I didn’t see an interview on his schedule. He probably made up the excuse so he wouldn’t be subjected to my parent’s embarrassing Q&A all evening. Not that I could blame the poor guy. They were my blood and there’d been plenty of times I thought about running away.
I could hear Mama’s excited chatter as she hauled Dade into the dining room by the arm, clutching a bouquet of flowers with the other. I had to hand it to him. He had a way with the ladies. Even ones who were old enough to be his mother.
“Look who’s here,” Mama said, nudging my father with her elbow. “Don’t just sit there, Chee. Get up now. Greet our guest.”
Daddy grumbled before shooting Mama a look as he stood to grasp Dade’s hand. “Hey, Dade. Good to see you again.”
“You too, Mr.—”
“What’d I tell you about that?” Daddy barked. “It’s Chee.”
“Right.” Dade stood a little taller, looking him in the eye. “These are for you, Chee. Knox mentioned you like a good cigar now and then. Something we have in common.”
Dade winked at me as I tried not to be impressed that he seemed to have won my father over so easily. Daddy hated every one of my boyfriends since I was old enough to date. Now the one who’d been publicly branded a womanizer is the guy to finally win him over? This made no sense to me.
“Well,” Daddy said, turning over the box of expensive Cubans. “You’ve got good taste in cigars, I’ll give ya that. Mighty nice of you.” He cracked a smile. “You and me might have to light one of these up later.”
“I’d like that,” Dade said, clapping him on the back like they were old friends.
What the hell was going on here? Was I being duped? Some plan they’d hatched to punk me and make me look like a fool for buying into this shit?
“You sit right over there next to Charli, honey,” Mama said, pushing Dade forward. “Let me get you a plate.” She gave me the stink-eye behind Dade’s back when she asked, “Where are your manners, girl? Give the man a hug!”
I rolled my eyes before standing to whisper in Dade’s ear, “Sorry you got roped into this.”
He chuckled. “My pleasure.”
“How’d she get your number?” I asked when Dade claimed the seat beside me.
“Apparently she texted Knox and asked for it, ‘cause she didn’t think your sister would give it up without asking a million questions.”
She’d covered all her bases, the little schemer. “You really think this a good idea?” I asked him. “Being seen here? Maybe those rag reporters have been driving by and they just haven’t noticed,” I said, jerking a thumb towards my father, who was too busy peeling the wrapper off his box of cigars to pay any attention to us.
“I did notice a dark colored sedan parked across the street,” Dade said, glancing across the table. “Have you seen it before, Chee?”
He stroked his long white beard as he took a cigar out of the box and studied it. “Can’t say that I have, but you’d have to ask Aidy about that. She’s the one always peerin’ out the window, the nosy old gal.”
“I heard that!” Mama shrieked, pointing a purple tipped nail at him. “Don’t you go talkin’ about me when I ain’t in the room to defend myself, you old coot.”
Dade was trying to keep a straight face while I considered slipping under the table, but when you got Mama riled up there was no safe place to hide.
“Thank you, Aidy,” Dade said, smiling at her when she set a plate down in front of him. “But I meant what I said on the phone, just coffee. They had a spread at the station.”
“Mama said something about a radio interview?” I asked, reaching for my wine.
Thankfully I’d had the good sense to take an Uber to their place. I had a feeling we’d be breaking open another bottle of wine just to get through the fake pleasantries before Mama started grilling Dade about his intentions.
“Yeah.” He shook his head, smiling in acknowledgement as Mama poured him a cup of coffee from the carafe she’d brought in. “Tried getting out of it, but my label and manager were pretty insistent. Questions about my personal life were supposed to be off limits, but they always manage to sneak a few in.”
Mama started slicing the homemade pecan pie she’d set out earlier before she asked, “What kind of questions were they askin’?” She jerked her head towards me. “Lemme guess, they wanted to know about this one, right?”
Dade sighed. “Charli’s name did come up, but I tried to shut him down without giving too much away.”
“I don’t see the problem,” Mama said, plating a piece of pie for Dade before thrusting it at him. “So you have a new girlfriend, what’s the big deal? Do these damn fools expect you to be celibate the rest of your life?”
Daddy grimaced. “For God’s sake, Aidy. Why’s it always gotta be about sex with you?”
I drained my wine glass, wondering how many more it would take for me to forget this night ever happened. Sex. Really? They were gonna go there now?
