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"Nice to meet you," John said and smiled winningly at Felicia.
"Nice to meet you as well. It's good to see you again, Luke." Felicia smiled politely but she looked as if she felt completely awkward. "I hear good things about Chatter's future. Good luck with the deal."
"Thanks," I said and then pulled Alexa with me. "We really have to go…"
Felicia nodded, and I could see in her face that she was mortified as usual with her mother's behavior.
The three of us left and I felt incredible relief.
"If you need me to take her off your hands, you can encourage her mother to try to marry me off," John said, turning around and walking backwards so he could catch another glimpse of Felicia. "Her family's the Blake family of the Blake Fortune. I could get into marrying money."
"You're going to be money, bro. You don't need to marry it."
"Then we'd both be money, and she wouldn't be after me for mine."
"Well, whatever. My adoptive mother's been itching to get us together and was really excited when we started dating. She must be crushed that I'm with someone else."
John laughed. "You'd think we were back in Victorian times."
I didn't blame Felicia for her mother's and my adoptive mother's follies. She was probably expecting to find me alone at the event and would spend time with me – maybe to satisfy her mother – maybe because she really did hope we ended up together, although I never gave her the idea I'd go along with it.
Sure, I humored my adoptive mother, and although I had taken Felicia out to a few events, I had never once given Felicia any idea that I was interested beyond being polite in social situations and going out a couple of times for dinner and to see a movie.
Only a few weeks ago, Felicia pulled me aside and apologized for her mother's behavior.
"I'm sorry," she'd said, looking really mortified at how gleeful her mother had been at the prospect of us eating our dinner side by side. "She's a bit delusional and doesn't understand that you were really hurt by what happened. It's not like you want to just jump right up in the saddle again."
"It's okay," I said, glad that Felicia wasn't going along with the whole plan to get us married in place of Jenna. "I just don't want to give anyone the wrong impression. You should tell your mother I plan on being a permanent bachelor and living in sin my entire life."
She smiled at that, and it endeared her a bit to me, but only because it meant I didn’t have to worry about her getting the wrong idea. She understood how I felt and was just going along with her mother to avoid conflict. Mrs. Blake had a very big personality to match her stature and size.
That night, I imagined Felicia merely felt even more mortified than usual because I had an actual date with me, which was something I never did – not since Jenna and I split. I hadn't brought along a date to these functions since we broke up.
So, when I watched Felicia walk away with her mother, I felt sure that Mrs. Blake would finally get a clue that I wasn't into her daughter and leave the poor girl – and me – alone for once.
I held out hope that my own meddling adoptive mother would get the same clue, but she'd shown no evidence of it and even now, I felt her eyes on me and Alexa, no doubt watching as I turned down yet another attempt to match make me with Felicia.
* * *
The three of us left Cipriani's and made our way down the street to the venue, glad to be free of my family with its craziness.
The club was crowded and the electronic dance music was at full blast. All the tables were taken so we found a spot at the bar and ordered drinks.
"Come on, have something," I said to Alexa, who ordered a soda. "Live a little. It's Sunday tomorrow. Can't you take Sunday off?"
"No rest for the wicked," she said and shook her head sadly. "I have to meet my friends for brunch and then it's time to hit the books."
"All work and no play makes for a dull girl," John said and held up his beer.
"All play and no work will keep me from getting my scholarship renewed and that would mean no Columbia for me," Alexa replied and held up her bottle of soda.
The three of us clinked bottles once more and I took a long draw on mine. Then, I turned to the dance floor and watched the people move. I was glad to have left Cipriani's and felt like having fun, and pretty, vivacious Alexa was just the right company. I turned to her.
"Care to dance?"
She made a face. "Usually, I'd say yes, but I'm wearing these. They're like stilts. I'm not used to heels so high. I usually wear high tops or Blundstones."
"Take them off," I said. "I promise I won't step on your toes."
