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“Please,” Chase and I say in unison, then exchange a look I can’t read, but feels like disdain rather than respect. When I get him alone, I can explain everything. Until then, he’s probably thinking I’m some sort of sociopath.
Gram is unfazed and continues on. “You know I’m a God-fearing woman, but when an energy is present, I can just sense it.” She hovers her hand over the space between Chase and me, where our sides are not quite fully touching. If this was real, our bodies would be molding around one another’s. Intense and divine. This is just…
Business.
“And Jude is already a part of the family, practically. I can’t wait to talk to your mother about this.”
“Please don’t,” I say with a half-laugh. “I mean, just let me tell her first.”
Gram touches her nose. “Of course, dear, of course.”
Caroline arrives with the brandy, pushing the glasses toward Chase and me so roughly that the liquid sloshes around and nearly spills out. My friend is using annoyance to mask a deep hurt I hate to have caused her, especially when none of this is even real. She thinks I’ve betrayed her by not telling her about the “relationship.”
However, up until two minutes ago, there was nothing to tell.
“Cheers,” my friend says in a monotone before knocking back her entire brandy in one go.
Chase and I follow suit. They both are much more talented at getting the liquor down than I am. Takes me two sips and even then, I nearly cough afterward.
“Well, sit, y’all, sit.”
Chase eagerly pulls away from me and sits in one of the chairs. I sit in Caroline’s. Caroline joins Gram across from us, sitting on the arm of the chair, shooting daggers at me. With her big blonde hair and brown eyes, Caroline could have easily been a pageant girl. And when she’s angry, she looks as murderous as one.
“I want to hear how this happened. Don’t spare any details,” Gram says, clapping her hands together.
“Yes,darling,” Chase says with a saccharine affectation in his voice. “Tell them how this happened. And don’t spare a single detail.”
I take a deep breath. All eyes are on me. Two-thirds of them hating me.Just great. “Well, it started just like this, actually,” I say.Half a lie. “Watering the plants, of course, is what I mean. I’d pop by once a week, check on the plants and… you know, we just got to talking. We have a lot in common, Chase and me.”
“Like what?” Caroline asks.
Great question, thanks for that. Whatdowe have in common? Chase is a lawyer and a businessman. I’m an art teacher. Or… I was an art teacher. “Art, of course. You know, Chase keeps his walls rather bare and we started talking about me maybe making a few pieces for him.”
“Did you commission her? How very Medici of you,” Gram says.
“Well, anyway, I started coming around more often to discuss what he was looking for and those conversations got longer and longer and before you know it, he asked me on a date.”
“Where did y’all go?” Caroline interjects.
I look over at Chase.A little help? You’ve agreed this far, haven’t you?
“Hilton Head. For the weekend.”
“A whole weekend for a first date? My, you must have been serious,” Gram says. “Takes after your grandfather,” she mutters to Caroline, patting her knee affectionately.
“And then we just haven’t been apart!” I say and reach over to Chase for his hand. “Right, my love?”
He takes it as limply as possible while still looking moderately convincing. “Right as rain,my love.”
Caroline visibly cringes.
“Well, this meeting has gone even better than I had hoped,” Gram says.
From the foyer, I hear the grandfather clock signify the new hour with heavy, droning bells.
“Ah, that’s my cue. I’m afraid I have to cut this meeting much too short. Come here, Jude, walk me out –“
I hurry to my feet and take Gram by the arm. We walk together through the foyer and to the front door.
