I accept and watch as he heads to a shiny luxury sportscar, his shoulders slumped in what looks like defeat.
Why is his mom so intent on marrying him off to someone he doesn’t even love or even like? Is marriage that important for appearances?
4
Matchmaker
Kyle
“Mom,Ithinkonedate is enough for this weekend, considering I had one Thursday night. I don’t want to go to a lunch tomorrow.” I look at her across the table as she reads something on her phone. “Can I just have a day off?”
“I don’t know why you don’t like any of these girls. They all come from wonderful families and would make excellent wives.” Mom looks at me with the eyes she gifted me and a perfectly arched brow.
“I just don’t click with them. Why do I have to be married again?” I ask, sipping my iced tea and watching as their chef brings in salads for lunch.
Like I always did, I click with Laina. I push that thought away.
“It’s just a good look for the boss to be settled down, particularly with you being so young. A family would be even better. Your father had us when he was the CEO.” Mom points out as I sigh.
Dad had a family but he worked too hard to spend any real time with us. He wasn’t breathing down my neck the way Mom was about this but I know he had a lot of strings attached to giving me this company. After all of my hard work over the years to get here, would I lose it all if I didn’t do what they asked?
“He was older, and you got married in college. Nobody set you up, did they?” I ask her, feeling my patience thinning over this subject.
“We were lucky enough to meet in class at college and not nearly this wealthy at the time. There wasn’t as much exposure as there is now with the business.” She waves her hand in the air before picking up her fork. “Don’t eat too much. I got you reservations at that new seafood place tonight at six with Tara.”
Another fucking restaurant I wouldn’t enjoy. Getting teeth pulled would be better than any of the dates I’d been on with these empty women. Some of them were pretty, but they just wanted a rich man to take care of them since they’d never worked for themselves.
“Cancel the lunch. I need a day off tomorrow, since I’m not working this weekend.” She shoots me a dark look. “I mean it, Mom. I need a break. I have a life apart from all this dating.”
“The sooner you meet the one, the faster you can get engaged,” she hums as I fight the urge to roll my eyes. There are times I’d give up every penny to not live this kind of life, and this is one of them. The only normalcy in my life was when I’d hang out with Laina at her house and her mom would do normal mom things for us.
“I didn’t tell you. Do you remember our old neighbor, Laina?” I ask as she stared thoughtfully at her phone, chewing a bite of salad.
“The girl across the forest you used to spend so much time with? I vaguely remember you never being home. You spent so much time with her,” she replies with a frown. I know Mom didn’t completely approve of the friendship, but they were rarely home, and I had been free to do what I wanted at a young age. Laina’s mom fed me half the time.
“Yes. She works for me now and just started last week. Laina ended up majoring in marketing and business, and she’s doing a great job.” I tell her as she stares at me for a long moment.
“She came here from the same house in Boston?” Mom asks as I shrug.
“From Boston, yes. I don’t know that she lived there all this time, though her parents still do.” We were so busy talking about other things I never asked.
“I hope you don’t raise any gossip by spending too much time with her. People have eyes, Kyle.” Mom reminds me as I consider mentioning how many women I’d been photographed with over the last few months, thanks to her. “Your father never spent too much time with people he didn’t have to work closely with. Think about how everything looks to others when you’re the boss.”
“Everything at work is fine. I treat everyone with respect and don’t favor one employee over another. Laina is an old friend, and we had lunch together one day. No big deal.” I tell her as she looks at me with wide eyes.
“Everyone will think you’re sleeping with her, Kyle.”
“Mom, that’s not how people are, and if they think that, let them. I know what I’m doing in my life, and that’s all I need. She’s a good worker, and her team is thrilled with her.” I push my salad away and lean back, wanting a drink right about now.
“Aren’t you going to finish that?” Mom asks, and I shake my head.
“I lost my appetite.”
I head home shortly after that and walk to my wall of windows in the back of the house, taking in the view. It’s pretty right here in the house, but everything else is just too big.
I turn to walk to the kitchen with a glance at the oven clock, seeing that I have four hours before the date. I know she’s going to be just like the others because my mom and her friends have a type. I haven’t met one woman that stands out at all from the rest.
What would happen if I stood her up?