Henry’s expression softened. “You belong here just as much as anyone else.”
I snorted. Henry might think I was special, but not everyone shared his opinion. “Easy for you to say. Mr. ‘I own a Maserati and wear it like a second skin.’”
“Just because you don’t own a fancy car or a big house, doesn’t mean they don’t like you. Appearances aren’t everything.”
“Tell that to my nerves,” I muttered.
He tilted my chin toward him, his gaze steady and reassuring. “You’re one of the most genuine people I know. That’s why everyone loves you. Just be yourself.”
I searched his eyes, drawing strength from the sincerity I found there. “Thanks.”
“If things get too overwhelming, we can make a swift exit,” he said. “I’ll claim I have a work emergency.”
I laughed, the absurdity of the statement lightening my mood. “Oh yes, your office will use the K-Street Lobbyist bat signal.”
“Exactly.” He pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “Come on. Let go have fun.”
Having fun around Henry was easy. He made me ridiculously happy. “Right. Fun. Just promise me if Brenda gets to be too much, you let me know and we’ll leave.”
“She won’t.”
We stepped out of the car, and I took a deep breath, hoping to steady myself. Henry came around to my side, his hand finding mine as we approached the front steps.
Before we could knock, the door swung open and Brenda practically ran out the door. I almost always saw her dressed for work, and I’d forgotten how she looked in jeans and a casual shirt. Business Brenda had to tamp down her natural flair for fun. It didn’t totally smother it, but it wasn’t the full Brenda experience. Seeing her bounding toward us, I wanted to leave before we made it into the house.
“Nick!” She scooped me into a hug that almost pulled me off my feet. Waiting less than a second, she released me and turned toward Henry. “Nice to see you again. The first time he shooed me away before we could get to know each other. Come in. It’s dreadfully calm with just my parents, Zeke and Orion. The others can’t get here soon enough.”
Hurricane Brenda blew us inside and whisked us past Zeke and their parents. I had an idea what was coming, but there wasn’t time to warn Henry. She poured three glasses of white wine without a word and then handed one to me and Henry. “Shall we toast to Nick’s big award? Did you two celebrate in style? I’m sure you did. Give me all the details.”
I side eyed Henry, but he calmly held up his drink. “Yes we should toast Nick. I’m very proud of him.”
We chinked our glasses and took a sip. “We did celebrate,” Henry said. “And you’re not entitled to any details, boring or otherwise.”
I expected a snarky come back, Brenda never let me off that easily. They watched each other as they took another drink, andthen Brenda didn’t comment. It was like he managed to mentally tell her to back off, which was crazy. Telepathy existed only in comic books and fantasy movies.
“At least you two did something,” she said after an awkward pause. “Nick deserved the award, but corporate doesn’t always recognize the people they should.”
Now I knew something was off. Brenda never praised senior management.
“Nick!” Zeke said as he and Orion entered the kitchen. “Back for another tour?”
There had been things he’d promise to show me ‘next time you’re here,’ but I got the impression that wasn’t really why he joined us. “Sure. Henry should join us. He actually knows something about antiques and will appreciate what you did more than I ever could.”
“Nonsense,” Zeke waved it off. “You impressed me with what you knew and your passion for preservation.”
“Oh lord,” Orion said. “Get him started on the lack of appreciation for historical accuracy and we might not leave the kitchen.”
Orion turned to Henry. “Hi. Orion Blake.”
Henry shook hands with our host. “Henry Angelini. Nice to meet you. In your partner’s defense, the house is very historically accurate, he must’ve spent a lot of time researching.”
“Just a bit,” Zeke said before introducing himself to Henry. “Now, the real reason I’m here is because Brenda spirited you off before you could be polite and say hello to Mom and Dad. They won’t hold it against you, if you act fast. Mom in particular wants to meet Henry. Something about, ‘Nick is such a nice boy. He deserves someone who’ll appreciate him.’ Or words to that effect.”
I groaned out loud, but inside it felt nice to have a mother watch over me. Zeke’s mother, Ruth, was maybe a bit toomaternal, but it was still sweet of her to check on me. “Your parents are so nice, I don’t want to get on their bad side.”
Greeting Ruth and Ares had that meet the parent’s vibe. At least that’s what I imagined it would feel like if I had parents who cared.
Ruth asked Henry a lot of probing questions, but he just smiled and answered her. Most of her inquiry seemed normal, where did he work, where was he from, did he rent or own. Some, however, were out there.
