"An accident, yeah," I say smoothly. Arguing, but not really. My specialty when it comes to my parents.
"Maybe we should meet her," my dad suggests. Alarm bells scream inside my chest.
Not a chance in hell is Cecily meeting my family. I don't care that I met hers.
"Why make it messier than it already is?" I ask, clapping once to signal the end of the conversation.
"Right." Dad nods quickly. "Yeah, sure. No problem. How about we go get something to eat?" He pats my shoulder. "I have a new business venture I want to bring you in on." He cuts the air between us with a flattened palm. "Ground floor."
"Let's grab dinner. Pitch me." Anything to not have to talk more about Cecily. She might despise me, but I want to keep her tucked away from my family.
Mom's relieved smile is all I need to see to know I've made the right choice.
In the end, I pay for dinner. I knew I would. I'd do it no matter what, because I make more money than them, and they're my parents. I even listen to my dad's Rent-a-Raptor business idea.
Thanks to a quick internet search, I'm able to avoid it by informing him it's illegal to rent protected species. And, because he planned on having bald eagles be his big ticket item, I have also managed to save him from himself.
For now.
CHAPTER 17
Cecily
I did not expectto still have a husband on Wednesday. Or, I at least expected to be in the process of canceling the whole marriage thing.
Paisley invites me to grab dinner with her after work.
I should've known better.
Klein and Dom sit at a table when we walk in. Dom's back is to the door, but Klein waves at Paisley.
"Smooth," I tell her.
"I wasn't trying to trick you, per se, but I didn't want to give you the chance to invent something pressing to do."
"Like organize my spice drawer?"
"Exactly."
"Scrub behind the toilet."
"Right."
"Clean the soles of my shoes with a toothbrush."
Paisley side-eyes me. "All things you'd rather be doing?"
"Precisely."
"Lucky for you, I have your best interests in mind."
I groan, and she steers me toward the table where the guys are waiting. "You and Dom need to have a heart to heart before you're stuck together, and you're running out of time."
She has a point. Dom turns as we approach. It's the first time I've seen him since I left him in front of Klein and Paisley's house. He looks good, of course, and probably without trying. A light blue shirt. Gray shorts.
"Menace," he booms happily, mouth curving into a slow, wicked smile. "You here to ruin my day?"
My acknowledging nod is clipped, like I can hardly be bothered. "Errand Boy."
