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“Hello, I’m Zoey. You must be Renita and Vincent?”
Renita stepped forward and hugged Zoey. “I’m so happy to meet you. Lena’s told me so much about you.”
Great. I really have to hire people outside the family circle of friends next time. Oh heck, there isn’t going to be any next time. This is it. Bennett collects the DNA and back to living our own lives again. Easy as pie.
“How nice. And you must be Vincent?” He nodded from behind Renita. “Please come in. Lena is waiting for us in the living room. May I get either of you something to drink?”
“No, thank you. I don’t have much time, so let’s talk menu real quick and then I’ll leave you ladies to discuss the rest of the details.”
Zoey hoped the entire meeting would be brief and over quickly. That wasn’t going to happen if he was leaving Renita here with Lena. It was going to take some smooth talking to get them all out of here at the same time. She was good, but not good enough for Lena not to see right through her.
“Let’s get to it then. Did you bring a sample menu?”
“I can do anything you want. I just need to know what that is. How many people, type of food, any restrictions and such?” Vincent was all business and Zoey felt so ill prepared.
Herein lies the problem. I don’t know what I want. I know what I don’t want. Drama. Can he ensure that doesn’t take place? She turned to Lena and asked, “Do you have a preference?”
“I’m only here for moral support.” Lena shrugged and laughed.
“Oh no, you don’t. If you’re here, you’re helping,” Zoey teased.
“I only stopped by to—”
“To do this with me. So you might as well face it, Lena. You’re not going anywhere.” Zoey gave her a warning look.
“Well then, let’s get talking about food so we can kick Vincent out and we can move to the fun part. Decorations,” Lena said, smiling.
“I don’t want to be accused of ruining a good time. Why don’t you ladies just tell me later what it is you decide?” Vincent bent over and gave Renita a brief kiss on the lips before turning back to Zoey. “We’ll be here tomorrow by three to set up and cook. You have my number if you have any concerns before then.”
More concerns than I can voice. “Thank you.”
Once Vincent was gone, Lena linked her arms with both Zoey and Renita and said, “Finally. Now let’s grab some coffee and plan one heck of a party.”
As they walked toward the kitchen, Zoey saw Renita scoping the setup of her home. She peeked into the living room and said, “Zoey, you have a beautiful home. I love your Steinway. Do you play?”
It was the one question Zoey hated being asked. She never lied, but never really answered either. Turning her eyes away from Renita she answered, “It’s a show piece.”
“A shame. Something so beautiful is meant to be enjoyed. Well, I can dress it up a bit once we talk décor.”
Zoey forced a smile and continued to guide them toward the kitchen. She hated thinking of anyone touching her piano. It wasn’t something anyone would understand, and not something she would ever try to explain.
She needed to change the subject, so Zoey brought the conversation back to the party. “This is only a small family gathering.”
Lena stopped dead in her tracks. “From what I hear there is a special someone who’s going to be attending by your side tomorrow. So let’s make this introduction one that will never be forgotten.”
Why did I agree to do this? I won’t have to worry about finding my mother; getting through tomorrow night is probably going to kill me. “It’s nothing. Just—”
“The first time you bring a man home to meet the family.”
First and last time, Lena. “Don’t remind me. I’m already having second thoughts.” And third and fourth.
“Zoey, I totally understand how you feel. I remember when I took Brice home with me, and my family was there. I was so nervous I thought I’d be sick. But it went off better than I thought. Maybe it’d help if you told us about him, so he won’t be a total stranger tomorrow.”
If I tell you who he is, Brice will know, and then make sure Bennett never shows up. Hell, maybe never be seen again. Zoey knew she needed to tell Lena something, otherwise the planning would never commence. “He’s someone I’ve known for some time. All I hope for is my brothers to smile and play nice. I can’t have them hounding and questioning him like it’s an interrogation.” It wasn’t a stretch to pretend to be nervous about the pending encounter. “Maybe I should cancel. I don’t want them to—”
“Don’t you dare,” Lena said, grabbing hold of Zoey’s hand. “I’ll speak to Brice tonight. Trust me. He’ll be on his best behavior tomorrow. I can even call Tessa and Morgan to work their magic on Dean and Shaun.” Lena reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone.
Zoey reached out and stopped her mid-dial. “Thank you. But it’s really not that big of a deal. Let’s just focus on food and décor. I’m sure Ben—he can handle a few hours under the same roof with the Hendersons.”
