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Kyle shakes his head. “Music and us are two different things.”
“Us?”
“Yeah. Guess we can talk about that after dinner at your mom’s.”
He leans past me and pushes the red button, and the elevator continues descending.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE
KYLE
The last time I met a girl’s parents was in tenth grade, and it wasn’t intentional. Amber swore her parents were in Dallas for the night, and turned out, they weren’t.
This feels different. For one, my interest in Amber didn’t last past that night. And the stakes tonight feel much higher. Because not only is meeting Piper’s family intentional, but I also very much care about how it goes. I wasn’t nervous when meeting with Carl Bergman earlier, and he’s the most powerful label head in the country.
And it really doesn’t help that they’reallcops. I thought Piper was kidding when she first said it.
Then, I thought it was funny.
Now, I’m extremely anxious about what I might be walking into.
The car stops in front of a two-story brick house with a black metal gate separating the small front yard from the street. Piper climbs out first. I thank the driver Brayden arranged to chauffeur me around the city and then follow behind her. My grip tightens on the bunch of flowers I brought as we walk. I thought maybe they were silly, but Piper seemed impressed by the gesture. Hopefully, her mom feels the same way.
“My parents bought this place when they got married,” she tells me as we approach the open gate and start up the walk. “My mom dated a realtor a couple of years ago, and he gave her an estimate on what it’s worth now. She still brings it up.”
“Good investment.”
“Don’t mention that to my dad. His building raises the rent on his apartment every year.”
“Your dad is coming?”
“Yeah, he always attends family dinners. Why?”
“I just assumed since you said it was dinner at your mom’s that he wouldn’t be here.”
“They get along well.”
I’m more worried about how I’ll get along with her dad than how he’ll get along with her mom, but I don’t mention that.
“Got it.”
Calm down, I tell myself.
Piper and I aren’t dating. She’s even more tied to New York now that she has her promotion, making any possibility of a relationship between us less feasible.
I’m still nervous.
The front door, painted a cheery shade of yellow, opens before Piper even has a chance to knock. A woman with the same shade of vibrant hair rushes out, wrapping Piper up in a huge hug.
“Hi, Mom,” she says, her voice muffled.
“It’s so good to see you, sweetheart.”
Piper smiles, then glances at me. “Mom, this is Kyle. Kyle, this is my mom, Dakota.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Nice to meet you too.” Dakota appraises me for an uncomfortable moment, then steps back and waves an arm toward the open door. She’s dressed in jeans and a blouse, her hair pulled back in a tight bun. “You’re last to arrive, of course.”
