As they entered a room filled with people, Jake immediately identified Callie’s parents. Philip Scott, with a glass of scotch in his hand, held everyone’s attention in the center of the room. Laura Scott was standing closely beside him, holding a glass of white wine and smiling stiffly. He noticed that both Callie and her mother had blonde hair, although he suspected her mother had the help of a hairdresser to achieve that perfect golden shade. But the similarities ended there. Where Callie’s face often showed her inner warmth and kindness, her mother’s expression was closed and aloof.
When Callie’s mother noticed them enter the room, Jake didn’t miss the slight frown that marred her mother’s otherwise emotionless face when she glanced down and noticed them standing hand in hand.So, she disapproves already,he thought to himself, as Callie tugged on his hand to walk over to her mother. Mother and daughter greeted each other with a whisper of a kiss on the cheek, clearly for appearances not affection.
“Callista, you made it at last, we were expecting you earlier.”
The reproach in her mother’s tone was evident to anyone who was listening. Based on what Callie had said in the car, Jake suspected this was only the beginning of her verbal attack. Laura Scott didn’t seem the type to make a scene, so he needed to be on his toes for the subtle daggers of pain he was certain she would throw at them both.
Callie stiffened beside him, and he squeezed her hand, trying to infuse her with his strength and love.
“Mother, lovely to see you again. You left so suddenly the other day when we met for the lunch I thought we were having together, I never had the chance to tell you about my wonderful boyfriend. I’d like you to meet Jake Evans. Jake, this is my mother Laura Scott.”
Jake hid his smile. His girl could give as good as she got apparently. He took the hand Laura had limply extended, noting the critical gaze she swept over him. He instinctively knew she found him lacking. Not that he cared for himself, but indignation burned inside him that this woman could show so little consideration for her daughter’s feelings. Still, Jake knew he had to rise above his own emotions and be strong for Callie.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Laura. You must be so proud of your daughter, she’s an exceptional woman.”
Laura sniffed delicately before replying, but the verbal dismissal that came next truly rocked Jake’s resolve to remain respectful tonight.
“Well, this is a surprise. I wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you, Jake, but since my daughter did not have the courtesy to inform me of your attendance, I shall now have to make some adjustments with the seating arrangement.” Turning to Callie, Laura fixed her with a reproachful stare. “I suppose poor Joseph will require a different companion for dinner this evening. I had assumed that after your lunch with him, it would be appropriate for him to sit beside you tonight. Now you have yet again disrupted my plans.”
Jake was stunned to hear that this Joseph character was still in the picture. Why hadn’t he taken the hint when Callie walked away from the lunch date set-up? He had to assume that for Joseph, the lure of being associated with the daughter of a future senator was stronger than the embarrassment of being rejected. He wrapped his arm around Callie’s waist, feeling the tension in her stiff posture as she faced her mother’s attack. Her silence led him to believe she was accustomed to hearing her mother speak to her in this way, which broke his heart on her behalf. Jake wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave, taking Callie far away from this madness. But for her sake he resolved to see the evening through. However, Jake wasn’t going to ignore Laura’s thinly veiled insults without standing up for Callie.
“Yes, Laura, you will have to change your seating plan. You should also know that I will be accompanying Callie to any and all future events. She won’t need you to arrange for any other companions or to trick her into lunch dates.”
Jake knew he was being overbearing, and he hoped Callie would accept his taking control of the conversation in this manner. Even though Callie had tried to warn him, he was baffled that her mother could possibly think it was acceptable to talk to anyone in this condescending way, let alone her daughter. Nothing could have fully prepared him for the intensity of Laura Scott’s cruelty.
Jake was satisfied to see that Callie’s mother appeared taken aback by his response. He suspected she did not often face resistance to her controlling and demeaning ways. But Laura quickly recovered her composure and turned her calculating gaze onto Jake.
“Callista has always made interesting choices. However, tonight is not about my daughter. It is about her father and his future as a United States Senator. Tell me, Jake, are you a Republican?”
Jake could feel Callie gasp at the audacity of her mother. Clearly the interrogation was to start immediately. Thankfully, Jake managed to take it in stride.
“Actually, I come from a long line of Democrats, but I personally try to cast my vote based on a candidate’s platform and individual values, not a party line.”
Laura didn’t even try to hide the contempt in her response, not that Jake expected her to.
“I see. Nonetheless you must understand, the Scott family are, and always have been, staunch Republicans. My daughter will carry on that tradition and support her father’s run for the State Senate. After she settles down and stops wasting her time putting on band-aids, her future family will continue our legacy.”
* * *
It wasn’t the first time Callie had heard her mother’s ‘plan’ for her daughter’s future, but somehow standing next to Jake made the words sting even deeper. Laura Scott had her daughter’s life mapped out and seemed to have no intention of taking Callie’s happiness or choices into consideration.
Jake had been an avenging warrior with the way he stood up to her mother. She fell even deeper in love listening to him push back against all her mother’s horrible words. The only sign she saw of any tension in Jake was the tight grip he had on her arm. She marveled at how calm and collected he appeared, in the face of her mother’s statements.
Just when she thought the conversation could not get any more awkward, her mother followed up with another question that Callie knew was designed to belittle Jake.
In a contemptuous voice hidden behind her brittle smile, Laura turned back to Jake. “What does one do for a living as a Democrat in Oregon, Jake?”
Once again Jake proved his control over his emotions was exceptional. “I must admit, I’m not certain how or why my political beliefs would affect my career choice Laura, but since you asked, I’m the primary owner of a brew pub in Portland.”
Callie squeezed his arm gently, looking at him with pride and love in her eyes. She turned to her mother, eager to brag about Jake’s accomplishments.
“It’s a wonderfully successful local bar, Mother. Jake and his friend Ryan have done a fantastic job. The Lucky Strike is such a -”
Interrupting with a wave of her hand, Laura sniffed in disdain.
“A bar. I see. That’s… nice.”
Callie was shocked at how rudely her mother had interrupted her and dismissed Jake’s achievements. She knew her mother was a critical woman with impossible standards, but somehow it was much harder to listen to those judgments when they were directed at the man she loved. She was about to open her mouth and defend Jake when her mother continued her onslaught.
