“That’s the magic number, huh?”
“Half your age plus seven, Dad! That’s the rule!”
“Who made up that rule?”
“I dunno! Someone smart!”
“So, not you?”
“Dad!”
“I’m sorry. That was rude. But so are you.”
They reached an impasse, wherein Benson glared at his daughter, and she scrunched her nose at him.
“It might not even turn into anything long-term,” Benson finally said. “But I need you to treat her with respect. Including in private, when it’s just you and me.”
Eventually, Drew slammed her arms to her sides with a dramatic scoff. “Whatever.”
“No,whatever.I need to know that this isn’t going to be a problem.”
“It won’t be a problem! God!”
“Good.”
“Just don’t expect me to call someone only five years older than me my stepmom!”
Benson pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re jumping way ahead of me there. And on that note…” He had another thought. “Don’t tell your mother. This is my private business that has nothing to do with you two right now.”
“It has a lot to do with me! I’m your daughter!”
“Yes, but she’s my ex-wife. Your mother gets no say in who I date now, as I mentioned before. I just know that you two can be a packaged deal when it comes to gossip.”
“Well, yeah. I tell her everything. It’s just sometimes I tell you things first.”
“So, I’m asking you not to tell her until I’ve had the chance. And I only will if things get more serious with Eden. Until then, zip it.”
“I’m tellingallmy friends.”
“So it can get back to your mother? What did I just say, Drew?”
She shrugged.
Chapter 7
Eden
Chapter 7
Eden
Although she was quite embarrassed about meeting her boyfriend’s daughter in such a sudden manner, there was no going back. Eden had clocked the look in Drew’s eye and knew exactly what it meant.
“Oh, she hates you,” Blair said as they shopped for lingerie together. “At least when my dad got remarried, it was to a woman his own age. I would have thrown chairs if she were barely older thanme.”
Eden checked for her size inside a display of lavender teddies, despite having zero interest in them. They were mostly here for Blair, anyway, who had to keep a rotation of fresh undies and negligees for her job. Between streaming on FansOnly, working at the Salon, performing in nightclubs, and moonlighting as abartender at places like La Mariposa, the woman probably had a whole closet dedicated to lacy undies and silk kimonos.
“She wassodisgusted when she realized who I was. Didn’t help that I was wearing a crop top and a short skirt. You’d think I went there to get laid.”
