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He begins to stand up to which I shake my head that there’s no need.
And there isn’t.
I don’t wanna shake his hand.
I don’t even wanna be in the same fucking room with him.
He nonverbally acknowledges my instruction and settles back into his seat on a cheerful greeting. “It’s nice to finally meet you! I’ve heard so much about you.”
“And I’ve chosen not to read anything about you.”
“Tuck,” hisses my date instantly.
Her reprimand receives acknowledgement in the form of a forced cordial grin.
“I was hoping to meet you last year at your grandparents wedding anniversary celebration,” Richard informs around the salad dish being placed in the table space between him and my mother. “But your mom said you were in a rush because you had somewhere else to be.”
Yeah.
Anywhere she’s not.
“Perhaps it was an art showing?” He casually prods, eager to build a connection I’m uninterested in. “Brit and Brandi have told me what an incredible artist you are-”
“And yet can’t get him to commission us pieces for the company,” Aunt Brandi grumbles under her breath.
“-which only makes me more anxious to see it for myself.”
“You mean desperate.”
“Ouch,” Uncle Brett chomps on his first bite of salad.
“Tuck,” June quietly scolds again, this time placing her hand supportively on top of mine.
Fuck.
Fine.
I’ll try to stop letting my emotions drip all over the wrong canvas.
“I don’t mean to sound desperate,” Richard nervously chuckles. “I’m just excited to get to know more about you. And what you do. And why you do it. I strongly believe in having an emotional investment with all those whose lives I am entering.”
“You’re not entering mine.”
“Tucker,” Aunt Brandi promptly chastises like her assistant has been.
“It’s quite alright, Brandi,” the man engaged to my mother calmly declares. “Tucker’s entitled to his boundaries, which may prevent me from entering his life at this time. I have to be mindful and respectful of said boundaries.” He shifts his gaze back to me. “However, that doesn’t mean I have to abandon my attempt at establishing a line of communication.”
The words tumble out of me without a second thought. “You should.”
“Nephew,” Uncle Brett interrupts, fork gesturing the small bowl closest to me and June, “why don’t you have some salad? Maybe chew before you speak again?”
Rolling my eyes is followed by taking the suggestion.
Only because I skipped lunch today.
I wanted to save room for the rainbow rolls I was originally planning to serve tonight.
I was really looking forward to introducing June Bug to culinary artistry. How much fun it can be to play with the colors on one’s plate much like a traditional canvas.
“Do you have work displayed online?” Richard resumes his unneeded investigation into my life, my existence. “Brit said she wasn’t sure anymore and Brandi seems to believe that you don’t seek attention or acknowledge for your craft.”
“I don’t.”
“Why is that?” He finally transfers some of the leafy greens onto his plate. “Do have a distaste for fame or popularity? Do you fear it won’t be valued by the masses? Do you believe you might not be appreciated in your time like others before?”
“Are you trying to get to know me or interview me for an article in the medical journal I’m sure you submit pieces to every year?”
“Someone’s gonna blow a whistle for unsportsmanlike conduct soon,” my uncle quietly chimes on a shake of the head.
“Why don’t you tell us how you two met?” June bravely breaks into the conversation. “I read the announcements in the media; however, none of them mentioned how you two got together.”
It’s almost impossible to swallow my new grunt of irritation.
Not that I gave a shit, but she didn’t even bother trying to call me about the engagement before it went public.
I saw a headline for it on IG and a few hours later, Aunt Brandi called to tell me.
Then my grandparents.
Then two days later her.
How she can parade around claiming to give a fuck about me then do shit like that is something maybe she should be discussing with Dr. Desperate For Approval over there.
“It’s gonna sound random…” my mother begins, excitement noticeably coating her tone, churning my stomach, “but I went to meet Brandi for our massage appointments at Hugs & Kesses and Richard was in the private lobby waiting for his as well. Their whole no phone the second you walk through the door policy prevented me from working or being distracted by my phone and rather than pick up a magazine, I picked up a conversation.” She slightly blushes prompting me to push my plate away from me. “And then when he got called to his room, I thought that was the end of it.”
“But then we ran into each other on our way out at the same time and I knew better than to let her get away twice without trying to see her again.” His hand lovingly stretches over to clutch hers. “I’m not usually into the whole ‘Fate’ thing; however, meeting Brit is what that felt like. Especially since I’m not even the massage type.” He smiles wider. Brighter. “It was a spur of the moment decision. One of those on my bucket list to try things and the day I decided to finally do it, I got so much more than I could’ve ever imagined.”
