He went downstairs and was welcomed into the car by both his sister and mother. They were carbon copies of one another, with black hair streaming down their shoulders and hazel eyes that glimmered gold in the light.
His mother kissed his cheeks, then held his face in her hands as they drove.
“You look very handsome, son,” she said in the way mothers do. “Thank you for doing this.”
Rux smiled, then pecked his mother on both her cheeks. Nyssa tapped his knee and then gave it a light squeeze.
“Ow!” Rux hollered.
Even though Nyssa was a celebrated musician and conductor, she regressed to a five-year-old when it came to her brother.
“Looking handsome, Rux,” she said with a smug grin. “Not a stubble in sight.”
Rux let the quips shot at him from his sister roll off his back. He knew she meant well. She tried to tease him to let him know how much she loved him. He felt it intensely, and it sometimes balanced out the pain he felt inside.
The car parked just outside a yacht where he was set to meet his date. Before he climbed out, his mother drew his attention to her by touching his shoulder.
“Just give the poor girl a chance,” Ellen said.
Her tone was almost desperate, which saddened Rux. He wasn’t oblivious to the fact that his mother’s push for him to find love was a projection of her cataclysmic loss.
She had never regretted her life with his father despite the weight of the pain that hung on her heart like a metal chain twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Rux gave her a nod and a reassuring smile, then tried to tell himself the same thing.
Open up a little. Even a little bit helps.
They all walked onto the yacht together to meet Gerri, who was wearing a long silvery sparkle dress to match her hair color. She held her hands out to Rux and greeted him with a cheeky kiss.
“Thank you all for coming,” she said, greeting Ellen and Nyssa in the same fashion. “I can’t wait for you to meet her.”
Rux held both Gerri’s hands, flashing her a handsome grin.
“You’re looking radiant as always,” he said.
Gerri gave him a wide grin and winked.
“Save some of your charm,” she joked.
Nyssa and Ellen hovered away, leaving Rux and Gerri alone. Gerri held Rux by both forearms, then looked deep into his eyes.
“Don’t put your walls up,” she said sternly. “I know what you want. It took a lot to get you to admit it. Do your best to stay within that. No more lying to yourself.”
Rux felt his hands go clammy, and his heart began slamming like a drum in his chest. It was a scary experience when someone saw your true self. It made him want to run away.
But he was there, and he had to do it. He would regret not at least trying for the rest of his life.
He gave Gerri a nod, encouraging her to take him by the arm and move to the aft of the ship.
The first thing he noticed was the dress. They walked up a set of stairs, and he spotted a pair of ankles dressed in canary-yellow heels, then followed them up to a similarly colored dress with patterned green birds all over it.
The dress ran along the curve of her hips, a finely shaped bum, then protruded forward to showcase magnificently, bountiful breasts.
Rux felt his mouth fall open like a cartoon character when she turned to face him. Black hair cascaded down her shoulders, while her brilliant blue eyes fixed on him. They shined a blazing neon.
She licked her lips while a sarcastic grin grew on her face. She walked over to them with her hips swinging, her back in a perfect posture. Her air of confidence made Rux want to leap overboard.
“Dana,” Gerri said, stretching out her hand. “I want you to meet Rux Cohen. Rux, meet Dana Wilson.”