I caught William’s eye, and he gave me a quick wink, but before I could go over, Mom pulled me into a group of other mothers. They welcomed me loudly, clouds of perfume accosting my senses. They enveloped me in tight hugs as they surveyed my body. I was wearing a floral dress with a corset detail that made me feel like a sexy wench without being too inappropriate.
“Ladies, hasn’t my Nairie matured beautifully?” Mom said.
The lady to the right nodded vigorously. “Yes, she’d be perfect for my Raffi.”
The lady across from me cut in. “Raffi is dating that girl from the bakery. Nairie, Christian is the perfect boy for you: smart, funny, kind.”
The lady next to me chirped, “And bald. No, Nairie, you don’t want bald children. Here come, let me introduce you to Alex.”
She pulled me across the room in a firm grip, the talons of her acrylic nails digging deep into my upper arm. Before I could protest, Alex appeared with a wide smile and a creepy glint in his eye. He skipped a few buttons in his shirt so I could see his hairy potbelly protruding.
His greasy hand dropped a pita chip as he extended it toward me. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Before I could shake it, I made a quick excuse. “I’m so sorry, but there’s a kebab emergency in the kitchen.”
I made my escape but unfortunately bumped into David in the process.
The drink he was holding spilled over onto his hand, and he looked at me pointedly. “You have a tendency to spill things on me.”
I chewed my cheek in anger. “Excuse me.”
David looked over my shoulder, and I turned to see William giving him the death glare from afar. “Seems like that guy is never far behind when it comes to you.”
“My boyfriend is protective that way.” I crossed my arms.
David’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, you work fast.”
I was about to lay into him again, but he shushed me. Actually shushed me. “Calm down. It was just a joke, and your parents are about to approach, so I suggest you remain civil.”
Mom fawned over David. “I’m so glad you two were able to work things out. It’s so nice seeing you together.”
I was about to correct her when David chimed in. “Of course. It was just a little misunderstanding. Sometimes I can be blunt, and Nairie wasn’t used to it.”
David wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed. Why the hell was he lying?
Mom started pushing on Baba’s arm. “Of course. We’ll leave you to it.”
I shrugged out of his embrace and looked at him suspiciously. “What the hell was that about?”
“Just trying to help. I assume your parents wouldn’t be too happy about you dating an outsider.”
“That’s none of your concern. I can take care of my parents myself.”
“Sorry.” He chuffed. “But once they find out, it’s not going to be pretty.” He winked at me and then looked over my shoulder again. “Speaking of. Your boyfriend doesn’t look too happy.”
David sauntered away, and I turned around to find William making a beeline toward me. Before I could explain, he swiftly held me by the elbow and walked me to an abandoned hallway. He found an open door to a storage room and locked us both inside, pinning me against the wall.
William stared intensely at me. “What was that about?”
I rolled my eyes. “He wanted to make you jealous, and it clearly worked.”
He trailed his nose along my throat. “Me? Jealous?” His deep voice rumbled softly in my ear. “What did he say?”
I wet my lips and controlled my breathing as William continued to trail his nose along my skin like an animal toying with his prey. “He made my parents think he and I were still seeing each other.”
“And did you correct him?”
“They left before I could tell them otherwise.”
