“We’re not together.” Velma shook her head against the sudden urge to climb under the tablecloth and hide. “I’m seeing Brek.”
“She’s Brek’s girl, Babushka.” Anna laid a hand on the elderly woman’s shoulder.
“No,” Babushka replied, pointing a crooked finger at Velma and giving her a good once-over. “You are not girl for Brek.” She gestured to Jase. “She is girl for you.”
Jase scrubbed a hand over his face. “Babushka—”
“She’s not exactly Brek’s type.” Anna wiped her lips with her napkin.
Velma’s heart sank. Of course she knew this. She didn’t need it rubbed in.
“Too much sophisticated for him.” Babushka shoved a forkful of cake in her mouth.
“I’ve seen some of Brek’s hookups. They’re nothing like you,” Anna assured.
“They’re hella fun to look at, though,” Zak replied. “There was this one time he came to the shop with—”
“Shut up, idiot.” Jase reached across the table to smack Zak across the head.
Velma caught her breath. She so didn’t want to think about Brek’stypeor the girls he used to sleep with.
“You’re not one of his hookups. It’s a good thing. Have more dessert.” Anna scooted the strawberry cake toward Velma.
“This girl, she does not deny. Jason, you will buy her kol’tso and make children for me to spoil.” Babushka nodded.
“I’m not buying her a ring.” Jase dropped his forehead to his hand. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Mama, leave the kids alone. This is a business dinner,” Jase’s father boomed.
Babushka snorted in reply and went back to stabbing at her cake.
Velma poked at a berry on her plate with a fork, her chest heavy. Brek said he loved her, so the words from a confused old woman and Jase’s sister shouldn’t have had any impact.
Only they struck close to home because these people knew Brek way better than Velma did. She probably was strung too tight for someone like him. That didn’t matter, though. They were figuring things out. Maybe. If he would just show up, already.
“If you’d bring a girl home more often, you wouldn’t confuse her,” Anna stage-whispered across the table to Jase, scrunching her forehead.
“If he brought girls home more often, he’d just confuse her more,” Zak replied, slicing another piece of cake. “We’d have a wedding every week.”
“The vedding is next veek?” Babuska asked Jase. “This is fast. Fast is best.”
“Yup, next week. Why wait when you’ve met the perfect girl?” Jase nodded to Velma and poured more vodka.
Velma’s jaw dropped to her toenails. “Stop,” she muttered and snatched the bottle, setting it beside Brek’s unused plate.
“Where did you propose?” Babushka’s eyes lit with joy.
“At the shop, yesterday. We’re all very excited,” Jase said, deadpan.
Velma stomped on his foot under the table. “Stop.”
“Jason,” his mother said in what had to be her best listen-to-your-mother tone.
“What?” He shoved another bite into his mouth. “She thinks we’re together. Might as well play along. Right, Sugar Lips?”
Velma stared at him, unable to close her mouth.
“She’ll forget tomorrow, anyway.” He shrugged. “Toss me more vodka so I can forget, too.”
