“Aubrey, this is my daughter, Sutton.” Looking at me, she continues, “Sutton, Aubrey Reynolds is an old friend of mine from college, and this is her son, Leon Reynolds II.”
An old friend from college? I can’t imagine they’re that close of friends since I’ve never met her before. Before I can think too much about that, this Leon guy steps forward and gives me a smile that makes my skin crawl. He looks me up and down like he’s assessing a piece of livestock he’s considering purchasing. Yuck.
So, Mom really is trying to set me up again. It’s irritating, but not exactly surprising. However, I don’t usually get the immediate ick with the guys she chooses. Leon already seems like the worst “suitor” yet.
“Come, let’s all take a seat in the sitting area and Mrs. Varn will serve us tea,” Mom declares, spreading her arms to guide us to the couch and chairs. She sits, careful not to rumple her black Louis Vuitton dress, with its white polka dots and belted waist. Lifting her hand, she tucks her dark hair behind her ear. I stare at her for a moment, admiring the stray strands of silver on her head that shimmer in the light. My mom is a classic beauty, and she’s only grown more elegant over the years.
Aubrey sits down in a chair across from Mom, and that leaves me with no choice but to drop down onto a loveseat with Leon. He sits closer than necessary and I tense, doing my best not to let a single part of my body touch his. What is with this guy? Does he have no concept of personal space?
As our housekeeper, Mrs. Varn, pours us all cups of tea, I try to come up with something to say so I don’t come off as rude.
“So, uh,” I say in a tight voice as I do my best to ignore the heat coming off Leon’s body. “You two went to college together?”
Mom nods, reaching over to pat Aubrey’s hand affectionately. “Yes, we met at Yale and were part of the same sorority. We were quite good friends, but sadly lost touch after graduation.”
“Oh? That’s too bad.” I’m not really curious about why they lost touch, but more interested in knowing how they reconnected and why I’m stuck in this awkward situation with this creep next to me.
“You know how it goes,” Mom sighs. “We both got married and started our families, and got busy and drifted apart.”
“Some of us were busier than others, apparently,” Aubrey replies, her smile small and tight. “Your singular focus on yourfamily is quite impressive, Iris. Speaking of, it’s a shame Keith can’t join us tonight. I was looking forward to seeing him again as well.”
Mom smiles and shrugs. “Oh, you know how it is. He’s a busy man. He had to work late tonight, but he asked me to pass along his apologies.”
“I see.” A flash of annoyance cuts through Aubrey’s eyes, but she quickly masks it. “I hope work is going well. Between his demands with Holloway, and your demands as a wife and mother, it’s no wonder we lost touch.”
I tense, feeling a surge of protectiveness toward my mom because Aubrey seems to be implying it’s all Mom’s fault they lost touch, and she’s not being all that subtle about it. My mom’s been through so much already. She has lost so much already…
Colson.
I quickly shove the thought out of my head. I can’t think about Colson right now. I have to keep it together. This is not a time to panic, especially not while there’s this lizardlike human being next to me.
Mom’s friendly grin falters for a moment, but she’s a pro at handling the sometimes snotty upper crust of society we often mingle with. I clench and unclench my hands in my lap, wanting to say something but feeling a rise of anxiety in my chest, stealing my breath.
Before I can get the nerve up to speak, though, Leon jumps in with a chuckle.
“Well, not to worry,” he declares. “Now you two will have plenty of time to rebuild your friendship. Once Sutton and I are married, our families will never drift apart again.”
It takes a moment for his words to sink in, but when they do, I whip my gaze to him, shocked. He moves to hold my hand, but I shrink away from him to avoid his touch. Uh,married?I jerk my eyes back to Mom. What the fuck?
Mom takes a moment to look back at me. Finally, she gives me a nervous smile. She’s somewhat old-fashioned in some of her thinking, especially when it comes to marriage. In her mind, I just need to find a man to settle down with and I’ll be happy. Even though that’s not at all what I want right now, I bear with her constant meddling in my love-life and go out with the endless line of guys she sets me up with. “Suitors,” she calls them.
She’s never donethis— never surprised me with a guy who is somehow already thinking we’re a sure thing. What is going on?
Mom continues on, totally ignoring Leon’s comment and my baffled stare. “That’s a wonderful sentiment, Leon. Sutton… Leon is CEO of his family’s company, Reynolds Developments. He inherited it after his father’s recent passing, which is a real loss. Leon, his father, was such a good man… I remember him fondly.”
“Is that so?” I speak through gritted teeth, desperate for this whole interaction to be over. I want to demand to know what’s going on. To scream and shout that I have no interest in getting married, especially to a preening peacock like Leon Reynolds II.
Unfortunately, I can’t make a scene and embarrass Mom. Instead, I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I’m almost worried it’ll bleed, pushing down my growing frustration and anger as far as it’ll go… and fighting to look calm as I do so.
Turning to Aubrey again, who’s still got that weird sour-lemon smile on her, Mom exclaims, “Sutton is quite an ambitious young woman herself. She’s determined to be CEO of Holloway Architecture and take over for her father…”
“It’s not an ambition, Mom,” I cut in firmly. “I’m going to be CEO.”
Aubrey looks at me and smiles, reaching out to pat my knee. The gesture is so condescending, I feel a flare of irritation burn through me.
“Of course you are, darling.” She gives me an indulgent look, like she’s addressing a child. “With the union of our companies through you and Leon, you’ll have so many opportunities to learn everything you need to know from him.”
My anxiety and anger are swirling within me, pulling me into my own head as I struggle to maintain a straight face. This is all too much. It’s like nothing I feel right now matters to anyone else in this room. Why would Mom do this to me? Why would she totally blindside me like this?
