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“Why haven’t I met this girlfriend of yours?” she asked, getting straight to the point.
I rolled my eyes at her question. Annie and I had been featured all over the papers, and she’d attended several of the campaign events I’d been on over the past few weeks. “Why would you want to?”
I could practically hear my mother scoffing on the other end of the line, but it was a valid question. At least, I thought it was a valid question. My mother had never cared about her personal life unless it embarrassed her in some way.
“She’s your girlfriend, and I’m your mother.”
“That’s not an explanation.”
I could practically feel the anger radiating off my mother from the phone. She wasn’t someone who liked to be questioned. Her entire life she was given everything that she wanted. First by her father, and then by my own. No one had ever said no to her, and she didn’t know how to handle it.
“I’m your mother,” she repeated. “And clearly, you feel very deeply for this woman if you are allowing yourself to constantly be photographed with her.”
I bit back a curse. It was clear to me that my mother wasn’t going to let this go. “We will see you at the Children’s Tea Charity next month.” It was an event I had been dreading. The charity itself was a worthy cause, but it was one of the few that my mother came back to New York to attend.
“That’s not going to work,” my mother snipped.
My teeth ground together in frustration at her tone. My mother never made anything easy on me. Even when I was a child, she was determined to find a way to control me. When she couldn’t, she found other ways to make my life hell.
“What is it that you want?” I asked, getting to the point. I looked over to see Annie watching me. Her face was worried, and I knew that she was wondering what the hell was going on. We hadn’t talked about my mother because I hadn’t wanted to subject her to all of that drama and nonsense. But now, it seems like she was leaving me no choice in the matter.
“Bring her by for dinner.”
“No,” I said. I did not want Annie to be with my mother alone. There was not a way for us to avoid her completely, but we could avoid being alone with her. Annie was a strong girl. She’d handled New York society with aplomb, but my mother was another story.
“Bring her tonight, or I’ll happily find another way to run into her.” I winced and suppressed my anger.
“Fine. We will see you at seven.” I hung up, not bothering to wait for her response. My mother could rile me up like no other.
Annie’s eyes grew wide as I came closer, and I tried my best to calm down. I didn’t want to unleash my anger on her when she’d done nothing wrong, especially considering that I would be ruining our plans for the evening.
“Is everything alright?” Annie asked. She placed a small hand on my shoulder, and I could feel the warmth of her touch through my clothing. Taking a deep breath, I tried my best to try and regulate my emotions. When I was younger, I’d been known to release my anger in unhealthy ways, but I’d learned to rein that in over the years.
“My mother wants us to come over for dinner tonight.” My tone was hollow as I spoke.
Annie said nothing as she looked me over, and I knew that she was assessing my mood. Annie was someone who was highly observant. It was what had made her a great assistant, and now, it made her a great partner in all of this.
“I’m sorry to change the plans so suddenly. I know you wanted to make dinner.” Having a quiet dinner in the house felt like a luxury that I didn’t want to give up. Annie and I had been running around the city making sure to be seen as often as possible. I’d been looking forward to spending time alone.
Annie was the first woman I’d ever wanted to have alone time with that didn’t involve sex. Though I wouldn’t have said no if she’d been interested. My cock still got hard when I recalled how Annie had eaten oyster so seductively.
“It’s okay,” Annie said. “I don’t mind.”
I was sure that Annie didn’t mind. She was one of the most easy-going women that I’d ever met, which sometimes made me feel worse about the things I was asking of her. So far, our interactions with the media had been pleasant, but I knew that that could turn on a dime.
“My mother isn’t the easiest person to get along with.” Which was the understatement of the century.
“I’m good in a pinch. I even managed to get Carolina to invite me for a girl’s lunch.” She winked at me, and I laughed heartily. Carolina was the second most difficult person I knew, and Annie managed to have her wrapped around her finger. Too bad my mother was not as easy.
“Let’s finish the shopping,” I said. “You can make dinner for me tomorrow.”
Annie gave me a wide smile and nodded as she reached out to grab a box of penne.
* * *
Standing in front of my mother’s door, I felt my heart slamming into my chest. I avoided my childhood home, not wishing to go in and see how my mother had erased my father. He hated the row house my grandfather had bought them as a wedding gift, and I hated the space because it reminded me of the shittier parts of my childhood.
“Are you alright?” Annie asked.
