"Well," her mother said with a tight smile, "Kelly has always had... unique interests."
Not surprisingly, the not-so-subtle dig didn't escape Kelly's notice. He could feel her shrink into her seat, trying to make herself smaller, less noticeable.
He made a mental note to call his parents and thank them for not being assholes, and for being genuinely supportive of his ambitions and dreams.
"Unique is good," Ben countered, his voice firm but polite. "It's the unique perspectives that often lead to breakthroughs, whether in business or... other areas."
Kelly's father leaned forward, clearly preparing to launch into another line of questioning, when Celia intervened.
"Mom, shouldn't we show Kelly and Ben to their rooms? They must be tired after their journey."
"Of course," her mother replied, though Kelly could tell she was reluctant to end the interrogation so soon. "We've put Ben in the guest room, and Kelly, you'll be in your old room, naturally."
“Mom, I told you we’re not staying here. We’re going to stay at Andrea’s condo. She’s out of town right now and was happy to offer it to us. I know you’re going to have more guests, and this way we’ll be out of the way.”
“I cleaned the rooms and made up the beds with fresh linens,” her mother protested. “We’ll find room for everybody.”
“I know that Uncle Jim and Aunt Lisa are staying here, too, along with their kids Eric and Aaron,” Kelly replied. This time, he noted a firmness to her tone that hadn’t been there before. “Where are they going to sleep?”
“We’ll figure it out,” David said. “We can find space for everyone. Don’t upset your mother.”
Ben had the feeling that it wasn’t about upsetting Jenny Bateman, although that was probably not something anyone wanted to do, but it was more about making sure that he and Kelly didn’t share a bed. If they were at a friend’s condo, they couldn’t monitor their daughter’s sex life.
“I’m afraid that we promised to watch Andrea’s home, feed her cat, and water her plants while she’s away,” Ben replied, watching their reactions closely. “We couldn’t possibly back out of that commitment and leave her high and dry with no one to do that.”
Ben knew how his own parents felt about keeping commitments, and it appeared that David and Jenny were the same. They couldn’t argue to blow off Andrea without it sounding strange.
“They’re right, Mom,” Celia piped up. “We’ve been stressed about so many people staying here. This would be a huge help.”
The barely concealed icy glare that Jenny shot at her youngest child sent a shiver down Ben’s spine. Celia was going to hear about this the minute they drove off.
Maybe before.
“If you feel this is something you must do, then I can’t talk you out of it or forbid you to do it. As you tell us often, you are a grown woman after all, make your own decisions,” Jenny said, her lip pursed in disapproval. “We certainly didn’t have any luck talking you out of moving to New York.”
It didn’t matter what words came out of Kelly’s mother’s mouth because it was clear from her body language that she absolutely, positively, wanted to tell her daughter what to do and forbid her to leave.
David, for his part, had gone silent and chilly, waves of barely controlled aggression rolling off of him. After they left, that guy was going to try to find a puppy to kick.
Wow, I’ve hardly met these people, and I don’t like them one bit.
There was a little more small talk, and then Ben and Kelly stood to leave, promising to be at brunch tomorrow. They were all meeting at the restaurant with the wedding planner and the in-laws-to-be to discuss the final arrangements for the day.
Celia gave Kelly a sincerely warm hug, and then surprised Ben by hugging him, too. At least he’d won over one of the Batemans.
As they climbed into the car, Ben couldn't shake one nagging concern. He had performed flawlessly so far, but her family was just getting warmed up. The weekend stretched ahead of them, filled with potential landmines and uncomfortable moments.
Daddy and Mommy Bateman weren’t going to give up. It was clear they’d made it their mission to discredit him and their owndaughter. For whatever reason, they wanted to make Kelly look stupid and unsuccessful.
Think about that. They want their own child to look like a loser.
But his mom and dad hadn’t raised a quitter, and he’d certainly never have gotten to where he was in his career by giving up and giving in.
He’d come to Bergen determined to help Kelly, but now there wasn’t anything on earth that he wouldn’t do to keep them from hurting her.
His competitive nature wouldn’t accept anything less.
It didn’t have anything to do with liking her or wanting to protect her, though. He wasn’t going to get all emotionally involved on this trip.
