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“Well, he told me to stop by tonight. I might have brought him here if I’d realized how crazy this ‘family dinner’ was going to be,” she said, glancing out the window into the backyard full of people. Maybe she wouldn’t have. It was kind of early in their relationship to be introducing him to her family, but she was surprised by how much she wanted to.
“Trying to scare him away already?” Jackie asked, amused, as she looked over her shoulder at the fracas. “That’s not nice.”
“Oh shut up and go back outside,” Maria said, pushing her sister back toward the door so she could finish up the bruschetta. Laughing, Jackie did as she was told, satisfied now that she’d gotten the dirt. Maria had no doubt by the time she got outside again, Ava and Lara would know her date had gone well, and she’d be seeing him again.
At least no one would tell their parents. That was sister-code. They would gossip as much as they wanted about boys among themselves, but everyone got to tell mom and dad in their own time. Maria grinned, wondering how Rick would handle her parents and sisters. She had a feeling he and her dad would get along pretty well, and he’d fit right in with her brother-in-laws. Come to think of it, they were all kind of alpha-males in their own way. And none of them quite knew how to deal with her mother.
Theresa Arias was like a small whirlwind, able to herd large groups of alpha males into doing what she wanted. Unless her husband put his foot down, of course. Then she was just sneakier about it. Maria grinned, wondering if she would ever be able to be quite like that. Somehow she doubted it. Besides, in Rick’s group of friends that seemed to be Olivia’s job.
“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised to find you in here.” The sneering, deep voice could only belong to one person.
Maria made a face, putting the bruschetta in the oven before turning to face Jeremy. He was leaning against the doorway, looking both bored and contemptuous, with his arms crossed over his chest.
“And what do you mean by that?” She supposed she could have played nice, but that was just so not her style. Especially not in her parents’ home. Maybe if they’d been in public, but here? This wasn’t her sister’s engagement party and Maria didn’t care if she made a scene. Not like there was anyone else inside the house right now anyway, they were all out back, so if Jeremy wasn’t going to play nice then she sure as hell wasn’t either.
“You know... the kitchen...” He untucked one of his hands and waved his finger in a small circle to indicate the room. “Where all the food is.”
“Actually, most of the food is in the backyard right now, jackass,” she said, not at all surprised he was back to the fat jokes. Seriously, would he ever grow up? She’d heard enough of them in high school, and even college, but at this point in her life, most people were more aware of themselves and most people weren’t so shallow.
“So you’re not hiding out in here, trying to drown your sorrows in food?”
Maria snorted. “Seriously? What sorrows exactly?”
“Oh, I don’t know... the fact that you’re the oldest sister and the only one who doesn’t have a ring on her finger,” Jeremy said, tossing his head back. It made his dark hair kind of do a little flip, and she wondered if he thought that was somehow attractive. Well, maybe it would be if he didn’t have such an ugly personality. “Making up some imaginary boyfriend who just couldn’t come tonight.”
Wow... apparently word got around fast. Jackie must have said something to either Ava or Lara where Jeremy could hear. Not Jackie’s fault really, but it made Maria’s insides burn that she had to deal with this jackass and his insinuations. She was fine with how she looked. Seriously. His words didn’t hurt, but they sure as hell pissed her off.
Clenching her fists by her sides, she looked at him coldly. “I think you should get your ass back outside and find some people who actually like you before I kick you out of here.”
To her further frustration, Jeremy just smirked and shook his head at her like she was a naughty child as he straightened up. “And then go outside and tell everyone what... that you kicked out your sister’s best man in her wedding because he called you out on your imaginary boyfriend? Come on, Maria, don’t be like that.”
Dammit he was probably right. Which just made her more furious. Not the imaginary boyfriend part, of course, but if she actually kicked him out then she’d have to be the one to explain it. Kicking him out would be descending to his level.
Why was she letting him get to her anyway? This entire conversation was pointless and stupid and the best thing to do was to show complete indifference to him.
She flipped her hand at him. “Whatever. I’ll go. Keep an eye on the bruschetta and take it out in about ten minutes.”
Turning to go out the other entryway, even though it would mean she’d have to go out the front and walk around the entire house on the outside, Maria wasn’t too surprised to hear movement behind her. She looked back, expecting to see him retreating so he wouldn’t have to watch over the bruschetta, but instead he was halfway across the kitchen and moving closer.
“Aw, come on Maria, don’t be like that,” he said, giving her a smarmy kind of grin. “I just wanted to tell you you don’t have to make-up boyfriends, I’ll take you out.”
She froze, completely and utterly poleaxed as she re-ran his words through her head. “Are you asking me out on a date?”
Even more surprising, Jeremy stopped walking toward her, suddenly looked incredibly awkward, even though he was trying to pull off nonchalance. He shoved his hands into his shorts’ pockets and shrugged. “I guess. So you wanna?”
“No.” She started to turn again.
“Why not?”
And right back around again. “Seriously? What are you, the five-year old on the playground who thinks being a jerk is the way to win over the girl?”
“I was just teasing.” He grinned, as if inviting her to share in the joke. Maria was not impressed. “I mean, you’re a big girl, but you’re still pretty hot. You were kind of a bitch at Victor and Lara’s engagement party, but that was kinda hot too.”
Maria stared at him for a long moment. “You have issues Jeremy. And no. Sorry, but my boyfriend is neither imaginary nor into sharing.” Turning on her heel, she quick-stepped out of the room before he could respond, only taking a moment to call back: “Don’t forget about the bruschetta!”
Stepping back outside, she started to make her way around the house, shaking her head. Would wonders never cease. The sad thing was, before she’d met Rick, she might have thought Jeremy’s little performance back there in the kitchen kind of cute. Now it was just sad, sad, sad. And a little entertaining. She actually almost felt a little sorry for Jeremy. No wonder he didn’t have a girlfriend, he had no game.
She put a smile on her face as she joined the crowd in the backyard again. Ava and Lara immediately came over, making a little sister huddle no one else was going to interrupt with all the giggling and whispering. A few minutes later, Jeremy came outside with the tray of bruschetta. He shot Maria a nasty look, which she ignored, and strolled over to join a conversation on the opposite side of the yard.
