“Well… I told them we work together.”
“And…?”
“They assumed you’re a model.”
“A model? Can’t they just Google me and find out that’s not true?” He kept throwing me looks as he drove. “What? Your parents know how to Google, right? Your brother is a lawyer.”
I sighed and just said it. “I told them your name is David Jones.”
“What?”
“I made up a name. I panicked.”
“Your brother vetted the prenup. My name is on it.”
“I swore him to secrecy until I could see my mom and dad in person and explain, face-to-face.”
“He won’t tell them?”
“He said he’d give me the week but that’s it. He Googled you himself. I chickened out, Dane. It’s a lot to unravel over the phone. My mother was already in tears.”
“Dana, call Richard and Chandra Sereda.”
I stared at Dane. His car answered him. “Calling Richard and Chandra Sereda…”
I heard a phone line ringing. “Who the hell is Dana?” I demanded. “And why is she calling my parents?”
“Dana is our new car,” he informed me.
“You named the car after yourself?”
“Well, what was I supposed to name her?” he said cooly. “Devi? That would just get confusing.”
Oh, he was liking this just a little too much.
I started poking at things on the dash trying to hang up the call.
Don’t pick up.
Don’t pick up.
Someone picked up. My mom’s voice filled the car. “Hello?”
“Hello. Chandra? This is Dane, your daughter’s husband.”
“Hi, Mom!” I said quickly. “I’m here, too.”
“Hi, Devi,” my mom said carefully. “And… Dane?”
“Yes,” he said. “Sometimes people call me David. It’s sort of a nickname.” He shot me a look. “You can call me Dane.”
“Oh,” my mom said. “Okay…”
“I think Devi forgot to mention when she spoke with you that we’d like to take you and your husband for lunch tomorrow. Or on the weekend if that works better for you.”
“Oh. Well, I’ll have to check with my husband, but I think tomorrow would be great. We would love to see you, Devi,” she said, with a little bite in her tone.
Shit. She was still upset with me. More, probably, now that she knew I didn’t even give her my husband’s real name.
