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Besides, Sidney wanted me there—she’d told me that several times—and I had to believe her. I wanted to believe her. I kept reminding myself of that. She wanted the whole world to know about us, and I did, too. Meeting her family was a big step and I just wanted it to go well. It was at times like this that I wished I had someone for her to meet.
“So do your parents live in California full-time?” I asked.
“It’s where they have their summer place and they usually spend three or four months there every year. They seem to have more California friends than New York friends these days. My mom spends a lot of time in California.”
“So, is the party at their place?”
“No, it’s going to be at a hotel. I booked a room at a place close by so it will be convenient for us.”
“So, what are they like? Help me out here. I don’t know anything about them and I want a few pointers on what to talk to them about.”
She took my hand and squeezed it. “Don’t worry. My mom is very proper. She’ll call you dear and brush invisible crumbs off your jacket for you. But she’s pretty much always upbeat. And she’s a pro at redirecting conversations.”
“Redirecting?”
“Yes. Like if things start to get tense—say if someone says, ‘Hey, I heard Bob’s been cheating on Carol’, Mom would say, ‘Carol? I was on a fundraising committee with her. Did you know she knits scarves for charity?’”
Sid’s depiction of her mom made me smile. “She sounds like a sweet lady.”
“She is. But she doesn’t like to talk about anything uncomfortable, which is why I’m still a virgin in her mind. I probably always will be.”
“What about your dad?”
Sidney raised a hand to get the attention of a passing flight attendant. “Can we order drinks yet?”
The flight attendant told her she’d be with us as soon as we were airborne.
“Does talking about your dad make you want to drink?” I asked, amused.
“Yes. He’s the opposite of my mom. He gets straight to the point. He’s also overbearing and has chauvinistic tendencies.”
“Chauvinistic?” I arched my brows in surprise. “That’s a surprise. I’d have guessed he was exactly the opposite.”
She gave me a pointed look. “I didn’t succeed because of my father, but in spite of him. Don’t get me wrong; he set me on the right path by sending me to Harvard, but he made it clear it was only so I could meet a good husband.”
“That’s some expensive matchmaking.”
“Very expensive, especially since it didn’t work. He gave me money to join a sorority and I used it to fund the development of my app instead. He still hasn’t completely forgiven me for that.”
The flight attendant passed us drink menus and Sid scanned hers.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “Didn’t the app start everything for you?”
“Yep, it sure did. But my dad doesn’t care about that. He wants me to sell my companies, get married and start popping out babies.”
I laid my head against the back of the seat and brushed the curtain of dark red hair away from her face.
“You’re amazing,” I said. “It couldn’t have been easy focusing on your dreams. I admire you.”
She smiled and leaned over, kissing me softly. “Thank you. And don’t worry about my parents. I’m just glad you’re coming with me.”
“Me too,” I said, closing my eyes as the captain’s voice sounded over the speakers.
Nervous as I was, this did feel right. It was time for me to man up, just like Orion had said. I wanted to put my days of drunken brawls behind me and have an adult relationship with Sid. And, as hard as it was, this was the first step.Sidney
The sweet, heavy scent of gardenias told me we were in the right place as soon as we walked into the upscale hotel. With its elegant décor and exclusive clientele, I knew my mother would have settled for nothing less. We headed straight for the main ballroom.
“Smells like perfume in here,” Killian said, wrinkling his nose and sniffing.
“Gardenias,” I said. “It’s a garden-party glam theme. My mom loves her gardens and it looks as if she’s had this place transformed into her own secret garden.”
“My mom really liked roses, especially yellow ones. I used to give her a bouquet every Mother’s Day.”
“I love roses, too,” I said, taking a deep, fortifying breath. We’d had a chance to relax for a couple of hours before heading to the party but I was still nervous. Killian took my hand in his and then he opened the tall, carved wooden door to the ballroom.
“Holy shit,” he murmured as he stepped in behind me.
The room was a real secret garden. Every surface was covered with tall, lighted topiaries and giant planters layered with white flowers and greenery. Garden lanterns were strung from pergolas. Fountains bubbled gently, their sound mingling with the soft music of an orchestra. There had to be two hundred people here and everyone was dressed to the nines.
