AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thankfully tonight is clear, so I’m making the two-hour car trip to see him. I’m also decked out in my best red and green plaid mini dress because Brad has invited me to his law firm’s holiday party. Am I nervous to be in a room full of lawyers and people I don’t know all night long? Not really. If anything, I’m excited. I’ll get to meet some of his friends and his coworkers and, most importantly, be introduced as his girlfriend.
I follow the directions exactly as he told me and find myselfsitting in front of a two-story A-frame home. Snow has been shoveled to clear the driveway and it lines the sides of the path of a brick walkway leading up to the front door. I check the address one last time to be certain I’m at the right house. When I’m positive I am, I turn off my engine and gather my purse. I slip my coat back on because while this dress looks amazing and festive, warm it is not. I’ve paired it with some black tights and ankle boots but it’s nothing that would keep me warm in this cold weather.
I walk to the length of the driveway past his SUV and curve around up the brick path to the front door. Before I can even ring the bell the front door swings open and Brad stands there looking drool-worthy in a charcoal gray suit with a black dress shirt underneath and a ruby red tie. He gives me a big smile and reaches forward to take my hand to help me up the small step into the house. He presses his lips to mine in a slow but heated kiss.
He takes my coat and hangs in up on a coat rack that was hidden behind the door. Once I’m aware of more than just Brad my nose takes note of the strong smell of sugar cookies. Brad has explained to me multiple times that since graduating he moved in with his mother and sisters until he can find and afford a place of his own. He’s not embarrassed, nor should he be, but he also knew by inviting me here that I would inevitably meet them all. He leads me deeper into the house towards voices. When he turns a corner we’re standing in his kitchen and we aren’t alone.
A woman, who I can only assume is his mother, is standing at the kitchen island. She’s wearing an apron that has a Christmas gingerbread man pattern all over it. She’s holding a rolling pin that she’s using to flatten out dough on the island in front of her. When she sees us she drops the rolling pin and dusts her hands off on her apron.
“Oh my goodness, Brad. I must have lost track of the time.This must be Nikki.” She rounds the island to come and stand before us. She removes her apron and lays it on the top of one of the stools. “Honey, I am so sorry I look a mess. I’m baking cookies for my women’s group holiday cookie exchange and have lost all concept of time. Brad here-” she reaches over and playfully pinches his arm—“was supposed to give me a fifteen-minute warning to freshen up.”
“It’s ok ma’am. You don’t have to do anything special for me. I would love one of those cookies though. They smell delicious.”
Her laugh reminds me of Rose from theGoldenGirls. “Sure thing. I love a girl with an appetite. I was never one to pretend to eat half a salad and be full. Brad’s dad used to woo me with Girl Scout cookies. I’ve always been known for my sweet tooth.”
Brad clears his throat and it gets both of our attention. “Don’t let my presence bother either one of you.” He deadpans at us. “If you’ll let me properly introduce you, Mother.”
His mother playfully rolls her eyes but remains quiet.
“Nikki, this is my mother, Margaret. Margaret, this is Nikki, my girlfriend.”
Margaret reaches forward and pulls me into a fierce hug. I know where he got his hugging skills from now. When she pulls back she keeps her hands on my shoulders. “Nikki, he has never brought a girlfriend home to meet me or his sisters. Not even a prom date. We had to beg to get photos and even then they did them in the park.”
“Ok, well I think that’s enough chatting and getting to know one another tonight.” Brad playfully directs me out of the kitchen. “We’ll be back late Mom. Don’t wait up,” he throws over his shoulder. I wave goodbye to Margaret and practically have to shout, “It was good meeting you.” When we get out of earshot I tell him. “I like your mom. She seems great.”
“Yeah, she really is. I was just worried she’d break out my baby book and start showing you all of my baby teeth next.” I look around the house as we walk through, taking in the décor, the knick-knacks—getting a mental picture of how he lives each day. When no one else pops up, I ask him, “Are your sisters home tonight?”
He shakes his head. “No, both of them are out right now. Amelia is out with my nephew for his karate lesson and Abigail, I believe, is on a date. Trust me, they’ll both be sorry that they missed you but when we come back after maybe they’ll get to meet you then.”
“Oh, no problem. I was just wondering.”
He squeezes my hand in reassurance. “Nikki, they want to meet you. I’ve talked about you forever.”
“You’ve only been back a few weeks.”
“No.” He pauses. “Before that. I used to talk to them about you years ago when we first met. They wanted me to go after you but I was just too young and dumb to realize I should have listened to them.”
He keeps walking, unaware that he’s completely thrown me. He’s full of nonchalance and relaxed shoulders while my mind races through every possible scenario of what he’s confessed. I’m standing in his foyer frozen—back to being a twenty-two-year-old girl who thought a boy just wanted to sleep with her but really he’d been gossiping to his sisters about how much he liked me. He turns when he notices I’m no longer beside him and walks back over to me.
He puts his hands on my shoulders to steady me. “Nikki, what’s the matter? Are you okay?” His voice is full of worry and concern.
“I… just… I don’t…” I stammer my words. “I just don’t know why ifyou liked me so much back in college how you could shut me out the way that you did.”
He keeps his grip on my arms but lets out a sigh. “Nikki, I really liked you back then and that night when you told me you had other options—it hurt my feelings. It made me feel insignificant and that took me some time to get over.” He rubs one of my shoulders absentmindedly as he talks. “I know I played my part in it, I know that I could have handled it differently, but no matter what, we got here.”
I close my mouth and nod slowly in agreement. We have. We’ve made it here.
Brad’s law firm has rented out an entire restaurant calledTavern Hill. It resembles something out of that eighties showCheersbut on a much larger scale. It’s all brown woods and brick walls. The tables have a wrought iron lantern in the center of each one with a flickering flame. Fresh pine wreaths have been placed around them for the party and it gives the room an old-world feeling.
I’ve been introduced to all of the firm’s partners and their significant others. Brad has gone to get us some drinks before the food is served, and I’m wishing I had one of his mother’s sugar cookies. I watch Brad as he stands at the bar and see a young woman approach him that I haven’t been introduced to yet. She puts her hand on his forearm, and I feel a pang of jealousy shoot through me. I watch Brad as he politely smiles and nods at her, but he turns and walks away from the bar.
He sits down beside me and sets a glass of champagne in front of me. I distinctly remember asking for water. “Are we celebrating something?”
“Yeah,” he says it like I’m clearly missing out on why he’s brought me a sparkling glass of champagne.
“What?”
“Us.”
