by DRAYER, GINA
"Thank you, Mrs. Carver," Beth said.
"Please call me Martha," she said and patted the vacant seat next to her. "I'm so glad we finally get you meet you."
"Please don't blame Matt for this. Like I tried to explain to Jason last night, Matt and I don't see each other often because of my job, so when I got the time off, I decided to surprise him. He didn't even know I was here until last night."
Everyone else at the table was uncharacteristically quiet. With his family that was never good sign. Even the twins seemed to pick up on the tension. After Beth sat down, the interrogation began.
"Matt hasn't told us much about you," his mom continued, glaring at him with her terror inducing Mom Scowl that always made Matt feel six years old. "The only thing he did mention was that you live in Chicago and you travel with your work. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"
Beth was a trooper. She launched into her life story, and she had a lot to tell. Outside of her extensive travels in South America, Beth had spent a large chunk of her childhood in Africa.
Everyone, including Matt, had been transfixed by her stories. She had a real passion for traveling. Matt could see it in the way her eyes got all shiny and she'd let out an involuntary sigh after she was done talking.
And even though he'd been enamored the first day they'd met, Matt was still surprised by how fast Beth won over his parents and uncle. He couldn't have picked a better girl to meet his family even if he tried.
What didn't surprise him was the way Bridget and Kitty glared at her from the end of the table. Bridget wasn't shy about showing her displeasure. She took every opportunity to make a snide comment in her passive aggressive way.
"Wow, your work in Haiti sounds amazing," Bridget said with a saccharine sweet smile. "I don't think I would have been able to live with three men in those horrible conditions. It doesn't sound like there was a lot of privacy."
"There wasn't. But you get used to it." Beth smiled back, either not catching the subtle jab or choosing to ignore it. "It was a lot like summer camp. Blazing hot temperatures with no AC, mosquitoes that could eat you alive, and everyone crammed into a small space. The only difference was instead of roasting marshmallows and singing songs, we put in a waste control system that saved children from dying of dysentery and cholera."
"I never went to summer camp," Bridget said, curtly.
They managed the rest of lunch without much incident. As they were getting ready to leave, Mom insisted that Beth come to the reception on St. Maarten the next day. "I don't want to be a bother. I know you didn't plan for me, and I wouldn't want to impose on your special day."
Bridget must have thought this was her opportunity and she pounced. "Well, if you're coming for the reception, we should really talk wardrobe. You'll need something—" she gave Beth a not so subtle head to toe assessment. "—formal to wear. If you don't have anything appropriate, we'll need to think of something. Too bad you aren't Kitty's size. Maybe Martha has something that would fit you. The Carvers are very well connected. There's going to be several high profile people in attendance. Even our state senator and his wife will be there."
This time Matt wasn't going to let the insult slide. "Bridget," he started, but Beth put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. And what came out of her mouth next shocked him.
"Hmmm. I thought my mom said they had a trip scheduled for Washington this week." She tilted her head to the side as if trying to remember. "Yep, I'm pretty sure Mom said there was a committee meeting that Glenn had to attend. So you must be talking about Rich and Michelle. Why, I haven't seen them since Thanksgiving. Are they bringing their daughter Megan?"
"Rich and Michelle?" Bridget choked.
"That was who you were talking about, right? I mean, since Mom and Glenn obviously aren't coming. I just assumed you meant the Sheltons. We do only have two state senators last time I checked."
"Glenn Archer is your father?" Matt's father finally chimed in.
"I thought you said your last name was Riley," Bridget said, looking thoroughly pissed now.
"Glenn is my step-father," Beth explained. "I've never found it necessary to lean on his name for social standing. As far a formal dress, I think I've got that covered, but thanks for the offer."
With that little bombshell, Matt could almost see his mother planning their wedding. She was going to be heartbroken when he told her they'd broken up. God damn it. This was just getting more and more complicated.
"Well," Mom said, smiling wide. "If we're going to make that craft class, we'd better be on our way. Matt, be a dear and get my chair."
Matt got up to retrieve the wheelchair that she'd been relying on more and more this last year. Every time he'd asked, she'd always dismissed his worry. Even now he could hear her explain away Beth's concern.
"I'm fine dear. It's sweet of you to ask. This ship is so huge and I'm not as young as I use to be."
The truth was her heart wasn't as strong as it used to be. The radiation from her cancer treatment years ago had caused permanent damage. And even though she'd been cancer free for years, her health was getting worse.
He helped her into her chair and they said their goodbyes. Beth not only expertly got him out of going to bingo with his mother later in the week, she also managed to excuse both of them from dinner that night. Mom had been more than happy to give Beth and him "alone time."
They walked down the corridor to the bank of elevators in silence. It wasn't until after they were in the elevator alone, that Beth turned to him and smiled.
"So?"
"I think it went well," he said, still a little shell shocked over her revelation. "Is Glenn Archer really your stepdad?"
Beth nodded her head, but looked a little pale. Matt knew there was more to this story.
"I did kinda lie."
Fuck. There was no way his family wouldn't find out about this. "What were you thinking? A simple Google search will out your lie, and don't think for a second that Bridget and Kitty didn't go back to their staterooms to look you up."
"I didn't lie about Glenn being my stepdad. I'm not an idiot. It's just, I'm not close with my mom. And I have no idea what she's doing this week." Beth rubbed her head and leaned against the side of the elevator. "I made a gamble since Mom's in the middle of planning my sister's wedding. I doubt even an invitation from a top campaign contributor would have her leaving Chicago right now. But the Sheltons are coming? I can't have this getting back to my mom. There are things going on right now. I just don't need the added complication of explaining why I'm at your parents' anniversary party as your girlfriend."
"His son Simon's one of my business partners. But I doubt Richard Shelton will care who my date is. He's an old friend of my father's, and unless my checkbook is open, I'm all but invisible to him."
The door dinged open and Matt followed her into the hall. The initial shock over the whole senator thing had worn off, but the idea that she wasn't close with her family, after all the great stories she shared about their travels, puzzled him.
"Well now that that's over, you can relax," she said with obvious relief. "I know you have things you need to do to get ready for the reception, so I'll meet you on the island." Then, almost as an afterthought, she said, "I hope you don't mind that I got you out of dinner. I have plans tonight, and I got the impression your mom wanted me to be there. I figured if she thought we were on a date, I'd get a pass. Now you can have some time to yourself."
Normally he'd jump at the chance to shirk his social obligations so he could have some time alone, but her sudden brush off hurt. Especially since she had indicated they'd be spending more time together. Matt hoped the disappointment wasn't written across his face. What they had might not be real, but he still wanted to get to know her better. And he really wanted to continue their conversation from earlier.
"You're right. I have a few things to do," he finally said. "The time without the family will be nice."
Beth stretched up and kissed him on
the cheek. "Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow."
Chapter 5
Modern Girl Tip #10: Take Time for Yourself—Remember this is your vacation. Don't feel obligated to spend all your time with your fling. If things are getting too intense, take a step back.
It was a lie. Beth didn't have any plans, but she did need a break. Dinner with his family was more than she'd bargained for. Even though she'd gone in prepared for the worst, after the initial awkwardness, the Carvers turned out to be warm and inviting.
The trouble was, half way through the dinner, Beth started to forget that it was all pretend, and that was dangerous. The last thing she needed to do was to get emotionally invested. Especially with a guy like Matt Carver. After Robert, she was done with the nice guys that had picket fences and golden retrievers in their future. What Matt needed was a nice woman who'd stay at home, have his two point five kids, and go to Sunday brunch with his parents. And that woman wasn't her.
And though she hated lying to Matt, she wanted to regroup. Most importantly, Beth had to keep telling herself that this was all pretend. If she could do that everything would work out fine for both of them. All the pieces were in play now, and they just had to keep up the act for another twelve days.
Not that it would be a hardship. She really did like his family. Everyone in his family was overly candid and assertive. And if they hadn't been so open and accepting of her, Beth would have thought they were just being rude. But as lunch progressed, she discovered it was just in their nature.
She almost felt sorry for Matt. The poor guy couldn't get in a word, not that they seemed to listen to him when he did speak. His introverted nature was probably a defense mechanism earned over years of living in that family. She could see how much easier it was for him to let everyone around him continue their chatter, instead of fighting his way into the conversation.
So it would be easy to spend the rest of the cruise pretending to be his girlfriend. But after they reached Spain she needed to continue with her plan; two weeks with her cousin, back in time for the wedding, and then to her next job. After the boat docked, she'd keep this trip and Matt filed away in the past. She didn't need any more complications in her life. There were plenty of things on her plate already. The survey in Costa Rica alone would tie her up for months, and after that… Well, there was always another assignment. She might even sell her apartment now that there wasn't anything holding her to the city.
Thinking about Costa Rica, Beth decided to check her email, just to make sure everything with her next project was being handled. Normally she'd spend the weeks before leaving conferring with the planning team by phone, but they knew she'd be unavailable, so email it was.
For the next two hours, Beth immersed herself in work, pouring over maps and satellite photos, making notes. She had a few questions, so she'd opened her messenger, hoping to catch someone working late. But just her luck, Sophia was on.
Sophia: I wish you were here. Are you still mad at me?
Great. Just what she didn't want.
Beth: No, I'm not mad at you. I don't have a lot of time to chat. I'll call you when I get to Spain and we can talk. Promise.
Sophia: My wedding is less than a month away. I never imagined doing this without you. You're my big sister. Tell me what I need to do to fix this.
The cursor blinked while Beth contemplated her response. What could she say? Sorry, but I don't feel like helping you plan a wedding to a guy I used to sleep with?
The messenger chimed with another notice.
Sophia: Please just tell me Robert won't always be between us.
Sophia wasn't as oblivious as Beth had thought. After months of dancing around things, she finally brought up the issue neither of them was willing to talk about.
Beth immediately typed HE WON'T with several exclamation marks, but deleted the message before sending it. That wasn't exactly true. Her issues with the wedding were because of Robert, but not him specifically.
How could she explain to her baby sister that her engagement to Robert made Beth realize she couldn't be the women she was now and a wife. She was just coming to terms with the idea, and for now, it was too hard watching her sister get married.
Beth: We can't talk about this over messenger. I'm not upset at you or Robert. I promise. Things are complicated right now. I'll call as soon as I can.
The cursor blinked for several seconds, as if mocking her. She knew it wasn't enough, not with the way she'd been acting. But what else could she say? Fuck. How did she explain what she was feeling to her sister when she didn't really understand them herself? It was obvious from the start that she and Robert didn't have that Happily Ever After relationship. They may have dated, but Beth knew deep down they didn't fit. And what they did have fell apart after he graduated from medical school. Robert was ready to move on to the next phase in his life. He wanted to sign up for the whole package—wife, kid, house—just not with her.
Looking back, she wasn't surprised Sophia and Robert ended up dating. Beth couldn't even count the number of times she'd canceled on a social engagement, and then begged Sophia to go in her stead. Beth had practically arranged their marriage
Unsure if Sophia was still logged in, Beth typed out another message.
Beth: I'm glad you and Robert are together. I know he makes you happy, and that's all I've ever wanted for you. I love you, Sis. Talk to you soon.
Without waiting to see if Sophia replied, Beth snapped the laptop shut. The chat was unsettling, and she needed to get out of the room. She was in a piss-poor mood. Not the right mindset to be social, but she couldn't stand to be alone for another minute. After pacing the long, well-lit corridors for several minutes, Beth decided just being out of her room wasn't enough. She wanted to be around people, and so she headed to one of the lounges.
Funny thing was, the lounge at four in the afternoon was not the place to be if you were looking for activity. Irritated, Beth flopped into a corner booth, deciding that at least she could get a drink or two and read her book some place other than her room.
Unfortunately three drinks later, Beth lost the ability to focus on the story and still had no idea what to do with herself. If this was how the next twelve days looked, she was tempted to stay drunk the rest of the trip.
Beth surveyed the lounge. A group of seniors had gathered for pre-dinner drinks and a couple was necking in the corner. She stuck out like a sore thumb, nursing her fourth fruity rum drink all by herself. No one went on a cruise alone. The ship was like a small floating nation filled with prepackaged units of people, and she was the odd man out.
She should have gone to dinner with Matt. He'd seemed disappointed when she'd given him an out for tonight. And despite her worry about getting too involved with him, being seen together in public would only help their cover. Beth thumbed her e-reader and looked around again.
Palo, the server who'd dutifully waited on her for the last hour, cleared his throat, causing Beth to jump. She'd been so absorbed in her thoughts she hadn't even seen him come up beside her.
"Can I get you anything else? I have to prep for the dinner shift, but I can get you something before I leave."
With a heavy sigh, Beth handed over her half-full glass.
"I should get ready for dinner," she said.
But the thought of tonight's meal just made her head pound. She couldn't do her normal dinner rotation. She was supposed to be having a "date" with her boyfriend. And besides, the thought of spending another night with her dull dinner companions made Beth want to leap into the ocean. Maybe it was time order room service and call it a night. She would just stay off her laptop.
Palo surprised her and sat down in the empty chair beside her. "Sweetie. You don't look like you're having much fun. This is the second day you've been in here for hours by yourself. If you're not sure what to do, I can give you some suggestions."
"Is my boredom that obvious?"
"Honey," he said with an exaggerated eye roll, "a hot number like you sh
ouldn't spend a moment alone. There are things to do on this boat that don't involve bingo or shuffleboard. I know all the best events." He leaned over the table and said in a whisper, "The Social Director owes me a personal favor, so if you want to get into anything, just let me know and I'll hook you up."
"I don't know. I've been through the itinerary. I'm planning on hitting a few of the theme nights, but nothing else sparked my interest. It's a cruise. My book, the pool, and a few drinks should be all I need." Well that, and maybe dirty vacation sex with a hot marketing guy, she thought. "Please, don't worry about me."
Palo rolled his eyes and pulled out a schedule from his apron. "The ones I circled in green are a must go. The purple ones are good to kill some time, if you haven't found yourself something or someone to keep you occupied. And if that's what you're looking for, I'll keep an eye out for you."
She almost laughed. Oh, she already had a tasty distraction. The only question was, could she have fun with Matt without it becoming personal?
Palo wouldn't leave until she'd agreed to attend some of the, in his words, non-coma inducing events he'd circled in green. And a few did look fun.
She ordered room service and ate a quick dinner, feeling a whole lot better. Maybe a kick in the pants was exactly what she needed, because that heavy weight that had been weighing her down all afternoon was finally gone.
There was no use staying cooped up. Beth decided that some fresh air on the upper decks was in order. The pool was closed and almost everyone was at a show or the second dinner seating, so there weren't many people milling about. Lucky for her the deck bar was still open.
Armed with the drink of the day, a Pineapple Mojito, Beth snatched a blanket and settled in a deck chair. The breeze off the ocean was brisk, and it chased away the stale closed-in feeling she had from spending the afternoon in the lounge.