“Oh, I go by Darling. I shed that old bag’s name as soon as I could.” She eyed Lynx up and down, her gaze landing on the strand of pearls around her neck. “I see my son is treating you right. If I’m not mistaken, those are pearls exclusive to Wind Resorts.”
I shook my head. “Actually, Dad sent them ahead of time as a congrats, or maybe just to be nice. Who knows with him?”
“That’s your father,” my mother said with a sniff. “Hot and cold at the drop of a dime.”
As usual, my mother was stifling me with her backhanded nature.
Heat rose in my gut. Needing to cool off, I rolled up my sleeves, having abandoned my jacket in the car.
My mother ran her finger along my tattoo. “I see you’re still into those crass tattoos.”
“I quite like it,” Lynx said sweetly as she ran her hand down my other arm.
I can’t begin to tell you what that did to my ego, having my lady take up for me against my mother.
“See, Lynx loves it, Mom. Why don’t you go and have fun. Eat some food, mingle.”
“I think I will, love, but first, can you get me a gin and tonic?”
I called over to the bar, “Millie, do me a favor! Please take care of this special guest.” I felt bad handing my mother off, but there was no way I leaving her with Lynx.
“Come on,” I whispered to Lynx. “Let’s go by the water and hide.”
“No arguments from me,” she said, leaning her head on my shoulder.
We stood on the edge of the property, listening to the waves crashing, our hearts beating in unison.
“You like Florida?” I asked. “See yourself staying here?”
“I like it. You’re here, so yeah. Where else would I go?”
“Good, that’s what I want to hear. I like it here, don’t see myself going back to Vegas. That’s my dad’s town. Kind of want to make this mine ... ours. If you’ll have me.”
She laid her hand over my tattoo—her smooth hand. She’d not cut into her palm in a few weeks, resisting the urge with daily meditation and eating apples. I’d learned the cutting was an addiction, like smoking or exercising too much. She could have eaten chips or fries, but apples were a healthier alternative.
“I don’t say it enough. I love you,” she whispered.
I didn’t answer back with words, only with my lips against her much softer ones. We stayed like that for a while, my business coming together behind us, my future rolling out in front of us.
“Michael!”
And just like that, we were interrupted by the larger-than-life persona of my father.
“You must be Lynx. What a sight. Too bad I’m not twenty years younger.”
When my dad flashed his veneers, I shot him the evil eye. He might have fucked Rochelle, but Lynx was mine now and forever.
“Pleased to meet you,” Lynx said, not moving to even shake his hand. She knew to keep her touch all for me.
After his cheap come-on and brief introductions, our conversation actually went better than with my mom.
It ended with him saying, “Proud of you, son. Wasn’t sure there for a while, but you really did something here.”
