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Everyone rises from their chairs as my mother and I take the final steps to join my father and the Blake family. My gaze never wanders from Foster’s, like a child glaring at the sun during an eclipse, mesmerized.
My father takes my mother’s hand, kisses her on the cheek, and then introduces her to Susan, Clayton, Foster, and finally, Harold.
The Blake family.
The owners of Blake Laboratories.
A motherfucking drug-manufacturing empire.
“And this is our Evelyn,” my father announces. “She actually attends college nearby.”
“We’ve met before,” Foster’s mother says warmly, genuinely happy to see me.
“Is that so?” My mother speculatively peers at me.
“Yes. Foster introduced us about a month ago at a family friend’s wedding.”
“Oh.” My mother smiles, taking noted interest in Foster on the other side of the table. “I had no idea.”
“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” I say to Mr. and Mrs. Blake. Then, I peek at Foster. “And quite a coincidence.”
“A good one though,” my mother offers.
“Yes,” Susan agrees. “Definitely.”
“Shall we all have a seat?” Clayton suggests.
My father pulls out a chair for my mother and then takes a seat across from Foster’s father. This is a tactic I’ve seen my dad use for years, never taking the head of the table to keep everyone feeling equal in these settings. Before I sink down into the chair next to my mother, Foster circles around the table and sidles up next to me.
“Allow me,” he insists, scooting the seat back.
I lower myself onto the cushion. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He leans down, whispering into my ear, “You look very beautiful…and not yourself.”
“You look different, too,” I comment, equally as quiet.
“Did you know about this?”
“The meeting?”
“You know what I’m asking.” His breath brushes softly at the shell of my ear. “My family.”
“No.” My disillusioned eyes meet his own, free of their glasses. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The corners of his mouth turn downward. “Maybe I should ask the same of you.”
“Foster,” his father says, “why don’t you have a seat, so we can order? We don’t have much time before our flight.”
“Right. Of course.” Foster pushes my seat inward and then rounds the rectangular table, taking a place across from me, next to his mother and brother.
“Evelyn,” my mother says secretly into my ear, “you never mentioned that you went to a wedding.”
“I didn’t think it was important.”
“Well, it is when it’s with someone like Foster Blake. How do you two know one another?”
“We work together at the library.”
