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Everyone’s quiet until Jamie breaks the silence.
“Will you two go on a honeymoon?” Jamie asks, clearly deciding to get us back on topic and gracefully ignoring her previous comment.
It turns out they will go on a honeymoon, but not right after the wedding, which is in two weeks. Jamie, my dear beautiful Jamie, does her best to be polite and seem interested in this dinner. She asks how they met and listens intently to their answer. Unfortunately, Shannon seems to think this is a tit for tat kind of dinner because she turns around and asks Jamie how we met.
“Jamie let me change her tire and fix it for her,” I answer. That’s how we met and she doesn’t need to know more than that.
“How long have y’all been together?” Jamie asks.
Glenn answers, kissing Shannon on the cheek, which means Shannon turns right around and asks, “How long have you been dating Brent?”
“About a month,” I answer. Jamie might be okay with answering. She might not see anything wrong with Shannon asking, but I do. Jamie is asking to make conversation. That’s not why Shannon is asking and that pisses me off. She’s being nosy with an undercurrent of judgmental. That’s why I don’t want Jamie to answer. She can’t find reasons to dislike Jamie if Jamie never says anything, not that I think Jamie could say something to cause her to dislike her. However, when people are being irrational, it doesn’t take much.
Shannon frowns at how I’ve answered her again and she gives up on questioning Jamie. Unfortunately, this means Glenn takes over the conversation.
&nbs
p; “Now, kids, I know I’m about to become your stepdad,” oh for fuck’s sake, “but I’d like us to be friends and get along. I would like to be a person you could come to if your mom or dad isn’t available and you’re desperate.” He laughs and the kids give him a smile. “I might not be as cool as your parents, but I’m here if you need me.”
Well, that’s nice and it makes me like him a little. Our food is finally served. Logan, Kayla, and Gregory talk to one another, sometimes including Shannon. Glenn decides now is the perfect time to ask me every question possible about my job and anything he’s ever wondered about cars. All this means is Jamie is left out.
I reach over and keep one hand on her thigh, rubbing my thumb back and forth, so she knows I haven’t forgotten about her. I know she appreciates it because she rests her hand over mine. Gregory tries talking to her a few times, but he keeps getting sucked into the conversation with the others and I’m pretty sure that isn’t an accident.
I don’t like the fact that she’s sitting next to me, the only one at the table not talking while eating. It’s no wonder Jamie finishes her meal first and though I’m not quite finished, I stand and excuse us. With one hand on her back, I lead us over to the bar. Jamie actually orders a drink, a lemon drop.
“I’m sorry, Jamie.”
“I feel awkward being here, Brent. They obviously don’t want me here, even though Gregory is being sweet and trying to talk to me.” She gulps down half of her drink, eyeing the table we just left. “And it looks like they want dessert. Can I catch a cab back to your place? I don’t want to stay longer.”
I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her tight against me. “If you leave early, they’ll think they upset you.”
“I am upset,” she interrupts.
“And we don’t want to give them that satisfaction, do we?”
“I don’t care, Brent. They don’t want me here and I’m tired of feeling like I don’t belong here. There are other things I could be doing.” She downs the rest of her drink.
Damn, I feel like a terrible man. “Do you really want to leave?”
Jamie rests her head on my chest. “I don’t want to leave you here, but I don’t want to feel like this. My parents make me feel like this, Brent. What am I supposed to do?”
“We go home. We’ve been here long enough.”
“We?” She looks at me with wide eyes.
“You go, I go.” And if she feels like she just had a round with her parents, well, I’m definitely not subjecting her to that for another second. Jamie opens her mouth to object, but I shake my head and rest a finger over her lips. “Wait here while I go say goodbye.”
“Are you sure, Brent?”
Instead of answering, I kiss her softly and walk over to the table.
“Is everything okay?” Gregory asks.
“Just fine. We’re heading home. Thanks for inviting us and having us for dinner.”
“Jamie can’t come say goodbye?” Kayla asks with slight accusation in her tone.
“Oh, you want to speak to her now?” I quip before shaking my head. “We’ll see y’all later.” I turn on my heels and meet with Jamie who’s receiving a receipt for her drink. “Let’s go.”
