me for it, but I twist around her and begin to walk away. “Charlotte is going to be the most beautiful woman there, Mrs. M., no matter what she’s wearing or what she eats. If you’re not careful, she may even show you up.” Charlotte’s jaw drops open with a slight smile on her lips. “Now, I hate to cut this call short, but I was just about to make Charlotte my dessert, so we best be going.”
“What are you making?” her mom asks.
“No, you misunderstood. Charlotte is dessert.” I smile proudly. “Talk to you soon, Mrs. M.” Dropping the phone down, I end the call and then look up to find Charlotte still staring agape at me.
“I cannot believe you just said that to my mom.”
“Well, she has a lot of nerve saying shit like that to you.” I hand her the phone back and then retreat back to my recliner. But then I notice the plates are still sitting on the coffee table. “Are you done eating?”
Charlotte sighs. “I probably should be. Heaven forbid I can’t fit into my dress.”
I lift up both plates and head for the kitchen, placing them on the counter, and then turn back to Charlotte, gently gripping her chin in my hand. Her eyes lift and seek mine out, and the minuscule space between us suddenly feels stifling. “Your mother is wrong, Charlotte, okay? Your body is fucking perfect, and you don’t need to have kids tomorrow in order to appease her, all right?”
Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine, full of questions. But her response lands on two words. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For sticking up for me.”
I drop my fingers from her chin. “Hell, there’s a first time for everything, am I right?”
She huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess so. At least if she called tonight, she probably won’t bother me for the rest of the weekend. She always loves to call me Sunday morning before I attend brunch with the girls.”
“The ladies who brunch, huh?”
She smiles. “Yup. We go to Frankie’s every Sunday, and she always manages to ruin one of my favorite parts of the week with her nagging beforehand.”
“So why do you answer the phone?”