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“My mom would be thrilled to hear that,” he says. “This is all she’s been talking about for the past year.”
Hudson places his palm at the base of my back as he leads me towards a group of three people that stand near a small stage.
Immediately, I know that this is his family. There’s something undeniably attractive, dark and alluring about all three adults that stand before us.
The Saylor-Tynes. It’s them against the world and they come across as fierce, affluent and powerful, crushing any slight bubble of confidence I had walking into this steakhouse.
“Mom, Dad and Matt, I’d like you to meet Parker,” Hudson says.
I take a deep breath, my nerves in knots as they turn around to face us.
Stay calm,I told myself.
His mother is beyond beautiful. Her dark hair is elegantly pinned against her neck and her olive skin is flawless. She wears a red sheath dress that accentuates her slim curves and a delicate string of pearls around her neck.
“Hi,” I say and his mother smiles at me. “It’s great to meet you, Mrs Saylor-Tyne. And both of you as well.” I turn to Matt and Hudson’s dad.
“The pleasure is all mine and please call me Victoria, darling,” his mother says walking over to me and kisses my both my cheeks. “It’s about time Hudson brought a date.”
“And call me John,” Hudson’s father says, following his wife’s step and kissing me on the cheek as well.
His dad is impossibly tall just like Hudson and his features are sharp and bold. Those familiar dark green eyes are there, except John’s eyes scare me a little. There’s something not quite right with the whole scenario, but I shrug off the weird sensation I’m getting.
Matt nods at me with a small smile and raises his glass of champagne. “It’s nice to meet you, Parker.”
I feel like prey in a shark tank or a scene in a movie where just one human being—me—is left standing in the middle of a street with vampires standing back in the shadows, waiting to attack.
“Why don’t you three go over to our table, right over there,” Victoria says, pointing out towards an empty table near the stage. “We’ll be with you right away.”
Hudson, Matt and I make our way over to the reserved table and take our seats, as all the other guests find a place for themselves.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may we please have your utmost attention,” John says, tapping a fork lightly against his flute of champagne.
The room turns silent as everyone looks ahead at the couple on the stage.
“Tonight, my wife, Victoria, is making her dream come true with the launch of this steakhouse,” John says. “It has now become our dream together.”
I watch as Victoria smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I’ve been around my parents long enough to see how my dad and mom act around each other and maybe I’ve only just met Hudson’s parents, but they both appear disconnected somehow.
Hudson shuffles beside me and I glance at him to see him staring straight ahead at the stage. He’s tapping his fingers on the table rapidly and clenching the muscles in his jaw.
“We’d also like to dedicate this night to our daughter, Cassie, who was taken away from us very early on in life,” Victoria says, with tears in her eyes.
“Thank you very much for sharing this special night with us,” John says and turns to his wife, grabbing her arm a little too roughly before taking her to a corner off the stage.
The restaurant erupts with applause before the guests get back to their conversations at their tables.
“Don’t mind them.” I realize that Matt is talking to me. He looks back at his parents and then turns around to face Hudson and me. “What’s one night without a little drama?”
Hudson breathes heavily beside me but stays silent as he watches his parents. I can’t really tear my eyes away from them either. It’s fucking awkward. What the hell is going on?
This was a bad idea!I mentally note.Just politely decline next time Hudson invites you over for family dinners.
I watch John telling Victoria something. His face is blank as he shouts at her while shaking her arm. Something about him appears off. All she does is flinch and then reach out to hold his dinner jacket. When she looks up at him, her eyes are awash with new tears.
Victoria then nods her head as he tells her something else and then she walks away from him and goes to the back of the restaurant.
I excuse myself from the table, but it seems as though only Matt notices because Hudson appears preoccupied. He looks at me briefly, but it’s as if he isn’t present.
