“I’m so happy to see you, mom. And Dana. I didn’t realize you two knew each other.”
I hug Dana with almost as much enthusiasm as I did my mom. I feel a genuine affection for her, and I’m so pleased to see her with my mom.
“Oh well, we don’t know each other very well, just from here and there,” Dana explains.
We all sit. Mom next to me and Dana next to Lottie.
“Did you plan this all along?” I ask Lottie.
“I might have,” she says, smirking. “When you told me you had a day off, I thought it was a great opportunity.”
“It’s perfect, thank you.”
Neither of the moms mentions the commandos outside. I can see them in my peripheral vision, but they are fairly inconspicuous, so I don’t mention it either. I really don’t want my mom to worry, especially when I have it handled.
We order and eat. And before long, we have laughed more than I have in years and polished off a couple of bottles of Prosecco between us.
“So, are you and Brent coming to the ball, mom?” I ask hopefully.
“No, we’ve been away so much just lately, I haven’t had a chance to get a dress or anything.”
“No need to worry about that,” Lottie says firmly. “I know just the place.”
I laugh at Lottie’s enthusiasm for our secret shop but reaffirm her thoughts, “Mom, you would never even know this little place existed, it’s like an Aladdin’s cave.”
“You’ll have to show me another day, Lottie,” Mom says placating her for today. She knows Lottie almost as well as I do, and once she gets the bit between her teeth, she doesn’t let go and if mom showed even a hint that she wanted to look, mom’s lunch would be cut short, and she would be dragged there for more shopping. “Also, the house is nearly ready. The builders have left such a mess, and I have that to sort out before we go to Florida on Monday.”
“Florida?” I say, maybe a little too loudly. “You’re awayagain?”
“Yes, darling. Brent gets to travel with his job and I like to go with him.” The dreamy look in her eyes makes my heart swell. Who would have thought that we’d get to this point in both of our lives after everything we both went through.
“Dana,” Lottie announces. “What about you? Can we tempt you to come dancing with us at the ball?”
Dana laughs and takes a sip of her drink before answering, “And watch you molesting my baby boy? I think I’ll pass.”
My mom almost spits her drink out at Dana’s direct comment, and the way she keeps her expression so neutral when she says it. But it’s just another thing that shows me how down to earth she is.
“Me?” Lottie shrieks. “I’ll have you know, I was a virgin when I met your son,” she says maybe a little too loudly but she doesn’t care and tilts her chin upwards as if what she just said were true, and she can’t believe anyone would think anything else.
“Yes, verging on the ridiculous,” Dana retorts, which has my mom dissolving in fits of hysterics, clutching her stomach.
“I can’t believe you just said that!” Lottie yells. “Tell her, Ari. Tell her what a good girl I was before I met Spike. He’s corrupted me,” she says indignantly, with a hint of a smirk playing on her pouting lips.
I place my glass on the table and hold my hands up. “I’m not saying a word. I need to pee.”
I sidle past my mom, who’s still chuckling to herself. It’s evident that she’s enjoying the girlie banter we’re having. “Whose side are you on, Ari? You’re supposed to be my best friend.” She giggles, and I watch as Dana pulls Lottie in for an affectionate hug. It’s great that Dana accepts Lottie for who she is, big mouth and all.
I glance out the doorway as I head to the restroom. The commandos are now parked opposite in a black SUV. I’m pleased that they’re not standing outside like a couple of soldiers, but they’re also still fully alert. One of them tips his cap as he notices me looking in his direction, and I smile back.
I follow the signs for the ladies’ restroom, and it takes me toward the back of the restaurant.
I push the door open and it closes behind me with a bang. Before I can turn. I am pushed roughly against the wall next to me. A cold, calloused hand is clamped over my mouth and the length of a forearm across my neck.
“Surprise,” Jonny sings, his cigarette breath blowing in my face. “Bodyguards not doing such a good job, are they? And I bet lover boy is paying them a small fortune to keep you safe.” He talks in a low voice. “If I take my hand away, are you going to scream? Do I need to give you a little something to make you more…cooperative?” He barks out a laugh that makes my stomach roll. I shake my head frantically from side to side and he loosens his grip. His arm falls away from my neck, and his hand leaves my mouth, but he slides it across my face, settling it over my jawline. I pant, trying to take in air, no matter how fast I breathe, it’s not enough.
“You know, your...” He waves his free hand around as if trying to think of the next word, then curls his lip. “…boyfriend, he’s making it very hard for us to be friends, all these people guarding you like you’ve become royalty, have I missed something?”
I stare at him blankly, wondering just how he can try and hold a conversation as if it were a normal situation. “Well, I know Mr. Jamesson isn’t royalty, so it can’t have been because you married him.” He lets that linger in the air for a few seconds, expecting me to bite, but I don’t. I know he must have done his research to find me, I don’t know how long he’s known where I am, or how he knows about Aaron, but I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of asking.
