His grip on my arm tightened.
“Ouch!” I winced, twisting slightly. His eyes snapped to me, and he immediately let go.
“Shit. I’m sorry,” he murmured, turning to fully face me. “About the arm. And… them.”
“I’m Lisa,” his mom said gently. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
Chris looked at me. I was smiling, silently asking if it was okay to respond. He rolled his eyes and stepped aside. I quickly adjusted the shorts to make them look a little less revealing, then stepped forward and took her extended hand.
“I’m Jules. Nice to meet you, too.”
I glanced at his dad. He gave me a nod. “Bob.”
I offered a polite smile. Respecting his space. Chris moved slowly toward the couch opposite theirs and sat down with all the enthusiasm of a sulking teenager. Arms crossed. Jaw tight. I waited for his parents to sit back down before easing onto the couch next to him.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” he said, sounding calmer. “I was going to call you. I’ve been busy with work…”
“Vanessa told me you’re not working together anymore, so we had to come.” I snapped my head toward Chris. My eyes locked on him, silently asking a question I didn’t dare ask out loud:What happened?
He’d dropped out of the movie, stopped working with Vanessa… Should I be worried? The questions piled up in my throat, but I swallowed them all back down. I turned back to his parents, forcing on my best mask of a pleasant and composed girl.
“What happened there? Got tired of dancing around to pay the bills?” Bob said, soaked in condescension. Lisa and I both turned our heads toward him, matching expressions of annoyance. Someone needed to tell him to knock it off. But Chris didn’t even blink. He didn’t react at all. Like he was well-practiced in taking those kinds of hits. I looked at Lisa, waiting to see if she’d say something. She didn’t. That silence told me more than enough about what Chris’ childhood had looked like.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll call next time.” He said to his mother. Not a word to his father. Not even a glance.
“It’s okay, honey. I just wanted to see if you’re okay,” she said softly, looking at him before turning her gaze on me. “Which you clearly are. Look at this adorable lady.” I felt my cheeks flush. Chris caught it, and a subtle smile curled at the edge of his mouth.
“I suppose she’s the reason for the end of the engagement with that actress,” Bob added with a smirk. “That we learned about in some magazine.”
“Bob!” Lisa hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. Finally.
“I was never really engaged. And Mom knew that.” Chris answered.
“Yes, yes… the PR thing,” Lisa confirmed.
“How ridiculous does your job have to be that you have to fake being engaged to someone?” Bob muttered, his disgust plain. This was a bloodbath. I shifted on the couch, trying not to let my posture scream how much I wanted to clap back. Every instinct in me wanted to say something. Anything. But this was his father. For once in my life, I needed to keep my mouth shut.
“I’m glad you found someone, honey,” Lisa said, all butterflies and rainbows, while her son was getting verballyslapped across the face five feet away. She was really sweet, but as a mom myself, it was freaking hard to be on her side right now. “So, Jules, tell us about yourself…” she added, turning her curious eyes on me.
“I’m…”
“Are you in the ‘entertainment’ business as well?” Freaking Bob interrupted again, complete with air-freaking-quotes. What was this man’s problem? Seriously. And again, no one seemed as bothered as I was. Maybe they were too tired to keep fighting him.
I gave him the fakest smile I could muster. “I wish. I’m an ad executive.”
“Ah… that sounds like a real job,” Bob said, laughing. Alone.
“Oh… here in Boston?” Lisa chimed in, like nothing was happening around her.
I took another deep breath. “No. I live in New York.”
“She’s actually much more than an ad executive, Mom,” Chris said suddenly. He’d been mostly staring at his feet until then, but now he leaned forward, hand warm and steady on my thigh. He looked his mom straight in the eyes. “She’s an amazing writer. A great big sister. The funniest of friends.” Then he turned to me, those ocean eyes locked onto mine, and the anger and tension in my body vanished. “And the best mom.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Lisa’s eyes sparkle at the word.
“You have kids?”
I gave Chris a small smile. God, I wanted to kiss him right then, but held it in. Later. I turned to Lisa and nodded.
