Blackmail Boyfriend

by Chris Cannon

  “I have.” Bryce held out his hand and did the one pump handshake with a guy who looked like a college-aged version of himself. Andre had the same coloring and body type. They were even wearing similar suits. Then again, all the guys were wearing dark suits, but still, the whole doppelgänger thing was creepy.

  Bryce placed his hand on the small of my back. “Andre, this is my date, Haley.”

  The copycat Bryce nodded his head at me like he was royalty. I smiled and gave a polite, “Hello.”

  Nathan cleared his throat. “If you’ll excuse us, I think we’re ready to take our seats.” Nathan led us through a set of French double doors.

  Once seated, Jane and I were free to gawk at the decor.

  “Is that ice sculpture shaped like a centaur?” Jane asked.

  “Maybe swans are out this season.” I pointed at another sculpture. “I see your centaur and raise you a mermaid.”

  Jane turned to see what I was pointing at. “Well she is surrounded by shrimp, so I suppose that makes sense.”

  “Mind if we join you?” Crap. I recognized that voice. Why was Brittney asking to sit at our table?

  “Sorry,” Nathan answered. “These seats are saved. I believe there are open tables by the mermaid.”

  Brittney’s cheeks colored. Andre led her away.

  “Was that some sort of country-club insult?” Jane asked.

  “No one wants to sit by the food stations,” Nathan answered.

  My stomach rumbled. “Speaking of food, how does this work?”

  “Hors d’oeuvres are available for the next half hour. Salads will be served once everyone is seated.” Nathan stated this like it was a quote from a sacred text.

  “For a guy, you know a lot about banquets,” Jane said.

  “I’ve been listening to my mother plan these events for years.”

  “Any rules I should know, so I don’t offend Nathan’s mom?” I asked Bryce.

  “There are three rules for eating in public.” He counted items off on his fingers. “No double-dipping. No eating with your fingers, even if it is finger food. No spitting anything out, no matter how disgusting it might be.”

  “Got it.” I was sure there was some standard country-club behavior he’d forgotten to share. “Why don’t you lead the way, so I can see how it’s done?”

  “It’s not hard.” Bryce stood and pulled my chair out, which knocked me off balance since I’d planned to stand on my own. Face burning, I steadied myself on the edge of the table. “A little warning would be nice.”

  “Sorry. I thought it was understood I’d pull your chair out for you.”

  “For tonight, why don’t you pretend I’m a visitor from another country and I might not know your customs?”

  “What she said,” Jane echoed.

  I held onto Bryce’s arm as he led me toward the appetizers. The array of food was disappointing. Not that I’d expected pizza rolls, but there were too many squishy, unidentifiable items. Even the cheese and crackers seemed off. The cheese had the runny look cream cheese gets when you leave it in the fridge too long.

  “It’s brie.” Bryce stated this like I was supposed to understand what he meant. I grabbed some plain crackers and filled the rest of my plate with vegetables.

  Back at the table, Jane stared suspiciously at a cracker with shiny black beads on it. She glanced at my plate. “You’re not trying the caviar?”

  I wanted to share Bryce’s salt-covered dirt description, but Nathan’s plate was full of nothing but caviar. Trying to be diplomatic, I said, “I decided to play it safe.”

  Jane took a bite and grimaced. “That is awful.” She pulled the lemon off her water glass and bit into it.

  “It’s an acquired taste.” Nathan popped a cracker into his mouth and smiled.

  “That’s what my mom used to tell me about Brussels sprouts.” Jane picked up the other caviar covered cracker on her plate and passed it to him. “If it tastes bad the first time, why try again?”

  An elegant blond woman and a man who had to be Bryce’s father approached our table. Where Bryce appeared confident, his father seemed superior, like everyone was beneath him.

  Bryce stood to greet his parents. Was I supposed to stand? Hello…a clue would be nice. Nathan cleared his throat and made an upward gesture with his hand. Hoping he wasn’t messing with me, I pushed back my chair. Standing in what I hoped was a graceful manner, I waited to see what would happen next. Someone should publish a manual: Archaic Social Rules You Should Know if You’re Invited Somewhere Fancy.

  “Mother, Father, this is Haley Patterson.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Haley. I think you’re a positive influence on my son.” Bryce’s mom seemed sincere.

  Before I could acknowledge the compliment, Bryce’s father spoke. “Patterson, that name sounds familiar. What does your father do?”

  “He owns and operates Patterson Landscaping.” Normally I wouldn’t have thrown in the “owned” part, but in this situation I wanted to make that point clear.

  “Oh.” Bryce’s father managed to put an enormous amount of disdain into one syllable.

  “Your father always has the loveliest poinsettias. I order a dozen every year to decorate for Christmas.”

  “Thank you. I’ll pass that on to him.” Bryce’s mom seemed nice. How had she ended up with such a jerk?

  “We should take our seats. Dinner will start soon.” His mom gave a genuine smile. “It was nice meeting you, Haley.”

  “It was nice meeting you, too.” His parents walked away, and Bryce helped me back into my chair. I let him, because it seemed important to him, and there was enough screwed up in his life right now.

  A dark-haired man, who looked like an older version of Nathan, stood at a table up front. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for attending this evening. Blah, blah, blah…”

  Okay. He didn’t say that, but I tuned him out to focus on Bryce. Leaning close, I grabbed his hand. “Your mom is nice.”

  “And my father?”

  I went with a G-rated response. “He’s not so nice.”

  Waiters arrived, bearing salads. I released Bryce’s hand to pick up my fork.

  Once his father stopped speaking, Nathan seemed obligated to fill the silence. He asked a series of questions, drawing all four of us into a conversation about unimportant topics during the rest of the meal. He even made Bryce laugh. If he wanted a future as a politician, he was a shoe-in.

  When they cleared the dinner dishes away, Jane stared toward the kitchen door where the waiters entered the dining room bearing trays covered with small white bowls. “What’s for dessert?”

  “Lemon sorbet,” Nathan answered.

  Jane pouted. “I expected some elaborate cake with amazing icing.”

  “We could leave and have dessert someplace else.” The way Bryce said this made it sound like a question.

  “I suppose we could.” Nathan stood. “Let me have a word with my father.”

  “He has to ask if he can leave?” Jane spoke in a quiet voice so Nathan wouldn’t overhear her as he walked away.

  Bryce drummed his fingers on the table. “He is the heir-apparent to the country club.”

  “That explains the house.” I watched as Nathan talked to his father and schmoozed the other people at his father’s table. “Jane, I think you’re dating a future governor or senator.”

  She beamed. “He is fabulous, isn’t he?”

  Nathan returned and shook his head. “My father feels it would be best if we stayed for the remainder of the evening and went out for dessert afterward.”

  “Seriously? We can’t leave?” Jane looked at Nathan like he was crazy.

  “My family has certain obligations when it comes to the country club.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “After dessert, my father will make a closing speech and then we’re free to go. We can go to the Cupcakery and I’ll split whatever bizarre combination of cupcakes you want.”

  “Even the chocolate jalapeño?�
�

  He nodded, and she bounced a little bit in her seat, which made him laugh. The waiters served the lemon sorbet, which was surprisingly good, but didn’t seem like dessert.

  Nathan’s father’s speech was short, which I appreciated because I had a craving for chocolate cake. As we exited the ballroom, we hit a bottleneck in the lobby. “What’s this?

  “People like to socialize on the way out.”

  “Didn’t they socialize enough on the way in?” I muttered.

  “Bryce, there you are.” His father appeared beside us. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

  A muscle in Bryce’s jaw twitched. “Of course, Father.” He laid a hand on my arm. “Stick with Nathan and Jane. I’ll be back in five minutes.

  What? No. Why couldn’t I go with him? Maybe leaving me gave him an excuse to get back to me sooner. I liked that line of logic, so I went with it. I turned to speak to Jane, but she was gone. Scanning the crowd of well-dressed, annoyingly tall people, I caught a glimpse of Nathan.

  Edging my way through the crowd, I emerged to discover the man I’d seen was Nathan’s father.

  Deep breath. It was going to be okay, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I was trapped behind enemy lines. Making my way to the wall, I stood with my back against it, so I could scan the crowd without anyone sneaking up on me.

  People filtered by. After the crowd in the lobby thinned, I spotted Nathan and Jane by the front door. Beyond, them a crowd waited for valets to bring their cars.

  Doing my best to appear normal, I headed toward them. “I lost Bryce. Have you seen him?”

  “No,” Jane said. “Why’d he leave you?”

  “His dad dragged him off to meet someone. I expected him back by now.”

  As if on cue, I heard Bryce’s voice followed by a feminine laugh. He emerged from a side hall with a tall blond hanging on his arm. Why was she touching him? Why was he letting her touch him?

  He spotted me and rolled his eyes. That helped. When he reached me, he said, “Haley, this is Lucinda. Her family moved to the area and my father asked me to show her around.”

  Lucinda gave me a blinding smile. “Nice to meet you, Haley.”

  “Likewise.” I gave Bryce a meaningful look. “We better go before the Cupcakery closes.”

  “Thanks again for offering to show me around.” Lucinda’s smile was so perfect she could have starred in a commercial for toothpaste. “My cousin Lisa is seventeen. If you have any single friends, maybe we could go on a double date.”

  And my head was going to explode. “Did you just try to make a date with my boyfriend right in front of me?”

  Her cheeks turned bright red. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” She backed a step away from Bryce. “When he said he was with you I thought he meant he was giving you a ride home. I didn’t realize—

  “Please stop talking.” I got it. I didn’t look like I belonged with Bryce. This was not news to me but having it driven home in this manner sucked.

  “No harm done.” Bryce looked past Lucinda to his father and another man approaching. “It was a simple misunderstanding. We should go.”

  Bryce’s dad clapped the other man on the back. “I knew your son and my daughter would hit it off.”

  “Yes, they make a lovely couple.” Lucinda’s father beamed. “What are you two doing tomorrow?”

  Hello… Now was the time for Bryce to jump in and explain that he had a girlfriend. His dad knew I was here with him… What kind of crap was he trying to pull?

  “Bryce,” I tried to keep an even tone to my voice, “tell your father why you can’t show Lucinda around.”

  “We haven’t made any firm plans yet.” Bryce said. “Lucinda, I’ll call you. Haley, we should go before the Cupcakery closes.”

  Hell no. “Bryce?”

  “Could we not do this here?” Bryce sounded annoyed. Too bad.

  “I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I need to know where I stand.”

  He looked as frustrated as I felt. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Man up and make a choice.” I was tired of second-guessing our relationship. Either he wanted to be my boyfriend or he didn’t. Either way, I’d live. I might eat a dozen cupcakes by myself, but I’d survive. “Consider our deal over, and make a choice.”

  He didn’t say he wanted me to be his girlfriend. He didn’t say he wanted to continue dating me, but see other people. He didn’t say a word. He blinked and stared. And there was my answer. Fighting the urge to tell him what a wuss he was, I nodded. “Fine. It’s over. Have a nice life.” With that parting shot, I stomped out the door and wove through the crowd of people waiting for the valet.

  Slow, even breaths, that was the key. I could do this, even though it felt like I was inhaling broken glass. I would not cry in public. If people were going to gossip about me breaking up with Bryce, which they would, at least they’d say I made a dignified exit.

  Now what? I needed an escape route. Jane. I needed Jane. All I had to do was find her, because her real boyfriend would give me a ride home.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Bryce

  Haley took off out the front door. I couldn’t believe it. She’d broken up with me. I never saw that coming. I waited for the sense of relief I thought I’d feel. It didn’t come. In its place was a sense of uneasiness, like I’d made a decision I would live to regret. But that was ridiculous. Right?

  Lucinda stood off to the side looking uncertain. None of this was her fault. She didn’t seem so bad.

  My life would be so much easier if I started something with her. Blond hair, perfect makeup, and an amazing body… What else could I ask for? And then a strange question popped into my head. “Do you like dogs?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Dogs,” I said. “Do you have a dog?”

  “No.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know why anyone would want an animal in the house.”

  I thought about Leo the shih tzu curling up on my lap.

  “Did I mention I’m a swimsuit model?” Lucinda moved closer and touched my arm like she’d done earlier.

  My brain short-circuited for a moment as I imagined what Lucinda would look like in and out of a bikini, but then an image of Haley smiling at me covered in dog shampoo crowded out those pictures in my head. I pushed it away.

  My father caught my eye and gave me the nod of approval I’d rarely seen in my life. The last time was when I’d announced I’d made the varsity tennis team. I hated that it mattered to me…that I still craved his approval. To maintain it, and keep the peace at my house all I had to do was date a girl like Lucinda. Was that such a hardship…dating a bikini model?

  “Excuse me, Lucinda.” I headed out the door, keeping my eyes open for Haley even though I doubted she was still hanging around. Nathan would’ve offered to give her a ride home.

  …

  I made my way to the valet station and grabbed my keys, which violated country club protocol…not that I cared. Maybe that would be my new attitude, not caring much about anything. If my father wanted me to date Lucinda…sure why not? If he wanted me to get my degree in business…not a problem. Maybe that was the key to life. Not giving a shit about anything. If you didn’t care, you couldn’t disappoint people or be disappointed by them.

  Once I was in my car, I wasn’t sure where to go, so I drove toward the animal shelter. Not for any reason except my father would never look for me there. Not that he’d care I’d left, since apparently, I was following his master plan.

  The way Haley had looked at me when she told me to make a choice, and I’d said nothing, had done nothing, just let her walk away… that look was a judgment. She was judging me when she didn’t understand my life.

  She could go her way and I’d go mine. It was better this way. She’d find another guy, someone who would treat her well. Her brothers would make sure of that. I would date Lucinda or some other girl my father approved of, and she would be beautiful and built like a model and, above all
else, boring. A girl who would nod and smile and agree with whatever I said. No arguments, no teasing me, not much of anything exciting or fun or unique.

  I reached the parking lot of the animal shelter. Now what? There was a car parked off to the side. It was probably the owner…Debra…Deena…something like that. Now what? It’s not like I wanted to go inside.

  I attempted to make a U-turn. My car bounced and jerked as the tires navigated the potholes and ruts. I’d never been here after dark and this parking lot was worse than I remembered. Maybe things just seemed better when Haley was around. Aiming back toward the main road, I hit the gas and my Mustang jerked forward to the right. Metal scraped dirt as my tire went deep enough into a pothole for the car to bottom out. The sound set my teeth on edge. Why did everything that had anything to do with Haley have to be so difficult? I made it back to the edge of the parking lot where the ground was more level and threw the car into park.

  I took a deep breath and stared at my steering wheel like it might have some answers as to why my life was so messed up.

  Knock, knock.

  I startled at the sound. A lady with her hair in a long silver braid smiled at me as I lowered the window.

  “Sorry to scare you. I heard your car. This parking lot can be dangerous. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I’m…” I started to say I was fine, but for some reason I blurted out the truth. “I’m not okay.”

  “Do you need a tow truck?”

  “No. I—” What did I need? I needed something that made sense. I needed Haley or some part of her to hold on to. “Can I come in and see the dogs?”

  She tilted her head to the side and studied me. “I was about to head out after I finished the books. You can have ten minutes. Any particular dog you wanted to see?”

  “Yes. Leo, the shih tzu.”

  “Oh, he was adopted today,” Deena said. “A nice family with two little girls. I think he’s going to be very happy with them.”

  “Good for him.” The weight of the evening crashed down on me making my arms feel heavy. “Thanks for checking on me. I should go.”