Chapter 9
Had it really been a week since that party in the penthouse? It felt like a lifetime, and this Saturday I got to go to supper with his mother. Aaron explained to her that I would be working until eight, so we agreed on supper. We also agreed that we would sleep at his place.
“I have a king bed that we can share. You’ll hardly know I’m there. And I promise to behave.” He held up his fingers. “Scouts’ honor.”
“Were you ever a scout?”
“Actually, I was.” He grinned. “I also did ballroom dancing lessons, but I’d rather not discuss that. In fact, take that secret to the grave.”
“Ouch, whose idea was that? Wait. Don’t tell me. Your mother.”
“Of course.”
We were in the kitchen working on some pies. Lucy was on a break and he was having a turn filling some peach ones.
“Can I ask you how your parents met? Cherie’s crazy Italian family doesn’t seem like it would have crossed paths with your mom’s side too often.”
“My dad was working for a stockbroker and he got coffee at the same place my mother went after tennis with her girlfriends. Her dorm was around the corner. He wooed her.”
“That’s sweet.”
“It could have been. Turns out, it wasn’t.”
“Hence, you don’t believe in love.”
“I believe in love for some people. I’m a pragmatist.”
“Yeah, well, please work a little faster, Mr. Pragmatist. I’ve got deadlines.”
“Yes, boss.”
I was running out of outfits. Cherie dropped by to lend me a couple that afternoon.
“You’re meeting Celeste, huh?”
“I’m officially meeting her. She already unofficially met me and made up her mind up that I’m not good enough for her son.”
“She’s okay deep down, Piper. I promise. Aaron is everything to her. She only wants what’s best for him; it’s a mother thing.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
That was the worst thing about coming from my family: it made me unsure of how to handle other people’s families. How did I know what a mother would do for her kids when, in my experience, the only answer was: not much. And my dad… Well, sure, he’d fed me and put a roof over my head, but he was hardly a model of love and enthusiasm. I knew he was proud of me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling it was only because I was his meal ticket. After all, he used to take half my pay when I was washing dishes under age and probably felt entitled to at least that now.
“Just be your regular, friendly self and you‘ll be fine.” Cherie handed me a much needed mug of coffee. “How are you and Aaron getting along?”
“Fine, actually. He’s a nice guy.”
“I know. He wants people at work to think he’s tough, and for people in our family to think he doesn’t need them, and everyone else to think he’s a regular Joe. But under all that, he’s a nice, normal guy from a slightly odd family. See? You two have so much in common.”
“Yeah, everything and nothing.”
Cherie looked at me quizzically. “You know all that stuff is bullshit, right? All the money and the snooty people. I mean, look at you, lady. You’re about to be worth a shitload of money and it isn’t changing you. Up at the ass-crack of dawn, working fifteen hour days…”
“Marrying for a visa.” I teased her.
“You know what I mean. Ignore the bullshit. He’s a nice guy. Focus on that.” She swigged her coffee. “I don’t suppose there’s any chemistry between you?”
I felt the color rise in my cheeks. “Maybe a little, but we’re not going there.”
“Why not? You’re going to be married for a year; don’t you want to have some fun?”
“You know me, Cherie. I’m not like that. I mean, yes, I could sleep with him and never see him again, no strings, but sleep with him and see him again all the time? It would mean things to me it won’t mean to him. Bad plan.”
“You’re right.” She nodded. “Absolutely right. Except, how do you know it wouldn’t mean anything to him?”
“He’s a guy.”
“Oh, yeah.” She placed her coffee cup in the sink. He might be her cousin but he was a guy first.
Enough said.
Tonight’s little dress was black and subtle. Cherie said it was influenced by a toga. At least it was one shouldered and draped so I didn’t have to suck in my tummy, which was nice. I had my hair pulled back in a loose ponytail with a few curls escaping. I was back in my silver heels with a silver clutch. If I was going to be married to Aaron, I was going to need to own more than two pairs of sparkly shoes.
He and his mother were already in the bar. It had a sophisticated clubby feel, unlike myself. Aaron’s face lit up when he saw me and he was on his feet quickly. His mother feigned a smile. There were a few other people in the group which immediately put me on guard. I hadn’t expected to take on even more people tonight.
“You look beautiful,” Aaron whispered as he kissed my cheek an. “Sexiest woman here by far.”
“You look very dashing yourself.” I smiled at him and smoothed his lapel. Some things didn’t need to be faked. He did take my breath away.
His arm snaked around my waist as he walked me to the group. “Everyone, this is Piper. Piper, my Aunt Harriett, Uncle Ralph, and my cousin Constance, and her fiancé, Flip.”
“Nice to meet you all,” I said. More family.
“And, of course, you know Mom.”
I nodded at her with what I hoped was a friendly smile, but wasn’t rewarded with one in return. “Sit here by me.” Aaron waved his hand for Flip to move. “Champagne?”
Constance was seated to my left. “How lovely to meet you. Aaron rarely introduces us to anyone. I was beginning to think he never dates or is ashamed of us.”
“Don’t be silly, Constance,” his mother interjected.
His cousin rolled her eyes so I could see and patted my knee while Aaron handed me a glass of champagne. I was definitely in the safe corner.
“So when’s the wedding, Con?” Aaron asked.
That got the conversation off and rolling in the direction of Flip and Constance’s impending wedding in the Bahamas. She was clearly excited and it was lovely to see that. Flip just kept nodding and smiling as if he couldn’t believe his luck. True love, I thought.
“The invitations go out this week, Aaron. Look out for yours. And no excuses for not attending, okay?”
“Okay.” He smiled at her.
“And, of course, you should bring a date.” She was sweet but not subtle.
“Thanks Connie. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Aaron tells us you make pies,” Harriett said. She was a less frosty version of her sister. “It’s good to see a woman make something of herself.”
“Her business is going gang-busters,” Aaron said, proudly. “She works so hard, though.”
“I love your pies,” Flip said leaning in to top up his beer. “One of the trucks stops by my office sometimes. It’s like a hungry hoard down there.”
This wasn’t so bad. Only Aaron’s mother remained silent and aloof as the conversation wove from my work to Flip’s architecture firm to Aaron’s job.
He leaned down and whispered in my ear as he poured more champagne. “She’ll come around.”
I smiled at him as if I was saying something entirely different. “Or not.”
It was actually a pleasant evening. Every so often I even let myself relax and feel normal, not like a character playing a part in a story. Sometimes, when I looked at Aaron and he grinned at me or patted my arm, it felt natural to be here with him. A night out like a normal couple would have. Which, of course, was what we were going for.
When I got up to go to the ladies room, Constance offered to go with me.
“Aaron seems to really like you. How’d you meet?”
“Do you know Cherie, his cousin from the other side?” She gave me a nod. “I’m a friend of hers and she introduced us.”
/> “Very cool. I like Cherie. She’s fun.” Connie fluffed her hair in the mirror then reapplied her lipstick. “You’re not like Aaron’s usual girlfriends.”
I paused mid-lipsticking. “I ah…”
“You’re much nicer and much less, well, you’re more real. I think he was only in it for the sex with a few of them.” She covered her hand with her mouth. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate. I must have had more to drink than I thought.”
“It’s okay,” I finished with the lipstick. That sounded about right. It certainly summed up his most recent relationship with Ophelia. It made sense then that he would think we could have a string-free sexual relationship. Pity for him, I didn’t roll that way.
“The champagne and Aunt Clarice make me nervous. She’s so reserved these days. She wasn’t always like that. I know it’s hard to believe, but she used to be fun. She and Uncle Joe were so wrong for each other, but in some ways, they brought out the best in each other. He made her lighten up.”
“She’s had to deal with quite a lot.”
“Yeah, and she’s proud. It’s all been so humiliating. I don’t think she could stand another knock like that.”
And then I felt really bad. Here was a woman whose husband had lied and cheated and even stolen, and now, thanks to me, her son was about to tell her another big lie. My guilt must have shown on my face.
“Don’t worry. She’ll come around to you.”
That’s what everyone said, but if she knew what her son and I were planning to do, I very much doubted that.
So I did what I had to do. I stood up straight, gave my hair a flip and tried to look as alluring as I could, so that at least my future-mother-in-law and everyone else could see the physical attraction between us was real.