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Andria rolled her eyes in an expression I’d endured throughout our teens. It always meant she wasn’t impressed. It pissed me off even after all these years, and it was my only excuse for what I said next. “But don’t worry, Andria, you won’t have to address me as queen.”
“What?” she asked.
Nicky touched my shoulder, but I was already sorry I’d said it. “Sorry, Andria, I’m a little weirded out by the whole marrying-a-king thing. I said yes to Jean-Claude, not to a king.”
“He’s just king of the vampires, that’s not a real legal title.” She had that edge of whine in her voice that went with the eye roll. Was she that upset that I’d asked about her wedding date? If so, then her wedding was a very touchy subject. I wondered if Judith knew what was going on. I knew Dad didn’t. He’d be as oblivious of that as he was anything else he didn’t want to see.
“You’re right, it’s an empty title as far as the U.S. government is concerned.”
“Then why use it at all?” she asked.
“Ask Jean-Claude at dinner, he’ll explain it better than I will.”
Nicky put his arm around my shoulders as he said, “We need to go home and pick up Jean-Claude if we’re going to make the reservation.”
“Oh, look at the time,” Judith said, “we better hurry if we’re going to be ready by the time you come to pick us up.” She grabbed Andria’s arm to pull her toward the hotel.
Dad lingered and looked at me with Nicky’s arm around me and Ethan standing close by. “Am I meeting anyone else tonight besides Jean-Claude?”
“Just Jean-Claude,” I said.
Nicky said, “Ethan and I will be nearby at another table, as will other security for Jean-Claude.”
“Are any of the other security guards part of the poly group?”
“Some,” I said, “but they’ll be at tables nearby and only Jean-Claude and I will be sitting with you.”
“How many of your group will be here tonight, Anita?”
“We don’t plan on springing them on you tonight, Dad, so you don’t have to worry about meeting anyone else but Jean-Claude.”
“But if they’re there tonight, won’t they think it’s rude if I ignore them?”
I stared at him for a second, then said, “I really appreciate your concern, Dad, really, but anyone there tonight will be more concerned about our security than meeting my family.”
“If you’re sure, Anita, I don’t want to be unintentionally rude to your…people.” He looked so sincere standing there that I hugged him, and I meant it. I didn’t know what would happen later tonight, but in this moment he was really trying.
7
The hugging endedand Nicky said, “We really do need to go if we’re going to make the reservation.”
I glanced around and found that the rest of the family was inside the hotel. I saw Magda and the rest of our security through the glass front of the hotel; my family was hidden behind them except for Josh, who towered over half of them. It was going to take me a while to get used to him being that tall.
“I better join the rest of the family,” Dad said.
“And I need to go pick up Jean-Claude so we can meet you at the restaurant.”
“I thought we were all driving together to the restaurant,” he said.
I smiled brightly the way I would at work if I wanted to be pleasant but didn’t mean it, because I’d realized that there was no way on God’s green earth that I wanted Jean-Claude and me to be trapped in a car on the drive to the restaurant with them. I had options, and that included telling security to drive my family to the restaurant and we’d meet them there. Jean-Claude and I could drive separately and only be subjected to the interrogation during the meal.
My father just agreed and walked toward the hotel doors. Ethanwaited until we wouldn’t be overheard, then said, “You already feel better.”
“Taking more control always makes me feel better.”
“We need to let everyone know the change of plans,” Nicky said.
“You don’t approve?” I asked.
