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His eyes on her as he moved a little closer, he asked, “So what was that with my dad? You were stepping all over my feet, but you two looked like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Trying to punish me?” he said, a little too forcefully, leaning in toward herface.Get it together, Jake…he thought, coaxing a smirk into an otherwise serious expression.
Her face was impassive as she thought about his question. “I may know how to waltz, or maybe he’s just a better leader than you,” she said, lightly biting her bottom lip, trying not to grin.
His hand snaked around her lower back, yanking her to him. “Is that right? God, how I want to…”
“Here you go, Jake.” Joe set a full glass of the French chardonnay on the bar. Jake’s hand fell off her as he turned to his uncle’s voice.
“Want to what?” she muttered under her breath, almost as if she wasn’t asking him but rather herself.
He heard her but didn’t respond. He wanted to sayspank you, which was what almost came out of his mouth. The truth was every time he was around her, he wanted to do everything to her: caress her, kiss her, spank her, fuck her, love her... God, she messed with his head, looking at her. “Let’s dance again. I guess I have something to prove.”
They put their glasses down on the table before moving to the dance floor. “Obviously, you know how to waltz,” he said, turning her around to him. “This is the perfect waltz song, ‘Stars over Texas.’” He smiled. Putting his arm up, she responded, getting in position. They had only danced a few steps before Jasmine started patting Jake’s leg, yelling, “Unc J, me, I wanna dance!” He scooped her up, holding her with one arm, pulling Rakell in closer with the other arm. They sandwiched Jasmine between them as they moved across the dance floor.
Cameron, Jake’s three-year-old nephew, peeled onto the dance floor, running toward Jake, shouting something Rakell couldn’t understand. With arms up as he got to them, he squealed, “Meeee!” Jake looked torn, Jasmine shaking her head vehemently, making it clear she wasn’t giving up Jake.
Rakell looked toward Cameron, smiling, then across the room, catching Melissa’s twisted expression as if she were concerned. Rakell mouthed,Is it okay?gesturing her arms toward Cameron. Melissa’s face softened, letting Rakell know she could pick him up. She broke from Jake, picking him up Cameron. Holding him on her hip, they followed Jake and Jasmine. He grabbed Rakell’s cheeks and kept pecking her chin. She had little experience with children, but she could tell he struggled to speak. She spun in a quick circle, and he giggled hard, spurring her to spin around again.
Jake watched her with his nephew, seeing yet another unexpected side to her, just like when he’d witnessed her soothing Neo, thinking he wished he really knew her. The incongruency of what he felt seeing her hold his nephew, who rarely trusted people outside his bubble, and what he knew about her thumped in his chest.Why do the facts of our lives have to get in the way of this…this feeling?Could he even trust himself? He had been wrong about her, thinking she was an ordinary girl, when, in reality, she had been jetting off to Europe to entertain billionaires.
She caught his eyes on her and nodded before Cameron hit her with another wet kiss on her chin. He continuously squeezed her cheeks so hard she was sure they would be beet red; then she saw Melissa’s almost grateful expression watching them.
The song ended, and they all made their way back to the table. Melissa was packing up the kids’ stuff, saying goodbye to her grandparents and parents as Jake approached. “You guys heading out?”
“Yes, Tom is waiting in the car,” she offered, a strained quality to her voice. Jake noticed that Melissa and Tom had barely made eye contact, much less talked throughout the night. “We have to get the little ones to bed.” Melissa opened her arms.
As he expanded his arms to pull her in, he couldn’t help but notice that stress was carved into the features of her face. He’d been too distracted to completely absorb how Melissa’s usually stoic persona was fraying before his eyes. Melissa, perfect Melissa, that’s what his extended family always called her, because she seemingly had it all together: excelled at school, then business, a marriage to envy, and two kids. To the outside world, she balanced it all. He remembered his mom sternly telling his dad to instruct his family to quit calling her ‘perfect Melissa’ when she was twenty, yet it still crept into the family’s description of her.
Melissa patted his back. “Super proud of you, baby brother.”
“Ahh, thanks.” Kissing her cheek, he put his mouth close to her ear. “I’ll have time to watch the kids so you and Tom can have a few nights out. You know, just the two of you. I can stay for a weekend, too…”
“Jake…” She cut him off. “We’ll see about that,” she blurted out, diverting her eyes from him as she moved to Jenae and Winnie.
Delilah and Jordan were standing, both holding one of Jasmine’s hands between them as she kicked the air, trying to swing, Delilah strictly telling her to settle down.
Rakell got the feeling, watching her, that Jasmine and calm did not go together. No wonder Jasmine and Jake were so in sync, she thought, almost giggling.
Melissa hugged Rakell, saying how nice it was to meet her. “If you want the name of a couple of other Austin boutiques that carry some pretty unique pieces, let me know. Honestly, they’d probably love it if a supermodel was wearing their stuff. You should capitalize on that with some of the local stores. I can get introductions going if you like,” she explained.
“Well, I’m not supermodel status, but I’d love to find out about some of the boutiques you recommend,” Rakell said sheepishly, her face flushing from the compliment.
People started crowding around Jake, saying their goodbyes along with more congratulations. Rakell crouched down to Jasmine’s level. “So fun seeing you. Come visit me sometime, okay?”
“K, Aunt K,” Jasmine giggled before she broke out in a song-chant. “Aunt K and Uncle J …Aunt K and Uncle J, Aunt K and Uncle J. Uncle J, you gotcha a princess…” she shrieked into the room.
“Enough!” Delilah commanded, grabbing Jasmine’s hand, no doubt registering the awkward reactions of both targets of Jasmine’s song.
Rakell’s eyes grew wide, emotion creeping behind them. She loved hearing Jasmine calling her ‘Aunt K,’ yet the dread of her and Jake ending as soon as she shared her past, not being a part of this, crept in again. She caught Jake staring at her from the side but purposely did not meet his eyes.
The crowd cleared out as the restaurant workers and a few people charged with cleaning up were busy clearing the barn.
Jenae, Winnie, and Jake’s parents were saying bye to some friends when Jake and Rakell approached. “Jake, why don’t you just plan on coming by tomorrow to get all this? I’m sure your father will steal a bottle or two,” Mom said, patting Jake’s dad on the arm.
“Seriously, Dad, take a few bottles—bourbon and scotch. There’s no way for me to drink all that,” Jake said.
“Don’t worry, son, I’ll treat myself to a bottle or two.” He smiled, lines springing around his blue eyes.
“Hey, thanks for a great party. I appreciate you always including my mom,” Dwayne said, hugging Jake’s parents. Georgia hugged Jake’s parents, too, then Jake.
